BACKGROUND Stunting affects more than 161 million children worldwide and can compromise cognitive development beginning early in childhood. There is a paucity of research using neuroimaging tools in conjunction with sensitive behavioral assays in low-income settings, which has hindered researchers' ability to explain how stunting impacts brain and behavioral development. We employed high-density EEG to examine associations among children's physical growth, brain functional connectivity (FC), and cognitive development. METHODS We recruited participants from an urban impoverished neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh. One infant cohort consisted of 92 infants whose height (length) was measured at 3, 4.5, and 6 months; EEG data were collected at 6 months; and cognitive outcomes were assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning at 27 months. A second, older cohort consisted of 118 children whose height was measured at 24, 30, and 36 months; EEG data were collected at 36 months; and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores were assessed at 48 months. Height-for-age (HAZ) z-scores were calculated based on the World Health Organization standard. EEG FC in different frequency bands was calculated in the cortical source space. Linear regression and longitudinal path analysis were conducted to test the associations between variables, as well as the indirect effect of child growth on cognitive outcomes via brain FC. RESULTS In the older cohort, we found that HAZ was negatively related to brain FC in the theta and beta frequency bands, which in turn was negatively related to children's IQ score at 48 months. Longitudinal path analysis showed an indirect effect of HAZ on children's IQ via brain FC in both the theta and beta bands. There were no associations between HAZ and brain FC or cognitive outcomes in the infant cohort. CONCLUSIONS The association observed between child growth and brain FC may reflect a broad deleterious effect of malnutrition on children's brain development. The mediation effect of FC on the relation between child growth and later IQ provides the first evidence suggesting that brain FC may serve as a neural pathway by which biological adversity impacts cognitive development.

中文翻译：

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孟加拉国城市儿童在早期遭遇逆境时，生长迟缓与大脑功能连接和认知结果的改变有关。

背景技术发育迟缓影响着全世界超过 1.61 亿儿童，并可能损害从儿童早期开始的认知发展。在低收入环境中使用神经影像工具与敏感行为分析相结合的研究很少，这阻碍了研究人员解释发育迟缓如何影响大脑和行为发育的能力。我们采用高密度脑电图来检查儿童的身体生长、大脑功能连接 (FC) 和认知发展之间的关联。方法 我们从孟加拉国达卡的一个城市贫困社区招募了参与者。一组婴儿由 92 名婴儿组成，他们在 3、4.5 和 6 个月时测量了身高（身长）；6个月时收集脑电图数据；27 个月时使用 Mullen 早期学习量表评估认知结果。第二个年龄较大的队列由 118 名儿童组成，他们在 24、30 和 36 个月大时测量了身高；36个月时收集脑电图数据；48 个月时评估智商 (IQ) 分数。年龄别身高 (HAZ) z 分数是根据世界卫生组织标准计算的。在皮层源空间计算不同频段的EEG FC。进行线性回归和纵向路径分析来测试变量之间的关联，以及儿童生长通过大脑 FC 对认知结果的间接影响。结果 在较年长的队列中，我们发现 HAZ 与 θ 和 β 频段的大脑 FC 呈负相关，而后者又与 48 个月时儿童的 IQ 分数呈负相关。纵向路径分析表明，HAZ 通过大脑 FC 的 θ 和 β 波段对儿童智商产生间接影响。在婴儿队列中，HAZ 与大脑 FC 或认知结果之间没有关联。结论 观察到的儿童生长与大脑 FC 之间的关联可能反映了营养不良对儿童大脑发育的广泛有害影响。FC 对儿童生长和后期智商之间关系的中介作用提供了第一个证据，表明大脑 FC 可能作为生物逆境影响认知发展的神经通路。结论 观察到的儿童生长与大脑 FC 之间的关联可能反映了营养不良对儿童大脑发育的广泛有害影响。FC 对儿童生长和后期智商之间关系的中介作用提供了第一个证据，表明大脑 FC 可能作为生物逆境影响认知发展的神经通路。结论 观察到的儿童生长与大脑 FC 之间的关联可能反映了营养不良对儿童大脑发育的广泛有害影响。FC 对儿童生长和后期智商之间关系的中介作用提供了第一个证据，表明大脑 FC 可能作为生物逆境影响认知发展的神经通路。