Neurocognitive domains affected by cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia in children

• Children with cerebral malaria have poor neurocognition in all domains.
• Children with severe malaria anemia have poor neurocognition in some domains.
• Cerebral malaria affects motor skills more than severe malaria anemia.
• Mechanisms of brain injury are different in both conditions.

This study assessed the effects of cerebral malaria (CM) and severe malarial anemia (SMA) on individual neurocognitive domains. Eighty children with CM, 86 with SMA, and 61 community children (CC) were assessed for gross motor skills, fine motor skills, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language a week after discharge (CM or SMA) or at enrolment (CC), and 6 and 12 months later. At 12-months follow-up, children with CM had significantly lower scores than CC for all outcomes. Children with SMA had significantly lower scores than CC for visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language, and scores that were lower but did not reach significance for gross and fine motor skills. Children with CM had significantly lower scores than children with SMA for fine motor skills. Children with SMA and CM have long-term impairment in multiple neurocognitive domains. Fine motor skills may be affected more profoundly in CM than SMA.