Activity Level and Ability to Concentrate Direct Attention: The Effects of Prolonged Consumption of Sugar

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objectives of my experiments were to investigate whether or not prolonged consumption of sugar would affect the ability of mus musculi (domestic mice) to concentrate their direct attention; and to document the impact of sugar intake on their activity level. My hypothesis was that, when compared to the #Control Group,# the "Sugar Group" would display increased activity levels and lesser ability to concentrate. Methods/Materials I utilized 2 cages of 5 mice (all male and from the same gene pool). Everything was identical, save for one exception: One of the cages featured sugar water at a 4:1 ratio (for every cup of water, there was 1/4 cup of sugar). The sugar variable was applied for two weeks prior the experiment. To test Activity Level, I put each mouse in an exercise ball, then placed the ball on an 64-square grid. Subjects were positioned in the exact center of the grid and given 2 minutes to be freely active. During each subject#s 2-minute time period, I # along with two witnesses # counted the total number of grids covered. To test their Ability to Concentrate Direct Attention, I put each mouse in the exercise ball positioned at one end of a 6-meter-long run. Each subject was timed on how long it took to reach the opposite end. If a mouse took more than 5 minutes to finish the test, it was assumed that they had lost interest entirely, the maximum 5 minutes was recorded, and the subject was removed from the run. Results As compared to the #Control Group#, the mice given sugar showed an increase in activity level; though only slight (15%). The #Sugar Group# did, however, demonstrate a drastic 215% decrease in their ability to concentrate direct attention. This second result demonstrated that sugar can significantly reduce one#s ability to concentrate. Conclusions/Discussion Although sugar might serve to slightly boost activity levels, its effect does not last. Long-term consumption of significant levels of sugar decreases one#s ability to concentrate direct attention span, but far more drastically than I thought in my hypothesis. In closing, although high-level, long-term consumption of sugar might make one slightly more active, it clearly causes one to become extremely inattentive.

Competition history

• CSEF 2005 Pharmacology/ Toxicology · Entry J1423

Resources

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