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A cohort study on Toxocara canis infection and cognitive development in preschool children

Nelson, Suchitra Shirley
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1060275701

Abstract Details

1992, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between Toxocara canis (T.canis) infection and neuropsychological deficits (measured in terms of IQ) in the child during the preschool years. It was hypothesized that being seropositive to T.canis would be associated with decreased cognitive development in the child. The study was conducted as a prospective study with T.canis and cognitive data assessed at multiple time points. The availability of time-varying covariate data on children's social and environmental background helped in the examining of T.canis effects after adjusting for relevant confounders. The original sample of 359 children could not be retained throughout the five year period of study due to follow-up losses. In consequence, fairly good retention of the sample were available only at ages 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years 10 months. Sera was analyzed for antibodies to T.canis using a widely used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Psychological examinations included the Mental Development Index at 2 years, Stanford Binet at 3 years and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales at 4 years 10 months. Blood lead measurements for the cohort were available from a previous study. All other social and environmental dat a were obtained by either on-site evaluations by trained examiners, or recall of information by the mother. Analyses of data ranged from the simple descriptive to more complex procedures such as multiple linear and logistic regressions. For the regressions, nine covariates were chosen for the final model by a careful process of screening. At age 4 years 10 months, a decrease in IQ (effect size) and a marginal increase in risk was seen with seropositivity to T.canis infection after adjusting for the covariates. However, this effect size or risk failed to reach statistical significance. This lack of significance may reflect limitations in power due to the small number of seropositive cases at each age period. It was suggested that a time lag may exist between the acquiring of infection and the actual decrease in cognitive ability. Methodological limitations of this study have been discussed in detail. Recommendations for future research are given
Harold Houser (Advisor)
162 p.
Health Sciences, Public Health
Toxocara canis; Cognitive development, preschool

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Nelson, S. S. (1992). A cohort study on Toxocara canis infection and cognitive development in preschool children [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1060275701

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Nelson, Suchitra. A cohort study on Toxocara canis infection and cognitive development in preschool children. 1992. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1060275701.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Nelson, Suchitra. "A cohort study on Toxocara canis infection and cognitive development in preschool children." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 1992. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1060275701

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1060275701
630
© 1992, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.