Effects of vitamin D supplementation on neuroplasticity in older adults: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomised trial.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, published as a randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vitamin D supplementation on neuroplasticity, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and muscle strength and function in older adults.

Single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the motor cortex was used to assess changes in motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), as measures of corticospinal excitability and inhibition respectively, by recording electromyography (EMG) responses to stimulation from the wrist extensors.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 26 adults taking part.

PubMed indexes the participants as middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the adults nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Some adults received a placebo instead of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, giving a reference point.

Changes in muscle strength, stair climbing power, gait (timed-up-and-go), dynamic balance (four square step test), serum 25(OH)D and BDNF concentrations were also measured.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Anthropometry, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Cholecalciferol, Diet, Dietary Supplements, Elder Nutritional Physiological Phenomena and Evoked Potentials, Motor.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 26 adults.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Its findings take up roughly 4 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2015 (Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA), a journal based in England.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.