Nutrients, neurodevelopment, and mood

Abstract

Human neurodevelopment is the result of genetic and environmental interactions. This paper examines the role of prenatal nutrition relative to psychiatric disorders and explores the relationship among nutrients, mood changes, and mood disorders. Epidemiologic studies have found that adults who were born with a normal, yet low birth weight have an increased susceptibility to diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and stroke in adulthood. Prenatal caloric malnutrition, low birth weight, and prematurity also increase the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, schizophrenia, affective disorders, and schizoid and antisocial personality disorders. Placebo-controlled studies in medicated patients suggest that add-on treatment with omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid, may ameliorate symptoms of major depressive disorder. Additional studies are necessary to confirm any benefits for bipolar disorders.

Differential response to gepirone but not to chlordiazepoxide in malnourished rats subjected to learned helplessness

“…If this apparent increased sensitivity of PCM animals to inescapable painful aversive stimuli is due to environmental changes produced by early malnutrition (i.e., hopelessness of malnourished mothers during lactation), similar results can be expected in other experimental models of behavioral despair. Since there are reports in the literature showing that early malnutrition is a biological risk factor for further affective disorders, including depression (26,27), it would be interesting to investigate the effects of early malnutrition on behavioral despair models.…”

Environmental factors influencing the risk of autism

“…Unsaturated fatty acids can be cited as these factors. The biological effects of such fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, omega-3, and omega-6, on the retinal and brain development in utero ,[105] signal transduction, gene expression, and as components of cell membranes[106107] in the first 2 months of pregnancy (the most critical period of embryonic physical development) are highly important to such an extent that high maternal intake of omega-6 and linoleic acid is inversely associated with ASD risk in offspring, corresponding to a 34% reduction in autism risk, and in contrary, lower than 5% of ω-3 fatty acid intake had significant increase in offspring ASD risk. Therefore, fatty acids consumption of different diets has an inverse effect on risk of autism.…”

Nutritional factors in a mouse model of Rett syndrome

“…Malnutrition has long been known to alter growth and energy metabolism contributing to impaired brain function (Casper, 2004;Wauben and Wainwright, 1999). Developing organisms have a particular sensitivity to the nutritional status of the mother both in utero and during the perinatal period.…”

“…Developing organisms have a particular sensitivity to the nutritional status of the mother both in utero and during the perinatal period. Recently, interest in the role of nutritional deprivation during development has revived because of studies showing how early environmental factors (such as nutritional status) influence the phenotype of genetic disorders via interesting and often unpredictable gene-environment interactions (Casper, 2004;Wauben and Wainwright, 1999). These studies are of particular significance for public health because many children in both developed and developing countries live in extreme poverty with concomitant malnutrition that could influence brain development (de Vries, 1999).…”