NutriCog (2015)

BACKGROUND
Several studies indicate that the interrelation between diet and cognitive function significantly impacts our overall health and well-being, although this relationship is still relatively poorly understood. Research is needed to understand how dietary factors affect cognitive function and performance in various life stages and vice versa how cognitive processes interrelate with diet and food intake. The translation of this knowledge will contribute to the development of effective strategies to prevent or to delay the onset of various chronic diseases and therefore is of utmost importance for the public health domain in Europe.

AIM OF THE CALL
The joint action “Nutrition and Cognitive Function” (NutriCog) aimed at promoting research activities that address the interrelation of diet and cognitive function. This knowledge would lay the basis for dietary preventive strategies and recommendations to guide individuals and populations towards health promoting dietary habits.

The objective of the NutriCog Call was to support ambitious, innovative and transnational collaborative research projects that will address important questions relating to the interplay between nutrition and cognitive function, such as perception, reasoning, thinking, memory and/or cognitive processes. Both the influence of dietary patterns (and/or dietary constituents, where appropriate) on cognitive functions and vice versa the effects of Central Nervous System nutrient signaling and cognitive processes on food intake, dietary patterns and eating behaviour were relevant for this call.

The call focussed on prevention rather than progression. Research dealing primarily with clinically manifested neurological, neurodegenerative, or psychiatric diseases and their interrelation to nutrition/diet was not included in this call.