The Effects of Cognitive Training and Bacopa monnieri Supplementation on Markers of Synaptogenesis in Healthy Older Adults

Human and animal studies have reported that Bacopa monnieri (BM) improves cognitive outcomes, and increases molecules in the brain associated with enhanced neural connectivity and growth (called synaptogenesis). Separately, cognitive training (CT) has shown to improve cognitive function in older adults. The aim of this thesis was to determine whether BM supplementation increases the presentation of reliable synaptogenic markers in older adults engaging in CT. The outcomes of this thesis provide the first methodical investigation of the efficacy of combined CT and BM, and the first to utilise ancillary measures of synaptogenesis to assess this intervention in healthy older adults.