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Becker D, Meisenberg G, Dutton E, Bakhiet SFA, Alfayez FA, Essa YAS. International differences in the speed of cognitive development: A systematic examination of the existence of the Simber Effect. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 240:104015. [PMID: 37708722 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104015] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The Simber Effect refers to the phenomenon whereby, in Arabic countries, young children have an IQ that is little different from that of Western children but that these differences increase throughout childhood culminating in a difference of around 20 points by adulthood. The true nature of this phenomenon is revealed by an examination of 125 samples from all around the globe measured with Raven's Progressive Matrices. We show that in many cases different speeds of cognitive development increase the IQ score differences between countries mostly between 4 and 9 years of age, and that these increases can in part be explained by poor environmental conditions. However, the patterns are not completely clear, either in terms of regularity or strengths. Methodological problems, in particular the cross-sectional designs of the included samples, as well as the significance of the Simber Effect for country comparisons in intelligence are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Becker
- Department of Psychology, Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany.
| | | | | | | | - Fayez Abdulaziz Alfayez
- King Saud University, Educational Administration Department, College of Education, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Yossry A S Essa
- Arish University, Department of Special Education, College of Education, Egypt
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Ji X, Compher CW, Irving SY, Kim J, Dinges DF, Liu J. Serum micronutrient status, sleep quality and neurobehavioural function among early adolescents. Public Health Nutr 2021; 24:5815-5825. [PMID: 34034852 PMCID: PMC10117421 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980021002329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine associations between serum micronutrients and neurobehavioural function and the mediating role of sleep quality in early adolescents. DESIGN In this cross-sectional study, peripheral blood samples were analysed for Fe and Zn levels. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery were used to assess sleep quality and neurobehavioural function, respectively. The logistic/linear regressions and generalised structural equation modelling were performed to estimate the associations. SETTING Jintan, China. PARTICIPANTS In total, 226 adolescents (106 females) from the Jintan Child Cohort study. RESULTS Adolescents with low Fe (<75 μg/dl) (OR = 1·29, P = 0·04) and low Zn (<70 μg/dl) (OR = 1·58, P < 0·001) were associated with increased odds for poor sleep quality. Adolescents with low Fe and Zn were associated with fast (Fe: β = -1353·71, P = 0·002, Zn: β = -2262·01, P = 0·02) but less-accurate (Fe: β = -0·97, P = 0·04; Zn: β = -1·76, P = 0·04) performance on non-verbal reasoning task and poor sleep quality partially mediated the associations between low Fe/Zn and non-verbal reasoning (P < 0·05). Additionally, low Fe was associated with a slower reaction on spatial processing task (β = 276·94, P = 0·04), and low Zn was associated with fast (β = -1781·83, P = 0·03), but error-prone performance (β = -1·79, P = 0·04) on spatial processing ability and slower reaction speed (β = 12·82, P = 0·03) on the attention task. We observed similar trends using a cut-off point of 75 μg/dl for low serum Zn, except for the association with attention task speed (P > 0·05). CONCLUSION Fe and Zn deficiencies may possibly be associated with poor sleep and neurobehavioural function among early adolescents. Poor sleep may partially mediate the relationship between micronutrients and neurobehavioural function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Ji
- College of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19713, USA
| | | | - Sharon Y Irving
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jinyoung Kim
- School of Nursing, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA
| | - David F Dinges
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jianghong Liu
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Costello SE, Geiser E, Schneider N. Nutrients for executive function development and related brain connectivity in school-aged children. Nutr Rev 2021; 79:1293-1306. [PMID: 33355357 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions refer to a set of higher-order cognitive processes involved in the control and organization of information to serve goal-directed behaviors. Skills in executive functioning are developed throughout childhood and adolescence and have been shown to be predictive of academic achievement. The coordination of these complex processes is critically dependent on brain maturation and connectivity, including key neurodevelopmental processes like myelination and synaptogenesis. Among other factors, research highlights the influential effect of nutrition and diet on these neurodevelopmental processes, which may impact executive function performance in healthy and deficient populations. This review considers the research to date on the role of key nutrients that have been identified for executive function development and their underlying neurophysiological processes in school-aged children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Costello
- Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eveline Geiser
- Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nora Schneider
- Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Nestlé Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Azupogo F, Abizari AR, Aurino E, Gelli A, Osendarp SJM, Bras H, Feskens EJM, Brouwer ID. Trends and factors associated with the nutritional status of adolescent girls in Ghana: a secondary analysis of the 2003-2014 Ghana demographic and health survey (GDHS) data. Public Health Nutr 2021; 25:1-16. [PMID: 34482854 PMCID: PMC9991666 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980021003827] [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: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined the trends over time and the factors associated with malnutrition among adolescent girls in Ghana. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis from 3 nationwide Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2003 (n 983), 2008 (n 955) and 2014 (n 857). We used Cox proportional hazard models with sample weighting to model the prevalence ratio (PR) of malnutrition. SETTING Countrywide, covering rural and urban areas in Ghana. PARTICIPANTS Non-pregnant adolescent girls aged 15-19 years. RESULTS Compared with 2003, thinness declined marginally (PR 0·88 (95 % CI 0·45, 1·73)) in 2008 and in 2014 (PR 0·71 (95 % CI 0·38, 1·56)). Stunting declined marginally by 19 % in 2008 (PR 0·81 (95 % CI 0·59, 1·12)), flattening out in 2014 (PR 0·81 (95 % CI 0·57, 1·17)). We found an increasing trend of overweight/obesity with the PR peaking in 2014 (PR 1·39 (95 % CI 1·02, 1·88)) compared to 2003. The anaemia prevalence remained severe without a clear trend. A low level of education of the adolescent girl was positively associated with stunting. Increasing age was positively associated with stunting but inversely associated with thinness and anaemia. Girls who ever bore a child were more likely to be anaemic compared to those who never did. A lower level of household wealth and a unit increase in household size was negatively associated with overweight/obesity. Urban dwelling girls were less likely to be stunted. CONCLUSIONS The stagnant burden of under-nutrition and rising over-nutrition emphasise the need for double-duty actions to tackle malnutrition in all its forms in Ghanaian adolescent girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusta Azupogo
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Sciences, University for Development Studies, Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Abdul-Razak Abizari
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Elisabetta Aurino
- Centre for Health Economics and Policy Innovation, Department of Management, Imperial College Business School, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Aulo Gelli
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC, USA
| | - Saskia JM Osendarp
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde Bras
- Faculty of Arts, The University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Edith JM Feskens
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Inge D Brouwer
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Denniss RJ, Barker LA, Day CJ. Improvement in Cognition Following Double-Blind Randomized Micronutrient Interventions in the General Population. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:115. [PMID: 31191268 PMCID: PMC6547837 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of poor nutrition on physiological health is well understood (Costarelli et al., 2013). Less is known about the effects of diet on brain function and cognition in the general population (Ames, 2010; Parletta et al., 2013; White et al., 2017) and we are still in the early stages of understanding the role of specific nutrients to normal and pathological neuronal functioning. In the present study, the putative effect of a multivitamin/mineral or vitamin D supplement on cognitive function over an 8-week period was compared with volunteers taking vitamin C. Healthy adults (N = 60) were recruited, age range 21-59 years ( x ¯ = 39.07 years, SD = 11.46), with participants randomly allocated to conditions in a double-blind protocol. Participants also completed a 14-day food diary to gather information on micronutrient intake. The cognitive test battery included measures from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III; Wechsler et al., 2008), Wechsler Memory Scale-IV (WMS-IV; Wechsler, 2009) and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS; Delis et al., 2001), along with the Doors and People (Baddeley et al., 1994) and a serial reaction time task. Analyses showed better performance on some tasks in all groups following the intervention period, notably on measures of verbal and visual memory and visuomotor processing speed. The Multivitamin group showed significant improvements on tasks of visual strategy generation (along with the Vitamin C group), motor planning, explicit and implicit learning, and working memory. This evidence suggests that sub-optimal micronutrient intake may have a negative effect on cognition across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Denniss
- Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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Madjdian DS, Azupogo F, Osendarp SJ, Bras H, Brouwer ID. Socio-cultural and economic determinants and consequences of adolescent undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in LLMICs: a systematic narrative review. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dónya S. Madjdian
- Department of Social Sciences, Sociology of Consumption and Households; Wageningen University and Research; Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Fusta Azupogo
- Department of Human Nutrition, Nutrition and Health over the Life Course; Wageningen University and Research; Wageningen the Netherlands
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture; University for Development Studies; Tamale Ghana
| | - Saskia J.M. Osendarp
- Department of Human Nutrition, Nutrition and Health over the Life Course; Wageningen University and Research; Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Hilde Bras
- Department of Social Sciences, Sociology of Consumption and Households; Wageningen University and Research; Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Inge D. Brouwer
- Department of Human Nutrition, Nutrition and Health over the Life Course; Wageningen University and Research; Wageningen the Netherlands
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Wang P, Wang ZY. Metal ions influx is a double edged sword for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2017; 35:265-290. [PMID: 27829171 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common form of dementia in aged people, which is defined by two pathological characteristics: β-amyloid protein (Aβ) deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation. Although the mechanisms of AD development are still being debated, a series of evidence supports the idea that metals, such as copper, iron, zinc, magnesium and aluminium, are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. In particular, the processes of Aβ deposition in senile plaques (SP) and the inclusion of phosphorylated tau in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are markedly influenced by alterations in the homeostasis of the aforementioned metal ions. Moreover, the mechanisms of oxidative stress, synaptic plasticity, neurotoxicity, autophagy and apoptosis mediate the effects of metal ions-induced the aggregation state of Aβ and phosphorylated tau on AD development. More importantly, imbalance of these mechanisms finally caused cognitive decline in different experiment models. Collectively, reconstructing the signaling network that regulates AD progression by metal ions may provide novel insights for developing chelators specific for metal ions to combat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Wang
- College of Life and Health Sciences, Northeastern University, No. 3-11, Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110819, PR China.
| | - Zhan-You Wang
- College of Life and Health Sciences, Northeastern University, No. 3-11, Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110819, PR China.
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