Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
Nutr Neurosci. 2020 Oct;23(10):791-802. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2018.1558003. Epub 2018 Dec 18.
Creativity requires the ability to combine existing mental representations in new ways and depends, in part, on the hippocampus. Hippocampal function is, in turn, affected by a number of health factors, including aerobic fitness, excess adiposity, and diet. Specifically, in rodent studies, diets high in saturated fatty acids and sugar - hallmarks of a western diet- have been shown to negatively impact hippocampal function and thereby impair performance on cognitive tasks that require the hippocampus. Yet relatively few studies have examined the relationship between diet and hippocampal-dependent cognition in children. The current study therefore sought to explore the relationship of several diet quality markers including dietary lipids (saturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids), simple carbohydrates (added sugars), and dietary fiber with creativity in preadolescent children. Participants (N = 57; mean age = 9.1 years) completed the Verbal Form of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT), a standardized test of creativity known to require the hippocampus. Additionally, participants completed a 3-day food intake record with the assistance of a parent, underwent dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess central adiposity, and VOmax testing to assess aerobic fitness. Added sugar intake was negatively associated, and dietary fiber was positively associated with overall TTCT performance. These relationships were sustained even after controlling for key covariates. These findings are among the first to report an association between added sugar consumption and hippocampal-dependent cognition during childhood and, given the key role of the hippocampus in learning and memory, as well as creative thinking, have potential educational and public health implications.
创造力需要以新的方式组合现有心理表象的能力，部分依赖于海马体。反过来，海马体的功能又受到许多健康因素的影响，包括有氧健身、过多的肥胖和饮食。具体来说，在啮齿动物研究中，高饱和脂肪酸和糖的饮食——这是西方饮食的标志——已被证明会对海马体功能产生负面影响，从而损害需要海马体的认知任务的表现。然而，很少有研究检查饮食与儿童海马体依赖认知之间的关系。因此，目前的研究旨在探索几种饮食质量标志物与创造力之间的关系，包括膳食脂质（饱和脂肪酸和欧米伽-3 脂肪酸）、简单碳水化合物（添加糖）和膳食纤维与青春期前儿童的创造力之间的关系。参与者（N=57；平均年龄=9.1 岁）完成了托兰斯创造性思维测验（TTCT）的言语形式，这是一种已知需要海马体的创造力标准化测试。此外，参与者在家长的协助下完成了为期 3 天的饮食记录，进行了双能 X 射线吸收法（DXA）以评估中心性肥胖，以及 VOmax 测试以评估有氧健身。添加糖的摄入量与 TTCT 整体表现呈负相关，膳食纤维与 TTCT 整体表现呈正相关。即使在控制了关键协变量后，这些关系仍然存在。这些发现是首次报告在儿童时期添加糖的消耗与海马体依赖认知之间存在关联的研究之一，鉴于海马体在学习和记忆以及创造性思维中的关键作用，这些发现具有潜在的教育和公共卫生意义。
