Association between fat-soluble nutrient status and auditory and visual related potentials in newly diagnosed
Pauline Léveillé1, Inga-Sophia Knoth1, Marie-Hélène Denis2
1Research Centre of Sainte-Justine University Health Center, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1C5, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, H3T 1C5, Canada.
Insights
Infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) show deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins and DHA, impacting brain development. Lower DHA levels correlate with altered auditory brain responses in these children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Neurodevelopmental Science
- Cystic Fibrosis Research
Background:
- Nutritional deficiencies are common in infants diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF).
- The infant brain's rapid development makes it vulnerable to nutritional insults.
- Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for managing CF and its complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare fat-soluble nutrient status in newly diagnosed, non-screened infants with CF versus healthy infants.
- To investigate the association between nutrient status and neurodevelopment using electroencephalography (EEG).
- To identify potential early biomarkers for neurodevelopmental alterations in CF.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of fat-soluble vitamin and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels between CF infants and a control group.
- Neurodevelopmental assessment using electroencephalography (EEG), including auditory evoked potentials and resting-state frequency power.
- Correlation analysis between nutrient levels and EEG parameters.
Main Results:
- CF infants exhibited significantly lower levels of all fat-soluble vitamins and DHA compared to controls.
- Auditory evoked potential responses were elevated in CF infants, while visual components showed no difference.
- DHA levels correlated with auditory evoked potential responses and showed a negative correlation with low-frequency power in EEG.
Conclusions:
- Newly diagnosed CF infants present with widespread fat-soluble nutrient deficiencies.
- These deficiencies are associated with specific alterations in neurodevelopment, particularly in auditory processing.
- Long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up and targeted interventions are essential for infants with CF.
Abstract:
Nutritional deficiencies often precede the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) in infants, and occur at a stage where the rapidly developing brain is more vulnerable to insult. We aim to compare fat-soluble nutrient status of newly diagnosed non-screened infants with CF to that of healthy infants, and explore the association with neurodevelopment evaluated by electroencephalography (EEG). Our results show that CF infants had lower levels of all fat-soluble vitamins and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) compared to controls. The auditory evoked potential responses were higher in CF compared to controls whereas the visual components did not differ between groups. DHA levels were correlated with auditory evoked potential responses. Although resting state frequency power was similar between groups, we observed a negative correlation between DHA levels and low frequencies. This study emphasizes the need for long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up of CF infants and pursuing intervention strategies in the future.
