A new study from the University of California, Davis, reveals a significant association between asthma and memory difficulties in children, suggesting that early onset of the condition may further exacerbate these cognitive deficits. Published on November 5 in JAMA Network Open, this research is the first to specifically connect asthma with memory issues in a pediatric population.
Lead author Simona Ghetti, a professor of psychology at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain, emphasizes the need to recognize asthma as a potential contributor to cognitive challenges in children. “Chronic diseases, including asthma, diabetes, and heart disease, may increase the risk of cognitive difficulties in children. Understanding the factors that could either worsen or mitigate these risks is crucial,” she stated.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by inflammation that narrows the airways, making it difficult to breathe. It affects approximately 260 million people globally, with around 4.6 million children in the United States diagnosed with the condition.
“Childhood is a critical period for cognitive development, particularly in memory. Children with asthma may experience slower cognitive growth during this time,” said Nicholas Christopher-Hayes, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology at UC Davis and the study’s first author.
The study analyzed data from 2,062 children aged 9 to 10 years with asthma to assess the impact of the condition on episodic memory and other cognitive functions. Episodic memory is crucial for recalling personal experiences and emotions. The findings indicated that children with asthma scored lower on episodic memory tasks compared to their peers without the condition. Furthermore, in a subset of 473 children tracked over two years, those with an earlier onset of asthma exhibited slower memory development over time.
Data for this study were sourced from the National Institutes of Health, collected since 2015 as part of the expansive Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which involves 11,800 children. The researchers compared children with similar backgrounds to ensure that the observed differences in memory were directly linked to asthma.
The implications of these memory deficits could extend into adulthood. Previous research has shown that asthma is associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults, conditions that significantly impact memory.
“As asthma progresses, it may set children on a path that heightens their risk of developing serious cognitive issues later in life, such as dementia,” Christopher-Hayes noted.
While the study did not explore the specific mechanisms underlying the memory difficulties associated with asthma, the research team suggested several potential factors, including chronic inflammation and intermittent oxygen deprivation to the brain during asthma attacks. Additionally, studies in rodents have indicated that common asthma medications can influence the hippocampus, a brain region essential for episodic memory in both rodents and humans.
Conclusion
The study included contributions from co-authors Sarah C. Haynes, Nicholas J. Kenyon, and Julie B. Schweitzer from the UC Davis School of Medicine, as well as Vidya Merchant from UC Davis. Funding for the research was provided by the Memory and Plasticity Program at UC Davis and a fellowship from the National Institutes of Health’s Learning, Memory, and Plasticity Training Program.
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