CHILDREN with asthma, particularly those with an early onset, may experience slower memory development and face challenges in cognitive functions. This is according to the results of a new study that involved a cohort of 474 children and assessed the potential impacts of asthma on episodic memory and executive functions, such as attention and processing speed.
Asthma is a chronic condition affecting around 5 million children in the U.S. While past studies on animal models have hinted at cognitive impacts associated with asthma, this is one of the few large-scale studies examining asthma’s effect on children’s cognitive development. This research is part of the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which follows thousands of children’s health and development from ages 9-10.
The longitudinal study found that children with an earlier onset of asthma showed lower rates of memory improvement over time compared to their peers without asthma. Specifically, children with early-onset asthma demonstrated a reduced rate of episodic memory development. Cross-sectional analyses showed that children with asthma, regardless of onset age, scored lower on measures of episodic memory, processing speed, and inhibitory control.
These findings suggest that asthma may impact more than physical health, potentially affecting brain development and cognitive performance. For healthcare professionals, these results highlight the importance of early monitoring of cognitive function in children with asthma and suggest that early intervention might help support cognitive development in this population.
Reference: Christopher-Hayes NJ et al. Asthma and memory function in children. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(11):e2442803.
