Asthma has been linked to memory problems in children, and early onset of the disease can lead to worsening memory difficulties, according to research.
The study found that children with asthma performed worse on memory tasks than children without lung disease, the Guardian reported.
According to the researchers, memory deficits can have long-term consequences and even increase the risk of developing diseases such as dementia.
In a sample of 473 children followed for three years, the researchers found that in people with earlier-onset asthma who had the disease for a longer period of time, memory development was also slower over time.
"This study highlights the importance of looking at asthma as a potential source of cognitive difficulties in children. We are increasingly aware that chronic diseases, not just asthma but also diabetes, heart disease and others, can put children at increased risk of cognitive difficulties. We need to understand the factors that may exacerbate or protect against the risks," said Simone Getty, lead author of the study and a professor of psychology at the University of California.
Past research with adults and with animals has found that asthma is associated with a greater risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Both diseases affect memory.
"Asthma may put children on a trajectory that increases their risk of developing something more serious like dementia in adulthood," said Nicholas Christopher-Hayes, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of California and first author of the study.
Although the study did not address the mechanism responsible for asthma-related memory difficulties, the researchers pointed to potential factors such as prolonged inflammation from asthma or recurrent disturbances in the brain's oxygen supply due to asthma attacks.
Episodic memory is the way people remember experiences and emotions, such as events, people and objects that were there.
The study, published in Jama Network Open, included data from 2,062 children with asthma between the ages of 9 and 10. The smaller sample, which followed the children for two years, included 473 children. | BGNES
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