title: Malaria with neurological involvement in Ugandan children: effect on cognitive ability, academic achievement and behaviour.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is a leading cause of ill health and neuro-disability in children in sub-Saharan Africa. Impaired cognition is a common outcome of malaria with neurological involvement. There is also a possibility that academic achievement may be affected by malaria with neurological involvement given the association between cognitive ability and academic achievement. This study investigated the effect of malaria with neurological involvement on cognitive ability, behaviour and academic achievement.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective case-control study was carried out in Kampala City, Uganda between February 2008 and October 2010. Sixty-two children with a history of malaria with neurological involvement were followed up and given assessments for cognitive ability (working memory, reasoning, learning, visual spatial skills and attention), behaviour (internalizing and externalizing problems) and academic achievement (arithmetic, spelling and reading) three months after the illness. Sixty-one community controls recruited from the homes or neighbouring families of the cases were also given the same assessments. Tests scores of the two groups were compared using analysis of covariance with age, sex, level of education, nutritional status and quality of the home environment as covariates. This study was approved by the relevant ethical bodies and informed consent sought from the caregivers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in the malaria group had more behavioural problems than the community controls for internalizing problems (estimated mean difference = -3.71, 95% confidence interval (CI), = -6.34 to -1.08, p = 0.007). There was marginal evidence of lower attention scores (0.40, CI = -0.05 to 0.86, p = 0.09). However, excluding one child from the analyses who was unable to perform the tests affected the attention scores to borderline significance (0.32, CI, = 0.01 to 0.62, p = 0.05). No significant differences were observed in other cognitive abilities or in academic achievement scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malaria with neurological involvement affects behaviour, with a minimal effect on attention but no detectable effect on academic achievement at three months post discharge. This study provides evidence that development of cognitive deficits after malaria with neurological involvement could be gradual with less effect observed in the short term compared to the long term.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. pbangirana@yahoo.com
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Bangirana
authors: Seggane
authors: S
authors: Musisi
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Boivin
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Ehnvall
authors: Chandy C
authors: CC
authors: John
authors: Tracy L
authors: TL
authors: Bergemann
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Allebeck
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology