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Ingestion of Carbohydrates Varying in Complexity Produce Differential Brain Responses

STS Instructor Authored by David Cantor

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Check out this Knowledge Base article from StressTherapy Solutions: Ingestion of Carbohydrates Varying in Complexity Produce Differential Brain Responses.

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Study at a glance

Area
Other research
Authors
Fishbein DH, Thatcher RW, Cantor DS
Journal
Clinical Electroencephalography
Year
1990
Sessions
17 test trials, 5-hour monitoring

Key findings

  • Glucose produced larger EEG effects than sucrose, fructose or corn starch
  • Absolute blood glucose level was the main predictor of EEG change
  • Changes were concentrated in left parietal-occipital and left temporal regions
  • Authors note implications for how cognitive function is studied and assessed

This study looked at whether different kinds of carbohydrate affect the brain differently. Four carbohydrates (glucose, sucrose, fructose and corn starch) were given by mouth as tolerance tests across 17 test trials, while EEG and blood sugar were tracked together for five hours. Glucose produced the largest EEG changes, and the absolute blood glucose level was the main driver of the changes, which appeared mostly over left parietal-occipital and left temporal areas.