The effect of early human diet on caudate volumes and IQ
The effect of early human diet on caudate volumes and IQ
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DOI：
10.1203/pdr.0b013e318163a271
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发表时间：
2008-03-01
影响因子：
3.6
通讯作者：
Lucas, Alan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Isaacs, Elizabeth B.;Gadian, David G.;Lucas, Alan
动物的早期营养会影响行为和大脑结构。在人类中，随机试验表明，早期营养会影响后期认知，特别是在男性中。我们假设早期营养也会影响大脑结构，可以通过磁共振成像来测量。先前的研究表明，Candate核可能特别容易受到早期环境的影响，并且它的大小与智商有关。为了验证这一假设，即尾状核可能是早期营养的认知效应的神经基质，我们比较了两组青少年，在早产后的产后几周内分配标准或高营养饮食。各组的出生状况和新生儿病程相似。从76名青少年中获得扫描和智商数据，并计算了几个皮质下结构的体积。高营养组的尾状核体积明显更大，言语智商（VIQ）更高。仅在标准营养组中尾状核体积与VIQ显著相关。男性的尾状核体积受到早期营养的影响，并选择性地与VIQ相关，但女性则不然。我们的研究结果可以部分解释早期饮食对认知的影响以及男性的主要影响。他们是第一批证明人类大脑结构可以受到早期营养影响的人之一。
Early nutrition in animals affects both behavior and brain structure. In humans, randomized trials show that early nutrition affects later cognition, notably in males. We hypothesized that early nutrition also influences brain structure, measurable using magnetic resonance imaging. Prior research suggested that the candate nucleus may be especially vulnerable to early environment and that its size relates to IQ. To test the hypothesis that the caudate nucleus could be a neural substrate for cognitive effects of early nutrition, we compared two groups of adolescents, assigned a Standard- or High-nutrient diet in the postnatal weeks after preterm birth. Groups had similar birth status and neonatal course. Scans and IQ data were obtained from 76 adolescents and volumes of several subcortical structures were calculated. The High-nutrient group had significantly larger caudate volumes and higher Verbal IQ (VIQ). Caudate volumes correlated significantly with VIQ in the Standard-nutrient group only. Caudate volume was influenced by early nutrition and related selectively to VIQ in males, but not in females. Our findings may partly explain the effects of early diet on cognition and the predominant effects in males. They are among the first to show that human brain structure can be influenced by early nutrition.