The cognitive effects of supplementation with sunflower phosphatidyl serine in healthy children aged 8 to 12 years: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Supplementation of the diet with phosphatidylserine (PS) is associated with cognitive and neuropsychological benefits in healthy and neuro-compromised adults. It has also been shown to mitigate symptoms of inattention in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, there is little data on the effects of PS in healthy children. Objective: The aim of this randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was to examine the effects of sunflower-derived PS on cognitive performance in healthy, neurotypical children aged 8–12 years. Methods: Participants received 100 mg of sunflower-derived PS daily in gummy form or a matching placebo for 12 weeks and completed an assessment battery at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks to monitor changes in cognitive performance, mood, and sleep. Retrospectively registered at Clinicaltrials.gov; NCT05177978 Results: There were no differences in the primary or secondary outcomes in the total cohort. However, in a pre-defined subgroup analysis of children who were selected based on their constant below median performance across the cognitive tasks at baseline, PS-supplementation showed benefit on a visuospatial memory task. The supplementation with 100 mg of Sharp PS green was shown to be safe and well tolerated. Conclusion: Although there were no differences in the primary and secondary outcomes, the findings suggest that future research should focus on children with below median performance, who are more prone to benefit from PS supplementation.