Neurogene Small Grant – An exploratory study to understand the attitudes among parents towards cognitive enhancement interventions to address cognitive difficulties in their children

Dr. Jayashree Dasgupta (PI), Sangath, and Dr. Georgia Lockwood Estrin, Birkbeck University of London

This research project aims to explore parental understanding of cognitive impairment and cognitive enhancement in children, in low and middle-income settings (LMICs). Enhancing cognitive ability during childhood could have a significant impact on attainment a child’s true developmental potential, which in turn could lead to an improvement in quality of life for the individual and their family. This is particularly relevant in low-income settings, where developmental potential may not be attained due to a variety of factors including poverty and limited access to resources. Despite this, there is little research to-date on how parents perceive methods for cognitive enhancement, and particularly, which specific methods would be acceptable to low-income families who may have limited access to healthcare and information on these methodologies. This study aims to reduce the knowledge gap in this area, by conducting a qualitative study with parents of children in Delhi, India. Our research will inform future studies investigating cognitive enhancement interventions in LMICs, and has the potential to inform the direction of global neuroscience research.