Cognitive function is the term used to describe a person's state of consciousness (alertness and orientation), memory, and attention span. A mental status examination (MSE) is a standard test used by healthcare professionals to measure a patient's overall mental health. Evaluating a patient's cognitive function includes, first of all, measuring their level of alertness and orientation. Awareness and thinking depend on organized thoughts, personal experiences, emotions, and mental processes, each existing in a special region of the brain. Self-awareness requires sensing this personal stream of thought and emotional experiences. When a person cannot maintain a logical sequence of thoughts, and when this goes along with not being able to pay attention and being disoriented, this describes confusion.
Iodine is a trace element that is vital to the health of the thyroid gland. It also provides the building blocks for the hormones secreted by the thyroid. The availability of iodized salt has made iodine deficiency and its accompanying disorder, goiter, very rare in the United States and the developed world. Iodized salt is the most common source of iodine in the United States. Iodine-rich foods include seafood, sea vegetables (seaweed), kelp and vegetables grown in iodine-rich soils.
It is well documented that severe iodine deficiency during critical periods of brain development can affect cognitive brain function. A recent study sought to determine whether mildly iodine-deficient children could improve their intellectual potential with the use of iodine supplements. The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study included 184 mildly iodine-deficient children between the ages of 10 and 13 years. The children were randomly assigned to receive either 150 mg of iodine or placebo for 28 weeks. The results revealed that after 28 weeks, children receiving iodine supplements improved their iodine status, while those in the placebo group remained mildly iodine deficient. It was also determined that iodine supplementation improved perceptual reasoning, which suggests that mild iodine deficiency could prevent children from attaining their full intellectual potential. The researchers explain that supplementing with iodine can help to ensure that children are not iodine deficient, and it could help to significantly improve their cognitive brain function.1
1 Gordon RC, Rose MC, Skeaff SA, et al. Iodine supplementation improves cognition in mildly iodine-deficient children. Am J Clin Nutr. Nov2009;90(5):1264-71.
