Cognitive function in healthy older European adults: the ZENITH study

Objective: Baseline data are reported from a study of the effects of zinc supplementation on cognitive function in older adults as assessed by the CANTAB computerised test battery. Design: This is a multicentre prospective intervention study employing a randomised double-blind design. Setting: European community-based study. Participants: There are 387 healthy adults aged 55-87 y from centres in France, Italy and Northern Ireland. Interventions: Measures of visual memory, working memory and attention were obtained at baseline (prior to supplementation). Results: Younger adults (< 70 y) performed significantly better than older adults (> 70 y) on all tests, with minimal differences between centres. In addition, men outperformed women on tests of spatial span, pattern recognition memory and reaction times, although these gender differences varied somewhat between centres. Conclusions: The results are generally consistent with previous age- and gender-related effects on cognitive functioning.