Title:Nutritional Deficiency in Early Life Facilitates Aging-Associated Cognitive Decline
Volume: 14
Issue: 8
Author(s): Yu Kang, Yun Zhang, Zijuan Feng, Mingjing Liu, Yanhua Li, Huan Yang, Dan Wang, Lingling Zheng, Dandan Lou, Liangping Cheng, Chunjiang Chen, Weitao Zhou, Yi Feng, Xiaoyong Li, Jianzhong Duan, Mengjiao Yu, Shou Yang, Yuhang Liu, Xin Wang, Bo Deng, Chenghui Liu, Xiuqing Yao, Chi Zhu, Chunrong Liang, Xiaolong Zeng, Sisi Ren, Qunying Li, Yin Zhong, Yong Zhang, Jun Kang, Yong Yan, Huaqing Meng, Zhaohui Zhong, Weihui Zhou, Yanjiang Wang, Tingyu Li*Weihong Song*
Affiliation:
- Chongqing City Key Lab of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, and Ministry of Education Key Lab of Child Development and Disorders, Pediatric Research Institute, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014,China
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3,Canada
Keywords:
Famine, malnutrition, early life, risk factor, mild cognitive impairment, dementia.
Abstract: Background: Nutrition is important for the fetal developmental programming. Nutritional
deficiency in early life could increase the susceptibility to many aging-related disorders including cognitive
decline.
Objective: Our study aims to investigate the effect of early famine exposure on aging-associated cognitive
function.
Methods: We recruited 6790 subjects born between 1956 to 1964 during which the Great Chinese Famine
occurred (1959-1961). Cognitive function of these subjects were evaluated using the Mini-Mental
State Examination (MMSE), the Activities of Daily Living scale (ADL), the Instrumental Activities of
Daily Living scale (IADL) and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR).
Results: Our study identified that early exposure to the famine significantly increased the risk of cognitive
impairments in later life, leading to higher prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia.
We also found the sex and rural-urban differences in this malnutrition-induced effect. Illiteracy,
history of stroke or diabetes mellitus are great risk factors to facilitate the cognitive decline.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that exposure to famine during early life including prenatal
period and early childhood facilitates aging-associated cognitive deficits.
