October 18, 2023
AUBURN, Alabama – Participants are invited to join a study with the Harrison College of Pharmacy’s Dr. Amal Kaddoumi related to brain health and Alzheimer’s disease. The investigator is looking for healthy individuals, ages 35-55, with a family history of Alzheimer’s to participate in a six-month study of the effects of extra-virgin olive oil.
This is Kaddoumi’s second human study, following a previous one that involved those with mild cognitive impairment. The first study showed positive results, leading to the desire to conduct one with healthy individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The participants were subjected to several tests before and after olive oil consumption, including MRI scans, a battery of cognitive tests and blood analysis for biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s disease,” said Kaddoumi, a professor in the college’s Department of Drug Discovery and Development, when discussing her first study. “Our findings showed that extra-virgin olive oil and refined olive oil improved cognitive function as determined by the improved clinical dementia rating and other behavioral scores.”
Her current study will evaluate the effect of extra-virgin olive oil, or EVOO, on blood biomarkers and compare it to a control group that will not receive EVOO.
Participants should be between 35-55 years old and cognitively normal without chronic diseases. Participants should also have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease.
A few populations are excluded from the study, including smokers, those with clinically important neuropsychiatric illnesses (including depression and anxiety) and women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during the six-month span of the study.
Participants in the study will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups, the EVOO group and the control group. Both groups will read brain health-related material. The EVOO group will consume olive oil daily for six months.
The groups will participate in monthly surveys and two blood samples will be taken, once at the beginning and the other at the conclusion. These will take place at the AU-MRI Research Center in the Auburn University Research Park.
Individuals who meet the inclusion criteria and agree to participate in this study will be compensated for their time and travel at the end of the study in the amount of $100.
Those interested should contact Dr. Kaddoumi at kaddoumi@auburn.edu or by phone at 334-844-7239.
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Auburn University’s Harrison College of Pharmacy is ranked among the top 25 percent of all pharmacy programs in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the College offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.) while also offering a master’s in pharmaceutical sciences. The College's commitment to world-class scholarship and interdisciplinary research speaks to Auburn's overarching Carnegie R1 designation that places Auburn among the top 100 doctoral research universities in the nation. For more information about the College, please call 334.844.8348 or visit http://pharmacy.auburn.edu.