Ana-Lucia BLENDEA, Ioan GOTCA, Diana-Elena ANUŢEI, Mălina-Cristiana ŢONIŞ, Alina ONOFRIESCU
ABSTRACT :
This study examines the critical relationships between micronutrient intake, specifically vitamin D, B-complex vitamins, magnesium, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids, and early neuropsychiatric symptoms, emotional regulation, and cognitive functioning. Using the SENM psychometric scale in combination with advanced statistical modelling and machine learning (notably a Support Vector Machine classifier), the study demonstrates that inadequate micronutrient levels may disrupt methylation pathways, impair neurotransmitter synthesis, and increase oxidative stress, thereby contributing to mood disturbances and cognitive decline. The results indicate a clear association between insufficient nutrient intake and elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas balanced diets are linked to enhanced emotional resilience. These findings emphasise the importance of incorporating nutritional assessment into early psychiatric evaluation and support the development of precision-based interventions using AI-driven analytic frameworks. A key limitation of the study is the small sample size (n = 35), which restricts the generalizability of the findings. Larger, more diverse longitudinal cohorts are recommended to validate and extend these results. Keywords: Nutritional psychiatry, micronutrient deficiency, machine learning, brain structural alterations, neuropsychiatric disorders, artificial intelligence, psychometric validation, SENM.