A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a New Supplementary Food Designed to Enhance Cognitive Performance during Prevention and Treatment of Malnutrition in Childhood

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment associated with childhood malnutrition and stunting is generally considered irreversible. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to test a new nutritional supplement for the prevention and treatment of moderate-acute malnutrition (MAM) focused on enhancing cognitive performance. METHODS: An 11-wk, village-randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted in 78 children aged 1–3 or 5–7 y living in villages in Guinea-Bissau. The supplement contained 291 kcal/d for young children and 350 kcal/d for older children and included 5 nutrients and 2 flavan-3-ol–rich ingredients not present in current food-based recommendations for MAM. Local bakers prepared the supplement from a combination of locally sourced items and an imported mix of ingredients, and it was administered by community health workers 5 d/wk. The primary outcome was executive function abilities at 11 wk. Secondary outcomes included additional cognitive measures and changes in zscores for weight (weight-for-age) and height (height-for-age) and hemoglobin concentrations at 11 wk. An index of cerebral blood flow (CBF) was also measured at 11 wk to explore the use of this measurement as a biological index of cognitive impairment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in any outcome between groups at baseline. There was a beneficial effect of random assignment to the supplement group on working memory at 11 wk in children aged 1–3 y (P < 0.05). This difference contrasted with no effect in older children and was not associated with faster growth rate. In addition, CBF correlated with task-switching performance (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary data suggest that cognitive impairment can be monitored with measurement of CBF. In addition, the findings provide preliminary data that suggest that it may be possible to improve poor cognitive performance in young children through changes in the nutritional formulation of supplementary foods used to prevent and treat MAM. Powered studies of the new supplement formulation are needed. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03017209