Effect of MIND diet intervention on cognitive performance and brain structure in healthy obese women: a randomized controlled trial

Golnaz Arjmand, Mojtaba Abbas-Zadeh, Mohammad Hassan Eftekhari, Golnaz Arjmand, Mojtaba Abbas-Zadeh, Mohammad Hassan Eftekhari

Abstract

Previous studies suggested adherence to recently developed Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) associated with cognitive performance. This study aimed to examine the effect of MIND dietary pattern on cognitive performance features and changes in brain structure in healthy obese women. As a total of 50 obese women were assessed for eligibility, we randomly allocated 40 participants with mean BMI 32 ± 4.31 kg/m2 and mean age 48 ± 5.38 years to either calorie-restricted modified MIND diet or a calorie-restricted standard control diet. Change in cognitive performance was the primary outcome measured with a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. We also performed voxel-based morphometry as a secondary outcome to quantify the differences in brain structure. All of the measurements were administered at baseline and 3 months follow-up. Thirty-seven participants (MIND group = 22 and control group = 15) completed the study. The results found in the MIND diet group working memory + 1.37 (95% CI 0.79, 1.95), verbal recognition memory + 4.85 (95% CI 3.30, 6.40), and attention + 3.75 (95% CI 2.43, 5.07) improved more compared with the control group (ps < 0.05). Results of brain MRI consist of an increase in surface area of the inferior frontal gyrus in the MIND diet group. Furthermore, the results showed a decrease in the cerebellum-white matter and cerebellum-cortex in two groups of study. Still, the effect in the MIND group was greater than the control group. The study findings declare for the first time that the MIND diet intervention can reverse the destructive effects of obesity on cognition and brain structure, which could be strengthened by a modest calorie restriction.Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04383704 (First registration date: 05/05/2020).

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

© 2022. The Author(s).

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT flow diagram of the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Anthropometric changes (mean and standard error of the mean) in the MIND diet group (black color) and control group (gray color) at baseline and follow-up. Note that p value < 0.05 in a repeated measure ANOVA test indicates a significant improvement in weight (A) and percent of body fat (B) in the MIND diet group in comparison with the control group. Abbreviation PBF, percent of body.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Changes in cognitive performance score (mean and standard error of the mean) in the MIND diet group (black color) and control group (gray color) at baseline and follow-up. p value < 0.05 in a repeated measure ANOVA determined that MIND diet intervention significantly altered the mean score of FDST, BDST, LNST, SDMT, TMTA (A–E) and AVLT (H). Similar but not significant trends were found for TMTB and Stroop task (F, G). Abbreviation MIND, Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay; FDST, forward digit span task; BDST, Backward Digit Span Task, LNST, letter Number Sequencing Task; SDMT, Symbol Digit Modalities Task; TMTA, Trail Making Test A; TMTB, Trail Making Test B; AVLT, Auditory Verbal Learning Test.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Changes in neuronal factor score (mean and standard error of the mean) in the MIND diet group (black color) and control group (gray color) at baseline and follow-up. p value < 0.05 in a repeated measure ANOVA determined that MIND diet intervention significantly altered the mean score of homocysteine (A). Similar but not significant trends were found for amyloid beta and BDNF levels (B, C). Abbreviation MIND, Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, BDNF, Brain-derived Neurotrophic factor.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Time × group interaction for gray and white matter volumes of brain regions in the MIND diet group (black color) compared with the control group (gray color). Changes (mean and standard error of the mean) presented. Results showed that MIND diet intervention significantly increased mean changes in the surface area of the inferior frontal gyrus (A) in comparison with the control group. The differences in cerebellum white matter (B) and cortex (C) in both groups are decreasing but not significant.

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