This study examined the associations between the frequency of low scores on the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) by race and socioeconomic status (SES), using the proxy of Title I school status, among adolescent student-athletes and calculated multivariate base rates. There were 753 participants assigned to groups based on race (White: n = 430, 59.8%; Black: n = 289, 40.2%) and SES. Black student-athletes obtained more low neurocognitive test scores, which was associated with lower SES. The current study offers a resource to clinicians involved in concussion management who may wish to consider race and SES when interpreting ImPACT test performances.
This research was funded through the American Speech and Hearing Foundation's 2012 StudentResearch Grant in Early Childhood Language Development awarded to Vanessa Harwood as well as an anonymous generous donation to Haskins Laboratories. Electrophysiological measures of language within early childhood provide important information about neurolinguistic development. We investigated associations between amplitude and latency of the P1 and N2 event-related potential components in response to spoken pseudowords, and clinical measures of language performance within a sample of 58 typically developing children between 24 and 48 months. N2 amplitude differences between repeated and new tokens were correlated with measures of expressive and receptive language and speech sound production. Phonemic sensitivity measured by the N2 component may reflect the integrity of neural networks that are important for speech perception and production in young children.
The current study utilized a large, unselected sample of adolescent twins to examine whether processing speed (PS) is an important shared predictor that accounts for covariance among reading, math, ADHD, and rapid naming (RN). The best fitting model included correlated but distinguishable latent measures of PS, RN, reading, math, inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and academic fluency. PS was a shared predictor across all outcomes, while RN was uniquely associated with reading, fluency, and (albeit weakly) math. The results add to a growing literature suggesting that PS and RN may be important components of comprehensive neuropsychological models of academics, ADHD, and their covariation.
Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental delays. This study of school-aged children with single ventricle CHD compared access to services for those who did and did not complete an evaluation. Children completing an evaluation had more academic services, including an Individualized Education Plan (66% vs 34%,P = .017), small group academic instruction (54% vs 20%,P = .01), any instructional supports (77% vs 44%,P = .008). A barrier to not completing the evaluation was lack of knowledge about the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program (82%). The neurodevelopmental evaluation is an impactful tool that can increase access to school services in vulnerable CHD patients.
This review mainly explores less-reported neural markers to speech-evoked contrasts in children with cochlear implants (CI). Databases and electronic journals were searched with keywords of "mismatch responses" AND "positive mismatch response" (p-MMR) AND "late discriminate negativity" (LDN). P-MMR likely is as a measurement of brain immaturity in CI children while the developmental trajectories of LDN remain unexplained in older CI children. In CI children, there is a p-MMR-MMN-LDN sequence to speech stimuli developmentally. Whereas these aforementioned neural responses anticipate developmental changes in CI groups, it is still uncertain about the cutoff age for disappearance of p-MMR and LDN.
Compared children with CP/ADHD, CPCU/ADHD, ADHD-only, and controls on two measures of inhibitory control: a Simon/flanker task that measured response selection and a stop signal task that measured response inhibition. Results showed: (a) ADHD was associated with both measures of inhibitory control; (b) control children had better overall performance and ADHD-only had worse response selection than the CP groups; and (c) children with CPCU/ADHD had better response inhibition than children with ADHD-only or CP/ADHD. Results suggest inhibitory control dysfunction is associated with ADHD rather than CP and that response inhibition dysfunction distinguishes children with CP/ADHD from children with CPCU/ADHD.