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Iron‐biofortified pearl millet improves attentional function in Indian adolescents, a 6‐month randomized controlled trial (619.2)
Author(s) -
Scott Samuel,
MurrayKolb Laura,
Wenger Michael,
Udipi Shobha,
Ghugre Padmini,
Haas Jere
Publication year - 2014
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.28.1_supplement.619.2
Subject(s) - cognition , randomized controlled trial , iron deficiency , audiology , medicine , ferritin , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , pearl , psychology , psychiatry , anemia , philosophy , theology
Iron deficiency affects an estimated one in four persons globally and has been shown to impair cognition, though this relation in adolescents has not been substantiated. In a double‐blind efficacy trial, Indian adolescents (n=264) were randomized to groups consuming either high‐iron biofortified (Fe‐PM) or normal‐iron (CN‐PM) pearl millet. Here, we present results from a subset (n=161; 12‐16 y; 59 F) who performed tests of perceptual and cognitive functioning before and after 6 months of daily pearl millet consumption. Three speeded tests were administered: 1) Simple Reaction Time (SRT), a test of perceptual processing speed, 2) Go/No‐Go (GNG), a test of inhibitory control and 3) Attentional Network Task (ANT), a test of three critical functions of attention (low‐level attentional capture, high‐level attentional selection, and volitional control under distraction). In the intention‐to‐treat analyses, improvement was greater, though not statistically significant, in the Fe‐PM vs. the CN‐PM group for all three tests. In subgroup plausibility analyses, ferritin responders exhibited greater improvement (p<0.05) for the SRT and ANT vs. non‐responders. Hemoglobin responders improved more than non‐responders on the GNG (p<0.05) but not the SRT or ANT. These findings offer promise that iron treatment may improve specific aspects of perceptual and cognitive performance in adolescents. Grant Funding Source : Supported by HarvestPlus/IFPRI