1
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Lopez Naranjo C, Razzaq FA, Li M, Wang Y, Bosch‐Bayard JF, Lindquist MA, Gonzalez Mitjans A, Garcia R, Rabinowitz AG, Anderson SG, Chiarenza GA, Calzada‐Reyes A, Virues‐Alba T, Galler JR, Minati L, Bringas Vega ML, Valdes‐Sosa PA. EEG functional connectivity as a Riemannian mediator: An application to malnutrition and cognition. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26698. [PMID: 38726908 PMCID: PMC11082925 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Mediation analysis assesses whether an exposure directly produces changes in cognitive behavior or is influenced by intermediate "mediators". Electroencephalographic (EEG) spectral measurements have been previously used as effective mediators representing diverse aspects of brain function. However, it has been necessary to collapse EEG measures onto a single scalar using standard mediation methods. In this article, we overcome this limitation and examine EEG frequency-resolved functional connectivity measures as a mediator using the full EEG cross-spectral tensor (CST). Since CST samples do not exist in Euclidean space but in the Riemannian manifold of positive-definite tensors, we transform the problem, allowing for the use of classic multivariate statistics. Toward this end, we map the data from the original manifold space to the Euclidean tangent space, eliminating redundant information to conform to a "compressed CST." The resulting object is a matrix with rows corresponding to frequencies and columns to cross spectra between channels. We have developed a novel matrix mediation approach that leverages a nuclear norm regularization to determine the matrix-valued regression parameters. Furthermore, we introduced a global test for the overall CST mediation and a test to determine specific channels and frequencies driving the mediation. We validated the method through simulations and applied it to our well-studied 50+-year Barbados Nutrition Study dataset by comparing EEGs collected in school-age children (5-11 years) who were malnourished in the first year of life with those of healthy classmate controls. We hypothesized that the CST mediates the effect of malnutrition on cognitive performance. We can now explicitly pinpoint the frequencies (delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands) and regions (frontal, central, and occipital) in which functional connectivity was altered in previously malnourished children, an improvement to prior studies. Understanding the specific networks impacted by a history of postnatal malnutrition could pave the way for developing more targeted and personalized therapeutic interventions. Our methods offer a versatile framework applicable to mediation studies encompassing matrix and Hermitian 3D tensor mediators alongside scalar exposures and outcomes, facilitating comprehensive analyses across diverse research domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Lopez Naranjo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Fuleah Abdul Razzaq
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Min Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Hangzhou Dianzi UniversityZhejiangHangzhouChina
| | - Ying Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | | | | | - Anisleidy Gonzalez Mitjans
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Montreal Neurological Institute‐HospitalMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Ronaldo Garcia
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | | | - Simon G. Anderson
- The George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Caribbean Institute for Health ResearchUniversity of the West IndiesCave HillBarbados
| | - Giuseppe A. Chiarenza
- Centro Internazionale Disturbi di Apprendimento, Attenzione, Iperattività (CIDAAI)MilanItaly
| | | | | | - Janina R. Galler
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and NutritionMassachusetts General Hospital for ChildrenBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Ludovico Minati
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Center for Mind/Brain Science (CIMeC)University of TrentoTrentoItaly
| | - Maria L. Bringas Vega
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Cuban Center for NeuroscienceLa HabanaCuba
| | - Pedro A. Valdes‐Sosa
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Cuban Center for NeuroscienceLa HabanaCuba
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2
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Roger K, Vannasing P, Tremblay J, Bringas Vega ML, Bryce CP, Rabinowitz A, Valdes-Sosa PA, Galler JR, Gallagher A. Early childhood malnutrition impairs adult resting brain function using near-infrared spectroscopy. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 17:1287488. [PMID: 38298205 PMCID: PMC10827877 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1287488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Early childhood malnutrition affects 200+ million children under 5 years of age worldwide and is associated with persistent cognitive, behavioral and psychiatric impairments in adulthood. However, very few studies have investigated the long-term effects of childhood protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) on brain function using a functional hemodynamic brain imaging technique. Objective and methods This study aims to investigate functional brain network alterations using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in adults, aged 45-51 years, from the Barbados Nutrition Study (BNS) who suffered from a single episode of malnutrition restricted to their first year of life (n = 26) and controls (n = 29). A total of 55 individuals from the BNS cohort underwent NIRS recording at rest. Results and discussion Using functional connectivity and permutation analysis, we found patterns of increased Pearson's correlation with a specific vulnerability of the frontal cortex in the PEM group (ps < 0.05). Using a graph theoretical approach, mixed ANCOVAs showed increased segregation (ps = 0.0303 and 0.0441) and decreased integration (p = 0.0498) in previously malnourished participants compared to healthy controls. These results can be interpreted as a compensatory mechanism to preserve cognitive functions, that could also be related to premature or pathological brain aging. To our knowledge, this study is the first NIRS neuroimaging study revealing brain function alterations in middle adulthood following early childhood malnutrition limited to the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kassandra Roger
- LION Lab, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Phetsamone Vannasing
- LION Lab, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julie Tremblay
- LION Lab, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maria L. Bringas Vega
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | | | - Arielle Rabinowitz
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pedro Antonio Valdes-Sosa
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Janina R. Galler
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Anne Gallagher
- LION Lab, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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3
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Sengupta P, Dutta S, Liew FF, Dhawan V, Das B, Mottola F, Slama P, Rocco L, Roychoudhury S. Environmental and Genetic Traffic in the Journey from Sperm to Offspring. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1759. [PMID: 38136630 PMCID: PMC10741607 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in the understanding of how sperm develop into offspring have shown complex interactions between environmental influences and genetic factors. The past decade, marked by a research surge, has not only highlighted the profound impact of paternal contributions on fertility and reproductive outcomes but also revolutionized our comprehension by unveiling how parental factors sculpt traits in successive generations through mechanisms that extend beyond traditional inheritance patterns. Studies have shown that offspring are more susceptible to environmental factors, especially during critical phases of growth. While these factors are broadly detrimental to health, their effects are especially acute during these periods. Moving beyond the immutable nature of the genome, the epigenetic profile of cells emerges as a dynamic architecture. This flexibility renders it susceptible to environmental disruptions. The primary objective of this review is to shed light on the diverse processes through which environmental agents affect male reproductive capacity. Additionally, it explores the consequences of paternal environmental interactions, demonstrating how interactions can reverberate in the offspring. It encompasses direct genetic changes as well as a broad spectrum of epigenetic adaptations. By consolidating current empirically supported research, it offers an exhaustive perspective on the interwoven trajectories of the environment, genetics, and epigenetics in the elaborate transition from sperm to offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallav Sengupta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman 4184, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sulagna Dutta
- School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Dubai 345050, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fong Fong Liew
- Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, MAHSA University, Jenjarom 42610, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Vidhu Dhawan
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Biprojit Das
- Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar 788011, India
| | - Filomena Mottola
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Petr Slama
- Laboratory of Animal Immunology and Biotechnology, Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Rocco
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
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Jones SK, McCarthy DM, Stanwood GD, Schatschneider C, Bhide PG. Learning and memory deficits produced by aspartame are heritable via the paternal lineage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14326. [PMID: 37652922 PMCID: PMC10471780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41213-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposures produce heritable traits that can linger in the population for one or two generations. Millions of individuals consume substances such as artificial sweeteners daily that are declared safe by regulatory agencies without evaluation of their potential heritable effects. We show that consumption of aspartame, an FDA-approved artificial sweetener, daily for up to 16-weeks at doses equivalent to only 7-15% of the FDA recommended maximum daily intake value (equivalent to 2-4 small, 8 oz diet soda drinks per day) produces significant spatial learning and memory deficits in mice. Moreover, the cognitive deficits are transmitted to male and female descendants along the paternal lineage suggesting that aspartame's adverse cognitive effects are heritable, and that they are more pervasive than current estimates, which consider effects in the directly exposed individuals only. Traditionally, deleterious environmental exposures of pregnant and nursing women are viewed as risk factors for the health of future generations. Environmental exposures of men are not considered to pose similar risks. Our findings suggest that environmental exposures of men can produce adverse impact on cognitive function in future generations and demonstrate the need for considering heritable effects via the paternal lineage as part of the regulatory evaluations of artificial sweeteners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Jones
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Deirdre M McCarthy
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Gregg D Stanwood
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Christopher Schatschneider
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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5
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Bauer EE, Agbemafle I, Reddy MB, Clark PJ. Edible insects prevent changes to brain monoamine profiles from malnourishment in weaned rats. Nutr Neurosci 2022:1-13. [PMID: 36125026 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2022.2104692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Background: Childhood malnutrition can have devastating consequences on health, behavior, and cognition. Edible insects are sustainable low cost high protein and iron nutritious foods that can prevent malnutrition. However, it is unclear whether insect-based diets may help prevent changes to brain neurochemistry associated with malnutrition.Materials and Methods: Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were malnourished by feeding a low protein-iron diet (LPI, 5% protein and ∼2 ppm Fe) for 3 weeks or nourished by feeding a sufficient protein-iron diet (SPI, 15% protein 20 ppm FeSO4) for the duration of the study. Following 3 weeks of LPI diet, three subsets of the malnourished rats were placed on repletion diets supplemented with cricket, palm weevil larvae, or the SPI diet for 2 weeks, while the remaining rats continued the LPI diet for an additional 2 weeks. Monoamine-related neurochemicals (e.g. serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine) and select monoamine metabolites were measured in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and prefrontal cortex using Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.Results: Five weeks of LPI diets disrupted brain monoamines, most notable in the hypothalamus. Two weeks supplementation with cricket and palm weevil larvae diets prevented changes to measures of 5-HT and DA turnover in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Moreover, these insect diets prevented the malnutrition-induced imbalance of 5-HT and DA metabolites in the hippocampus, striatum, and hypothalamus.Conclusion: Edible insects such as cricket and palm weevil larvae could be sustainable nutrition intervention to prevent behavioral and cognitive impairment associated abnormal brain monoamine activities that results from early life malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella E. Bauer
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Isaac Agbemafle
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Manju B. Reddy
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Peter J. Clark
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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Roger K, Vannasing P, Tremblay J, Bringas Vega ML, Bryce CP, Rabinowitz AG, Valdés-Sosa PA, Galler JR, Gallagher A. Impact of Early Childhood Malnutrition on Adult Brain Function: An Evoked-Related Potentials Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:884251. [PMID: 35845242 PMCID: PMC9283562 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.884251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 200 million children under the age of 5 years are affected by malnutrition worldwide according to the World Health Organization. The Barbados Nutrition Study (BNS) is a 55-year longitudinal study on a Barbadian cohort with histories of moderate to severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) limited to the first year of life and a healthy comparison group. Using quantitative electroencephalography (EEG), differences in brain function during childhood (lower alpha1 activity and higher theta, alpha2 and beta activity) have previously been highlighted between participants who suffered from early PEM and controls. In order to determine whether similar differences persisted into adulthood, our current study used recordings obtained during a Go-No-Go task in a subsample of the original BNS cohort [population size (N) = 53] at ages 45–51 years. We found that previously malnourished adults [sample size (n) = 24] had a higher rate of omission errors on the task relative to controls (n = 29). Evoked-Related Potentials (ERP) were significantly different in participants with histories of early PEM, who presented with lower N2 amplitudes. These findings are typically associated with impaired conflict monitoring and/or attention deficits and may therefore be linked to the attentional and executive function deficits that have been previously reported in this cohort in childhood and again in middle adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kassandra Roger
- LION Lab, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Phetsamone Vannasing
- LION Lab, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julie Tremblay
- LION Lab, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maria L. Bringas Vega
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | | | | | - Pedro A. Valdés-Sosa
- MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Janina R. Galler
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Anne Gallagher
- LION Lab, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Anne Gallagher,
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7
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Kirolos A, Goyheneix M, Kalmus Eliasz M, Chisala M, Lissauer S, Gladstone M, Kerac M. Neurodevelopmental, cognitive, behavioural and mental health impairments following childhood malnutrition: a systematic review. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:e009330. [PMID: 35793839 PMCID: PMC9260807 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-009330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe childhood malnutrition impairs growth and development short-term, but current understanding of long-term outcomes is limited. We aimed to identify studies assessing neurodevelopmental, cognitive, behavioural and mental health outcomes following childhood malnutrition. METHODS We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health and PsycINFO for studies assessing these outcomes in those exposed to childhood malnutrition in low-income and middle-income settings. We included studies assessing undernutrition measured by low mid-upper arm circumference, weight-for-height, weight-for-age or nutritional oedema. We used guidelines for synthesis of results without meta-analysis to analyse three outcome areas: neurodevelopment, cognition/academic achievement, behaviour/mental health. RESULTS We identified 30 studies, including some long-term cohorts reporting outcomes through to adulthood. There is strong evidence that malnutrition in childhood negatively impacts neurodevelopment based on high-quality studies using validated neurodevelopmental assessment tools. There is also strong evidence that malnutrition impairs academic achievement with agreement across seven studies investigating this outcome. Eight of 11 studies showed an association between childhood malnutrition and impaired cognition. This moderate evidence is limited by some studies failing to measure important confounders such as socioeconomic status. Five of 7 studies found a difference in behavioural assessment scores in those exposed to childhood malnutrition compared with controls but this moderate evidence is similarly limited by unmeasured confounders. Mental health impacts were difficult to ascertain due to few studies with mixed results. CONCLUSIONS Childhood malnutrition is associated with impaired neurodevelopment, academic achievement, cognition and behavioural problems but evidence regarding possible mental health impacts is inconclusive. Future research should explore the interplay of childhood and later-life adversities on these outcomes. While evidence on improving nutritional and clinical therapies to reduce long-term risks is also needed, preventing and eliminating child malnutrition is likely to be the best way of preventing long-term neurocognitive harms. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42021260498.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Kirolos
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Magdalena Goyheneix
- Fundación ACNUR Argentina (Agencia de la ONU para los Refugiados, UNHCR), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mike Kalmus Eliasz
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mphatso Chisala
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe/Karonga, Malawi
| | - Samantha Lissauer
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Blantyre, Malawi
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Melissa Gladstone
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Marko Kerac
- Centre for Maternal, Child, Adolescent & Reproductive Health (MARCH), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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8
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McCarthy DM, Bhide PG. Heritable consequences of paternal nicotine exposure: from phenomena to mechanisms†. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:632-643. [PMID: 34126634 PMCID: PMC8444703 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the interactions between genetic and environmental factors in shaping behavioral phenotypes has expanded to include environment-induced epigenetic modifications and the intriguing possibility of their association with heritable behavioral phenotypes. The molecular basis of heritability of phenotypes arising from environment-induced epigenetic modifications is not well defined yet. However, phenomenological evidence in favor of it is accumulating rapidly. The resurgence of interest has led to focus on epigenetic modification of germ cells as a plausible mechanism of heritability. Perhaps partly because of practical reasons such as ease of access to male germ cells compared to female germ cells, attention has turned toward heritable effects of environmental influences on male founders. Public health implications of heritable effects of paternal exposures to addictive substances or to psycho-social factors may be enormous. Considering nicotine alone, over a billion people worldwide use nicotine-containing products, and the majority are men. Historically, the adverse effects of nicotine use by pregnant women received much attention by scientists and public policy experts alike. The implications of nicotine use by men for the physical and mental well-being of their children were not at the forefront of research until recently. Here, we review progress in the emerging field of heritable effects of paternal nicotine exposure and its implications for behavioral health of individuals in multiple generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre M McCarthy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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9
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Coley EJL, Hsiao EY. Malnutrition and the microbiome as modifiers of early neurodevelopment. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:753-764. [PMID: 34303552 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Malnutrition refers to a dearth, excess, or altered differential ratios of calories, macronutrients, or micronutrients. Malnutrition, particularly during early life, is a pressing global health and socioeconomic burden that is increasingly associated with neurodevelopmental impairments. Understanding how perinatal malnutrition influences brain development is crucial to uncovering fundamental mechanisms for establishing behavioral neurocircuits, with the potential to inform public policy and clinical interventions for neurodevelopmental conditions. Recent studies reveal that the gut microbiome can mediate dietary effects on host physiology and that the microbiome modulates the development and function of the nervous system. This review discusses evidence that perinatal malnutrition alters brain development and examines the maternal and neonatal microbiome as a potential contributing factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena J L Coley
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Elaine Y Hsiao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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10
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Rushmore RJ, McGaughy JA, Amaral AC, Mokler DJ, Morgane PJ, Galler JR, Rosene DL. The neural basis of attentional alterations in prenatally protein malnourished rats. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:497-512. [PMID: 33099611 PMCID: PMC7947171 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein malnutrition during gestation alters brain development and produces specific behavioral and cognitive changes that persist into adulthood and increase the risks of neuropsychiatric disorders. Given evidence for the role of the prefrontal cortex in such diseases, it is significant that studies in humans and animal models have shown that prenatal protein malnutrition specifically affects functions associated with prefrontal cortex. However, the neural basis underlying these changes is unclear. In the current study, prenatally malnourished and control rats performed a sustained attention task with an unpredictable distractor, a task that depends on intact prefrontal cortical function. Radiolabeled 2-deoxyglucose was used to measure neural and brain network activity during the task. Results confirmed that adult prenatally malnourished rats were more distractible than controls and exhibited lower functional activity in prefrontal cortices. Thus, prefrontal activity was a predictor of task performance in controls but not prenatally malnourished animals. Instead, prenatally malnourished animals relied on different brain networks involving limbic structures such as the hippocampus. These results provide evidence that protein reduction during brain development has more wide-reaching effects on brain networks than previously appreciated, resulting in the formation of brain networks that may reflect compensatory responses in prenatally malnourished brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Rushmore
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston MA
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - J A McGaughy
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
| | - A C Amaral
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston MA
| | - D J Mokler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford ME
| | - P J Morgane
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford ME
| | - J R Galler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D L Rosene
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston MA
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11
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Rushmore RJ, McGaughy JA, Mokler DJ, Rosene DL. The enduring effect of prenatal protein malnutrition on brain anatomy, physiology and behavior. Nutr Neurosci 2020; 25:1392-1399. [PMID: 33314995 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2020.1859730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that the maternal environment exerts enduring influences on the fetal brain. In response to certain environmental stimuli such as reduced protein content, the fetus changes the course of its brain development, which leads to specific and programed changes in brain anatomy and physiology. These alterations produce a brain with a fundamentally altered organization, which then translates to alterations in adult cognitive function. The effects on brain and behavior may be linked, such that a prenatal stimulus relays a signal to alter brain development and encourage the selection and development of brain circuits and behaviors that would be beneficial for the environment in which the animal was anticipated to emerge. At the same time, the signal would deselect behaviors unlikely to be adaptive. We draw on evidence from rodent models to suggest that the brain that develops after a reduction in protein during the prenatal phase is not uniformly dysfunctional, but simply different. This perspective has implications for the role of prenatal factors in the production and expression of behavior, and may account for the elevation of risk factors for neurological and psychiatric illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Rushmore
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Psychiatric Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J A McGaughy
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - D J Mokler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, USA
| | - D L Rosene
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Alberca CD, Papale LA, Madrid A, Gianatiempo O, Cánepa ET, Alisch RS, Chertoff M. Perinatal protein malnutrition results in genome-wide disruptions of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at regions that can be restored to control levels by an enriched environment. Epigenetics 2020; 16:1085-1101. [PMID: 33172347 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1841871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal malnutrition remains one of the major adversities affecting brain development and long-term mental health outcomes, increasing the risk to develop anxiety and depressive disorders. We have previously shown that malnutrition-induced anxiety-like behaviours can be rescued by a social and sensory stimulation (enriched environment) in male mice. Here, we expand these findings to adult female mice and profiled genome-wide ventral hippocampal 5hmC levels related to malnutrition-induced anxiety-like behaviours and their rescue by an enriched environment. This approach revealed 508 differentially hydroxymethylated genes associated with protein malnutrition and that several genes (N = 34) exhibited a restored 5hmC abundance to control levels following exposure to an enriched environment, including genes involved in neuronal functions like dendrite outgrowth, axon guidance, and maintenance of neuronal circuits (e.g. Fltr3, Itsn1, Lman1, Lsamp, Nav, and Ror1) and epigenetic mechanisms (e.g. Hdac9 and Dicer1). Sequence motif predictions indicated that 5hmC may be modulating the binding of transcription factors for several of these transcripts, suggesting a regulatory role for 5hmC in response to perinatal malnutrition and exposure to an enriched environment. Together, these findings establish a role for 5hmC in early-life malnutrition and reveal genes linked to malnutrition-induced anxious behaviours that are mitigated by an enriched environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina D Alberca
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Neuroepigenetica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ligia A Papale
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andy Madrid
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.,Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Octavio Gianatiempo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Neuroepigenetica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - CONICET (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo T Cánepa
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Neuroepigenetica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - CONICET (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Reid S Alisch
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Mariela Chertoff
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Laboratorio de Neuroepigenetica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - CONICET (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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13
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De Guzman RM, Medina J, Saulsbery AI, Workman JL. Rotated nursing environment with underfeeding: A form of early-life adversity with sex- and age-dependent effects on coping behavior and hippocampal neurogenesis. Physiol Behav 2020; 225:113106. [PMID: 32717197 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We investigated how a unique form of early-life adversity (ELA), caused by rotated nursing environment to induce underfeeding, alters anxiety-like and stress-coping behaviors in male and female Sprague Dawley rats in adolescence and adulthood. Adult female rats underwent either thelectomy (thel; surgical removal of teats), sham surgery, or no surgery (control) before mating. Following parturition, litters were rotated between sham and thel rats every 12 h to generate a group of rats that experienced ELA (rotated housing, rotated mother, and 50% food restriction) from postnatal day 0 to 26. Control litters remained with their natal, nursing dams. Regardless of age and sex, ELA reduced activity in the periphery of the open field. ELA increased immobility in the forced swim test, particularly in adults. We used doublecortin immunohistochemistry to identify immature neurons in the hippocampus. ELA increased the number and density of immature neurons in the dentate gyrus of adolescent males (but not females) and reduced the density of immature neurons in adult males (but not females). This research indicates that a unique form of ELA alters stress-related passive coping and hippocampal neurogenesis in an age- and sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222 United States
| | - Joanna Medina
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222 United States
| | - Angela I Saulsbery
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222 United States
| | - Joanna L Workman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222 United States; Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222, United States.
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14
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Cohn-Schwartz E, Weinstein G. Early-life food deprivation and cognitive performance among older Europeans. Maturitas 2020; 141:26-32. [PMID: 33036699 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2020.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early-life adversity, including food deprivation, has been linked with late-life cognitive function. Our aim was to explore the association between the early experience of hunger (the age at which it was experienced and its duration) and cognitive performance and decline among older Europeans. METHODS Our sample comprised dementia-free individuals aged ≥65 years who participated in waves 3 and 4 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Information on periods of hunger during the life course was gathered in wave 3 (2009; SHARELIFE). Cognitive performance was assessed using tests of memory, verbal fluency and numeracy in waves 4 (2011) and 5 (2013). Regression models were used to assess the relationship between the experience of hunger at different ages and its duration and cognitive performance and decline while adjusting for age, sex, education, lifestyle and health factors. RESULTS Among a sample of 2131 individuals (mean age = 76.2 years; 50 % women), the experience of hunger when aged 0-4 years was associated with poorer immediate and delayed recall, fluency and impaired numeracy factors (B±SE=-0.58 ± 0.12; p < 0.001; B±SE=-0.74 ± 0.13; p < 0.001, B±SE=-1.60 ± 0.42; p < 0.001 and OR [95 % CI] = 0.57 [0.42-0.79], respectively). These results attenuated after controlling for duration of the experience of hunger but remained significant for immediate and delayed recall. The experience of hunger at ages 12-18 years was associated with better immediate recall, delayed recall and fluency (B±SE = 0.38 ± 0.15; p = 0.010; B±SE = 0.37 ± 0.17; p = 0.026, B±SE = 1.57 ± 0.53; p = 0.003, respectively). The associations of hunger with cognitive decline were similar but less robust. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that severe nutritional deprivation in early childhood may be associated with poor cognitive function in later life, while food deprivation in later childhood and adolescence may be protective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Cohn-Schwartz
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
| | - Galit Weinstein
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel
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15
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Mokler DJ, McGaughy JA, Bass D, Morgane PJ, Rosene DL, Amaral AC, Rushmore RJ, Galler JR. Prenatal Protein Malnutrition Leads to Hemispheric Differences in the Extracellular Concentrations of Norepinephrine, Dopamine and Serotonin in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex of Adult Rats. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:136. [PMID: 30890908 PMCID: PMC6411819 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal protein malnutrition (PPM) leads to a reprogramming of the brain, altering executive functions involving the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In this study we used in vivo microdialysis to assess the effects of PPM on extracellular concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) bilaterally in the ventral portion of the medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC; ventral prelimbic and infralimbic cortices) of adult Long-Evans rats. Female Long-Evans rats were fed either a low protein (6%) or adequate protein diet (25%) prior to mating and throughout pregnancy. At birth, all litters were culled and fostered to dams fed a 25% (adequate) protein diet. At 120 days of age, 2 mm microdialysis probes were placed into left and right vmPFC. Basal extracellular concentrations of NE, DA, and 5-HT were determined over a 1-h period using HPLC. In rats exposed to PPM there was a decrease in extracellular concentrations of NE and DA in the right vmPFC and an increase in the extracellular concentration of 5-HT in the left vmPFC compared to controls (prenatally malnourished: N = 10, well-nourished: N = 20). Assessment of the cerebral laterality of extracellular neurotransmitters in the vmPFC showed that prenatally malnourished animals had a significant shift in laterality from the right to the left hemisphere for NE and DA but not for serotonin. In a related study, these animals showed cognitive inflexibility in an attentional task. In animals in the current study, NE levels in the right vmPFC of well-nourished animals correlated positively with performance in an attention task, while 5-HT in the left vmPFC of well-nourished rats correlated negatively with performance. These data, in addition to previously published studies, suggest a long-term reprogramming of the vmPFC in rats exposed to PPM which may contribute to attention deficits observed in adult animals exposed to PPM.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Mokler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, United States
| | - Jill A. McGaughy
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - Donna Bass
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, United States
| | - Peter J. Morgane
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, United States
| | - Douglas L. Rosene
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ana C. Amaral
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - R. Jarrett Rushmore
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Janina R. Galler
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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16
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Newman LA, Baraiolo J, Mokler DJ, Rabinowitz AG, Galler JR, McGaughy JA. Prenatal Protein Malnutrition Produces Resistance to Distraction Similar to Noradrenergic Deafferentation of the Prelimbic Cortex in a Sustained Attention Task. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:123. [PMID: 30853881 PMCID: PMC6396814 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to malnutrition early in development increases likelihood of neuropsychiatric disorders, affective processing disorders, and attentional problems later in life. Many of these impairments are hypothesized to arise from impaired development of the prefrontal cortex. The current experiments examine the impact of prenatal malnutrition on the noradrenergic and cholinergic axons in the prefrontal cortex to determine if these changes contribute to the attentional deficits seen in prenatal protein malnourished rats (6% casein vs. 25% casein). Because prenatally malnourished animals had significant decreases in noradrenergic fibers in the prelimbic cortex with spared innervation in the anterior cingulate cortex and showed no changes in acetylcholine innervation of the prefrontal cortex, we compared deficits produced by malnutrition to those produced in adult rats by noradrenergic lesions of the prelimbic cortex. All animals were able to perform the baseline sustained attention task accurately. However, with the addition of visual distractors to the sustained attention task, animals that were prenatally malnourished and those that were noradrenergically lesioned showed cognitive rigidity, i.e., were less distractible than control animals. All groups showed similar changes in behavior when exposed to withholding reinforcement, suggesting specific attentional impairments rather than global difficulties in understanding response rules, bottom-up perceptual problems, or cognitive impairments secondary to dysfunction in sensitivity to reinforcement contingencies. These data suggest that prenatal protein malnutrition leads to deficits in noradrenergic innervation of the prelimbic cortex associated with cognitive rigidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori A. Newman
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
- Department of Psychological Science, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, United States
| | - Jaime Baraiolo
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - David J. Mokler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, United States
| | | | - Janina R. Galler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jill A. McGaughy
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
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17
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Knell J, Han SM, Jaksic T, Modi BP. In Brief. Curr Probl Surg 2019. [DOI: 10.1067/j.cpsurg.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Knell
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Sam M Han
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Tom Jaksic
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Biren P Modi
- Harvard Medical School, Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
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19
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Knell J, Han SM, Jaksic T, Modi BP. WITHDRAWN: In Brief. Curr Probl Surg 2018. [DOI: 10.1067/j.cpsurg.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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20
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Hong CR, Fullerton BS, Mercier CE, Morrow KA, Edwards EM, Ferrelli KR, Soll RF, Modi BP, Horbar JD, Jaksic T. Growth morbidity in extremely low birth weight survivors of necrotizing enterocolitis at discharge and two-year follow-up. J Pediatr Surg 2018; 53:1197-1202. [PMID: 29627178 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.02.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine postnatal growth outcomes and predictors of growth failure at 18-24months corrected age among extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) compared to survivors without NEC. METHODS Data were collected prospectively on ELBW (22-27weeks gestation or 401-1000g birth weight) infants born 2000-2013 at 46 centers participating in the Vermont Oxford Network follow-up project. Severe growth failure was defined as <3rd percentile weight-for-age. RESULTS There were 9171 evaluated infants without NEC, 416 with medical NEC, and 462 with surgical NEC. Rates of severe growth failure at discharge were higher among infants with medical NEC (56%) and surgical NEC (61%), compared to those without NEC (36%). At 18-24months follow-up, rates of severe growth failure decreased and were similar between without NEC (24%), medical NEC (24%), and surgical NEC (28%). On multivariable analysis, small for gestational age, chronic lung disease, severe intraventricular hemorrhage or cystic periventricular leukomalacia, severe growth failure at discharge, and postdischarge tube feeding predicted <3rd percentile weight-for-age at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS ELBW survivors of NEC have higher rates of severe growth failure at discharge. While NEC is not associated with severe growth failure at follow-up, one quarter of ELBW infants have severe growth failure at 18-24months. TYPE OF STUDY Prognosis study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II.
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MESH Headings
- Enteral Nutrition
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/complications
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/physiopathology
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/therapy
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Growth Disorders/etiology
- Humans
- Infant
- Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant, Premature
- Infant, Premature, Diseases/physiopathology
- Infant, Premature, Diseases/therapy
- Male
- Patient Discharge
- Survivors
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles R Hong
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brenna S Fullerton
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Charles E Mercier
- University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Kate A Morrow
- Vermont Oxford Network, 33 Kilburn Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
| | - Erika M Edwards
- University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; Vermont Oxford Network, 33 Kilburn Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
| | - Karla R Ferrelli
- Vermont Oxford Network, 33 Kilburn Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
| | - Roger F Soll
- University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; Vermont Oxford Network, 33 Kilburn Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
| | - Biren P Modi
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Horbar
- University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; Vermont Oxford Network, 33 Kilburn Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
| | - Tom Jaksic
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Valdés-Sosa PA, Galler JR, Bryce CP, Rabinowitz AG, Bringas-Vega ML, Hernández-Mesa N, Taboada-Crispi A. Seeking Biomarkers of Early Childhood Malnutrition's Long-term Effects. MEDICC Rev 2018; 20:43-48. [PMID: 29773777 PMCID: PMC6310420 DOI: 10.37757/mr2018.v20.n2.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein-energy malnutrition affects one in nine people worldwide and is most prevalent among children aged less than five years in low-income countries. Early childhood malnutrition can have damaging neurodevelopmental effects, with significant increases in cognitive, neurological and mental health problems over the lifespan, outcomes which can also extend to the next generation. This article describes a research collaboration involving scientists from five centers in Barbados, China, Cuba and the USA. It builds on longer-term joint work between the Barbados Nutrition Study (which, over a 45-year span, has extensively documented nutritional, health, behavioral, social and economic outcomes of individuals who experienced protein-energy malnutrition in the first year of life and healthy controls from the same classrooms and neighborhoods) and the Cuban Neuroscience Center (which has developed low-cost brain imaging methods that can be readily used in low income settings to identify biomarkers for early detection and treatment of adverse consequences of childhood malnutrition). This collaboration, which involved Barbadian, Cuban and US scientists began in the 1970s, when quantitative EEG techniques were applied to EEG data collected in 1977-78, at which time study participants were aged 5-11 years. These EEG records were never fully analyzed but were stored in New York and made available to this project in 2016. These data have now been processed and analyzed, comparing EEG findings in previously malnourished and control children, and have led to the identification of early biomarkers of long-term effects of early childhood protein-energy malnutrition. The next stage of the project will involve extending earlier work by collecting EEG recordings in the same individuals at ages 45-51 years, 40 years later, and comparing findings to earlier data and to these individuals' behavioral and cognitive outcomes. Quantitative EEG biomarkers of the effects of protein-energy malnutrition may help identify children at greatest risk for early malnutrition's adverse neurodevelopmental effects and inform development of targeted interventions to mitigate the long-term adverse effects of protein-energy malnutrition in developing countries. KEYWORDS Protein-energy malnutrition, electroencephalography, EEG, biomarkers, neurosciences, Barbados, Cuba, USA.
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Hong CR, Zurakowski D, Fullerton BS, Ariagno K, Jaksic T, Mehta NM. Nutrition Delivery and Growth Outcomes in Infants With Gastroschisis. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2018; 42:913-919. [DOI: 10.1002/jpen.1022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles R. Hong
- Department of Surgery; Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - David Zurakowski
- Department of Surgery; Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Boston Massachusetts USA
- Department of Anesthesia; Boston Children's Hospital; Harvard Medical School; Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Brenna S. Fullerton
- Department of Surgery; Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Katelyn Ariagno
- Center for Nutrition; Division of Gastroenterology; Hepatology and Nutrition; Boston Children's Hospital; Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Tom Jaksic
- Department of Surgery; Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Nilesh M. Mehta
- Center for Nutrition; Division of Gastroenterology; Hepatology and Nutrition; Boston Children's Hospital; Boston Massachusetts USA
- Division of Critical Care Medicine; Department of Anesthesiology Perioperative and Pain Medicine; Boston Children's Hospital; Boston Massachusetts USA
- Center for Nutrition Boston Children's Hospital; Harvard Medical School Boston; Boston Massachusetts USA
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Abessa TG, Bruckers L, Kolsteren P, Granitzer M. Developmental performance of hospitalized severely acutely malnourished under-six children in low- income setting. BMC Pediatr 2017; 17:197. [PMID: 29179758 PMCID: PMC5704634 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-017-0950-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Retrospective studies show that severe acute malnutrition (SAM) affects child development. However, to what extent SAM affects children of different ages at its acute stage is not well documented. This study was aimed at comparing the developmental performance of severely acutely malnourished children under six with that of age and gender-matched non-malnourished healthy children. Methods The developmental performances of 310 children with SAM (male = 155, female = 155); mean age = 30.7 mo; SD = 15.2 mo) admitted to the nutritional rehabilitation unit (NRU) at Jimma University’s Hospital was compared with that of 310 age and gender-matched, non-malnourished healthy children (male = 155, female = 155; mean age = 29.6 mo; SD = 15.4 mo) living in Jimma Town in Ethiopia. Two culturally adapted tools were used: (1) the Denver II-Jimma, to assess the children’s performance on personal social (PS), fine motor (FM) language (LA), gross motor (GM) skills, and (2) the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE), to assess social-emotional (SE) skills. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis was conducted to compare the developmental performance scores of SAM and non-malnourished children. Results For one-year-old children, SAM delays their developmental performance on GM, FM, PS and LA by 300%, 200%, 140% and 71.4% respectively. For three-years-old children, SAM delays their developmental performance on GM by 80%, on FM and LA by 50% each, and on PS by 28.6%. Of the skills assessed on Denver II-Jimma, GM is the most, and PS is the least affected. Younger SAM children are more affected than older ones on all the domains of development. The delay in FM, GM, LA and PS generally decreases with an increase in age. Social-emotional behavior problems seem to be most pronounced in the very young and older age ranges. Conclusions SAM has a differential age effect on the different dimensions of development in children under 6 years of age. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12887-017-0950-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teklu Gemechu Abessa
- Department of Special Needs and Inclusive Education, College of Behavioral Sciences and Education, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. .,REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium.
| | | | - Patrick Kolsteren
- Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, University of Gent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marita Granitzer
- REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium
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Velazco CS, Fullerton BS, Hong CR, Morrow KA, Edwards EM, Soll RF, Jaksic T, Horbar JD, Modi BP. Morbidity and mortality among "big" babies who develop necrotizing enterocolitis: A prospective multicenter cohort analysis. J Pediatr Surg 2017; 53:S0022-3468(17)30650-4. [PMID: 29111080 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2017.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is classically a disease of prematurity, with less reported regarding morbidity and mortality of this disease among other infants. METHODS Data were prospectively collected from 2009 to 2015 at 252 Vermont Oxford Network member centers on neonates with birth weight>2500g admitted to a participating NICU within 28days of birth. RESULTS Of 1629 neonates with NEC, gestational age was 37 (36, 39) weeks, and 45% had major congenital anomalies, most commonly gastrointestinal defects (20%), congenital heart defects (18%), and chromosomal anomalies (7%). For the 23% of infants who had surgery for NEC, mortality and length of stay were 23% and 63 (36, 94) days versus 8% and 34 (22, 61) days in medical NEC. Independent predictors of mortality were congenital heart defects (p<0.0001), chromosomal abnormalities (p<0.05), other congenital malformations (p<0.001), surgical NEC (p<0.0001), and sepsis (p<0.05). All of these in addition to gastrointestinal defects were independent predictors of increased length of stay. Nutritional morbidity at discharge included 6% receiving no enteral feeds and 27% who were <10th percentile weight-for-age. CONCLUSIONS Major congenital anomalies are present in nearly half of >2500g birth weight infants diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis. Morbidity and mortality increase with sepsis, surgical disease, and congenital anomalies. TYPE OF STUDY Prognosis Study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristine S Velazco
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Brenna S Fullerton
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Charles R Hong
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | - Erika M Edwards
- University of Vermont, Burlington, VT; Vermont Oxford Network, Burlington, VT
| | - Roger F Soll
- University of Vermont, Burlington, VT; Vermont Oxford Network, Burlington, VT
| | - Tom Jaksic
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jeffrey D Horbar
- University of Vermont, Burlington, VT; Vermont Oxford Network, Burlington, VT
| | - Biren P Modi
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
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Nutrition (Micronutrients) in Child Growth and Development: A Systematic Review on Current Evidence, Recommendations and Opportunities for Further Research. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2017; 38:665-679. [PMID: 28746059 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000000482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE An important aspect of malnutrition is deficiency of different micronutrients during pregnancy or early childhood. We systematically reviewed the role of nutrition in child growth (weight or height gain) and development. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was done on PubMed/Cochrane Library browsing through 38,795 abstracts until December 31, 2016 to select systematic reviews/meta-analyses and individual randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of micronutrient supplementation. RESULTS Micronutrients studied included iron, iodine, folate, zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, and multiple micronutrients. We summarize evidence with details and results of RCTs, highlight strengths/weaknesses, and critically interpret findings. Effects of breastfeeding-promotion, food-supplementation (complementary and school feeding), conditional-cash-transfers, and integrated nutrition/psychosocial interventions are discussed. CONCLUSION Based on this evidence we make policy and programmatic recommendations for supplementation to mothers and children at high-risk of deficiency.
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Nätt D, Barchiesi R, Murad J, Feng J, Nestler EJ, Champagne FA, Thorsell A. Perinatal Malnutrition Leads to Sexually Dimorphic Behavioral Responses with Associated Epigenetic Changes in the Mouse Brain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11082. [PMID: 28894112 PMCID: PMC5593991 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10803-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood malnutrition is a risk factor for mental disorders, such as major depression and anxiety. Evidence shows that similar early life adversities induce sex-dependent epigenetic reprogramming. However, little is known about how genes are specifically affected by early malnutrition and the implications for males and females respectively. One relevant target is neuropeptide Y (NPY), which regulates both stress and food-intake. We studied maternal low protein diet (LPD) during pregnancy/lactation in mice. Male, but not female, offspring of LPD mothers consistently displayed anxiety- and depression-like behaviors under acute stress. Transcriptome-wide analysis of the effects of acute stress in the amygdala, revealed a list of transcription factors affected by either sex or perinatal LPD. Among these immediate early genes (IEG), members of the Early growth response family (Egr1/2/4) were consistently upregulated by perinatal LPD in both sexes. EGR1 also bound the NPY receptor Y1 gene (Npy1r), which co-occurred with sex-specific effects of perinatal LPD on both Npy1r DNA-methylation and gene transcription. Our proposed pathway connecting early malnutrition, sex-independent regulatory changes in Egr1, and sex-specific epigenetic reprogramming of its effector gene, Npy1r, represents the first molecular evidence of how early life risk factors may generate sex-specific epigenetic effects relevant for mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Nätt
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Riccardo Barchiesi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Josef Murad
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jian Feng
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Annika Thorsell
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Fullerton BS, Velazco CS, Sparks EA, Morrow KA, Edwards EM, Soll RF, Modi BP, Horbar JD, Jaksic T. Contemporary Outcomes of Infants with Gastroschisis in North America: A Multicenter Cohort Study. J Pediatr 2017; 188:192-197.e6. [PMID: 28712519 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To quantify outcomes and analyze factors predictive of morbidity and mortality in infants with gastroschisis. STUDY DESIGN Clinical data regarding neonates with gastroschisis born between 2009 and 2014 were prospectively collected at 175 North American centers. Multivariate regression was used to assess risk factors for mortality and length of stay (LOS). RESULTS Gastroschisis was diagnosed in 4420 neonates with median birth weight 2410 g (IQR 2105-2747). Survival (discharge home or alive in hospital at 1 year) was 97.8% with a 37 day median LOS (IQR 27-59). Sepsis, defined by positive blood or cerebrospinal fluid culture, was the only significant independent predictor of mortality (P = .04). Significant independent determinants of LOS and the percentage of neonates affected were as follows: bowel resection (9.8%, P < .0001), sepsis (8.6%, P < .0001), presence of other congenital anomalies (7.6%, including 5.8% with intestinal atresias, P < .0001), necrotizing enterocolitis (4.5%, P < .0001), and small for gestational age (37.3%, P = .0006). Abdominal surgery in addition to gastroschisis repair occurred in 22.3%, with 6.4% receiving gastrostomy or jejunostomy tubes and 6.3% requiring ostomy creation. At discharge, 57.0% were less than the 10th percentile weight for age. The mode of delivery (52.4% cesarean delivery) was not associated with any differences in outcome. CONCLUSIONS Although neonates with gastroschisis have excellent overall survival they remain at risk for death from sepsis, prolonged hospitalization, multiple abdominal operations, and malnutrition at discharge. Outcomes appear unaffected by the use of cesarean delivery. Further opportunities for quality improvement include sepsis prevention and enhanced nutritional support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenna S Fullerton
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
| | - Cristine S Velazco
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Eric A Sparks
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | - Erika M Edwards
- Vermont Oxford Network, Burlington, VT; University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
| | - Roger F Soll
- Vermont Oxford Network, Burlington, VT; University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
| | - Biren P Modi
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jeffrey D Horbar
- Vermont Oxford Network, Burlington, VT; University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
| | - Tom Jaksic
- Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Liu J, Raine A. Nutritional status and social behavior in preschool children: the mediating effects of neurocognitive functioning. MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION 2017; 13:e12321. [PMID: 27133006 PMCID: PMC5675074 DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Early malnutritional status has been associated with reduced cognitive ability in childhood. However, there are almost no studies on the effect of malnutrition on positive social behavior, and no tests of possible mediating mechanisms. This study tests the hypothesis that poor nutritional status is associated with impaired social functioning in childhood, and that neurocognitive ability mediates this relationship. We assessed 1553 male and female 3-year-olds from a birth cohort on measures of malnutrition, social behavior and verbal and spatial neurocognitive functions. Children with indicators of malnutrition showed impaired social behavior (p < .0001) as compared with children in the control group with adequate nutritional status. These associations even persisted after controlling for social adversity and parental education. Findings were not moderated by gender or ethnicity, and there was no interaction effect with parental education. A dose-response relationship was observed between degree of malnutrition and degree of social behavior, with increased malnutrition associated with more impaired social behavior. Neurocognitive ability was found to mediate the nutrition-social behavior relationship. The mediation effect of neurocognitive functioning suggests that poor nutrition negatively impacts brain areas that play important roles in developing positive social behavior. Findings suggest that reducing poor nutrition, alternatively promoting good nutrition, may help promote positive social behavior in early childhood during a critical period for social and neurocognitive development, with implications for improving positive health in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghong Liu
- School of NursingUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Adrian Raine
- Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry and PsychologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
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Wang C, An Y, Yu H, Feng L, Liu Q, Lu Y, Wang H, Xiao R. Association between Exposure to the Chinese Famine in Different Stages of Early Life and Decline in Cognitive Functioning in Adulthood. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:146. [PMID: 27471454 PMCID: PMC4943926 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To investigate whether exposure to the Chinese Famine in different life stages of early life is associated with cognitive functioning decline in adulthood. Methods: We recruited 1366 adults born between 1950 and 1964 and divided them into fetal-exposed, early childhood-exposed (1–3 years old during the famine), mid childhood-exposed (4–6 years old during the famine), late childhood-exposed (7–9 years old during the famine), and non-exposed groups. A selection of cognitive tests was administered to assess their cognitive performance. Association between malnutrition in different famine exposure periods and adult cognitive performance was estimated by multivariate logistic and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: There were significant differences in cognitive performance between subjects exposed to famine during different life stages. For the general cognitive tests, fetal-exposed period was associated with decreased scores of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and late childhood-exposed with decreased scores of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). We also found exposure to famine during mid and late childhood was associated with worse performance on the Stroop color and word test. Conclusion: Famine exposure in utero and during childhood is associated with overall and specific cognitive decline, affecting selective attention and response inhibition particularly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing, China
| | - Yu An
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing, China
| | - Huanling Yu
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing, China
| | - Lingli Feng
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing, China
| | - Quanri Liu
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing, China
| | - Yanhui Lu
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing, China
| | - Hui Wang
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing, China
| | - Rong Xiao
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University Beijing, China
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30
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IJsselstijn H, Gischler SJ, Toussaint L, Spoel M, Zijp MHMVDCV, Tibboel D. Growth and development after oesophageal atresia surgery: Need for long-term multidisciplinary follow-up. Paediatr Respir Rev 2016; 19:34-8. [PMID: 26438973 DOI: 10.1016/j.prrv.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Survival rates in oesophageal atresia patients have reached over 90%. In long-term follow-up studies the focus has shifted from purely surgical or gastrointestinal evaluation to a multidisciplinary approach. We reviewed the literature on the long-term morbidity of these patients and discuss mainly issues of physical growth and neurodevelopment. We conclude that growth problems - both stunting and wasting - are frequently seen, but that sufficient longitudinal data are lacking. Therefore, it is unclear whether catch-up growth into adolescence and adulthood occurs. Data on determinants of growth retardation are also lacking in current literature. Studies on neurodevelopment beyond preschool age are scarce but oesophageal atresia patients seem at risk for academic problems and motor function delay. Many factors contribute to the susceptibility to growth and development problems and we propose a multidisciplinary follow-up schedule into adulthood future care which may help improve quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanneke IJsselstijn
- Department of Intensive Care and Paediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Saskia J Gischler
- Department of Intensive Care and Paediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leontien Toussaint
- Department of Intensive Care and Paediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Spoel
- Department of Intensive Care and Paediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Dick Tibboel
- Department of Intensive Care and Paediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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31
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Pérez-García G, Guzmán-Quevedo O, Da Silva Aragão R, Bolaños-Jiménez F. Early malnutrition results in long-lasting impairments in pattern-separation for overlapping novel object and novel location memories and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21275. [PMID: 26882991 PMCID: PMC4756322 DOI: 10.1038/srep21275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous epidemiological studies indicate that malnutrition during in utero development and/or childhood induces long-lasting learning disabilities and enhanced susceptibility to develop psychiatric disorders. However, animal studies aimed to address this question have yielded inconsistent results due to the use of learning tasks involving negative or positive reinforces that interfere with the enduring changes in emotional reactivity and motivation produced by in utero and neonatal malnutrition. Consequently, the mechanisms underlying the learning deficits associated with malnutrition in early life remain unknown. Here we implemented a behavioural paradigm based on the combination of the novel object recognition and the novel object location tasks to define the impact of early protein-restriction on the behavioural, cellular and molecular basis of memory processing. Adult rats born to dams fed a low-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation, exhibited impaired encoding and consolidation of memory resulting from impaired pattern separation. This learning deficit was associated with reduced production of newly born hippocampal neurons and down regulation of BDNF gene expression. These data sustain the existence of a causal relationship between early malnutrition and impaired learning in adulthood and show that decreased adult neurogenesis is associated to the cognitive deficits induced by childhood exposure to poor nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Pérez-García
- INRA, UMR1280 Physiologie des Adaptations Nutritionnelles, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique Université, 44096, Nantes, France
| | - Omar Guzmán-Quevedo
- INRA, UMR1280 Physiologie des Adaptations Nutritionnelles, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique Université, 44096, Nantes, France
| | - Raquel Da Silva Aragão
- INRA, UMR1280 Physiologie des Adaptations Nutritionnelles, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique Université, 44096, Nantes, France
| | - Francisco Bolaños-Jiménez
- INRA, UMR1280 Physiologie des Adaptations Nutritionnelles, Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique Université, 44096, Nantes, France
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32
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Jackson DB, Beaver KM. The Influence of Nutritional Factors on Verbal Deficits and Psychopathic Personality Traits: Evidence of the Moderating Role of the MAOA Genotype. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 12:15739-55. [PMID: 26690459 PMCID: PMC4690953 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph121215017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The current study explores whether: (a) nutritional factors among adolescent males predict their risk of exhibiting verbal deficits and psychopathic traits during adulthood and (b) the link between nutritional factors and these outcomes is conditioned by the MAOA genotype. The study analyzes data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative, genetically informative sample. We find evidence that meal deprivation increases the likelihood of both verbal deficits and psychopathic personality traits, whereas poor quality nutrition increases the risk of verbal deficits. We detect the presence of a number of gene-environment interactions between measures of food quality and MAOA genotype, but no evidence of GxE in the case of meal deprivation. Limitations are noted and avenues for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan B Jackson
- Department of Criminal Justice, College of Public Policy, 501 W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78207, USA.
| | - Kevin M Beaver
- College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 145 Convocation Way, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, FL 32306-1273, USA.
- King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, TX 78207, USA.
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Naik AA, Patro IK, Patro N. Slow Physical Growth, Delayed Reflex Ontogeny, and Permanent Behavioral as Well as Cognitive Impairments in Rats Following Intra-generational Protein Malnutrition. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:446. [PMID: 26696810 PMCID: PMC4672086 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental stressors including protein malnutrition (PMN) during pre-, neo- and post-natal age have been documented to affect cognitive development and cause increased susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Most studies have addressed either of the three windows and that does not emulate the clinical conditions of intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR). Such data fail to provide a complete picture of the behavioral alterations in the F1 generation. The present study thus addresses the larger window from gestation to F1 generation, a new model of intra-generational PMN. Naive Sprague Dawley (SD) dams pre-gestationally switched to LP (8% protein) or HP (20% protein) diets for 45 days were bred and maintained throughout gestation on same diets. Pups born (HP/LP dams) were maintained on the respective diets post-weaningly. The present study aimed to show the sex specific differences in the neurobehavioral evolution and behavioral phenotype of the HP/LP F1 generation pups. A battery of neurodevelopmental reflex tests, behavioral (Open field and forelimb gripstrength test), and cognitive [Elevated plus maze (EPM) and Morris water maze (MWM)] assays were performed. A decelerated growth curve with significantly restricted body and brain weight, delays in apparition of neuro-reflexes and poor performance in the LP group rats was recorded. Intra-generational PMN induced poor habituation-with-time in novel environment exploration, low anxiety and hyperactive like profile in open field test in young and adult rats. The study revealed poor forelimb neuromuscular strength in LP F1 pups till adulthood. Group occupancy plots in MWM test revealed hyperactivity with poor learning, impaired memory retention and integration, thus modeling the signs of early onset Alzehemier phenotype. In addition, a gender specific effect of LP diet with severity in males and favoring female sex was also noticed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijaz A Naik
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University Gwalior, India ; School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University Gwalior, India
| | - Ishan K Patro
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University Gwalior, India ; School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University Gwalior, India
| | - Nisha Patro
- School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University Gwalior, India
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Castro-Chavira SA, Aguilar-Vázquez AR, Martínez-Chávez Y, Palma L, Padilla-Gómez E, Diaz-Cintra S. Effects of chronic malnourishment and aging on the ultrastructure of pyramidal cells of the dorsal hippocampus. Nutr Neurosci 2015; 19:329-336. [PMID: 25730173 DOI: 10.1179/1476830515y.0000000009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Malnourishment (M) produces permanent alterations during the development of the CNS and might modify the aging process. In pyramidal neurons (PN) of the hippocampus, which are associated with learning and memory performance, few studies have focused on changes at the subcellular level under chronic malnutrition (ChM) in young (Y, 2 months old) and aged (A, 22 months old) rats. The present work evaluated the extent to which ChM disrupts organelles in PN of the dorsal hippocampus CA1 as compared to controls (C). METHODS Ultrastructural analysis was performed at 8000× and 20 000× magnification: Nucleus eccentricity and somatic, cytoplasmic, and nuclear areas were measured; and in the PN perikaryon, density indices (number of organelles/cytoplasmic area) of Golgi membrane systems (GMS, normal, and swollen), mitochondria (normal and abnormal), and vacuolated organelles (lysosomes, lipofuscin granules, and multivesicular bodies (MVB)) were determined. RESULTS The density of abnormal mitochondria, swollen GMS, and MVB increased significantly in the AChM group compared to the other groups. The amount of lipofuscin was significantly greater in the AChM than in the YChM groups - a sign of oxidative stress due to malnutrition and aging; however, in Y animals, ChM showed no effect on organelle density or the cytoplasmic area. An increased density of lysosomes as well as nucleus eccentricity was observed in the AC group, which also showed an increase in the cytoplasmic area. DISCUSSION Malnutrition produces subcellular alterations in vulnerable hippocampal pyramidal cells, and these alterations may provide an explanation for the previously reported deficient performance of malnourished animals in a spatial memory task in which aging and malnutrition were shown to impede the maintenance of long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Angelica Castro-Chavira
- a Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología , Instituto de Neurobiología Campus UNAM-Juriquilla , Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230 , Mexico
| | - Azucena Ruth Aguilar-Vázquez
- a Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología , Instituto de Neurobiología Campus UNAM-Juriquilla , Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230 , Mexico
| | - Yvonne Martínez-Chávez
- a Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología , Instituto de Neurobiología Campus UNAM-Juriquilla , Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230 , Mexico
| | - Lourdes Palma
- a Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología , Instituto de Neurobiología Campus UNAM-Juriquilla , Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230 , Mexico
| | - Euridice Padilla-Gómez
- a Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología , Instituto de Neurobiología Campus UNAM-Juriquilla , Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230 , Mexico
| | - Sofia Diaz-Cintra
- a Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología , Instituto de Neurobiología Campus UNAM-Juriquilla , Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76230 , Mexico
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Fischer LK, McGaughy JA, Bradshaw SE, Weissner WJ, Amaral AC, Rosene DL, Mokler DJ, Fitzmaurice GM, Galler JR. Prenatal protein level impacts homing behavior in Long-Evans rat pups. Nutr Neurosci 2015; 19:187-95. [PMID: 25603489 DOI: 10.1179/1476830515y.0000000001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study assessed the effect of varying prenatal protein levels on the development of homing behavior in rat pups. METHODS Long-Evans rats were fed one of the four isocaloric diets containing 6% (n = 7 litters), 12% (n = 9), 18% (n = 9), or 25% (n = 10) casein prior to mating and throughout pregnancy. At birth, litters were fostered to well-nourished control mothers fed a 25% casein diet during pregnancy, and an adequate protein diet (25% casein) was provided to weaning. On postnatal days 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13, homing behaviors, including activity levels, rate of successful returns to the nest quadrant and latencies to reach the nest over a 3-minute test period were recorded from two starting positions in the home cage. Adult body and brain weights were obtained at sacrifice (postnatal day 130 or 200). RESULTS Growth was impaired in pups whose mothers were fed a 6% or, to a lesser extent, a 12% casein diet relative to pups whose mothers were fed the 18 and 25% casein diets. The 6 and 12% prenatal protein levels resulted in lower activity levels, with the greatest reduction on postnatal day 13. However, only the 6% pups had reduced success and higher latencies in reaching the nest quadrant when compared with pups from the three other nutrition groups. Latency in reaching the nest quadrant was significantly and negatively associated with adult brain weight. DISCUSSION Home orientation is a sensitive measure of developmental deficits associated with variations in prenatal protein levels, including levels of protein deficiency that do not lead to overt growth failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- L K Fischer
- a Judge Baker Children's Center and Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA
| | - J A McGaughy
- b Department of Psychology , University of New Hampshire , Durham , NH , USA
| | - S E Bradshaw
- a Judge Baker Children's Center and Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA
| | - W J Weissner
- c Department of Biological Sciences , University of New England , Biddeford , ME , USA
| | - A C Amaral
- d Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University Medical Campus , Boston , MA , USA
| | - D L Rosene
- d Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University Medical Campus , Boston , MA , USA
| | - D J Mokler
- c Department of Biological Sciences , University of New England , Biddeford , ME , USA
| | - G M Fitzmaurice
- e Department of Biostatistics , Harvard School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA.,f Laboratory for Psychiatric Biostatistics , McLean Hospital , Belmont , MA , USA
| | - J R Galler
- a Judge Baker Children's Center and Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA
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Cohen S, Ter Stege JA, Geurtsen GJ, Scherpbier HJ, Kuijpers TW, Reiss P, Schmand B, Pajkrt D. Poorer cognitive performance in perinatally HIV-infected children versus healthy socioeconomically matched controls. Clin Infect Dis 2014; 60:1111-9. [PMID: 25516183 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu1144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the declining incidence of severe neurological complications such as HIV encephalopathy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in children is still associated with a range of cognitive problems. Although most HIV-infected children in industrialized countries are immigrants with a relatively low socioeconomic status (SES), cognitive studies comparing HIV-infected children to SES-matched controls are lacking. METHODS This cross-sectional study included perinatally HIV-infected children and controls matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and SES, who completed a neuropsychological assessment evaluating intelligence, information processing speed, attention, memory, executive function, and visual-motor function. Multivariate normative comparison was used to assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment in the HIV-infected group. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify HIV- and combination antiretroviral therapy-related factors associated with cognitive performance. RESULTS In total, 35 perinatally HIV-infected children (median age, 13.8 years; median CD4 count, 770 × 10(6) cells/L; 83% with undetectable HIV RNA) and 37 healthy children (median age, 12.1 years) were included. HIV-infected children scored lower than the healthy controls on all cognitive domains (eg, intelligence quotient [IQ], 76 [standard deviation {SD}, 15.7] vs 87.5 [SD, 13.6] for HIV-infected vs healthy children; P = .002). Cognitive impairment was found in 6 HIV-infected children (17%). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clinical category at HIV diagnosis was inversely associated with verbal IQ (CDC clinical category C: coefficient -22.98; P = .010). CONCLUSIONS Our results show that cognitive performance of HIV-infected children is poor compared with that of SES-matched healthy controls. Gaining insight into these cognitive deficits is essential, as subtle impairments may progress to more pronounced complications that will influence future intellectual performance, job opportunities, and community participation of HIV-infected children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Cohen
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases
| | - Jacqueline A Ter Stege
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases Psychosocial Department, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
| | | | | | - Taco W Kuijpers
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases
| | - Peter Reiss
- Department of Global Health, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, and Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development HIV Monitoring Foundation Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center
| | - Ben Schmand
- Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Center Amsterdam Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dasja Pajkrt
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases
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McGaughy JA, Amaral AC, Rushmore RJ, Mokler DJ, Morgane PJ, Rosene DL, Galler JR. Prenatal malnutrition leads to deficits in attentional set shifting and decreases metabolic activity in prefrontal subregions that control executive function. Dev Neurosci 2014; 36:532-41. [PMID: 25342495 DOI: 10.1159/000366057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, over 25% of all children under the age of 5 years experience malnutrition leading to cognitive and emotional impairments that can persist into adulthood and beyond. We use a rodent model to determine the impact of prenatal protein malnutrition on executive functions in an attentional set-shifting task and metabolic activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC) subregions critical to these behaviors. Long-Evans dams were provided with a low (6% casein) or adequate (25% casein) protein diet 5 weeks before mating and during pregnancy. At birth, the litters were culled to 8 pups and fostered to control dams on the 25% casein diet. At postnatal day 90, prenatally malnourished rats were less able to shift attentional set and reverse reward contingencies than controls, demonstrating cognitive rigidity. Naive same-sexed littermates were assessed for regional brain activity using the metabolic marker (14)C-2-deoxyglucose (2DG). The prenatally malnourished rats had lower metabolic activity than controls in prelimbic, infralimbic, anterior cingulate, and orbitofrontal cortices, but had comparable activity in the nearby piriform cortex and superior colliculus. This study demonstrates that prenatal protein malnutrition in a well-described animal model produces cognitive deficits in tests of attentional set shifting and reversal learning, similar to findings of cognitive inflexibility reported in humans exposed to early childhood malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill A McGaughy
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H., USA
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The intergenerational effects of early adversity. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2014; 128:177-98. [PMID: 25410545 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800977-2.00007-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Early insults during critical periods of brain development, both prenatal and postnatal, can result in epigenetic changes that may impact health and behavioral outcomes over the life span and into future generations. There is ample evidence that these early stages of brain development are sensitive to various environmental insults, including malnutrition, childhood trauma, and drug exposures. The notion that such changes, both physiological and behavioral, can also carry over into subsequent generations has long been recognized, especially in the context of experimental studies. However, epigenetic mechanisms capable of explaining such phenomena were not available until relatively recently, with most of this research published only within the last decade.
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