Applied Neuropsychology: Child最新文献

This study aimed to examine the relationship between executive functions and school readiness of kindergarten children with cochlear implants. The study included 109 children between the ages of 57 and 71 months, who were enrolled in a special education practice school for the deaf and followed up by the ear, nose, and throat diseases clinic, who had bilateral severe or profound sensorineural type hearing loss and who used bilateral cochlear implants. The participants' teachers filled out the Childhood Executive Functions Inventory and the Primary School Readiness Scale. The findings showed a significant relationship between the Childhood Executive Functions Inventory-Working Memory, Inhibitory Control, and Total scores and Primary School Readiness Scale of kindergarten children with cochlear implant (r values are -.793, -.819., and -.768, respectively; p < 0.01). The results obtained from this study emphasize the importance of interventions that support the executive functions and school readiness of children with cochlear implants from the earliest period and increase their participation in school life.

This study aims to develop an empathy measurement tool for Saudi children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A total of 850 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were recruited by random sampling method from school in Makka. The Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) was used. Exploratory factor analysis was used to reanalyze the structure of the scale, and selected the Empathy scale to test the structural validity of the revised QCAE scale. The QCAE was revised among Saudi children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. After revision, the scale finally retained 17 items, which were divided into three dimensions: perspective taking, online simulation, and emotional response. In general, the scale has a moderate number of items and no reverse scoring items. Various indicators show that the three-factor structure is more suitable for children than the four-factor or five-factor structure of other groups.

Aim: To explore the relationship between motor activities and executive functions (EF) in children (aged 10-12 years) with a history of neonatal hypothermia-treated hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

Material and methods: Forty-five children (mean age 11 years) with a history of neonatal hypothermia-treated HIE in Stockholm (2007-2009) were included in this cross-sectional study. The children were assessed with Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-V (WISC-V). Their parents completed Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 (BRIEF-2), Five to Fifteen-R, and MABC-2 Checklist.

Results: Associations between motor capacity and EF, specifically Processing Speed, Working Memory, Flexibility, and Inhibition, were detected. Children scoring below the 15^th percentile on MABC-2 had weaker EF, evident in Cognitive Proficiency Index from WISC-V (t43 = 2.515, p = 0.016) and a higher mean Global Executive Composition Score from BRIEF-2 (t43 = -2.890, p = 0.006). Children with stronger EF exhibited better motor capacity. Parental questionnaires indicated everyday difficulties in 52% of the children.

Conclusions: Weaker EF were associated with difficulties in motor activities in early adolescence following hypothermia-treated HIE. These results highlight the importance of evaluating both motor activities and EF to understand children's everyday challenges.

Renpenning syndrome is a rare X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) caused by mutations in the polyglutamine-binding protein 1 (PQBP1) gene. Current understanding of its clinical features and pathogenesis remains limited, especially neuropsychological profile have not been fully investigated. We report a pair of Chinese siblings with Renpenning syndrome carrying a missense variant of PQBP1. They presented with severe intellectual deficiency, microcephaly, characteristic facial dysmorphism, short statures and lean body build. Neuropsychological assessment showed overall delayed development. Brain MRI scans indicated demyelination in which one patient exhibited improvement over a 6-year period. Both siblings experienced recurrent febrile convulsions before 5 years old, however, a diagnosis of epilepsy was not established. Notably, one child presented with multiple episodes of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), which has not been reported previously. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel variant: C.28C > G (p.R10G) inherited maternally. Consequently, we report the first known Chinese cases of Renpenning syndrome, caused by a novel variant in PQBP1 gene. Our study has expanded the spectrum of PQBP1 variants and existing understanding of the neuropsychological phenotype.

Purpose: Process Assessment of the Learner (Second Edition): Diagnostics for Math (PAL-II M) is a diagnostic tool for Math Learning Disability (MLD) with 14 subtests assessing specific math skills and math-related skills. This study examined the psychometric properties of PAL-II M and compared the performance of children with and without MLD.

Materials and methods: The PAL-II M and the Learning Disability Evaluation Scale (LDES) were used as assessment instruments. The sample included 404 primary school students from Tehran and 95 children diagnosed with MLD.

Results: The results confirmed the reliability of all subtests, except the Fingerprint Writing subtest. A three-factor model provided the best fit for the data, diverging from the original two-factor structure proposed for the test. Significant differences were found in PAL-II M scores between groups with and without MLD. Quantitative and spatial working memory were the strongest differentiators between the groups (χ² = 213.8, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The PAL-II M demonstrated strong psychometric properties and a cohesive factor structure among Iranian students. The subscales in PAL-II M are better categorized based on specific neuropsychological functions, including processes related to calculation, visual-spatial processing, and numerical processing. Furthermore, the test effectively distinguished between children with and without MLD. The interrelationships among PAL-II M subtests align with the various subtypes of MLD. Conceptualizing mathematical competency as a cohesive process encompassing general neuropsychological functions and specific learned mathematical skills is advantageous.

DSM-5 classifies dyslexia as a "specific learning disorder with impairment in reading", emphasizing deficits in phonological processing and letter knowledge. Children with dyslexia commonly exhibit challenges in reading accuracy, fluency, and associated cognitive deficits. Computerized neuropsychological assessments have gained prominence for their precision and control in evaluating cognitive abilities. This manuscript presents the validation outcomes of Askisi-Lexia, a web-based neuropsychological screener developed to assess cognitive and phonological skills in children. The screener effectively differentiated between dyslexic and non-dyslexic participants, with dyslexic children demonstrating significantly lower scores and prolonged response times across all nine tasks (five targeting phonological skills and four evaluating cognitive abilities). Additionally, Askisi-Lexia exhibited high sensitivity and specificity across all subtests. Reliability analysis revealed high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Notably, moderate correlations were observed between Askisi-Lexia and Test-A, a well-established traditional paper-and-pencil assessment, underscoring the screener's validity. These findings highlight the efficacy of web-based tools in assessing phonological and cognitive deficits associated with dyslexia. The study underscores the potential of web-based screening applications as practical, engaging, and efficient methods for dyslexia assessment. Such tools facilitate identification and intervention, contributing to significant advancements in educational and clinical practice for children with reading-related challenges.

Background statement: Studies show that there is a relationship between theory of mind and story comprehension skills. However, it is also seen that there is a need for correlational studies that examine story comprehension skills according to theory of mind sub-skills.

Aims: This study aimed to examine the relationship between preschool children's theory of mind and story comprehension skills. In addition, it was investigated whether there were differences in story comprehension and theory of mind scores of children according to the gender variable.

Methods: The study group consisted of 140 children (71 girls, 69 boys), from four kindergartens, in Rafha, Saudi Arabia, during the fall semester of the 2024 academic year. The study group was selected using the convenience sampling method, a nonrandom sampling method.

Results: Significant differences were found in favor of girls in the story comprehension scores and Theory of Mind Skills of the children included in the study.

Conclusion: According to the results of the research, there is a positive moderate relationship between story comprehension scores and theory of mind scale scores.

Concussions are a significant health concern for pediatric populations as children and adolescents engage in sports and recreational activities that increase their likelihood of sustaining brain injuries. Physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms resulting from concussion overlap with other diagnoses, particularly mimicking many symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to investigate and compare concussion characteristics, including symptom burden and recovery timeline, among pediatric patients with and without ADHD who have been diagnosed with a concussion. A retrospective chart review of 316 patients aged 6-18 years seen in a specialty concussion clinic in the Northwest United States was conducted. Patients with ADHD were selected, and patients without a positive developmental history were selected as an age-matched control group. Data from initial phone interviews and the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire were recorded into Epic EHR. Variables included demographics, concussion details, and symptom severity. Younger patients with ADHD had a longer time to their first visit, but ADHD did not significantly impact overall recovery time. Adolescents with ADHD and concussion were more likely to have diagnoses of depression and anxiety than adolescents without ADHD who had a concussion. The findings highlight the complexity of outcomes following concussion in children and adolescents. Although ADHD was associated with delayed care-seeking and higher rates of depression and anxiety diagnoses, an ADHD diagnosis did not significantly affect concussion symptom burden, as measured by the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, or recovery timeline.

Stuttering is a speech disorder disrupting fluency with implications that could affect psychological, educational, social, and occupational aspects of life. Cognitive functions include mental processes that allows for execution of goal-directed responses in different situations. They are usually referred to as executive functions (EF) which consists of three main components, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. The Stanford Binet 5th edition (SB5) is an intelligence scale designed to assess various cognitive skills by measuring five main domains that require the administration of these executive skills. Recent research has focused on executive functions skills among children with stuttering (CWS), and how it might affect stuttering development and severity.

Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive verbal and nonverbal skills using the Stanford Binet intelligence quotient test 5th edition (SB5) between children with stuttering (CWS) and children with no stuttering (CWNS) and to assess which of these skills affected stuttering severity among CWS.

Methods: A total of 70 children, 40 CWS and 30 CWNS, were assessed using the SB5 test. Further assessment of the CWS was done using the stuttering severity index (SSI) to determine the degree of stuttering. Statistical analysis and comparison were used to determine results and differences in cognitive skills, and regressive analysis was used to determine the most predicative factor in stuttering development and severity.

Results: Showed that CWS performed lower scores than CWNS in all SB5 domains except in non-verbal domain, where the two groups did not differ significantly in their performance. Working memory was the weakest skill among CWS and stood out as the only significant predicative factor in stuttering. Children with severe stuttering performed higher in their total IQ, nonverbal IQ, knowledge, and fluid reasoning than moderate stutterers, having the strongest performance in non-verbal IQ, still none of these domains turned out to be of a predicative significance in severity.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that working memory is the weakest executive skill in CWS as well as other executive functions related to cognitive flexibility compared to fluent controls. Working memory skills are significantly lower in CWS but does not correlate with its severity; whereas the strongest skills, among CWS compared to fluent controls, are in the nonverbal domains.

Chronic stage neuropsychological assessments of children with severe TBI typically center around a referral question and focus on assessing cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning, making differential diagnoses, and planning treatment. When severe TBI-related neurological deficits are subtle and fall outside commonly assessed behavioral indicators, as can happen with theory of mind and social information processing, they can go unobserved and subsequently fail to be assessed. Additionally, should chronic stage cognitive, behavioral, and emotional assessment findings fall within the average to above average range, a child experiencing ongoing significant unassessed severe TBI-related subtle deficits could be mistakenly judged to have "recovered" from their injury; and to be experiencing no significant ongoing residual neurological deficits. To illustrate how this could happen, and how subacute neuroimaging and brain network theory might be early indicators of emergent chronic stage neuropsychological deficits, we present a child with a severe TBI and average to above average cognitive, behavioral, and emotional assessment findings who has comorbid significant deficits in theory of mind and social functioning.