Effect of Dairy on Cognitive Performance, Subjective Appetite and Glycemic Response in Children
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 54
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Learning and short-term memory
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of dairy consumption on short-term cognitive performance, subjective mood and emotions, and glycemic response in healthy children aged 9 - 14 years. The investigators hypothesize that the consumption of dairy products as a mid-morning snack will improve mood and cognitive performance in children. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesize that all dairy products consumed as a mid-morning snack will imbue more benefits on mood and cognitive performance over 2-hours compared to fruit juice or snack skipping.
Detailed Description
A randomized within-subject repeated measures experiment will be used to study the effects of dairy product consumption on cognitive performance, subjective mood and emotions, and blood glucose in healthy 9 - 14 year old children. Participants will consume, in a random order on separate mornings, one of the five treatments: (a) milk, (b) yogurt, (c) cheese, (d) fruit juice, or (e) snack skipping. Subjective mood/emotions and cognitive domains (learning and memory, spatial working memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function) will be assessed at baseline (0-min), and 15-, 30-, 60-, and 120-min following treatment consumption. Blood glucose measurements will be collected using the Freestyle Libre 2 continuous glucose monitoring system.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Crossover
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 9 Years to 14 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •9 to 14 years of age;
- •Normal weight defined as between the 15th and 80th percentile for age and biological sex at birth according to the World Health Organization growth (WHO) charts.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Children with overweight/ obesity;
- •Children with food sensitivities or allergies to dairy, gluten or any foods used in the study;
- •Children with any diagnosed learning, emotional, or behavioural disabilities;
- •Children taking any medications that may influence cognitive performance.
Arms & Interventions
Fat-free yogurt
Treatment
Intervention: Fat-free yogurt (Other)
Low-fat cheese
Treatment
Intervention: Low-fat cheese (Other)
Fruit juice
Treatment
Intervention: Fruit juice (Other)
Snack skipping
Treatment
Intervention: Snack skipping (Other)
Fat-free milk
Treatment
Intervention: Fat-free milk (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Learning and short-term memory
Time Frame: Change from baseline (measured at 0-minutes before treatment) and at 15-minutes, 30-minutes, 60-minutes and 120-minutes post-treatment consumption
Cognitive performance tests will be administered via a Dell tablet (Millisecond, Inquisit Web) and paper/pen. Learning and short-term memory will be assessed using an immediate and delayed Word Recall Test (accuracy).
Sustained attention
Time Frame: Change from baseline (measured at 0-minutes before treatment) and at 15-minutes, 30-minutes, 60-minutes and 120-minutes post-treatment consumption
Cognitive performance tests will be administered via a Dell tablet (Millisecond, Inquisit Web) and paper/pen. Sustained attention and processing speed will be assessed using the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) (accuracy and reaction time).
Spatial working memory
Time Frame: Change from baseline (measured at 0-minutes before treatment) and at 15-minutes, 30-minutes, 60-minutes and 120-minutes post-treatment consumption
Cognitive performance tests will be administered via a Dell tablet (Millisecond, Inquisit Web) and paper/pen. Spatial working memory will be assessed using the forward and backward versions of the Corsi Block Test (accuracy).
Executive function
Time Frame: Change from baseline (measured at 0-minutes before treatment) and at 15-minutes, 30-minutes, 60-minutes and 120-minutes post-treatment consumption
Cognitive performance tests will be administered via a Dell tablet (Millisecond, Inquisit Web) and paper/pen. Executive function and selective attention will be assessed using the Flanker Task (accuracy and reaction time).
Secondary Outcomes
- Glycemic response(Change from baseline (measured at 0-minutes before treatment) and 15-minutes, 30-minutes, 45-minutes, 60-minutes, 75-minutes, 90-minutes, 105-minutes and 120-minutes post-treatment consumption)
- Subjective mood and emotion(Change from baseline (measured at 0-minutes before treatment) and at 15-minutes, 30-minutes, 60-minutes and 120-minutes post-treatment consumption)
Investigators
Nick Bellissimo, PhD
Associate Professor
Toronto Metropolitan University