Black M M
Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201, USA.
Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Aug;68(2 Suppl):464S-469S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/68.2.464S.
Zinc is a trace metal that is present in the brain and contributes to its structure and function. Limited evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that zinc deficiency may lead to delays in cognitive development. Although the mechanisms linking zinc deficiency with cognitive development are unclear, it appears that zinc deficiency may lead to deficits in children's neuropsychologic functioning, activity, or motor development, and thus interfere with cognitive performance. In this article a model is presented that incorporates the influence of social context and the caregiving environment and suggests that the relation between zinc deficiency and cognitive development may vary by age in children and may be mediated by neuropsychologic functioning, activity, and motor development. Suggestions for further research are provided.
锌是一种存在于大脑中的痕量金属，对大脑的结构和功能有重要作用。来自动物和人类研究的有限证据表明，锌缺乏可能导致认知发育迟缓。尽管锌缺乏与认知发育之间的联系机制尚不清楚，但锌缺乏似乎可能导致儿童神经心理功能、活动或运动发育方面的缺陷，从而影响认知表现。本文提出了一个模型，该模型纳入了社会环境和照料环境的影响，并表明锌缺乏与认知发育之间的关系可能因儿童年龄而异，且可能由神经心理功能、活动和运动发育介导。文中还提供了进一步研究的建议。
