Child Neuropsychology最新文献

Considering the high percentage of children and adolescents with developmental disorders, there is a clear need to build screening instruments that allow a quick and accurate assessment of the main processes that are affected in this population. So, the aim was to develop and obtain psychometric properties of a child neuropsychological scale for the evaluation of cognitive problems in Mexican children and adolescents. Primary caregivers of 728 children and adolescents with typical development, suspected developmental disorder or epilepsy, answered an online battery. Thirty items were developed and their content validity was evaluated by expert judgment. In Exploratory Factor Analysis, a 28 items-model with three factors explained 65.9% of the variance. Three factors were confirmed in Confirmatory Factor Analysis with 16 items: attentional, memory and executive problems; obtaining excellent fit indices (χ2[101] = 223.009; CMIN/DF = 2.208; NFI = .938; CFI = .965; SRMR = .0328; RMSEA = .058[.057-.068], p < .001). Reliability was high (α = .936, ω = .957), and construct/convergent validity were obtained with BRIEF-2 and PedsQL scales (.889 and .721). Significant differences were identified between subgroups with and without epilepsy (p < .001). Neuroescalita proved to be highly reliable and has multiple evidences of validity for adequate assessment of cognitive problems in Mexican children and adolescents.

Continuous Performance Tests are commonly part of neuropsychological evaluations. This study investigates the feasibility and applicability of the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) in a clinical paediatric mental health sample, focusing on children with Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF; Full-Scale IQ [FSIQ] of 70-84). A total of 128 children and adolescents aged 6-15 years were assessed using the TOVA and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V), alongside parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms and evaluations of TOVA performance validity. 45% of the total sample met the criteria for BIF. The TOVA demonstrated high feasibility, evidenced by a 94% completion rate with no significant differences in test completion across groups. Children with BIF exhibited significantly more Commission Errors (CE), indicative of reduced inhibitory control, while sustained attention measures showed no significant differences. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that FSIQ accounted for a small but significant proportion of variance in CE scores, and minimal variance in sustained attention measures. These findings support the TOVA's applicability in clinical paediatric settings, including populations with BIF, yet underscore the necessity of considering intellectual functioning when interpreting inhibitory control metrics. The results emphasize the importance of developing normative data for the TOVA across a broad IQ range to enhance clinical decision-making in cognitively diverse populations.

Adaptive behavior assessment is crucial for understanding individuals' functional abilities. The Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Third Edition (ABAS-3) is widely used for this purpose, but its internal structure requires validation in different cultural contexts. This study examined the internal structure validity evidence of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the ABAS-3 using item-level data. To evaluate the factor structure of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the ABAS-3 Parent Forms and determine the best-fitting model for assessing adaptive functioning. A total of 2594 children from both public and private schools in Brazil, ranging from preschoolers to school-aged individuals, were assessed through parent reports using the Brazilian Portuguese versions of Parent/Primary Caregiver Form/Ages 0-5 and Parent Form/Ages 5-21. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test three models: a three-factor model, a three-factor-plus-general-factor model, and a single general factor model. Hierarchical structures were considered to determine the most appropriate factor solution. The findings supported the validity of the three-factor model (conceptual, social, and practical domains) and three-factor-plus-general-factor model. The latter provided the best fit, allowing for both domain-specific and general adaptive functioning score interpretations. This model aligns with the theoretical framework of adaptive functioning according to the three domains (conceptual, social, and practical). The Brazilian Portuguese version of the ABAS-3 Parent Forms demonstrates strong internal structure validity, supporting its use in assessing adaptive functioning in Brazilian children. The results reinforce the suitability of this instrument for clinical and research applications.

The present study aims to develop the Bildiren Nonverbal Ability Test, Second Version (BNV-II), intended for the identification of gifted children at the primary school level. The first version of the test was originally created as a paper-and-pencil assessment. However, to reduce the risk of individuals becoming overly familiar with the test items due to repeated annual administration without modifications, the BNV-II was revised into a digital format for tablet use, incorporating updated items. In the initial phase of the study, the test was constructed in two forms, A and B, and administered to a pilot sample of 1,360 children aged 6-10 years old, drawn from various locations across Türkiye. The final version of the test was determined through an item difficulty, item discrimination, and item-total score correlation analysis. A norming study was subsequently conducted, involving a total of 6,567 children in Türkiye. The sample for Form A comprised 1,560 females (48%) and 1,659 males (52%), while Form B included 1,628 females (49%) and 1,720 males (51%). Reliability was assessed using test-retest, split-half, KR-20, and KR-21 methods, with standard error, standard deviation, and reliability coefficients calculated. Content, construct, and criterion-related validity were evaluated. The KR-20 reliability coefficient was 0.92 for both forms, and test-retest reliability was 0.91. Parallel-form reliability was 0.86, while correlations between BNV-II total scores and those of NNAT-I, TONI-3, and RSPM were 0.85, 0.86, and 0.77, respectively. These results confirm the BNV-II as a reliable and valid tool for identifying gifted children in Türkiye.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) has its peak incidence in early childhood, but research into the impact of disrupted sleep on learning and overnight memory consolidation has been largely neglected in this population. Hence, we aimed to determine if children with SDB show deficits in learning and overnight consolidation of declarative and procedural memories compared to healthy control (HC) children. Forty-nine children aged 7-16 years (24 SDB, 25 HC) completed a cognitive battery, including two declarative (one verbal, one visual) and one procedural memory task. We manipulated the level of learning (three learning trials or 60% set criterion) on the visual memory task. Recall was assessed at two delays (30 minutes and overnight). Children with SDB underwent an overnight polysomnography sleep study. On declarative visual memory tasks, children with SDB needed more learning trials to reach the set criterion but had intact overnight consolidation. Within the SDB group, more trials to reach the criterion was associated with less time in NREM2 sleep. On the procedural memory task, the opposite pattern of intact learning but reduced overnight consolidation was found. Within the SDB group, worse overnight procedural memory consolidation was associated with less NREM2 sleep and more NREM3 sleep. School-aged children with SDB had deficits in overnight procedural memory consolidation and reduced declarative learning. These findings highlight the adverse consequences of SDB on memory and learning in children and underscore the need to assess recovery of cognitive deficits with treatment in future studies.

This study investigated the digital version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) Coding subtest in a large Australian clinical and non-clinical sample of 6-11 year old children (N = 794). Data was retrospectively pooled from several studies. Results showed the digital Coding scaled score was significantly elevated compared with all other subtests (M difference = 2.01, 95% CI. 1.74-2.27). Overall FSIQ was higher when calculated using Coding compared with Symbol Search (M difference = 2.067, 95% CI. 1.79-2.34). The Coding and Symbol Search discrepancy in digital administration did not vary according to age and was unrelated to general intelligence. Girls scored higher on average than boys on the digital Coding subtest, but there was no sex effect for the digital Symbol Search subtest (girls: M = 10.76, 95% CI 10.41-11.12; boys: M = 10.27, 95% CI 9.92-10.63). Inflated digital Coding scaled scores were observed across our subsamples of clinical and non-clinical cases, without any significant group differences. Overall, our findings support the notion that the digital WISC-V Coding subtest is inflated, particularly for girls, supporting cessation in the digital administration of this subtest.

This study explores the relationship between children's academic performance and their results on cognitive function tests. Traditionally, cognitive test scores often reflect overall accuracy or speed. Yet, these overall scores are often influenced by both diverse executive functions (EF) and non-EF cognitive processes. To isolate specific cognitive functions, alternative scoring methods have been developed, which aim to measure one cognitive function more purely. We investigated whether combining traditional overall scores with alternative scores claiming to measure strategy use improves the prediction of children's academic performance. Three cognitive tests were administered: Verbal Fluency test, Design Fluency test, and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test, alongside factors such as age, IQ, sex, and parental education, in a sample of 132 Dutch-speaking children (aged 9.48-12.63 years; 61 girls). For each test, we calculated traditional total scores and alternative scores. Academic performance was assessed using arithmetic and reading tests, along with secondary school advice. The findings indicate that both traditional and alternative scores positively correlate with secondary school advice and children's arithmetic and reading performance, but not with parental reports. Combining traditional and alternative scores enhances predictive accuracy for only arithmetic outcomes. However, once IQ was controlled for, the predictive value of alternative scores focused on strategy use diminished. Consequently, our findings suggest that combining both scoring methods can offer a superior prediction of academic outcomes, at least in arithmetic, underscoring their merit in psychodiagnostics assessment.

The possible impact of premorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the recovery process following sport-related concussion (SRC) in adolescents is not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of ADHD together with other selected variables on symptom presentation and neurocognitive performance in a well-matched sample of adolescents with SRC. We hypothesized that more symptoms and poorer neurocognitive performance would be observed in those with ADHD. Symptoms from the Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool-5 and cognitive test results from the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) were examined at initial visit, and symptoms were re-assessed at 3-months in a sample of 112 participants with (n = 56) and without (n = 56) ADHD (ages 12-18 years; M = 14.68, SD = 1.77) who were matched by age, sex, ethnicity/race, and days post-injury. Exclusion criteria included severe medical illness or moderate/severe brain injury and lack of English fluency. No significant group differences were found in total symptoms (p = .145), symptom severity (p = .179), or neurocognitive functioning at initial visit (all p > .79) or at 3 months. However, athletes with ADHD reported more nausea (p = 0.22) and feeling slowed down at initial testing (p = .021). Additionally, premorbid anxiety influenced symptom report (p = .010). ADHD did not appear to pose a specific risk for greater symptom burden or neurocognitive deficits in the first 3 months post-concussion.

Biases and deficits in social information processing (SIP) skills are associated with social maladjustment in children and adolescents. There is much literature on the association between processing skills and their relationship to aggressive behavior, but there is limited knowledge about their association with other types of antisocial behavior. In this study we conducted a Spanish adaptation and validation of the Sociale Informatie Verwerkings Test, a Dutch research assessment and diagnostic instrument. For this purpose, construct, content and criterion validity were analyzed through their association with antisocial behaviors. Exploratory factor analysis supported the structure of the measure in a sample of 364 adolescents aged 12-18 years (55.2% female) from a high school in Spain. Constructs underlying the items of the new assessment were associated with SIP steps and profiles from SIP theory. SIP steps in the data of the new adaptation were related to each other being consistent with the theoretical conceptualization. The results showed associations between self-reported antisocial behaviors in adolescents with a greater tendency to aggressive SIP processing style. Treatment and training of such behaviors starts with valid assessment of the specific skills and steps that are biased or deficient, to which the current study contributes.