Association between lung function and cognition among children in a prospective birth cohort study.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To examine the relationship between lung function and cognition among children in the Maternal-Infant Smoking Study of East Boston, a prospective cohort of women and children enrolled before 20 weeks of gestation. A number of studies have demonstrated a relationship between lung function and cognition among adults, but this relationship has not been studied among children.

METHODS:
At 6 years of age, children completed lung function tests. At 9 years of age, the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML) and Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) were administered. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between cognition and lung function.

RESULTS:
The sample of 165 children included 53% girls and 52% Hispanic. Mean (+/- standard deviation) forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV (1)) was 1.26 +/- 0.2 L; mean forced vital capacity (FVC) was 1.37 +/- 0.2 L. In multivariate regression, a 1% increase from expected FEV(1) was associated with increases in the matrices and composite subscales of the K-BIT (p < .05), and in the verbal and learning subscales of the WRAML (p < .10). FVC was associated with increases in the composite and matrices subscale of the KBIT and in the visual and learning subscales of the WRAML (all p < .05).

CONCLUSION:
Increased lung function was associated with increased cognitive development among children after adjusting for tobacco exposure, birthweight, and peak blood lead. Lung and cognitive function may operate under common regulatory processes and thus have shared vulnerabilities to a host of environmental factors during development.

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Author information

Author/s: Suglia, Shakira Franco (SF); Wright, Robert O (RO); Schwartz, Joel (J); Wright, Rosalind J (RJ);

Affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Landmark 415W, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, USA. sfranco(-atsign-)hsph.harvard.edu.

Grants: F31 HD049317 (Agency:United States NICHD) ; K08 HL04187 (Agency:United States NHLBI) ; R01 ES10932 (Agency:United States NIEHS) ; T32 ES007142 (Agency:United States NIEHS) ; U01 HL072494 (Agency:United States NHLBI)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Psychosomatic medicine (Psychosom Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Apr; vol 70 (issue 3) : pp 356-62

Dates: Created 2008/04/14; Completed 2008/04/29;

PMID: 18378869, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Intelligence Tests
Male
Mental Recall
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Spirometry
Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects
Verbal Learning
Vital Capacity

Associated Chemicals: Tobacco Smoke Pollution (0)

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