Childhood Metabolic Biomarkers Are Associated with Performance on Cognitive Tasks in Young Children.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nTo evaluate the hypothesis that metabolic measures (fasting glucose, insulin, and Homeostatic Model of Assessment for Insulin Resistance [HOMA-IR] levels) are inversely associated with performance on cognitive tasks using data from young (4- to 6-year-old), typically developing, healthy children.\n\n\nSTUDY DESIGN\nData were obtained from children participating in the Healthy Start study, a pre-birth cohort in Colorado. HOMA-IR, glucose, and insulin values were centered and scaled using the study sample means and SD. Thus, they are reported in number of SD units from the mean. Fully corrected T scores for inhibitory control (Flanker task), cognitive flexibility (Dimensional Change Card Sort test), and receptive language (Picture Vocabulary test) were obtained via the National Institutes of Health Toolbox cognition battery.\n\n\nRESULTS\nChildren included in this analysis (n\xa0=\xa0137) were 4.6\xa0years old, on average. Per 1-SD unit, fasting glucose (B = -2.0, 95% CI -3.5, -0.5), insulin (B = -1.7, 95% CI -3.0, -0.4), and HOMA-IR values (B = -1.8, 95% CI -3.1, -0.5) were each\xa0significantly and inversely associated with inhibitory control (P\xa0<\xa0.05 for all, respectively). Fasting glucose levels were also inversely associated with cognitive flexibility (B = -2.0, 95% CI -3.7, -0.2, P = .03).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nOur data suggest that metabolic health may impact fluid cognitive function in healthy, young children.