PRECOG Pilot Project

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF READING · Mar 27, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The PRECOG Pilot Project is a study designed to explore how a special blend of prebiotics—a type of fiber that helps beneficial gut bacteria—affects thinking skills, mood, and gut health in healthy adults aged 60 to 75 years. If you or a family member fall within this age range, have normal vision and hearing, and maintain a healthy weight (BMI under 30), you might be eligible to participate. However, the study is not open for enrollment yet.

Participants in this trial will be asked to take the prebiotic blend and share their experiences regarding any changes in their cognitive abilities, mood, and gut health over time. It’s important to note that individuals with certain health conditions, like cognitive disorders, heart disease, or those taking certain medications, would not be eligible to join. Overall, this study aims to gather valuable information that could lead to better understanding of how gut health impacts brain function and emotional well-being in older adults.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Aging between 60-75 years old
• • Having normal vision and hearing
• • Having a normal body mass index (BMI\<30)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Having mild to moderate subjective cognitive complaints
• • Smoking
• • Having food allergies
• • Following restrictive and/or unbalanced diets
• • Changing dietary intake majorly in past month
• • Being diagnosed with any psychiatric or neurologic conditions (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, dementia) including eating disorders
• • Being diagnosed with any cardiometabolic diseases (including type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease), or suffering from hypertension or thrombosis related disorders or suffer from thyroid disease
• • Currently taking anticoagulants, antiplatelet medication, antidepressants, proton-pump inhibitors
• • Currently consuming prebiotic or probiotic supplements
• • Continuous antibiotic use for \> 3 days within 1 month prior to enrolment
• • Continuous use of weight-loss drug for \> 1 month before screening
• • Having a significant gastrointestinal (GI) condition affecting absorption including (but not limited to) inflammatory bowel disease; total colectomy or bariatric surgery; irritable bowel disease; end stage renal disease; active cancer, or treatment for any cancer, in last 3 years
• • Having a high fibre intake defined as \> 20g of fibre/day
• • Wheat and/or gluten intolerance and having coeliac disease