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Stunting in infancy is associated with atypical activation of working memory and attention networks

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Listed:
  • Sobanawartiny Wijeakumar

    (University of Nottingham)

  • Samuel H. Forbes

    (Durham University)

  • Vincent A. Magnotta

    (University of Iowa)

  • Sean Deoni

    (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
    Rhode Island Hospital)

  • Kiara Jackson

    (University of East Anglia)

  • Vinay P. Singh

    (Community Empowerment Lab)

  • Madhuri Tiwari

    (Community Empowerment Lab)

  • Aarti Kumar

    (Community Empowerment Lab)

  • John P. Spencer

    (University of East Anglia)

Abstract

Stunting is associated with poor long-term cognitive, academic and economic outcomes, yet the mechanisms through which stunting impacts cognition in early development remain unknown. In a first-ever neuroimaging study conducted on infants from rural India, we demonstrate that stunting impacts a critical, early-developing cognitive system—visual working memory. Stunted infants showed poor visual working memory performance and were easily distractible. Poor performance was associated with reduced engagement of the left anterior intraparietal sulcus, a region involved in visual working memory maintenance and greater suppression in the right temporoparietal junction, a region involved in attentional shifting. When assessed one year later, stunted infants had lower problem-solving scores, while infants of normal height with greater left anterior intraparietal sulcus activation showed higher problem-solving scores. Finally, short-for-age infants with poor physical growth indices but good visual working memory performance showed more positive outcomes suggesting that intervention efforts should focus on improving working memory and reducing distractibility in infancy.

Suggested Citation

  • Sobanawartiny Wijeakumar & Samuel H. Forbes & Vincent A. Magnotta & Sean Deoni & Kiara Jackson & Vinay P. Singh & Madhuri Tiwari & Aarti Kumar & John P. Spencer, 2023. "Stunting in infancy is associated with atypical activation of working memory and attention networks," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(12), pages 2199-2211, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:7:y:2023:i:12:d:10.1038_s41562-023-01725-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01725-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. J. Jay Todd & René Marois, 2004. "Capacity limit of visual short-term memory in human posterior parietal cortex," Nature, Nature, vol. 428(6984), pages 751-754, April.
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