Effects of food energy on cognitive performance: no support from event-related potentials (yet?)

摘要

Several reviews of behavioural studies have concluded that some foods may have beneficial effects on cognitive performance. The present reviewnsummarises findings from studies using event-related potentials to investigate the food effects on brain activity underlying cognition. Despite initialnpositive indications from observational studies, subsequent studies with a within-subject design have not consistently confirmed these effects. Thisncould be due to several factors, e.g. the use of attention tests (in contrast to memory tests employed in behavioural studies) and the lack of a controlncondition in some instances. Future studies could benefit from measuring cognitive performance with more difficult tests that tap into cognitivendomains other than attention, using an appropriately controlled cross-over design, and a more systematic variation and complete description andncharacterisation of the food intervention.