An interventional study of Water in Cognition and Hydration, sponsored by Swansea University. Completed at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-04-06.
Sponsored by Swansea University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The aim of this study is to determine whether drinking plain water when mildly dehydrated benefits cognitive performance and mood. Volunteers undergo a dehydration protocol designed to result in minor dehydration. While some participants receive two 150ml drinks of water others do not. Differences in cognitive functioning are assessed.
As an essential nutrient, an inadequate intake of water has negative consequences: without a source of water death will occur in days. When Benton and Young (2015) reviewed the topic they concluded that in healthy adults, mild dehydration (in the range of a loss of 2% body mass) had been found to adversely influence mood and cognition. However, it is unclear at what degree of hypohydration these effects begin to emerge.
This study was designed to determine whether small changes in hydration, of the level that might occur on a day to day basis, influence cognition and mood. During a dehydration protocol (sitting in a room heated to 30 degrees for four hours) young adult participants receive either drink two 150ml cups of water or nothing. Effects on memory, attention and mood are monitored.
Swansea University is the lead sponsor of 40 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants will receive two 150ml drinks of water during the dehydration protocol
Dietary Supplement: Water
Participants will drink nothing during the dehydration protocol
Participants will receive two cups of 150ml plain water
Episodic memory - list of 30 words
Participants listen to a list of 30 words presented using a tape recorder. The words are of similar difficulty and matched for the number of syllables and frequency with which they occur in English. The subjects are asked to recall and write down as many words as possible. The difference in the total number of words remembered from baseline (before the intervention) is analysed.
Time frame: change from 0 to 180 minutes after the start of the dehydration protocol
Focused attention - Eriksen Flanker Task
The Arrow Flankers test measures the ability to direct attention and ignore peripheral information. Participants are required to indicate whether the middle arrow is pointing to the right or left by pressing the corresponding arrow on the keyboard. Either side of the central arrow are distractors. Both the average reaction times (in milliseconds) and accuracy are recorded. The difference in performance from baseline (before the intervention) is analysed.
Time frame: change from 0 to 180 minutes after the start of the dehydration protocol
Thirst (Participants rate their thirst)
Participants rate their thirst
Time frame: change from 0 to 180 minutes after the start of the dehydration protocol
Amount of weight lost due to dehydration protocol
participants will be weighed at the start and end of the dehydration protocol and % weight loss calculated
Time frame: 180 minutes
Body temperature
Change in body temperature will be monitored throughout
Time frame: 180 minutes
Urine Osmolality
Urine samples will be collected at the start and end of the procedure so that changes in osmolality can be measured.
Time frame: 180 minutes
This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Swansea University