Benefits of Nicotinamide Riboside Upon Cognition and Sleep
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Nicotinamide riboside, Placebo.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Cognitive Impairment, Sleep Quality. Basic parameters: 65 years — 85 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
The Benefits of Nicotinamide Riboside Upon Cognition and Sleep in Older Veterans
Overview
Poor sleep quality and short sleep duration may be a mechanistic component of cognitive impairment in older adults, associated with a decline in brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Increasing the availability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) with supplementation of its precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3 may increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This study proposes to examine the benefits of NR supplementation on sleep and cognitive function in older adults with comprehensive subjective and objective measures and to explore its impacts on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
Detailed description
Ten percent of adults aged ≥ 65 years and fifty percent of adults ≥ 85 years exhibit cognitive impairment. Dementia treatment cost $277 billion in 2018 and is predicted to surpass $500 billion with the aged population reaching 70 million by 2030 in America. In addition, 50% of older adults experience poor sleep quality, including fragmented nighttime sleep, reduced sleep efficiency, and earlier bedtime and wake-up times. Consequently, millions of Americans are at risk for both cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias, and disrupted sleep. Sleep disruptions alter underlying circadian rhythms and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, as well as reduce expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) - elements associated with impaired memory, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. Importantly, sleep disturbances and mild cognitive impairment may appear several years before the development of clinical dementia. Therefore, interventions that improve sleep may prevent cognitive impairment and would have substantial clinical importance. Pre-clinical animal models suggest that enhancing the availability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) may reduce cognitive decline and support sleep quality by boosting mitochondrial function and BDNF expression. Additionally, supplementation with NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3, improves cognition in aged mice. The hypothesis for this study is that NR supplementation will enhance cognition by improving objective sleep duration and sleep quality in older persons. To test the hypothesis, this study will measure the benefits of NR supplementation on sleep and cognition in older Veterans and determine the role of BNDF as a potential biomarker of sleep quality.
Interventions
- Dietary supplement Nicotinamide riboside
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a form of vitamin B3, which is found in fruits, vegetables, meat, and milk. NR is converted into nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide NAD+. Low NAD+ levels have been linked to Alzheimer's disease and sleep disturbances. - Dietary supplement Placebo
The placebo pill will contain micro cellulose powder.
Primary outcome measures
- Sleep Quality Assessment [Time frame: Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Cognitive function [Time frame: Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Sleep Quality. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score >5
Exclusion criteria
- Dementia. Veteran Affairs - St. Louis University Mental Status questionnaire (VA-SLUMS) score <20
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
United States · 3 centers
- State University of New York at Buffalo — Buffalo
- University at Buffalo State University of New York — Buffalo
- Buffalo Veteran Affairs Medical Center — Buffalo
Publications
- Zhang SQ, Lee J, Pan JP, Enger R, Hrubos-Strom H, Musiek ES, Fang EF, Le W. NAD+-circadian rhythm coupling in dementia. Alzheimers Dement. 2026 May;22(5):e71360. doi: 10.1002/alz.71360. PMID 42063312
Identifiers
NCT: NCT05500170 · FP00006694