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Event-related potential differences in children supplemented with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids during

Ke Liao1, Bruce D McCandliss2, Susan E Carlson3

  • 1Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, USA.

Developmental Science
|October 18, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) supplementation in infancy impacts brain development, showing altered electrophysiological responses in children at 5.5 years old. This suggests LCPUFA has a programming effect on brain activity, influencing cognitive functions.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are crucial for infant brain and retinal development.
  • Long-term cognitive benefits of early LCPUFA supplementation remain incompletely understood.
  • Infant formula composition can be modified to include LCPUFA.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term effects of LCPUFA supplementation in infancy on cognitive function and brain activity at 5.5 years of age.
  • To determine if LCPUFA supplementation influences behavioral and electrophysiological responses during a Go/No-Go task.
  • To explore developmental programming effects of LCPUFA on brain electrophysiology.

Main Methods:

  • Randomized controlled trial assigning 69 infants to formulas with or without LCPUFA (arachidonic acid [ARA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) for the first 12 months.
  • Assessment at 5.5 years using a Go/No-Go task measuring behavioral responses and event-related potentials (ERPs).
  • Analysis of ERP components (P2, N2) and topographical microstate analysis to compare brain activation patterns between supplemented and control groups.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in behavioral measures were observed, though supplemented children showed marginally faster reaction times.
  • Children supplemented with LCPUFA exhibited higher P2 amplitude and a significant Group × Condition interaction for N2 amplitude on No-Go trials.
  • LCPUFA-supplemented children displayed a unique anterior brain activation microstate around 200 ms, absent in controls.

Conclusions:

  • LCPUFA supplementation during the first year of life influences brain electrophysiology in early childhood.
  • These findings suggest a developmental programming effect of LCPUFA, manifesting in distinct patterns of brain activation.
  • Early LCPUFA exposure may have lasting impacts on neural processing related to response inhibition.

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