The Impact of Anemia on Cognitive Performance of School Children in Kenitra City through a Computerized Line Analysis of the Rey Complex Figure A Copy (FCR-A)

Imane Achouri, Youssef Aboussaleh, Ahmed Omar Touhami Ahami, Philippe Wallon

Abstract: Many studies throughout the world have shown the high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in children and its impact on their academic performance through the diagnosis of neuro-cognitive abilities. However, studies in this field in school-aged children in Morocco, remain rare. Therefore, the aimed to investigate the impact of anemia on the neurocognitive performances among schoolchildren in Kenitra city, located in North western Morocco. The sample represents 152 students randomly chosen, aged between 6 and 14 years in an urban environment. The measurements of hematological parameters were performed, and a numerical version of the Rey A test was used to assess the cognitive profile of these children. The results showed that 16.2% of children were anemic. The clinical rating analyses of Rey test showed a very significant difference (p <0.05) between the two groups in the two trials (copy and recall)in both scores and techniques of realization. Thus, the results confirmed that iron status is a significant factor in cognitive performance in schoolchildren.

Keywords: Anemia, cognition, Complex figure of Rey A, schoolchildren, Morocco.