2 research outputs found
Should it Stay or Should it Go? Smartphone Dependency
As smartphones grow in use and popularity, it is important to understand the possible effects that varying levels of smartphone use may have on human cognition. Although smartphones provide many advantages for daily activities, one must also recognize the potential disadvantages. For example, smartphone use may lead to nomophobia, which is defined as the modern fear of not being able to access your smartphone or the internet (Yildirim & Correia, 2015). The present study used a pilot and main study to examine the effects smartphones have on human cognition. The pilot study was conducted to measure nomophobia, mobile phone involvement, smartphone attachment and dependency, and general smartphone use. This portion was also used to determine the paradigm for the main study. Participants in the main study completed the 12 Cambridge Brain Science tasks, which measured different aspects of
A study of associations between early DHA status and fatty acid desaturase (FADS) SNP and developmental outcomes in children of obese mothers
AbstractDHA from diet or endogenous synthesis has been proposed to affect infant development, however, results are inconclusive. In this study, we aim to verify previously observed fatty acid desaturase gene cluster (FADS) SNP-specific associations with erythrocyte DHA status in 9-month-old children and sex-specific association with developmental outcomes. The study was performed in 166 children (55 % boys) of obese mothers. Erythrocyte fatty acid composition was analysed in blood-samples obtained at 9 months of age, and developmental outcomes assessed by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire at 3 years. Erythrocyte DHA level ranged from 4路4 to 9路9 % of fatty acids, but did not show any association withFADSSNP or other potential determinants. Regression analysis showed associations between erythrocyte DHA and scores for personal鈥搒ocial skills (尾1路8 (95 % CI 0路3, 3路3),P=0路019) and problem solving (尾3路4 (95 % CI 1路2, 5路6),P=0路003). A tendency was observed for an association in opposite direction between minor alleles (G-variant) of rs1535 and rs174575 and personal鈥搒ocial skills (P=0路062 and 0路068, respectively), which became significant when the SNP were combined based on their previously observed effect on erythrocyte DHA at 9 months of age (尾2路6 (95 % CI 0路01, 5路1),P=0路011). Sex鈥揝NP interaction was indicated for rs174575 genotype on fine motor scores (P=0路016), due to higher scores among minor allele carrying girls (P=0路043), whereas no effect was seen among boys. In conclusion, DHA-increasingFADSSNP and erythrocyte DHA status were consistently associated with improved personal鈥搒ocial skills in this small cohort of children of obese mothers irrespective of sex, but the sample was too small to verify potential sex-specific effects.</jats:p