The IQ scores were found to be linked to the stage of disease, more advanced the disease, lower the IQ
An analysis of published studies indicates that children with chronic kidney disease may have lower intellectual functioning compared than children in the general population. Compared with children with mild-to-moderate stage kidney disease and with kidney transplants, children on dialysis had the lowest IQ scores. Deficits were evident for attention, memory, and executive function domains.
The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), come from an analysis of studies published through 2016.
CKD in children clearly affects their physical health, but research also indicates that it can have impacts on neurocognitive function, academic performance, and mental health. This can lead to long-term consequences for children with CKD as they transition into adulthood. In India, authentic figures about CKD incidence are hard to come by.
In the present study, Kerry Chen, from University of Sydney & her colleagues examined all published evidence on cognitive and academic outcomes in children and adolescents with CKD. Their analysis included 34 studies with more than 3000 CKD patients under the age of 21 years
A 2009 article in the Medical Journal Armed Forces India, by researchers at the Armed Forces Medical College Pune said: “In the absence of a national registry, the exact incidence and burden of CKD in children in India is not known. In our institution with a dedicated pediatric nephrology unit, the patient load of kidney disease in children is approximately 8-10% of total outpatient attendance and 12% of admissions to the pediatric ward. The commonest diagnosis for which children are likely to see a pediatric nephrologist is nephrotic syndrome constituting almost 40% of cases. Keeping in view that almost 10% of them are steroid resistant, they would constitute a large burden of children with CKD.”
In the present study, Kerry Chen, from the Centre for Kidney Research, University of Sydney, in Australia and her colleagues examined all of the published evidence on cognitive and academic outcomes in children and adolescents with CKD. Their analysis included 34 studies with more than 3000 CKD patients under the age of 21 years.
The analysis suggests that children with CKD may have low-average neurocognitive and academic outcomes. The global cognition IQ of children with CKD was classified as low-average.
“In translating our findings to clinical practice, this research provides relevant information on the areas of need–for example, working memory and mathematics–for which children with CKD may need guidance, practice and assistance, particularly for children on dialysis. It also suggests hypotheses for why the overall intellectual and educational outcomes of children with CKD are reduced compared with the general population, and how best to prevent deficits,” said Dr. Chen.”
