Iron status and brain function: serum ferritin levels associated with asymmetries of cortical electrophysiology and cognitive performance

Levels of serum ferritin and iron were examined in relation to cognitive performance and quantitative EEG measures in 69 normal university students. Higher levels of serum ferritin were associated with greater activation of the left hemisphere relative to the right, indicated by less power in the EEG spectra from left hemisphere electrodes. Iron status was significantly related to cognitive performance on two of the cognitive tasks, and these relationships were consistent with the EEG asymmetries: higher ferritin predicted greater verbal fluency but poorer nonverbal auditory task performance. These results suggest that body iron stores are relevant to specific neurophysiological processes supporting attention.