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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #165153
Title: THE EFFECTS OF EATING BREAKFAST ON THE CONTINGENT NEGATIVE VARIATION RESPONSE IN PREADOLESCENTS

Author
item DYKMAN, ROSCOE - ACNC
item PIVIK, R - ACNC

Submitted to: Society for Neuroscience Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/14/2004
Publication Date: 10/15/2004
Citation: Dykman, R.A., Pivik, R.T. 2004. The effects of eating breakfast on the contingent negative variation response in preadolescents. Program No. 202.18. Abstract Viever/Itinerary Planner. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience.

Interpretive Summary: It has been reported that children who consume breakfast perform better in school than those who do not. The School Breakfast Program sponsored by the USDA has been in existence for decades. While is it clear that this food assistance program is important for providing needed nutrition for a large number of youths, very little data are available on the efficacy of the school breakfast program on brain function. The ACNC has been studying brain function of the students before and after consuming a standard USDA School Breakfast. In this study, there were no differences detected in the performance of children before or after breakfast.

Technical Abstract: The Contingent Negative Variation (CNV), a slow negative wave that develops in the interval between a warning stimulus and a stimulus requiring a response, is thought to index orientation, expectancy and response preparation. This study examined the effects of eating or skipping breakfast on the CNV (frontal, central, parietal at 850-1250 ms, 1250-1650 ms, and 1650-2200 ms) to priming stimuli in a cued go/no-go task and on performance [accuracy; reaction time (RT)] measures. Healthy children (8-11 yrs. old; IQ.80) performed the task after overnight fasting and again after eating a standardized breakfast (n=41;18 males) or while continuing to fast (n=40;18 males). Sleep (actigraphy, night before testing)) and blood glucose (finger sticks, morning of testing) were monitored. Data were analyzed using ANOVA procedures with post-hoc t-tests. Groups were similar in sleep amount and blood glucose levels increased in fed subjects (p<0.01). Group CNV responses were similar during initial testing (all fasting), but when retested those who continued to fast showed greater negative shifts (frontal, central; p<0.05, all intervals) relative to fed subjects (changes across test periods; ns). Relative to initial testing, both groups showed slower RT (-30 ms) and more errors (~2.5%; Fed vs Fasting: ns) when retested. The observed CNV differences indicate that in preadolescents metabolic effects associated with eating breakfast attenuate, and skipping breakfast enhance, these late cortical responses. However, these variations were not reflected in performance differences that could be related to attentional and anticipatory functions commonly associated with the CNV response.