Neurologic Complications of Poverty: the Associations Between Poverty as a Social Determinant of Health and Adverse Neurologic Outcomes

This study summarizes the recent literature on poverty as it contributes to neurological disease.Recent FindingsChildren growing up in poverty have increased risk for cognitive deficits and behavioral disorders as reported by Noble et al. (Dev Sci. 9(6):642 –54, 2006) and Farah et al. (Brain Res. 1110(1):166–74, 2006) as well as worse outcomes when it comes to epilepsy management and disease course as discussed by Camfield et al. (Epilepsia. 57(11):1826–33, 2016). In adulthood, as the number of social determinants of health increases, the inciden ce of stroke and severe stroke increases significantly as reported by Reshetnyak et al. (Stroke. 51:2445–53, 2020) as does exposure to neurologically significant infectious diseases and incidence of dementia as reported by Sumilo et al. (Rev Med Virol. 18(2):81–95, 2008) and Zuelsdorff et al. (A lzheimer’s Dement. 6(1):e12039, 2020).SummarySocial determinants of health including poverty should be considered a risk factor for disease. More attention is needed from clinicians as well as from a public health perspective to address this disparity.
Source: Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research