TITLE:
Prospective Memory Assessment, before and after the Use of Concentrated Extract of Soy, in Postmenopausal Women Complaining of Memory Impairment
AUTHORS:
Lucia Helena Laprano Vieira, Teresa Raquel Embiruçu de Araújo, Mauro Abi Haidar, Ivaldo Silva
KEYWORDS:
Menopausal Transition; Postmenopausal; Isoflavones; Prospective Memory; Neuropsychology
JOURNAL NAME:
Neuroscience and Medicine,
Vol.4 No.4,
December
9,
2013
ABSTRACT: Objective: To evaluate the performance of a
sample of postmenopausal women complaining of decline of prospective memory,
undergoing therapy with concentrated extract of soy (CES) for six months,
through specific neuropsychological assessment, developed for this purpose. Materials and Methods: A randomized and double-blind study was with 90 women, 12-month amenorrhea,
40 years to 65 years and body mass index (BMI) above 30 kg/m2, whose
complaints were
reduction of cognitive efficiency. The participants were randomly divided into
two treatment groups: Group I— received one capsule of 150 mg extract of soy, with 60 mg isoflavones
orally/day; Group II—received one capsule placebo, for six
months. All participants underwent a detailed interview, the MMSE, depression
scale, and as they were being included in the study, self-perception scales and
neuropsychological tests before and after six months of treatment. For analysis
purposes, we applied the ANOVA and t-student tests. Results: Our results
suggest a possible positive effect regarding the improvement in verbal fluency
and executive function tasks of planning and mental flexibility, in women undergoing therapy
with concentrated extract of soy in postmenopause. There was no correlation between prospective memory and cognitive
performance, and there were only intensity scores of the depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Isoflavones act favorably on the cognitive function, amongst all functions,
only on verbal memory and executive function tasks of planning and mental
flexibility. The others showed no signs of improvement. We concluded that concentrated
extract acts only on some cognitive functions.