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Twelve year outcomes following bacterial meningitis: further evidence for persisting effects
K Grimwood1, P Anderson, V Anderson
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. grimwood@wnmeds.ac.nz
Insights
Intellectual and cognitive deficits from childhood bacterial meningitis persist into adolescence. These long-term effects, including increased disability risk, highlight the need for ongoing monitoring and support for affected children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Infectious diseases
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
Background:
- Bacterial meningitis in early childhood can lead to significant intellectual and cognitive impairments.
- Previous studies indicated persistent deficits seven years post-infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term persistence of intellectual and cognitive impairments into adolescence.
- To assess if deficits observed seven years after bacterial meningitis remain present at 12 years.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal cohort study involving 109 children treated for bacterial meningitis.
- Blinded neuropsychological, auditory, and behavioral assessments were conducted 7 and 12 years post-meningitis.
- Comparison with 96 healthy control children.
Main Results:
- Meningitis survivors showed a significantly higher risk of any disability (OR 4.7).
- Intellectual, academic, and higher-order cognitive function deficits persisted from 7 to 12 years post-meningitis.
- While lower-order skills improved, behavioral scores significantly deteriorated over time.
Conclusions:
- Intellectual and cognitive impairments following childhood bacterial meningitis are often persistent into adolescence.
- The study confirms the long-term impact of meningitis on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- These findings underscore the importance of continued follow-up for children with a history of bacterial meningitis.
Aim:
To determine whether intellectual and cognitive impairments observed seven years following early childhood bacterial meningitis persist into adolescence.
Methods:
Blinded neuropsychological, auditory, and behaviour assessments were conducted in 109 (69%) subjects from an original cohort of 158 children, seven and 12 years after their meningitis, and in 96 controls.
Results:
Meningitis subjects remained at greater risk than controls for any disability (odds ratio OR 4.7, confidence interval 2.2 to 9.6). Those with acute neurological complications had more sequelae than children with uncomplicated meningitis or controls (47% v 30% v 11.5% respectively; p < 0.001). Differences in intellectual, academic, and high level cognitive function between subjects and controls were maintained at the seven and 12 year assessments. In contrast, lower order skills improved, while behaviour scores deteriorated significantly (p = 0.033).
Conclusions:
Many of the deficits identified at the seven year follow up persist 12 years after an episode of bacterial meningitis.