ARTIGOS ORIGINAIS / ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Neuropsychology and malnutrition: a study with 7 to 10 years-old children in a poor community Neuropsicologia e desnutrição: um estudo com crianças de 7 a 10 anos de idade, em uma comunidade carente
Mônica C. Miranda1 Fernando J. Nóbrega2 Kazue Sato3 Sabine Pompéia4 Elaine G. Sinnes5 Orlando F.A. Bueno6
1,4-6
Departamento de Psicobiologia. Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Rua Embau, 54. São Paulo, SP, Brasil. CEP: 04.039-060. E-mail:
[email protected]. Phone: 55 11 5549-6899/5549-5496; Tel: 55 11 5572-5092. 2,3 Programa Einstein de Nutrição na Comunidade de Paraisópolis. Paraisópolis, São Paulo, Brasil.
Abstract
Resumo
Objectives: to compare the neuropsychological profile of eutrophic, stunted and chronically malnourished children, and to analyse the role of socioeconomic factors on the cognitive development. Methods: seven to 10 year-old girls and boys from a poor community in São Paulo were evaluated: 27 eutrophyc, 31 stunted and 15 chronically malnourished. Neuropsychological evaluation involved cognitive functions not fully assessed in this population, such as working, declarative and non-declarative memories, attention and executive functions. Socioeconomic indicators, maternal mental health and the children's behaviour at school were also evaluated. Results: malnourished children had a lower score on the vocabulary test than the eutrophic and stunted groups (p s
