Breakfast consumption has no effect on neuropsychological functioning in children: A repeated-measures clinical trial

Abstract

Background: Although many studies have investigated the relation between breakfast consumption and various domains of cognitive functioning within children, some of the reported findings are inconsistent. Objective:We sought to determine the short- Term effects of a breakfast meal on the neuropsychological functioning of healthy schoolaged children after an overnight fast. Design: The study was conducted in a clinical research center with the use of a counterbalanced repeated-measures design among children who either consumed breakfast or were fasting. The administered neuropsychological tests included measures of attention, impulsivity, short- Term memory, cognitive processing speed, and verbal learning. The sample consisted of children aged 8-10 y (n = 128), of whom 52% were female, 38% were African American, 31% were Hispanic, 28% were white, and 3% were of another race/ethnicity. Results: There were no significant (P $ 0.004) differences between breakfast meal consumption and fasting for any of the neuropsychological measures administered. Conclusion: Breakfast consumption had no short- Term effect on neuropsychological functioning in healthy school- Aged children. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01943604. Am J Clin Nutr 2016;104:715-21.