biostudies-literatureSiewe Fodjo JNEuropean Research CouncilUniversity of Antwerp Research Fund192-202https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8602181biostudies-literatureUnknown7(4)Infection with <i>Onchocerca volvulus</i> was recently reported to increase the risk for epilepsy in Cameroonian children. We investigated whether infection with <i>O. volvulus</i> may alter the cognitive function of children who may or may not develop epilepsy later in their lifetime. Using rapid diagnostic tests, we determined the presence of Ov16 antibodies in 209 school-aged children without epilepsy recruited from three Cameroonian villages, as a proxy for onchocerciasis exposure. In addition, the neurocognitive performance of these children was assessed using a battery of validated tools. Participants were aged 6-16 years, and 46.4% were Ov16 seropositive. Upon standardizing age-specific neurocognitive scores and investigating predictors of neurocognitive performance using multiple lJournal of pediatric neuropsychologyAssociation Between Ov16 Seropositivity and Neurocognitive Performance Among Children in Rural Cameroon: a Pilot Study.PMC8602181671055BOF 2019ERC grant number 671055Siewe Fodjo JNNfor LNAwasume ENjamnshi AKNganchfu KNgoundjou PEkwoge HTMundih NNYerema RTabah ENNjamnshi WYNgarka LColebunders RNjamnshi KGAshu GAyuk CfalseAssociation Between Ov16 Seropositivity and Neurocognitive Performance Among Children in Rural Cameroon: a Pilot Study.Infection with <i>Onchocerca volvulus</i> was recently reported to increase the risk for epilepsy in Cameroonian children. We investigated whether infection with <i>O. volvulus</i> may alter the cognitive function of children who may or may not develop epilepsy later in their lifetime. Using rapid diagnostic tests, we determined the presence of Ov16 antibodies in 209 school-aged children without epilepsy recruited from three Cameroonian villages, as a proxy for onchocerciasis exposure. In addition, the neurocognitive performance of these children was assessed using a battery of validated tools. Participants were aged 6-16 years, and 46.4% were Ov16 seropositive. Upon standardizing age-specific neurocognitive scores and investigating predictors of neurocognitive performance using multiple l2021-01-01T00:00:00Z20212025-04-04T09:38:28.405Z2022-02-11T13:28:21.91ZS-EPMC86021813486882810.1007/s40817-021-00111-z