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Neuroscience/Nutrition and the Brain (Poster Session)

(P09-016-25) Persistent Childhood Stunting Affects Executive Functions and Associated Brain Regions

Saturday, May 31, 2025
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board D-15
Disclosure(s):
Beena Koshy, MD (Paed), MD (Res, UK): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Early childhood stunting can result in sub-optimal executive functions (EF), affecting life potential. This study hypothesized that children always stunted (AS) at ages 2, 5 and 9 years had lower EF than those who were never stunted (NS).

Methods: A birth-cohort in Vellore, India was followed up with periodic anthropometric and development/cognitive measures over 2, 5 and 9 years of age. Based on stunting status at these time points, children were classified as NS, stunted at 2 years and caught up by 5 years (S2N5), stunted at 2 and 5 years but caught up later (S5N9), and AS. At 9 years, children underwent neuroimaging using 3T MRI scanner and EF assessment using FAS phonemic fluency test, colour cancellation test and colour trials tests (CTT).

Results: From the original birth-cohort of 251, 205 children were reviewed at 9 years. Scores in FAS phonemic fluency test and near-misses scores in CTT showed a dose response in groups AS-to-NS. Right occipital-fusiform-gyrus, left lateral-occipital-cortex, left pars-triangularis, basal ganglia regions and cerebellum were significantly larger among NS compared to AS group.

Conclusions: Current study highlighted EF dysfunction in verbal fluency and inhibitory control in a dose response fashion in groups AS-to-NS with corresponding EF-related brain volumetric changes.

Funding Sources: 1. The Etiology, Risk Factors and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequence for Child Health and Development Project (MAL-ED) is carried out as a collaborative project supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the NIH and the National Institutes of Health/Fogarty International Center (Grant number – OPP 47075)

2. The 9-year follow-up of the Mal-ed India cohort was supported by an Intermediate clinical and public health research fellowship awarded by the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance to Dr. BK. (Fellowship grant number IA/CPHI/19/1/504611)