Applied Neuropsychology: Child最新文献

This study investigates the effects of motor and cognitive dual tasks on walking and balance in Children with diparetic cerebral palsy. The subjects of this study were 12 children (experimental group n = 6, control group n = 6) who were medical diagnosed with diparetic cerebral palsy. They aged 8-12 years. Experimental group was administered treatment for 30 min, 2 times a week for 8 weeks, with the experimental group performing motor and cognitive dual task, while the control group did not have such a training. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to analyze changes in balance, gross motor function in the group, and the Mann-Whitney test was conducted to compare the differences between the two groups before and after intervention. In This study, the mean time for completing the Timed Up and Go Test in single and dual tasks and mean cognitive responses, there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Considering that many activities in daily life are dual tasks, these difficulties they experience in performing dual tasks show that children's daily lives are also affected. Therefore, dual task evaluations are very important for individuals to be independent in daily life.

Survivors of childhood Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) often report chronic and debilitating neurocognitive late effects. While short-term clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of methylphenidate in improving neurocognitive performance within the early phases of recovery, its effectiveness over longer treatment periods remains largely unexplored. The present systematic review aims to evaluate whether methylphenidate may serve as a beneficial long-term rehabilitative strategy for improving neuropsychological outcomes in childhood ABI. Database searches were conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from their inception to March 2023. Studies containing a neurocognitive, psychosocial, or quality of life outcome measure were included. A purpose-developed evaluation tool was used to assess the quality of the evidence base. Six of the 1926 identified articles were included within this review. Results drew upon three clinical populations; brain tumor (n = 76), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 33), and epilepsy and other EEG abnormalities (n = 166). Study durations ranged between six to 12 months. Methylphenidate was associated with sustained improvements in attentional functioning, processing speed, social skills, and quality of life, with benefits extending beyond the initial recovery phase and into future development. Side effects of methylphenidate use were reported to be mild and temporary.

While it has been established that cultural differences in test performance are common, few studies have compared groups from different countries that speak the same language. The aim of this study was to investigate the generalizability of selected linguistic and verbal memory subtests from the Swedish NEPSY-II to the Finland-Swedish minority group. The participants were 275 Swedish-speaking children from Finland aged 5-16-years. The performance was compared to the U.S. norms used in the test. The Finland-Swedish children scored around scaled score 12 and significantly higher than the normative mean on the subtests Comprehension of Instructions, Phonological Processing, Word Generation Semantic, List Memory, and Sentence Repetition, whereas no significant differences to the norms emerged for the subtests Word Generation Initial Letter, Narrative Memory, and Word List Interference. There was a significant age effect for two subtests, with scaled scores increasing with age. Lower parental education and male sex were associated with lower test scores on some subtests, whereas bilingualism was not. The findings were viewed in relation to previous comparison studies involving the NEPSY-II/NEPSY. The differences were suggested to relate to cultural, educational, and test-related differences between Finland, Sweden, and the U.S. The results add to the clinical utility of the NEPSY-II.

The aim of the study was to examine the association between prenatal exposure to maternal Hypertensive disorder during pregnancy (HDP) on brain structure and neurocognitive functioning (NCF) in singleton children aged between 9 and 10 years using the baseline wave of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. The ABCD Study^® interviewed each child (and their parents), measured NCF, and performed neuroimaging. Exposure to maternal high blood pressure (HBP) and preeclampsia or eclampsia (PE/EL) were extracted from the developmental history questionnaire. Differences in cortical thickness (CTh) and five cognitive abilities (two executive functions, working and episodic memory, processing speed, and two language abilities) between exposed and unexposed children were examined using generalized linear models. The mediating effects of CTh, birthweight, and BMI on the relationship between maternal HDP on NCF were also examined. A total of 584-children exposed to HBP, 387-children exposed to PE/EL, and 5,877 unexposed children were included in the analysis. Neither CTh nor NCF differed between the exposed and unexposed children with or without adjusting for the confounders including the child's age, sex, race, education, and birth histories. The whole-brain CTh did not mediate the relationships between HDP and NCF. However, the relationship between HDP and most of the NCF was mediated by the child's birthweight and BMI. Exposure to maternal HDP can affect their offspring's later-life cognitive abilities via low birthweight and BMI during childhood. Prospective longitudinal studies, following up from infancy, are needed to further delineate the association of HDP on children's cognitive abilities.

Objective: To investigate the relation between the use of Touch Screen Devices (TSDs), such as smartphones and tablets, and interference suppression as assessed by the Bivalent Shape Task (BST) in 5-11-year-old children.

Methods: Thirty-eight children from a Dutch primary school were included. Interference suppression was measured in the incongruent level of the BST. TSD use was measured by a standardized interview. The dataset was analyzed using multilevel analysis because of its nested structure.

Results: Children with moderate to high TSD use showed a longer reaction time (RT) as age progresses in the incongruent level (T = 2.40, p = .017), compared to children with no to low TSD use. Furthermore, an interaction between TSD use, age, gender, and the incongruent level demonstrated an increased RT in boys with moderate to high TSD use compared to boys with no to low TSD use as age increases (T = -2.23, p = .026).

Conclusion: The RT in response of interfering stimuli seems to be negatively influenced by TSD use as age progresses in children aged 5-11. Moreover, a gender-specific effect could be observed. Given the potential impact of these findings, more research would be helpful to further explore causal mechanisms.

This study aimed to describe the 24-hour composition of movement behaviors, including sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity (PA), among pediatric sports-related concussion (SRC) patients over their recovery period, assess the association between movement compositions and recovery time, and understand feasibility of 24-hour accelerometry in the study population. A cohort of 50 pediatric SRC patients were asked to wear a wrist-worn accelerometer continuously for the duration of their recovery. Among all enrolled participants, the sample was primarily 14 or 15 years of age (65%), female (55%), and recovered in under 28 days (88%). Accelerometer compliance was moderate; 35 participants (70%) were compliant with the protocol. Compositional analysis was used to address time-use objectives in 33 participants who provided adequate data for inclusion. Overall, participants spent an average of 50% of their 24-hour day sedentary, 33% sleeping, 11% in light intensity PA, and 6% in moderate or vigorous intensity PA. The 24-hour composition of movement behaviors was not associated with recovery time (p = .09-.99). However, the limited sample size may have contributed to null findings. Given recent evidence supporting the effects of sedentary behavior and PA on concussion recovery, future studies should aim to further validate these findings in a larger sample.

Children with attentional difficulties are more likely than their peers to experience challenges in basic reading skills, including phonemic decoding and word recognition. Such challenges may require reliance on higher-order cognitive functions such as fluid reasoning (Gf) to attain reading proficiency. The present study sought to clarify the role of Gf in phonemic decoding and word recognition among children-in grades 1-7 (n = 156)-being evaluated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Effects of Gf were examined in relation to crystallized knowledge (Gc). Results indicated that Gf exerted a direct effect onto phonemic decoding in early grades (grades 1-2) but not in later grades (grades 3-7). Gf also exerted an indirect effect onto phonemic decoding-through Gc-in later grades (grades 3-7) but not in early grades (grades 1-2). Finally, Gf exerted an indirect effect onto word recognition through phonemic decoding in grades 1-4 but not in grades 5-7. Altogether, findings show that Gf plays a direct role in younger children's phonemic decoding and an indirect role in word recognition (through Gc) in later grades, suggesting a shift in Gf's role across grade levels. Although findings need replication in longitudinal research, current results have implications for both typical and atypical reading development.

Background: Every child is unique, but development tends to occur in predictable steps and stages. The early identification of infants who face developmental delays is critical, boosting the use of screening tools to determine risks for delays. The city of Rio de Janeiro conducted a large-scale assessment of children who were enrolled in educational facilities using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE).

Objectives: We examined the internal structure of the ASQ:SE and its most discriminative items of risks of delays in development among 12- to 60-month-old children. The trajectory of the discrimination parameter of eight anchor items was used to check how well they inform the risk of social-emotional competence delays throughout development.

Methods: Data from 79,332 children (1-5 years) were analyzed via Samejima Graded Response model of Item Response Theory (IRT). The discrimination (a) and threshold (b) parameters were computed, and errors were achieved via maximum likelihood. Data/codes are available at https://osf.io/by6sf/.

Results: (a) Item Response Theory analyses supported the unidimensionality of data via the root mean square error of approximation and standardized root mean square residual results (RMSEA). (b) The lack of voluntary interest was the most discriminative risk behavior in the first 5 years. (c) Lack of interest was the most persistent risk behavior. (d) Difficulty making eye contact was nearly as informative as lack of interest.

Conclusion: Lack of voluntary interest in things should be considered a critical risk-related behavior, and making eye contact is a vital aspect of typical development. Both behaviors may be predictors of children's delays.MAIN OUTCOMESThe ASQ:SE is a valid and reliable tool to measure child development.The internal structure of the ASQ:SE is well-fitted with a unidimensional solution.A child's age is a vital aspect of the discrimination parameter of the IRT model.Lack of interest in things and difficulty making eye contact are critical risk-related behaviors.

The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric analysis of the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI) in Saudi Arabian ADHD children using the Rasch model. The study included 210 children from both sexes(males and females). All participants were from Saudi Arabia. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the dimensional structure of the scale. The Rasch Rating Scale Model (RSM) was used and implemented in the WINSTEPS v. 3.73 program. The results showed that the data, taken together, met the requirements of the RSM fit statistics. A good overall fit of persons and items to the model was found. Persons high rates of endorsement of "definitely true" on the CHEXI, as well as the most difficult items, are at the top of the map. No differences were found between the number of males and females in each of the three areas. The unidimensionality and local independence requirements were met. The levels of difficulty of the response categories are calibrated in ascending order as expected and in agreement with Andreich's scale model, and that all response categories are statistically appropriate according to the two scales of relevance, Infit and Outfit, where the statistics of the mean squares (Mnsq) for the fit of the categories did not exceed the limits of suitability. The thresholds for CHEXI are graded in difficulty and are almost equal in discrimination, and thus the assumption of the rating scale model is fulfilled.

The Working Memory Index (WMI) in the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) has been suggested to be associated with ADHD symptoms. The relationship between WMI and ADHD symptoms in the general population is not clear. The study aimed to examine the association between working memory (WM) and behavioral regulation (BR), and hyperactivity/inattention (HI) in a general population sample of 7-8-year-olds, and whether general intellectual functioning is associated with BR and HI. The study also examined if those with low WMI also fulfill elevated ADHD criteria. The study group (N = 865) was assessed with the WISC (Fourth edition), the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Five to Fifteen Questionnaire, and divided into three groups based on WM function, and in relation to BR and/or HI problems. The associations between WM and BR, and WM and HI, including intellectual functioning as covariate, were examined. WM deficits were found in 22%, but the majority of those had no BR or HI problems. Four percent in the study group had WM deficits combined with BR and/or HI problems, and in about one third of those inattentive ADHD criteria were fulfilled. WM and prosocial behavior were associated with BR and HI. WM deficits measured with WISC WMI in 7-8-year-olds do not always signal BR and/or HI problems.