Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #187383
Title: SELENIUM STATUS IS ASSOCIATED WITH MOOD STATES AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN CHINESE MEN

Author
item Penland, James
item Finley, John
item GAO, JUNQUAN - CHINESE ACAD OF PREV MED

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/10/2005
Publication Date: 3/7/2006
Citation: Penland, J.G., Finley, J.W., Gao, J. 2006. Selenium status is associated with mood states and cognitive function in Chinese men [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 20(5):A1070.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Previous studies have found improvements in mood (e.g., depression, anxiety) following selenium (Se) supplementation of individuals with adequate Se status. We investigated whether Se status and increased Se intakes were related to mood states and cognitive function in individuals with chronically low Se status. Plasma Se and glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) were determined in 60 Chinese men (aged 18-49 y) living in Xichang County, Sichuan Province, China, an area known for having the world's lowest intakes of Se. Mood states were measured with a Chinese version of the Profile of Mood States, while cognitive function was determined by measuring performance on a battery of computerized tasks assessing attention, perception, memory, reasoning and phychomotor skills. Baseline plasma Se concentration was negatively associated with anxiety (p=0.05), depression (p=0.05, tiredness (p=0.009), confusion (p=0.04), and with total mood disturbance (p=0.05), a summary measure. Plasma Se concentration was positively associated with performance on two perceptual tasks, search (p=0.03) and matching (p=0.01), while GSH-Px was negatively associated with performance on a reasoning task (p=0.02). However, subsequent food fortification providing 200 ug Se/d for 15 wk markedly improved Se status but did not improve mood or cognitive performance. Results, while consistent with findings in individuals with adequate Se status, suggest that other factors mediate the relationship between Se and mood and cognitive function. (Supported by USDA IFAFS.)