Impact of chronic undernutrition on higher mental functions in Indian boys aged 10-12 years.
Undernourished rural children 10-12 years of age demonstrated the following, when compared to normal nourished children: (i) a relative deficit of memory quotients assessed by the Wechsler memory scale; (ii) lower scores for abilities related to personal and current information, orientation, mental control, logical memory, digit span, visual reproduction and associative learning; (iii) impaired set formation and flexibility in attention as assessed by the card sorting test; and (iv) impairment in conditional learning on maze and conditional associative learning tests. The performance on the finger dexterity test for fine motor coordination was not affected in undernourished children.
Agarwal
K N
KN
Department of Paediatrics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Agarwal
D K
DK
Upadhyay
S K
SK
D001288:Attention; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation; D011340:Problem Solving; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology