Neurodevelopmental effects of childhood malnutrition: A neuroimaging perspective
Janina R Galler,
Maria L Bringas-Vega,
Qin Tang,
Arielle G Rabinowitz,
Kamarul Imran Musa,
Wen Jia Chai,
Hazim Omar,
Muhammad Riddha Abdul Rahman,
Aini Ismafairus Abd Hamid,
Jafri Malin Abdullah,
Pedro A Valdés-Sosa
Affiliations
Janina R Galler
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston MA, USA
Maria L Bringas-Vega
The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; The Cuban Neurosciences Center, La Habana, Cuba
Qin Tang
The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
Arielle G Rabinowitz
McGill University, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Kamarul Imran Musa
Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Malaysia
Wen Jia Chai
Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Hazim Omar
Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Malaysia
Muhammad Riddha Abdul Rahman
Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; School of Medical Imaging, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia
Aini Ismafairus Abd Hamid
Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Malaysia
Jafri Malin Abdullah
Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Malaysia; Corresponding authors.
Pedro A Valdés-Sosa
The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; The Cuban Neurosciences Center, La Habana, Cuba; Corresponding authors.
Approximately one in five children worldwide suffers from childhood malnutrition and its complications, including increased susceptibility to inflammation and infectious diseases. Due to improved early interventions, most of these children now survive early malnutrition, even in low-resource settings (LRS). However, many continue to exhibit neurodevelopmental deficits, including low IQ, poor school performance, and behavioral problems over their lifetimes. Most studies have relied on neuropsychological tests, school performance, and mental health and behavioral measures. Few studies, in contrast, have assessed brain structure and function, and to date, these have mainly relied on low-cost techniques, including electroencephalography (EEG) and evoked potentials (ERP). The use of more advanced methods of neuroimaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), has been limited by cost factors and lack of availability of these technologies in developing countries, where malnutrition is nearly ubiquitous. This report summarizes the current state of knowledge and evidence gaps regarding childhood malnutrition and the study of its impact on neurodevelopment. It may help to inform the development of new strategies to improve the identification, classification, and treatment of neurodevelopmental disabilities in underserved populations at the highest risk for childhood malnutrition.
