Table 2 Studies comparing MIND diet adherence and cognitive decline
Author and year | Study design | Sample size | Intervention duration | Cognitive outcome measured | Key findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hoskings et al., 2019 | Prospective cohort study | 1220 | 12Â years | Cognitive and functional changes | In adjusted logistic regression models, the MIND diet was associated with reduced odds of 12-year cognitive impairment (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.24, 0.91) The Mediterranean diet did not significantly correlate with the incidence of cognitive impairment in this study |
Cherian et al., 2021 | Observational prospective cohort study | 709 | 6.53Â years | Episodic memory, semantic memory, working memory, perceptual orientation, and perceptual speed | Participants in the highest tertile of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet scores had lower rates of depressive symptoms over time compared to those in the respective lowest tertiles The Western diet was positively associated with depressive symptoms over time |
Wesselman et al., 2021 | Cross-sectional study | 389 | - | Memory, language, executive functioning, executive functioning and visuospatial functioning | Adherence to the Mediterranean and MIND diets was associated with better memory in fully adjusted models After excluding mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects, Mediterranean and MIND diets were also related to language functions, while associations with the "alcoholic beverages" component were attenuated but mostly remained significant |
Berendsen et al. 2017 | Population-based prospective cohort study | 16,058 | 6 years | Verbal memory score and composite scores of verbal memory and global cognition | Greater long-term adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a better verbal memory score Multivariable-adjusted mean differences between extreme MIND quintiles for verbal memory score: 0.04 (95% CI 0.01–0.07), p-trend = 0.006 There was no significant association between adherence to the MIND diet and cognitive decline over 6 years in global cognition, verbal memory, or Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) Long-term adherence to the MIND diet showed a moderate association with better verbal memory in later life |
Calil et al., 2018 | Cross-sectional study | 96 | – | Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB) Learning scores | Clinical groups (NC, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease) did not differ regarding body mass index or level of adherence to the diets Greater adherence to the Mediterranean and MIND diets was only associated with higher MMSE and BCSB Learning scores in the NC group Moderate adherence to the Mediterranean and MIND dietary patterns may be associated with better cognition among healthy seniors in middle to low-income countries |
Van Lent et.al 2021 | Community-based observational study | 2092 | 4Â years | Global cognitive function, verbal memory, visual memory, processing speed, verbal comprehension/reasoning, cognitive decline | Higher MIND diet scores were associated with better global cognitive function, verbal memory, visual memory, processing speed, and verbal comprehension/reasoning Participants with higher MIND diet scores also had larger total brain volume (TBV). However, there was no significant association between MIND diet scores and other brain measures (e.g., hippocampal volume, lateral ventricular volume, white matter hyperintensity volume, and SBIs) Additionally, the MIND diet scores were not associated with cognitive decline |
Morris et al., 2015 | Cross-sectional study | 960 | 4.7Â years | Episodic memory, working memory, semantic memory, visuospatial ability, and perceptual speed | The MIND diet score was positively associated with slower cognitive decline in both the global cognitive score and the five cognitive domains Being in the top tertile of MIND diet scores compared to the lowest was linked to a decline rate equivalent to 7.5Â years younger |
Munoz-Garcia et.al 2019 | Prospective cohort study | 806 | 6Â years | Orientation, memory, attention/calculation, and language | The AHEI-2010 (Alternative Healthy Eating Index) and MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diets significantly benefitted the 6-year change in STICS-m score A 1-SD (standard deviation) increase in the AHEI-2010 score was associated with a 6-year improvement of 0.25 points in the STICS-m score An increase of 1-SD in the MIND diet score was associated with a 6-year improvement of 0.27 points in the STICS-m score The Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and pro-vegetarian diet (PVD) scores showed positive differences in their point estimates for an increase of 1-SD, but the results were not statistically significant The MIND diet appeared to modify changes in cognitive function over time |
Barnes et al. 2023 | Two-site, randomised, controlled trial | 604 | 3 years | Global cognition score and four cognitive domain scores derived from a 12-test battery | The MIND-diet and control-diet groups showed improvements in global cognition scores from baseline to year 3 Increases of 0.205 standardised units in the MIND-diet group and 0.170 standardised units in the control-diet group were observed There was no significant difference in cognitive performance between the MIND-diet and control-diet groups (mean difference, 0.035 standardised units; 95% confidence interval, − 0.022 to 0.092; p = 0.23) Changes in MRI-derived brain characteristics, including white-matter hyperintensities, hippocampal volumes, and total gray- and white-matter volumes, were similar in both groups |
Mc Evoy et.al 2017 | Population-based cross-sectional study | 5907 | – | Cognitive performance measured using a composite test score of global cognitive function | Participants with higher adherence to the Mediterranean and MIND diets had a lower likelihood of poor cognitive performance in fully adjusted models Higher scores in both dietary patterns were independently associated with significantly better cognitive function in a dose–response manner Greater adherence to the Mediterranean and MIND diets was independently associated with better cognitive function and a lower risk of cognitive impairment in a large, nationally representative population of older adults |
Krueger et.al 2022 | Randomised control trial | 604 | – | Executive function, perceptual speed, episodic memory, and semantic memory | Age was associated with lower cognitive scores in all domains. Additionally, men had a significantly lower cognitive score in episodic memory and perpetual speed compared to women’s perceptual speed However, no significant sex differences were noted in executive function and semantic memory. Education was associated with higher scores for episodic memory and semantic memory |
Dhana et.al 2021 | Longitudinal study | 569 | – | Global cognitive functioning proximate to death | A higher MIND diet score was associated with better global cognitive functioning proximate to death The association between the MIND diet and cognitive function remained significant even after controlling for common brain pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology The strength and significance of the association remained relatively the same when accounting for brain pathologies The MIND diet-cognition relationship remained significant when analysing individuals without mild cognitive impairment at the baseline or in individuals diagnosed with AD based on postmortem diagnosis recommendations |
Cornelis et.al 2023 | Observational study | 120,661 | – | Prospective memory (PM), fluid intelligence (FI, verbal-numerical reasoning), pairs matching (pairs, visual memory) and reaction time (RT) tests | Higher adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a small but significant worsening in performance on five out of seven cognitive tests The associations were strongest among highly educated participants. However, overall, MIND adherence was not associated with incident dementia There was an inverse association among females between MIND adherence and incident dementia, indicating a lower risk of dementia in females who adhered to the MIND diet |
Arjmand et.al 2022 | Randomised control trial | 40 participants (37 completed the study) | 3Â months | Change in cognitive performance assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery, including working memory, verbal recognition memory, and attention | The MIND diet group showed significant improvements in working memory, verbal recognition memory, and attention compared to the control group Brain MRI results indicated an increase in the surface area of the inferior frontal gyrus in the MIND diet group The MIND diet intervention demonstrated the potential to reverse the negative effects of obesity on cognition and brain structure when combined with modest calorie restriction |
Elsayed et.al, 2022 | Parallel randomised clinical trial (Experimental Group: Moderate-intensity treadmill exercise three times/week for three months with MIND diet Control Group: MIND diet only) | 68 | 3 months | Cognitive functions Functional levels | The experimental group showed highly significant changes (p < 0.01) in sex hormones, cognitive functions, and functional levels compared to the control group (p < 0.05) after the intervention No correlation was found between the measured variables in both groups after the intervention (p > 0.05) Aerobic exercise combined with the MIND diet improves cognitive and functional levels and substitutes sex hormone deficiency in postmenopausal women, contributing to brain health longevity |
Cherian et al., 2019 | Community cohort study | 106 | 5.9 years | Cognitive decline in five cognitive domains | The study found that high adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline after stroke Participants in the top tertile of MIND diet scores had a slower rate of global cognitive decline compared to those in the lowest tertile, even after adjusting for age, sex, education, APOE-ε4 status, caloric intake, smoking, and participation in cognitive and physical activities |
de Crom et al., 2022 | Prospective cohort study | 5375 participants at baseline I and 2861 participants at baseline II | 15.6Â years from baseline I and 5.9Â years from baseline II | Risk of all-cause dementia | The study found that higher adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a lower risk of dementia within the first 7Â years of follow-up from baseline I However, associations disappeared over longer follow-up intervals, suggesting possible reverse causality and residual confounding by lifestyle Similarly, at baseline II, a higher MIND diet score was associated with a lower risk of dementia over every follow-up interval, but associations slightly attenuated over time The MIND diet score at baseline II showed a stronger association with the risk of dementia than the MIND diet score at baseline I |