Child plasma vitamin B12 concentrations and executive functions at age 7-11 years: the GUSTO study
Child plasma vitamin B12 concentrations and executive functions at age 7-11 years: the GUSTO study
Purpose: we examined the associations of plasma vitamin B12 concentrations with executive functions (EFs) in children aged 7-11 years from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort.
Methods: plasma vitamin B12 concentrations were measured at age 8 years. Selected subtests from the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY-II), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST-64), Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) were used to assess EFs components- inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility at 8.5 and 10.5 years. Brain-network functional connectivity (FC) at 7.5 years were acquired through magnetic resonance imaging. Linear regressions adjusting for key confounders (e.g. socio-demographics, growth and lifestyle factors) examined associations of plasma vitamin B12 concentrations at 8 years with FC at 7.5 years, and with EFs at 8.5 and 10.5 years, respectively.
Results: higher vitamin B12 concentrations at 8 years were associated with better cognitive flexibility at 8.5 years [β (95%CI): 3.23 (0.03, 6.43) for WCST-64 perseverative responses (n = 254)], and better working memory at 10.5 years [0.42 (0.04, 0.8) for WISC-V Letter-Number-Sequencing (n = 304)]; no associations with NEPSY-II and D-KEFS subtests. Higher vitamin B12 concentrations was associated with lower Dorsal Attention and Frontoparietal networks FC (β -0.125, SE: 0.06381, t-value: -2.03, n = 234) linked to better working memory and cognitive flexibility.
Conclusion: higher vitamin B12 concentrations in later childhood may be beneficial for EFs and brain-networks FC but require confirmation in studies using similar EF tests for comparability, and prospective, longitudinal measure of brain-network FC.
Brain/physiology, Child, Cognition, Cohort Studies, Executive Function/physiology, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Neuropsychological Tests, Singapore, Vitamin B 12/blood, Functional connectivity, Executive function, Vitamin B12
Loh, Jason
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Chan, Shi Yu
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Toh, Jia Ying
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Godfrey, Keith M.
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Yap, Fabian
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Chong, Yap Seng
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Eriksson, Johan G.
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Chong, Mary F.F.
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Tan, Ai Peng
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Law, Evelyn
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Lai, Jun S.
1fd69464-147f-4220-ab67-f9d76437cf3b
Loh, Jason
b503ae6a-0e60-4e4e-a1da-8002c9982975
Chan, Shi Yu
145dc8e8-677b-41c0-8c54-16c4c9f4242f
Toh, Jia Ying
bae40ae7-536e-451c-a758-b2b8674681ac
Godfrey, Keith M.
0931701e-fe2c-44b5-8f0d-ec5c7477a6fd
Yap, Fabian
40fd8e80-e79d-4572-b2ed-e72bc613b26d
Chong, Yap Seng
7043124b-e892-4d4b-8bb7-6d35ed94e136
Eriksson, Johan G.
eb96b1c5-af07-4a52-8a73-7541451d32cd
Chong, Mary F.F.
1e188259-b1ab-4448-9e65-5b6a0fd99502
Tan, Ai Peng
aa74aa67-3429-4b8b-9782-fa3925eaa59b
Law, Evelyn
07c5a6ae-187b-4b77-bb22-2843f53f0ec4
Lai, Jun S.
1fd69464-147f-4220-ab67-f9d76437cf3b
Loh, Jason, Chan, Shi Yu, Toh, Jia Ying, Tan, Karen M.L., Godfrey, Keith M., Yap, Fabian, Chong, Yap Seng, Eriksson, Johan G., Chong, Mary F.F., Tan, Ai Peng, Law, Evelyn and Lai, Jun S.
(2025)
Child plasma vitamin B12 concentrations and executive functions at age 7-11 years: the GUSTO study.
European Journal of Nutrition, 64 (5), [206].
(doi:10.1007/s00394-025-03735-5).
Abstract
Purpose: we examined the associations of plasma vitamin B12 concentrations with executive functions (EFs) in children aged 7-11 years from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort.
Methods: plasma vitamin B12 concentrations were measured at age 8 years. Selected subtests from the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY-II), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST-64), Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) were used to assess EFs components- inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility at 8.5 and 10.5 years. Brain-network functional connectivity (FC) at 7.5 years were acquired through magnetic resonance imaging. Linear regressions adjusting for key confounders (e.g. socio-demographics, growth and lifestyle factors) examined associations of plasma vitamin B12 concentrations at 8 years with FC at 7.5 years, and with EFs at 8.5 and 10.5 years, respectively.
Results: higher vitamin B12 concentrations at 8 years were associated with better cognitive flexibility at 8.5 years [β (95%CI): 3.23 (0.03, 6.43) for WCST-64 perseverative responses (n = 254)], and better working memory at 10.5 years [0.42 (0.04, 0.8) for WISC-V Letter-Number-Sequencing (n = 304)]; no associations with NEPSY-II and D-KEFS subtests. Higher vitamin B12 concentrations was associated with lower Dorsal Attention and Frontoparietal networks FC (β -0.125, SE: 0.06381, t-value: -2.03, n = 234) linked to better working memory and cognitive flexibility.
Conclusion: higher vitamin B12 concentrations in later childhood may be beneficial for EFs and brain-networks FC but require confirmation in studies using similar EF tests for comparability, and prospective, longitudinal measure of brain-network FC.
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Accepted/In Press date: 28 May 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 7 June 2025
Keywords:
Brain/physiology, Child, Cognition, Cohort Studies, Executive Function/physiology, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Neuropsychological Tests, Singapore, Vitamin B 12/blood, Functional connectivity, Executive function, Vitamin B12
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 503210
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503210
ISSN: 1436-6207
PURE UUID: b0e47ca8-d630-49f0-b69a-0c9df4ea3192
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Date deposited: 24 Jul 2025 16:35
Last modified: 23 Sep 2025 01:35
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Contributors
Author:
Jason Loh
Author:
Shi Yu Chan
Author:
Jia Ying Toh
Author:
Karen M.L. Tan
Author:
Fabian Yap
Author:
Yap Seng Chong
Author:
Johan G. Eriksson
Author:
Mary F.F. Chong
Author:
Ai Peng Tan
Author:
Evelyn Law
Author:
Jun S. Lai
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