COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE OF STUNTED CHILDREN IN NTT PROVINCE BASED ON EEG MEASUREMENTS THROUGH THE GEOMETRIC PUZZLE TEST

• Main Author: Syahidah, Shofa
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/79595
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is the province with the highest prevalence of stunting in Indonesia, reaching 35.3% in 2022. Stunting is caused by malnutrition which can disrupt a child's brain development, thereby affecting delays in cognitive function. As a result, stunting reduces attention and memory control which leads to weak academic performance. This study aims to determine the characteristics of children indicated as stunting through quantitative parameters consisting of anthropometric data on head circumference, cognition test scores, and EEG power spectral density consisting of theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), and beta (12-30 Hz) in the anterofrontal (AF) and temporoparietal (TP) areas. This research involved 32 children aged 6-8 years who were divided into two groups: the group with indications of stunting (SG, Takari District, N= 22; boys= 10, girls= 12) and the Control Group (C, Kupang City, N = 10; males= 5, females= 5) from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province. Brain signals were recorded using EEG MuseTM which consists of 4 electrodes in the eyes open condition in two observation phases: initial baseline (BL) and cognition testing using a geometric puzzle (P) which has four levels of difficulty. The EEG signal data obtained was then preprocessed and further data processed using MatLab with data output in the form of power spectral density (PSD) from theta, alpha and beta waves. EEG data was then obtained through comparative analysis on interphase, intergroup and interhemisphere aspects. The results showed that the SG group's lower cognition test performance was correlated with head circumference data and higher puzzle cognition test scores in group C (Sig. < 0.05). As for the results of interphase PSD data analysis, theta wave activity in the SG group showed a significant decrease at the AF8 electrode and a significant increase at the TP10 electrode (Sig. < 0,05). Meanwhile, the results of intergroup comparisons showed real differences in the AF7 electrode, with a higher SG beta PSD value in the puzzle cognition test phase (Sig. < 0,05). The results of interhemispheric analysis using the laterality index (LI) showed that there were differences in the brain lateralization patterns of the two groups in the AF area. In addition, similar lateralization of the two groups in the TP area during the puzzle cognition test was observed. However, in the SG group there was a change in lateralization of the temporoparietal area to the left hemisphere during the puzzle cognition test (Sig. <0,01). The results of a study of the characteristics of theta, alpha and beta waves in children with indications of stunting lead to the conclusion that there is a decrease in attention function and an increase in work workload during the puzzle cognition test, which is indicated by the change in PSD theta values in the AF and TP areas, a higher PSD beta. from the control group, and differences in AF and TP lateralization when puzzle cognition testing was performed.