Child Neuropsychology最新文献

While several rating scales reliably and cost-effectively assess behavioral executive functioning (EF) in youths with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), questions remain about the impact of comorbidities and dual NDDs on EF as measured by these scales in clinical samples. This study compared behavioral EF profiles among youths with NDDs, both with and without psychiatric comorbidities, non-NDDs (e.g. anxiety), and controls, as well as youths with single versus dual NDDs. The comparisons were made using the Swedish version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) parent form. Participants included 79 youths (mean [SD] age 12.1 [3.0]; 50.6% girls) diagnosed with various psychiatric conditions, and 151 matched controls (mean [SD] age 12.4 [2.8]; 51.7% girls). Results showed significant differences with very large effect sizes in all behavioral EF domains among youths with NDDs, regardless of whether they had non-NDD psychiatric comorbidities, compared to youths with non-NDDs or controls. The latter two groups differed in six of eight behavioral EF domains, with the Shift domain showing the largest effect size (Cohen's d = 0.94). Surprisingly, no significant differences were found between the NDD-only group and the NDD group with non-NDD psychiatric comorbidities. Youths with dual NDDs had more deficits in four of the nine behavioral EF domains compared to those with a single NDD, with the Shift domain again showing the largest effect size (Cohen's d = 0.91). This study highlights the essential role of NDD in distinguishing clinically significant parent-rated behavioral EF deficits in youths, regardless of other psychiatric diagnoses.

Children born very preterm (<32 gestational weeks and/or birth weight ≤1500 g) are at elevated risk for reading difficulties. This study aimed to investigate reading fluency and reading comprehension at 11 and to analyze the associations between literacy skills at 7 and reading skills at 11 in 134 Finnish-speaking very preterm children. At 11, reading fluency and reading comprehension were evaluated. At 7, pre-reading skills, decoding, and writing were assessed. Results showed that there were more preterm children with weak skills in reading fluency compared to a normative test population. Reading comprehension was age appropriate. Additionally, 62% to 68% of the children with weak literacy skills at 7 had weak reading fluency at 11, compared to those with more advanced skills (43% to 33%, p < 0.001 to 0.026). Respectively, 30% to 50% of the children with weak literacy at 7 had weak reading comprehension at 11 compared to those with more advanced skills (13% to 17%, p < 0.001 to 0.005). Findings highlight the importance of screening reading fluency until 11 years and providing support for the continuum between literacy skills in the beginning of schooling and reading outcome at later school age.

The recommended rehabilitation procedures for Developmental Dyslexia (DD) are not well defined, and there is currently a large debate on which therapeutic approaches are shown to be more useful and effective. Among the trainings focused on general dysfunctional cognitive processes associated with a reading disorder, recent studies suggested the efficacy of trainings on Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) compared to others. The present study was aimed at confirming the effectiveness of RAN training (RANt) to improve the reading performances of children with DD (n = 32) compared to children on a waiting list (WL, n = 25) and to children in different treatment groups, one following a text reading training (RT, n = 26) and the other combining RAN and text reading exercises (RANt+RT, n = 20), through an online platform that allows intensive and self-adaptive activities. Results confirmed the efficacy of RANt in improving reading speed and accuracy compared to the WL group (r² ranging from small (.16) to medium (.48)) and found the absence of differences with the other active control groups. The single-subject level analysis confirmed the results, a high inter-subject variability in treatment response and pre-post differences were found. Further studies could consider such variability in the functional profile of the DD subjects, but RANt was confirmed to be a valid tool for improving decoding skills.

Mathematics, along with reading and writing, is a core academic subject in the school curriculum. The development of mathematical skills is influenced by various cognitive factors, with executive functions (EF) playing a central role. EF, which encompasses working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, is critical for supporting complex cognitive processes required for problem-solving and mathematical reasoning. Research consistently shows that children with stronger EF tend to achieve better academic outcomes, including in mathematics. The goal of the present study was to examine the relationships between the global EF and its three core components - working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility - and their impact on mathematics achievement. The sample for this study consisted of 180 children, aged 8-11 years (mean age: 9.6, SD: 1.0 year; 83 girls, 97 boys). EF was assessed using the Yellow-Red test, while mathematics achievement was evaluated based on teachers' evaluations of the child's mathematics performance. The results indicated a statistically significant effect of global EF and its three components on mathematics achievement. Given the potential malleability of EFs, we conclude with recommendations for strategies to enhance EF development at an early school age.

Working memory (WM) difficulties are often observed in children born preterm. We examined whether performance-based measures of WM components are associated with parent- and teacher-rated WM difficulties in the everyday life of children born very preterm and/or at very low birth weight (VPT/VLBW) at 11 years (n = 165). The WM components as defined in the original Baddeley's model - phonological loop (PL), visuospatial sketchpad (VS), and central executive (CE) - were assessed with tasks from the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (WMTB-C) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth edition (WISC-IV). Parents and teachers completed the WM subscale of the Behavioral Rating Inventory for Executive Functions (BRIEF). Measures of WM components were modestly associated with BRIEF scores, explaining 18.9% of the variance in parent-rated and 14.0% of teacher-rated WM difficulties. CE was the component most consistently associated with parent- and teacher-rated everyday WM. To conclude, our results suggest that tasks that utilize CE functions may best reflect WM outside of controlled test settings in the follow-up of VPT/VLBW children. However, performance and rating-scale measures provide unique information and are both needed to comprehensively assess WM skills.

Neurocognitive deficits commonly occur following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in childhood, yet this population remains understudied. The current study is a preliminary exploration of neurocognitive outcomes in this population. At the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, 17 patients (M_age = 14.2, SD = 4.6) with a history of childhood ICH completed a neuropsychological assessment evaluating perceptual reasoning, verbal reasoning, processing speed, working memory, verbal learning, verbal memory, visuomotor integration, selective attention, and executive functioning. Mean Full Scale IQ (FSIQ; M = 98.1, SD = 13.6) fell within the clinically average range compared to population norms, though it was skewed toward lower ranges. Furthermore, approximately 50-60% of the participants scored under the clinically average range on tests of verbal learning, verbal memory, processing speed, and visuomotor integration. Youth with childhood ICH may present with FSIQ within the average range, but as a group they skew toward lower ranges and are more likely to demonstrate deficits in distinct neurocognitive domains. Clinical evaluation of a wide range of neuropsychological skills is warranted. Clinical implications encompass informing of intake interviews, development of test batteries, and appraisal of prognosis. Findings contribute to the limited knowledge base about neurocognitive outcomes following childhood ICH.

Patients with complex congenital heart disease (cCHD) are at risk for neurodevelopmental impairments, yet many patients develop normally. This study investigated associations between a favorable neurodevelopmental profile and protective factors, quality of life (QoL), resilience, and brain development. Adolescents with cCHD (n = 100) were prospectively enrolled. Neurodevelopmental profiles comprised IQ, executive functions, and behavior. Standardized neuropsychological tests and questionnaires were used to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes, family factors, QoL, and resilience. Clinical data were obtained from medical charts. Cerebral MRI was acquired. Specific neurodevelopmental profiles were identified by latent profile analysis and were associated with clinical and family factors, QoL and resilience, and MRI markers. We identified two distinct groups of neurodevelopmental profiles (favorable profile: n = 57, vulnerable profile: n = 43). The favorable profile group had significantly better neurodevelopmental outcome, better family functioning, and better parental mental health compared to the vulnerable profile group. Clinical factors were not significantly associated with profile group. The favorable profile group reported significantly better QoL and resilience and had larger total brain volumes. A positive family environment may be protective for long-term neurodevelopment and may outweigh the role of clinical factors. This study underlines the importance of family-centered care to promote favorable brain development and neurodevelopmental outcome.

The Hayling Completion Sentence Test (HSCT) is dedicated to assess inhibition of the dominant response and includes two conditions, an automatic condition in which the participants are asked to complete sentences properly and an inhibition condition in which the participants were asked to produce a word completely unrelated to the sentence. The aim of our study was 1) to adapt, 2) to evaluate the psychometric properties and 3) to standardize the HSCT into a French-school-aged pediatric population. We developed the Child-Hayling Test, a child adaptation of the adult French version of the HSCT. The reliability and validity of the Child-Hayling Test were then evaluated in a sample of 134 children aged 6-11 years. In the inhibition condition, children had lower response latency, as they get older. No effect of gender was observed. Reliability indices were low to moderate. Concerning the convergent and divergent validity, response latencies in the Child-Hayling Test correlated with latency scores in the Barre-Joe inhibition test, whereas the Child-Hayling Test scores were not related to children's lexical abilities. The Child-Hayling Test was then administered to 393 typically developing 6- to 11-year-old children. Normative data were calculated in the inhibition condition using a regression-based approach. Regression equations to calculate Z scores are provided for clinical use. In addition, we proposed a clear guideline on how to score children's inhibition responses. The Child-Hayling Test provides a useful tool for assessing prepotent response inhibition in children and can be recommended for use in clinical research and practice.

The relationship between sensory processing, executive function, and behavior in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is far from clear. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of executive function in the relationship between sensory processing and behavior in ADHD. Sixty-three children (51 boys), aged between 7 and 14 years participated in this study. Caregivers completed the Sensory Profile 2 (SP-2), the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2 (BRIEF-2), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to assess sensory processing, executive function, and behavior, respectively. Positive and significant associations were found between sensory processing, executive function, and behavioral problems. In addition, positive indirect effects between sensory processing and behavior were mediated by executive function. These findings add to other evidence on neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting that sensory processing may be a foundational aspect related to executive function, which in turn affects behavior in ADHD.

Research has identified neurocognitive and contextual risk factors of externalizing behaviors. However, fewer studies have examined the interaction among neurocognitive and other risk factors in predicting externalizing behaviors. The goal of the current study was to examine the relation between neurocognitive and contextual factors in predicting externalizing behaviors in a community sample of adolescents. Participants were 84 adolescents, aged 11-17 (M = 13.39, SD = 1.82), recruited as part of a larger study. Separate moderated multiple regression models were utilized in which neurocognitive variables (intellectual functioning, short-term memory/attention, disinhibition) were added as predictors and contextual variables (family dysfunction and parental depression, anxiety, and stress) were added as moderators in step 1, and their interaction was added in step 2. Externalizing behaviors served as criterion variables (hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional defiant disorder symptom severity, reactive and proactive aggression). Overall, results suggest that higher levels of problematic contextual factors exacerbate the significant negative associations among neurocognitive functioning and externalizing behaviors. Importantly, this pattern was shown across neurocognitive domains and contextual factors. Findings suggest that contextual factors should be targeted for the treatment or prevention of youth externalizing behaviors, particularly for adolescents with neurocognitive vulnerabilities.