Nankivell Madeleine C, Rosenfeldt Franklin, Pipingas Andrew, Pase Matthew P, Reddan Jeffery M, Stough Con
Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia.
Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
Nutrients. 2025 Sep 8;17(17):2896. doi: 10.3390/nu17172896.
With an increase in the number of older citizens in most Western countries, cognitive decline is becoming an increasingly significant issue. Numerous age-related metabolic and physiological changes, such as increased inflammation and oxidative stress, decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, poorer cardiovascular function, and reduced cerebral blood flow, have been implicated in cognitive decline, prompting research into interventions. Among these, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an antioxidant and metabolic stimulant, has shown promise in improving some of the underlying biological mechanisms of cognitive decline. However, not much is known about the efficacy of CoQ10 supplementation on cognition in the elderly. Therefore, the aim of this review is to explore the efficacy of CoQ10 supplementation on cognitive function. We conducted a review of animal studies and human clinical trials investigating the effect of CoQ10 supplementation on cognition in samples who were healthy or with specific diseases. Overall, twelve studies demonstrated improved cognitive function and two showed a reduction in oxidative stress in response to CoQ10 supplementation, either alone or in combination with other compounds. Out of eight human clinical trials in healthy subjects (n = 2) and disease states (n = 6), four showed evidence of a beneficial effect of CoQ10 supplementation on cognition, while two demonstrated an increase in cerebral blood flow. Disparity in the results of the clinical trials presented here is likely due to differing testing procedures, inconsistent use of cognitive assessments, and/or varying bioavailability of different preparations of CoQ10. There is some evidence to suggest that cognition and the biological mechanisms that regulate it are positively impacted by CoQ10 therapy. However, it is crucial to note that the literature presents mixed results, with many human clinical trials also reporting no benefit of CoQ10 supplementation on cognitive performance. To fully evaluate the benefits of CoQ10 on cognitive function in ageing and in neurodegenerative diseases, future studies are needed that target possible mechanisms and utilise a wider range of cognitive assessments.
随着大多数西方国家老年公民数量的增加，认知能力下降正成为一个日益重要的问题。许多与年龄相关的代谢和生理变化，如炎症增加、氧化应激、三磷酸腺苷（ATP）生成减少、心血管功能较差以及脑血流量减少，都与认知能力下降有关，这促使人们对干预措施进行研究。其中，辅酶Q10（CoQ10）作为一种抗氧化剂和代谢刺激剂，在改善认知能力下降的一些潜在生物学机制方面显示出了前景。然而，关于补充CoQ10对老年人认知能力的功效，人们了解得并不多。因此，本综述的目的是探讨补充CoQ10对认知功能的功效。我们对动物研究和人体临床试验进行了综述，这些研究调查了补充CoQ10对健康或患有特定疾病样本认知能力的影响。总体而言，有12项研究表明补充CoQ10可改善认知功能，2项研究表明补充CoQ10可降低氧化应激，CoQ10可单独使用或与其他化合物联合使用。在针对健康受试者（n = 2）和疾病状态（n = 6）的8项人体临床试验中，4项显示有证据表明补充CoQ10对认知能力有有益影响，而2项表明脑血流量增加。此处临床试验结果的差异可能是由于测试程序不同、认知评估使用不一致以及/或CoQ10不同制剂的生物利用度不同。有一些证据表明，CoQ10疗法对认知及其调节的生物学机制有积极影响。然而，必须注意的是，文献呈现出的结果不一，许多人体临床试验也报告称补充CoQ10对认知表现没有益处。为了全面评估CoQ10对衰老和神经退行性疾病认知功能的益处，未来需要针对可能的机制进行研究，并采用更广泛的认知评估。
