The current study investigated corpus callosum (CC) morphology in retinopathy-positive and retinopathy-negative pediatric survivors of cerebral malaria (CM). Participants were 20 children who were admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, and satisfied the clinical case definition of CM. There were two groups: retinopathy-positive CM (n = 16) and retinopathy-negative CM (n = 4). Analysis of covariance and multivariate analysis of covariance were conducted and effect sizes were calculated on the area measurements to determine whether overall brain area, CC area, and five segments of the CC (i.e., genu, body, midbody, isthmus, and splenium) differed as a function of retinopathy status. No significant group differences emerged in any of the analyses. However, a large effect size was noted in overall brain area and a moderate effect size was detected in total CC area. For the five CC segments, a moderate effect size was detected for the genu, body, and midbody, and a large effect size was found for the splenium. The effect sizes indicate that these regions may be smaller in the retinopathy-positive group. The results suggest the retinopathy-positive group may have lost white matter in the CC, particularly in the splenium, and perhaps elsewhere in the brain. Research indicates attention deficits frequently occur in pediatric survivors of CM. This study is consistent with previous research Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, suggesting the CC, particularly the splenium, may be especially important in attentional processes.
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