title: Brain imaging and human nutrition: which measures to use in intervention studies?
abstract: Throughout the life span, the brain is a metabolically highly active organ that uses a large proportion of total nutrient and energy intake. Furthermore, the development and repair of neural tissue depend on the proper intake of essential structural nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Therefore, what we eat, or refrain from eating, may have an important impact on our cognitive ability and mental performance. Two of the key areas in which diet is thought to play an important role are in optimizing neurodevelopment in children and in preventing neurodegeneration and cognitive decline during aging. From early development to aging, brain imaging can detect structural, functional, and metabolic changes in humans and modifications due to altered nutrition or to additional nutritional supplementation. Inclusion of imaging measures in clinical studies can increase understanding with regard to the modification of brain structure, metabolism, and functional endpoints and may provide early sensitive measures of long-term effects. In this symposium, the utility of existing brain imaging technologies to assess the effects of nutritional intervention in humans is described. Examples of current research showing the utility of these markers are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Department of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Child Development and Growth, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stéphane V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Sizonenko
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Babiloni
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sijben
authors.forename: Kristine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Walhovd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D058025:Interdisciplinary Studies / Q000639:trends; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055495:Neurogenesis; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012107:Research Design / Q000639:trends; D012958:Societies, Scientific; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
references.citation: Pediatr Res. 2008 Mar;63(3):308-14
references.pmid: 18287970
references.citation: Pediatr Res. 2010 Apr;67(4):357-62
references.pmid: 20035247
references.citation: PLoS One. 2010 Sep 08;5(9):e12244
references.pmid: 20838622
references.citation: Br J Nutr. 2013 Aug;110 Suppl 1:S1-30
references.pmid: 23902645
references.citation: Arch Dis Child. 1984 Aug;59(8):722-30
references.pmid: 6476868
references.citation: Neurology. 2012 Aug 14;79(7):642-50
references.pmid: 22855869