2026/04/01 by Bárbara Rita Cardoso, Euridice Martinez Steele, Bárbara Brayner +5 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Medicine · Nursing · #Association (psychology) #Cognition #Cognitive decline #Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling #Dementia #Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance #Food composition and properties #Food frequency questionnaire #Mediterranean diet #Nutritional Studies and Diet #Risk factor
paper · doi:10.1002/dad2.70335
published in Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring 18(2), e70335 (Elsevier BV)
openalex publication_date 2026/04/01 · openalex created_date 2026/04/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
INTRODUCTION: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is linked to over 30 adverse health outcomes, including several risk factors for dementia such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. We aimed to examine the association of UPF consumption with cognitive performance and dementia risk scores, and whether these associations are independent of overall diet quality. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis assessed 2,192 Australian dementia-free adults aged 40-70 years. Diet was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire and classified according to the Nova system. Cognitive function was measured using the Cogstate Brief Battery, and dementia risk was estimated with the CAIDE tool. RESULTS: Each 10% increase in UPF intake was associated with lower attention scores (-0.05 points) and higher dementia risk (+0.24 points), independent of Mediterranean diet adherence. DISCUSSION: Higher UPF consumption is associated with poorer attention and increased modifiable dementia risk, independent of overall diet quality.