Recent advances in infant cognition: Implications for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation studies

The assessment of cognitive function in early life has recently become an i ssue for consideration in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) s upplementation studies. This article reviews the various means by which suc h assessment has been done in past LC-PUFA supplementation studies and prov ides some background on recent advances in the measurement of infant cognit ion that may need to be considered when planning or designing future supple mentation studies. These include (i) consideration of the specificity of LC -PUFA effects on cognition, (ii) inclusion of multiple tasks or levels of m easurement as outcome measures, and (iii) a stronger emphasis on developmen tal processes in the design of such studies.