Applied Neuropsychology: Child最新文献

Objective: When test results are interpreted based on the norms of the U.S. population, misdiagnoses of neurocognitive impairment could occur with subgroups of individuals whose demographic characteristics differ from the overall population. The present study compared locally-based normative test data of the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) of high school athletes in Hawaii, where diverse ethnicity and bilingualism are prominent, versus published test norms.

Method: 8637 high school athletes in Hawaii underwent ImPACT baseline testing. Non-parametric group comparisons of age, sex, and language groups were performed. Classification ranges for the ImPACT Composite scores and Total Symptom of the Hawaii sample were presented in percentile ranks that corresponded to the published ImPACT normative tables.

Results: Mann-Whitney U Test indicated significant differences in ImPACT Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, Visual Motor Speed, and Reaction Time Composite scores between age groups and sexes, although the effect sizes were small. Kruskal-Wallis H Test indicated no differences among the language groups. Percentile ranks of the Hawaii scores were predominantly similar to the ImPACT norms, except for Visual Motor Speed in the Impaired and Borderline ranges.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that locally based normative data should be considered for sub-populations that may differ from the general population. Language factors, such as bilingualism, did not have significant effect on the ImPACT scores.

Executive functions (EF), including verbal and visuospatial working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility, are associated with academic skills such as copying and producing written texts in school-age children.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the association between primary school children's executive function skills and their ability to copy and produce written texts.

Methodology: We included 282 children attending primary school (children in fourth to sixth grade; mean age = 10.22 years, SD = 0.86). Text copying tasks (transcription) and a photographic description (expressive writing skills) of the BEEsc Battery (Batería para la Evaluación de la Escritura) were administered. The visual search, working memory, flexibility, and inhibition tests of the TAC (Tareas de Autorregulación Cognitiva) battery were administered for EF.

Results: Children with better resistance to distractor interference and response inhibition scores wrote more words and made fewer phonological errors in the copy task; and their written composition quality improved with less omission errors, shifting and visuospatial working memory in the production task. In addition, we found that both copy, and production skills varied as a function of demographic factors, finding higher scores in higher grade students and among girls.

Discussion: The findings indicate that children with higher EF skills exhibit enhanced writing copy and composition performances. Furthermore, demographic differences (gender and school grade) significantly influenced writing outcomes, underscoring the need for tailored educational strategies. These findings point to the role of EF in writing and provide theoretical input for classroom practices.

Purpose: Telepractice is a promising alternative to treat children who stutter. This study aimed to investigate factors influencing telepractice for treating stuttering in a group of school-aged children. Methods: This study involved 20 children aged 7 to 9 years diagnosed with moderate to severe stuttering using the Stuttering Severity Instrument (SSI) - Arabic version. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (SB-5), Fifth Edition was applied. Speech teletherapy via Zoom application was employed for 9 months by the same speech pathologists. After treatment, SSI was measured to check the improvement and to correlate the results to age, sex, and IQ subtests. Results: The SSI scores decreased significantly after treatment (p < 0.001) with a mean percentage of change of 57.4 ± 27.1% (21.7%-100%). Stuttering severity decreased significantly after teletherapy (p < 0.001); all children with moderate stuttering (n = 12) were converted to slight severity. Three out of eight of those with severe stuttering (37.5%), had slight severity after the end of treatment. The children's attendance and attention during treatment sessions were excellent sessions. The scores on all components of the SB scales and the full-scale IQ were average scores in all children. The treatment outcome was not affected by the children's age, sex, or IQ. Conclusion: Teletherapy for 9 months is successful in reducing stuttering scores and severity in school-age children. The outcome of treatment was not affected by the child's age, sex, and IQ.

Executive functions (EF) affect child competencies across domains in early childhood. Thus, this study examined: 1) the EF differences between young children with global developmental delays (GDD) and those with typical development (TD); 2) the relationship between mastery motivation (MM) and EF; 3) the association between developmental abilities and EF in both groups. Participants included 26 mother-child dyads of preschoolers with GDD (age 24-55 months) and 26 sex- and mental-age-matched dyads of TD preschoolers (age 15-29 months). Child developmental abilities were assessed using the Comprehensive Developmental Inventory for Infants and Toddlers. Mothers rated child EF and MM using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and the Revised Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaires. Independent-t test (p <.008, 2-tailed) and hierarchical regressions were used to examine association (p <.05, 2-tailed). GDD group showed higher EF difficulties compared to their TD counterparts (t = 4.05- 5.48, p <.001). Additionally, higher child MM, developmental ability, and mother's perceived child ability are significantly associated with overall EF. Therefore, early childhood practitioners should coach parents to observe their child's MM and to identify the child ability to enhance EF in young children. This study provides preliminary evidence linking MM, EF, and child abilities in early childhood.

Art therapy has been proven to be efficacious in alleviating symptoms of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with the advent of artificial intelligence providing new technological means to engage and increase the participation levels of ADHD children. Nonetheless, research on the application of AI in art therapy remains scant. This study, predicated on a method involving ADHD children co-creating art with AI, has devised a therapeutic activity aimed at ameliorating their attention deficits. By conducting standardized measurements with the SNAP-IV 26 questionnaire and qualitative analyses of the art created by 16 ADHD children, the effectiveness of the "Co-creation with AI" activity was assessed. Findings indicate that this activity, through a process encompassing engagement, action, variable rewards, and sustained involvement, has facilitated ADHD children in focusing their attention and ameliorating their hyperactive behavioral issues. However, it offered minimal assistance in addressing their oppositional defiant behavior. The co-creative approach with machines has effectively enriched the emotional expression of ADHD children and mobilized their enthusiasm. Nevertheless, the instability in AI's painting style and its variability may lead to a diminution in the children's interest over time. The guidance of therapists and communication in daily life are indispensable elements.

Purpose: The present study is a systematic review aimed at examining the impact of neurofeedback interventions on the body structure and function, as well as the activity and participation of children with developmental dyslexia, in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health-Children and Youth version.

Method: Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, databases including Scopus, Cochrane, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched using keywords such as "Neurofeedback," "Dyslexia," and related terms based on Mesh terms, without any time restrictions, until January 2024. The inclusion criteria were clinical experimental and randomized controlled trials that investigated the impact of neurofeedback in children with reading and writing disorders, and their full-text articles were available in English or Persian. The studies were screened in two stages, and their data were extracted and analyzed.

Results: Following the two-stage screening process, a total of 39 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among them, there were 4 randomized clinical trials, 19 experimental studies, and 16 case studies, examining the impact of neurofeedback on the body structure and function in 342 children with reading and writing disorders, aged 7 to 15 years.

Conclusion: Developmental dyslexia restricts children's performance at all levels of functioning. Therefore, a comprehensive assessment of a child's functioning level and the environmental factors affecting it is necessary. Neurofeedback-based interventions have a significant impact on the body structure and function, as well as the activity and participation of children with developmental dyslexia. These interventions can be used as part of multidimensional approaches in the rehabilitation of these children.

Objective: To examine sociodemographic differences in concussion symptom reporting, among young children by race/ethnicity, sex, and age at initial presentation to guide potential interventions for children from different backgrounds.

Method: Participants were elementary-age children (ages 5 to 12 years; n = 392) who sustained a concussion within 30 days of specialty concussion clinic visit. Independent variables were self-defined race/ethnic group, participants' sex, and age. Dependent variables were number and severity of 22 post-concussion symptoms as measured by the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool5^® (SCAT-5) Symptom Evaluation.

Results: Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) showed no differences in reporting of symptoms across race/ethnic or age groups. There was no interaction between race/ethnic, sex and age groups. Females in this sample reported a greater number and severity of concussion symptoms than males.

Conclusions: Concussion symptom endorsement on the SCAT-5 Symptom Evaluation did not appear to be affected by race/ethnicity or age. However, consistent with existing literature, females reported higher endorsement of concussion symptoms than males and therefore may merit special consideration in evaluation of symptoms. Future research should examine the intersection of other sociodemographic variables with race/ethnicity and should consider the influence of respondent (child vs. parent) in studies of this age cohort.

Motor impairments are one of the most common adverse outcomes after childhood arterial ischemic stroke (C-AIS), yet their relationship with intellectual abilities is not yet well understood. This study examined associations between intellectual abilities and motor functioning and clinical features associated with motor impairment. Participants were 34 children with C-AIS. Motor functioning was assessed with the Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure sensorimotor subscale at two timepoints: early recovery (between 30 days post-stroke and 1 year) and closest to time of neuropsychological testing. Intellectual abilities were measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 4th or 5th edition. Motor functioning during early recovery was significantly associated with intellectual functioning, verbal abilities, perceptual reasoning abilities, and processing speed. Motor functioning closest to time of neuropsychological testing was associated with processing speed. There were more children with subcortical lesions with no/mild motor deficit, whereas there were more children with cortical + subcortical lesions with moderate/severe motor deficits. Associations between motor functioning during early stroke recovery and intellectual abilities may be related to neuroplastic changes post-injury, resulting in early motor deficits and affecting subsequent development of intellectual abilities through hierarchical maturational processes, whereas motor functioning closer to neuropsychological testing reflects maturational recovery processes augmented by intervention.

We evaluated the effects of kidney failure etiology, dialysis, and area deprivation index on the subdomains of neurocognitive functioning in pediatric kidney transplant candidates. The study included 78 pediatric kidney transplant candidates (47.4% male, 70.5% White, M.age = 11.77 years, and 51.3% patients have public insurance) who completed a pre-transplant neuropsychological evaluation between 1/1/2010 and 10/31/2022. Linear regression models were employed to complete data analyses. The mean scores of various neurocognitive functioning domains in pediatric kidney transplant candidates were significantly lower than in the general population (ps < .001). After adjusting for covariates, patients with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (M = 87; 95% CI: 80-94) and other etiologies (M = 82; 95% CI: 76-89) had significantly lower processing speed compared to patients with nephrotic syndrome (M = 98; 95% CI: 89-107) (p = .02). Patients living in high-level deprivation neighborhoods showed significantly lower verbal skills (p = .01), working memory performance (p = .02), and full-scale IQ (p = .03) than patients living in median-level and low-level deprivation neighborhoods. Additionally, dialysis did not show significant association with neurocognitive domains ((ps ranged from .07 to .52).

Children spend most of their waking hours sedentary and reducing this behavior has been challenging. Interrupting prolonged episodes of sedentary behavior with active breaks can provide mental and cognitive health benefits. Considering the multifactorial nature of these health aspects, this study aimed to verify the role of body mass index (BMI), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in the relationship between the break in sedentary time with cognitive and mental health in children. This is a cross-sectional study with 129 children (62 boys), aged between 6 and 11 years (mean 8.73 ± 1.53) from a public school in southern Brazil. For the assessment of fluid intelligence, psychologists applied Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices test. Mental health was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Sedentary breaks were measured using accelerometers, and CRF was determined using the 6-min walk test. Generalized linear regression analyses were used to verify associations of sedentary breaks with fluid intelligence and mental health, according to children's BMI, CRF, and MVPA. All models were adjusted for sex, age, somatic maturation, and total time of accelerometer use. Our results indicated that sedentary breaks were associated with fluid intelligence in overweight/obese (β = 0.108; p = 0.021) and physically inactive children (β = 0.083; p = 0.010). Regarding mental health, no association was identified with sedentary breaks. In conclusion, sedentary breaks should be encouraged for the benefits of fluid intelligence, especially in children who do not meet physical activity recommendations and are overweight.