Applied Neuropsychology: Child最新文献

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention and executive dysfunction, although there is not always agreement on the onset, course and long-term stability of the diagnosis. This study aims to detect differences in the cognitive profile according to the subtype of ADHD following a professional diagnosis and to propose an alternative classification. The scores obtained for each cognitive construct were compared using the Student's t-test. In order to explore different diagnostic categories based on groupings made by Artificial Intelligence (AI) subjects were grouped based on their performance through the K-means clustering technique. The results obtained by Artificial Intelligence (AI) identified groups based on the severity of the cognitive profile and the presence of emotional impairment. Difficulties in perceived planning within family and school environments were highlighted as major risk factors in the severity of ADHD in children. Emotional disturbances perceived by both parents, such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, and somatization, were observed subsequently. In accordance with the results, an alternative way to classify ADHD is possible, involving categorization according to the presence or absence of emotional impairment, along with the severity of impairment in attentional and executive functions.

Increase in the incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and increased attention to symptoms of ASD in social media have contributed to a significant rise in referrals for neuropsychological assessment of possible ASD. Many practitioners lack specific training in the assessment of ASD and may avoid addressing these concerns, despite the frequency of those referrals. This paper reviews potential contributors to the rise in referrals and several related conditions which share some overlap with features of ASD. That is followed by descriptions of four school-aged children and adolescents referred for comprehensive evaluation of suspected ASD. The authors describe decision points in the diagnostic process for those with or without proficiency in ASD-specific testing and close with a series of recommendations for the assessment of clients with complex presentations referred for suspected ASD.

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Third Edition (GARS-3) has emerged as a pivotal instrument in the diagnostic assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with its utility extending across linguistic and cultural boundaries. This study endeavors to adapt and validate the GARS-3 for the Arabic-speaking population, addressing the paucity of culturally congruent diagnostic tools in the Arab world. The primary objective is to validate the Arabic version of GARS-3 (A-GARS-3) to assess children with and without ASD, ensuring the scale's reliability and validity within the target population. A methodical cross-sectional study design was employed, encompassing a sample of 178 participants from both educational and clinical settings in Saudi Arabia. The process involved direct translation, expert panel review, back-translation, and pilot testing to ensure semantic equivalence and cultural relevance. Data were collected using the A-GARS-3, and analyses included Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA and CFA), internal consistency reliability measures, and a One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to establish concurrent validity. The A-GARS-3 demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.971; McDonald's omega = 0.972) and strong construct validity, with factor loadings and model fit indices substantiating the factor structure. Predictive validity was confirmed through significant correlations between the Autism Index and the subscales, particularly in the domains of social interaction and communication. The A-GARS-3 is a psychometrically sound instrument that offers reliable assessment for ASD within the Arab cultural context. The positive validation outcomes indicate that the scale is an effective, culturally adapted tool for the localized diagnosis of ASD. The validated scale has significant implications for enhancing ASD screening and diagnostic practices in Arabic-speaking regions, potentially improving early diagnosis and intervention strategies.

The present study aims to investigate morphosyntactic and semantic measures in bilingual Azeri-Persian-speaking children aged 5.5-6.5 years with and without language impairment. In this cross-sectional study, the bilingual participants were thirty children with language impairment (LI) and fifteen typically developing children (TD) who were selected from nurseries and Speech therapy clinics. The language samples were collected through story-telling in Azeri and Persian languages, separately. The linguistic analysis was done based on morphosyntactic and semantic parameters. The Alberta Language and Development Questionnaire (ALDeQ) parent report questionnaire was completed via interviewing with the parents to differentiate language impairment from language differences. Study findings revealed a significant difference between the morphosyntactic and semantic scores in two groups of bilingual Azeri-Persian speaking LI and TD children (p ˂ 0.05). Also, the results demonstrated no significant relationship between the scores of linguistic scores and age in LI and TD children (p < 0.05). According to the result of the study, morphosyntactic and semantic parameters of language samples in bilingual Azeri-Persian-speaking children could be utilized to provide diagnostic information for speech and language pathologists in LI children among bilingual Azeri-Persian communities.

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.