The Effect of Small Changes in Hydration on Cognition

Swansea University

Status

Completed

Conditions

Hydration

Cognition

Treatments

Dietary Supplement: Water

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02671149

HYD01

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to determine whether drinking plain water when mildly dehydrated benefits cognitive performance and mood. Volunteers undergo a dehydration protocol designed to result in minor dehydration. While some participants receive two 150ml drinks of water others do not. Differences in cognitive functioning are assessed.

Full description

As an essential nutrient, an inadequate intake of water has negative consequences: without a source of water death will occur in days. When Benton and Young (2015) reviewed the topic they concluded that in healthy adults, mild dehydration (in the range of a loss of 2% body mass) had been found to adversely influence mood and cognition. However, it is unclear at what degree of hypohydration these effects begin to emerge.

This study was designed to determine whether small changes in hydration, of the level that might occur on a day to day basis, influence cognition and mood. During a dehydration protocol (sitting in a room heated to 30 degrees for four hours) young adult participants receive either drink two 150ml cups of water or nothing. Effects on memory, attention and mood are monitored.

Enrollment

101 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 35 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

In good general health i.e. no major health condition such as diabetes
BMI < 30

Exclusion criteria

Not on blood pressure medication or blood thinning medication such as aspirin - No learning difficulty such as dyslexia
Diabetes
Gastro-intestinal disease
High BMI
Cholesterol and BP
Smoker
Dyslexic/dyspraxic
Depression or history of depression or other psychiatric disorder