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Poster #5 - Impact of Poverty on Brain Development, Executive Functions, and Literacy in Rural Cocoa Communities in Côte d’Ivoire

Thu, March 21, 4:00 to 5:15pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

Introduction. Executive functions (EFs; inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility) (Miyake et al., 2000), are crucial components of cognitive development that support a child’s academic outcomes, including literacy (Altemeier et al., 2008; Best et al., 2011; Blair & Razza, 2007; Cutting et al, 2009). EF development is particularly susceptible to the negative impact of poverty because the brain region that support these skills (i.e. prefrontal cortex; PFC) is late to mature and remains sensitive to environmental effects throughout childhood. We examined the development of EFs and patterns of neural activation in the PFC in children from impoverished cocoa-growing rural communities in Ivory Coast. Children in these communities are confronted with a number of obstacles, including child cocoa labor and poor access to quality education. The impact of poverty on child development, including brain functioning, is well documented (Obradovic et al., 2016; McCoy et al., 2017), however, the role that EFs play in promoting academic outcomes in contexts of complex and multidimensional poverty remains poorly understood.
Methods. 46 children (3rd, 5th grade) in central and southern Côte d’Ivoire (Adzopé, Tiébissou) aged 7-14 years (M=10.54, SD=1.53) completed a cognitive flexibility EF task (matching images according to a repeating or switching color/shape rule) while undergoing fNIRS neuroimaging. Imaging data were analyzed with Matlab-based NIRS-SPM-v4 (Jang et al., 2009). Children also completed local and French language and literacy assessments (letter, word, pseudoword reading), anthropomorphic measurements, and an interview about family socioeconomic status (SES) and labor.
Results. Behavioral: Household SES interview indicated that most children have insufficient resources at home (books, running water, etc.), and rates of developmental stunting were high (BMI z-score: M=-0.37, SD=0.89). Overall reading scores were low. On average, children were able to read ~50% of items on letter and word reading tasks and about 30% of items on pseudoword reading tasks. Reading scores were predicted by SES (Word: b=0.767, p<.05; Pseudoword: b=0.784, p<.05), participation in hazardous cocoa labor (Letter: b=-8.892, p<.05; Word: b=-3.556, p<.01; Pseudoword: b=-3.626, p<.05), as well as brain activation in the PFC.
Neuroimaging: We observed differences in neural activation in the PFC, including DLPFC and VLPFC, depending on the task condition (color/shape repeat, switch rule), child age, and socioeconomic status. SPM analysis showed greater HbR activation for repeat versus switch trials in DLPFC and VLPFC for young children (7-9 years). Older children (10-14 years) showed greater lateralized HbR activation for switch versus repeat trials in left DLPFC and VLPFC. Importantly, neural activation in the PFC for all children during EF task was modulated by SES: lower-SES children showed reduced activation in brain regions that support EFs.
Discussion. Exposure to poverty (including hazardous labour) has a significant impact on children’s brain development and executive functions, which support literacy. Understanding the complex relationships between impoverished environments, brain development and learning outcomes provides new insights into children's learning pathways and the development of reading across diverse contexts

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