TY - JOUR
T1 - Nutrient biomarkers shape individual differences in functional brain connectivity
T2 - Evidence from omega-3 PUFAs
AU - Talukdar, Tanveer
AU - Zamroziewicz, Marta K.
AU - Zwilling, Christopher E.
AU - Barbey, Aron K.
N1 - This work was supported by a grant from Abbott Nutrition through the Center for Nutrition, Learning, and Memory at the University of Illinois (ANGC1205; PI: Barbey). Dr. Barbey is a member of the Center for Nutrition Learning and Memory, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, UK, and at Natrol, a vitamin and supplement producer.
PY - 2019/4/15
Y1 - 2019/4/15
N2 - A wealth of neuroscience evidence demonstrates that diet and nutrition play an important role in structural brain plasticity, promoting the development of gray matter volume and maintenance of white matter integrity across the lifespan. However, the role of nutrition in shaping individual differences in the functional brain connectome remains to be well established. We therefore investigated whether nutrient biomarkers known to have beneficial effects on brain structure (i.e., the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; ω-3 PUFAs), explain individual differences in functional brain connectivity within healthy older adults (N = 96). Our findings demonstrate that ω-3 PUFAs are associated with individual differences in functional connectivity within regions that support executive function (prefrontal cortex), memory (hippocampus), and emotion (amygdala), and provide key evidence that the influence of these regions on global network connectivity reliably predict general, fluid, and crystallized intelligence. The observed findings not only elucidate the role of ω-3 PUFAs in functional brain plasticity and intelligence, but also motivate future studies to examine their impact on psychological health, aging, and disease.
AB - A wealth of neuroscience evidence demonstrates that diet and nutrition play an important role in structural brain plasticity, promoting the development of gray matter volume and maintenance of white matter integrity across the lifespan. However, the role of nutrition in shaping individual differences in the functional brain connectome remains to be well established. We therefore investigated whether nutrient biomarkers known to have beneficial effects on brain structure (i.e., the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; ω-3 PUFAs), explain individual differences in functional brain connectivity within healthy older adults (N = 96). Our findings demonstrate that ω-3 PUFAs are associated with individual differences in functional connectivity within regions that support executive function (prefrontal cortex), memory (hippocampus), and emotion (amygdala), and provide key evidence that the influence of these regions on global network connectivity reliably predict general, fluid, and crystallized intelligence. The observed findings not only elucidate the role of ω-3 PUFAs in functional brain plasticity and intelligence, but also motivate future studies to examine their impact on psychological health, aging, and disease.
KW - functional brain connectivity
KW - general intelligence
KW - individual differences
KW - omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85058661756
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85058661756#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1002/hbm.24498
DO - 10.1002/hbm.24498
M3 - Article
C2 - 30556225
AN - SCOPUS:85058661756
SN - 1065-9471
VL - 40
SP - 1887
EP - 1897
JO - Human Brain Mapping
JF - Human Brain Mapping
IS - 6
ER -