MIND Dietary Pattern Adherence Is Selectively Associated with Cognitive Processing Speed in Middle-Aged Adults

Tori A Holthaus; Monica Kashi; Corinne N Cannavale; Caitlyn G Edwards; Susan Aguiñaga; Anne D M Walk; Nicholas A Burd; Hannah D Holscher; Naiman A Khan

doi:10.1093/jn/nxac203

MIND Dietary Pattern Adherence Is Selectively Associated with Cognitive Processing Speed in Middle-Aged Adults

J Nutr. 2023 Jan 14;152(12):2941-2949. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxac203.

Authors

Tori A Holthaus¹, Monica Kashi¹, Corinne N Cannavale², Caitlyn G Edwards¹, Susan Aguiñaga², Anne D M Walk³, Nicholas A Burd^{1

2}, Hannah D Holscher^{1

2

4}, Naiman A Khan^{1

2

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
² Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, USA.
⁴ Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
⁵ Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
⁶ Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL, USA.

PMID: 36055774
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac203

Abstract

Background: Most previous work has focused on a single-nutrient, bottom-up approach when examining the influence of diet on neurocognition. Thus, the impact of dietary patterns on cognitive health is underinvestigated.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the relation between different diet indices [i.e., Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND)] and attentional inhibition and neuroelectric function.

Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional analysis of adults aged 34.1 ± 6.0 y (n = 207, 116 females) with a BMI of 18.5 to >40 kg/m2 who completed the Dietary History Questionnaire II (DHQII) FFQ (Past Month and Year with Serving Sizes) to assess adherence to different diet quality indices. Attentional inhibition was assessed using a modified Eriksen flanker task during which event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. The amplitude and latency of the P3/P300 ERP were used to index attentional resource allocation and information processing speed, respectively.

Results: P3 peak latency was inversely associated with greater adherence to the MIND dietary pattern during incongruent flanker trials (∆R2 = 0.02, β = -0.14, P = 0.043) but not during congruent trials. Adherence to the Mediterranean, DASH, and HEI-2015 patterns was not associated with P3 latency (P > 0.05). No associations were observed between the diet indices and attentional inhibition at the behavioral level (i.e., accuracy or reaction time) or P3 amplitude (all P values >0.05).

Conclusions: Greater adherence to the MIND diet was selectively associated with faster information processing speed in middle-aged adults with healthy to obese BMI. Further, the influence of the MIND diet for faster information processing speed might be particularly beneficial when cognitive control demands are increased. Future intervention trials testing the effects of consuming a MIND diet on cognitive function are warranted to help inform dietary recommendations for healthy cognitive aging.

Keywords: P3; attention; cognition; diet quality; event-related potential.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Cognition / physiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diet
Diet, Mediterranean*
Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension*
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Processing Speed