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Analytic measures of perceptual and cognitive performance in measuring effects of dietary iron repletion
Author(s) -
Wenger Michael J.,
MurrayKolb Laura E.,
Hammons Julie E.,
Venkatramanan Sudha,
Haas Jere D.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.607.20
Subject(s) - cognition , perception , dietary iron , psychology , food science , cognitive psychology , chemistry , iron deficiency , neuroscience , psychiatry , anemia
Evidence suggests a potentially causal relationship between iron status and perceptual and cognitive performance but the majority of this evidence involves reasonably coarse measures of function, general measures that cannot address changes in the components of perception that may be affected by changes in iron status. The present effort tested the potential for increasing the resolution of the analysis of this relationship. The study used six measures‐‐‐simple reaction time, two measures of visual detection, two measures of attentional control, and recognition memory performance‐‐‐selected for their potential for analyzing the components of perceptual and cognitive performance that might be most affected by changes in iron status and for informing hypotheses regarding changes in brain state. These measures were used as a part of a double‐blind iron study in West Bengal, India (N = 217), that included measures of blood iron, physiology, anthropometry, and physical productivity. The provision of dietary iron by way of a double‐fortified salt produced effects on almost all of the measures, but varied across measures in terms of relative effects. That variation can be interpreted with respect to the underlying brain mechanisms, providing a much more detailed analysis of change than is possible with global measures. The results reinforce the importance and informativeness of an analytic measurement approach. Supported by the Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition and the Micronutrient Initiative.