Background
Methods
Participants
Malnourished group
Adequately nourished group
Adequately nourished N = 20 | Malnourished N = 20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mean age | 5–7 years | 8–10 years | 5–7 years | 8–10 years |
5.8 years | 8.8 years | 6.3 years | 9.3 years | |
Gender | Girls:10 | Boys: 10 | Girls:10 | Boys: 10 |
Stunted % (height for age -2 SD from the median) | ---- | 70% | ||
Stunted and wasted % (height for age and weight for height: -2 SD from the median) | ---- | 30% |
Exclusion of mental retardation
Exclusion of behaviour problems and history of neurological disorders
Instruments
NIMHANS neuropsychological battery for children [13]
Motor speed
Expressive speech
Attention
Executive functions
Visuospatial functions
Comprehension, learning and memory
Procedure
Results
Statistical analysis
WN (n = 20) | MN (n = 20) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Functions | Test scores | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | F ratio | ||
5–7 yrs | 8–10 yrs | 5–7 yrs | 8–10 yrs | |||
Motor functions (primarily mediated by frontal cortex)
| ||||||
Motor speed-Right hand | Finger tapping test: Avg no. of taps | 26.5 (8.6) | 27.9 (4.5) | 24.7 (2.2) | 28.3 (3.2) | 1.63ns |
Motor speed-Left hand | Finger tapping test: Avg no. of taps | 26.1 (9.1) | 26.2 (5.08) | 21.5 (2.8) | 24.9 (1.51) | .85ns |
Attention (primarily mediated by frontal and parietal cortex)
| ||||||
Selective attention | +Colour cancellation test | 129" (20.2) | 95.9" (18.3) | 202.8" (17.7) | 153.6" (19.6) | 9.4** |
Focused attention | Colour trails test +Trail A | --- | 105" (25.8) | --- | 249" (49.2) | 4.09** |
+Trail B | --- | 213.4" (18.1) | --- | 383.6" (27.5) | 4.06** | |
Executive functions (primarily mediated by dorsolateral prefrontal cortex)
| ||||||
Verbal fluency | FAS phonemic fluency test | 4.3 (1.36) | 5.7 (1.8) | 1.36 (.15) | 4.4 (2.3) | 10.8** |
Design fluency | Design fluency test | 5.4 (2.4) | 10.3 (1.06) | 3.2 (1.94) | 4.5 (2.4) | 7.75** |
Working memory | Visuospatial working memory span task | 5.6 (2.02) | 7.6 (2.05) | 3.2 (1.2) | 4.2 (2.4) | 7.4** |
Visuospatial functions (primarily mediated by right parietal cortex)
| ||||||
Visual perception | Motor free visual perception test | 26 (2.7) | 30 (2.4) | 17.4 (2.03) | 20.4 (3.8) | 7.8** |
Visual construction | Block design test | 10 (2.6) | 15.8 (5.5) | 3.0 (1.3) | 4.8 (2.2) | 9.37** |
Visual conceptual reasoning | Picture completion test | 9.4 (1.8) | 10 (1.3) | 6.0 (2.0) | 7.0 (2.7) | 7.87** |
Comprehension, learning and memory (primarily mediated by bilateral medial and anterior lateral temporal cortex)
| ||||||
Verbal comprehension | Token test | 27.7 (2.0) | 30.6 (1.5) | 19.6 (4.4) | 23 (5.4) | 14.2** |
Verbal learning | Rey's auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT)-total learning score | 32.4 (11.8) | 42.3 (11.7) | 26.9 (11.0) | 30.7 (9.3) | 4.2* |
Verbal memory | Delayed recall score, RAVLT | 7.1 (2.2) | 8.9 (1.7) | 5.6 (2.01) | 6.0 (1.8) | 5.08* |
Visual memory | Delayed recall score, memory for designs test | 6.6 (1.6) | 9.7 (3.5) | 2.2 (1.8) | 2.4 (1.6) | 8.04** |
Comparison between the performance of adequately nourished children and malnourished children
Comparison of age related differences in cognitive functions between adequately nourished and malnourished children
Groups | Variables | Probability level |
Selective Attention (color cancellation test: time in seconds) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p < .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p < .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
Executive functions
| ||
Cognitive flexibility (FAS phonemic fluency test) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p < .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p > .05 |
Cognitive flexibility (design fluency test) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p < .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
Working memory (tapping blocks in sequence) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
Visuospatial functions
| ||
Visual perception (motor-free visual perception test) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
Visuo-conceptual reasoning (picture completion test) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p > .05 |
Visuoconstructive ability (block design test) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p < .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
Comprehension, learning and memory
| ||
Verbal comprehension (token test) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p > .05 |
Verbal learning (RAVLT) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p < .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p > .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
Verbal memory (RAVLT) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p > .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
Visual memory (memory for designs test) | ||
AN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
MN | 5–7 vs 8–10 | p > .05 |
5–7 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |
8–10 years | AN vs MN | p < .05 |