title: Plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids are directly associated with cognition in overweight children but not in normal weight children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential nutrients for the normal development of the brain. We investigated the associations between plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids and cognition in normal weight and overweight children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study recruited 386 normal weight children and 58 overweight children aged six to eight years and blood samples were drawn after a 12-hour fast. We assessed plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids using gas chromatography, cognition using Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, and overweight and obesity using the age-specific and sex-specific cut-offs from the International Obesity Task Force. The data were analysed by linear regression analyses adjusted for age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher proportions of eicosapentaenoic acid in plasma triacylglycerols (β = 0.311, p = 0.020, p = 0.029 for interaction) and docosahexaenoic acid in plasma triacylglycerols (β = 0.281, p = 0.038, p = 0.049 for interaction) were both associated with higher Raven's scores in overweight children but not in normal weight children. Higher eicosapentaenoic acid to arachidonic acid ratios in triacylglycerols (β = 0.317, p = 0.019) and phospholipids (β = 0.273, p = 0.046) were directly associated with the Raven's score in overweight children but not in normal weight children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that increasing the consumption of fish and other sources of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid may improve cognition among overweight children.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|Childhood Health and Active Living Research Group, Department of Biology of Physical Activity, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Haapala
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viitasalo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Venäläinen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: A-M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Eloranta
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ågren
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lindi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lakka
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
keywords: Cognition; Fish consumption; Overweight; Plasma; Polyunsaturated fatty acids