The impact of a rosemary containing drink on event-related potential neural markers of sustained attention

Riby, Leigh Martin; Edwards, Sheridan; McDonald, Heather; Moss, Mark · 2023 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286113

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Summary

This pilot study investigates the neural mechanisms underlying the cognitive-enhancing effects of rosemary consumption, specifically focusing on sustained attention. While previous research indicates that rosemary ingestion or aroma improves cognitive performance in humans and rodents, the precise neural processes and specificity of these effects remain unclear. The authors utilized event-related potentials (ERPs) to determine whether rosemary facilitates general concentration or specifically enhances the allocation of resources to task-relevant information. The study hypothesized that rosemary would modulate the P3a and P3b ERP components, which serve as neural markers for processing task-irrelevant novel stimuli and task-relevant target stimuli, respectively. The study employed a between-subject design with 48 adults randomly assigned to consume either a rosemary-containing drink or a plain water control. Participants performed a three-stimulus visual oddball task while electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded. The task required participants to respond to rare target stimuli embedded in frequent standard stimuli, with occasional novel distractors. The rosemary drink contained specific active compounds, including 1,8-cineole and rosmarinic acid. EEG data were analyzed to measure the amplitude of the P3a component (indexed at frontal-central sites, reflecting automatic attention capture) and the P3b component (indexed at central-parietal sites, reflecting working memory updating and task-relevant attention). Behavioral measures, including reaction time and accuracy, were also collected. The primary results indicated that rosemary consumption facilitated the P3a component, with a medium effect size reported. This suggests an enhancement in the processing of task-irrelevant, novel stimuli. The analysis of the P3b component also showed a medium effect, though the authors noted this finding was less reliable than the P3a results. Behavioral analyses revealed no significant differences between the rosemary and control groups in terms of hit rates or reaction times, indicating that the neural changes did not translate into measurable improvements in overt task performance in this specific paradigm. Secondary correlation analyses suggested potential strategy differences in the treatment group, though the authors cautioned that these findings require further validation. The study concludes that rosemary consumption appears to provide additional attentional resources that enhance the processing of all encountered stimuli, irrespective of their task relevance. The enhancement of both P3a and P3b components supports the hypothesis that rosemary acts as a general stimulant for the attentional system rather than selectively improving focus on task-relevant information. These findings contribute to the understanding of herbal compounds' therapeutic effects by demonstrating the utility of combining behavioral and electrophysiological methods. The results suggest that rosemary may improve general alertness and information processing capacity, offering insights into the neurocognitive mechanisms of herbal medicine.

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