Child Neuropsychology最新文献

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Second Edition (BRIEF2) across self-, parent-, and teacher-report forms in a gender- and age-balanced community sample of Swedish youth. We examined factor structure, internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, measurement invariance, and age- and gender-related differences in behavioral executive functioning (EF). Participants included 1,257 adolescents (51.8% girls, aged 11-18) who completed the self-report version, 1,340 parents who completed parent reports on their children (46.7% girls, aged 5-18), and 38 teachers who provided teacher reports for 510 adolescents (58.4% girls, aged 13-18). Results supported the original three-factor model (Behavioral, Emotional, and Cognitive Regulation) across all informants, although model fit was somewhat weaker for teacher ratings. Internal consistency ranged from acceptable to excellent. Measurement invariance across age and gender was largely supported, though some scalar non-invariance was observed. Patterns of age- and gender-related differences varied by informant. Specifically, adolescents reported more EF difficulties with increasing age, whereas parents and teachers reported fewer EF difficulties in older youth. Girls self-reported greater EF difficulties, while parents and teachers generally rated girls as having less difficulty - except in the domain of Emotional Control. However, all observed gender and age differences across informants were small in magnitude. Overall, the findings support the Swedish BRIEF2 as having solid psychometric properties across the self-, parent-, and teacher-report forms. However, minor structural inconsistencies, informant discrepancies, the small teacher sample, and signs of item redundancy suggest areas for future improvement and refinement.

Purpose: The Preschool Activity Ranking (PACS) is a tool that measures preschool children's activity participation by focusing on the frequency and extent of their participation. This study aims to assess the validity and reliability of the Preschool Activity Card Sort (PACS) by conducting a Turkish cultural adaptation of the scale in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: This study was conducted with a prospective cross-sectional study design. Participants included parents of 70 children with ASD (study group) and 27 typically developing children (control group) aged between 3 and 6 years old. Validity was analyzed using construct validity, while reliability was examined through internal consistency and test-retest methods.

Results: Results showed that the control group scored significantly higher than the study group in all sub-scales of the PACS (p < 0.01). Additionally, a statistically significant correlation was found between the PACS and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) in all sub-domains except for the household chores sub-domain. The PACS demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha's = 0.94) and excellent time invariance ICC coefficients for the self-care, social mobility, leisure time (low physical requirement), social interaction, housework, and education sub-domains. For the leisure time (high physical requirement) subdomain, the PACS demonstrated good reliability (ICC = 0.85).

Conclusion: Overall, the Turkish version of the PACS was found to be a valid and reliable tool for evaluating activity participation in children with ASD.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with disinhibition, impulsivity, and other sequelae which may make adolescent TBI survivors more likely to engage in health risk behaviors though this has not yet been comprehensively investigated. Extant literature on TBI-related health risk behaviors is limited by a dearth of studies on adolescents, reliance on self-report of TBI, lack of an orthopedic injury (OI) control group, and the fact that TBI's effects on various health risk behavior domains are generally examined separately. The current study clarifies the impact of TBI on health risk behaviors among adolescents, specifically those related to 1) unintentional injury and violence (including aggression- and suicide-related behaviors); 2) tobacco use; and 3) alcohol and other drug use in an analytic sample of 74 adolescents (n = 43 for youth with a complicated mild to severe TBI, n = 31 for youth with an OI). Results indicate youth with a TBI exhibited more suicide-related health risk behaviors at 12-month follow-up (F = 6.063; p = .016; η_p² = .079), as well as a nonsignificant trend toward greater marijuana use (F = 3.747; p = .057; η_p² = .050), compared to youth with an OI while controlling for age. Youth with an OI exhibited greater increases in violence and victimization over the 12-month post-injury period compared to youth with a TBI (F = 4.243; p = .044; η_p² = .067) while controlling for age. Interventions to reduce psychological distress and improve social connectedness, problem-solving, coping, and emotion regulation skills may be most relevant for youth who receive a TBI. Emotion regulation and anger management skills may be relevant for youth who receive an OI.

Demand for telehealth services has increased in many settings as a means of reducing patient burden and increasing access to care. It is therefore critical to understand if clinical tools validated for in-person use are feasible to administer via telehealth and, if so, how results may vary from those obtained in-person. The Revised Physical and Neurological Examination of Subtle Signs (PANESS) is a validated assessment of pediatric neuromotor functioning that is sensitive to detecting motor dysfunction in youth. The Timed Motor section of the PANESS is an ideal candidate for telehealth administration given its strong inter-rater reliability when scored via video review. Here, we preliminarily examined the feasibility of administering the Timed Motor section of PANESS via videoconferencing and its equivalence with in-person administration. We administered the Timed Motor section of the PANESS in-person and via videoconferencing in 25 typically developing youth ages 10-18 (including n = 11 who had clinically recovered from concussion). All were able to complete the assessment via videoconference. We observed moderate to excellent reliability of scores obtained in-person and via videoconference (intraclass correlations ranging from .743 to .971). Results suggest that the Timed Motor Section of the PANESS can be administered remotely in typically developing youth (including those with a history of concussion) and that the scores obtained are stable with in-person scores. Future work is needed to examine the feasibility and equivalence of telehealth-based PANESS administration in clinical settings and patient populations.

The relationship between writing and math achievement is not well understood. Phonological awareness (PA), working memory (WM), and fine motor skills (FMS) have been individually linked to theories of writing and math, yet are rarely considered together. The current study evaluates the shared cognitive factors underlying writing and math performance, both timed (e.g. fluency/automaticity) and untimed (e.g. spelling and math computation). It does so among third- through fifth-graders (n = 677) who vary in academic abilities. Results revealed differential relationships. WM had a stronger effect on writing than math for timed but not untimed outcomes. PA had a stronger effect on writing compared to math for both timed and untimed outcomes. PA also had a stronger effect on untimed math compared to timed math. Further, WM fully mediated the relationship between FMS and untimed writing but only partially mediated the relationship between FMS and other academic outcomes. Additionally, PA partially mediated the relationship between WM and all writing and math skills These findings underscore the relevance of FMS, WM, and PA in both writing and math achievement, separately and together. These findings additionally provide guidance for developing a firmer theoretical and empirical understanding of the interrelations of writing and math.

Pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors represent one of the most intricate challenges faced by children and their families in the context of cancer illness. In Italy, the psychosocial working group (GDL) of the AIEOP, composed by professionals (psycho-oncologists/neuropsychologists) involved in the care pathways of patients with CNS tumors, has initiated a consensus process regarding the psychological/neuropsychological assessment of CNS patients to improve accessibility to standardized and shared protocols. Standardized psychological and neuropsychological instruments are proposed in the document, which provides for a selection in a tailor-made approach that is simultaneously shared by various centers.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis through data-driven and technology-enhanced methodologies. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, systematically analyzed 54 studies published over the past two decades to assess AI's role in ADHD detection and evaluation. The included studies primarily explored AI applications in brain imaging (MRI), brain activity monitoring (EEG and ECG), behavioral assessments, virtual reality-based testing, and motion-tracking sensors. Among the AI technologies examined, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms demonstrated promising diagnostic accuracy, with performance rates ranging from 70% to 95%. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and support vector machines (SVMs) were particularly effective in image and signal analysis, while natural language processing (NLP) models showed potential in behavioral and cognitive assessments. Despite these advancements, challenges such as algorithmic bias, inconsistent data quality, and the need for extensive, diverse datasets remain barriers to widespread clinical integration. Moreover, while AI models enhance speed and precision in ADHD detection, their applicability in treatment monitoring and personalized intervention remains an area for future research. This review underscores the transformative potential of AI in ADHD diagnosis and advocates for a hybrid approach that integrates AI-driven tools with traditional clinical assessments to enhance diagnostic reliability and patient outcomes.

Executive functions (EF) lay the foundation for healthy development. However, few reliable and valid measures of EF have been developed among children in less developed countries such as Iran. The present study addressed this gap by examining the factor structure, score variation, and psychometric properties of a short EF task, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS), among children from two metropolitan cities (Isfahan and Tehran) in Iran. Participants (N = 693; 58% male; M_age = 5.88 years) were recruited through a convenience sampling approach and tested with the HTKS along with other performance-based EF measures and parent reports of EF difficulties. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that both one-factor and two-factor structures were acceptable and that a one-factor solution was optimal. Results demonstrated significant variability in scores and age-related differences in EF skills, with higher scores observed in older children. The task indicated acceptable internal consistency, interrater agreement, and test-retest stability. For construct validity, the HTKS was significantly related to other performance-based measures of EF, tapping into working memory, cognitive flexibility, and planning skills after controlling for child's age, gender, parental education, and city. Together, these findings underscore the promise of the HTKS task as a brief, economical, and easily administered EF task that reliably and validly captures variation in EF skills among Iranian children.

Post-concussion symptoms (PCS) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are common after mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) in children. Psychological factors, especially pre-injury trait anxiety, are associated with the development of PCS and PTSS. However, the underlying mechanisms are understudied. The current study aimed to explore whether alexithymia (difficulty in identifying and describing emotions) moderates the associations between children's pre-injury trait anxiety and PCS, as well as PTSS in bothchildren and parents following mTBI. Participants were 53 children aged 8-16 with mTBI and their parents, recruited from the Emergency Department. Immediate mTBI symptoms were assessed by the Emergency Department physician within 24 hours post-injury. One-week post-injury, acute PTSS (children and parents), children's pre-injury trait anxiety, and alexithymia were measured using self-reported questionnaires. PCS were measured by symptom reports (including a baseline; reported by parents) and neuropsychological tests assessing cognitive functioning, including performance validity tests. PCS and cognitive functioning were assessed one-week and four-month post-injury. We found that alexithymia significantly moderated the associations between children's pre-injury trait anxiety and both PCS and PTSS in children and parents at one-week post-injury. Higher levels of alexithymia strengthened these associations. Alexithymia was found significantly associated with PCS at four-month post-injury. However, alexithymia did not moderate the association between pre-injury trait anxiety and PCS at four-month post-injury or cognitive functioning at one-week or four months. In conclusion, pre-injury trait anxiety and alexithymia are crucial in mTBI outcomes, being associated with PCS and PTSS development. Therefore, addressing emotional factors is important in TBI recovery.

Objective: Report results of a single-arm pilot trial examining the efficacy of I-InTERACT Preterm (I2P), an accessible, eHealth parenting skills intervention adapted for the special needs of parents of children born very preterm (VPT).

Methods: We recruited caregivers of children ages 3-8 who were born at <32 weeks gestational age and exhibited behavioral challenges (e.g. noncompliance, emotion dysregulation). Measures of parent-child interaction (Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System) and child behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist; Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. I2P includes seven online modules providing parent-skills training and psychoeducation paired with live coaching with a therapist. Exploratory brain MRI scans collected volumetric and graph theoretical data.

Results: Fourteen children and 11 parents completed the intervention. Findings indicated significant increases in positive parenting behavior and significant decreases in negative parenting behavior. Improvements in child outcomes were more evident in children who displayed at least modestly elevated behavior problems at baseline. Neuroimaging showed a slight decrease in white matter hyperintensity volume, although this was not significant.

Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest potential efficacy in strengthening parenting behaviors and reducing child behavior problems for families of VPT children. I2P can be adaptable to different populations with neuropsychological needs, pointing to the necessity for larger-scale trials. Further research is needed on the neural underpinnings of behavioral change in this population.