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Neurocognitive domains affected by cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia in children

Paul Bangirana1, Robert O Opoka2, Michael J Boivin3

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.

Learning and Individual Differences
|May 24, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children with cerebral malaria (CM) and severe malarial anemia (SMA) experience long-term neurocognitive impairments. Fine motor skills appear more affected in CM than SMA, impacting multiple domains long after illness.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Cerebral malaria (CM) and severe malarial anemia (SMA) are serious complications of malaria.
  • Long-term neurocognitive effects of CM and SMA in children are not fully understood.
  • Assessing specific neurocognitive domains is crucial for understanding disease impact.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term effects of CM and SMA on distinct neurocognitive domains in children.
  • To compare the neurocognitive outcomes between children with CM, SMA, and healthy community children (CC).
  • To identify potential differences in neurocognitive impairment between CM and SMA.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal assessment of 147 children (80 CM, 86 SMA) and 61 community children (CC).
  • Neurocognitive domains assessed included gross motor, fine motor, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language.
  • Assessments were conducted at 1 week post-discharge (or enrollment for CC) and at 6 and 12 months follow-up.

Main Results:

  • At 12 months, children with CM showed significantly lower scores than CC across all assessed neurocognitive domains.
  • Children with SMA had significantly lower scores than CC in visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language.
  • Children with CM scored significantly lower than children with SMA in fine motor skills, suggesting a more profound impact.

Conclusions:

  • Both CM and SMA lead to significant long-term neurocognitive impairments in children.
  • Fine motor skills are particularly affected in children with CM compared to those with SMA.
  • Early identification and intervention for neurocognitive deficits are essential for children recovering from severe malaria.

Keywords:
cerebral malarianeurocognitive deficitssevere malarial anemia

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