Banca de DEFESA: MARIA LUISA DO NASCIMENTO FELIPE

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MARIA LUISA DO NASCIMENTO FELIPE
DATE: 25/09/2025
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Sessão pública realizada por meio de Videoconferência
TITLE:

ANTIOXIDANT QUALITY SCORE AND TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF THE DIET IN INDIVIDUALS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS

 

KEY WORDS:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Antioxidants. Eating. Diet. Micronutrients

PAGES: 65
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Nutrição
SUMMARY:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a significant impact on the nutritional and functional status of individuals. Diet plays a central role in modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, and the clinical progression of the disease. Although dietary parameters such as the Dietary Antioxidant Quality Score (DAQS), the Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity (DTAC), and the NOVA classification are used to assess diet quality, studies exploring their relationship with clinical outcomes in individuals with ALS remain scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the association of DAQS and DTAC with demographic and clinical variables in individuals with ALS. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 68 individuals followed at the multidisciplinary ALS outpatient clinic of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital (HUOL – UFRN). The sample was characterized according to sex, demographic, clinical, and nutritional characteristics. ALS progression and severity were assessed using the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R). Nutritional status was determined by Body Mass Index [BMI (kg/m²)], categorized as underweight, normal weight, and overweight. Dietary intake was assessed using two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls (24HRs). Energy and micronutrient intake were analyzed using the Virtual Nutri Plus® software. The Dietary Antioxidant Quality Score (DAQS) was calculated based on the intake of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and selenium, and categorized as “low/medium” or “high.” The Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity (DTAC), expressed in mmol/1000 kcal/day, was estimated using literature data based on the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method, and classified as “high” or “low” according to the median value. DTAC data were also described as the percentage contribution of each NOVA food classification group to the total DTAC. All collected variables underwent descriptive analysis. Variables with normal distribution were analyzed using the independent t-test, while non-normally distributed variables were analyzed using the non-parametric Mann–Whitney test. These tests were used to compare DAQS (high vs. low/medium) and DTAC (high vs. low) groups to demographic and clinical characteristics. Effect sizes were calculated for all statistical tests. Analyses were performed using R software, version 4.5.0, with a significance level of 5% (α = 0.05). Participants differed significantly by sex, with males presenting higher ALSFRS-R scores (p = 0.013), energy intake (kcal/day, p < 0.001), vitamin C intake (mg/day, p = 0.004), and zinc intake (mg/day, p = 0.018). The majority of DTAC (79.8%) originated from Group 1 foods according to the NOVA classification. Participants with a high DAQS had a shorter symptom duration in months (p = 0.023) and higher ALSFRS-R scores (p = 0.047) compared to those with low/medium DAQS. Higher BMI values were observed in the high DTAC group, differing significantly from the low DTAC group (p = 0.039). In conclusion, both DAQS and DTAC were associated with relevant clinical indicators in individuals with ALS, including nutritional status, functional capacity, and disease progression. The predominance of unprocessed and minimally processed foods as the main sources of dietary antioxidants highlights the importance of diet quality in the nutritional management of ALS.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interna - 1837366 - DANIELLE SOARES BEZERRA
Externo à Instituição - DÉBORA KURRLE RIEGER VENSKE - UFSC
Presidente - ***.476.444-** - LUCIA DE FATIMA CAMPOS PEDROSA - UFRN
Externa ao Programa - 2549958 - LUCIA LEITE LAIS - null