Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151167
Title: BLINKING, INFORMATION PROCESSING AND MORNING NUTRITION IN PREADOLESCENTS

Author
item PIVIK, R - ACNC
item DYKMAN, ROSCOE - ACNC

Submitted to: Society of Psychophysiological Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/18/2002
Publication Date: 10/4/2002
Citation: PIVIK, R.T., DYKMAN, R.A. Blinking, information processing and morning nutrition in preadolescents. Society of Psychophysiological Research. 2002. v. 39. Abstract p. S66.

Interpretive Summary: It is well known that diet and nutritional status affect brain development and function. Eye blinks have been shown to be related to information processing. However, eyeblinks have not been used to assess the effects of diet and nutritional status on brain function. This study examined changes in spontaneous eye blinks and responses in healthy 8-11 year old children while they performed an attentional task after overnight fasting and after eating breakfast. The results demonstrated that the occurrence of eye blinks was regulated according to the stimuli. That is, blinking of the eye was delayed longer following more complex stimuli than less complex stimuli. Furthermore, these delays were uniformly shorter during a second test sessions. However, eye blinks in response to the tasks presented to these children were not affected by morning nutrition, suggesting that those central nervous system processes regulating eye blinks may not influenced by breakfast. The implications of these results to the relationship between breakfast and information processing is being evaluated.

Technical Abstract: Eyeblinks and nutritional status, while independently related to information processing , have not been studied together. This study examined covariations among these variables in healthy children (8-11 yrs. old; IQ >80) performing an attentional task after overnight fasting and again after eating a USDA approved school breakfast (n=19, 7 males) or while continuing to fast(n=21, 8 males). Measure of sleep (overnight actigraphy) and blood glucose (finger sticks before testing sessions) were also obtained. Blinks were determined (vertical EOG) while subjects performed a Continuous Performance Task (300letters: .2 sec. duration; 1/ 2.2 sec.) pressing a button to target letters (X after A; 17% random occurrence). Recordings were digitized for off-line determination of blink onset (fast component '25'V above baseline) following stimuli. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc t-tests. Groups were similar in sleep time and efficiency, and blood glucose increased (p<.001) in fed subjects. Both groups exhibited similar stimulus-type, blink latency relationships, i.e., blink latencies were longest to the letter X (p<.01),whether target or not, shortest to non-target letters following A (p<.02), and decreased (p<.001) across stimulus types following treatments. There was no significant group-by-treatment effect. The results indicate robust associations between blinks and processes involved in stimulus evaluation consistent with those reported in adults which were not significantly affected by the variations in morning nutrition employed in this study. Supported in part by the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center through USDA ARS CRIS # 6251-51000-002-03S