scholarly journals The Impact of Micronutrient Fortified Foods on Cognitive Functioning among Low-Income Children: A Pilot and Feasibility Study

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3351
Author(s):  
Juliana F. W. Cohen ◽  
Kelly Sagar ◽  
Mary Kathryn Dahlgren ◽  
Laura B. F. Kurdziel ◽  
Staci A. Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Continuous Performance Task ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
The Impact

Brain development continues throughout childhood and requires micronutrients for optimal maturation, but studies have typically examined only a limited number of micronutrients and there has been inconsistent use of validated cognitive measures. This study evaluated the impact of providing low-income children with a daily fortified meal (570 kcal) in the form of a bar and shake containing >75% of the FDA Daily Values for all essential vitamins and minerals, as well as macronutrients (e.g., omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and protein), in an afterschool care setting (instead of the usual meal provided) on cognitive functioning. Students aged 8–12 were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 19) or control (n = 16) meals. Students completed the Stroop Color Word Task, Trail Making Test, and Conner’s Continuous Performance Task (CPT) at baseline and 3 months post-intervention. Differences in cognitive scores were examined using 2 × 2 mixed model ANOVAs (Stroop and CPT) and ANCOVAs (Trail Making Test). Significant main effects of time indicated improvements in both intervention and control groups, but there were no significant main effects of group or group*time interactions. When the amount of meal consumed was examined, most results became non-significant, suggesting that overall meal consumption significantly impacted the observed results. Overall, this pilot study suggests that there may be limited additional benefits to short-term consumption of micronutrient fortified meals among low-income children in an afterschool care setting, and potential benefits observed may be directly related to the amount of food consumed.

scholarly journals The Impact of Micronutrient Fortified Foods on Cognitive Functioning Among Low-Income Children: A Pilot Study (P18-096-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Cohen ◽  
Kelly Sagar ◽  
M Kathryn Dahlgren ◽  
Eric Rimm ◽  
Staci Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Fortified Foods ◽  
Afterschool Program ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objectives To examine the association between micronutrient fortified food consumption compared with standard foods and cognitive functioning among low-income children. Methods Low-income children (ages 8–12 years) participating in an afterschool program were recruited for this randomized-controlled trial. At baseline, trained research assistants measured IQ (Shipley-2 Composite Standard Scores) and cognitive functioning (Stroop Color Word Test [Golden Version], Trail Making Test, and Conners Continuous Performance Test [CPT-3]) to evaluate executive functioning, selective attention, and processing speed. Children were then randomly assigned to receive either micronutrient fortified foods (n = 19) or to continue receiving standard foods (n = 16) daily at the afterschool program for approximately three months. The intervention foods contained 75% Daily Value for all essential vitamins and minerals, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, protein, one cup of milk, and one serving of fruits. The standard foods consisted of juice and primarily processed meats with refined grains. The cognitive tests were re-administered post-implementation. Differences in cognitive scores between the intervention and control groups were assessed using repeated measures ANOVAs and ANCOVAs, adjusting for age Results A total of n = 35 children were eligible to participate and had regular attendance at the afterschool program during the study period. When examining differences between the control and intervention groups over time, the results were suggestive of a trend towards the control group performing worse over time CPT Omissions T-scores (P = 0.10), CPT Hit Reaction Time (HRT) T-scores (P = 0.06), and CPT HRT Block Change T-Score (P = 0.09) compared with the intervention group. However, there was a trend towards worse performance in the intervention group on CPT Perseverations T-Scores (P = 0.07) compared with the control group. There were no significant differences between-groups over time on the Trail Making test or Stroop test Conclusions Overall, there was some evidence of improved cognitive scores over time among low-income children provided with micronutrient fortified foods relative to the control group. It is possible that these nutrient-dense, fortified foods may be cognitively protective in this population and future larger studies should examine these associations Funding Sources This study was funded by an unrestricted gift from the 43ForKids Foundation.

A-11 Investigating Gene–Gene Interactions by Cognitive Domain in Healthy Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1051-1051
Author(s):  
Kendra L Pizzonia ◽  
Andrew M Bryant ◽  
Leatha A Clark ◽  
Brian C Clark ◽  
Julie A Suhr
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Gene Interactions ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Immediate Memory ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Main Effects

Abstract Objective ApoE is a well-known gene carrying risk for Alzheimer’s disease and is associated with memory performance while the COMT gene is associated with executive functioning but is understudied. The present study investigated these gene interactions across cognitive domains. Method A larger study on gait and aging recruited 89 healthy community-dwelling adults over the age of 60. The primary analyses included 82 participants (67% female, mean age = 74.61, SD = 6.71). The analyses on executive functioning included 72 participants (65% female, mean age = 73.02, SD = 4.99) who completed all measures of interest. ApoE status was defined as presence/absence of Ɛ4. The rs4680 gene on the COMT allele was classified into Val/Met, Val/Val, and Met/Met genotypes. Biological sex was included as a binary term (i.e., male/female). Index variables and age corrected standard scores on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, verbal fluency, and Trail Making Test were included. Results Gene–gene interactions were found for overall cognitive functioning, immediate memory, and semantic fluency. There were main effects of sex for overall cognitive functioning, immediate memory, delayed memory, and semantic fluency. There were main effects for COMT for delayed memory and a main effect for both COMT and ApoE for visuospatial functioning, coding, and verbal fluency (all p’s < 0.05). There were no ApoE x COMT x Sex interactions and Trail Making Test B was not related to either gene or sex. Conclusion(s) Our findings suggest that both COMT and ApoE (and their interaction) influence cognition. Future research should investigate gene–gene interactions in larger samples with more comprehensive cognitive batteries.

Effect of Interferon-α on cognitive functioning in patients with chronic hepatitis C

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBIN C. HILSABECK ◽  
TAREK I. HASSANEIN ◽  
ELIZABETH A. ZIEGLER ◽  
MEGHAN D. CARLSON ◽  
WILLIAM PERRY
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Hepatitis ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Chronic Hepatitis C ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Interferon Α ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Medical Disorders ◽  
Trail Making

Treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-α) has been shown to adversely affect cognitive functioning in patients with a variety of medical disorders, but information about the effects of IFN-α on cognitive functioning in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of IFN-α on neuropsychological test performance in CHC patients. Participants were 30 patients with CHC, 11 who underwent IFN-α therapy and 19 who did not. All participants were tested at baseline (i.e., pretreatment) and approximately 6 months later with the Symbol Digit Modalities Test and Trail Making Test. Results revealed that the treatment group performed significantly worse than untreated CHC patients on Part B of the Trail Making Test after approximately 6 months of treatment. No significant group differences were found on Part A of the Trail Making Test or Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Findings suggest that CHC patients undergoing treatment with IFN-α may experience reduced abilities to benefit from practice but suffer no decrements in performance after 6 months of treatment. Additional research is needed to replicate these findings and to explore risk factors for susceptibility to IFN-α-induced effects. (JINS, 2005,11, 16–22.)

scholarly journals B-21 Neuropsychological Profiles and Co-morbid Diagnosis of Patients with HIV Seen in an Outpatient Psychology Clinic

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 966-966
Author(s):  
C Cassill ◽  
L Rosenstein
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Treatment Planning ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
The Impact

Abstract There is a high rate of medical and psychiatric comorbidities in the HIV population (Kilbourne et al, 2001), many of which complicate the clinical picture, especially with respect to cognitive functioning (Milanini & Valcour, 2017). It is important to be aware of the impact multiple disorders can have on formulating impressions and treatment planning. We reviewed the records of 35 consecutive patients with HIV seen in our neuropsychology clinic in a county hospital. The 30 men and 5 women had a mean age of 49 (SD = 13.7), with mean education of 13.5 years (SD = 2.0). Average age of HIV diagnosis was 33 (SD = 9.3). Patients had an average of eight major comorbid medical and psychiatric diagnoses, including ADHD (45%), mood disorders (62%), developmental disorders (11%), substance abuse or dependence (45%), sleep apnea (11%), TBI (31%), stroke (14%), cardiovascular disease (51%), and hepatitis (20%). Neuropsychological data were available for 33 patients. Performance on CVLT Trial 5 and Delayed Recall, Rey-Ostereith Copy, WAIS-IV Information and Digit Span, as well as Trail Making A and B were used to measure memory and executive functioning. 21% of the sample obtained one score that was >2 SD below the normative means, and 45% obtained 2 or more scores >2 SD below the mean.In this clinical sample referred for evaluation of cognitive functioning, there was a high rate of comorbid diagnoses. This review highlights the point that comorbid diagnoses are a common presentation and must be considered when discussing etiology of cognitive impairment and treatment planning.

scholarly journals The impact of environmental, parental and child factors on health-related behaviors among low-income children

Appetite ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
pp. 260-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salma M.A. Musaad ◽  
Katherine E. Speirs ◽  
Jenna T. Hayes ◽  
Amy R. Mobley ◽  
Nurgul Fitzgerald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Health Related Behaviors ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Child Factors ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Bayesian Analysis of the Joint Risk of Malaria and Anemia Among Under-age Ve Children in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osafu Egbon
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Hemoglobin Concentration ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Rapid Progression ◽  
Region Of Residence ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Causative Effect ◽  
The Impact

Abstract -BackgroundA life-threatening malaria parasites are known to have a substantial causative effect with the occurrences of frequent episodes of other diseases causing rapid progression to death. The parasites feed on iron molecules present in the red blood cells, therefore, resulting in low functional hemoglobin concentration causing anemia in children, and preventing rapid recovery. This study quantifies the impact of malaria on under-age five anemic children in Nigeria.-MethodThe joint risk and disease specific risks factors of malaria and anemia were estimated using a generalized linear mixed model in a Bayesian framework and a Besag-York-Mollie spatial prior model to account for spatial heterogeneity. Data were sourced from the Demographic and Health Survey conducted by the National Population Commission.-ResultsMalaria significantly places anemic children at a higher risk, which signifies a significant correlation between these diseases with regards to risk factors such as the place or region of residence, family wealth index, and use of a mosquito-preventive net. -ConclusionA high proportion of parents that live in the rural region is non-educated and low-income earners engaging in subsistence farming places children at severe risk of malaria and anemia.

scholarly journals Improving Mental Health Access for Low-Income Children and Families in the Primary Care Setting

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
pp. e20151175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy Hodgkinson ◽  
Leandra Godoy ◽  
Lee Savio Beers ◽  
Amy Lewin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Primary Care Setting ◽  
Health Access ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Mental Health Access

scholarly journals Stemming the Tide? The Effect of Expanding Medicaid Eligibility On Health Insurance Coverage

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara D. Shore-Sheppard
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Crowding Out ◽  
Low Income Children ◽  
Considerable Research ◽  
Medicaid Eligibility ◽  
Crowd Out ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Despite considerable research, there is little consensus about the impact of Medicaid eligibility expansions for low-income children. In this paper, I reexamine the expansions’ impact on Medicaid take-up and private insurance “crowd-out” by investigating a number of critiques leveled at the seminal work of Cutler and Gruber (1996) and extending the analysis to include further expansions of Medicaid. I find that accounting for most critiques of Cutler and Gruber does not substantively affect their estimates of sizable take-up and crowd-out. However, controlling for age-specific time trends does substantially reduce the estimated take-up and crowd-out and recovers results close to those found elsewhere in the literature. I also find that later expansions generated much lower rates of take-up and crowding out.

scholarly journals A-013 The Impact of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders on Late-Life Cognitive Functioning

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 803-803
Author(s):  
Delgadillo M ◽  
Boese A ◽  
Frank M ◽  
Schulte T ◽  
Fairchild J
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Psychiatric Diagnoses ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective Research indicates that the presence of psychiatric disorders is predictive of cognitive performance and increases the risk of developing dementia. Some have found that psychiatric disorders decrease cognitive performance while others have found that they increase cognitive performance. The purpose of the present study is to further investigate the relationship between psychiatric disorders and cognitive performance in older Veterans. Method The convenience sample included 216 older Veterans who were screened at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (94% male, age = 71.8 ± 8.3). Psychiatric disorders (e.g., mood and anxiety disorders) were assessed using the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview for DSM-IV. Domains of cognitive performance (e.g., Learning and Memory, Executive Function, Processing Speed, Attention, Visuospatial Ability, and Language) were measured using a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment battery. Results Results indicated that 25% of the sample had depression (n = 56) and 16% had anxiety (n = 34). Psychiatric diagnoses largely had no effect on executive function, processing speed, or language. Age was found to moderate the association between depression and learning and memory, though there were no main effects for depression on learning and memory. Anxiety was significantly associated with learning and memory performance, and age was found to further moderate that relationship. Age also moderated the association between depression and attention, though no main effects for depression were seen in the model. Anxiety had no effect on attention. Conclusions Age and psychiatric diagnoses interact to differentially impact cognitive functioning in late life. These findings support prior research on the complex relationship between psychiatric disorders and late-life cognitive impairment.

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