A Phase-II Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Nicotinamide Riboside Supplementation in Older Adults With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Authors

• Christopher Martens
• Kevin Decker
• Theodore DeConne
• Faria Sanjana
• Fiona Horvat
• Nicholas Rizzi
• Catherine Awad
• Elizabeth Habash
• Joshua Hobson
• Mary Kramer
• Michael Armstrong
• Nichole Reisdorph
• Ryan Pohlig
• Alyssa Lanzi
• Curtis Johnson
• Matthew Cohen
• James Ellison, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2026

Comments

This article is the author’s final published version in Alzheimer's and Dementia, Volume 22, Issue 7, 2026, Article number e71605.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71605. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Declining nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) may elevate risk of Alzheimer's disease.

METHODS: We conducted a 12-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of the NAD+ precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR), for enhancing cognitive function and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).

RESULTS: 42 participants completed the study (NR = 22, placebo = 20). Adherence was similar between groups with no serious adverse effects. Blood NAD+ increased twofold in the NR group. There were no improvements in cognitive function (primary outcome), total CBF, or blood pressure (secondary outcomes). Exploratory analyses revealed potential increases in regional CBF, particularly in the hippocampus.

DISCUSSION: NR effectively raises NAD+ in people with MCI but does not improve cognitive function, total CBF, or blood pressure over 12 weeks. Future studies should investigate regional effects on CBF over longer treatment durations.

Recommended Citation

Martens, Christopher; Decker, Kevin; DeConne, Theodore; Sanjana, Faria; Horvat, Fiona; Rizzi, Nicholas; Awad, Catherine; Habash, Elizabeth; Hobson, Joshua; Kramer, Mary; Armstrong, Michael; Reisdorph, Nichole; Pohlig, Ryan; Lanzi, Alyssa; Johnson, Curtis; Cohen, Matthew; and Ellison, James, "A Phase-II Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Nicotinamide Riboside Supplementation in Older Adults With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment" (2026). Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers. Paper 93.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/phbfp/93

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

PubMed ID

42478598

Language

English