MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Child Neuropsychology' source. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:56:14 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3386199&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20301009%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Webb SJ, Jones EJ, Merkle K, Namkung J, Toth K, Greenson J, Murias M, Dawson G We explored social information processing and its relation to social and communicative symptoms in toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their siblings. Toddlers with more severe symptoms of autism showed slower habituation to faces than comparison groups; slower face learning correlated with poorer social skills and lower verbal ability. Unaffected toddlers who were siblings of children with ASD also showed slower habituation to faces compared with toddlers without siblings with ASD. We conclude that slower rates of face learning may be an endophenotype of ASD and is associated with more severe symptoms among affected individuals. PMID: 20301009 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (S... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3386199 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3386199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3386198&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20301010%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we designed a computer-based task of EB-PM; No-Stroke, Silent-Infarct, and Overt-Stroke groups performed significantly below the demographically similar control group without SCD. Cue distinctiveness was varied to determine if EB-PM could be improved. All groups, with the exception of the Overt-Stroke group, performed significantly better with a perceptually distinctive cue. Overall, these results suggest that EB-PM can be improved significantly in many children with SCD. PMID: 20301010 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3386198 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3386198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3380273&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20234954%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Riggs N, Chou CP, Spruijt-Metz D, Pentz MA Investigated were relations among executive cognitive function (ECF), food intake, and physical activity in 184, fourth grade children. It was hypothesized that self-reported ECF proficiency would predict greater self-reported fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity, but less "snack food" intake. Structural models demonstrated that ECF was significantly correlated with less concurrent snack food intake and greater concurrent fruit/vegetable intake, but not physical activity. Baseline ECF also significantly predicted greater fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity four months later, but not snack food intake. One implication is to promote ECF as a correlate and predictor of food intake and physical activity in children by pro... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3380273 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3380273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362794&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20221932%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Alloway TP, Elliott J, Place M The first aim of the present study was to investigate whether differences in core deficits in ADHD subtypes lead to dissociable working memory profiles. The second aim was to compare the working memory profiles of inattentive students with those identified as having poor working memory, as they exhibit very similar behavioral profiles. Finally, the relationship between working memory and academic attainment in these groups were also of interest. Four groups of 9-year-olds were recruited: a community sample of children with inattentive symptoms, a clinically diagnosed group of children with ADHD-Combined, children with low working memory, and a healthy comparison group. They were assessed on measures of working memory, IQ, academic attainment, and... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362794 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3362794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362793&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20221933%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zinke K, Fries E, Altgassen M, Kirschbaum C, Dettenborn L, Kliegel M Previous findings on planning abilities in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFA) are inconsistent. Exploring possible reasons for these mixed findings, the current study investigated the involvement of memory in planning performance in 15 children with HFA and 17 typically developing controls. In addition to planning abilities (measured with the Tower of London), short-term memory and delayed recall for verbal as well as visuospatial material were assessed. Findings suggest that particularly reduced efficiency in visuospatial short-term memory is associated with Tower task planning deficits in children with HFA. PMID: 20221933 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child N... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362793 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3362793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3339715&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2010%2F03%2Fwhy-do-people-commit-murder%2F Everyone is a psychologist.  By that I mean that everyone tries to work out why people behave the way they do.  This is an inbuilt social drive that helps us to interact normally.  It is based on theory of mind which is about understanding other people’s mental states and intentions.  Lack of theory of mind is the key disability in Autism.   In my work I find that most people have a strong belief about why someone is behaving the way that they do (although in my work I think that it is often a wrong belief). I think we base our understanding on why others behave  the way that they do on what we think about ourselves and our cultural norms.  This is essential to group cohesion.  No one can truly know how another person is thinking but we automatically make an educated guess. Â... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3339715 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:29:03 +0100 3339715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3347366&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20209415%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Egeland J, Fallmyr O Previous research has supported a three-factor division of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) when dividing the parent form in 9 instead of 8 subscales. The present study investigated different factor models in the 8- and 9-scale division in both the parent and teacher form of the Norwegian BRIEF version. Confirmatory Factor Analyzes showed best fit for the three-factor model in a mixed healthy and clinical sample, indicating a distinction between Emotional and Behavioral Regulation. This division is in accordance with present knowledge of brain function and may increase the specificity of executive dysfunction in clinical groups. PMID: 20209415 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3347366 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3347366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3347365&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20209416%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bottcher L White matter lesions are often seen in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Evidence points to specific impairment of attentional, visuospatial, and executive functions; although both attention and executive functions are relatively unexplored in spastic CP. The few recent studies on language functions in mild or moderate CP point to well-functioning language. The presence of specific cognitive impairments may, in part, explain why children with spastic CP have a higher risk of learning disabilities and problems in peer relations. However, to understand the development of cognitive impairments, it is necessary to include how social participation feeds back on cognitive processes. PMID: 20209416 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsycho... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3347365 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3347365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3251296&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2010%2F02%2Fcomputer-games-and-neuropsychology-realizing-the-potential%2F There is increasing evidence that playing video games improves neuropsychological function.  I have just been reading another excellent paper from the people at the University of Rochester called Increasing Speed of Processing with Action Video Games.  The paper written by Mathew Dye, Shawn Green and Daphne Bavelier looks at a range of previous studies on reaction time and video game playing.  The introduction to the paper states: Playing action video games-contemporary examples include God of War, Unreal Tournament, GTA, and call of Duty – requires rapid processing of sensory information and prompt action, forcing players to make decisions and execute responses at a far greater pace than is typical in everyday life. Looking at lots of different studies they conclude that: Video ... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3251296 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:54:37 +0100 3251296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239695&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2010%2F02%2F5-cultural-experiences-that-i-have-enjoyed-this-year%2F This is not child neuropsychology but five cultural experiences that have had a impact on me so far this year.  Just thought I would share them. History of the world in 100 objects.  A wonderful collaboration between the British Museum and the BBC telling the story of the world through a selection of 100 objects at the musuem. The new Vampire Weekend album  Contra.  Clever music to make you feel happy. The Stieg Larsson millennium trilogy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest Compelling psychologically driven page turning reading. Cormac McCarthy  The Road – One of the most emotionally powerful books I have read for a while. Channel 4 India season The people and particularly children living in the slums o... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239695 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:53:20 +0100 3239695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220976&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20104377%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Re A, De Franchis V, Cornoldi C The present study tests the hypothesis that a working memory deficit is also found in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms as young as 5 and is related to the control of interfering information. One group of 23 kindergarten children identified by the presence of ADHD symptoms and one group of 23 children matched for gender, age, and socioeconomic status were administered a visuospatial working memory task that required the selective recall of information. Children with ADHD symptoms performed more poorly than controls and were affected to a particularly high extent by intrusion errors (i.e., recalling of information initially encoded but that needed to be consequently suppressed during the task). PMID: 20104... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220976 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3220976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3201805&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2010%2F01%2Fcan-children-be-psychopaths%2F The news (posted here) that 2 boys aged 11 and 10 have been convicted of sadistically attacking and torturing other young boys has lead the media to question why they did it. Most newspapers have focused on the neglect and abuse the boys suffered at the hands of their parents and particularly their violent father. As I wrote in my last blog post this early history of abuse and neglect often leads to damaged brain development. However, this explanation doesn’t go far enough. Despite many children being abused and neglected very few go on to sadistically torture other children- see paper here reviewing the evidence. Therefore there has to been an additional explanation for such unusual behaviour. The key lies in understanding the development of empathy and distinguishing this from the... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3201805 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:16:56 +0100 3201805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163908&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2010%2F01%2Fchildren-poverty-neglect-and-brain-development%2F Children’s welfare and development entered UK politics yesterday with David Cameron the Conservative leader talking about the warmth of parenting being more important than poverty in outcomes with poor children. Poly Tonybee in the Guardian wrote a stinging reply.  This prompted me to think about my experience as a child psychologist with children from neglected backgrounds.  For the past 13 years some of my work has involved assessing children in care, both residential and foster care.  This has shown me how damaging early experience of abuse and neglect is for children, how it is reinforced and not addressed.  It is a big problem.  There are approximately 60000 children in care in the UK .  The number of children with a child protection plan is increasing every year. The vast... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163908 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:03:47 +0100 3163908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3120016&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20029694%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of this study were to systematically develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of an abbreviated version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) Parent Report; a questionnaire widely used by pediatric neuropsychologists. A total of 24 items from the original BRIEF Parent Form were selected for the short-form, which was then evaluated in three complementary samples, according to six a priori psychometric criteria. The short-form generally demonstrated appropriate psychometric qualities, with convincing evidence for the reliability and validity of the three composite indices: Behavioral Regulation, Metacognition, and the Global Executive Composite. Potential clinical applications include screening at-risk children in medical clinics to facilitate ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3120016 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3120016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008244&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F11%2Fstem-cell-update-exciting-new-results%2F I have written a previous post explaining why stem cells could be an important treatment for people with brain injury and disease.  In summary the brain cannot repair itself.  Stem cells are naturally occurring cells that turn into neurons but are only present in the embryo.  The Bush government vetoed research in this area on religious and ethical grounds but Obama has overturned this. Recently there have been two interesting studies that show the potential of stem cells for neurology and neuropsychology.  They both use human stem cells transported to rats.  If these results can be replicated in humans it will transform our world. In first study published in PNAS Munjal Acharya and others from the University of California implanted human stem cells into rats that had damaged hippoc... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008244 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:12:50 +0100 3008244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2967421&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F11%2Fworking-memory-training%2F Our rehabilitation company Recolo is now offering the Cogmed working memory training program. Working memory is the ability to hold information in mind for a short period of time and to be able to use this information in your thinking.  Problems with working memory are associated with a number of childhood conditions including ADHD, brain injury and poor academic achievement. We decided to provide the Cogmed working memory training in the UK because the research literature on it is impressive.  It is effective in improving working memory in 80% of cases.  The improvements have been demonstrated in neuropsychological tests, fMRI changes and rating scales.  It can also be demonstrated at the neurotransmitter level- see previous post for details.  It has been shown to be effective in imp... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2967421 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:08 +0100 2967421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2935671&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19859849%26dopt%3DAbstract Conclusions: Of the risk factors studied, only poorer metabolic control had a significant impact upon visual memory after three years. Verbal memory was unaffected. However, given that level of metabolic control tends to remain relatively consistent over time, the effect of continued poorer metabolic control on memory should be monitored. PMID: 19859849 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2935671 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2935671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2894643&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F10%2Flatest-neuroscience-on-twitter%2F I am a avid user of Twitter and find all sorts of interesting information on there.  As with the web, however it is difficult to sort out what is important.  It also moves so fast that it is hard to keep track.  This post highlights some important tweets I have seen regarding advances in neuroscience in the last two weeks. 1. Repairing brain cells- Researchers at the Montreal NeurologicaI Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) and McGill University group at Montral University have developed a new technique to help repair damaged nerve cells.  The study was in the October 7 issue of Journal of Neuroscience. They show that it is possible to use plastic beads coated with a substance that encourages adhesion to help cells grow and form new synapses.  You can read about this study here 2 G... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2894643 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:21:08 +0100 2894643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2887585&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19821169%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Drechsler R, Rizzo P, Steinhausen HC Reward-related processes are impaired in children with ADHD. Whether these deficits can be ascribed to an aversion to delay or to an altered responsiveness to magnitude, frequency, valence, or the probability of rewards still needs to be explored. In the present study, children with ADHD and normal controls aged 7 to 10 years performed a simple probabilistic discounting task. They had to choose between alternatives where the magnitude of rewards was inversely related to the probability of outcomes. As a result, children with ADHD opted more frequently for less likely but larger rewards than normal controls. Shifts of the response category after positive or negative feedback, however, occurred as often in children with ADHD as in control chi... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2887585 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2887585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876182&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F10%2Fcomputer-games-can-improve-reading-and-maths%2F I have just seen the preliminary findings of the first independent research study on Neurogames, the games I have developed to help reading and maths.  The study was undertaken on 20 children aged 4 to 6.   10 children were given the computer games to play for 20 mins twice a week for 13 weeks at school.  10 children were not given the game and received normal teaching in a different class.  Both groups were tested on standardized reading and maths tests (WIAT) before and after the intervention.   The results show that the computer game group had an average maths score of 102 (average) before using the games which rose to 123 (above average) after playing the game for 13 weeks.  The average group reading score before playing the games was 101.7, which increased to 114.9 after the gam... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876182 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:48:53 +0100 2876182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879098&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19813116%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examines the neuropsychological profile of a boy with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) without a paired-like homeobox gene (PHOX2B) mutation. CCHS is a rare disorder of autonomic nervous system development characterized by an impaired ventilatory response to hypercarbia and hypoxemia. Mild intellectual deficits are common but a specific cognitive profile is not established in CCHS. We describe a nonverbal learning disorder as a CCHS endophenotype and recommend that detailed neuropsychological testing be performed on all individuals with CCHS. Defining the psycho-educational needs in CCHS may avert compounding the emotional and medical stresses of this already debilitating disorder. PMID: 19813116 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsych... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879098 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2879098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2847371&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19787495%26dopt%3DAbstract This study compared performance and performance monitoring in 19 boys with Tourette syndrome (TS) (12.64 years, +/- 2.05) and 19 age-matched controls (13.16 years, +/- 2.29) using a Go/NoGo task. The results indicated similar performance accuracy in the TS group and the control group. TS participants showed slower correct responses than the control group, whereas error response times were not different between the groups. The results are discussed with reference to inhibitory adaptive effects that may be employed by TS participants to maintain high accuracy at the cost of overall slower performance. These effects may be suspended prior to errors. PMID: 19787495 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2847371 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2847371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2847370&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19787496%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Samuelson KW, Krueger CE, Burnett C, Wilson CK Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with deficits in the areas of verbal memory and learning, executive functioning, working memory, and attention in adults. Findings have been less consistent in the few studies examining neuropsychological functioning in childhood PTSD, which are often limited by comparing children with PTSD to children without trauma histories, making it unclear whether observed neuropsychological deficits are related to trauma exposure or to PTSD symptomatology. In an ethnically diverse sample of 62 children who witnessed intimate partner violence (n = 27 PTSD+ and 35 PTSD-), children with PTSD exhibited slower and less effective learning, heightened sensitivity to interference, and impaire... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2847370 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2847370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2762009&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F09%2F5-reasons-to-develop-computer-game-based-learning%2F There is a lot of debate particularly in the media about the pros and cons about computer use with children.  I believe that there are some fantastic potential benefits in developing computer games to teach children.  Here are 5 of them: Dissemination of information- Our knowledge about child neuropsychological development is increasing all the time.  But there is a problem communicating this to teachers and parents and applying this knowledge. Computer game based learning allows this knowledge to be disseminated to a large number of children.  An example is dyslexia (by this I mean difficulties in learning to read). As neuropsychologists we know how reading develops, what part of the brain is involved, how to intervene to improve reading and how this  changes the brain areas involve... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2762009 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:02:29 +0100 2762009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2735290&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19705311%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gibson BS, Gondoli DM, Flies AC, Dobrzenski BA, Unsworth N Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with a deficit in working memory across both verbal and spatial domains, but the precise nature of this deficit is poorly understood. The dual-component model postulates that working memory capacity consists of two dissociable components: maintenance in primary memory (PM) and recall from secondary memory (SM). Participants diagnosed with ADHD (n = 32) and age-matched controls (n = 31) performed both verbal and spatial free-recall tasks, and subsets of these two samples were selected for further comparison based on their use of a "recency" order-of-report strategy. The primary results showed that maintenance in PM appears to be largely intact whereas r... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2735290 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2735290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2692156&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19670065%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Brooks BL, Sherman EM, Strauss E The NEPSY-II consists of 32 subtests for use in a neuropsychological assessment with preschoolers, children, and adolescents. This test review provides an overview of the NEPSY-II for clinicians and researchers, including descriptions of the subtests, changes from the original NEPSY, reliability and validity evidence, strengths, and limitations. PMID: 19670065 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2692156 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2692156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682570&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19657785%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Greenstein Y, Blachstein H, Vakil E We analyzed the relationship between several measures of attention (e.g., sustained and divided attention) and measures of verbal memory (e.g., immediate and delayed memory) in children aged 8-17 years. The attentional measures were derived from several tests of attention: Trail-Making, Digit Cancellation, Digit-Symbol, and Digit-Span. The verbal memory measures were derived from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). We found that most correlations between attention and the Rey AVLT measures were mediated by age. After removing the contribution of age, relationships were found between attentional and memory measures only in the younger age groups (8-12) but not in the older age groups (13-17). For the younger children different atten... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682570 Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2682570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2637903&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F07%2Fpersonality-psychology%2F I have been reading an excellent book on personality research called Personality: What makes you the way you are by Daniel Nettle.  It is written for the non expert and is easy to read and full of interesting observations.  In the UK the psychology of personality has not been very influential on clinical practice.  Most Clinical Psychologists do not assess personality, particularly in children and young people.  In addition the study of personality has not featured on many university courses and certainly was not part of my undergraduate degree.  However, recently I have began to take an interest in this area of psychology because it makes a lot of sense clinically.  The children and young people I see have clear personality traits which fit with the current research.  Having read ... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2637903 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:55:23 +0100 2637903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2640385&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19626494%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Albert D, Opwis K, Regard M The aim of the study was to assess conceptual thinking in children in relation to age and motor dominance. We investigated the effect of the right and the left hand in a fluency task in four groups of 127 healthy right-handed children (age 5-12 years) and an adult control group. They performed the Five-Point Test twice, once with their dominant right and once with their nondominant left hand. The number of items and errors were analyzed with respect to age, drawing hand, and motor transfer. The performance of boys and girls did not differ. There was a significant effect for age and a prominent interaction between age, hand, and order (right hand or left hand first). Performance improved linearly with age. The dominant right hand performed generally ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2640385 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2640385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570891&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F07%2F5-ways-to-improve-memory%2F I have just been reading a very good new book on neuropsychological rehabilitation by Barbara Wilson and colleagues Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: Theory, Models, Therapy and Outcome I also heard her give an interesting talk this week on memory rehabilitation.  In the book and the talk she discuses proven techniques to help with memory.  These are designed for individual with memory problems but they also work really well for anyone wanting to learn and remember information.  The methods are backed with experimental evidence.  They will work for adults as well as children.    1.  Encourage associations or links when learning- the best way is to use visual or spatial images and associate these with what you are trying to learn. Some of the best learners use an internal pic... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570891 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:28:50 +0100 2570891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2573419&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19572224%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined the degree to which neuropsychological functioning, as measured by the NEPSY, moderates the impact of temperament on global functioning, as measured by the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), in 74 typically developing preschoolers. Temperament was assessed via parent ratings on the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) and teacher ratings on the Temperament Assessment Battery for Children - Revised (TABC-R). Moderation analyses revealed significant interactions between verbal-executive skills and both child emotionality and lack of task persistence in predicting global functioning. The interaction patterns were mostly consistent across measures and indicated that when lower neurocognitive scores were coupled with higher levels of expressed negative emotions an... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2573419 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2573419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2549414&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19557581%26dopt%3DAbstract Pediatric Neuropsychology Case Studies: From the Exceptional to the Commonplace. Jennifer Niskala Appa, Robert F. Newby, & Laura Weiss Roberts (Eds.). (2008). New York: Springer. 364 pp. (ISBN: 978-0-387-78964-4), $149 (hbk). Child Neuropsychol. 2009 Jun 24;:1-2 Authors: Chiaravalloti ND PMID: 19557581 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2549414 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2549414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2549415&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544113%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: van der Meere J, Borger NA, Potgieter ST, Pirila S, De Cock P It is well recognized that reaction time performance of term-born children with a normal birth weight (NBW > 2500 g) who fulfill the DSM-IV criteria for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the primary school age is sensitive for the presentation rate of stimuli. They have been found to perform more poorly in conditions of relatively slow event rates as compared with fast event rates. The purpose of the current study was to explore whether reaction time performance of children with very low birth weight (VLBW < 1500 g) with or without ADHD showed the same sensitivity for the factor presentation rate of stimuli compared to children with a normal birth weight plus ADHD. To this end, reaction time p... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2549415 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2549415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511964&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F06%2Fthe-development-of-violent-behaviour-and-how-to-prevent-it%2F In this study volunteers delivered what they thought where powerful electric shocks to others when told to do so by someone in authority.  This authority effect may explain the way that leaders in a group will influence other lower members .  This is particularly pertinent in gangs with children- the younger children being influenced by older members.  These social influences may also explain state controlled violence where leaders get subordinates to carry out violence on their behalf.  It seems to me that social influences can override individual brain processes.  This is an important factor in gang related violence - much of which is a problem in London UK at the moment.  Children will do what older gang members want through the influence of authority and also start to hate ... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511964 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:19:06 +0100 2511964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452898&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F06%2Fmild-head-injury-in-children-missing-the-problem%2F I have been working clinically with children with head injury now for over 12 years and this has allowed me to see the longitudinal effects of childhood head injury for myself.  What I have noticed is that some children with what appeared to initially be mild head injury (i.e. no prolonged loss of consciousness) continued to have problems over time. I have looked at these cases in some detail and their developmental problem can’t be explained by pre morbid functioning (i.e. any difficulties before the head injury).  This experience is not what the textbooks say is supposed to happen. Mild head injury is thought to be associated with better prognosis and is very rarely followed up by medical services.  However, three new studies this year suggest that Mild Head Injury may result ... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452898 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:25:08 +0100 2452898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477623&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19492202%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chilosi AM, Brizzolara D, Lami L, Pizzoli C, Gasperini F, Pecini C, Cipriani P, Zoccolotti P Language delay is a frequent antecedent of literacy problems, and both may be linked to phonological impairment. Studies on developmental dyslexia have led to contradictory results due to the heterogeneity of the pathological samples. The present study investigated whether Italian children with dyslexia showed selective phonological processing deficits or more widespread linguistic impairment and whether these deficits were associated with previous language delay. We chose 46 children with specific reading deficits and divided them into two groups based on whether they had language delay (LD) or not (NoLD). LD and NoLD children showed similar, severe deficits in reading and spelling de... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477623 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2477623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442108&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F05%2Fplaying-computer-games-improves-attention%2F There is more evidence of the neuropsychological benefits of playing action video games in a new paper to be published in July by Matt Dye and colleagues in Neuropsychologia. This paper shows that playing action video games resulted in improvmenets in attention allocation in children and young people.  The authors used the Attention Network Test (ANT) which measure “how well attention is allocated to targets as a function of alerting and orientating cues, and to what extent observers are able to filter out the influence of task irrelevant information flanking those tasks”.  The subjects were children and young people between the ages of 7 and 22 who had played action games (such as Halo, Metal Gear, Quake, Grand Theft Auto, Medal of Honor etc) and non action games (Age of E... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442108 Thu, 21 May 2009 10:42:06 +0100 2442108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415540&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F05%2Fhow-to-make-your-child-more-intelligent%2F There is an interesting article in the Sunday Times this week entitled ‘how to make your child more intelligent’.  It seems to be based in part on a new book by Richard Nisbett entitled ‘Intelligence and How to Get it: Why Schools and Cultures Count.  Whilst the article makes a number of important points the overall tone feels a bit like the old nature/ nurture debate, which I thought was over years ago. The article starts by stating that ‘Over recent years most experts have concluded that intelligence is largely genetic in origin, and that nurture does relatively little to raise an individual’s potential’.  I am not sure which experts they are referring to here as anyone who knows anything about the genes and IQ literature knows this not to be true.   The relation... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415540 Mon, 18 May 2009 22:00:42 +0100 2415540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398974&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F05%2Fnew-technology-to-improve-physical-disability%2F One of the most distressing symptoms for many of the children and young people I see clinically after a traumatic brain injury or stroke is the physical disability caused by the neurological injury.   Most parents, children and young people hold out most hope for a physical recovery.  The physical disability is the most visible symptom to the patient, their families and to other people.  At present the main therapy to help with this is physiotherapy.  Physiotherapy requires repeated exercise to try and improve physical function. Recent research has shown that physiotherapy is more effective in treating adult stoke patients than no therapy, although the type of physiotherapy used didn’t seem to make a difference. However, even with a disorder as physically treatable as stroke ... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398974 Thu, 07 May 2009 19:00:58 +0100 2398974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477624&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19424879%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Macallister WS, Nakhutina L, Bender HA, Karantzoulis S, Carlson C Effort assessment is of particular importance in pediatric epilepsy where neuropsychological findings may influence treatment decisions, especially if surgical interventions are being considered. The present investigation examines the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) in 60 children and adolescents with epilepsy. The overall pass rate for the sample was 90%. TOMM scores were unrelated to age, though there was a significant correlation between TOMM Trial 2 scores and intelligence estimates. Overall, the TOMM appears to be a valid measure of effort in young epilepsy patients, though caution should be used when interpreting scores for those with very low IQ, especially if behavioral problems are also evident. Cauti... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477624 Thu, 07 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2477624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380957&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F04%2Fvideo-games-improve-vision-more-evidence-of-neural-plasticity%2F There is some interesting new research showing how video games can improve visual skills. The research by Renjie Li and others from the University of Rochester and published in Nature Neuroscience  showed how playing an action based vidoe game improved Contrast Sensitivity Function (CFS).  This was a good study with controls and pre and post assessment showing clearly that it was the video game training that made the difference.  The key factor was that only action games worked e.g. Call of Duty.  Non action games such as the Sims didn’t result in improvements.   Contrast Sensitivity is the visual ability to see objects that may not be outlined clearly or that do not stand out from their background.  It is a visual perceptual function that is important for night vision, facial... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380957 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:25:01 +0100 2380957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376429&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F04%2Fthe-benefits-of-training-working-memory%2F This study adds to the evidence that computer game based training can improve neuropsychological functioning.  The target for the training however, need to be specific and based on areas that the research shows can improve.  It also shows that training working memory can have an impact on educational development, in this case maths.  As the authors point out there will typically be 4-5 children in a class of 30 with poor working memory.  The study therefore has big implications for future education practice. (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376429 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:25:25 +0100 2376429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365264&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F04%2Fneurogames-free-demo%2F You can now try Neurogames for free with the demos online for the basic maths game Nutty Numbers and the reading game Letter Lilies. The games are specially formulated to help children who find learning difficult including children with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and Learning difficulties.  However, they are based on normal child development and so can be used by anyone learning to read or learning maths.  I use them clinically in my practice and I have had great feedback from children of different abilities who have played the games.   I believe that using games to help children learn holds great promise for the future.  So try the games for free here and let me know what you think. (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365264 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:24:58 +0100 2365264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477625&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19387878%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Thannhauser J, Buldanczyk A, Salomon E, Jankowska E, Borodulin-Nadzieja L, Kraszewska B, Heisig M In the present study an attempt was made to establish if and to what extent auditory deprivation modifies the processes of visual analysis and synthesis. The study included 54 children aged 10-16 years with hearing impairment attending the School and Educational Center for Children with Hearing Impairment in Wrocław (group I) and 127 children with normal hearing acuity attending public schools (group II), forming a reference group. Hearing impairment in the children of group I was from 60 to 100 dB. In 9 of these children the hearing impairment was inherited, while in some others it was acquired and resulted from rubella during the mother's pregnancy (5 subjects) or a severe... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477625 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2477625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477627&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19370432%26dopt%3DAbstract Conclusion: this study is the first to report normative data on neuropsychological tests among children in Cameroon and constitutes an initial step for the advancement of neuropsychology in this country in particular and in sub-Saharan Africa in general. The battery is currently used in Cameroon with children suffering from Sickle Cell Disease as an aid to detect cerebrovascular complications. PMID: 19370432 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477627 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2477627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349054&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F04%2F5-reasons-to-help-children-in-poverty%2F I have recently been reading a life changing book by Peter Singer The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty Based on this I present 5 reasons why it is important to help children in poverty: 1. Because 27,000 children under 5 die everyday (10 million a year) from poverty related causes i.e. a football stadium full every day. If this was on the news it would shock us. 2. Because it will make you happier to help.  Helping others provides meaning and fulfillment which in turn are key ingredients for making us happy.    3. Because ethically it is the right thing to do.  If we saw a child suffering most people would intervene especially if the cost of doing so was not that great to us.   4. Because if enough people donated a small proportion of their income each week (Sin... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349054 Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:23:58 +0100 2349054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349055&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F04%2Fchanging-childrens-lives-to-make-a-better-society%2F Scientific and technological knowledge is developing very fast. This post is about some of the ways in which we could use this knowledge to help children develop in ways that will help them and change society in the long term.  These are just a few examples of what we know and what we could do.   1. Eliminate dyslexia- not being able to read as well as being difficult for the individual involved also is associated with significant social problems for example approximately 50 % of adult in prison in the UK have difficulty reading and 80% have difficulty with writing.  We know how to treat dyslexia (see this post) Eliminating dyslexia has been attempted in one school district in Scotland with great success.  Why can’t we do this everywhere?  2. Teach children how to be... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349055 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:30:19 +0100 2349055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2320427&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F04%2Fchanging-childrens-lives-to-make-a-better-society%2F Scientific and technological knowledge is developing very fast. This post is about some of the ways in which we could use this knowledge to help children develop in ways that will help them and change society in the long term.  These are just a few examples of what we know and what we could do.   Eliminate dyslexia- not being able to read as well as being difficult for the individual involved also is associated with significant social problems for example approximately 50 % of adult in prison in the UK have difficulty reading and 80% have difficulty with writing.  We know how to treat dyslexia (see this post) Eliminating dyslexia has been attempted in one school district in Scotland with great success.  Why can’t we do this everywhere?  Teach children how to be happy... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2320427 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:30:19 +0100 2320427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2320429&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F03%2Fhow-do-genes-work%2F The world of genetics is moving so fast it is hard to keep up.  Luckily one of my favorite writers on the subject Robert Plomin (together with Oliver Davies) has written an update on the genetics of child psychology and psychiatry in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.  There is a lot of information in the article regarding the latest genetic findings but the issue that stuck me most was about how our understanding about how genes work is changing.  My understanding of genes was the classic model described succinctly by Plomin and Oliver as “a gene is a sequence of DNA that is transcibed into messenger RNA which is then translated into amino acid sequences, the building block of protein”.  The proteins then build to form brain structure, neurotran... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2320429 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:26:15 +0100 2320429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299025&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19326263%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, dyslexics may be inattentive at school because they are slow processors, in particular when they are presented with verbal stimuli. PMID: 19326263 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299025 Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2299025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299026&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19319747%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Allen DN, Haderlie M, Kazakov D, Mayfield J The current study examined the construct and criterion validity of the Comprehensive Trail Making Test (CTMT) when used to evaluate children and adolescents with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants included 100 children and adolescents, 50 who had sustained TBI and 50 normal comparisons (NC). Analyses indicated that the CTMT factor scores were significantly correlated with tests of perceptual organizational ability, processing speed, and motor function and provided support for its construct validity. Additionally, correlations between the various CTMT scores suggested that a different pattern of associations was present in the TBI group compared to the NC group. Finally, the TBI group performed significantly worse (p < .001... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299026 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2299026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2293079&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F03%2Fthe-biochemistry-of-brain-training%2F This study in Science shows that 14 hours cognitive training using a computer game resulted in changes in the density of dopamine receptors.  These are exciting findings showing that change to brains at a fundamental level is possible using computer based learning.  It has major implications for the treatment of disorders such as ADHD as well as learning in general.  The important lesson is that brain training needs to be focused on specific brain areas and functions, namely the areas that have the most plasticity. (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2293079 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:52:41 +0100 2293079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284686&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19296298%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: van der Meere JJ, Shalev RS, Borger N, Wiersema JR Thirteen children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD: DSM-IV-TR) participated in the pilot study. They carried out a Go/No-Go test with a short (2 seconds) and long (6 seconds) interstimulus interval (ISI) when on placebo and a therapeutic dose of methylphenidate (MPH). For the long-ISI placebo condition the responses were slow and inaccurate. This pattern of response may be due to underactivation of the readiness-to-respond state that is not fully controlled by effort allocation. Speed of response and accuracy were enhanced during the short-ISI placebo condition and the long-ISI MPH condition. However, the combined effect (short ISI and MPH) resulted in a fast but inaccurate response style. This pattern of re... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284686 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2284686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260487&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19280375%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study the motor performance of primary school-age children with a 22q11.2DS (n = 28) was compared with an age- and IQ-matched control group (n = 28) using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC), the Korperkoordinationstest fur Kinder (KTK) and the Beery-Buctenica test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery). Children with a 22q11.2DS scored significantly lower than the age- and IQ-matched control group on the subsection Manual Dexterity (MABC) and the Visual Perception and Motor Coordination subtests of the Beery. When investigating the correlations between Intelligence quotient (IQ) and motor performance, a specific profile was found in the 22q11.2DS group when compared with the age- and IQ-matched control group. Because an IQ-matched control group was adopted, the defici... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260487 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2260487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260490&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19274603%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lanfranchi S, Jerman O, Vianello R This work is aimed at analyzing working memory (WM) components and their relationships with other cognitive processes in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Particular attention is given to examine whether a verbal WM deficit is due to difficulties in verbal abilities often showed by individuals with DS, or whether it is a deficit per se. A group of 20 individuals with DS was compared to a group of 20 typically developing (TD) children matched on vocabulary comprehension and to a group of 20 TD children matched on general verbal intelligence. The groups received a battery of 3 verbal and 3 visuospatial WM tasks requiring different degrees of control, and tests assessing verbal abilities (WPPSI verbal scale, PPVT), nonverbal skills (WPPSI per... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260490 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2260490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2259368&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F03%2Fdoes-brain-training-work%2F  There are a number of conflicting studies in the literature see Guardian games blog for example.  There has recently been a lot of interest in the Ninetendo DS brain training game although I am not aware of any published work on it’s effectiveness (but see this BBC site article for some anecdotal evidence.)  I would personally be surprised if the Nintendo brain training did work because the game is not training specific brain areas or functions and does not fit with contemporary neuropsychological theory.  The Brain has numerous functions linked to different anatomical areas and trying to train the whole thing at once is, I think nonsensical. Brain training will have to become a lot more targeted if it is to work.   There is some evidence that targeting specific ... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2259368 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:48:25 +0100 2259368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2235770&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19255881%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kibby MY Prior research has put forth at least four possible contributors to the verbal short-term memory (VSTM) deficit in children with developmental reading disabilities (RD): poor phonological awareness that affects phonological coding into VSTM, a less effective phonological store, slow articulation rate, and fewer/poorer quality long-term memory (LTM) representations. This project is among the first to test the four suppositions in one study. Participants included 18 children with RD and 18 controls. VSTM was assessed using Baddeley's model of the phonological loop. Findings suggest all four suppositions are correct, depending upon the type of material utilized. Children with RD performed comparably to controls in VSTM for common words but worse for less frequent words a... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2235770 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2235770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207927&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F02%2Fcan-dyslexia-be-eliminated%2F There is a very interesting debate in the US at the moment about how to tackle reading problems (dyslexia). There is increasing interest in the Response to Instruction (RTI) approach- summarized here.    This approach focuses on how to teach reading for everyone rather than just identifying and treating children with dyslexia.  It is a public health approach focusing on prevention rather than an individual disorder approach focusing on treatment.  In the UK the focus is more individual and based on clinical identification of dyslexia- i.e. does this person have dyslexia or not.  Parents and teachers need to find someone - often a clinical or educational psychologist to diagnose dyslexia.  This in turn depends on the parent or teacher recognizing the problem in the first place... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207927 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:11:10 +0100 2207927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207928&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F02%2Fgenes-and-environment-the-case-of-multiple-sclerosis%2F My early career involved working with patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and undertaking research into how people cope with this.  This experience left a lasting impression as MS is a horrible disease to live with. It is neuro-degenerative disorder resulting in progressive loss of function leading to both both physical and neuropsychological disability. There are different forms with some slow moving and some with very rapid deterioration.  MS results in the destruction of the myeline in the brain.  Myelin is the substance that coats and insulates brain cell in a similar way to the way that plastic coating insulates electric wiring.  When the myelin is destroyed the brain short circuits.  Whilst most people associate MS with older adults there is an early onset version aff... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207928 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:57:12 +0100 2207928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207929&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F02%2Fparenting-how-important-is-it%2F This report was about how unhappy children are today because of selfish parents.  In the column Daniel makes some simple points which I often think about myself when seeing children.  The key issue is the extent to which parents influence children’s behaviour and personality.  The points he makes are 1- children and parents share the same genes and therefore are likely to be somewhat alike to start with.  2- children who are difficult are going to influence the way their parents react to them.  It is easy to be an authoritative parent with a child who is easy to manage- the traffic is not all one way.  I happen to believe that parents do have an affect on their children but there are so many other issues affecting development as well.  The issues about genetics that Daniel r... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207929 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:15:23 +0100 2207929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207930&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F02%2Fstem-cell-research-new-hope-for-treating-neurological-disability%2F A new study on the benefits of stem cell therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis is a very exciting one for all neuroscience. The study shows that by giving stem cells to MS patients, disability is halted or reversed. The study included measures of neuropsychological function as well as neurological rating scales and quality of life.  Improvements in these areas were seen in 17 out of 21 patients and there was no deterioration in the other 4. The reason why it is so important lies in the use of stem cells. The problem with all neurological disability including childhood brain injury is that the brain can not repair itself. This is to do with the way the brain develops. The brain starts to develop at 40 days old with stem cells lining the neural tube. The stem cells turn into precursor... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207930 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:02:14 +0100 2207930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2158008&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19184778%26dopt%3DAbstract Conclusions: While deficits in verbal and memory skills for children with NSCL/P remain apparent, there is still uncertainty around the possible influence of cleft type on the pattern of deficits. PMID: 19184778 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2158008 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2158008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2158007&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19184779%26dopt%3DAbstract This study supports intra-individual variability as a hallmark feature of ADHD beyond the domain of response inhibition and reinforces the need to consider variability in ADHD more broadly. PMID: 19184779 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2158007 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2158007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2145355&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19177254%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Moitra E, Armstrong CL Despite the prevalence of pediatric Central Nervous System (CNS) solid tumors, little is understood about patients' disease-related anxiety experience. Data from 25 remitted pediatric CNS tumor patients posttreatment were collected. Significant symptoms of anxiety were reported by 32% of patients. MRI studies showed all anxious patients had right cortical tumors or left cerebellar tumors. Confound analyses suggest these results are not better accounted for by demographic, disease, or treatment variables. These results evidence the risk some pediatric neuro-oncologic patients face for developing significant anxiety symptoms. PMID: 19177254 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2145355 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2145355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2142474&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19173090%26dopt%3DAbstract Conclusions: Executive dysfunction is related to all three clusters of behavioral symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorders. PMID: 19173090 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2142474 Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2142474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2126479&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19160150%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigated cognitive, metacognitive, and psychosocial aspects of neurobehavioral functioning in 22 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and 18 unaffected siblings, all between the ages of 6 and 16 years. Probands and siblings completed the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, as well as selected subtests from the Children's Memory Scale and from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System, while parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Compared to siblings, probands demonstrated relative weaknesses on both verbal and nonverbal measures of delayed recall and response generation and were rated by parents as having more difficulties with social interaction, initiation, and adaptation. It is concluded that... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2126479 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2126479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207931&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F01%2Fthe-problem-with-high-iq%2F I have recently been reading Malcolm Gladwell’s new bookOutliers: The Story of SuccessI have to say that I found a lot of it irritating as I thought his arguments were very polemic and with lots of flaws, although he is a great storyteller and writer. There are however, two interesting chapters on high IQ in the book.  As a neuropsychologist who assesses IQ, I sometimes get people telling me that they or their children have very high IQ’s normally over 150 and sometimes over 200.  I am never sure when this comes from as on the most commonly used test of IQ in the US and UK, the Wechsler scales, the highest IQ you can get is 160. In Gladwell’s chapter he discusses the case of Chris Langan a person with one of the highest IQ’s in the US, with an IQ of 195. I think a... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207931 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:07:44 +0100 2207931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2102401&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19140055%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bhatara AK, Quintin EM, Heaton P, Fombonne E, Levitin DJ High-functioning adolescents with ASD and matched controls were presented with animations that depicted varying levels of social interaction and were either accompanied by music or silent. Participants described the events of the animation, and we scored responses for intentionality, appropriateness, and length of description. Adolescents with ASD were less likely to make social attributions, especially for those animations with the most complex social interactions. When stimuli were accompanied by music, both groups were equally impaired in appropriateness and intentionality. We conclude that adolescents with ASD perceive and integrate musical soundtracks with visual displays equivalent to typically developing individua... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2102401 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2102401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2093658&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19132580%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bodin D, Pardini DA, Burns TG, Stevens AB A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted examining the higher order factor structure of the WISC-IV scores for 344 children who participated in neuropsychological evaluations at a large children's hospital. The WISC-IV factor structure mirrored that of the standardization sample. The second order general intelligence factor (g) accounted for the largest proportion of variance in the first-order latent factors and in the individual subtests, especially for the working memory index. The first-order processing speed factor exhibited the most unique variance beyond the influence of g. The results suggest that clinicians should not ignore the contribution of g when interpreting the first-order factors. PMID: 19132580 [PubMed - as su... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2093658 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2093658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207932&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2009%2F01%2Fbrain-differences-between-rich-and-poor-kids%2F A recently study from the University of California, Berkeley found differences in brain activation between children from low and high socioeconomic status (’rich and poor kids’).  The researchers used EEG to measure activation in the pre frontal cortex and found children from low socioeconomic backgrounds had a low EEG response which was similar to children with brain injury.   The psychology group at Berkeley have a distinguished history of research looking at the development of pre frontal cortex.  One of the key findings over the last 20 years is the role that the environment has in brain development.  Originally work undertaken on rats showed that those in a drab environment had less well developed brains than those living in stimulating environments.  It is likely tha... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207932 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:09:23 +0100 2207932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2085026&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19125360%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Porter MA, Dodd H, Cairns D The aim of this study was to explore psychopathological and behavior impairments in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) by focusing on individual differences rather than group tendencies. Parent/Guardian ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist were analyzed in order to examine the influence of gender, chronological age, and cognitive abilities on psychopathological impairment within WBS. In line with predictions, and consistent with cognitive heterogeneity in WBS, psychopathological and behavioral abnormalities were variable, with gender and specific cognitive abilities making significant and independent contributions to this variance. For gender, females were significantly more likely than males with WBS to display difficulties with externalizing proble... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2085026 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2085026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207933&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2008%2F12%2Fneurogames%2F I have just developed a new concept combining my knowledge of neuropsychology with computer games.   It is called Neurogames and the games are available for purchase on my new website neurogames.co.uk.  At present I have developed four games helping children to develop maths and numeracy.   The games are based on the science of the development of reading and numeracy drawing on some of the work from the contributors writing in our book Child Neuropsychology as well as some of the research studies highlighted in this blog.  The games take a developmental course mirroring the normal developmental sequence of reading and maths acquisition.  The games also draw on my clinical expertise in terms of what helps children with neurodevelopmental difficulties.  This includes errorless learning... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207933 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:03:15 +0100 2207933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2048830&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19089695%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Favre T, Hughes C, Emslie G, Stavinoha P, Kennard B, Carmody T The present investigation examined neurocognitive functioning, focusing on executive functioning (EF), in 39 children and adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 24 healthy control subjects all ages 8 to 17 years. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition along with several measures of executive functioning including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, Trail Making Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and the Stroop Color Word Test were administered. The neurocognitive profiles for the group of depressed children and adolescents were grossly intact as most scores on intellectual and EF measures fell within the average range and did not differ from the comparison group. Mental proc... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2048830 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:52:31 +0100 2048830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2048829&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19089696%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 19089696 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2048829 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:52:26 +0100 2048829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2048831&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19089681%26dopt%3DAbstract This study shows the importance of searching for possible combined effects of neuropsychological factors to learn more about the different pathways that lead to ADHD symptoms in children. PMID: 19089681 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2048831 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2048831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207934&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2008%2F12%2Ftechnology-and-rehabilitation%2F Technology is developing very fast and I think there are increasing applications for children and young people with neurological or neurodevelopmental difficulties.  Recently I have recommended the Apple system for several of my clients.  I am fairly new to Apple but I am very impressed by its applicability in rehabilitation.  Theses are some of the areas where it can benefit: Executive function-  Individuals with executive difficulties have difficulties with planning and organisation, working memory, self monitoring, flexibility etc.  This typically occurs after a brain injury but is also seen in ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.    What I like about the Apple imac and Apple iphone is that it doesn’t rely on planning.  It is very visual and intuitive.  Th... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207934 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:59:16 +0100 2207934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207935&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2008%2F12%2Fneuroscience-what-you-need-to-know%2F How much do you know about the brain and how it works?  I have found an interesting website from the Society of Neuroscience that presents the core concepts that everyone should know about the brain and the nervous system.  It is particularly aimed at teachers and links with the curriculum in the US.  The website provides a good guide to several aspects of neuroscience and is worth a look for parents and professionals. Technorati Profile (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207935 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:41:28 +0100 2207935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2019285&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19051074%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Swanson HL, Luxenberg D The study explored the contribution of two component processes (phonological and executive) to blind children's memory performance. Children with blindness and sight were matched on gender, chronological age, and verbal intelligence and compared on measures of short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM). Although the measures were highly correlated, the results from two experiments indicated that the blind children were superior to sighted children on measures of STM, but not on measures of WM. The results supported the notion that children with blindness have advantages on memory tasks that draw upon resources from the phonological loop. However, comparable performance between the ability groups on WM measures suggests there are domain specific asp... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2019285 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2019285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2207936&cid=s_38275_122_f&fid=38275&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjonathanreed.co.uk%2Fwordpress%2F2008%2F11%2Ferrorless-learning-for-children-with-brain-injury%2F Children with brain injury often have memory problems which means that they find learning new material difficult.  One particular problem seems to be with trial and error learning.  Children (and adults) with memory problems find it hard to eliminate the errors.  The original work was done on amnesic patients in a study by Alan Baddeley and Barbara Wilson .  They introduced the concept of errorless learning as a way of helping the individuals with amnesia learn.  Errorless learning means intervening before the person makes the errors.  It may seem counter intuitive but I have seen it work repeatedly in children in clinical practice.   Over time it is best to withdraw support gradually whilst still trying to avoid errors.  One of the best people talking and writing abou... Child Neuropsychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2207936 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:34:34 +0100 2207936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1970856&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19016126%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Randall KD, Brocki KC, Kerns KA The literature on children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD-C), is currently inconclusive as to the nature of deficits in two forms of cognitive control - interference control and response selection (Nigg, 2006). This paper examined the performance of children with ADHD-C on interference control and response selection conflict tasks that required both speed and accuracy. The data was analyzed utilizing a new efficiency method to more effectively analyze overall responses. Both interference control and response selection conditions were combined within tasks allowing for a closer comparison of how children with ADHD-C perform on these specific types of cognitive control. Computerized tasks were administered to 62... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1970856 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1970856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1935250&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18982507%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Desman C, Petermann F, Hampel P To date, neuropsychological and psycho-physiological studies have revealed inconsistent results regarding an executive or motivational deficit explaining the response inhibition deficit in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Research on differentiating neuropsychological processes in ADHD subtypes is still scarce. Therefore, the motivational impact on response inhibition among boys with ADHD was examined in this study. In the first study, 19 boys with ADHD-combined type (ADHD-C) and 19 age-matched healthy control subjects performed a modified Go/No-Go task with the following experimental conditions: neutral, auditory feedback, reward, response cost, and reward/response cost. Performance and physiological data (heart ra... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1935250 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1935250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1935244&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18982508%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Burrage MS, Ponitz CC, McCready EA, Shah P, Sims BC, Jewkes AM, Morrison FJ We employed a cutoff design in order to examine age- and schooling-related effects on executive functions. Specifically, we looked at development of working memory and response inhibition over the period of 1 school year in prekindergarten and kindergarten students born within 4 months of each other. All children improved on executive function and word-decoding tasks from the beginning to the end of the year. Additionally, we found prekindergarten- and kindergarten-schooling effects for the working memory and word-decoding tasks (p < .05), and a trend-level prekindergarten-schooling effect for the response inhibition task (p < .10). PMID: 18982508 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Child Neuropsy... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1935244 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1935244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873850&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18850349%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mullane JC, Corkum PV, Klein RM, McLaughlin E The present review systematically summarizes the existing research that has examined two reaction-time-based interference control paradigms, known as the Eriksen Flanker task and the Simon task, in children with and without ADHD. Twelve studies are included, yielding a combined sample size of 272 children with ADHD (M age 9.28 yrs) and 280 typically developing children (M age 9.38 yrs). As predicted, specific disadvantages were found in the ADHD group in terms of reaction time, percentage of errors, and efficiency of performance on incongruent relative to congruent trials, providing evidence for weaker interference control in this group. PMID: 18850349 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873850 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1873850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1845901&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18828045%26dopt%3DAbstract CONCLUSION: Children with right CIs recognize emotion in faces but have limited perception of affective speech prosody. PMID: 18828045 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1845901 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1845901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1842025&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18825522%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Plummer C, Humphrey N The purpose of the current study was to examine the performance of children with and without ADHD in time reproduction tasks involving varying durations and modalities. Twenty children with ADHD and 20 healthy controls completed time reproduction tasks in three modalities (auditory, visual, and a unique combined auditory/visual condition) and six durations (1 second, 4 seconds, 12 seconds, 24 seconds, 48 seconds, and 60 seconds). Consistent with our predictions, we found main effects of group (participants with ADHD were significantly less accurate than those without ADHD), duration (accuracy decreased as temporal duration increased), and modality (responses in the combined condition were more accurate than those in the auditory condition, which in turn w... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1842025 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1842025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1842024&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18825523%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Meijs CJ, Hurks PP, Kalff AC, Slaats-Willemse DI, Rozendaal N, Jolles J The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that developmental differences exist in the use of learning strategies in primary school children. Serial and subjective clustering in a multitrial Pictorial Verbal Learning Test (PVLT) were compared in 79 children aged 6-12. Correlation analyses indicated that serial clustering yielded better performance when information was presented on the initial trials of the test. Subjective clustering was superior when information was presented repeatedly, i.e., after three or more trials. Analyses of variance indicated that subjective clustering was used more often in older children with repeated presentations. On the other hand, there was no increase in the use of s... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1842024 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1842024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1842023&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18825524%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rasmussen C, Bisanz J The goal of this project was to examine the profile of executive function (EF) deficits and age-related differences among children with FASD. Twenty-nine children with FASD (8 to 16 years of age) completed 8 tests from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS). They had difficulty on many components of EF including cognitive flexibility, inhibition, some measures of verbal fluency, abstract thinking, deductive reasoning, hypothesis testing, problem solving, and concept formation. A distinctive profile emerged with performance being poorest on the card sorting test and relatively high on category fluency, design fluency, and the tower test, indicating relative strengths on some visual-spatial EF tasks. Older children with FASD showed more difficu... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1842023 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1842023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771204&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608224%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Passolunghi MC, Cornoldi C A large body of literature has examined the relationship between working memory and arithmetic achievement, but results are still ambiguous. To examine this relationship, we compared the performance of third and fifth graders with arithmetic difficulties (AD) and controls of the same age, grade, and verbal intelligence on a battery of working memory tasks, differentiating between different aspects of working memory. Children with AD scored significantly lower on active working memory tasks requiring manipulation of the to-be-recalled information (Listening Completion task, Corsi Span Backwards, Digit Backwards), but not in passive working memory tasks, requiring the recall of information in the same format in which it had been presented (Digit, Word,... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771204 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771202&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608226%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Janusz JA PMID: 18608226 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771202 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771192&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18686074%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Behen ME, Helder E, Rothermel R, Solomon K, Chugani HT Postnatal deprivation is associated with neurocognitive delay/dysfunction. Although "catch up" in global cognition following adoption has been reported, this study examined the incidence of specific absolute impairment in adopted children with intact global cognitive functioning. Eighty-five children (38 males, mean age = 112.8, SD = 30.3 months; range 61-209 months) raised from birth in orphanages underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. Fifty-four were deemed globally intact (IQ > 85). Of those deemed globally intact, 46% evidenced absolute impairment in at least one domain of functioning. Duration of stay in the orphanage was directly associated with incidence of impairment and number of domains affecte... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771192 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771191&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18720100%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Homer M, Rutherford MD The ability of high-functioning individuals with autism to perceive facial expressions categorically was studied using eight facial expression continua created via morphing software. Participants completed a delayed matching task and an identification task. Like undergraduate male participants (N = 12), performance on the identification task for participants with autism (N = 15) was predicted by performance on the delayed matching task for the angry-afraid, happy-sad, and happy-surprised continua. This result indicates a clear category boundary and suggests that individuals with autism do perceive at least some facial expressions categorically. As this result is inconsistent with findings from other studies of categorical perception in individuals with a... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771191 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771189&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18756379%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lepore M, Celentano K, Conson M, Grossi D Several lines of research on adult subjects demonstrate a visual/spatial fractionation of nonverbal working memory (WM), while behavioral studies on normal children support the idea of a static/dynamic distinction. In the present paper, we report a child (Z.M.) who failed on nonverbal WM tasks. To verify the nature of his defect, we carried out two experiments: in Experiment 1, Z.M. failed on spatial WM tasks but not on visual WM tasks and was not affected by the static/dynamic format of stimulus presentation; in Experiment 2, this visual/spatial dissociation was extended to the imagery domain. These results are best accounted for within the visual/spatial fractionation of WM and confirmed the role of WM in mental imagery. Clinical and... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771189 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771188&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18756380%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: PMID: 18756380 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771188 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771190&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18720101%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigated developmental and sex-related differences in affective decision making, using a two-deck version of Children's Gambling Task administered to 3- and 4-year-old children. The main findings were that 4-year-old children displayed better decision-making performance than 3-year-olds. This effect was independent of developmental changes in inductive reasoning, language, and working memory. There were also sex differences in decision-making performance, which were apparent only in 3-year-old children and favored girls. Moreover, age predicted awareness of task and the correlation between the latter and decision-making performance was significant, but only in 4-year-old children. This study thus indicates that there is a remarkable developmental leap in affective decision m... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771190 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771193&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18686073%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lajiness-O'Neill R PMID: 18686073 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771193 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771194&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18629674%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined the contribution of EF (working memory and planning), along with attention, decoding, fluency, and vocabulary to reading comprehension in 60 children (including 16 WRD and 10 RCD), ages 9-15 years. After controlling for commonly accepted contributors to reading comprehension (i.e., attention, decoding skills, fluency, and vocabulary), EF continued to make a significant contribution to reading comprehension but not to word recognition skills. These findings highlight the need for consideration of the role of EF in RCD. PMID: 18629674 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771194 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771195&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18622810%26dopt%3DAbstract This study demonstrates that children with PANDAS exhibit neuropsychological profiles similar to those of their primary psychiatric diagnosis. PMID: 18622810 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771195 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771214&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18568778%26dopt%3DAbstract This study evaluated the relationship of (a) reactive inhibition and right-lateralized emotion processing to each other and (b) to executive control of response suppression, and (c) with regard to ADHD in 134 children ages 7-12 years. Reactive inhibition was indexed by child ratings of sensation seeking on the Sensation Seeking Scales, executive control by the Stop Signal Task, emotion processing by performance on the Chimeric Faces Test, and ADHD by parent- and teacher-reported symptoms. The results were consistent with a two-process model in which executive control, conceived as a right-hemisphere lateralized function, was distinct from sensation seeking and lateralized emotion processing. Supporting this distinction, ADHD was associated with executive control, but not with sensation see... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771214 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771213&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18568779%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was a systematic cross-sectional open clinical and nonrandomized investigation, which included 68 children with CLRE. Several neuropsychological tests were analyzed and age-related normative values were used as reference. Differences between CLRE and reference values were tested with Paired-Samples t-tests. Z scores were computed to compare the different neuropsychological tests and to inspect whether a characteristic neuropsychological profile exists for CLRE. The Independent-Samples t-test was used to explore which epilepsy factors (seizure type, seizure frequency, age at onset, duration of epilepsy, and drug load) were influencing the cognitive profile of CLRE. There seems to be a characteristic cognitive profile for children with CLRE; children with CLRE experience cognitive... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771213 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771212&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18568780%26dopt%3DAbstract Conclusion: Moderate cognitive and motor deficits, behavioral problems, and impairment in some aspects of quality of life frequently remain after stroke in childhood. Visuospatial functions are more often reduced than verbal functions, independent of the hemispheric side of lesion. This indicates a functional superiority of verbal skills compared to visuospatial skills in the process of recovery after brain injury. Compared to the cognitive outcome following stroke in adults, cognitive sequelae after childhood stroke do indicate neither the lateralization nor the location of the lesion focus. Age at stroke seems to be the only determining factor influencing cognitive outcome. PMID: 18568780 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771212 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771211&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608217%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Adams R, Finn P, Moes E, Flannery K, Rizzo AS Nineteen boys aged 8 to 14 with a diagnosis of ADHD and 16 age-matched controls were compared in a virtual reality (VR) classroom version of a continuous performance task (CPT), with a second standard CPT presentation using the same projection display dome system. The Virtual Classroom included simulated "real-world" auditory and visual distracters. Parent ratings of attention, hyperactivity, internalizing problems, and adaptive skills on the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Monitor for ADHD confirmed that the ADHD children had more problems in these areas than controls. The difference between the ADHD group (who performed worse) and the control group approached significance (p = .05; adjusted p = .02) in the Virtual ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771211 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771208&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608220%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rosselli M, Ardila A, Matute E, Inozemtseva O Published information concerning the influence of gender on mathematical ability tests has been controversial. The present study examines the performance of school-aged boys and girls from two age groups on several mathematical tasks and analyzes the predictive value of a verbal fluency test and a spatial test on those mathematical tasks. More specifically, our research attempts to answer the following two questions: (1) Are gender differences in mathematical test performance among children interrelated with age and (2) do verbal and spatial nonmathematical tests mediate gender effects on mathematical test performance? Two hundred and seventy-eight 7- to 10-year-old children and 248 13- to 16-year-olds were selected from schools in... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771208 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771197&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608231%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hunter SJ PMID: 18608231 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771197 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771196&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608232%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Toplak ME, Bucciarelli SM, Jain U, Tannock R Performance-based measures and ratings of executive functions were examined in a sample of adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comparison controls. Performance-based measures of executive function included inhibition, working memory, set shifting, and planning, and ratings of these same executive functions were completed by parents and teachers. Adolescents with ADHD demonstrated lower executive function performance than controls and displayed elevated ratings on the executive function ratings by parents and teachers. Significant associations were obtained between the performance-based measures and the parent and teacher ratings, but each measure was not uniquely associated with its respective scale ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771196 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771207&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608221%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lanfranchi S, Cornoldi C, Drigo S, Vianello R The present research tests the hypothesis that fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with a deficit in working memory (WM) and the deficit is more pronounced the higher the control requirements of the task. To this purpose, 15 boys with FXS and 15 typically developing children, matched for mental age, assessed with Logical Operation Test, were tested with batteries of 4 verbal and 4 visuospatial WM tasks requiring different levels of control. Children with FXS showed a performance equal to controls, in WM tasks requiring low and medium-low control but significant impairment in correspondence with greater control requirements. Results show that boys with FXS present a WM deficit only when high control is required by the task, suppo... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771207 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771206&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608222%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ziegler R, Shapiro E PMID: 18608222 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771206 Mon, 19 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771205&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608223%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined the ability of parent report of attention problems, withdrawal, anxiety, and depression, as well as IQ, to predict later adaptive functioning in 42 children treated for brain tumors. Age at diagnosis, SES, gender, and scores on the Neurological Predictor Scale (NPS) also were examined as predictors. Parent report of attention problems, SES, and NPS were significant predictors of later adaptive functioning across domains. This finding highlights the ability of parent report of attention problems to predict later adaptive functioning in children treated for brain tumors. PMID: 18608223 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771205 Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771241&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852121%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Giannopulu I, Cusin F, Escolano S, Dellatolas G We have investigated the relation between haptico-visual recognition of objects and cognitive tasks in two large samples of preschoolers (n = 534; n = 750). Children aged 6 years completed a cross-modal task in which they have first to haptically explore an object and second to visually recognize it; they also performed phonological, verbal semantic, and visual tasks. For two consecutive years, bimanual haptico-visual recognition was significantly correlated to performance at all the cognitive tasks. The meaning of this relationship is discussed. The study supports the view that haptico-visual recognition tasks should be used as screening tools for early identification of children at risk of learning difficulties. PMID: 17852... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771241 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771240&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852122%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rondan C, Santos A, Mancini J, Livet MO, Deruelle C It has been hypothesized that a local processing bias underlies overall visuospatial impairments in Williams syndrome (WS). However, recent studies have challenged this hypothesis by providing evidence against a local processing bias at the perceptual level. The aim of the present study was to further examine drawing and perceptual skills in children with WS using closely matched-hierarchical stimuli. In the drawing task children with WS exhibited a local processing bias. However, no significant preferential bias was found in the perceptual task. This indicates that children with WS do not systematically present a preferential bias for local information. Taken together the findings of the present study suggest that perceptual... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771240 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771239&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852123%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Prigatano GP, Gray JA, Legacy J Two hundred and thirteen low socioeconomic school-age children in grades 1 through 8 were administered the Halstead Finger Oscillation (or Tapping) Test (HFTT). All children were age appropriate for their grade in school and were not requiring special education services. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that a composite age/grade classification score, gender, and estimated level of intelligence accounted for approximately 40% of the variability in dominant and nondominant hand scores for these children (multiple R = .627, R(2) = +.393 for the dominant and multiple R = +.607, R(2) = +.368 for the nondominant hand). Only the age/grade level of the child (R(2) = .168) predicted the ability to inhibit adjacent finger movements when... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771239 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771238&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852124%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Roeder MB, Mahone EM, Gidley Larson J, Mostofsky SH, Cutting LE, Goldberg MC, Denckla MB Age-related change in the difference between left- and right-side speed on motor examination may be an important indicator of maturation. Cortical maturation and myelination of the corpus callosum are considered to be related to increased bilateral skill and speed on timed motor tasks. We compared left minus right foot, hand, and finger speed differences using the Revised Physical and Neurological Assessment for Subtle Signs (PANESS; Denckla, 1985); examining 130 typically developing right-handed children (65 boys, 65 girls) ages 7-14. Timed tasks included right and left sets of 20 toe taps, 10 toe-heel alternation sequences, 20 hand pats, 10 hand pronate-supinate sets, 20 finger taps, and... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771238 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771235&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852127%26dopt%3DAbstract This study used a novel hidden maze learning test to examine the nature and magnitude of impairment on separable aspects of executive function in 36 children with ADHD. A within-subject analysis of children with ADHD was also conducted to assess cognitive effects of open-label stimulant treatment. Compared to 31 age-matched controls, unmedicated children with ADHD were slower and made significantly more errors that were indicative of relative impairment in prepotent response inhibition and ability to "maintain set" while using simple rules to complete the task. Open-label administration of stimulant medication led to faster and more efficient performance, with children with ADHD making fewer perseverative and rule-break errors than when off medication. This instrument might be useful in mo... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771235 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771233&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852129%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wassenberg R, Hendriksen JG, Hurks PP, Feron FJ, Keulers EH, Vles JS, Jolles J The development of three aspects of selective attention was studied in 451 Dutch schoolchildren attending second to sixth grade. Selective attention was measured with the d2 Test of attention. The largest age differences were found for processing speed that continued to improve until the sixth grade. Impulsivity, as measured by the percentage of errors of commission, decreased until the fourth grade. Inattention, measured by the percentage of errors of omission, was stable in all grades. Processing speed and impulsivity were correlated with the score on the Attention Problems subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist. These results imply that selective attention continues to develop, at least, until ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771233 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771228&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852135%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Faccioli C, Peru A, Rubini E, Tassinari G We studied a group of 24 children with dyslexia in second to fifth primary school grades by using a discrete-trial computerized version of the Stroop Color-Word Test. Since the classic Stroop effect depends on the interference of reading with color naming, one would expect these children to show no interference or, at least, less interference than normal readers. Children with dyslexia showed, however, a Stroop effect larger than normal readers of the same age. This suggests that reading, although difficult and slow, is an inescapable step that precedes naming both in poor and in normal readers. PMID: 17852135 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771228 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771203&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608225%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we collected Hebrew norms for four frequently used attention tests (Trail Making, Digit-Symbol, Digit Span, and Digit Cancellation), analyzed the developmental sensitivity of each test and traced changes in attention across ages. The tests were administered to 809 boys and girls ranging in age from 8 to 17, divided into 10 age cohorts. The results indicate that, although all tests showed age effects, Digit-Symbol and Digit Cancellation tests were most developmentally sensitive. Another interesting finding was that younger age groups (8-11) are more dissociable by attention tests than older age groups (12-17), indicating that changes in attention are more pronounced in the early years and stabilize in later years. PMID: 18608225 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source:... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771203 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771201&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608227%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Shum D, Cross B, Ford R, Ownsworth T The effects of interrupting an event-based prospective memory (PM) task and its associated ongoing task were compared for two groups of children: 8- to 9-year-olds (n = 35) and 12- to 13-year-olds (n = 28). Additionally, PM performance was examined as a function of attainment on a battery of tests of executive functioning (viz., Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Letter Number Sequencing Test, Stroop Color and Word Test, and Trail Making Test). A significant main effect of age indicated that the older children correctly carried out intended actions more often than the younger children. Consistent with the prefrontal model of PM, interruption had no impact on PM accuracy in the older group but produced reliable decrements to the accuracy... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771201 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771199&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608229%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined cognitive and adaptive outcome in children with MCADD (N = 38, age range: 2 years, 2 months - 10 years, 3 months) diagnosed either through a newborn screening program (tandem mass spectrometry/MSMS) or upon clinical presentation. There was no evidence of overall intellectual impairment in either groups but there was some suggestion of poorer verbal and specific executive functioning (i.e., planning) abilities in the unscreened cohorts. Adaptive functioning was relatively intact with the exception of reduced Daily Living Skills in both our screened and unscreened groups. Early diagnosis and greater number of hospitalizations were related to higher verbal, communication, and socialization skills. Overall, our results highlight the importance of early diagnosis and management for ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771199 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771209&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608219%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined memory functioning in children with reading disabilities (RD), Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and RD/ADHD using a clinic sample with a clinical instrument: the Children's Memory Scale, enhancing its generalizability. Participants included 23 children with RD, 30 with ADHD, 30 with RD/ADHD, and 30 controls. Children with RD presented with reduced verbal short-term memory (STM) but intact visual STM, central executive (CE), and long-term memory (LTM) functioning. Their deficit in STM appeared specific to tasks requiring phonetic coding of material. Children with ADHD displayed intact CE and LTM functioning but reduced visual-spatial STM, especially when off stimulant medication. Children with RD/ADHD had deficits consistent with both disorders. PMID: 1860821... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771209 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1771209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771236&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852126%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gardner BK, Sheppard DM, Efron D The effect of stimulant medication on the attentional functioning of 23 children (8-12 yrs) with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was investigated. Significant main effects of medication and TEA-Ch subtests were found, however there was no significant interaction. Planned contrasts showed that stimulants improved performance on the sustained attention, but not the selective or divided attention, subtests. Similar to previous studies, the results indicate that stimulants improve sustained attention in children with ADHD. Significant effects of stimulants on selective and divided attention, however, were not as apparent. Therefore, care must be taken when using TEA-Ch subtests to assess performance change subsequent to stimulant ad... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771236 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771224&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17943479%26dopt%3DAbstract This article presents an overview of the two hypotheses, along with relevant findings on hemispheric specialization with respect to TS. The impact of the genetic and hormonal mechanisms on the neurocognitive profile of TS is also discussed and directions for further empirical research are identified. PMID: 17943479 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771224 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771218&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18306075%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Crawford JR, Garthwaite PH Bridges and Holler (2007) have provided a useful reminder that normative data are fallible. Unfortunately, however, their paper misleads neuropsychologists as to the nature and extent of the problem. We show that the uncertainty attached to the estimated z score and percentile rank of a given raw score is much larger than they report and that it varies as a function of the extremity of the raw score. Methods for quantifying the uncertainty associated with normative data are described and used to illustrate the issues involved. A computer program is provided that, on entry of a normative sample mean, standard deviation, and sample size, provides point and interval estimates of percentiles and z scores for raw scores referred to these normative data. T... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771218 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771217&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18306076%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined differences between healthy children (n = 35) and those with spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM; n = 42) on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), a measure of executive function behaviors. It also examined whether aspects of biological risk associated with SBM and reserve factors within the family could account for variability in BRIEF scores for children and adolescents with SBM. Patients in the SBM group exhibited more problems than both published norms and a local comparison group of healthy children in metacognition but not behavior regulation. Behavior regulation problems in children with SBM were predicted by parent psychological distress. More shunt-related surgeries and history of seizures predicted poorer metacognitive abilities. PMID... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771217 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771216&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18306077%26dopt%3DAbstract This article critically reviews the literature on the linguistic profile of individuals with DS, with particular emphasis on the expression and reception of vocabulary and grammar, including nonverbal linguistic expression during infant development. In doing so, attention is given to recent comparative studies of the linguistic abilities of individuals with DS, Specific Language Impairment (SLI), and Williams syndrome (WS). The possibility that deficits in one cognitive system may have consequences in another cognitive system, and that these consequences may define the nature of the impairment in each clinical syndrome is further discussed with suggestions for future research. PMID: 18306077 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771216 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771215&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18306078%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: van der Meere JJ, van der Meer DJ, Kunert HJ, Borger N, Pirila S The study is designed to investigate response inhibition in children with conduct disorder and borderline intellectual functioning. To this end, children are compared to a normal peer control group using the Alertness test. The test has two conditions. In one condition, children are instructed to push a response button after a visual "go" signal is presented on the screen. In a second condition the "go" signal is preceded by an auditory signal, telling the child that a target stimulus will occur soon. Compared to the control group, the group carrying the dual diagnosis made many preliminary responses (responses before the presentation of the "go" signal), especially in the condition with an auditory signal. This ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771215 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771200&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608228%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Andersson M, Llera JE, Rimol LM, Hugdahl K The study examined top-down attention modulation of bottom-up processing in children and adults under conditions of varying bottom-up stimulus demands. Voiced and unvoiced consonant-vowel syllables were used in a dichotic-listening situation to manipulate the strength of the bottom-up stimulus-driven right ear advantage when subjects were instructed to focus attention on, and report, either the left or right ear stimulus. We predicted that children would differ from adults in their ability to use attention to modulate a lateralized ear advantage, and particularly when there was a conflict between the direction of the bottom-up ear advantage and the direction of the top-down attention instruction. Thirty children and 30 adults were pre... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771200 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771210&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608218%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lindqvist S, Thorell LB The present study investigated how task difficulty can be manipulated in inhibitory control tasks. Tasks from three widely used task paradigms - a Go/No-Go task, a Stop-Signal task, and a Flanker task - were manipulated on two parameters each (Go/No-Go task: interstimulus interval, prepotency. Stop-signal task: stop-signal-delay, prepotency. Flanker task: number of distractors, size of target stimulus). Participants were 86 children (age 4-6) from a population-based sample. The results showed no significant effects on the Go/No-Go task but both main and interaction effects on the Stop-Signal task and the Flanker task. Together, these findings indicate that task difficulty can be successfully manipulated in inhibitory control tasks. However, the interact... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771210 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771198&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18608230%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Noland JS At 8 to 11 months of age, infants are more successful in negotiating opaque relative to transparent barriers. However, 7-month-old infants have more difficulty with opaque barriers relative to semitransparent barriers. Here, 8-month-old infants spent more time in ineffective direct reaches with more the transparent barriers (Experiments 1 & 2) and were faster with the fully opaque barrier (Experiment 2). This demonstration of the graded effects of transparency confirms the working memory and/or response inhibition demands of the object retrieval task. PMID: 18608230 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771198 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771243&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852119%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Garratt LC, Kelly TP Twenty-seven monolingual and 27 bilingual children aged between 6 and 7 years were assessed using the core subtests of the NEPSY, a children's neuropsychological assessment. Bilingual children scored lower than monolingual children in the Language domain and their performance was comparable with the monolingual children in the domains of Attention/Executive Functioning, Sensorimotor, Visuospatial, and Memory. The NEPSY correlates well with measures of academic achievement. It is concluded that the NEPSY is relatively insensitive to cultural factors and appears to be insensitive to bilingualism in the neuropsychological assessment of bilingual children in the United Kingdom. PMID: 17852119 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771243 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771234&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852128%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tillman CM, Thorell LB, Brocki KC, Bohlin G The main aim of this study was to investigate the developmental course of motor response inhibition and execution as measured by the stop-signal task in a population-based sample of 525 4- to 12-year-olds. A further aspiration of the study was to enhance the limited knowledge on how the various stop-signal measures relate to ADHD behaviors in a normal sample. We also wanted to contribute to the theoretical understanding of the various stop-signal measures by examining the relations between the stop-signal measures and performance on tasks reflecting other aspects of response inhibition and execution. Our results showed that the ability to inhibit as well as to execute a motor response as measured by the stop-signal task improved with... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771234 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771231&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852131%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Houghton S, Cordin R, Durkin K, Whiting K Twenty-four 8- to 12-year-old boys with ADHD and 24 non-ADHD boys matched on age and IQ viewed an edited, nondialogue portion of a humorous television program to examine performance on a task requiring attention to and recall of temporal information. Participants were required to retell the story as closely as possible, to complete a picture-prompted sequencing task taken from the story, and to identify time-saving actions taken by the central character. Measures were also obtained of the number of prospective, retrospective, or present time-related references made and whether participants correctly identified the overarching time theme of the story. Significant group differences in favor of the comparison boys were evident in the tota... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771231 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771221&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18097799%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Censabella S, Noël MP Several authors have argued that mathematical disabilities might result from difficulties in inhibiting irrelevant information. The present study addresses this issue by assessing three inhibition functions in 40 ten-year-old children: suppression of irrelevant information from working memory, inhibition of prepotent responses, and interference control. We found no significant differences between children with math disabilities and typically achieving controls, or between children with arithmetic facts disabilities and children with above-average arithmetic facts skills. These findings, along with other empirical evidence and with theoretical considerations, cast doubt on the inhibition deficit hypothesis. PMID: 18097799 [PubMed - indexed for MED... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771221 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771220&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18097800%26dopt%3DAbstract We report the development and psychometric properties of a new measure of declarative memory for this age group, the Color Object Association Test (COAT). In pilot testing and large scale application of the test, the COAT was demonstrated to be a reliable and a valid measure of declarative memory for healthy children ages 18-36 months, living in a disadvantaged community. The test shows a linear developmental trajectory, which allows longitudinal examination of the development of declarative memory in children. PMID: 18097800 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771220 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771219&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18097801%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigated the presence and nature of such impairments across different stimulus formats. Twenty-four boys with ADHD and 24 age-matched comparison boys completed a 72-trial task that included facial expressions of happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust. Three versions of each expression were used: a static version, a dynamic version, and a dynamic version presented within a relevant situational context. Expressions were also presented in one of two portrayal modes (cartoon versus real-life). Results indicated significant impairments for boys with ADHD on two of the six emotions (fear and disgust), which were consistent across stimulus formats. Directions for further research to identify mediating factors in the expression of such impairments in children with AD... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771219 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1771219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771237&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852125%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mayes SD, Calhoun SL Learning, attention, graphomotor, and processing speed scores were analyzed in 149 typical control children and 886 clinical children with normal intelligence. Nonsignificant differences were found between control children and children with anxiety, depression, and oppositional-defiant disorder. Control children performed better than children with ADHD and autism in all areas. Children with ADHD and autism did not differ, except that children with ADHD had greater learning problems. Attention, graphomotor, and speed weaknesses were likely to coexist, the majority of children with autism and ADHD had weaknesses in all three areas, and these scores contributed significantly to the prediction of academic achievement. PMID: 17852125 [PubMed - indexed for M... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771237 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771232&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852130%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bridges AJ, Holler KA The purpose of this investigation was to determine how confidence intervals (CIs) for pediatric neuropsychological norms vary as a function of sample size, and to determine optimal sample sizes for normative studies. First, the authors calculated 95% CIs for a set of published pediatric norms for four commonly used neuropsychological instruments. Second, 95% CIs were calculated for varying sample size (from n = 5 to n = 500). Results suggest that some pediatric norms have unacceptably wide CIs, and normative studies ought optimally to use 50 to 75 participants per cell. Smaller sample sizes may lead to overpathologizing results, while the cost of obtaining larger samples may not be justifiable. PMID: 17852130 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Ch... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771232 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771230&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852132%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wilding J, Cornish K Data from two studies that tested children's attention using visual search for a series of targets in a complex display and a sustained-attention task waiting for signals in a similar display were subjected to Factor Analysis to explore previous indications that speed and accuracy (the number of false alarms to nontargets) on this task reflect different mechanisms. The two factors identified confirmed the separation of these two measures and also suggested that the speed factor was related to Mental Age, while the accuracy factor was related to ratings of attentional ability. It is suggested that ratings of attentional ability reflect the efficiency of executive functions, displayed in the ability to inhibit responses to nontargets in these tasks, while sp... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771230 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771229&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852133%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ballantyne AO, Spilkin AM, Trauner DA The goal of this study was to examine structured language skills in children with perinatal strokes. Participants were 28 school-age children with early focal brain lesions (17 with left hemisphere [LH] damage, 11 with right hemisphere [RH] damage), and 57 controls. A standardized test of language (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Revised) was administered. Receptive, Expressive, and Total Language scores, as well as subtest scores, were analyzed. Control participants scored within the normal range, whereas the LH and RH groups scored significantly more poorly than did controls. There were no differences between the LH and RH groups on any of the language scores, and all scores were below the 14th percentile. Within the lesion ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771229 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771222&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17987442%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Micklewright JL, King TZ, Morris RD, Morris MK The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test was utilized to examine attention, learning, and memory abilities in 42 children with cerebellar (N = 18) and third ventricle tumors (N = 24). Children with cerebellar tumors exhibited significant auditory attentional impairments and displayed adequate encoding and retrieval across subsequent learning and memory trials. In contrast, children with third ventricle tumors exhibited average auditory attentional abilities, but they displayed mild encoding deficits across trials 2-5. Furthermore, the third ventricle group's compromised performance on the delayed recall trial and average performance on the delayed recognition trial is suggestive of underlying retrieval deficits. PMID: 17987442 [P... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771222 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771223&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17963094%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the lexical and sublexical reading skills of children with NF1 (n = 30) were examined using the Castles' Word/Non-Word Test (modified version), together with measures of neuropsychological functioning and academic achievement. Twenty children (67%) demonstrated deficits in one or more reading subskills, with 75% of these meeting criteria for phonological dyslexia and 20% classified with mixed dyslexia. These findings indicate that a large proportion of children with NF1 may be characterized by a specific difficulty with the sublexical procedure, suggesting a difficulty employing spelling-to-sound rules to assemble a pronunciation when reading. In line with previous studies, the present findings also suggest that discrepancy-based methods may not be sufficiently sensitive to ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771223 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771225&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934919%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kasselimis DS, Margarity M, Vlachos F The main aims of this study were a) to assess the cerebellar deficit hypothesis examining children's performance in cerebellar and cognitive tasks associated with the dyslexic syndrome and b) to investigate if there is a differentiation in articulation speed in children with dyslexia. A battery consisted of five cerebellar tests, five cognitive tests, and an articulation speed test was administered to three age- and sex-matched groups of dyslexics, children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal readers aged 8-12 years. The dyslexics showed significant impairment in one cerebellar test compared with the control group and in two cognitive tests compared with both the control and the ADHD group. Additionally, the dys... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771225 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771226&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17917866%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Llorente AM, Voigt R, Jensen CL, Fraley JK, Heird WC, Rennie KM The internal consistency of the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) was examined in a cohort of 6- to 12-year-old children (N = 63) strictly diagnosed with ADHD. The internal consistency of errors of omission (OMM), errors of commission (COM), response time (RT), and response time variability (RTV) of different test conditions (stimulus infrequent condition [Q(1) vs. Q(2)] and stimulus frequent condition [Q(3) vs. Q(4)]) was assessed via correlation analyses. All TOVA index scores under investigation assessing its internal consistency exhibited statistically significant correlations. All correlations fell in the moderate-high range. PMID: 17917866 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Child Neuropsych... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771226 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771227&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17899471%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Toth K, Collett B, Kapp-Simon KA, Cloonan YK, Gaither R, Cradock MM, Buono L, Cunningham ML, Dawson G, Starr J, Speltz ML Using two versions of the A-not-B task, memory and response inhibition were assessed in 17- to 24-month-old children with surgically corrected single-suture craniosynostosis (cases) and unaffected children (controls). Children's development and language were initially assessed on average at 6-7 months of age and again at this second visit. Cases and controls performed at equivalent levels on average, with cases performing slightly better than controls on several of the variables measured. However, fewer cases than controls were able to complete the more challenging of the two tasks, which may have predictive significance for later functioning. Children's ag... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771227 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771242&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17852120%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Carelli MG, Forman H, Mäntylä T A number of patient studies suggest that impairments in frontal lobe functions are associated with disorders in temporal information processing. One implication of these findings is that subjective experience of time should be related to executive functions regardless of etiology. In two experiments, we examined sense of time in relation to components of executive functioning in healthy children and adults. In Experiment 1, children between 8 to 12 years completed six experimental tasks that tapped three components of executive functioning: inhibition, updating, and mental shifting. Sense of time was examined in a duration judgment task in which participants reproduced stimulus durations between 4 to 32 s. In Experiment 2, adult partic... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771242 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771247&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17805993%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Savage R This paper explored the claim that only children with developmental dyslexia, whose reading ability is discrepant from their average general reasoning ability show specific deficits in motor tasks assessing cerebellar functioning (Fawcett et al., 2001, Cerebellar tests differentiate between groups of poor readers with and without IQ discrepancy. J. Learning Disabilities, 34, 119) and rapid serial naming (RAN, Wolf & Bowers, 1999, The double deficit hypothesis for the developmental dyslexias. J. Educ. Psychol., 91, 1). All available children between the ages of 11 and 14 were recruited from two special schools for children with either (a) formally-diagnosed intellectual disabilities (N = 18); or (b) formal diagnoses of developmental dyslexia (N = 25). These two gro... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771247 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771246&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17805994%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hrabok M, Kerns KA, Müller U The present study examined the development of lower and higher order forms of attention during the preschool years. Lower forms of attention were assessed with tasks that primarily engaged the attention functions of vigilance and orienting. Higher, executive forms of attention were assessed with tasks that involved inhibition and working memory. The findings revealed that performance improved significantly with age on measures of inhibition and orienting. Results are discussed in the context of the development of attentional networks. PMID: 17805994 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Child Neuropsychology) Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771246 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771245&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17805995%26dopt%3DAbstract This study focused on gaining a better understanding of the neuropsychological abilities of preschool-aged children who show elevated levels of hyperactivity and oppositional-defiance. It examined the performance of children aged 48 to 67 months on tests of attention/executive function, language, memory, and sensorimotor abilities, as measured by the NEPSY and Conners' K-CPT. Two hundred thirty-seven children were divided into four subgroups based on mothers' report of behavior using rating scales and a diagnostic interview: hyperactive only (HYP), oppositional-defiant only (OD), hyperactive and oppositional-defiant (HYP/OD), and nonproblem. Children in the HYP/OD group scored significantly worse than nonproblem children on four of nine subtests on the NEPSY, including one test of executiv... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771245 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771244&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17805996%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Klein-Tasman BP, Mervis CB, Lord C, Phillips KD In this investigation, the socio-communicative skills of 29 children with Williams syndrome aged 2 (1/2) to 5 (1/2) years were examined using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Module 1. Most of the participants showed socio-communicative difficulties. Approximately half of the participants were classified by the ADOS algorithm as "autism spectrum." Three participants were classified "autism." Difficulties with pointing, gestures, giving, showing, and eye contact were present for more than half of the participants, with many also showing difficulties with initiation and response to joint attention and with integration of gaze with other behaviors. Expressive and receptive language abilities of the children with Wil... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771244 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771253&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17564848%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Harel BT, Cillessen AH, Fein DA, Bullard SE, Aviv A Data are presented for 315 elementary school-aged children (K-11) who took the Biber Cognitive Estimation Test, a 20-item test with five estimation questions in each of four domains: quantity, time/duration, weight, and distance/length. Performance showed significant development yearly until around the age of nine years, with much slower development subsequently. No gender effects were found. Age and fund of knowledge correlated with overall test performance. Fund of information accounted for a large proportion of the variance in estimation skills for children 8 years and under, but not for children 9 years and older. Since estimation skills require retrieval and manipulation of relevant knowledge and inhibition of impulsive ... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771253 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771252&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17564849%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Martins IP, Vieira R, Loureiro C, Santos ME Reduced speech fluency is frequent in clinical paediatric populations, an unexplained finding. To investigate age related effects on speech fluency variables, we analysed samples of narrative speech (picture description) of 308 healthy children, aged 5 to 17 years, and studied its relation with verbal fluency tasks. All studied measures showed significant developmental effects. Speech rate and verbal fluency scores increased, while pauses, repetitions and locution time declined with age. Speech rate correlated with semantic fluency tasks suggesting that it also depends upon the efficacy of lexical retrieval. These results indicate that the interpretation of disorders of speech fluency in childhood must incorporate age appropriate nor... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771252 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1771251&cid=s_38275_144_f&fid=37957&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17564850%26dopt%3DAbstract This study addressed the presence of executive dysfunction in children with CHARGE syndrome, a genetic disorder with multiple physical anomalies and severe challenging behaviors. Ninety-eight children were included in the study. More than half received clinically significant scores on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia et al., 2000) scales of Shift, Monitor, and the Behavioral Regulation Index, with additional high scores on Inhibit and the Global Executive Composite. Associations were found with the age the child first walked, scores on the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC; Krug et al., 1993), and being classified as deafblind. Difficulties with making transitions and flexible problem solving, monitoring their work and their effect on others, and acting on imp... Child Neuropsychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1771251 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 1771251