Clinical Research Directory

Short-Term Health Outcomes of Cooking UFP Exposure

This study examines the short-term respiratory and cognitive effects of exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs) generated during typical household cooking. Healthy adults will complete two 6-hour sessions in a controlled exposure chamber at the University of Illinois Chicago: one control day with clean indoor air and one exposure day during which standardized cooking (frying potatoes and grilling beef) is performed by research staff. Participants will not cook or handle food. Lung function will be measured using peak expiratory flow (PEF), and cognitive performance will be assessed using validated tests including the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised and the Processing Speed Index from the WAIS-IV. Airborne particle and gas concentrations in the chamber will be continuously monitored to ensure that exposures remain within levels typical of everyday home cooking. Findings will help characterize acute physiological responses to indoor cooking emissions and inform future research on indoor air quality and potential mitigation strategies.

Cognitive Effects of Bioavailable Curcumin

An estimated 50% of older adults complain of memory changes that worsen as they age. Although numerous commercially available dietary supplements claim cognitive benefits, relatively few well-designed, longitudinal, placebo-controlled studies have rigorously evaluated their effects on cognitive performance. In a previous double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 18-month clinical trial in middle-aged and older non-demented adults, the investigators found that a bioavailable form of curcumin taken orally twice a day showed greater gains on specific measures of memory and attention relative to placebo. Although the investigators found significant between-group curcumin/placebo differences with moderate effect sizes, the sample size (n=40) was small. The present adequately powered, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will evaluate the effect of daily consumption of bioavailable curcumin on measurable changes in cognitive performance in non-demented middle-aged and older adults.