ArticlePloS one2013
The association between cognition and academic performance in Ugandan children surviving malaria with neurological involvement.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed.
- Neurocognitive gains among Ugandan children with sickle cell anemia on hydroxyurea: 18-month interim trial results.Blood advances · 2025Trial
- Daily Training efficiency during computerized cognitive rehabilitation training (CCRT): an analysis from a randomized trial in Ugandan children with and without severe malaria.Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence · 2022Trial
- Neuropsychological benefits of computerized cognitive rehabilitation training in Ugandan children surviving severe malaria: A randomized controlled trial.Brain research bulletin · 2019Trial
- Article
- Article
- Association between early alcohol use and academic achievement among primary school children in Uganda: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Neuronal Damage in Murine Experimental Cerebral Malaria, Implications for Neuronal Repair and Sequelae.Cells · 2025Article
- Associations between the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Tests of Variables of Attention (TOVA) in rural school-aged children in Benin Africa.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2025Article
- Severe Malaria and Academic Achievement.Pediatrics · 2023Article
- Article
- Neurodevelopmental assessment at one year of age predicts neuropsychological performance at six years in a cohort of West African Children.Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence · 2021Article
- Neurological and psychiatric safety of tafenoquine in Plasmodium vivax relapse prevention: a review.Malaria journal · 2020Review
- Evaluating Immunopathogenic Biomarkers During Severe Malaria Illness as Modifiers of the Neuropsychologic Benefits of Computer Cognitive Games Rehabilitation in Ugandan Children.The Pediatric infectious disease journal · 2019Article
- Neurocognitive testing in West African children 3-6 years of age: Challenges and implications for data analyses.Brain research bulletin · 2019Article
- Integrated fever management: disease severity markers to triage children with malaria and non-malarial febrile illness.Malaria journal · 2018Article
- [Formula: see text]Selecting measures for the neurodevelopmental assessment of children in low- and middle-income countries.Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence · 2017Article
- Prevalence, causes, and behavioral and emotional comorbidities of acute symptomatic seizures in Africa: A critical review.Epilepsia open · 2017Review
- Neuropsychiatric Profile in Malaria: An Overview.Journal of clinical and diagnostic research : JCDR · 2016Article
- Neurocognitive domains affected by cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia in children.Learning and individual differences · 2016Article
- Caregivers' depressive symptoms and parent-report of child executive function among young children in Uganda.Learning and individual differences · 2016Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe contribution of different cognitive abilities to academic performance in children surviving cerebral insult can guide the choice of interventions to improve cognitive and academic outcomes. This study's objective was to identify which cognitive abilities are associated with academic performance in children after malaria with neurological involvement.
methods62 Ugandan children with a history of malaria with neurological involvement were assessed for cognitive ability (working memory, reasoning, learning, visual spatial skills, attention) and academic performance (reading, spelling, arithmetic) three months after the illness. Linear regressions were fit for each academic score with the five cognitive outcomes entered as predictors. Adjusters in the analysis were age, sex, education, nutrition, and home environment. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation models (SEM) were used to determine the nature of the association between cognition and academic performance. Predictive residual sum of squares was used to determine which combination of cognitive scores was needed to predict academic performance.
resultsIn regressions of a single academic score on all five cognitive outcomes and adjusters, only Working Memory was associated with Reading (coefficient estimate = 0.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.10 to 0.63, p<0.01) and Spelling (0.46, 0.13 to 0.78, p<0.01), Visual Spatial Skills was associated with Arithmetic (0.15, 0.03 to 0.26, p<0.05), and Learning was associated with Reading (0.06, 0.00 to 0.11, p<0.05). One latent cognitive factor was identified using EFA. The SEM found a strong association between this latent cognitive ability and each academic performance measure (P<0.0001). Working memory, visual spatial ability and learning were the best predictors of academic performance.
conclusionAcademic performance is strongly associated with the latent variable labelled "cognitive ability" which captures most of the variation in the individual specific cognitive outcome measures. Working memory, visual spatial skills, and learning together stood out as the best combination to predict academic performance.
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