Malaria Linked To Epilepsy, Behaviour Disorders

Cerebral malaria has been linked to epilepsy and behaviour disorders in a new  research study published in the current edition of The Lancelot Neurology.

This means that those who survive from this ailment may develop epilepsy and other  behavioural disorders as a comprehensive study of the disease in African children  has shown.

The research has further solidified the link between malaria and neuro-psychiatric  disorders that affect hundreds of thousands of children.

Cerebral malaria is a severe form of malaria affecting the brain, occurring  predominantly in children, with a mortality rate of 15-25 percent. It affects about  one million children every year, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is unclear why some people develop it and others do not, but it is said to  develop when red blood cells infected by parasites cause blockage of the blood’s  pathway.

This blockage stops blood flow, leading to a shortage of oxygen and nutrients to  some areas of the brain.

Leader of the team of researchers, Gretchen Birbeck, who is an associate professor  of neurology and ophthalmology in Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic  Medicine, while talking about the study said: “Our findings show that children with  cerebral malaria are at risk of developing several adverse neurological outcomes  including epilepsy, disruptive behavior disorders and disabilities characterised by  motor, sensory or language deficits.

“If the findings of our study are generalized, then about 135,000 African children  younger than 5 years develop epilepsy due to cerebral malaria-induced brain injury  each year, and cerebral malaria may be one of the more common causes of epilepsy in  malaria-endemic regions,” she said.

The study, the first-ever prospective study of cerebral malaria survivors that  included a control group, looked at several hundred children during a nearly  five-year period in Malawi.

Speaking on the impact of the study on the continent, Birbeck said: “The long-term  loss of human potential from these disorders is mind-boggling.

“Yes, these children are surviving the malaria, but their quality of life and what  they contribute to society is severely hampered. There is a huge burden of  post-malaria neurological disorders.”

But Birbeck said there are steps that can be taken. According to her, the immediate  challenge is to devise better treatments during the cerebral malaria episode in  hopes of minimising the risk of epilepsy in years to come.

—Eromosele Ebhomele

  Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2010 P.M.News