Short-term Mentored Career Development Award: Iron Metabolism, Brain Energetics,

描述（由申请人提供）：缺铁（ID）是一种非常普遍的微量营养素缺乏症，影响着世界上很大一部分人口。在ID的众多影响中，最近开始受到系统关注的一类影响是对感知和认知表现的影响，并伴随着对大脑结构和功能的关注。这项研究记录了与ID相关的大量缺陷和铁补充对感知和认知表现的大量恢复作用。它也增加了我们对铁的消耗和补充对脑代谢和功能的影响的认识。然而，目前文献中缺少的是一种系统和机械地将铁的消耗和补充对大脑状态和感知和认知表现变化的影响联系起来的方法。数学和计算建模提供了将这些不同层次的分析（身体、大脑和行为）联系起来的方法。理想情况下，这些复杂关系的建模最好在多学科合作中完成，而创建成功的跨学科合作的一个关键是关于研究问题的核心要素的一组共享知识。我在实验心理学、数学建模和电生理学（EEG）方面的训练和经验使我能够围绕铁消耗和补充的感知和认知效应建模开展初步的合作。然而，由于缺乏铁生理学知识以及评估其后遗症的实验方法和措施，我无法充分参与这些合作。因此，我请求一年的支持，以便在这些领域接受两位国际公认的身份识别专家的指导。这个项目的直接目标有三个：(a)获得了解铁生理学所需的基础生物化学、生理和代谢测量的知识，并测量铁消耗和补充的影响。(b)将这一基础知识与该领域新的和正在进行的研究结合起来。(c)将所获得的所有知识应用于一个研究问题，将三个分析层次- -身体、大脑和行为- -联系起来，以建立铁的消耗和补充对感知和认知的影响的机制模型。长期目标是为铁在脑功能和感知认知行为中的机制作用建立可实验测试的数学模型。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Iron deficiency (ID) is a highly-prevalent micronutrient deficiency, affecting a large proportion of the world's population. Of the numerous effects of ID, a class that has recently begun to receive systematic attention has been the impact on perceptual and cognitive performance, with a concomitant concern for brain structure and function. This research has documented both substantial deficits associated with ID and substantial restorative effects of iron repletion on perceptual and cognitive performance. It has also increased our knowledge of the effects of iron depletion and repletion on brain metabolism and function. However, what is currently missing in the literature is a means of systematically and mechanistically relating the effects of iron depletion and repletion on changes in brain states and perceptual and cognitive performance. Mathematical and computational modeling offers the means for relating these disparate levels of analysis (body, brain, and behavior). Ideally, modeling these kinds of complex relations is best done in multi-disciplinary collaborations, and one key to creating successful cross-disciplinary collaborations is a shared set of knowledge about the core elements of the research question. My training and experience in experimental psychology, mathematical modeling, and electrophysiology (EEG) has allowed me to develop an initial set of collaborations around the modeling of perceptual and cognitive effects of iron depletion and repletion. However, my ability to fully participate in these collaborations is limited by my lack of knowledge of iron physiology and the experimental methods and measures used to assess its sequelae. As such, I am requesting one year of support in order to be mentored in these areas by two internationally-recognized experts in ID. The immediate goals for this project are three: (a) Acquire knowledge of the foundational biochemistry and physiological and metabolic measurements needed for an understanding of iron physiology and the measurement of the effects of iron depletion and repletion. (b) Integrate this foundational knowledge with new and ongoing research in the field. (c) Apply all of the knowledge gained to a research question linking the three levels of analysis-body, brain, and behavior- needed for developing mechanistic models of the effects of iron depletion and repletion on perception and cognition. The long-term goal is to develop experimentally-testable mathematical models for the mechanistic role of iron in brain function and perceptual and cognitive behaviors. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed project will investigate the potential for using patterns of EEG to estimate brain energy expenditures and energetic efficiency in the context of iron deficiency. This work will advance our understanding of the role of iron in the functioning of both compromised and healthy brains, and the ways in which iron repletion can improve brain function.