Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort study
Background Decreased adult lung function is associated with subsequent impairment in cognition. A similar relationship in early life could be of great policy importance, since childhood cognitive ability determines key adult outcomes, including socioeconomic status and mortality. We aimed to expand...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-11-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Respiratory Research |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/10/1/e001528.full |
| _version_ | 1797371373191954432 |
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| author | Jack Grenville Raquel Granell James Dodd |
| author_facet | Jack Grenville Raquel Granell James Dodd |
| author_sort | Jack Grenville |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Decreased adult lung function is associated with subsequent impairment in cognition. A similar relationship in early life could be of great policy importance, since childhood cognitive ability determines key adult outcomes, including socioeconomic status and mortality. We aimed to expand the very limited data available on this relationship in children, and hypothesised that reduced lung function would be longitudinally associated with decreased cognitive ability.Methods Lung function was measured at age 8 (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC); % predicted), and cognitive ability was measured at ages 8 (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third edition) and 15 (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence), in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Potential confounders were identified as preterm birth, birth weight, breastfeeding duration, prenatal maternal smoking, childhood environmental tobacco smoke exposure, socioeconomic status and prenatal/childhood air pollution exposure. Univariable and multivariable linear models (n range=2332–6672) were fitted to assess the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of lung function with cognitive ability, and change in cognitive ability between ages 8 and 15.Results In univariate analyses, both FEV1 and FVC at age 8 were associated with cognitive ability at both ages, but after adjustment, only FVC was associated with full-scale IQ (FSIQ) at ages 8 (β=0.09 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.12; p<0.001)) and 15 (β=0.06 (0.03 to 0.10; p=0.001)). We did not find evidence of an association between either lung function parameter and interval change in standardised FSIQ.Discussion Reduced FVC, but not FEV1, is independently associated with decreased cognitive ability in children. This low-magnitude association attenuates between ages 8 and 15, while no association is evident with longitudinal change in cognitive ability. Our results support a link between FVC and cognition across the life course, possibly due to shared genetic or environmental risk, rather than causation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T18:18:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c091ae22fdf2405c8f0b39ce979a3312 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2052-4439 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T18:18:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Respiratory Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-c091ae22fdf2405c8f0b39ce979a33122023-12-31T05:40:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Respiratory Research2052-44392023-11-0110110.1136/bmjresp-2022-001528Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort studyJack Grenville0Raquel Granell1James Dodd2Respiratory Medicine, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, Wales, UKMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKAcademic Respiratory Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKBackground Decreased adult lung function is associated with subsequent impairment in cognition. A similar relationship in early life could be of great policy importance, since childhood cognitive ability determines key adult outcomes, including socioeconomic status and mortality. We aimed to expand the very limited data available on this relationship in children, and hypothesised that reduced lung function would be longitudinally associated with decreased cognitive ability.Methods Lung function was measured at age 8 (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC); % predicted), and cognitive ability was measured at ages 8 (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third edition) and 15 (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence), in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Potential confounders were identified as preterm birth, birth weight, breastfeeding duration, prenatal maternal smoking, childhood environmental tobacco smoke exposure, socioeconomic status and prenatal/childhood air pollution exposure. Univariable and multivariable linear models (n range=2332–6672) were fitted to assess the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of lung function with cognitive ability, and change in cognitive ability between ages 8 and 15.Results In univariate analyses, both FEV1 and FVC at age 8 were associated with cognitive ability at both ages, but after adjustment, only FVC was associated with full-scale IQ (FSIQ) at ages 8 (β=0.09 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.12; p<0.001)) and 15 (β=0.06 (0.03 to 0.10; p=0.001)). We did not find evidence of an association between either lung function parameter and interval change in standardised FSIQ.Discussion Reduced FVC, but not FEV1, is independently associated with decreased cognitive ability in children. This low-magnitude association attenuates between ages 8 and 15, while no association is evident with longitudinal change in cognitive ability. Our results support a link between FVC and cognition across the life course, possibly due to shared genetic or environmental risk, rather than causation.https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/10/1/e001528.full |
| spellingShingle | Jack Grenville Raquel Granell James Dodd Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort study BMJ Open Respiratory Research |
| title | Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort study |
| title_full | Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort study |
| title_fullStr | Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort study |
| title_short | Lung function and cognitive ability in children: a UK birth cohort study |
| title_sort | lung function and cognitive ability in children a uk birth cohort study |
| url | https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/10/1/e001528.full |
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