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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #87065
Title: ZINC AND MICRONUTRIENTS AFFECT COGNITIVE AND PSYCHOMOTOR FUNCTION OF RURAL CHHINESE CHILDREN

Author
item Penland, James
item SANDSTEAD, HERALD - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
item ALCOCK, NANCY - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
item DAYAL, HARI - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
item XUE-CUN, CHEN - CHINESE ACAD PREV MED
item LI, JUE-SHENG - QINGDAO MED COLLEGE
item YANG, JAI-JIU - MILITARY MED UNIVERSITY
item ZHOA, FAJI - MILITARY MED UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/18/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A supplement containing 20 mg/d zinc (Zn), Zn plus micronutrients (Zn+M; 50% RDA or mean ESSADI, excluding Zn, Ca, Mg, P; folate at 25% RDA), or micronutrients alone (M) was provided in a double-blind fashion for 10 weeks to 540 children (aged 6-9 years) from poor rural regions located near the cities of Chongqing, Qingdao, and Shanghai in the Peoples Republic of China. Cognitive and psychomotor function were assessed at baseline and 10 weeks by measuring performance on a battery of computer administrated tasks designed specifically to emphasize attention, perception, memory and concept formation (reasoning), and the motor and spatial skills necessary for successful performance. Plasma lead was also measured and included as a covariate in the analysis of treatment effects. Compared to either M or Zn alone, Zn+M resulted in greater improvement in finger tapping (manual dexterity), object search (perception), and performance on an oddity task (reasoning). Compared to M alone, Zn alone resulted in greater improvement in memory for both objects and complex shapes. There were no treatment effects on continuous performance (attention). Results will be compared to those from an earlier study with children living in nearby urban areas. These findings indicate that cognitive and psychomotor function may be suboptimal in the estimated 30% of Chinese children who are zinc deficient. Additional support: Thrasher Research Fund and General Nutrition Products.