Child Neuropsychology最新文献

Fetal inflammation, typically measured indirectly through prenatal maternal cytokine markers, has been shown to impact early childhood executive functions (EFs), which are central to later cognitive and life outcomes. Here, we assessed the impact of prenatal inflammation on EF developmental trajectories using direct placenta histopathology measures in 131 mothers who predominantly self-identified as Black (90.8% Black; 0.8% Asian American, 1.5% biracial, 0.8% Latinx, 3.1% White, 3.1% Missing). We found that placental measures of inflammation were associated with limited gain in EF development from 3 to 5 years old. In follow up analyses, we addressed whether screening questionnaires in infancy might aid in classification of infants as higher risk for subsequent EF problems. We found that parent responses to the Ages & Stages Questionnaire and the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile at 12 months predict the development of EF abilities in children exposed to chronic inflammation. These findings open promising opportunities for early screening of children at risk for poor executive functioning in children exposed to prenatal inflammation.

This study aimed to assess the extent of cognitive impairment in children and adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). While cognitive deficits are recognized in other systemic rheumatic diseases, exploration within the pediatric JIA population remains limited. The investigation utilized a comprehensive approach to examine neuropsychological test performance. A cohort of 160 participants (79 JIA, 81 healthy controls aged 8-17) underwent evaluations using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), and the computerized neurocognitive test battery Central Nervous System Vital Signs (CNSVS). Children with JIA exhibited statistically significant cognitive deficits across various parameters (p < .05). This was associated with an increased prevalence of lifelong psychiatric illnesses and diminished overall quality of life compared to healthy counterparts (p < .05). Analysis highlighted that specific JIA subtypes, excluding Oligoarthritis, significantly elevated the risk of neurocognitive impairments, emphasizing the impact on various cognitive outcomes (OR range: 3.1-5.1, 95% CI: 1.163-19.980). Additionally, the active disease stage was identified as a specific risk factor, amplifying the likelihood of low executive functions by 4.3 times (OR: 4.363, 95% CI: 1.095-17.378). This study underscores the critical importance of recognizing and addressing neurocognitive impairments in children with JIA. Specific attention to disease subtypes and activity levels is crucial, with the potential for targeted interventions to enhance overall cognitive well-being and quality of life in this vulnerable population.

Youth with spina bifida (SB) are at increased risk for inattention and executive dysfunction challenges. This study aimed to characterize the development of inattention and executive dysfunction in SB and examine the relationship between condition severity (i.e. lesion level, shunt status, and shunt revisions) and inattention and executive dysfunction at age 11.5 and longitudinally. Participants included 140 youth with SB. Condition severity was collected via parent reports and chart review. Parents and teachers reported on youth's inattention and executive dysfunction using informant-based measures across five time points. Parents and teachers both reported linear decreases in inhibition and working memory problems. Development of inattention and shifting problems varied by reporter. At 11.5 years, shunt status predicted worse parent- and teacher-reported inattention and executive dysfunction, while shunt revisions predicted worse parent-reported working memory alone. Higher lesion level predicted fewer parent-reported inhibition problems at 11.5 years. Over time, more shunt revisions and higher lesion level predicted worse parent-reported inattention and inhibition, respectively. Findings suggest that inattention and executive dysfunction may significantly change over time in youth with SB, related to condition severity and reporter. Early deficit identification and intervention implementation, particularly for youth with greater SB severity, may result in better longitudinal outcomes.

This study aims to examine the reliability and validity of the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders Revised (HTKS-R) as a measure of self-regulation in Brazilian children aged 3-5. The early childhood period is crucial for laying the foundations for personal, social and cognitive functioning, influencing development throughout life. Self-regulation, a malleable construct, plays a vital role in academic performance and behaviors throughout life. The HTKS-R, a widely used measure, assesses behavioral self-regulation, including cognitive flexibility, working memory and inhibitory control. The study included 379 children between the ages of 3 and 5 from a variety of backgrounds. Data were collected using the HTKS-R, a standardized self-report measure that integrates executive functions into a game to assess self-regulation. Exploratory Graphical Analysis (EGA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were employed to analyze the data. The results of the EGA and BootEGA indicated a unidimensional structure for the HTKS-R, confirming its internal consistency and stability. The CFA supported the fit of the unidimensional model, demonstrating the test's construct validity. The HTKS-R showed factorial invariance between genders. The results suggest that the HTKS-R is a reliable and valid measure of self-regulation in Brazilian children aged 3-5. The applicability of the test in different age groups and environments provides valuable information about children's self-regulation skills. The study contributes to the literature by validating the HTKS-R in the Brazilian context and highlights its potential for assessing self-regulation in diverse populations.

Deficits in executive functioning (EF) behaviors are very common following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can linger well after acute injury recovery. Raters from multiple settings provide information that may not be appreciated otherwise. We examined differences between parent and teacher ratings of EF using data examining longitudinal outcomes following pediatric TBI in comparison to orthopedic injury (OI). We used linear mixed models to determine the association of rater type and injury type with scores on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF). After controlling for demographic variables, rater type and injury type accounted for a small but significant proportion of the variance in EF. Teachers' ratings on the BRIEF were significantly higher than parent ratings for global EF and metacognition, but not for behavior regulation, regardless of injury type, indicating greater EF concerns. All BRIEF ratings, whether from teachers or parents, were higher for children with TBI than for those with OI. Results suggest that parents and teachers provide unique information regarding EF following traumatic injuries and that obtaining ratings from persons who observe children at school as well as at home can result in a better understanding of situation-specific variability in outcomes.

Preserving a normal body mass index (BMI) is crucial for the healthy growth and development of children. As a core aspect of executive functions, inhibitory control plays a pivotal role in maintaining a normal BMI, which is key to preventing issues of childhood obesity. By studying individual variations in inhibitory control performance and its associated connectivity-based neuromarker in a sample of primary school students (N = 64; 9-12 yr), we aimed to unravel the pathway through which inhibitory control impacts children's BMI. Utilizing resting-state functional MRI scans and a connectivity-based psychometric prediction framework, we found that enhanced inhibitory control abilities were primarily associated with increased functional connectivity in brain structures vital to executive functions, such as the superior frontal lobule, superior parietal lobule, and posterior cingulate cortex. Conversely, inhibitory control abilities displayed a negative relationship with functional connectivity originating from reward-related brain structures, such as the orbital frontal and ventral medial prefrontal lobes. Furthermore, we revealed that both inhibitory control and its corresponding neuromarker can moderate the association between food-related delayed gratification and BMI in children. However, only the neuromarker of inhibitory control maintained its moderating effect on children's future BMI, as determined in the follow-up after one year. Overall, our findings shed light on the potential mechanisms of how inhibitory control in children impacts BMI, highlighting the utility of the connectivity-based neuromarker of inhibitory control in the context of childhood obesity.

Human parechovirus (HPeV) is a leading cause of Central Nervous System (CNS) infection in infancy. Despite this, little is known regarding the long-term neuropsychological impacts from HPeV infection. The aim of the present study was to explore the long-term neuropsychological impacts eight-year post-HPeV infection contracted during infancy. This study also aimed to investigate the differential impacts of HPeV itself compared to the effects of secondary meningitis (n = 23) or encephalitis (n = 3) associated with HPeV infection. Thirty-nine HPeV children participated in the study. Children completed performance-based measures of neuropsychological and language functioning (the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals - Fourth Edition, and the Test of Everyday Attention for Children). Parents completed questionnaire-based measures of emotional, behavioral, and pragmatic language functioning (the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Social Communication Questionnaire). Results revealed that, overall, children with HPeV were significantly more impaired on measures of selective, sustained, and divided attention compared to normative test populations. The current study incidentally found at least double the prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the HPeV sample than what is typical in the normal population, suggesting that HPeV infection during infancy may be a risk factor for the later development of ADHD. Additionally, the presence of secondary meningitis or encephalitis did not relate to poorer neuropsychological outcomes in the current sample. The findings of this study have important implications regarding clinical management for children following HPeV infection in infancy.

Children born very low gestational age (VLGA, 29-32 weeks gestational age [GA]) display slower processing speed and altered hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis function, with greater effects in those born extremely low gestational age (ELGA; 24-28 weeks GA). We investigated trajectories of HPA axis activity as indexed by cortisol output and patterns across cognitive assessment at ages 1.5, 3 and 4.5 years, comparing children born ELGA and VLGA and associations with 4.5-year processing speed. In a prospective longitudinal cohort study, infants born very preterm (<33 weeks gestation) returned for developmental assessment at ages 1.5, 3, and 4.5 years. At each age, children completed standardized cognitive testing and saliva samples collected before (Pretest), during (During) and after (End) challenging cognitive tasks were assayed for cortisol. For the total group (n = 188), cortisol area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) decreased, while cortisol reactivity to challenge (Pre-test to During) increased from 1.5 to 3 years, remaining stable to 4.5 years. This longitudinal pattern was related to higher Processing Speed (WPPSI-IV) scores at 4.5 years. Children born ELGA displayed higher AUCg than VLGA, particularly at age 3, driven by higher Pre-test cortisol levels. Overall, relative to those born VLGA, children born ELGA displayed greater cortisol responsivity to cognitive challenge. A higher setpoint of cortisol levels at age 3-years in children born ELGA may reflect altered HPA axis regulation more broadly and may contribute to difficulties with information processing in this population, critical for academic and social success.

This study explored visual perception skills and the ability to write according to standard stroke order and their links to the learning of Chinese handwriting. Thirty-seven children (aged 6-8) (15 boys and 22 girls) participated in a handwriting test and visual perception evaluation (Test of Visual Perceptual Skills-3rd Edition, TVPS-3). A computerized system was used to evaluate the stroke order accuracy, legibility, and automation of stroke movements. The stroke order accuracy was found to positively correlate with the scores of TVPS-3 (r = .498, p < .05) and to significantly correlate with handwriting legibility (r = .435, p < .05) as well as the automation of stroke movements (r = .494, p < .01). This study revealed that visual perception skill is related to stroke order accuracy and provides directions to assist students who encounter difficulties in learning Chinese handwriting.

Preschool children spend a large part of their day at school, and a large part of that time they spend in sedentary time. Although sedentary time negatively affects regions of the brain responsible for cognition, it is believed that the type of sedentary time performed can favor executive functions' performance. The present study explored the associations between sedentary time inside and outside preschools with executive function (EF) tasks in preschoolers. Seventy-three preschool children (60% girls; 55.0 ± 9.1 months of age) were objectively assessed for sedentary time and physical activity (PA) using accelerometers (wGT3X). EF was evaluated using the Go/No-Go paradigm through the Early Years Toolbox - YET. Go's inverse efficiency (IE) and the No-Go accuracy were analyzed. To establish possible associations between EF and sedentary time, a structural equation model was conducted after adjustments for sex, age, body mass index, and moderate-to-vigorous PA. A significant and positive association between sedentary time on weekend days and IE (b = 0.61; p < .001) was observed. The general model explained 52% of the variation in IE and 2.1% in the accuracy of No-Go. The sedentary time on weekend days seems to be related to worse EI. This result emphasizes a context-dependent association between time being sedentary and preschoolers' EF. Further investigations should focus on exploring the type of sedentary behavior children are engaged in different contexts.