Veronica Anne Mullins

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• Chilton, F., Killgore, W. D., Mullins, V. A., Hernandez, G. D., Raikes, A. C., Wang, Y., Lopez, C. M., & Brinton, R. D. (2022). In‐season docosahexaenoic acid supplementation does not prevent white matter damage during a single American football season: Implications for neurodegeneration prevention. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 18(S11). doi:10.1002/alz.065751
• Mullins, V. A., Graham, S., Cummings, D., Wood, A., Ovando, V., Skulas-Ray, A. C., Polian, D., Wang, Y., Hernandez, G. D., Lopez, C. M., Raikes, A. C., Brinton, R. D., & Chilton, F. H. (2022). Effects of Fish Oil on Biomarkers of Axonal Injury and Inflammation in American Football Players: A Placebo-Controlled Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 14(10).
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  There are limited studies on neuroprotection from repeated subconcussive head impacts (RSHI) following docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) + eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplementation in contact sports athletes. We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group design trial to determine the impact of 26 weeks of DHA+EPA supplementation (n = 12) vs. placebo (high-oleic safflower oil) (n = 17) on serum concentrations of neurofilament light (NfL), a biomarker of axonal injury, and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a)) in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I American football athletes. DHA+EPA supplementation increased ( < 0.01) plasma DHA and EPA concentrations throughout the treatment period. NfL concentrations increased from baseline to week 26 in both groups (treatment (
• Raikes, A. C., Hernandez, G. D., Mullins, V. A., Wang, Y., Lopez, C., Killgore, W. D., Chilton, F. H., & Brinton, R. D. (2022). Effects of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaoic acid supplementation on white matter integrity after repetitive sub-concussive head impacts during American football: Exploratory neuroimaging findings from a pilot RCT. Frontiers in neurology, 13, 891531.
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  Repetitive sub-concussive head impacts (RSHIs) are common in American football and result in changes to the microstructural integrity of white matter. Both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaoic acid (EPA) supplementation exerted neuroprotective effects against RSHIs in animal models and in a prior study in football players supplemented with DHA alone.
• Mullins, V. A. (2021). Abstract: The effects of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid on biomarkers of sub-concussive injury in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 American football players. The FASEB Journal, 35. doi:https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.S1.02579
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  Participation in American football has been associated with repeated head impacts (RHI) and an increase in risk of concussive injury also called mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Elevated neurofilament light (NfL), a biomarker of axonal injury, has been shown to be a sensitive marker for both mTBI and sub-concussive brain injury in contact sports. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have been reported to reduce inflammation, protecting against nerve damage, stimulating neuronal growth, and promoting recovery following head injury. Here we performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel group design trial to determine the potential impact of DHA/EPA supplementation on serum NfL in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I American football athletes (n=38). Players (both starters and nonstarters) were assigned to either 3.0 g/d DHA/EPA or placebo groups, and blood was sampled at baseline and throughout the football season from no contact conditioning to the last in-season scheduled game. DHA/EPA supplementation markedly increased plasma DHA levels from baseline at four time points (p
• Mullins, V. A., Bresette, W., Johnstone, L., Hallmark, B., & Chilton, F. H. (2020). Genomics in Personalized Nutrition: Can You "Eat for Your Genes"?. Nutrients, 12(10).
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  Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are now quickly and inexpensively acquired, raising the prospect of creating personalized dietary recommendations based on an individual's genetic variability at multiple SNPs. However, relatively little is known about most specific gene-diet interactions, and many molecular and clinical phenotypes of interest (e.g., body mass index [BMI]) involve multiple genes. In this review, we discuss direct to consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) and the current potential for precision nutrition based on an individual's genetic data. We review important issues such as dietary exposure and genetic architecture addressing the concepts of penetrance, pleiotropy, epistasis, polygenicity, and epigenetics. More specifically, we discuss how they complicate using genotypic data to predict phenotypes as well as response to dietary interventions. Then, several examples (including caffeine sensitivity, alcohol dependence, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity/appetite, cardiovascular, Alzheimer's disease, folate metabolism, long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis, and vitamin D metabolism) are provided illustrating how genotypic information could be used to inform nutritional recommendations. We conclude by examining ethical considerations and practical applications for using genetic information to inform dietary choices and the future role genetics may play in adopting changes beyond population-wide healthy eating guidelines.