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 FINDINGS: Children 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 incidence 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. (Alzheimer's Dement. 6(1):e12039, 2020). Social 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.PMID:33948738 | DOI:10.1007/s11910-021-01116-z

Source: Epilepsy Curr - May 5, 2021 Category: Neurology Authors: Monica Maalouf Maureen Fearon Mary Clare Lipa Hannah Chow-Johnson Linda Tayeh Daniel Lipa Source Type: research