A combination of green tea extract and l-theanine (LGNC-07) has been reported to have beneficial effects on cognition in animal studies. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the effect of LGNC-07 on memory and attention was investigated in 91 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) [Mini Mental State Examination-K (MMSE-K) scores between 21 and 26]. The treatment group (13 men, 32 women; 57.58 ± 9.45 years) took 1680 mg of LGNC-07, and the placebo group (12 men, 34 women; 56.28 ± 9.92 years) received an equivalent amount of maltodextrin and lactose for 16 weeks. LGNC-07 led to improvements in memory by marginally increasing delayed recognition in the Rey-Kim memory test (P = .0572). LGNC-07 also improved memory and selective attention by significantly increasing the Rey-Kim memory quotient and word reading in the subjects with MMSE-K scores of 21-23. After a single dose of LGNC-07, brain theta waves, an indicator of cognitive alertness, were increased significantly in the temporal, frontal, parietal, and occipital areas after 3 hours in the eye-open and reading states in 24 randomly selected subjects. The authors concluded that LGNC-07 might have potential as an intervention for cognitive improvement. J Med Food. 2011 Apr;14(4):334-43. PMID: 21303262.
