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The Cognitive Effects of Malnutrition

  • December 2019
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E L Mohamed
E L Mohamed
E L Mohamed
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Abstract

Malnutrition affects physical growth, cognitive development, and physical work capacity, and it consequently influences human performance and Heath.
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Citation: Mohamed EL Hioui. The Cognitive Effects of Malnutrition. Clin
Neuro Neurological Res Int J 2019, 2(2): 180015.
Copyright © 2019 Mohamed EL Hioui.
Clinical Neuroscience & Neurological Research
International Journal
Editorial
Volume 2; Issue 2
The Cognitive Effects of Malnutrition
Mohamed EL Hioui*
Department of Biology, Ibn Tofail University, Morocco
*Corresponding author: Dr. Mohamed EL Hioui, Unit for Clinic and Cognitive Neuroscience and Health, Laboratory of
Biology and Health, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco, Email:
elhioui2000@yahoo.fr
Received Date: November 26, 2019; Published Date: December 06, 2019
Introduction
Malnutrition is associated with both structural and
functional pathology of the brain. Structurally
malnutrition results in tissue damage, growth retardation,
disorderly differentiation, reduction in synapses and
synaptic neurotransmitters, delayed myelination and
reduced overall development of dendritic arborization of
the developing brain. There are deviations in the temporal
sequences of brain maturation, which in turn disturb the
formation of neuronal circuits. The brain is vulnerable to
the effects of insults during critical periods of brain
development from the second trimester of pregnancy
until 2 years of age. Indeed, malnutrition experienced at
these ages will have lifelong consequences that are not
reversed by adequate nutrition. Long term effects of
prenatal, postnatal and childhood malnutrition have been
reported even after a long period of recovery from the
illness itself. In addition, malnutrition, a consequence of
various factors, is often related to poor quality of food,
insufficient food intake, and severe and repeated
infectious diseases, or, frequently, combinations of the
three. The major outcomes of malnutrition during
childhood may be classified in terms of morbidity,
mortality and psychological and intellectual development
with important consequences in adult life [1-7].
Malnutrition and Brain Function
Chronic malnutrition affects the growth and maturation of
the brain. The stages of development are numerous and
complex: neural cells must proliferate, migrate to the
right place, establish the right connections, form the right
receptors for neurotransmitters and be well covered with
myelin, a protective substance essential to the proper
transfer of nerve messages. This meticulous assembly of
neural cells is vulnerable to environmental stressors,
including of course, malnutrition [8]. Later, between early
childhood and adolescence, an acute episode of famine
can affect cognition and behavior, but these are more
likely to recover once the child is well fed. It must be
remembered, however, that it is not only a matter of
weight and head circumference. You can have a child with
normal measurements who also has neurocognitive
deficits. Evidences from human and animal studies
indicate that neurocognitive development is influenced by
various environmental factors including nutrition. It has
been established that nutrition affects the brain
throughout life. However, the mechanisms through which
nutrition modulates mental health are still not well
understood. It has been suggested that the deficiencies of
both vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids can have
adverse effects on cognition and synaptic plasticity.
Studies indicate a need for supplementation of vitamin
B12 and omega-3 fatty acids to reduce the risk of
cognitive decline, although the results of intervention
trials using these nutrients in isolation are inconclusive
[9].
Brain development continues after birth, where migration
and cellular proliferation takes place. It has been
observed that protein deficiency reduces the thickness of
the visual cortex, parietal neocortex, dentate gyrus, CA3
and cerebellum [10-12]. Moreover, Plagemann et al.
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2
determined that the Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus
of hypothalamus increased its size while the
Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus is reduced after
malnutrition, demonstrating that perturbations during
development may change the brain organization [13]. The
consequence of malnutrition on brain anatomy, through
changes on brain connectivity, might be the cause of
behavioral deficits observed in malnourished people.
Malnutrition and Neuropsychological
Performance
Cognitive deficits caused by malnutrition are manifested
by memory difficulties, intellectual slowness or specific
learning disabilities in reading, writing or mathematics.
The child may have behavioral problems such as attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional regulation or
socialization difficulties [14]. In extreme cases, there will
be mental retardation. It is estimated that the "survivors"
of malnutrition have on average a deficit of 5-15 points in
standard intelligence tests compared to well-nourished
children living in the same environment [15]. The degree
of cognitive impairment is proportional to the severity of
malnutrition.
In a study of children in the Kenitra city of Morocco who
suffered from moderate to severe malnutrition in their
first year, attention deficit disorder with or without
hyperactivity, lower intelligence quotients, more
disorders were observed of learning, which ultimately led
to more failures in national school exams [14] . These
effects persisted over time, at least until adolescence. In a
study about children in the Cleveland, demonstrates that
children with signs of poor nutrition as measured by
growth also have associated high rates of developmental
delays. In addition, these children have early signs of
cognitive deficits. Longitudinally, these children were able
to show motor and cognitive gains toward the normal
range with improvements in their nutritional status.
While maximizing nutrition after periods of under-
nutrition is crucial to support cognitive recovery,
ensuring adequate and consistent nutrition for vulnerable
children with developing minds to prevent cognitive
injury is paramount [16]. The neuropsychological
interpretation of the cognitive processes more severely
affected in malnourished children suggests a diffuse
cortical involvement. This is with reference to deficits
pertaining to functions mediated by dorsolateral
prefrontal cortex (poor performance on tests of attention,
fluency and working memory), right parietal (poor
performance on tests of visuospatial functions) and
bilateral temporal cortex (poor performance on tests of
comprehension, verbal learning, and memory for verbal
and visual material). The prefrontal cortex may be
particularly vulnerable to malnutrition [17].
Conclusion
This review of the literature shows that malnutrition
remains important to local and regional worldwide.
Malnutrition results in cognitive impairments as well as
slowing in the rate of the development of cognitive
processes. The biochemical and physiological mechanisms
underlying often malnutrition connecting a neuron-
impaired cognitive function are clear.
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