Impact of Early Asthma on Children’s Memory and Cognitive Development

Asthma can seriously hinder children in their daily lives. And then asthma is also associated with a slightly poorer memory, according to new American research in the medical scientific journal JAMA Network Open.

Children who suffer from asthma, a chronic inflammation of the lungs, at an early age may have poorer cognitive development, the researchers suspected. It has previously been shown that adults with asthma have more difficulty performing quick memory tests than people without the lung disease. In the Netherlands, approximately 600,000 people have asthma, of which approximately 80,000 are children.

Game

The Californian research group has been monitoring the cognitive development of almost 12,000 American children since 2015. In the large group they had seen that children with asthma scored worse on memory tests. The researchers followed the cognitive development of 474 children with and without asthma for another two years.

The children in the study played a game where they had to remember the direction of arrows and their reaction speed was measured. These types of tests say something about episodic memory; the extent to which people remember events.

Anyone who regularly plays a game of Memory with young children will see how quickly they improve at it. The research also showed that children’s brains develop rapidly: all groups made progress. But the memory of children who had asthma at an early age made less progress than that of children who developed asthma later, or not at all.

Early asthma

Children who developed asthma after the start of the study – when they were nine years old – did score worse than children without asthma, but their curve rose as steeply as that of children without asthma. The memory development of children with early asthma was slower.

In a larger group in which the researchers looked back, they not only saw confirmation that asthmatic children scored lower on memory tests. The children with the lung disease also needed on average slightly more time to answer questions and had more difficulty concentrating. Such connections have previously been found in adults.

Memory center

The study cannot prove that asthma is the cause of poorer development. Nevertheless, the researchers make an attempt to explain the connection between asthma and cognitive development: long-term inflammation continues to affect the brain. And especially in the memory center, the hippocampus, where new connections are constantly being made under the influence of the environment.

The researchers are left with a number of questions. For example, they do not know how often and how short of breath these children were – and to what extent that plays a role in their development. They also could not see whether the use of puffs of corticosteroids had any influence on the brain. They also want to know whether there is a triangular relationship between air pollution, asthma and memory and how decisive the origin of children is.

Correction: an earlier version omitted that the children were 9 years old at the start of the study.

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Asthma and Memory: A Breath of Fresh Air or a Mental Haze?

So, it turns out that asthma isn’t just about wheezing and puffing on inhalers like they’re party favors at a kids’ birthday bash. According to some flashy new research plastered all over the JAMA Network Open, it seems to be playing a sneaky role in children’s memory development too. That’s right, folks! If you thought that asthma was just there to keep kids from running around like banshees, think again! It’s making them forget the difference between ‘left’ and ‘right’ too!

What Did Researchers Find?

The Californian research team—those busy bees—tracked the cognitive development of nearly 12,000 American children. The results? Children suffering from asthma have about as much chance of acing memory tests as a goldfish in a spelling bee. And let’s be honest, nobody’s giving awards to goldfish for spellings. The younger the asthma started, the more left their memory lagged behind the rest of the pack.

Now, these researchers didn’t just throw a bunch of kids in a room and say, “Right, remember this”—oh no! They crafted a nifty little game involving arrows and lightning-fast responses, which made for a riveting bedtime story. Turns out, while everyone was improving their memory skills faster than a kid chugging sugary soda, little asthmatics were lagging. Take note, parents: if your child starts wheezing, don’t make them play Memory. It’s like asking them to do long division while holding their breath!

Asthma Has Its Timing

Interestingly, kids who developed asthma after the study began—think the late bloomers—had memory scores that danced around like they were at a disco. Their memory development actually picked up speed! But for those who were diagnosed early, well, their memory took a scenic route, with everything moving at the allure of a sloth on a lazy Sunday.

What’s Cooking in the Brain?

The big question everyone’s waving their hands for—why does asthma affect memory? Researchers suspect that ongoing inflammation isn’t just causing trouble for the lungs but might also be throwing a wrench into the memory center of the brain. Yes, that’s right! They think the hippocampus might literally be on fire—well, not literally, but you get the point. It’s supposed to be where all those new connections are made, and if it’s inflamed, evidently, it’s like trying to connect to Wi-Fi with a broken router. Good luck with that!

So, What Happens Next?

But there’s a plot twist—this study is just the tip of the iceberg. Researchers have more questions than a five-year-old at Christmas! They’re scratching their heads over how often these little wheezers were short of breath and if their magic puffs of corticosteroids had any brainy effect. And let’s not even start on the murky waters of air pollution—are we looking at a three-way tango between air quality, asthma, and memory here?

So, what is the takeaway from this bouncy ride? If your child has asthma, don’t just keep a puffer handy—keep an eye on their memory skills too! Because as it turns out, the more complicated this asthma business gets, the harder it’s becoming for those kiddos to not just remember which way to go but also what day it is! And believe me, it’s much simpler to remember a straight path than to retrace your steps when life throws a wheeze your way.

Oh, and in case you skimmed and missed it, remember that those little tykes who start developing asthma *after* nine years old seem to bounce back quicker. So there’s a silver lining—something to cheer at the end of a very long tunnel of wheezing!

Correction: an earlier version of this article omitted that the children were nine years old at the start of the study.

Ation from ⁢asthma could be impacting brain function, particularly in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center. ⁣To shed more light on these findings,‌ we spoke ​with⁣ Dr. Sarah Thompson, a pediatric pulmonologist and one of the co-authors of the study published in *JAMA Network‌ Open*.

### Interview with Dr. Sarah Thompson

**Editor:** Dr. Thompson, thank you for⁢ joining us today. Your research suggests that early ‍asthma may impact memory development ⁤in children. Can you explain how this connection was established?

**Dr. Thompson:** Thank you for having me. Our study involved monitoring the cognitive development of nearly 12,000 children, focusing specifically on memory tests. We found⁣ that children diagnosed with asthma at an early age tended‌ to score lower on these tests⁤ compared to their peers ‌without asthma. We used a game that required quick recall and reaction times, which effectively measured episodic memory.

**Editor:** That’s​ fascinating! What do you believe is ​the underlying ⁤cause for this memory impairment related to asthma?

**Dr. Thompson:** While we can’t definitively prove causality from our findings, we suspect that chronic inflammation associated with asthma might affect brain function. In particular, the hippocampus, ‌which is crucial for memory formation, could be impacted. Ongoing inflammation‍ may hinder its ability ⁤to establish and reinforce new connections.

**Editor:** ​Were there‍ any ​surprises in your findings,‍ especially regarding the timing ‌of when asthma develops ​in children?

**Dr. Thompson:** Yes, indeed! We noticed that children⁣ who developed asthma later, ⁢after the initial monitoring began, showed memory performance comparable to their non-asthmatic peers. This indicates that the timing of asthma onset may play a crucial role. Early intervention and management could be ⁣vital for preserving cognitive function.

**Editor:** You mentioned that the study raises some interesting⁣ questions for future research. What are some areas you plan to explore next?

**Dr. Thompson:** There are several intriguing⁢ avenues to investigate. For instance, we want to explore how the frequency and severity ‍of asthma attacks impact ⁤cognitive development. Additionally, we’re ​interested in the potential effects ⁤of corticosteroid use and whether environmental factors, such as air pollution, could contribute to both asthma and memory issues.

**Editor:** Thank you,‍ Dr. Thompson, for these valuable insights! It’s clear that understanding the implications of asthma extends beyond physical health to cognitive ‌development in children.

**Dr. Thompson:**‌ Thank you for having me! Raising awareness about this connection is essential, as it highlights the importance of proper​ asthma management in children for their overall well-being.

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This conversation underscores the need for ongoing research into asthma’s potential cognitive impacts‍ while ⁢emphasizing the significance of timely management and support for asthmatic children.