The effects of a confectionery snack on attention in young boys

doi:10.1016/S0031-9384(02)00882-X

Physiology & Behavior

Volume 77, Issues 2–3, November 2002, Pages 333-340

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9384(02)00882-X Get rights and content

Abstract

The relationship between consumption of a confectionery snack after an overnight fast and cognitive function was examined using a variety of cognitive tasks, including spatial memory, verbal memory, attention, visual perception and short-term memory, in a sample of 21 boys, ages 9–12 years. Performance on the vigilance attention task was significantly improved when the participants consumed a confectionery snack compared to consumption of a noncalorie snack. Participants had significantly higher hit rates and significantly lower miss rates after the confectionery snack. In addition, false alarm rates increased as a function of time for the placebo condition and decreased for the confectionery condition. Thus, the confectionery snack enhanced ability to stay on task for an extended period of time, enabling the children to more accurately identify target information, as well as correctly reject nontarget information. Analysis of the types of errors made also revealed that when the children were in the confectionery condition they were less likely to make more glaring errors. No significant differences were found in tests of digit span, verbal memory, spatial memory or visual perception.

Introduction

Previous findings have shown that the administration of glucose improves performance on a variety of cognitive tasks, such as short-term memory [1], [2], [3], the rapid information processing task, the Stroop task, word recall [4], reaction to frustration and the ability to sustain attention [5].

Not all measures of cognitive processes, however, are enhanced by glucose ingestion. It seems that glucose enhancement of memory is type specific. For example, studies measuring digit span and paired associates have failed to find significant differences when subjects consumed glucose or a placebo [2]. In addition, measures of verbal declarative memory are enhanced by glucose ingestion, while measures of implicit memory are not [6]. It has been proposed that not all memory stores are equally sensitive to changes in blood glucose concentrations and this may account for the selective enhancement of certain tasks by glucose ingestion [6].

Despite the evidence that for some types of cognitive processes ingested glucose enhances cognitive performance, sugar consumption has often been associated with an inability to sustain activities for an appropriate period of time and difficulties organizing and completing work [7]. If an increase in blood glucose concentrations is related to hyperactivity, then attention should be negatively affected by the ingestion of glucose. However, the majority of studies do not support the idea that glucose consumption contributes to hyperactivity in normal children [8], [9] or children with attention deficit disorder [10]. A recent meta-analysis of the literature concluded that sugar does not have a negative effect on cognitive performance [11]. In fact, it has been suggested that the commonly reported negative effect of sugar on behavior may actually be due to parent's expectancies, rather than the sugar itself [12].

There are several possible reasons for the inconsistencies in the previous findings. One possibility may be the varying designs of the studies. For example, glucose may affect cognition differently depending on whether it is ingested following a meal or after a period of fasting [13] as well as the time of day it has been consumed [14]. In addition, differences among cognitive tasks, particularly with regard to memory and attention, may occur since these tasks involve different brain areas and thus may be affected differentially by the ingestion of a glucose load. Since glucose seems to enhance only certain types of cognitive processes, it is important to determine exactly which areas of learning and memory are significantly affected by intake of the carbohydrate. Consequently, the present study was designed to investigate the effects of a confectionery snack, containing predominately simple carbohydrates, on the performance of a wide variety of cognitive tasks critical to learning, including attention, visual perception, spatial memory, verbal memory and short-term memory. Finally, to determine, in the most sensitive way, which processes are affected, performance on the tasks was measured in the morning, after a period of fasting when the effects of a confectionery snack might be most pronounced.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants consisted of 21 fourth and fifth grade boys, between the ages of 9 and 12, attending a local, parochial elementary school. A screening questionnaire was administered to the parents/guardians of all interested volunteers. The questionnaire addressed current dietary and sleeping patterns as well as medical history. Children where allowed to participate in the study if they were of normal weight, and free of medication, learning disabilities and dietary restrictions. Parents/guardians

Attention

Dependent measures included response rates for hits, misses and false alarms. Participants had a hit when they correctly responded to the target (X followed by a B). A miss occurred when the participants failed to respond to the target. False alarms included all responses made to nontarget combinations. Response rates were examined overall and over time. For this latter analysis, the 10-min time period was broken down into three equal intervals (Time 1, Time 2 and Time 3) to represent the

Discussion

Results suggest that of the battery of cognitive tasks, only the task assessing attention showed significant differences between the confectionery snack and the placebo snack. When participants received the confectionery snack, performance on a vigilance attention task was significantly improved. With this snack, participants had significantly higher hit rates, and significantly lower miss rates than they did when they had the placebo snack. In addition, false alarm rates grew as a function of

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mars Inc. for providing the support for this project. We also thank Sr. Margaret M. Murphy and everyone at the St. Anthony School for their support and participation.

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The effects of a confectionery snack on attention in young boys

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Participants

Attention

Discussion

Acknowledgements

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PSYCHO

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Neuropsychology

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Neuropsychology

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J. Pediatr.

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J. Abnorm. Child Pyschol.

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J. Consult. Clin. Psychol.

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J. Am. Med. Assoc.

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Br. J. Nutr.

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Appetite