The association between Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and speech and language impairment: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

Abstract

Manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection can range from self-limiting upper respiratory symptoms to various neurological complications, including speech and language impairment. But an association between Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and speech and language impairment has not been sufficiently explored. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and subsequent speech and language impairment in a nationwide population-based sample using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified 5,406 children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (International Classification of Disease, Revision 9, Clinical Modification code 4830) and compared to 21,624 age-, sex-, urban- and income-matched controls on subsequent speech and language impairment. The mean follow-up interval for all subjects was 6.44 years (standard deviation = 2.42 years); the mean latency period between the initial Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and presence of speech and language impairment was 1.96 years (standard deviation = 1.64 years). The results showed that Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was significantly associated with greater incidence of speech and language impairment [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.23–1.80]. In addition, significantly increased hazard ratio of subsequent speech and language impairment in the groups younger than 6 years old and no significant difference in the groups over the age of 6 years were found (HR = 1.43, 95% CI:1.09–1.88 for age 0–3 years group; HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.25–2.23 for age 4–5 years group; HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.54–2.39 for age 6–7 years group; and HR = 0.83, 95% CI:0.23–2.92 for age 8–18 years group). In conclusion, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is temporally associated with incident speech and language impairment.

The effect of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths on expressive language skills among African preschool children

“…The gender comparison in this study shows that boys performed better in vocabulary subtests. This is an unusual finding as many studies report girls as having stronger expressive or oral language skills and boys at a higher risk of speech and language impairment [ 18 , 29 , 30 ]. Since gender related differences in language acquisition have been attributed to cortical sex differences, thought to be acquired or enlarged through different stages of development and attributed to different cognitive strategies between sexes, we recommend further investigation into the factors that may have contributed to the trends in our study, considering its rural setting and specific to isiZulu language.…”

Perkembangan Otak dan Kognitif Anak: Peran Penting Sistem Imun pada Usia Dini

“…18 Infeksi Mycoplasma pneumoniae juga berhubungan signifikan dengan insiden gangguan bahasa (HR= 1,49, 95% CI: 1,23±1,80]. 19 Pada anak dan remaja dengan infeksi HIV, ternyata skor Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), sebuah instrumen untuk mengukur adanya disfungsi psikososial, berhubungan signifikan dengan angka proporsi kegagalan virologis. 20…”

Risk of Major Mental Disorder after Severe Bacterial Infections in Children and Adolescents: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study

“…Circulating autoantibodies that enter the brain and bind to neurotransmitter receptors is one of the proposed mechanisms of PANDAS [6]. Moreover, 45% of hospitalized pediatric patients had neurological sequelae after Mycoplasma pneumonia infection, and these patients may subsequently develop speech and language impairment, psychosis, and OCD [8][9][10][11]. Immune-mediated vascular injury and development of vasculitis are the putative mechanisms of Mycoplasma in terms of these psychiatric symptoms [12,13].…”