Age-related changes in humoral and cell-mediated immunity in Down syndrome children living at home.

PubMed

Lockitch, G; Singh, V K; Puterman, M L; Godolphin, W J; Sheps, S; Tingle, A J; Wong, F; Quigley, G

1987-11-01

Abnormalities of humoral and cell-mediated immunity have been described in Down syndrome but reported findings have been inconsistent. Confounding factors have included age, institutional versus home life, hepatitis B antigenemia, and zinc deficiency. To clarify this problem, we studied 64 children with Down syndrome (DS) compared with an age-matched control group. All children had always lived at home. All the DS children were negative for hepatitis B surface antigen. Serum zinc concentration in the DS group was on average 12 micrograms/dl lower than age-matched control children. They also had significantly lower levels of immunoglobulin M, total lymphocyte count, T and B lymphocytes, and T helper and suppressor cells. In vitro lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A was significantly reduced at all ages in the DS group. Lymphocyte response to pokeweed mitogen increased with age in control children but decreased in the DS children. By 18 yr, the mean response for DS was 60000 cpm lower than controls. The DS group had significantly higher concentrations of immunoglobulins A and G than controls and the difference increased with age. Complement fractions C3 and C4 were also higher in the DS group at all ages. The number of HNK-1 positive cells was higher in the DS group than controls at all ages. When hepatitis and institutionalization are excluded as confounding factors, DS children still differ in both humoral and cell-mediated immunity from an age-matched control group.

Brief report: accuracy and response time for the recognition of facial emotions in a large sample of children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Fink, Elian; de Rosnay, Marc; Wierda, Marlies; Koot, Hans M; Begeer, Sander

2014-09-01

The empirical literature has presented inconsistent evidence for deficits in the recognition of basic emotion expressions in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which may be due to the focus on research with relatively small sample sizes. Additionally, it is proposed that although children with ASD may correctly identify emotion expression they rely on more deliberate, more time-consuming strategies in order to accurately recognize emotion expressions when compared to typically developing children. In the current study, we examine both emotion recognition accuracy and response time in a large sample of children, and explore the moderating influence of verbal ability on these findings. The sample consisted of 86 children with ASD (M age = 10.65) and 114 typically developing children (M age = 10.32) between 7 and 13 years of age. All children completed a pre-test (emotion word-word matching), and test phase consisting of basic emotion recognition, whereby they were required to match a target emotion expression to the correct emotion word; accuracy and response time were recorded. Verbal IQ was controlled for in the analyses. We found no evidence of a systematic deficit in emotion recognition accuracy or response time for children with ASD, controlling for verbal ability. However, when controlling for children's accuracy in word-word matching, children with ASD had significantly lower emotion recognition accuracy when compared to typically developing children. The findings suggest that the social impairments observed in children with ASD are not the result of marked deficits in basic emotion recognition accuracy or longer response times. However, children with ASD may be relying on other perceptual skills (such as advanced word-word matching) to complete emotion recognition tasks at a similar level as typically developing children.

Effect of chunk strength on the performance of children with developmental dyslexia on artificial grammar learning task may be related to complexity.

PubMed

Schiff, Rachel; Katan, Pesia; Sasson, Ayelet; Kahta, Shani

2017-07-01

There's a long held view that chunks play a crucial role in artificial grammar learning performance. We compared chunk strength influences on performance, in high and low topological entropy (a measure of complexity) grammar systems, with dyslexic children, age-matched and reading-level-matched control participants. Findings show that age-matched control participants' performance reflected equivalent influence of chunk strength in the two topological entropy conditions, as typically found in artificial grammar learning experiments. By contrast, dyslexic children and reading-level-matched controls' performance reflected knowledge of chunk strength only under the low topological entropy condition. In the low topological entropy grammar system, they appeared completely unable to utilize chunk strength to make appropriate test item selections. In line with previous research, this study suggests that for typically developing children, it is the chunks that are attended during artificial grammar learning and create a foundation on which implicit associative learning mechanisms operate, and these chunks are unitized to different strengths. However, for children with dyslexia, it is complexity that may influence the subsequent memorability of chunks, independently of their strength.

The role of HIV infection in the etiology and epidemiology of diarrheal disease among children aged 0-59 months in Manhiça district, Rural Mozambique.

PubMed

Acácio, Sozinho; Nhampossa, Tacilta; Quintó, Llorenç; Vubil, Delfino; Sacoor, Charfudin; Kotloff, Karen; Farag, Tamer; Dilruba, Nasrin; Macete, Eusebio; Levine, Myron M; Alonso, Pedro; Mandomando, Inácio; Bassat, Quique

2018-05-28

Diarrhea is an important health problem among HIV-infected patients. This study evaluates the role of HIV on the epidemiology, etiology and severity of diarrheal disease among children. The Global Enteric Multicenter Study enrolled children with moderate-to-severe (MSD) and less severe (LSD) diarrhea between December 2007 and November 2012. One to three controls for MSD cases and one per LSD case were enrolled and matched by age, sex and neighborhood. All children were tested for HIV. Clinical, anthropometric data and stools were collected. A follow-up was performed at 60 days. 214 MSD cases and 418 controls, together with 349 LSD cases and 214 controls were tested. HIV prevalence among MSD cases was 25% (4% for matched controls) and 6% among LSD cases (6% among matched controls). HIV-infected children were more likely to have MSD (OR=5.6, p< 0.0001). Mortality rates were higher among HIV-infected children compared with uninfected (34 vs. 5 per 1000 children-weeks at risk; p=0.0039). Cryptosporidium, Giardia, EAEC (aatA only) were more prevalent among HIV-infected MSD-cases than uninfected ones. HIV is an important risk factor for MSD. The high mortality rate implies that children with MSD should be screened for HIV and managed accordingly. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

'Putting your foot in it'! A window into clumsy behaviour.

PubMed

Sigmundsson, H; Whiting, H T; Ingvaldsen, R P

1999-07-01

Intra-modal matching by 7-year-old children diagnosed as having hand-eye co-ordination problems (HECP) and a control group of children without such problems was tested using a target location and matching task. The 'foot-hand' task required the children to locate a target pin with the 'big-toe' (felt target) and match the located target position with the hand, without vision. There were four conditions: location via right foot-matching the located target with the right hand (RfRh) and left hand (RfLh) and location via left foot-matching the located target with the left hand (LfLh) and right hand (LfRh). Both groups demonstrated better performance in the intra- as compared to the inter-hemispheric conditions, suggesting that the corpus callosum is not yet fully mature at this age. The HECP children showed inferior performance to the control children in three of the four conditions, the conditions where the right hemisphere was involved and/or information had to be transported across the corpus callosum (RfLh; LfLh; LfRh). Two possible explanations of these findings are put forward and discussed: right hemisphere insufficiency with or without dysfunctional corpus callosum.

Sister chromatid exchange in children of Seventh-Day Adventists and matched controls.

PubMed

Hermansen, R; Waksvik, H; Fønnebø, V

1991-03-01

The low risk of cancer in Seventh-Day Adventists (SDAs) has been suggested to be due to genetic selection. To investigate this claim we examined the sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes in 16 SDA children in Tromsø, all aged 0.5-8 years and 16 controls matched for sex and age. In 12 of 16 pairs, the SDA children had a lower SCE frequency than the controls. The mean difference was 4.06 (95% confidence interval -17.02-8.89, P = 0.51). There was no sex difference, and no correlation between age and SCE frequency. The genetic starting point with regard to SCE frequency seems to be the same for SDA children and controls.

Sentence imitation as a marker of SLI in Czech: disproportionate impairment of verbs and clitics.

PubMed

Smolík, Filip; Vávru, Petra

2014-06-01

The authors examined sentence imitation as a potential clinical marker of specific language impairment (SLI) in Czech and its use to identify grammatical markers of SLI. Children with SLI and the age- and language-matched control groups (total N = 57) were presented with a sentence imitation task, a receptive vocabulary task, and digit span and nonword repetition tasks. Sentence imitations were scored for accuracy and error types. A separate count of inaccuracies for individual part-of-speech categories was performed. Children with SLI had substantially more inaccurate imitations than the control groups. The differences in the memory measures could not account for the differences between children with SLI and the control groups in imitation accuracy, even though they accounted for the differences between the language-matched and age-matched control groups. The proportion of grammatical errors was larger in children with SLI than in the control groups. The categories that were most affected in imitations of children with SLI were verbs and clitics. Sentence imitation is a sensitive marker of SLI. Verbs and clitics are the most vulnerable categories in Czech SLI. The pattern of errors suggests that impaired syntactic representations are the most likely source of difficulties in children with SLI.

Word-initial /r/-clusters in Swedish speaking children with typical versus protracted phonological development.

PubMed

Lundeborg Hammarström, Inger

2018-01-01

The present study investigated word-initial (WI) /r/-clusters in Central Swedish-speaking children with and without protracted phonological development (PPD). Data for WI singleton /r/ and singleton and cluster /l/ served as comparisons. Participants were twelve 4-year-olds with PPD and twelve age- and gender-matched typically developing (TD) controls. Native speakers audio-recorded and transcribed 109 target single words using a Swedish phonology test with 12 WI C+/r/-clusters and three WI CC+/r/-clusters. The results showed significantly higher match scores for the TD children, a lower match proportion for the /r/ targets and for singletons compared with clusters, and differences in mismatch patterns between the groups. There were no matches for /r/-cluster targets in the PPD group, with all children except two in that group showing deletions for both /r/-cluster types. The differences in mismatch proportions and types between the PPD group and controls suggests new directions for future clinical practice.

Contacts with children and young people and adult risk of suffering herpes zoster.

PubMed

Salleras, M; Domínguez, A; Soldevila, N; Prat, A; Garrido, P; Torner, N; Borrás, E; Salleras, L

2011-10-13

We carried out a matched case-control study to analyze the possible association between exposure to the children and the risk of suffering herpes-zoster in adulthood. Cases of herpes zoster in immunocompetent healthy patients aged ≥ 25 years seen in the dermatology department of the Sagrado Corazón Hospital in 2007-2008 were matched with four controls. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression. 153 cases and 604 matched controls were included. Contacts with children were significantly associated with a reduction in the risk of suffering herpes zoster in adulthood (adjusted OR 0.56 [0.37-0.85]). Herpes-zoster vaccination in immunocompetent people aged ≥ 50 years could counteract the possible negative effects of mass varicella vaccination in childhood on the epidemiology of herpes zoster in adults. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in the Learning Status of Diabetic Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Clarissa S.; And Others

1992-01-01

Evaluated learning status of 95 diabetic children and 97 matched controls. Results indicated that diabetic boys had significantly lower Freedom from Distractibility scores compared with scores of diabetic girls and controls, and lower Perceptual Organization scores compared with scores of control boys. Diabetic children experienced more learning…

Inflectional spelling deficits in developmental dyslexia.

PubMed

Egan, Joanne; Tainturier, Marie-Josèphe

2011-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine past-tense spelling deficits in developmental dyslexia and their relationship to phonological abilities, spoken morphological awareness and word specific orthographic memory. Three groups of children (28 9-year-old dyslexic, 28 chronological age-matched and 28 reading/spelling age-matched children) completed a battery of tests including spelling regularly inflected words (e.g., kissed) and matched one-morpheme words (e.g., wrist). They were also assessed on a range of tests of reading and spelling abilities and associated linguistic measures. Dyslexic children were impaired in relation to chronological age-matched controls on all measures. Furthermore, they were significantly poorer than younger reading and spelling age-matched controls at spelling inflected verbs, supporting the existence of a specific deficit in past-tense spelling in dyslexia. In addition to under-using the -ed spelling on inflected verbs, the dyslexic children were less likely to erroneously apply this spelling to one-morpheme words than younger controls. Dyslexics were also poorer than younger controls at using a consistent spelling for stems presented in isolation versus as part of an inflected word, indicating that they make less use of the morphological relations between words to support their spelling. In line with this interpretation, regression analyses revealed another qualitative difference between the spelling and reading age-matched group and the dyslexic group: while both spoken morphological awareness and orthographic word specific memory were significant predictors of the accuracy of past-tense spelling in the former group, only orthographic memory (irregular word reading and spelling) was a significant factor in the dyslexic group. Finally, we identified a subgroup of seven dyslexic children who were severely deficient in past-tense spelling. This subgroup was also significantly worse than other dyslexics and than younger controls on scores of orthographic memory. The implications of our findings for teaching and remediation strategies are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Psychosocial Characteristics of Children with Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence Versus Matched Healthy Children.

PubMed

Avis, Kristin T; Shen, Jiabin; Weaver, Patrick; Schwebel, David C

2015-11-15

Hypersomnia of central origin from narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia (IHS) is characterized by pathological levels of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Central hypersomnia has historically been underdiagnosed and poorly understood, especially with respect to its impact on daytime functioning and quality of life in children. Describe the psychosocial adjustment of children treated for narcolepsy or IHS on school performance, quality of life, and physical/extracurricular activities. Using a matched case control design, we compared child self- and parent-reported data from thirty-three 8- to 16-year-olds with an established diagnosis of narcolepsy or IHS, according to ICSD-2 criteria, to that of 33 healthy children matched by age, race/ethnicity, gender, and household income. Assessments evaluated academic performance, quality of life and wellness, sleepiness, and participation in extracurricular activities. Compared to healthy controls, children with central hypersomnia had poorer daytime functioning in multiple domains. Children with hypersomnia missed more days of school and had lower grades than healthy controls. Children with hypersomnia had poorer quality of life by both parent and child report. Children with hypersomnia were significantly sleepier, had higher BMI, and were more likely to report a history of recent injury. Finally, children with hypersomnia engaged in fewer after-school activities than healthy controls. A range of significant psychosocial consequences are reported in children with hypersomnia even after a diagnosis has been made and treatments initiated. Health care professionals should be mindful of the psychosocial problems that may present in children with hypersomnia over the course of treatment. © 2015 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Is a Cerebellar Deficit the Underlying Cause of Reading Disabilities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irannejad, Shahrzad; Savage, Robert

2012-01-01

This study investigated whether children with dyslexia differed in their performance on reading, phonological, rapid naming, motor, and cerebellar-related tasks and automaticity measures compared to reading age (RA)-matched and chronological age (CA)-matched control groups. Participants were 51 children attending mainstream English elementary…

Effects of Home-Based Constraint-Induced Therapy versus Dose-Matched Control Intervention on Functional Outcomes and Caregiver Well-Being in Children with Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Keh-chung; Wang, Tien-ni; Wu, Ching-yi; Chen, Chia-ling; Chang, Kai-chieh; Lin, Yu-chan; Chen, Yi-ju

2011-01-01

This study compared home-based constraint-induced therapy (CIT) with a dose-matched home-based control intervention for children with cerebral palsy (CP). The differences in unilateral and bilateral motor performance, daily functions, and quality of parental well-being (i.e., the stress level of their parents) were evaluated. The study included 21…

Idiom, syntax, and advanced theory of mind abilities in children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Whyte, Elisabeth M; Nelson, Keith E; Scherf, K Suzanne

2014-02-01

When researchers investigate figurative language abilities (including idioms) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), syntax abilities may be more important than once considered. In addition, there are limitations to the overreliance on false-belief tasks to measure theory of mind (TOM) abilities. In the current study, the authors investigated idiom, syntax, and advanced TOM abilities in children with ASD compared to children with typical development (TD). Twenty-six children with ASD, ages 5 to 12 years, were compared to individuals in each of 2 control groups of children with TD: 1 matched on chronological age and nonverbal IQ, and 1 matched on syntax age-equivalence and raw scores. Idiom comprehension, syntax, vocabulary, and 2 measures of advanced TOM abilities were examined. Although children with ASD performed worse on idiom comprehension compared to the age-matched group with TD, they exhibited comparable idiom performance to the syntax-matched group with TD. Advanced TOM abilities were related to idiom comprehension for children with ASD, but not for children with TD, above the contributions of basic language abilities. Syntax abilities should be used as a matching variable when examining figurative or other late-developing language skills.

Kinematic Movement Strategies in Primary School Children with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Compared to Age- and IQ-Matched Controls during Visuo-Manual Tracking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Aken, Katrijn; Swillen, Ann; Beirinckx, Marc; Janssens, Luc; Caeyenberghs, Karen; Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien

2010-01-01

The present study focused on the mechanism subserving the production of kinematic patterns in 21 children with 22q11.2DS (mean age=9.6 [plus or minus] 1.9; mean FSIQ=73.05 [plus or minus] 10.2) and 21 age- and IQ-matched control children (mean age=9.6 [plus or minus] 1.9; mean FSIQ=73.38 [plus or minus] 12.0) when performing a visuo-manual…

Vitamin D Status at Birth and Future Risk of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

PubMed

Gustafsson, Peik; Rylander, Lars; Lindh, Christian H; Jönsson, Bo A G; Ode, Amanda; Olofsson, Per; Ivarsson, Sten A; Rignell-Hydbom, Anna; Haglund, Nils; Källén, Karin

2015-01-01

To investigate whether children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder have lower levels of Vitamin D3 at birth than matched controls. Umbilical cord blood samples collected at birth from 202 children later diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder were analysed for vitamin D content and compared with 202 matched controls. 25-OH vitamin D3 was analysed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. No differences in cord blood vitamin D concentration were found between children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (median 13.0 ng/ml) and controls (median 13.5 ng/ml) (p = 0.43). In a logistic regression analysis, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder showed a significant association with maternal age (odds ratio: 0.96, 95% confidence interval: 0.92-0.99) but not with vitamin D levels (odds ratio: 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.97-1.02). We found no difference in intrauterine vitamin D levels between children later developing Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and matched control children. However, the statistical power of the study was too weak to detect an eventual small to medium size association between vitamin D levels and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

[Lack of association between MMR vaccination and the incidence of autism in children: a case-control study].

PubMed

Mrozek-Budzyn, Dorota; Kiełtyka, Agnieszka; Majewska, Renata

2009-01-01

The matched case-control study has been undertook to investigate whether measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may be casually associated with autism in children. Cases were children to 14-year old with diagnosis of core autism or atypical autism. Controls were matched on age, sex and general practice. The 96 cases and 192 controls were included. The study provides strong evidence against association of autism with both MMR and a single measles individual vaccine. Additionally children vaccinated with MMR, regardless of age of vaccination (to 18th, 24th and 36th month of life), had risk equal half of that of single measles vaccinated (for vaccinated to 18th month OR=0.41 95%PU: 0.20-0.85). Our findings confirm that MMR vaccination is not associated with an increased risk of autism in children.

Spatial contrast sensitivity vision loss in children with cortical visual impairment.

PubMed

Good, William V; Hou, Chuan; Norcia, Anthony M

2012-11-19

Although cortical visual impairment (CVI) is the leading cause of bilateral vision impairment in children in Western countries, little is known about the effects of CVI on visual function. The aim of this study was to compare visual evoked potential measures of contrast sensitivity and grating acuity in children with CVI with those of age-matched typically developing controls. The swept parameter visual evoked potential (sVEP) was used to measure contrast sensitivity and grating acuity in 34 children with CVI at 5 months to 5 years of age and in 16 age-matched control children. Contrast thresholds and spatial frequency thresholds (grating acuities) were derived by extrapolating the tuning functions to zero amplitude. These thresholds and maximal suprathreshold response amplitudes were compared between groups. Among 34 children with CVI, 30 had measurable but reduced contrast sensitivity with a median threshold of 10.8% (range 5.0%-30.0% Michelson), and 32 had measurable but reduced grating acuity with median threshold 0.49 logMAR (9.8 c/deg, range 5-14 c/deg). These thresholds were significantly reduced, compared with age-matched control children. In addition, response amplitudes over the entire sweep range for both measures were significantly diminished in children with CVI compared with those of control children. Our results indicate that spatial contrast sensitivity and response amplitudes are strongly affected by CVI. The substantial degree of loss in contrast sensitivity suggests that contrast is a sensitive measure for evaluating vision deficits in patients with CVI.

Multisensory Speech Perception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woynaroski, Tiffany G.; Kwakye, Leslie D.; Foss-Feig, Jennifer H.; Stevenson, Ryan A.; Stone, Wendy L.; Wallace, Mark T.

2013-01-01

This study examined unisensory and multisensory speech perception in 8-17 year old children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing controls matched on chronological age, sex, and IQ. Consonant-vowel syllables were presented in visual only, auditory only, matched audiovisual, and mismatched audiovisual ("McGurk")…

Serial Recall and Nonword Repetition in Reading Disabled Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roodenrys, Steven; Stokes, Julie

2001-01-01

Examines the performance on verbal short-term memory tasks of specifically reading disabled children relative to reading-age matched and chronological-age matched control groups. Examines memory span for words, highly wordlike nonwords and less wordlike nonwords, speech rates for these items, and nonword repetition. Suggests that there is a…

Two food-assisted maternal and child health nutrition programs helped mitigate the impact of economic hardship on child stunting in Haiti.

PubMed

Donegan, Shannon; Maluccio, John A; Myers, Caitlin K; Menon, Purnima; Ruel, Marie T; Habicht, Jean-Pierre

2010-06-01

Rigorous evaluations of food-assisted maternal and child health and nutrition programs are stymied by the ethics of randomizing recipients to a control treatment. Using nonexperimental matching methods, we evaluated the effect of 2 such programs on child linear growth in Haiti. The 2 well-implemented programs offered the same services (food assistance, behavior change communication, and preventive health services) to pregnant and lactating women and young children. They differed in that one (the preventive program) used blanket targeting of all children 6-23 mo, whereas the other (the recuperative program) targeted underweight (weight-for-age Z score < -2) children 6-59 mo, as traditionally done. We estimated program effects on height-for-age Z scores (HAZ) and stunting (HAZ < -2) by comparing outcomes of children in program areas with matched children from comparable populations in the Haiti Demographic and Health Survey. Children 12-41 mo in the preventive and recuperative program areas had lower prevalence of stunting than those in the matched control group [16 percentage points (pp) lower in preventive and 11 pp in recuperative]. Children in the 2 program areas also were more likely than those in the matched control group to be breast-fed up to 24 mo (25 pp higher in preventive, 22 in recuperative) and children 12 mo and older were more likely to have received the recommended full schedule of vaccinations (32 pp higher in preventive, 31 in recuperative). Both programs improved targeted behaviors and protected child growth in a time of deteriorating economic circumstances.

Inhibitory ability of children with developmental dyscalculia.

PubMed

Zhang, Huaiying; Wu, Hanrong

2011-02-01

Inhibitory ability of children with developmental dyscalculia (DD) was investigated to explore the cognitive mechanism underlying DD. According to the definition of developmental dyscalculia, 19 children with DD-only and 10 children with DD&RD (DD combined with reading disability) were selected step by step, children in two control groups were matched with children in case groups by gender and age, and the match ratio was 1:1. Psychological testing software named DMDX was used to measure inhibitory ability of the subjects. The differences of reaction time in number Stroop tasks and differences of accuracy in incongruent condition of color-word Stroop tasks and object inhibition tasks between DD-only children and their controls reached significant levels (P<0.05), and the differences of reaction time in number Stroop tasks between dyscalculic and normal children did not disappear after controlling the non-executive components. The difference of accuracy in color-word incongruent tasks between children with DD&RD and normal children reached significant levels (P<0.05). Children with DD-only confronted with general inhibitory deficits, while children with DD&RD confronted with word inhibitory deficits only.

The sleep of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on and off methylphenidate: a matched case-control study.

PubMed

Galland, Barbara C; Tripp, E Gail; Taylor, Barry J

2010-06-01

In the present study, we assessed the effects of regular use of methylphenidate medication in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on sleep timing, duration and sleep architecture. Twenty-seven children aged 6-12 years meeting diagnostic criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV ADHD and 27 control children matched for age (+/-3 months) and gender. Two nights of standard polysomnographic (PSG) recordings were conducted. ADHD children were allocated randomly to an on- or 48 h off-methylphenidate protocol for first or second recordings. Control children's recordings were matched for night, but no medication was used. Mixed modelling was employed in the analyses so that the full data set was used to determine the degree of medication effects. Methylphenidate in ADHD children prolonged sleep onset by an average of 29 min [confidence interval (CI) 11.6, 46.7], reduced sleep efficiency by 6.5% (CI 2.6, 10.3) and shortened sleep by 1.2 h (CI 0.65, 1.9). Arousal indices were preserved. Relative amounts of stages 1, 2 and slow wave sleep were unchanged by medication. Rapid eye movement sleep was reduced (-2.4%) on the medication night, an effect that became non-significant when control data were incorporated in the analyses. PSG data from ADHD children off-medication were similar to control data. Our findings suggest that methylphenidate reduces sleep quantity but does not alter sleep architecture in children diagnosed with ADHD. An adequate amount of sleep is integral to good daytime functioning, thus the sleep side effects of methylphenidate may affect adversely the daytime symptoms the drug is targeted to control.

Degree of Bilingualism Modifies Executive Control in Hispanic Children in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas-Sunesson, Danielle; Hakuta, Kenji; Bialystok, Ellen

2018-01-01

Past studies examining the cognitive function of bilingual school-aged children have pointed to enhancements in areas of executive control relative to age-matched monolingual children. The majority of these studies has tested children from a middle-class background and compared performance of bilinguals as a discrete group against monolinguals.…

Injuries in adolescents with childhood-onset epilepsy compared with sibling controls

PubMed Central

Baca, Christine B.; Vickrey, Barbara G.; Vassar, Stefanie D.; Cook, Aaron; Berg, Anne T.

2013-01-01

Objective To compare the occurrence of injuries in adolescents with childhood-onset epilepsy and matched sibling controls. Study design Retrospective case-control lifetime injury assessments were obtained from a community-based cohort of adolescents with childhood-onset epilepsy diagnosed 9-years earlier, and their siblings. Children with epilepsy (n=501; mean age 15.3 years) included children with complicated (abnormal neurological exam or IQ<80; n=133) and uncomplicated (normal neurological exam and IQ≥80; n=368) epilepsy. Children with uncomplicated epilepsy were matched to sibling controls (n=210 pairs). Children reported whether they had ever (before and after epilepsy diagnosis) experienced injuries, “serious enough to require medical attention” and the type of treatment required. Results 49.1% of children with epilepsy experienced any injury, of whom 8.9% required surgery/hospitalization and 17.1% had an injury due to a seizure; fewer children with uncomplicated epilepsy had seizure-related injuries versus those with complicated epilepsy (13.6% vs. 27.4%; p≤0.01). The proportion of children with epilepsy with any injury by types (not mutually exclusive) were: 25.2% (n=126) fractures, 24.4% (n=122) head, 10.2% (n=51) other, 8.4% (n=42) dental and 8% (n=40) burns/scalds. A similar proportion of children with uncomplicated epilepsy experienced any injury (overall and by type) compared with matched sibling controls, with the exception that more children with uncomplicated epilepsy had head injuries (30.0% vs. 19.5%; p<0.02). Conclusion With the exception of head injuries, in a representative cohort of children with epilepsy compared with siblings there was no evidence of an increased risk of injury. This may reflect that the sample was not biased to more severe cases or that safety precautions to prevent injury were widely employed. PMID:24054432

Dental caries experience and periodontal treatment needs of children with autistic spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Fakroon, S; Arheiam, A; Omar, S

2015-04-01

To assess dental caries experience and periodontal treatment needs among Libyan children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). A cross-sectional, comparative case-control study was used, in which dental caries experience of 50 children with ASD was compared with that of 50 controls. The children with ASD were recruited from Benghazi Centre of Children with ASD, Libya. Controls were recruited from school children and matched for age, gender and socioeconomic status. DMFT, dmft for dental caries experience and CPITN for periodontal treatment needs were calculated according to WHO criteria by a calibrated examiner. Scores for DMFT as well as CPITN indices were compared using bivariate analysis. The data analysed for this study comprised observations from a group of children (cases = 50) diagnosed with ASD matched with healthy children (controls = 50). Consequently, each group consisted of 40 males and 10 females aged between 3 and 14 years (mean 7.29 ± 3.11). The ASD children showed significantly lower means for DMFT and dmft teeth as well as higher periodontal treatment needs (p > 0.05). Children with ASD were found to be more likely caries-free and have lower DMFT scores and higher unmet periodontal treatment needs than did the unaffected control children.

Food Variety as a Predictor of Nutritional Status among Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmer, Michelle H.; Hart, Laura C.; Manning-Courtney, Patricia; Murray, Donna S.; Bing, Nicole M.; Summer, Suzanne

2012-01-01

The frequency of selective eating and nutritional deficiency was studied among 22 children with autism and an age matched typically developing control group. Children with autism ate fewer foods on average than typically developing children. (33.5 vs. 54.5 foods, P less than 0.001) As compared to typical controls, children with autism had a higher…

Teasing Apart Explanations of a Developmental Delay in Binding: Experimental Evidence from the Comparison of SLI and Williams Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perovic, Alexandra; Wexler, Ken

2018-01-01

This study investigates the knowledge of binding in 21 English-speaking children with SLI, aged 6;08-16;05, compared to 21 children with WS, language- and age-matched, and 21 language-matched control children, aged 4-7;10. Our results demonstrate no difficulties in the interpretation of reflexive or personal pronouns in SLI, revealing an intact…

General Certificate of Secondary Education performance in very low birthweight infants

PubMed Central

Pharoah, P; Stevenson, C; West, C

2003-01-01

Aim: To compare children of very low birth weight with matched controls for their performance in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Methods: GCSE examination results of 167 children of birth weight ⩽1500 g attending mainstream schools and without clinical disability and 167 individually matched classroom controls were analysed. Results: In 143 instances, both children of a matched pair were entered for examination in one or more GCSE subjects. The total points score obtained was greater in the comparison group than in the index cases (difference between means 4.45: 95% CI 0.95 to 7.94; p = 0.01). The mean point score per examination subject was also significantly greater in the comparison group than in the index cases (mean of differences 0.43: 95% CI 0.12 to 0.73; p < 0.01). Conclusions: As the children were closely matched for school and several social variables, factors acting during fetal or early postnatal development of very low birthweight infants probably compromise performance in the GCSE examination to a greater extent than school or childhood social environmental factors. PMID:12651749

Mental Health Problems in Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome

PubMed Central

Skokauskas, Norbert; Sweeny, Eileen; Meehan, Judith; Gallagher, Louise

2012-01-01

Background: Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorder, which occurs in approximately one in 22000 births. Aims: This study aimed to investigate psychiatric characteristics of children diagnosed with PWS compared with an age-, gender- and IQ-matched control group. The parents of children with PWS were assessed for psychological distress in comparison to the parents of the control group. Methodological limitations identified in previous studies were addressed in the present study. Methods: Psychiatric problems were evaluated in a sample of children with genetically confirmed PWS and an age- and IQ-matched control group using the Child Behaviour Checklist 6–18. Parental psychological distress for both groups was evaluated with the Brief Symptom Inventory. Results: Children with PWS had more severe somatic, social, and thought problems, and were more withdrawn-depressed in comparison to controls. Borderline difficulties were detected for the affective, somatic, and attention deficit-hyperactivity CBCL DSM-orientated subscales in the PWS group. Parents of PWS children, in comparison to controls, had more somatization, phobic anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and anxiety problems. Conclusions: PWS represents a complex psychological disorder with multiple areas of disturbances. PMID:22876265

Brief Report: Compliance and Noncompliance to Parental Control Strategies in Children with High-Functioning Autism and Their Typical Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryce, Crystal I.; Jahromi, Laudan B.

2013-01-01

The present study examined children's compliance and noncompliance behaviors in response to parental control strategies in 20 children with high-functioning autism (HFA) and 20 matched typically-developing children. Observational coding was used to measure child compliance (committed, situational), noncompliance (passive, defiance, self-assertion,…

Atypical speech versus non-speech detection and discrimination in 4- to 6- yr old children with autism spectrum disorder: An ERP study.

PubMed

Galilee, Alena; Stefanidou, Chrysi; McCleery, Joseph P

2017-01-01

Previous event-related potential (ERP) research utilizing oddball stimulus paradigms suggests diminished processing of speech versus non-speech sounds in children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, brain mechanisms underlying these speech processing abnormalities, and to what extent they are related to poor language abilities in this population remain unknown. In the current study, we utilized a novel paired repetition paradigm in order to investigate ERP responses associated with the detection and discrimination of speech and non-speech sounds in 4- to 6-year old children with ASD, compared with gender and verbal age matched controls. ERPs were recorded while children passively listened to pairs of stimuli that were either both speech sounds, both non-speech sounds, speech followed by non-speech, or non-speech followed by speech. Control participants exhibited N330 match/mismatch responses measured from temporal electrodes, reflecting speech versus non-speech detection, bilaterally, whereas children with ASD exhibited this effect only over temporal electrodes in the left hemisphere. Furthermore, while the control groups exhibited match/mismatch effects at approximately 600 ms (central N600, temporal P600) when a non-speech sound was followed by a speech sound, these effects were absent in the ASD group. These findings suggest that children with ASD fail to activate right hemisphere mechanisms, likely associated with social or emotional aspects of speech detection, when distinguishing non-speech from speech stimuli. Together, these results demonstrate the presence of atypical speech versus non-speech processing in children with ASD when compared with typically developing children matched on verbal age.

Atypical speech versus non-speech detection and discrimination in 4- to 6- yr old children with autism spectrum disorder: An ERP study

PubMed Central

Stefanidou, Chrysi; McCleery, Joseph P.

2017-01-01

Previous event-related potential (ERP) research utilizing oddball stimulus paradigms suggests diminished processing of speech versus non-speech sounds in children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, brain mechanisms underlying these speech processing abnormalities, and to what extent they are related to poor language abilities in this population remain unknown. In the current study, we utilized a novel paired repetition paradigm in order to investigate ERP responses associated with the detection and discrimination of speech and non-speech sounds in 4- to 6—year old children with ASD, compared with gender and verbal age matched controls. ERPs were recorded while children passively listened to pairs of stimuli that were either both speech sounds, both non-speech sounds, speech followed by non-speech, or non-speech followed by speech. Control participants exhibited N330 match/mismatch responses measured from temporal electrodes, reflecting speech versus non-speech detection, bilaterally, whereas children with ASD exhibited this effect only over temporal electrodes in the left hemisphere. Furthermore, while the control groups exhibited match/mismatch effects at approximately 600 ms (central N600, temporal P600) when a non-speech sound was followed by a speech sound, these effects were absent in the ASD group. These findings suggest that children with ASD fail to activate right hemisphere mechanisms, likely associated with social or emotional aspects of speech detection, when distinguishing non-speech from speech stimuli. Together, these results demonstrate the presence of atypical speech versus non-speech processing in children with ASD when compared with typically developing children matched on verbal age. PMID:28738063

Home Health Nursing Care and Hospital Use for Medically Complex Children.

PubMed

Gay, James C; Thurm, Cary W; Hall, Matthew; Fassino, Michael J; Fowler, Lisa; Palusci, John V; Berry, Jay G

2016-11-01

Home health nursing care (HH) may be a valuable approach to long-term optimization of health for children, particularly those with medical complexity who are prone to frequent and lengthy hospitalizations. We sought to assess the relationship between HH services and hospital use in children. Retrospective, matched cohort study of 2783 hospitalized children receiving postdischarge HH services by BAYADA Home Health Care across 19 states and 7361 matched controls not discharged to HH services from the Children's Hospital Association Case Mix database between January 2004 and September 2012. Subsequent hospitalizations, hospital days, readmissions, and costs of hospital care were assessed over the 12-month period after the initial hospitalization. Nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used for comparisons between HH and non-HH users. Although HH cases had a higher percentage of complex chronic conditions (68.5% vs 65.4%), technology assistance (40.5% vs 35.7%), and neurologic impairment (40.7% vs 37.3%) than matched controls (P ≤ .003 for all), 30-day readmission rates were lower in HH patients (18.3% vs 21.5%, P = .001). At 12 months after the index admission, HH patients averaged fewer admissions (0.8 vs 1.0, P < .001), fewer days in the hospital (6.4 vs 6.6, P < .001), and lower hospital costs ($22 511 vs $24 194, P < .001) compared with matched controls. Children discharged to HH care experienced less hospital use than children with similar characteristics who did not use HH care. Further investigation is needed to understand how HH care affects the health and health services of children. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Delay or deficit? Spelling processes in children with specific language impairment.

PubMed

Larkin, Rebecca F; Williams, Gareth J; Blaggan, Samarita

2013-01-01

Few studies have explored the phonological, morphological and orthographic spellings skills of children with specific language impairment (SLI) simultaneously. Fifteen children with SLI (mean age=113.07 months, SD=8.61) completed language and spelling tasks alongside chronological-age controls and spelling-age controls. While the children with SLI showed a deficit in phonological spelling, they performed comparably to spelling-age controls on morphological spelling skills, and there were no differences between the three groups in producing orthographically legal spellings. The results also highlighted the potential importance of adequate non-word repetition skills in relation to effective spelling skills, and demonstrated that not all children with spoken language impairments show marked spelling difficulties. Findings are discussed in relation to theory, educational assessment and practice. As a result of this activity, readers will describe components of spoken language that predict children's morphological and phonological spelling performance. As a result of this activity, readers will describe how the spelling skills of children with SLI compare to age-matched and spelling age-matched control children. Readers will be able to interpret the variability in spelling performance seen in children with SLI. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phonological skills and their role in learning to read: a meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Melby-Lervåg, Monica; Lyster, Solveig-Alma Halaas; Hulme, Charles

2012-03-01

The authors report a systematic meta-analytic review of the relationships among 3 of the most widely studied measures of children's phonological skills (phonemic awareness, rime awareness, and verbal short-term memory) and children's word reading skills. The review included both extreme group studies and correlational studies with unselected samples (235 studies were included, and 995 effect sizes were calculated). Results from extreme group comparisons indicated that children with dyslexia show a large deficit on phonemic awareness in relation to typically developing children of the same age (pooled effect size estimate: -1.37) and children matched on reading level (pooled effect size estimate: -0.57). There were significantly smaller group deficits on both rime awareness and verbal short-term memory (pooled effect size estimates: rime skills in relation to age-matched controls, -0.93, and reading-level controls, -0.37; verbal short-term memory skills in relation to age-matched controls, -0.71, and reading-level controls, -0.09). Analyses of studies of unselected samples showed that phonemic awareness was the strongest correlate of individual differences in word reading ability and that this effect remained reliable after controlling for variations in both verbal short-term memory and rime awareness. These findings support the pivotal role of phonemic awareness as a predictor of individual differences in reading development. We discuss whether such a relationship is a causal one and the implications of research in this area for current approaches to the teaching of reading and interventions for children with reading difficulties.

Shivering in Febrile Children: Frequency and Usefulness in Predicting Serious Bacterial Infections - A Prospective Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Erell, Yair; Youngster, Ilan; Abu-Kishk, Ibrahim; Kozer, Eran

2017-11-01

A prospective case-control study was conducted in a pediatric emergency department to describe the proportion of febrile children experiencing shivering and its clinical significance. Shivering was reported in 186 of 645 febrile children (28.8%). The rate of serious bacterial infection was similar in 86 children with shivering and 86 matched controls. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine is not associated with sickle cell crises in children.

PubMed

Hambidge, Simon J; Ross, Colleen; Glanz, Jason; McClure, David; Daley, Matthew F; Xu, Stan; Shoup, Jo Ann; Narwaney, Komal; Baggs, James; Weintraub, Eric

2012-01-01

Children with sickle cell disease are considered at high risk for complications from influenza infection and are recommended to receive annual influenza vaccination. However, data on the safety of influenza vaccination in children with sickle cell anemia are sparse. Using a retrospective cohort of children aged 6 months to 17 years in 8 managed care organizations that comprise the Vaccine Safety Datalink and who had a diagnosis of sickle cell anemia from 1999 to 2006, we conducted matched case-control and self-controlled case series studies to examine the association of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccination with hospitalization for sickle cell crisis in the 2 weeks after vaccination. From an original pool of 1085 pediatric subjects with a diagnosis of sickle cell anemia, we identified 179 children with at least 1 sickle cell crisis during any influenza season (October 1-March 31). In the matched case-control study (matching on age category, gender, Vaccine Safety Datalink site, and season), the odds ratio of hospitalization for a crisis in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated children was not significant: 1.3 (95% confidence interval 0.8-2.2). In the self-controlled case series study of hospitalized cases, the incident rate ratio for hospitalization with sickle cell crisis in the 2 weeks after trivalent inactivated influenza vaccination was also not significant: 1.2 (95% confidence interval 0.75-1.95). This large cohort study did not find an association of influenza vaccination and hospitalization for sickle cell crises in children with sickle cell anemia.

Anxiety and depression predicted by medically unexplained symptoms in Pakistani children: a case-control study.

PubMed

Imran, Nazish; Ani, Cornelius; Mahmood, Zahid; Hassan, Khawaja Amjad; Bhatti, Muhammad Riaz

2014-02-01

To explore association between medically unexplained symptoms in children in Pakistan with emotional difficulties and functional impairments. We conducted a matched three-group case-control study of 186 children aged 8-16 years in Lahore, Pakistan. Cases were 62 children with chronic somatic symptoms for which no organic cause was identified after investigations. Two control groups of 62 children with chronic medical paediatric conditions, and 62 healthy children were identified. Cases and controls were matched for gender, age, and school class. Somatisation was measured with the Children's Somatisation Inventory (CSI-24) while anxiety and depression were measured with the Spencer Children's Anxiety Scale and the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire respectively. All questionnaires were translated into Urdu. Mean age was 11.7 years (SD=2.1). Cases scored significantly higher on somatisation (CSI-24), anxiety and depression than both control groups. Paediatric controls scored significantly higher than healthy controls on all three measures. Two hierarchical linear regression models were used to explore if somatisation predicted depression and anxiety while controlling for several confounders. Somatisation (higher CSI-24 scores) independently and significantly predicted higher anxiety (β=.37, p=.0001) and depression (β=.41, p=.0001) scores. This is the first study to show an association between medically unexplained symptoms and anxiety and depression in Pakistani children. This highlights the importance of screening for emotional difficulties in children presenting with unexplained somatic symptoms in this region. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Modality Shift Experiment in Adults and Children with High Functioning Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Diane L.; Goldstein, Gerald; Minshew, Nancy J.

2013-01-01

This study used the modality shift experiment, a relatively simple reaction time measure to visual and auditory stimuli, to examine attentional shifting within and across modalities in 33 children and 42 adults with high-functioning autism as compared to matched numbers of age- and ability-matched typical controls. An exaggerated "modality shift…

Increased congenital heart defects in children born to women with systemic lupus erythematosus: results from the offspring of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Mothers Registry Study.

PubMed

Vinet, Évelyne; Pineau, Christian A; Scott, Susan; Clarke, Ann E; Platt, Robert W; Bernatsky, Sasha

2015-01-13

In a large population-based study, we aimed to determine whether children born to women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs) in comparison with children born to women without SLE. The Offspring of SLE Mothers Registry (OSLER) includes all women who had ≥1 hospitalization for delivery after SLE diagnosis, identified through Quebec's healthcare databases (1989-2009), and a randomly selected control group of women, matched ≥4:1 for age and year of delivery. We identified children born live to SLE mothers and their matched controls, and ascertained CHD based on ≥1 hospitalization or physician visit with relevant diagnostic codes, within the first 12 months of life. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses, using the generalized estimating equation method, to adjust for relevant covariates. Five hundred nine women with SLE had 719 children, whereas 5824 matched controls had 8493 children. In comparison with controls, children born to women with SLE experienced more CHD (5.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.7-7.1] versus 1.9% [95% CI, 1.6-2.2], difference 3.3% [95% CI, 1.9-5.2]). In multivariable analyses, children born to women with SLE had a substantially increased risk of CHD (odds ratio, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.77-3.88) in comparison with controls. In addition, in comparison with controls, offspring of SLE mothers had a substantially increased risk of having a CHD repair procedure (odds ratio, 5.82; 95% CI, 1.77-19.09). In comparison with children from the general population, children born to women with SLE have an increased risk of CHD, and an increased risk of having a CHD repair procedure, as well. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Colored Overlays Enhance Visual Perceptual Performance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludlow, A. K.; Wilkins, A. J.; Heaton, P.

2008-01-01

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), together with controls matched for age and ability participated in three experiments that assessed the therapeutic benefit of colored overlays. The findings from the first experiment showed that a significantly greater proportion of children with ASD, than controls, increased reading speed when using…

Attachment orientations and psychological adjustment of parents of children with cancer: A matched-group comparison.

PubMed

Cusinato, Maria; Calvo, Vincenzo; Bisogno, Gianni; Viscardi, Elisabetta; Pillon, Marta; Opocher, Enrico; Basso, Giuseppe; Montanaro, Maria

2017-01-01

To investigate the impact of childhood cancer on parents' adult attachment, social support, marital adjustment, anxiety, and depression. 30 parents of children with childhood cancer and 30 matched controls completed the following questionnaires: Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised, Dyadic Adjustment Scale-4, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - form Y, and Beck Depression Inventory. Parents of children with childhood cancer had a significantly lower dyadic adjustment than controls, and higher levels of insecure-avoidant attachment, state anxiety, and depression. It is important for health-care personnel to take into account these parents' propensity to show increased levels of avoidant attachment during children's treatment to foster effective communication and supportive relationships between clinicians, pediatric patients, and parents.

Adaptive behavior in Chinese children with Williams syndrome

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disease characterized by compelling psychological phenotypes. The symptoms span multiple cognitive domains and include a distinctive pattern of social behavior. The goal of this study was to explore adaptive behavior in WS patients in China. Methods We conducted a structured interview including the Infants-Junior Middle School Students Social-life Abilities Scale in three participant groups: children with WS (n = 26), normally-developing children matched for mental age (MA, n = 30), and normally-developing children matched for chronological age (CA, n = 40). We compared the mean scores for each domain between the three groups. Results Children with WS had more siblings than children in the two control groups. The educational level of the caregivers of WS children was lower than that of the control children. We found no differences in locomotion, work skill, socialization, or self-management between the WS and MA groups. WS children obtained higher scores of self-dependence (df = 54, Z = −2.379, p = 0.017) and had better communication skills (df = 54, Z = −2.222, p = 0.026) compared with MA children. The CA children achieved higher scores than the WS children for all dimensions of adaptive behavior. Conclusions WS children have better adaptive behavior skills regarding communication and self-dependence than normal children matched for mental age. Targeted intervention techniques should be designed to promote social development in this population. PMID:24708693

Accurate Delayed Matching-to-Sample Responding without Rehearsal: An Unintentional Demonstration with Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratkos, Thom; Frieder, Jessica E.; Poling, Alan

2016-01-01

Research on joint control has focused on mediational responses, in which simultaneous stimulus control from two sources leads to the emission of a single response, such as choosing a comparison stimulus in delayed matching-to-sample. Most recent studies of joint control examined the role of verbal mediators (i.e., rehearsal) in evoking accurate…

Exploration of a 'double-jeopardy' hypothesis within working memory profiles for children with specific language impairment.

PubMed

Briscoe, J; Rankin, P M

2009-01-01

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) often experience difficulties in the recall and repetition of verbal information. Archibald and Gathercole (2006) suggested that children with SLI are vulnerable across two separate components of a tripartite model of working memory (Baddeley and Hitch 1974). However, the hierarchical relationship between the 'slave' systems (temporary storage) and the central executive components places a particular challenge for interpreting working memory profiles within a tripartite model. This study aimed to examine whether a 'double-jeopardy' assumption is compatible with a hierarchical relationship between the phonological loop and central executive components of the working memory model in children with SLI. If a strong double-jeopardy assumption is valid for children with SLI, it was predicted that raw scores of working memory tests thought to tap phonological loop and central executive components of tripartite working memory would be lower than the scores of children matched for chronological age and those of children matched for language level, according to independent sources of constraint. In contrast, a hierarchical relationship would imply that a weakness in a slave component of working memory (the phonological loop) would also constrain performance on tests tapping a super-ordinate component (central executive). This locus of constraint would predict that scores of children with SLI on working memory tests that tap the central executive would be weaker relative to the scores of chronological age-matched controls only. Seven subtests of the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (Digit recall, Word recall, Non-word recall, Word matching, Listening recall, Backwards digit recall and Block recall; Pickering and Gathercole 2001) were administered to 14 children with SLI recruited via language resource bases and specialist schools, as well as two control groups matched on chronological age and vocabulary level, respectively. Mean group differences were ascertained by directly comparing raw scores on memory tests linked to different components of the tripartite model using a series of multivariate analyses. The majority of working memory scores of the SLI group were depressed relative to chronological age-matched controls, with the exception of spatial recall (block tapping) and word (order) matching tasks. Marked deficits in serial recall of words and digits were evident, with the SLI group scoring more poorly than the language-ability matched control group on these measures. Impairments of the SLI group on phonological loop tasks were robust, even when covariance with executive working memory scores was accounted for. There was no robust effect of group on complex working memory (central executive) tasks, despite a slight association between listening recall and phonological loop measures. A predominant feature of the working memory profile of SLI was a marked deficit on phonological loop tasks. Although scores on complex working memory tasks were also depressed, there was little evidence for a strong interpretation of double-jeopardy within working memory profiles for these children, rather these findings were consistent with an interpretation of a constraint on phonological loop for children with SLI that operated at all levels of a hierarchical tripartite model of working memory (Baddeley and Hitch 1974). These findings imply that low scores on complex working memory tasks alone do not unequivocally imply an independent deficit in central executive (domain-general) resources of working memory and should therefore be treated cautiously in a clinical context.

Keeping children safe at home: protocol for three matched case–control studies of modifiable risk factors for falls

PubMed Central

Kendrick, Denise; Stewart, Jane; Clacy, Rose; Coffey, Frank; Cooper, Nicola; Coupland, Carol; Hayes, Mike; McColl, Elaine; Reading, Richard; Sutton, Alex; M L Towner, Elizabeth; Craig Watson, Michael

2012-01-01

Background Childhood falls result in considerable morbidity, mortality and health service use. Despite this, little evidence exists on protective factors or effective falls prevention interventions in young children. Objectives To estimate ORs for three types of medically attended fall injuries in young children in relation to safety equipment, safety behaviours and hazard reduction and explore differential effects by child and family factors and injury severity. Design Three multicentre case–control studies in UK hospitals with validation of parental reported exposures using home observations. Cases are aged 0–4 years with a medically attended fall injury occurring at home, matched on age and sex with community controls. Children attending hospital for other types of injury will serve as unmatched hospital controls. Matched analyses will use conditional logistic regression to adjust for potential confounding variables. Unmatched analyses will use unconditional logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, deprivation and distance from hospital in addition to other confounders. Each study requires 496 cases and 1984 controls to detect an OR of 0.7, with 80% power, 5% significance level, a correlation between cases and controls of 0.1 and a range of exposure prevalences. Main outcome measures Falls on stairs, on one level and from furniture. Discussion As the largest in the field to date, these case control studies will adjust for potential confounders, validate measures of exposure and investigate modifiable risk factors for specific falls injury mechanisms. Findings should enhance the evidence base for falls prevention for young children. PMID:22628151

Cognitive Profiles of Italian Children with Developmental Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobia, Valentina; Marzocchi, Gian Marco

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate verbal and nonverbal cognitive deficits in Italian students with developmental dyslexia. The performances of 32 dyslexic students, 64 age-matched typically reading controls, and 64 reading age-matched controls were compared on tests of lexical knowledge, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming,…

Educational attainment of children born to mothers with epilepsy.

PubMed

Lacey, Arron S; Pickrell, William Owen; Thomas, Rhys H; Kerr, Mike P; White, Cathy P; Rees, Mark I

2018-03-27

Small prospective studies have identified that children exposed to valproate in utero have poorer scores on cognitive testing. We wanted to identify whether children exposed to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in utero have poorer school performance. We used anonymised, linked, routinely collected healthcare records to identify children born to mothers with epilepsy. We linked these children to their national attainment Key Stage 1 (KS1) tests in mathematics, language and science at the age of 7 and compared them with matched children born to mothers without epilepsy, and with the national KS1 results. We used the core subject indicator (CSI) as an outcome measure (the proportion of children achieving a minimum standard in all subjects) and the results in individual subjects. We identified 440 children born to mothers with epilepsy with available KS1 results. Compared with a matched control group, fewer children with mothers being prescribed sodium valproate during pregnancy achieved the national minimum standard in CSI (-12.7% less than the control group), mathematics (-12.1%), language (-10.4%) and in science (-12.2%). Even fewer children with mothers being prescribed multiple AEDs during pregnancy achieved a national minimum standard: CSI (by -20.7% less than the control group), mathematics (-21.9%), language (-19.3%) and science (-19.4%). We did not observe any significant difference in children whose mothers were prescribed carbamazepine or were not taking an AED when compared with the control group. In utero exposure to AEDs in combination, or sodium valproate alone, is associated with a significant decrease in attainment in national educational tests for 7-year-old children compared with both a matched control group and the all-Wales national average. These results give further support to the cognitive and developmental effects of in utero exposure to sodium valproate as well as multiple AEDs, which should be balanced against the need for effective seizure control for women during pregnancy. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Redox Abnormalities as a Vulnerability Phenotype for Autism and Related Alterations in CNS Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

developmental delay (DD) with diagnosis of autism ; 50 children with DD without autism ; 50 age-matched control children (months 1 - 2 ) We have...identified 30 children with sudden onset regression, 20 children with infantile autism , and 50 control children. Figure 1 and 2 present our data to date...toward lower GSH/GSSG and higher oxidized GSSG levels in children with regressive compared to early onset autism . Figure 1 Figure 2 GSH

Is a cerebellar deficit the underlying cause of reading disabilities?

PubMed

Irannejad, Shahrzad; Savage, Robert

2012-04-01

This study investigated whether children with dyslexia differed in their performance on reading, phonological, rapid naming, motor, and cerebellar-related tasks and automaticity measures compared to reading age (RA)-matched and chronological age (CA)-matched control groups. Participants were 51 children attending mainstream English elementary schools in Quebec. All participants completed measures of IQ, word and nonword reading fluency, elision, nonword decoding, rapid naming, bead threading, peg moving, toe tapping, postural stability, and muscle tone. Results from both group contrasts and analyses at the individual case level did not provide support for claims of motor-cerebellar involvement in either typical or atypical reading acquisition. Results were more consistent with a phonological core process account of both typical reading and reading difficulty. Phonological deficits for children with dyslexia compared to RA-matched controls were, however, only evident in group contrasts. Findings thus also have important implications for identifying at-risk readers among their same-aged peers.

A Head Start Control Group. Part of the Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Grover

A study was conducted to determine if the observed changes in Head Start children were related to the practice effects inherent in a test-retest situation. The "control" group consisted of 64 children who had been eligible for a Head Start program. They roughly matched a group of Head Start (HS) children in IQ scores, age, and…

Motor Planning and Control in Autism. A Kinematic Analysis of Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forti, Sara; Valli, Angela; Perego, Paolo; Nobile, Maria; Crippa, Alessandro; Molteni, Massimo

2011-01-01

Kinematic recordings in a reach and drop task were compared between 12 preschool children with autism without mental retardation and 12 gender and age-matched normally developing children. Our aim was to investigate whether motor anomalies in autism may depend more on a planning ability dysfunction or on a motor control deficit. Planning and…

Implicit and Explicit Memory Performance in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aloisi, Bruno A.; McKone, Elinor; Heubeck, Bernd G.

2004-01-01

The present investigation examined implicit and explicit memory in 20 children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and 20 matched controls. Consistent with previous research, children with AD/HD performed more poorly than controls on an explicit test of long-term memory for pictures. New results were that (a) there was…

Evaluation of family drawings of physically and sexually abused children.

PubMed

Piperno, Francesca; Di Biasi, Stefania; Levi, Gabriel

2007-09-01

The aim of this study is to analyse the family drawings of two groups of physically and/or sexually abused children as compared to the drawings of non-abused children of a matched control group. The drawings by 12 physically abused, 12 sexually abused and 12 non-abused children, all aged between 5 years-old and 10 years-old, were assessed and compared. Family drawings were analysed using a specific Screening Inventory (FDI-Family Drawing Inventory). This Inventory takes into consideration such qualitative and quantitative variables as the quality of drawing, the children's perception of their family members and their own perception of themselves within the family system. The results have shown significant differences between the abused minors and the control group. Abused children are more likely to draw distorted bodies, the human figure is usually represented devoid of details, their drawings generally show clear signals of trauma and the majority of the abused children are likely to exclude their primary caregiver from the drawings. The "drawings of the family" of physically and/or sexually abused children significantly evidence a greater emotional distress then the drawings of the non-abused children of the matched control group.

[Generalization of money-handling though training in equivalence relationships].

PubMed

Vives-Montero, Carmen; Valero-Aguayo, Luis; Ascanio, Lourdes

2011-02-01

This research used a matching-to-sample procedure and equivalence learning process with language and verbal tasks. In the study, an application of the equivalence relationship of money was used with several kinds of euro coins presented. The sample consisted of 16 children (8 in the experimental group and 8 in the control group) aged 5 years. The prerequisite behaviors, the identification of coins and the practical use of different euro coins, were assessed in the pre and post phases for both groups. The children in the experimental group performed an equivalence task using the matching-to-sample procedure. This consisted of a stimulus sample and four matching stimuli, using a series of euro coins with equivalent value in each set. The children in the control group did not undergo this training process. The results showed a large variability in the children's data of the equivalence tests. The experimental group showed the greatest pre and post changes in the statistically significant data. They also showed a greater generalization in the identification of money and in the use of euro coins than the control group. The implications for educational training and the characteristics of the procedure used here for coin equivalence are discussed.

Effect of Chunk Strength on the Performance of Children with Developmental Dyslexia on Artificial Grammar Learning Task May Be Related to Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiff, Rachel; Katan, Pesia; Sasson, Ayelet; Kahta, Shani

2017-01-01

There is a long held view that chunks play a crucial role in artificial grammar learning performance. We compared chunk strength influences on performance, in high and low topological entropy (a measure of complexity) grammar systems, with dyslexic children, age-matched and reading-level-matched control participants. Findings show that age-matched…

Childhood anxiety and attention to emotion faces in a modified stroop task.

PubMed

Hadwin, Julie A; Donnelly, Nick; Richards, Anne; French, Christopher C; Patel, Umang

2009-06-01

This study used an emotional face stroop task to investigate the effects of self-report trait anxiety, social concern (SC), and chronological age (CA) on reaction time to match coloured outlines of angry, happy, and neutral faces (and control faces with scrambled features) with coloured buttons in a community sample of 74 children aged 6-12 years. The results showed an interference of colour matching for angry (relative to neutral) faces in children with elevated SC. The same effect was not found for happy or control faces. In addition, the results suggest that selective attention to angry faces in children with social concern (SC) was not significantly moderated by age.

The formulation of argument structure in SLI: an eye-movement study

PubMed Central

ANDREU, LLORENÇ; SANZ-TORRENT, MÒNICA; OLMOS, JOAN GUÀRDIA; MACWHINNEY, BRIAN

2014-01-01

This study investigated the formulation of verb argument structure in Catalan- and Spanish-speaking children with specific language impairment (SLI) and typically developing age-matched controls. We compared how language production can be guided by conceptual factors, such as the organization of the entities participating in an event and knowledge regarding argument structure. Eleven children with SLI (aged 3;8 to 6;6) and eleven control children participated in an eye-tracking experiment in which participants had to describe events with different argument structure in the presence of visual scenes. Picture descriptions, latency time and eye movements were recorded and analyzed. The picture description results showed that the percentage of responses in which children with SLI substituted a non-target verb for the target verb was significantly different from that for the control group. Children with SLI made more omissions of obligatory arguments, especially of themes, as the verb argument complexity increased. Moreover, when the number of arguments of the verb increased, the children took more time to begin their descriptions, but no differences between groups were found. For verb type latency, all children were significantly faster to start describing one-argument events than two- and three-argument events. No differences in latency time were found between two- and three-argument events. There were no significant differences between the groups. Eye-movement showed that children with SLI looked less at the event zone than the age-matched controls during the first two seconds. These differences between the groups were significant for three-argument verbs, and only marginally significant for one- and two-argument verbs. Children with SLI also spent significantly less time looking at the theme zones than their age-matched controls. We suggest that both processing limitations and deficits in the semantic representation of verbs may play a role in these difficulties. PMID:23294226

Childhood lead poisoning prevention through prenatal housing inspection and remediation in St. Louis, MO.

PubMed

Berg, Daniel R; Eckstein, Erin T; Steiner, Matt S; Gavard, Jeffrey A; Gross, Gilad A

2012-03-01

We assessed the screening and remediation of home lead hazards prenatally in a high-risk population, hypothesizing that average blood-lead level and the number of poisonings would drop by 25%. One hundred fifty-two women underwent prenatal home inspections by certified lead inspectors. The hazards that were identified were remediated. The blood-lead levels of children of participating women were compared with matched control subjects. Blood-lead levels were obtained from 60 children and compared with matched control subjects. The average blood-lead level of children in the treatment group was 2.70 μg/dL vs 3.73 μg/dL in control subjects (P = .019). The percentage of children with levels >10 μg/dL in the treatment group was 0% vs 4.2% in control subjects (P = .128). Screening and remediation of houses of pregnant women is effective to reduce the average blood-lead level and number of children that exceed the federal level of concern for lead poisoning in a high-risk population. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

fMRI of parents of children with Asperger Syndrome: a pilot study.

PubMed

Baron-Cohen, Simon; Ring, Howard; Chitnis, Xavier; Wheelwright, Sally; Gregory, Lloyd; Williams, Steve; Brammer, Mick; Bullmore, Ed

2006-06-01

People with autism or Asperger Syndrome (AS) show altered patterns of brain activity during visual search and emotion recognition tasks. Autism and AS are genetic conditions and parents may show the 'broader autism phenotype.' (1) To test if parents of children with AS show atypical brain activity during a visual search and an empathy task; (2) to test for sex differences during these tasks at the neural level; (3) to test if parents of children with autism are hyper-masculinized, as might be predicted by the 'extreme male brain' theory. We used fMRI during a visual search task (the Embedded Figures Test (EFT)) and an emotion recognition test (the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' (or Eyes) test). Twelve parents of children with AS, vs. 12 sex-matched controls. Factorial analysis was used to map main effects of sex, group (parents vs. controls), and sexxgroup interaction on brain function. An ordinal ANOVA also tested for regions of brain activity where females>males>fathers=mothers, to test for parental hyper-masculinization. RESULTS ON EFT TASK: Female controls showed more activity in extrastriate cortex than male controls, and both mothers and fathers showed even less activity in this area than sex-matched controls. There were no differences in group activation between mothers and fathers of children with AS. The ordinal ANOVA identified two specific regions in visual cortex (right and left, respectively) that showed the pattern Females>Males>Fathers=Mothers, both in BA 19. RESULTS ON EYES TASK: Male controls showed more activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus than female controls, and both mothers and fathers showed even more activity in this area compared to sex-matched controls. Female controls showed greater bilateral inferior frontal activation than males. This was not seen when comparing mothers to males, or mothers to fathers. The ordinal ANOVA identified two specific regions that showed the pattern Females>Males>Mothers=Fathers: left medial temporal gyrus (BA 21) and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 44). Parents of children with AS show atypical brain function during both visual search and emotion recognition, in the direction of hyper-masculinization of the brain. Because of the small sample size, and lack of age-matching between parents and controls, such results constitute a pilot study that needs replicating with larger samples.

Information processing and proactive interference in children with and without specific language impairment.

PubMed

Marton, Klara; Campanelli, Luca; Eichorn, Naomi; Scheuer, Jessica; Yoon, Jungmee

2014-02-01

Increasing evidence suggests that children with specific language impairment (SLI) have a deficit in inhibition control, but research isolating specific abilities is scarce. The goal of this study was to examine whether children with SLI differ from their peers in resistance to proactive interference under different conditions. An information processing battery with manipulations in interference was administered to 66 children (SLI, age matched peers, and language-matched controls). In Experiment 1, previously relevant targets were used as distractors to create conflict. Experiment 2 used item repetitions to examine how practice strengthens word representations and how the strength of a response impacts performance on the following item. Children with SLI performed similarly to their peers in the baseline condition but were more susceptible to proactive interference than the controls in both experimental conditions. Children with SLI demonstrated difficulty suppressing irrelevant information, made significantly more interference errors than their peers, and showed a slower rate of implicit learning. Children with SLI show weaker resistance to proactive interference than their peers, and this deficit impacts their information processing abilities. The coordination of activation and inhibition is less efficient in these children, but future research is needed to further examine the interaction between these two processes.

Matched trauma: The role of parents' and children's shared history of childhood domestic violence exposure in parents' report of children's trauma-related symptomatology.

PubMed

Cohodes, Emily; Hagan, Melissa; Narayan, Angela; Lieberman, Alicia

2016-01-01

Parents' childhood experiences of trauma may influence their reports of their children's behavior, and this may be particularly true when children are also traumatized. The present study proposed and tested a matched trauma hypothesis, positing that compared to parents without a childhood history of witnessing domestic violence (DV), parents with a childhood history of witnessing DV may report their children's trauma-related symptomatology differently following children's exposure to DV. Of 137 included parents (M age = 32 years; 93% mothers), 81 reported witnessing childhood DV (matched group), whereas 56 reported no childhood DV exposure (nonmatched comparison group). All parents reported on their 3- to 6-year-old children's dissociation and posttraumatic stress symptoms following children's DV exposure. An analysis of covariance controlling for parental life stress, dissociation symptoms, and other childhood traumatic events revealed that parents who witnessed childhood DV reported significantly fewer child dissociation symptoms than comparison parents. No difference was found for parents' reports of children's posttraumatic stress symptoms. Exploratory analyses on a subsample of children with teacher reports of child dissociation symptoms (n = 75) revealed that the strength of the association between parent and teacher reports of dissociation symptoms was moderated by matched versus nonmatched group membership. Findings suggest the importance of considering a parent's history of trauma when using parents as informants for children's trauma symptoms.

Maxillary dental arch dimensions in 6-year-old children with articulatory speech disorders.

PubMed

Heliövaara, Arja

2011-01-01

To evaluate maxillary dental arch dimensions in 6-year-old children with articulatory speech disorders and to compare their dental arch dimensions with age- and sex-matched controls without speech disorders. Fifty-two children (15 girls) with errors in the articulation of the sounds /r/, /s/ or /l/ were compared retrospectively with age- and sex-matched controls from dental casts taken at a mean age of 6.4 years (range 5.0-8.4). All children with articulatory speech disorders had been referred to City of Helsinki Health Care, Dental Care Department by a phoniatrician or a speech therapist in order to get oral-motor activators (removable palatal plates) to be used in their speech therapy. A χ2-test and paired Student's t tests were used in the statistical analyses. The children with articulatory speech disorders had similar maxillary dental arch widths but smaller maxillary dental arch length than the controls. This small series suggests that 6-year-old children with articulatory speech disorders may have decreased maxillary dental arch length. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Prevalence and description of selective mutism in immigrant and native families: a controlled study.

PubMed

Elizur, Yoel; Perednik, Ruth

2003-12-01

To assess the incidence of selective mutism (SM) in West Jerusalem's state preschools and evaluate social anxiety/phobia disposition (SAP), social competence (SC), markers of neurodevelopmental delay/disorder (NDD), mothers' psychological adjustment, and marital conflict in immigrant and native children with SM and their matched controls. Mothers of 9 immigrant and 10 native children with SM and their matched controls completed questionnaires evaluating themselves, their marriages, and their children. A response rate of 30% (19/64) was obtained. The general prevalence of SM was 0.76%, while the rate among immigrants was 2.2%. Except for mothers' adjustment, all immigrant/native group effects were significant. There were significant interactions between the SM/control and immigrant/native groups for SAP, NDD, and SC. Immigrant children with SM had higher SAP and SC scores and lower NDD scores than native children with SM. This study distinguished between homogenous (socially anxious) and comorbid children with SM. In this sample, the disorder appeared to be associated with a combination of a specific diathesis (SAP) with intrinsic (NDD) and/or environmental (family immigration) vulnerabilities. Marital discord appeared to be a general risk factor for SM.

The comparison of perceived health-related quality of life between Australian children with severe specific language impairment to age and gender-matched peers.

PubMed

Nicola, Kristy; Watter, Pauline

2018-02-14

Children with specific language impairment often present with multiple comorbidities, which may adversely affect both participation in play and academic performance, potentially impacting a child's health-related quality of life. This study 1) explored the suitability of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQL™) for use with a typically developing Australian control group, and 2) compared the health-related quality of life between a control group and Australian children with severe specific language impairment. Health-related quality of life data collected as part of a broader study of 43 children with severe specific language impairment (males = 35, age range 5-16, mean age = 8.79+/- 2.92) enrolled at a special school were used to explore previously unreported findings. Typically developing gender and age matched (+/- 3 months) peers were recruited from local schools. The PedsQL™ child self-report and proxy-report were individually or interviewer-administered to the control group as required, and then compared to the group with specific language impairment. The PedsQL™ was reliable and feasible for use with the control group (N = 43, males = 35, age range = 5-16 years, mean age = 8.74+/- 2.94 years). Control group performance was as expected as per the manual. Parents of the control group scored their children significantly higher than did the children themselves on all scales except the emotional functioning scale. Both the control group children and their parents scored themselves significantly higher on all scales, compared to children with severe specific language impairment and their parents. The PedsQL™ was suitable for use with the control group. Further, the recruitment of a control group provided additional clarity on the extent a severe specific language impairment impacts on an Australian child's perceived health-related quality of life, compared to the manual cut-off scores. Severe specific language impairment significantly impacts negatively on the health-related quality of life of Australian children across all domains, particularly when compared to an age and gender-matched group of peers. These results warrant the inclusion of health-related quality of life evaluations in the assessment of these children along with a multidisciplinary approach.

Eating behaviors in obese children with pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Wang, Lulu; Shoemaker, Ashley H

2014-01-01

Children with pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHP-1a) develop early-onset obesity. These children have decreased resting energy expenditure but it is unknown if hyperphagia contributes to their obesity. We conducted a survey assessment of patients 2 to 12 years old with PHP-1a and matched controls using the Hyperphagia Questionnaire (HQ) and Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Results of the PHP-1a group were also compared with an obese control group and normal weight sibling group. We enrolled 10 patients with PHP-1a and 9 matched controls. There was not a significant difference between the PHP-1a group and matched controls for total HQ score (p = 0.72), Behavior (p = 0.91), Drive (p = 0.48) or Severity (p = 0.73) subset scores. There was also no difference between the PHP-1a group and matched controls on the CEBQ. In a secondary analysis, the PHP-1a group was compared with obese controls (n = 30) and normal weight siblings (n = 6). Caregivers reported an increased interest in food before age 2 years in 6 of 10 PHP-1a patients (60%), 9 of 30 obese controls (30%) and none of the siblings (p = 0.04). The sibling group had a significantly lower Positive Eating Behavior score than the PHP-1a group (2.6 [2.4, 2.9] vs. 3.5 [3.1, 4.0], p < 0.01) and obese controls (2.6 [2.4, 2.9] vs. 3.4 [2.6, 3.8], p = 0.04), but there was not a significant difference between the PHP-1a and obese controls (p = 0.35). The sibling group had a lower Desire to Drink score than both the PHP-1a group (1.8 [1.6, 2.7] vs. 4.3 [3.3, 5.0], p < 0.01) and obese controls (1.8 [1.6, 2.7] vs. 3.3 [3.0, 4.0], p < 0.01) but there was not a significant difference between the PHP-1a and obese control Desire to Drink scores (p = 0.11). Patients with PHP-1a demonstrate hyperphagic symptoms similar to matched obese controls.

The Impact Of Palifermin Use On Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Outcomes In Children

PubMed Central

Saber, Wael; Zhang, Mei-Jie; Steinert, Patricia; Chen, Min; Horowitz, Mary M

2016-01-01

Purpose Clinical trials evaluating palifermin have enrolled few pediatric patients precluding safety analyses in large groups of children. We compared hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) outcomes among pediatric patients from a large database who did or did not receive palifermin as a preventive treatment for oral mucositis. Patients and Methods Pediatric patients and controls, matched for HCT and donor type, disease, disease status and age, were selected from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) database and a 1:3 matched cohort analysis was performed. Stratified Cox proportional hazards models were built and propensity score adjustments were used to compare overall and disease-free survival outcomes between palifermin-treated and untreated patients. Results Three controls were identified for 90% of palifermin recipients. The remaining cases were matched with two (8%) or one (2%) controls, for a total of 210 palifermin-treated patients matched with 606 controls. Median follow-up was 31 months in cases and 36 months in controls. 57% of patients underwent allogeneic HCT, mostly for acute leukemia, and 43% underwent autologous HCT, mostly for solid tumors. In univariate analyses, two-year survival and disease-free survival rates after allogeneic HCT (58% vs 66%, P = .109; 49% vs 60%, P = .060) and after autologous HCT (73% vs 77%, P = .474; 60% vs 64%, P = .637) were similar between palifermin-treated patients and matched controls. In multivariate analysis, palifermin treatment did not significantly increase the risk of mortality (relative risk [RR] 1.20, 95% CI 0.87–1.66) or relapse (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.78–1.62) compared with matched controls. No significant differences in rates of acute or chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) were observed between palifermin-treated patients and matched controls. Conclusion Among the pediatric patients undergoing HCT, overall survival, disease-free survival, neutrophil recovery, and GVHD rates were similar between palifermin-treated patients and matched controls. PMID:27090960

A lower prevalence of atopy symptoms in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Meerwaldt, R; Odink, R J; Landaeta, R; Aarts, F; Brunekreef, B; Gerritsen, J; Van Aalderen, W M C; Hoekstra, M O

2002-02-01

The Th1/Th 2 concept is a model to understand the pathophysiology of certain diseases. Atopic diseases (asthma, eczema and hayfever) are characterized by a chronic inflammatory reaction that is dominated by Th 2 cells, and type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) is Th1 cell dominated. Because it is known that Th1 and Th 2 cells reciprocally counteract each other, it can be speculated that the prevalence of Th 2-mediated disease is lower in patients with Th1-mediated disease. To compare the prevalence of atopic diseases between children with DM and age-matched controls. Parents of children with DM were requested by Dutch paediatricians to complete the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire on the prevalence of atopic diseases. A control group was derived from a Dutch cross-sectional survey (the ISAAC2 study). We received 555 completed questionnaires, which is estimated to be 25% of the total number of Dutch children with DM. The control group consisted of 777 children. After age-matching, the questionnaires of 188 DM patients were used. Symptoms of asthma, hayfever and eczema were reported less in the group of children with DM compared with the control group (wheeze last year, OR 0.796, 95% CI 0.408-1.554; hayfever symptoms last year, OR 0.642, 95% CI 0.369-1.118; eczema symptoms last year, OR 0.693, 95% CI 0.430-1.115). The lower prevalence of astma, hayfever and eczema symptoms in DM patients compared with age-matched controls, although not statistically significant, is consistent with the Th1/Th 2 concept.

Decision Making in Children with ADHD Only, ADHD-Anxious/Depressed, and Control Children Using a Child Version of the Iowa Gambling Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garon, Nancy; Moore, Chris; Waschbusch, Daniel A.

2006-01-01

Objective: The goal of this study is to investigate decision making in children with ADHD using a child version of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The effect of internalizing symptoms is also of interest. Method: Twenty-one children with ADHD (high anxiety/depression and no anxiety/depression) are compared to an age- and sex-matched control group on…

Mullen scales of early learning: the utility in assessing children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy.

PubMed

Burns, Thomas G; King, Tricia Z; Spencer, Katherine S

2013-01-01

A group of 47 patients diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders were compared to 47 age-, gender-, and racially matched typically developing children to examine the frequency of impairment across domains of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). The MSEL is a comprehensive measure of cognitive functioning designed to assess infants and preschool children between the ages of birth to 68 months. In the neurodevelopmental group, the sample was composed of children 2 to 4 years of age who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; n = 19), cerebral palsy (CP; n = 14), and epilepsy (EPI; n = 14). A sample of 47 matched controls, taken from the normative sample of the MSEL, was used as a comparison group. Each one of the clinical groups comprising the neurodevelopmental sample demonstrated statistically significant delays across domains relative to the respective matched control group (p < .001). Children failed to demonstrate a "signature" profile for a diagnosis of ASD, CP, or EPI. The clinical sensitivity of the MSEL and the need for obtaining specific intervention services for children diagnosed with these conditions are presented. Finally, these results are discussed within the context of the clinical sensitivity of the MSEL in working with these clinical populations.

[Stress and coping with stress by mothers of children with mild cerebral dysfunctions].

PubMed

Virtanen, T; Moilanen, I

1991-09-01

Adapting the paradigm developed by Richard Lazarus, parenting stress and coping were studied among mothers of children (n = 42) with Minimal Brain Dysfunction (MBD) and mothers with non-disabled children (n = 42), aged 6 to 9. The children of control mothers were matched by age, sex, social status, and maternal marital status with the MBD children. The mothers of MBD children were found to experience more parenting difficulties, more negatively toned cognitive appraisals of their stakes in parenting and less positive adaptational outcomes than their controls. The mothers of MBD children appraised their mastery lower than their controls. However, family well-being, or self-esteem did not differ between the mothers of MBD children and their controls.

Auditory Morphological Knowledge among Children with Developmental Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiff, Rachel; Cohen, Miki; Ben-Artzi, Elisheva; Sasson, Ayelet; Ravid, Dorit

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study is to examine the morphological knowledge of readers with developmental dyslexia compared to chronological age and reading-level matched controls. The study also analyzes the errors dyslexics make and their metamorphological awareness compared to controls. Participants included 31 seventh-grade dyslexic children and…

Speech-Associated Labiomandibular Movement in Mandarin-Speaking Children with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Kinematic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Wei-Hsien; Chen, Hsieh-Ching; Yang, Fan-pei Gloria; Wu, Ching-Yi; Chen, Chia-Ling; Wong, Alice May-kuen

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the speech-associated labiomandibular movement during articulation production in Mandarin-speaking children with spastic quadriplegic (SQ) cerebral palsy (CP). Twelve children with SQ CP (aged 7-11 years) and 12 age-matched healthy children as controls were enrolled for the study. All children underwent…

Nutritional status of children with coeliac disease.

PubMed

Aurangzeb, B; Leach, S T; Lemberg, D A; Day, A S

2010-07-01

The main aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of children with newly diagnosed Coeliac disease (CD)with comparison to matched controls. A further aim was to assess relationships between presentation patterns and nutrition in childhood CD. The nutritional status of newly diagnosed CD was assessed by anthropometry, Bioelectrical Impedance and serum leptin levels, and contrasted to age and gender matched controls. Twenty-five children with CD (mean age of 8.2 +/- 4.5 years) and 25 control children (mean age 8.1 +/- 4.4.) were enrolled. Thirteen (52%) children with CD had gastrointestinal symptoms with 14 having a family history of CD. At presentation 8.7% were wasted, 4.2% were stunted and 20.8% overweight, although none were obese. Mean height and weight for age, other nutritional parameters and serum leptin did not differ between the groups. Serum leptin correlated with BMI in both groups. Children with CD more commonly present with atypical symptoms than with classical features. Variations in nutrition (under to overnutrition) may be seen at diagnosis, without relationship to the presence of symptoms. Leptin levels were not altered specifically in the setting of CD. Nutritional assessment remains important in the assessment and management of CD in children.

Impact of the viral respiratory season on postoperative outcomes in children undergoing cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Spaeder, Michael C; Carson, Kathryn A; Vricella, Luca A; Alejo, Diane E; Holmes, Kathryn W

2011-08-01

To compare postoperative outcomes in children undergoing cardiac surgery during the viral respiratory season and nonviral season at our institution. This was a retrospective cohort study and secondary matched case-control analysis. The setting was an urban academic tertiary-care children's hospital. The study was comprised of all patients <18 years of age who underwent cardiac surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital from October 2002 through September 2007. Patients were stratified by season of surgery, complexity of cardiac disease, and presence or absence of viral respiratory infection. Measurements included patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes. The primary outcome was postoperative length of stay (LOS). A total of 744 patients were included in the analysis. There was no difference in baseline characteristics or outcomes, specifically, no difference in postoperative LOS, intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, and mortality, among patients by seasons of surgery. Patients with viral respiratory illness were more likely to have longer postoperative LOS (p < 0.01) and ICU LOS (p < 0.01) compared with matched controls. We identified no difference in postoperative outcomes based on season in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Children with viral respiratory infection have significantly worse outcomes than matched controls, strengthening the call for universal administration of influenza vaccination and palivizumab to appropriate groups. Preoperative testing for respiratory viruses should be considered during the winter months for children undergoing elective cardiac surgery.

Vulnerable Children; Three Studies of Children in Conflict: Accident Involved Children, Sexually Assualted Children and Children with Asthma.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Lindy

Three retrospective studies related children's socially inappropriate behavior to needs for approval and self assurance. Four girls and 16 boys (a sex difference of p=.006) involved in road accidents, aged 5 to 15, who were consecutively admitted to a hospital for arm and leg fractures were matched with controls. The accident children shared a…

Cognitive development in Yucheng children.

PubMed

Lai, T J; Guo, Y L; Yu, M L; Ko, H C; Hsu, C C

1994-01-01

We have been following up the biological and mental development of children exposed prenatally to polychlorinated biphenyls and their contaminants (Yucheng children). When we started this 12-year follow-up study in August 1985, 118 Yucheng children we assigned a non-exposed child matched by sex, age, locality of residence, mother's age, socio-economic status of the family. This article reports the cognitive aspect of the development of Yucheng children as compared to their matched controls. A consistent tendency which indicates that Yucheng children score lower in each kind of measurement tool at each age level has been observed. This seems to imply that congenitally exposure to PCBs and their contaminants has long-term adverse effects on the cognitive development of human being.

Quantifying excessive mirror overflow in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

PubMed Central

MacNeil, L.K.; Xavier, P.; Garvey, M.A.; Gilbert, D.L.; Ranta, M.E.; Denckla, M.B.

2011-01-01

Objectives: Qualitative observations have revealed that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show increased overflow movements, a motor sign thought to reflect impaired inhibitory control. The goal of this study was to develop and implement methods for quantifying excessive mirror overflow movements in children with ADHD. Methods: Fifty right-handed children aged 8.2–13.3 years, 25 with ADHD (12 girls) and 25 typically developing (TD) control children (10 girls), performed a sequential finger-tapping task, completing both left-handed (LHFS) and right-handed finger sequencing (RHFS). Phasic overflow of the index and ring fingers was assessed in 34 children with video recording, and total overflow in 48 children was measured by calculating the total angular displacement of the index and ring fingers with electrogoniometer recordings. Results: Phasic overflow and total overflow across both hands were greater in children with ADHD than in TD children, particularly during LHFS. Separate gender analyses revealed that boys, but not girls, with ADHD showed significantly more total phasic overflow and total overflow than did their gender-matched control children. Conclusions: The quantitative overflow measures used in this study support past qualitative findings that motor overflow persists to a greater degree in children with ADHD than in age-matched TD peers. The quantitative findings further suggest that persistence of mirror overflow is more prominent during task execution of the nondominant hand and reveal gender-based differences in developmental neural systems critical to motor control. These quantitative measures will assist future physiologic investigation of the brain basis of motor control in ADHD. PMID:21321336

Early Math Achievement and Functional Connectivity in the Fronto-Parietal Network

PubMed Central

Emerson, Robert W.; Cantlon, Jessica F.

2011-01-01

In this study we test the hypothesis that the functional connectivity of the frontal and parietal regions that children recruit during a basic numerical task (matching Arabic numerals to arrays of dots) is predictive of their math test scores (TEMA-3; Ginsburg 2003). Specifically, we tested 4- to 11-year-old children on a matching task during fMRI to localize a fronto-parietal network that responds more strongly during numerical matching than matching faces, words, or shapes. We then tested the functional connectivity between those regions during an independent task: natural viewing of an educational video that included math topics. Using this novel natural viewing method, we found that the connectivity between frontal and parietal regions during task-independent free-viewing of educational material is correlated with children's basic number matching ability, as well as their scores on the standardized test of mathematical ability (the TEMA). The correlation between children's mathematics scores and fronto-parietal connectivity is math-specific in the sense that it is independent of children's verbal IQ scores. Moreover, a control network, selective for faces, showed no correlation with mathematics performance. Finally, brain regions that correlate with subjects’ overall response times in the matching task do not account for our number- and math-related effects. We suggest that the functional intersection of number-related frontal and parietal regions is math-specific. PMID:22682903

The Link between Logic, Mathematics and Imagination: Evidence from Children with Developmental Dyscalculia and Mathematically Gifted Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morsanyi, Kinga; Devine, Amy; Nobes, Alison; Szucs, Denes

2013-01-01

This study examined performance on transitive inference problems in children with developmental dyscalculia (DD), typically developing controls matched on IQ, working memory and reading skills, and in children with outstanding mathematical abilities. Whereas mainstream approaches currently consider DD as a domain-specific deficit, we hypothesized…

Maternal Stress in Nonverbal Learning Disorder: A Comparison with Reading Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antshel, Kevin M.; Joseph, Guy-Ronald

2006-01-01

Maternal stress was assessed in mothers of children ages 8 to 11 years with learning disorders (LD). Age-, gender-, and IQ-matched children with reading disorders (RD; n = 31), children with nonverbal learning disorders (NVLD; n = 21), and typically developing control participants (n = 23) participated. Mothers of children with LD reported higher…

Lightning-Strike Disaster: Effects on Children's Fears and Worries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dollinger, Stephen J.; And Others

1984-01-01

Compares fears of lightning-strike victims (N=29) with matched control children (N=58), using fear reports from children and their mothers. Differences between samples were most pronounced for child-reported fears. Correspondence between mothers' and children's reports of intense storm-related fears was markedly larger in the lightning sample than…

Confronting the language barrier: Theory of mind in deaf children.

PubMed

Jones, Anna C; Gutierrez, Roberto; Ludlow, Amanda K

2015-01-01

The current study addressed deaf children's Theory of Mind (ToM) development as measured by a battery of first- and second-order belief tasks. Both a chronological age-matched control group and a younger group of pre-school aged hearing children were compared to a group of deaf children born to hearing parents. A hearing native signer enacted each of the tasks, which were pre-recorded in video clips in English (SSE), British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken English, in order to consider all communication preferences of the deaf children. Results revealed no differences in performance between the deaf and the young hearing children. However, despite the inclusion of ToM tasks based on their preferred mode of communication, the deaf children performed significantly worse at the unexpected-content and second-order belief task compared with their age-matched controls. These findings imply a delay rather than a deficit in ToM in deaf children that could be attributed to limited opportunities to converse and overhear conversations about mental states. None. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of psychological functioning in children with cancer: disposition and cumulative life stressors.

PubMed

Howard Sharp, Katianne M; Rowe, Anjoli E; Russell, Kathryn; Long, Alanna; Phipps, Sean

2015-07-01

This study examined psychological functioning in children with a history of cancer and a matched sample of healthy peers, while exploring the roles of disposition and stressful life events. Participants were 255 children with a history of cancer and 101 demographically matched children (8-17 years). Children completed measures of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS); history of stressful life events; and dispositional factors, including optimism and a five-factor personality measure. Children with cancer did not differ from peers with regard to depression and PTSS, but reported significantly lower anxiety. In hierarchical regressions, children's depression, anxiety, and PTSS scores were largely predicted by dispositional variables and, to a lesser extent, stressful life events, after controlling for demographics and health status. Children's psychological functioning is predicted primarily by disposition, and secondarily by history of stressful life events, with health status (i.e., cancer versus control) accounting for minimal, and often non-significant variance in children's functioning. These findings further support that children with cancer are generally resilient, with factors predictive of their adjustment difficulties mirroring those of children without history of serious illness. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Performance on Wechsler intelligence scales in children with Tourette syndrome.

PubMed

Debes, Nanette M M M; Lange, Theis; Jessen, Tanja L; Hjalgrim, Helle; Skov, Liselotte

2011-03-01

There is some evidence that Tourette syndrome is associated with cognitive disabilities. To examine the cognitive performance of a clinical cohort of children with Tourette syndrome. 266 children with Tourette syndrome have been examined with Wechsler Intelligence Scales. The presence of the co-morbidities attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was assessed using validated diagnostic instruments. Eighty healthy controls matched a part of the TS cohort. The children with Tourette syndrome had a mean verbal IQ (VIQ) of 92.9, performance IQ (PIQ) of 87.1, and full-scale IQ (FSIQ) of 88.8. We found statistically significant higher PIQ and FSIQ in the control group compared with a matched TS cohort and a trend towards a higher VIQ among the healthy controls. There was a statistically significant influence of age at onset of tics on PIQ. The children with co-morbid OCD scored higher on FSIQ compared with the other groups. The children with co-morbid ADHD and OCD showed problems in motor tasks and speed tasks and the children with co-morbid ADHD showed attention deficits. Children with Tourette syndrome have lower IQ scores than the general population (but less than one standard deviation below) and our control group. Early onset of tics and the presence of co-morbidities might cause specific deficits on cognitive performance. Copyright © 2010 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Linguistic and Cognitive Abilities in Children with Specific Language Impairment as Compared to Children with High-Functioning Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaeffer, Jeannette

2018-01-01

This study investigates the question as to whether and how the linguistic and other cognitive abilities of children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) differ from those of children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA). To this end, 27 Dutch-speaking elementary-school-age children with SLI, 27 age-matched children with HFA, and a control group…

Oral health and oral health risk behaviour in children with and without externalising behaviour problems.

PubMed

Staberg, M; Norén, J G; Gahnberg, L; Ghaderi, A; Kadesjö, C; Robertson, A

2018-05-15

This was to study children with early detected externalising behaviour problems compared to matched controls regarding oral health, oral health risk behaviour and the parental evaluation of the child's oral health and dental care. Children aged 10-13 years and with externalising behaviour problems, were compared to matched controls. Behavioural characteristics were based on the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. The children and their parents completed questionnaires regarding dental fear, tooth brushing, dietary habits and evaluation of oral health and dental care. Data on dental caries risk assessments, caries, behaviour management problems and dental trauma were obtained from dental files. There were no differences in caries prevalence in children with early detected externalising behaviour problems, compared to controls. However, the former group consumed more sweet drinks when thirsty and brushed their teeth fewer than twice daily; they also had more dental trauma in both dentitions and a higher risk range for dental fear, compared to controls. This study points out potential oral health risk factors in children with early-detected externalising behaviour problems. Although no difference in caries prevalence was observed, externalising behaviour may affect oral health. Therefore, dental professionals should support the families and the children to preserve dental health by offering increased prophylactic measures. There were no differences between children with externalising behaviour problems, compared with controls, regarding the parent evaluation of their child's dental health. However, more parents in the study group evaluated the dental care as poor or not functioning.

A Comparison of the Development of Audiovisual Integration in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Typically Developing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Natalie; Isaac, Claire; Milne, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the development of audiovisual integration in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Audiovisual integration was measured using the McGurk effect in children with ASD aged 7-16 years and typically developing children (control group) matched approximately for age, sex, nonverbal ability and verbal ability.…

Information Processing and Proactive Interference in Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment

PubMed Central

Marton, Klara; Campanelli, Luca; Eichorn, Naomi; Scheuer, Jessica; Yoon, Jungmee

2014-01-01

Purpose Increasing evidence suggests that children with specific language impairment (SLI) have a deficit in inhibition control, but research isolating specific abilities is scarce. The goal of this study was to examine whether children with SLI differ from their peers in resistance to proactive interference under different conditions. Method An information processing battery with manipulations in interference was administered to 66 children (SLI, age-matched peers, and language-matched controls). In Experiment 1, previously relevant targets were used as distractors to create conflict. Experiment 2 used item repetitions to examine how practice strengthens word representations and how the strength of a response impacts performance on the following item. Results Children with SLI performed similarly to their peers in the baseline condition but were more susceptible to proactive interference than the controls in both experimental conditions. Children with SLI demonstrated difficulty suppressing irrelevant information, made significantly more interference errors than their peers, and showed a slower rate of implicit learning. Conclusion Children with SLI show weaker resistance to proactive interference than their peers, and this deficit impacts their information processing abilities. The coordination of activation and inhibition is less efficient in these children, but future research is needed to further examine the interaction between these two processes. PMID:23900030

The capacity to adapt to changing balance threats: a comparison of children with cerebral palsy and typically developing children.

PubMed

Burtner, P A; Woollacott, M H; Craft, G L; Roncesvalles, M N

2007-01-01

This study investigated differences in reactive balance abilities of typically developing children and those with spastic diplegia. Recovery from balance threats was compared by: (i) Platform velocity and amplitude thresholds: Speed and size of platform movement at which children required assistance to remain upright, (ii) percentage of trials with feet-in-place vs. loss of balance, and (iii) center of pressure measures. Participants included 8 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, 15 developmentally matched children (similar walking stages) and 21 age-matched control children. Backward platform movements graded as easy, moderate and difficult were unexpectedly imposed on children standing on a moveable platform. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) had lower platform velocity thresholds, greater percentages of loss of balance trials, increased distances and increased frequency of directional changes in center-of-pressure (COP) trajectories than control children. Older children with CP fell more often than those under 5 years. Greatest differences between children with and without CP were found in comparisons based on age rather than developmental levels. Using balance perturbations that challenged children with CP to the limits of their balance abilities effectively identified age performance differences and differences compared to typically developing children. Implications for rehabilitation programs are presented.

Four Methods of Identifying Change in the Context of a Multiple Component Reading Intervention for Struggling Middle School Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frijters, Jan C.; Lovett, Maureen W.; Sevcik, Rose A.; Morris, Robin D.

2013-01-01

The results from controlled intervention research have indicated that effective reading interventions exist for children with reading difficulties. Effect sizes for older struggling readers, however, typically have not matched the large effects demonstrated with younger children. Standardized effect sizes for intervention/control comparisons…

Recognition of Schematic Facial Displays of Emotion in Parents of Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palermo, Mark T.; Pasqualetti, Patrizio; Barbati, Giulia; Intelligente, Fabio; Rossini, Paolo Maria

2006-01-01

Performance on an emotional labeling task in response to schematic facial patterns representing five basic emotions without the concurrent presentation of a verbal category was investigated in 40 parents of children with autism and 40 matched controls. "Autism fathers" performed worse than "autism mothers," who performed worse than controls in…

Atopic children and use of prescribed medication: A comprehensive study in general practice

PubMed Central

Nielen, Mark M. J.; Bohnen, Arthur M.; Korevaar, Joke C.; Bindels, Patrick J. E.

2017-01-01

Purpose A comprehensive and representative nationwide general practice database was explored to study associations between atopic disorders and prescribed medication in children. Method All children aged 0–18 years listed in the NIVEL Primary Care Database in 2014 were selected. Atopic children with atopic eczema, asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) were matched with controls (not diagnosed with any of these disorders) within the same general practice on age and gender. Logistic regression analyses were performed to study the differences in prescribed medication between both groups by calculating odds ratios (OR); 93 different medication groups were studied. Results A total of 45,964 children with at least one atopic disorder were identified and matched with controls. Disorder-specific prescriptions seem to reflect evidence-based medicine guidelines for atopic eczema, asthma and AR. However, these disorder-specific prescriptions were also prescribed for children who were not registered as having that specific disorder. For eczema-related medication, about 3.7–8.4% of the children with non-eczematous atopic morbidity received these prescriptions, compared to 1.4–3.5% of the non-atopic children. The same pattern was observed for anti-asthmatics (having non-asthmatic atopic morbidity: 0.8–6.2% vs. controls: 0.3–2.1%) and AR-related medication (having non-AR atopic morbidity: 4.7–12.5% vs. controls: 2.8–3.1%). Also, non-atopic related medication, such as laxatives and antibiotics were more frequently prescribed for atopic children. Conclusions The present study shows that atopic children received more prescriptions, compared to non-atopic children. Non-atopic controls frequently received specific prescriptions for atopic disorders. This indicates that children with atopic disorders need better monitoring by their GP. PMID:28837578

Yoga Practice Increases Minimum Muscular Fitness in Children with Visual Impairment.

PubMed

Mohanty, Soubhagyalaxmi; Venkata Ramana Murty, Peri; Pradhan, Balaram; Hankey, Alex

2015-12-01

Muscle strength, a component for balance, gait and functional mobility is vital for children with visual impairment. Yoga has frequently been demonstrated to improve physical and mental fitness in children. This study aimed to assess the effect of 16 weeks yoga training on muscular fitness in children with visual impairment. This was a wait-listed two-armed-matched case-control study. Eighty (41 yoga, 39 control) visual impairment students of both genders aged 9-16 years matched on age, gender and degree of blindness were assessed at pre, mid (after 8 weeks) and post (after 16 weeks) yoga intervention using the Kraus-Weber test. The percentage of students passed in yoga group were 12.2%, 43.9% and 68.3% whereas percentages in the control group were 23.1%, 30.8% and 30.8% in pre, mid, and post tests respectively. McNemar test showed significant differences between pre and mid, mid and post in the yoga group while those parameters were not significantly different in the control group. Yoga therapy seemed to have considerable benefits for the children's muscular fitness. The study suggests that yoga have considerable benefits for improvement of fitness level in children with visual impairment and may be recommended as and effective, alternative, inexpensive low risk training activity option for them.

Morphology and Spelling in French: A Comparison of At-Risk Readers and Typically Developing Children.

PubMed

Koh, Poh Wee; Shakory, Sharry; Chen, Xi; Deacon, S Hélène

2017-11-01

We present two studies that examine the role of morphology in French spelling. In Study 1, we examined the concurrent and longitudinal relationships between inflectional awareness and derivational awareness and spelling within a sample of 77 children in a French immersion programme in Canada. Children completed a non-verbal reasoning measure and French measures of phonological awareness, word reading, vocabulary, morphological awareness, and spelling. Results showed that inflectional morphological awareness in Grade 3 was a predictor of spelling in the same grade. Inflectional awareness in Grade 2 predicted Grade 3 spelling, controlling for reading-related skills and spelling at Grade 2. These analyses support the role of inflectional morphological awareness in the development of spelling of children of a range of reading and spelling abilities. In contrast, derivational awareness in Grades 2 and 3 did not predict spelling concurrently in both grades respectively. Study 2 contrasted the morphological errors in the spellings of six children at risk for reading difficulties with those of six chronological age-matched and six reading level-matched children. Analyses showed that at-risk children exhibited more difficulties with spelling roots and suffixes in words as compared with their age-matched peers, although they performed similarly to children matched on reading level. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abnormality in face scanning by children with autism spectrum disorder is limited to the eye region: Evidence from multi-method analyses of eye tracking data

PubMed Central

Yi, Li; Fan, Yuebo; Quinn, Paul C.; Feng, Cong; Huang, Dan; Li, Jiao; Mao, Guoquan; Lee, Kang

2012-01-01

There has been considerable controversy regarding whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing children (TD) show different eye movement patterns when processing faces. We investigated ASD and age- and IQ-matched TD children's scanning of faces using a novel multi-method approach. We found that ASD children spent less time looking at the whole face generally. After controlling for this difference, ASD children's fixations of the other face parts, except for the eye region, and their scanning paths between face parts were comparable either to the age-matched or IQ-matched TD groups. In contrast, in the eye region, ASD children's scanning differed significantly from that of both TD groups: (a) ASD children fixated significantly less on the right eye (from the observer's view); (b) ASD children's fixations were more biased towards the left eye region; and (c) ASD children fixated below the left eye, whereas TD children fixated on the pupil region of the eye. Thus, ASD children do not have a general abnormality in face scanning. Rather, their abnormality is limited to the eye region, likely due to their strong tendency to avoid eye contact. PMID:23929830

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION PROFILES IN CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT

PubMed Central

Marton, Klara; Campanelli, Luca; Scheuer, Jessica; Yoon, Jungmee; Eichorn, Naomi

2013-01-01

We present findings from a study that focused on specific executive functions (EF) in children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). We analyzed performance patterns and EF profiles (spatial working memory, inhibition control, and sustained attention) in school-age SLI children and two control groups: age-matched and language matched. Our main research goal was to identify those EFs that show a weakness in children with SLI. Our specific aims were to: (1) examine whether the EF problems in children with SLI are domain-general; (2) examine whether deficits in EF in children with SLI can be explained by the general slowness hypothesis or by an overall delay in development; (3) compare EF profiles to examine whether children with SLI show a distinct pattern of performance from their peers. Our findings showed different EF profiles for the groups. We observed differences in performance patterns related to age (e.g., reaction time in response inhibition) and differences related to language status (e.g., sensitivity to interference). The findings show interesting associations in EFs that play a crucial role in language processing. PMID:25302062

Narrative discourse in children with early focal brain injury.

PubMed

Reilly, J S; Bates, E A; Marchman, V A

1998-02-15

Children with early brain damage, unlike adult stroke victims, often go on to develop nearly normal language. However, the route and extent of their linguistic development are still unclear, as is the relationship between lesion site and patterns of delay and recovery. Here we address these questions by examining narratives from children with early brain damage. Thirty children (ages 3:7-10:10) with pre- or perinatal unilateral focal brain damage and their matched controls participated in a storytelling task. Analyses focused on linguistic proficiency and narrative competence. Overall, children with brain damage scored significantly lower than their age-matched controls on both linguistic (morphological and syntactic) indices and those targeting broader narrative qualities. Rather than indicating that children with brain damage fully catch up, these data suggest that deficits in linguistic abilities reassert themselves as children face new linguistic challenges. Interestingly, after age 5, site of lesion does not appear to be a significant factor and the delays we have witnessed do not map onto the lesion profiles observed in adults with analogous brain injuries.

Mental Health Aspects of Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skokauskas, N.; Gallagher, L.

2012-01-01

Background: Previous studies have reported variable and at times opposite findings on comorbid psychiatric problems in children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Aims: This study aimed to examine patterns of comorbid psychiatric problems in children with ASD and their parents compared with IQ matched controls and their parents. Methods:…

Aggressive and Prosocial Behaviors before and after Treatment in Conduct-Disordered Children and in Matched Controls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konstantareas, M. Mary; Homatidis, Soula

1984-01-01

Examines groups of conduct-disordered and normal children in order to (1) test the potential usefulness of observational techniques in assessing therapeutic outcomes and (2) identify possible differences between deviant children and normal peers in aggressive and prosocial behavior. (RH)

Information Acquisition in Children Undergoing Medical Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melamed, Barbara G.; And Others

In order to evaluate how individual characteristics of hospitalized children influence their acquisition of information presented in a film depicting preparation for surgery, 42 children between the ages of 4 to 17 were assigned to experimental and control groups that were matched for age, sex, race, type of surgery and previous hospital…

Relation of Melatonin to Sleep Architecture in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leu, Roberta M.; Beyderman, Liya; Botzolakis, Emmanuel J.; Surdyka, Kyla; Wang, Lily; Malow, Beth A.

2011-01-01

Children with autism often suffer from sleep disturbances, and compared to age-matched controls, have decreased melatonin levels, as indicated by urine levels of the primary melatonin metabolite, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SM). We therefore investigated the relationship between 6-SM levels and sleep architecture in children with autism spectrum…

Clinical Utility of Cancellation on the WISC-IV

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Jianjun; Chen, Hsinyi

2013-01-01

This study examined empirical evidence for clinical utility of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, fourth edition (WISC-IV) cancellation subtest by comparing data from 597 clinical and 597 matched control children. The results of dependent t and sequential logistic regression analyses demonstrated that (a) children with intellectual…

Brief Report: Generalisation of Word-Picture Relations in Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartley, Calum; Allen, Melissa L.

2014-01-01

We investigated whether low-functioning children with autism generalise labels from colour photographs based on sameness of shape, colour, or both. Children with autism and language-matched controls were taught novel words paired with photographs of unfamiliar objects, and then sorted pictures and objects into two buckets according to whether or…

Language Development and Impairment in Children with Mild to Moderate Sensorineural Hearing Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halliday, Lorna F.; Tuomainen, Outi; Rosen, Stuart

2017-01-01

Purpose: The goal of this study was to examine language development and factors related to language impairments in children with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss (MMHL). Method: Ninety children, aged 8-16 years (46 children with MMHL; 44 aged-matched controls), were administered a battery of standardized language assessments, including…

The Contribution of Verbal Working Memory to Deaf Children's Oral and Written Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arfé, Barbara; Rossi, Cristina; Sicoli, Silvia

2015-01-01

This study investigated the contribution of verbal working memory to the oral and written story production of deaf children. Participants were 29 severely to profoundly deaf children aged 8-13 years and 29 hearing controls, matched for grade level. The children narrated a picture story orally and in writing and performed a reading comprehension…

Effects of ABRACADBRA Instruction on Spelling in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Benjamin; Arciuli, Joanne; Stancliffe, Roger J.

2017-01-01

This study explored the effects of an evidence-based literacy program, ABRACADABRA, on the spelling abilities of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty children with ASD aged 5-11 years were assigned to matched instruction and waitlist control groups. Children in the instruction group received 26 hrs of individualized, home-based…

Evidence of a Faster Posterior Dominant EEG Rhythm in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Michael D.; Mandelbaum, David E.

2012-01-01

Multiple electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities have been associated with autism. In the course of clinical work, we have observed a posterior dominant EEG rhythm at higher frequency in children with autism. To test this observation, 56 EEG tracings of children with autism were compared to the EEGs of age-matched controls. Children with autism…

Validation of Autonomic and Endocrine Reactivity to a Laboratory Stressor in Young Children

PubMed Central

Roos, Leslie E.; Giuliano, Ryan J.; Beauchamp, Kathryn G.; Gunnar, Megan; Amidon, Brigette; Fisher, Philip A.

2017-01-01

The validation of laboratory paradigms that reliably induce a stress response [including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation], is critical for understanding how children’s stress-response systems support emotional and cognitive function. Early childhood research to date is markedly limited, given the difficulty in establishing paradigms that reliably induce a cortisol response. Furthermore, research to date has not included a control condition or examined concurrent ANS reactivity. We addressed these limitations by characterizing the extent to which a modified matching task stressor paradigm induces HPA and ANS activation, beyond a closely matched control condition. Modifications include an unfamiliar and unfriendly assessor to increase the stressful nature of the task. Results validate the matching task as a laboratory stressor, with significant differences in HPA and ANS responsivity between conditions. The Stressor group exhibited a cortisol increase post-stressor, while the Control group was stable over time. Children in both conditions exhibited reduced parasympathetic activity to the first-half of the task, but in the second-half, only children in the Stressor condition, who were experiencing exaggerated signals of failure, exhibited further parasympathetic decline. The Stressor condition induced higher sympathetic activity (versus Control) throughout the task, with exaggerated second-half differences. Within the Stressor condition, responsivity was convergent across systems, with greater cortisol reactivity correlated with the magnitude of parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic engagement. Future research employing the matching task will facilitate understanding the role of HPA and ANS function in development. PMID:28024268

Development of magnitude processing in children with developmental dyscalculia: space, time, and number

PubMed Central

Skagerlund, Kenny; Träff, Ulf

2014-01-01

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a learning disorder associated with impairments in a preverbal non-symbolic approximate number system (ANS) pertaining to areas in and around the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). The current study sought to enhance our understanding of the developmental trajectory of the ANS and symbolic number processing skills, thereby getting insight into whether a deficit in the ANS precedes or is preceded by impaired symbolic and exact number processing. Recent work has also suggested that humans are endowed with a shared magnitude system (beyond the number domain) in the brain. We therefore investigated whether children with DD demonstrated a general magnitude deficit, stemming from the proposed magnitude system, rather than a specific one limited to numerical quantity. Fourth graders with DD were compared to age-matched controls and a group of ability-matched second graders, on a range of magnitude processing tasks pertaining to space, time, and number. Children with DD displayed difficulties across all magnitude dimensions compared to age-matched peers and showed impaired ANS acuity compared to the younger, ability-matched control group, while exhibiting intact symbolic number processing. We conclude that (1) children with DD suffer from a general magnitude-processing deficit, (2) a shared magnitude system likely exists, and (3) a symbolic number-processing deficit in DD tends to be preceded by an ANS deficit. PMID:25018746

Development of magnitude processing in children with developmental dyscalculia: space, time, and number.

PubMed

Skagerlund, Kenny; Träff, Ulf

2014-01-01

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a learning disorder associated with impairments in a preverbal non-symbolic approximate number system (ANS) pertaining to areas in and around the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). The current study sought to enhance our understanding of the developmental trajectory of the ANS and symbolic number processing skills, thereby getting insight into whether a deficit in the ANS precedes or is preceded by impaired symbolic and exact number processing. Recent work has also suggested that humans are endowed with a shared magnitude system (beyond the number domain) in the brain. We therefore investigated whether children with DD demonstrated a general magnitude deficit, stemming from the proposed magnitude system, rather than a specific one limited to numerical quantity. Fourth graders with DD were compared to age-matched controls and a group of ability-matched second graders, on a range of magnitude processing tasks pertaining to space, time, and number. Children with DD displayed difficulties across all magnitude dimensions compared to age-matched peers and showed impaired ANS acuity compared to the younger, ability-matched control group, while exhibiting intact symbolic number processing. We conclude that (1) children with DD suffer from a general magnitude-processing deficit, (2) a shared magnitude system likely exists, and (3) a symbolic number-processing deficit in DD tends to be preceded by an ANS deficit.

The Impact of Palifermin Use on Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Outcomes in Children.

PubMed

Saber, Wael; Zhang, Mei-Jie; Steinert, Patricia; Chen, Min; Horowitz, Mary M

2016-08-01

Clinical trials evaluating palifermin have enrolled few pediatric patients, precluding safety analyses in large groups of children. We compared hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) outcomes among pediatric patients who did or did not receive palifermin as a preventive treatment for oral mucositis. Pediatric patients and controls, matched for HCT and donor type, disease, disease status, and age, were selected from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research database and a 1:3 matched cohort analysis was performed. Stratified Cox proportional hazards models were built and propensity score adjustments were used to compare overall and disease-free survival outcomes between palifermin-treated and untreated patients. Three controls were identified for 90% of palifermin recipients. The remaining cases were matched with 2 (8%) controls or 1 (2%) control, for a total of 210 palifermin-treated patients matched with 606 controls. Median follow-up was 31 months in cases and 36 months in controls. Fifty-seven percent of patients underwent allogeneic HCT, mostly for acute leukemia, and 43% underwent autologous HCT, mostly for solid tumors. In univariate analyses, 2-year survival and disease-free survival rates after allogeneic HCT (58% versus 66%, P = .109; 49% versus 60%, P = .06) and after autologous HCT (73% versus 77%, P = .474; 60% versus 64%, P = .637) were similar between palifermin-treated patients and matched controls. In multivariate analysis, palifermin treatment did not significantly increase the risk of mortality (relative risk [RR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], .87 to 1.66) or of relapse (RR, 1.12; 95% CI, .78 to 1.62) compared with matched controls. No significant differences in rates of acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were observed between palifermin-treated patients and matched controls. Among pediatric patients undergoing HCT, overall survival, disease-free survival, neutrophil recovery, and GVHD rates were similar between palifermin-treated patients and matched controls. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unimpaired perception of social and physical causality, but impaired perception of animacy in high functioning children with autism.

PubMed

Congiu, Sara; Schlottmann, Anne; Ray, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

We investigated perception of social and physical causality and animacy in simple motion events, for high-functioning children with autism (CA = 13, VMA = 9.6). Children matched 14 different animations to pictures showing physical, social or non-causality. In contrast to previous work, children with autism performed at a high level similar to VMA-matched controls, recognizing physical causality in launch and social causality in reaction events. The launch deficit previously found in younger children with autism, possibly related to attentional/verbal difficulties, is apparently overcome with age. Some events involved squares moving non-rigidly, like animals. Children with autism had difficulties recognizing this, extending the biological motion literature. However, animacy prompts amplified their attributions of social causality. Thus children with autism may overcome their animacy perception deficit strategically.

Acute and Chronic Altitude-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction in Children and Adolescents.

PubMed

Rimoldi, Stefano F; Rexhaj, Emrush; Duplain, Hervé; Urben, Sébastien; Billieux, Joël; Allemann, Yves; Romero, Catherine; Ayaviri, Alejandro; Salinas, Carlos; Villena, Mercedes; Scherrer, Urs; Sartori, Claudio

2016-02-01

To assess whether exposure to high altitude induces cognitive dysfunction in young healthy European children and adolescents during acute, short-term exposure to an altitude of 3450 m and in an age-matched European population permanently living at this altitude. We tested executive function (inhibition, shifting, and working memory), memory (verbal, short-term visuospatial, and verbal episodic memory), and speed processing ability in: (1) 48 healthy nonacclimatized European children and adolescents, 24 hours after arrival at high altitude and 3 months after return to low altitude; (2) 21 matched European subjects permanently living at high altitude; and (3) a matched control group tested twice at low altitude. Short-term hypoxia significantly impaired all but 2 (visuospatial memory and processing speed) of the neuropsychological abilities that were tested. These impairments were even more severe in the children permanently living at high altitude. Three months after return to low altitude, the neuropsychological performances significantly improved and were comparable with those observed in the control group tested only at low altitude. Acute short-term exposure to an altitude at which major tourist destinations are located induces marked executive and memory deficits in healthy children. These deficits are equally marked or more severe in children permanently living at high altitude and are expected to impair their learning abilities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children with ADHD Show No Deficits in Plantar Foot Sensitivity and Static Balance Compared to Healthy Controls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlee, Gunther; Neubert, Tom; Worenz, Andreas; Milani, Thomas L.

2012-01-01

The goal of this study was to investigate plantar foot sensitivity and balance control of ADHD (n = 21) impaired children compared to age-matched healthy controls (n = 25). Thresholds were measured at 200 Hz at three anatomical locations of the plantar foot area of both feet (hallux, first metatarsal head (METI) and heel). Body balance was…

Sensitivity of Four Subtests of the Test of Everyday Attention For Children (TEA-Ch) to Stimulant Medication in Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutcliffe, Paul A.; Bishop, Dorothy V.M.; Houghton, Stephen

2006-01-01

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were examined on four subtests of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) when on and off stimulant medication. Performance was assessed relative to 18 individually age-matched controls. Children with ADHD performed significantly worse on TEA-Ch measures when off compared…

Sensitivity and bias under conditions of equal and unequal academic task difficulty.

PubMed

Reed, Derek D; Martens, Brian K

2008-01-01

We conducted an experimental analysis of children's relative problem-completion rates across two workstations under conditions of equal (Experiment 1) and unequal (Experiment 2) problem difficulty. Results were described using the generalized matching equation and were evaluated for degree of schedule versus stimulus control. Experiment 1 involved a symmetrical choice arrangement in which the children could earn points exchangeable for rewards contingent on correct math problem completion. Points were delivered according to signaled variable-interval schedules at each workstation. For 2 children, relative rates of problem completion appeared to have been controlled by the schedule requirements in effect and matched relative rates of reinforcement, with sensitivity values near 1 and bias values near 0. Experiment 2 involved increasing the difficulty of math problems at one of the workstations. Sensitivity values for all 3 participants were near 1, but a substantial increase in bias toward the easier math problems was observed. This bias was possibly associated with responding at the more difficult workstation coming under stimulus control rather than schedule control.

Peak expiratory flow rate of children working in lock factories.

PubMed

Singhal, S; Singhal, A; Singh, P N; Agarwal, D K; Gulati, R

2006-01-01

Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) of 106 children working in different units of lock factory was measured and compared with age and sex matched control group of same socio-economic status children. All the children worked for about ten hours per day. It was observed that there was a significant decrease in PEFR of children working in the different units of lock factories i.e. Hand press, Polishing, Lock fitting, Lock packing units as compared to control group (P>0.001). The reduction percentage of PEFR was maximum in children working in polishing unit (25.48%).

Idiom Comprehension Deficits in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Korean Autism Social Language Task.

PubMed

Lee, Seul Bee; Song, Seung Ha; Ham, Ju Hyun; Song, Dong Ho; Cheon, Keun-Ah

2015-11-01

High-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves pragmatic impairment of language skills. Among numerous tasks for assessing pragmatic linguistic skills, idioms are important to evaluating high-functioning ASD. Nevertheless, no assessment tool has been developed with specific consideration of Korean culture. Therefore, we designed the Korean Autism Social Language Task (KASLAT) to test idiom comprehension in ASD. The aim of the current study was to introduce this novel psychological tool and evaluate idiom comprehension deficits in high-functioning ASD. The participants included 42 children, ages 6-11 years, who visited our child psychiatric clinic between April 2014 and May 2015. The ASD group comprised 16 children; the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) group consisted of 16 children. An additional 10 normal control children who had not been diagnosed with either disorder participated in this study. Idiom comprehension ability was assessed in these three groups using the KASLAT. Both ASD and ADHD groups had significantly lower scores on the matched and mismatched tasks, compared to the normal control children (matched tasks mean score: ASD 11.56, ADHD 11.56, normal control 14.30; mismatched tasks mean score: ASD 6.50, ADHD 4.31, normal control 11.30). However, no significant differences were found in scores of KASLAT between the ADHD and ASD groups. These findings suggest that children with ASD exhibit greater impairment in idiom comprehension, compared to normal control children. The KASLAT may be useful in evaluating idiom comprehension ability.

Airway and alveolar nitric oxide production, lung function, and pulmonary blood flow in sickle cell disease.

PubMed

Lunt, Alan; Ahmed, Na'eem; Rafferty, Gerrard F; Dick, Moira; Rees, David; Height, Sue; Thein, Swee Lay; Greenough, Anne

2016-02-01

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) often have obstructive lung function abnormalities which could be due to asthma or increased pulmonary blood volume; it is important to determine the underlying mechanism to direct appropriate treatment. In asthmatics, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is elevated. FeNO, however, can also be raised due to increased alveolar production. Our aim, therefore, was to determine if airway or alveolar NO production differed between SCD children and ethnic and age-matched controls. Lung function, airway NO flux and alveolar NO production, and effective pulmonary blood flow were assessed in 18 SCD children and 18 ethnic and age-matched controls. The SCD children compared to the controls had a higher respiratory system resistance (P = 0.0008), alveolar NO production (P = 0.0224), and pulmonary blood flow (P < 0.0001), but not airway NO flux. There was no significant correlation between FeNO and respiratory system resistance in either group, but in the SCD children, there were correlations between alveolar NO production (P = 0.0006) and concentration (P < 0.0001) and pulmonary blood flow. Airway NO flux was not elevated in the SCD children nor correlated with airways obstruction, suggesting that airways obstruction, at least in some SCD children, is not due to asthma.

A Comparative Study of Two Acoustic Measures of Hypernasality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogel, Adam P.; Ibrahim, Hasherah M.; Reilly, Sheena; Kilpatrick, Nicky

2009-01-01

Purpose: This study aimed to compare 2 quantitative acoustic measures of nasality in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and healthy controls using formalized perceptual assessment as a guide. Method: Fifty participants (23 children with CLP and 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls) aged between 4 and 12 years produced a variety of…

Children's Eating Attitudes and Behaviour: A Study of the Modelling and Control Theories of Parental Influence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Rachael; Ogden, Jane

2004-01-01

The present study compared the modelling and control theories of parental influence on children's eating attitudes and behaviour with a focus on snack foods. Matched questionnaires describing reported snack intake, eating motivations and body dissatisfaction were completed by 112 parent/child pairs. Parents completed additional items relating to…

Perceptual Asymmetry for Chimeric Stimuli in Children with Early Unilateral Brain Damage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bava, Sunita; Ballantyne, Angela O.; May, Susanne J.; Trauner, Doris A.

2005-01-01

The present study used a chimeric stimuli task to assess the magnitude of the left-hemispace bias in children with congenital unilateral brain damage (n=46) as compared to typically developing matched controls (n=46). As would be expected, controls exhibited a significant left-hemispace bias. In the presence of left hemisphere (LH) damage, the…

Dietary Practices of Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magenis, Marina Lummertz; Machado, Alessandra Gonçalves; Bongiolo, Angela Martinha; da Silva, Marco Antonio; Castro, Kamila; Perry, Ingrid Dalira Schweigert

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess dietary intake, breastfeeding history, weight at birth and current weight in children and adolescents with Down syndrome (DS). Therefore, a cross-sectional, controlled study with 19 DS participants and 19 controls without DS matched by gender and age was performed. Except for vitamin D, a lower or the same…

Iron and ADHD: Time to Move beyond Serum Ferritin Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donfrancesco, Renato; Parisi, Pasquale; Vanacore, Nicola; Martines, Francesca; Sargentini, Vittorio; Cortese, Samuele

2013-01-01

Objective: (a) To compare serum ferritin levels in a sample of stimulant-naive children with ADHD and matched controls and (b) to assess the association of serum ferritin to ADHD symptoms severity, ADHD subtypes, and IQ. Method: The ADHD and the control groups included 101 and 93 children, respectively. Serum ferritin levels were determined with…

Brief Report: Plasma Leptin Levels Are Elevated in Autism: Association with Early Onset Phenotype?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashwood, Paul; Kwong, Christina; Hansen, Robin; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Croen, Lisa; Krakowiak, Paula; Walker, Wynn; Pessah, Isaac N.; Van de Water, Judy

2008-01-01

There is evidence of both immune dysregulation and autoimmune phenomena in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We examined the hormone/cytokine leptin in 70 children diagnosed with autism (including 37 with regression) compared with 99 age-matched controls including 50 typically developing (TD) controls, 26 siblings without autism, and…

A comparative analysis of global and local processing of hierarchical visual stimuli in young children (Homo sapiens) and monkeys (Cebus apella).

PubMed

De Lillo, Carlo; Spinozzi, Giovanna; Truppa, Valentina; Naylor, Donna M

2005-05-01

Results obtained with preschool children (Homo sapiens) were compared with results previously obtained from capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) in matching-to-sample tasks featuring hierarchical visual stimuli. In Experiment 1, monkeys, in contrast with children, showed an advantage in matching the stimuli on the basis of their local features. These results were replicated in a 2nd experiment in which control trials enabled the authors to rule out that children used spurious cues to solve the matching task. In a 3rd experiment featuring conditions in which the density of the stimuli was manipulated, monkeys' accuracy in the processing of the global shape of the stimuli was negatively affected by the separation of the local elements, whereas children's performance was robust across testing conditions. Children's response latencies revealed a global precedence in the 2nd and 3rd experiments. These results show differences in the processing of hierarchical stimuli by humans and monkeys that emerge early during childhood. 2005 APA, all rights reserved

Regression Artifacts in Nonequivalent Control Group Designs: An Empirical Investigation of Bias in ANCOVA and Matching Designs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermillion, James E.

The presence of artifactual bias in analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and in matching nonequivalent control group (NECG) designs was empirically investigated. The data set was obtained from a study of the effects of a television program on children from three day care centers in Mexico in which the subjects had been randomly selected within centers.…

Attention to Low- and High-Spatial Frequencies in Categorizing Facial Identities, Emotions and Gender in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deruelle, Christine; Rondan, Cecilie; Salle-Collemiche, Xavier; Bastard-Rosset, Delphine; Da Fonseca, David

2008-01-01

This study was aimed at investigating face categorization strategies in children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Performance of 17 children with ASD was compared to that of 17 control children in a face-matching task, including hybrid faces (composed of two overlapping faces of different spatial bandwidths) and either low- or high-pass…

Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children: A Special Case of Early Second Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gauthier, Karine; Genesee, Fred

2011-01-01

The French language development of children adopted (n = 24) from China was compared with that of control children matched for socioeconomic status, sex, and age. The children were assessed at 50 months of age, on average, and 16 months later. The initial assessment revealed that the 2 groups did not differ with respect to socioemotional…

Physical Fitness Differences in Children with and without Motor Learning Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hands, Beth; Larkin, Dawne

2006-01-01

Children with motor learning difficulties (MLD) tend to be less physically active than their coordinated peers and one likely consequence is a reduced level of physical fitness. In this study, 52 children with MLD, aged 5 to 8 years, were compared to 52 age- and gender-matched control children across a range of health and skill related fitness…

Effects of Immediate and Cumulative Syntactic Experience in Language Impairment: Evidence from Priming of Subject Relatives in Children with SLI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garraffa, Maria; Coco, Moreno I.; Branigan, Holly P.

2015-01-01

We investigated the production of subject relative clauses (SRc) in Italian pre-school children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and age-matched typically-developing children (TD) controls. In a structural priming paradigm, children described pictures after hearing the experimenter produce a bare noun or an SRc description, as part of a…

Recognition of Facial Expressions of Mixed Emotions in School-Age Children Exposed to Terrorism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scrimin, Sara; Moscardino, Ughetta; Capello, Fabia; Altoe, Gianmarco; Axia, Giovanna

2009-01-01

This exploratory study aims at investigating the effects of terrorism on children's ability to recognize emotions. A sample of 101 exposed and 102 nonexposed children (mean age = 11 years), balanced for age and gender, were assessed 20 months after a terrorist attack in Beslan, Russia. Two trials controlled for children's ability to match a facial…

Fundamental movement skills proficiency in children with developmental coordination disorder: does physical self-concept matter?

PubMed

Yu, Jie; Sit, Cindy H P; Capio, Catherine M; Burnett, Angus; Ha, Amy S C; Huang, Wendy Y J

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to (1) examine differences in fundamental movement skills (FMS) proficiency, physical self-concept, and physical activity in children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and (2) determine the association of FMS proficiency with physical self-concept while considering key confounding factors. Participants included 43 children with DCD and 87 age-matched typically developing (TD) children. FMS proficiency was assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development - second edition. Physical self-concept and physical activity were assessed using self-report questionnaires. A two-way (group by gender) ANCOVA was used to determine whether between-group differences existed in FMS proficiency, physical self-concept, and physical activity after controlling for age and BMI. Partial correlations and hierarchical multiple regression models were used to examine the relationship between FMS proficiency and physical self-concept. Compared with their TD peers, children with DCD displayed less proficiency in various components of FMS and viewed themselves as being less competent in physical coordination, sporting ability, and physical health. Physical coordination was a significant predictor of ability in object control skills. DCD status and gender were significant predictors of FMS proficiency. Future FMS interventions should target children with DCD and girls, and should emphasize improving object control skills proficiency and physical coordination. Children with DCD tend to have not only lower FMS proficiency than age-matched typically developing children but also lower physical self-concept. Self-perceptions of physical coordination by children with DCD are likely to be valuable contributors to development of object control skills. This may then help to develop their confidence in performing motor skills. Children with DCD need supportive programs that facilitate the development of object control skills. Efficacy of training programs may be improved if children experience a greater sense of control and success when performing object control skills.

Effectiveness of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in children aged 7-59 months. A matched case-control study.

PubMed

Domínguez, Angela; Ciruela, Pilar; García-García, Juan José; Moraga, Fernando; de Sevilla, Mariona F; Selva, Laura; Coll, Francis; Muñoz-Almagro, Carmen; Planes, Ana María; Codina, Gemma; Jordán, Iolanda; Esteva, Cristina; Hernández, Sergi; Soldevila, Núria; Cardeñosa, Neus; Batalla, Joan; Salleras, Luis

2011-11-08

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the administration of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in a region with an intermediate vaccination coverage. A matched case-control study was carried out in children aged 7-59 months with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) admitted to two university hospitals in Catalonia. Three controls matched for hospital, age, sex, date of hospitalization and underlying disease were selected for each case. Information on the vaccination status of cases and controls was obtained from the vaccination card, the child's health card, the hospital medical record or the vaccination register of the primary healthcare center where the child was attended for non-severe conditions. A conditional logistic regression analysis was made to control for the effect of possible confounding variables. The adjusted vaccination effectiveness of the complete vaccination schedule (3 doses at 2, 4 and 6 months and a fourth dose at 15 months, 2 doses at least two months apart in children aged 12-23 months or a single dose in children aged >24 months) in preventing IPD caused by vaccine serotypes was 93.7% (95% CI 51.8-99.2). It was not effective in preventing cases caused by non-vaccine serotypes. The results of this study carried out in a population with intermediate vaccination coverage confirm those of other observational studies showing high levels of effectiveness of routine 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anxiety and Depression in Children with HFASDs: Symptom Levels and Source Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopata, Christopher; Toomey, Jennifer A.; Fox, Jeffery D.; Volker, Martin A.; Chow, Sabrina Y.; Thomeer, Marcus L.; Lee, Gloria K.; Rodgers, Jonathan D.; McDonald, Christin A.; Smerbeck, Audrey M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to: (1) examine symptom levels of anxiety and depression in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs) compared with matched control children using child self-reports and parent ratings; and (2) examine source differences within the two condition groups. An overall multivariate effect indicated…

The Ability of Children with Low Vision to Recall Pictures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corley, G.; Pring, L.

1996-01-01

Three experiments tested the ability of 11 children (ages 6-10) with low vision to recall black-and-white line drawings. Unlike fully sighted age-matched controls, children with low vision recalled best when left to study pictures without verbal intervention. They also named significantly fewer of the remembered pictures correctly. (Author/PB)

Violent and Nonviolent Children's and Parents' Reasoning about Family and Peer Violence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astor, Ron Avi; Behre, William J.

1997-01-01

A study compared moral reasoning patterns of 17 violent children (ages 10-13) with emotional and behavioral disorders and their aggressive parents to matched controls. When presented with family and peer violence scenarios, the violent children and parents referred more to rules prohibiting provocation rather than to rules prohibiting physical…

Metabolic Imbalance Associated with Methylation Dysregulation and Oxidative Damage in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melnyk, Stepan; Fuchs, George J.; Schulz, Eldon; Lopez, Maya; Kahler, Stephen G.; Fussell, Jill J.; Bellando, Jayne; Pavliv, Oleksandra; Rose, Shannon; Seidel, Lisa; Gaylor, David W.; James, S. Jill

2012-01-01

Oxidative stress and abnormal DNA methylation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of autism. We investigated the dynamics of an integrated metabolic pathway essential for cellular antioxidant and methylation capacity in 68 children with autism, 54 age-matched control children and 40 unaffected siblings. The metabolic profile of unaffected…

Overweight and Obese Status in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Disruptive Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Criado, Kristen K.; Sharp, William G.; McCracken, Courtney E.; De Vinck-Baroody, Oana; Dong, Liansai; Aman, Michael G.; McDougle, Christopher J.; McCracken, James T.; Eugene Arnold, L.; Weitzman, Carol; Leventhal, John M.; Vitiello, Benedetto; Scahill, Lawrence

2018-01-01

Overweight and obesity are common in pediatric populations. Children with autism spectrum disorder and disruptive behavior may be at higher risk. This study examined whether children with autism spectrum disorder and disruptive behavior are more likely to be overweight or obese than matched controls. Baseline data from medication-free children…

The School Performance of Post-H. Influenza Meningitic Children. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pate, John E.

Reported was a project studying the school performance of children who had survived laboratory confirmed Haemophilus influenza meningitis prior to 4 years of age without observable sequelae and who were enrolled in regular primary grades. Thirty-nine index children were matched with controls by age, sex, socioeconomic level, and classroom…

Inferring Emotional Reactions in Social Situations: Differences in Children with Language Impairment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Janet A.; Milosky, Linda M.

2003-01-01

Kindergarten children with language impairment (LI) and age-matched controls were asked to label facial expressions depicting various emotions and then to infer emotional reactions from stories presented either verbally, visually, or combined. Results suggest that inference errors made by children with LI during early stages of social processing…

Variables Influencing Stimulus Overselectivity and "Tunnel Vision" in Developmentally Delayed Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rincover, Arnold; Ducharme, Joseph M.

1987-01-01

Three variables (diagnosis, location of cues, and mental age of learners) influencing stimulus control and stimulus overselectivity were assessed with eight autistic children (mean age 12 years) and eight average children matched for mean age. Among results were that autistic subjects tended to respond overselectively only in the extra-stimulus…

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performance in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wuang, Yee-Pay; Su, Chwen-Yng; Su, Jui-Hsing

2011-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the executive functions measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) between children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and age-matched normal controls. A second purpose was to examine the relations between executive functions and school functions in DCD children.…

Atypical neural substrates of Embedded Figures Task performance in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Lee, Philip S; Foss-Feig, Jennifer; Henderson, Joshua G; Kenworthy, Lauren E; Gilotty, Lisa; Gaillard, William D; Vaidya, Chandan J

2007-10-15

Superior performance on the Embedded Figures Task (EFT) has been attributed to weak central coherence in perceptual processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the neural basis of EFT performance in 7- to 12-year-old ASD children and age- and IQ-matched controls. ASD children activated only a subset of the distributed network of regions activated in controls. In frontal cortex, control children activated left dorsolateral, medial and dorsal premotor regions whereas ASD children only activated the dorsal premotor region. In parietal and occipital cortices, activation was bilateral in control children but unilateral (left superior parietal and right occipital) in ASD children. Further, extensive bilateral ventral temporal activation was observed in control, but not ASD children. ASD children performed the EFT at the same level as controls but with reduced cortical involvement, suggesting that disembedded visual processing is accomplished parsimoniously by ASD relative to typically developing brains.

The vocabulary profile of Slovak children with primary language impairment compared to typically developing Slovak children measured by LITMUS-CLT.

PubMed

Kapalková, Svetlana; Slančová, Daniela

2017-01-01

This study compared a sample of children with primary language impairment (PLI) and typically developing age-matched children using the crosslinguistic lexical tasks (CLT-SK). We also compared the PLI children with typically developing language-matched younger children who were matched on the basis of receptive vocabulary. Overall, statistical testing showed that the vocabulary of the PLI children was significantly different from the vocabulary of the age-matched children, but not statistically different from the younger children who were matched on the basis of their receptive vocabulary size. Qualitative analysis of the correct answers revealed that the PLI children showed higher rigidity compared to the younger language-matched children who are able to use more synonyms or derivations across word class in naming tasks. Similarly, an examination of the children's naming errors indicated that the language-matched children exhibited more semantic errors, whereas PLI children showed more associative errors.

Traumatic child death and documented maltreatment history, Los Angeles.

PubMed Central

Sorenson, S B; Peterson, J G

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVES. Child abuse is a presumed but largely untested risk factor for child homicide. This research investigated the social and child protective service history of child homicide victims. METHODS. A pairwise matched case-control design was used to assess documented child maltreatment as a risk factor for homicide vs unintentional injury death. Homicide victims aged 0 to 14 years were identified through Los Angeles Police Department case summaries. Control subjects (children who died of an unintentional injury) were matched to case subjects (children who died from homicide) by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and date of death. Case and control subjects were linked with county service records to determine any known history of maltreatment. RESULTS. A total of 220 children were homicide victims during 1978 through 1987 in the city of Los Angeles. Only one in six children who died (of homicide or unintentional injury) or his/her family was known to county social or child protective services prior to the death. Recorded history of child protective services was associated with homicide victimization (adjusted odds ratio = 3.40, 95% confidence interval = 1.25, 9.27). CONCLUSIONS. Current service systems need assistance in identifying and protecting children at high risk of homicide. PMID:8154567

Prosodic constraints on inflected words: an area of difficulty for German-speaking children with specific language impairment?

PubMed

Kauschke, Christina; Renner, Lena; Domahs, Ulrike

2013-08-01

Recent studies suggest that morphosyntactic difficulties may result from prosodic problems. We therefore address the interface between inflectional morphology and prosody in typically developing children (TD) and children with SLI by testing whether these groups are sensitive to prosodic constraints that guide plural formation in German. A plural elicitation task was designed consisting of 60 words and 20 pseudowords. The performance of 14 German-speaking children with SLI (mean age 7.5) was compared to age-matched controls and to younger children matched for productive vocabulary. TD children performed significantly better than children with SLI. Error analyses revealed that children with SLI produced more forms that did not meet the optimal shape of a noun plural. Beyond the fact that children with SLI have deficits in plural marking, the findings suggest that they also show reduced sensitivity to prosodic requirements. In other words, the prosodic structure of inflected words seems to be vulnerable in children with SLI.

Restaurant-associated outbreak of Salmonella typhi in Nauru: an epidemiological and cost analysis.

PubMed Central

Olsen, S. J.; Kafoa, B.; Win, N. S.; Jose, M.; Bibb, W.; Luby, S.; Waidubu, G.; O'Leary, M.; Mintz, E.

2001-01-01

Typhoid fever is endemic in the South Pacific. We investigated an outbreak in Nauru. Through interviews and medical records, we identified 50 persons with onset between 1 October 1998 and 10 May 1999, of fever lasting > or = 3 days and one other symptom. Salmonella Typhi was isolated from 19 (38%) cases. Thirty-two (64%) patients were school-aged children, and 17 (34%) were in four households. Case-control studies of (a) culture-confirmed cases and age- and neighbourhood-matched controls; and (b) household index cases and randomly selected age-matched controls implicated two restaurants: Restaurant M (matched OR [MOR] = 11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-96) and Restaurant I (MOR = 5.8, 95% CI = 1.2-29). Food-handlers at both restaurants had elevated anti-Vi antibody titres indicative of carrier state. The annual incidence was 5.0/1000 persons. Outbreak-associated costs were $46,000. Routine or emergency immunization campaigns targeting school-aged children may help prevent or control outbreaks of typhoid fever in endemic disease areas. PMID:11811872

Immunogenicity and safety of the inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis on methotrexate treatment: a matched case-control study.

PubMed

Maritsi, Despoina N; Coffin, Susan E; Argyri, Ioanna; Vartzelis, George; Spyridis, Nick; Tsolia, Maria N

2017-01-01

To describe the immunogenicity and side effects of immunisation against hepatitis A virus (HAV) in JIA patients on methotrexate treatment, who have not been previously exposed to HAV. Case-control study performed in JIA patients and healthy controls matched on age and gender. The subjects received two doses of inactivated anti-HAV vaccine (720 mIU/ml) intramuscularly at 0 and 6 months. Seroconversion, seroprotection rates and anti-HAV-IgG titres were measured at 1, 7 and 18 months. Children were monitored for adverse events. 83 JIA patients and 76 controls were enrolled in the study. At one month, seroprotection rates were lower in children with, as compared to those without JIA (48.2% vs. 65%; p=0.05). At 7 and 18 months, rates of seroprotection rose significantly and were similar in both groups. The titre of anti-HAV-IgG was lower in children with JIA than healthy children at all time points (p<0.001). Vaccines were well tolerated. Two doses of inactivated HAV vaccine were well tolerated and immunogenic in most immunosuppressed children with JIA; however, a single dose of HAV vaccine was insufficient to induce seroprotection in half of the patients. Further studies are required to analyse the long-term immunity against HAV in this population and optimal HAV immunisation regimen.

Head circumference and height abnormalities in autism revisited: the role of pre- and perinatal risk factors.

PubMed

Schrieken, Margo; Visser, Janne; Oosterling, Iris; van Steijn, Daphne; Bons, Daniëlle; Draaisma, Jos; van der Gaag, Rutger-Jan; Buitelaar, Jan; Donders, Rogier; Rommelse, Nanda

2013-01-01

Pre/perinatal risk factors and body growth abnormalities have been studied frequently as early risk markers in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet their interrelatedness in ASD has received very little research attention. This is surprising, given that pre/perinatal risk factors can have a substantial impact on growth trajectories in the first years of life. We aimed to determine which pre/perinatal factors were more prevalent in ASD children and if these factors differentially influenced body growth in ASD and control children. A total of 96 ASD and 163 control children matched for gender participated. Data of growth of head size and body length during the first 13 months of life were collected. Data on pre/perinatal risk factors were retrospectively collected through standardized questionnaires. Results indicated that after matching for SES, prematurity/low birth weight and being first born were more prevalent in the ASD versus the control group. In addition, with increasing age children with ASD tended to have a proportionally smaller head circumference compared to their height. However, the effect of prematurity/low birth weight on head growth corrected for height was significantly different in ASD and control children: premature/low birth weight control children showed a disproportionate larger head circumference in relation to height during their first year of life, whereas this effect was absent in premature/low birth weight ASD children. This may suggest that the etiology of abnormal growth is potentially different in ASD and control children: where abnormal growth in control children is related to suboptimal conditions in the uterus, abnormal growth in ASD may be more strongly related to the causal factors that also increase the risk for ASD. However, prospective studies measuring growth and ASD characteristics in both premature/low birth weight and a terme children are necessary to support this conclusion.

Self-esteem in 6- to 16-year-olds with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

PubMed

Kanaheswari, Yoganathan; Poulsaeman, Veronica; Chandran, Vijayalakshmi

2012-10-01

Childhood nocturnal enuresis (NE) and incontinence has been shown to be associated with increased behavioural problems and reduced self-esteem (SE) in Western populations. The impact on Asian children, however, is not known. This study investigates the relationship between SE and monosymptomatic NE in Malaysian children aged 6 to 16 years. Children with wetting frequency of at least 4 out of 14 nights were recruited with controls matched for age, gender and race. SE scores were obtained using the 'I Think I Am' questionnaire for five domains: body image, talents and skills, psychological well-being, relationship with family and relationship with others. A total of 126 children were recruited; 22 enuretics aged 6-9 years and their matched controls (Group1) and 41 enuretics aged 10-16 years and their matched controls (Group 2). SE scores were similar between the enuretic and controls in Group 1, whereas in Group 2, enuretics had significantly lower scores (P < 0.05) in 'body image', 'relationship with others' and total SE scores. This difference was more pronounced among girls, adolescents and those who wet more than 10/14 nights. The SE of Malaysian children with monosymptomatic NE aged 10 years and above is significantly lower than their peers. This effect is seen particularly among girls, adolescents and those with frequent wetting. In the light of these findings, the 'wait and see' approach by the Malaysian medical profession is no longer appropriate. Treatment should begin before the age of 10 years. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2012 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Cognitive function in children with brain tumors in the first year after diagnosis compared to healthy matched controls.

PubMed

Shortman, Robert I; Lowis, Stephen P; Penn, Anthony; McCarter, Renee J; Hunt, Linda P; Brown, Caroline C; Stevens, Michael C G; Curran, Andrew L; Sharples, Peta M

2014-03-01

Improved survival of children with brain tumors (BTs) has increased focus on ameliorating morbidity. To reduce the risk of progressive cognitive decline, remedial strategies need to be instituted early, based upon accurate appraisal of need, yet few studies have investigated cognition in BT children early post-diagnosis. The study aims were to investigate cognition in children with primary BTs 1, 6, and 12 months post-diagnosis compared with healthy children, exploring the impact of disease and treatment variables. Forty-eight children aged 2-16 years with primary BTs, referred to a Regional Neurosurgical Unit over the 2-year study period were eligible for enrollment. The "best friends" model was used to recruit matched controls. Cognition was assessed using age-appropriate Wechsler Intelligence scales; Children's Memory Scale; Test of Everyday Attention for Children, and Wechsler Quicktest. Patients with BTs had significantly reduced performance compared to controls early post-diagnosis in tests of Performance IQ, processing speed, verbal and visual memory, and selective attention. Improved performance over 12 months was seen in patients with BTs although also, for some measures, in controls. Significant deficits in cognitive performance were seen one year post-diagnosis for Verbal IQ; processing speed, visual and verbal immediate memory, and selective attention. Infratentorial site, high tumor grade, hydrocephalus, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were associated with poorer functioning. Early cognitive impairment is present in BT children, sometimes prior to radiotherapy/chemotherapy treatment, and is associated with hydrocephalus, high tumor grade and infratentorial site. Future studies should investigate the role of early rehabilitation in improving cognition. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developmental Trajectory of McGurk Effect Susceptibility in Children and Adults With Amblyopia.

PubMed

Narinesingh, Cindy; Goltz, Herbert C; Raashid, Rana Arham; Wong, Agnes M F

2015-03-05

The McGurk effect is an audiovisual illusion that involves the concurrent presentation of a phoneme (auditory syllable) and an incongruent viseme (visual syllable). Adults with amblyopia show less susceptibility to this illusion than visually normal controls, even when viewing binocularly. The present study investigated the developmental trajectory of McGurk effect susceptibility in adults, older children (10-17 years), and younger children (4-9 years) with amblyopia. A total of 62 participants with amblyopia (22 adults, 12 older children, 28 younger children) and 66 visually normal controls (25 adults, 17 older children, 24 younger children) viewed videos that combined phonemes and visemes, and were asked to report what they heard. Videos with congruent (auditory and visual matching) and incongruent (auditory and visual not matching) stimuli were presented. Incorrect responses on incongruent trials correspond to high McGurk effect susceptibility, indicating that the viseme influenced the phoneme. Participants with amblyopia (28.0% ± 3.3%) demonstrated a less consistent McGurk effect than visually normal controls (15.2% ± 2.3%) across all age groups (P = 0.0024). Effect susceptibility increased with age (P = 0.0003) for amblyopic participants and controls. Both groups showed a similar response pattern to different speakers and syllables, but amblyopic participants invariably demonstrated a less consistent effect. Amblyopia is associated with reduced McGurk effect susceptibility in children and adults. Our findings indicate that the differences do not simply indicate delayed development in children with amblyopia; rather, they represent permanent alterations that persist into adulthood. Copyright 2015 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

The Locus of Naming Difficulties in Children with Dyslexia: Evidence of Inefficient Phonological Encoding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truman, Amanda; Hennessey, Neville W.

2006-01-01

Twenty-four children with dyslexia (aged 7;7 to 12;1) and twenty-four age-matched controls named pictures aloud while hearing nonsense syllables either phonologically related (i.e., part of) or unrelated to the target picture name. Compared with controls, dyslexics had slower reaction times overall and, for low frequency items, the degree of…

The effect of maternal subclinical hypothyroidism on IQ in 7- to 8-year-old children: A case-control review.

PubMed

Murphy, Niamh C; Diviney, Mairead M; Donnelly, Jennifer C; Cooley, Sharon M; Kirkham, Colin H; Foran, Adrienne M; Breathnach, Fionnuala M; Malone, Fergal D; Geary, Michael P

2015-10-01

In Ireland, pregnant women are not routinely screened for subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). Our objective was to compare the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children whose mothers had been diagnosed with SCH prenatally with matched controls using a case-control retrospective study. In a previous study from our group, 1000 healthy nulliparous women were screened anonymously for SCH. This was a laboratory diagnosis involving elevated TSH with normal fT4 or normal TSH with hypothyroxinaemia. We identified 23 cases who agreed to participate. These were matched with 47 controls. All children underwent neurodevelopmental assessment at age 7-8. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV assessment scores were used to compare the groups. Our main outcome measure was to identify whether there was a difference in IQ between the groups. From the cohort of cases, 23 mothers agreed to the assessment of their children as well as 47 controls. The children in the control group had higher mean scores than those in the case group across Verbal Comprehension Intelligence, Perceptual Reasoning Intelligence, Working Memory Intelligence, Processing Speed Intelligence and Full Scale IQ. Mann-Whitney U-test confirmed a significant difference in IQ between the cases (composite score 103.87) and the controls (composite score 109.11) with a 95% confidence interval (0.144, 10.330). Our results highlight significant differences in IQ of children of mothers who had unrecognised SCH during pregnancy. While our study size and design prevents us from making statements on causation, our data suggest significant potential public health implications for routine prenatal screening. © 2015 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Personality Development in Public School Children. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watt, Norman F.

Investigators compared the emotional adjustment, intellectual functioning, scholastic performance, and social behavior of 54 children who became schizophrenic mental patients with that of 143 matched controls. The following conclusions were drawn: indications of potential schizophrenia include behavioral and emotional deviation in childhood, death…

Examination of verbal memory and recall time in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Kourakis, Iosif E; Katachanakis, Constantinos N; Vlahonikolis, Ioannis G; Paritsis, Nicolaos K

2004-01-01

In this study 22 7- to 11-year-old children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 44 age-matched controls recruited from the same classrooms were given a 4-item delayed serial recall task using numbers or phrases. Although both groups showed similar recall accuracy rates, ADHD children required significantly longer times to retrieve and articulate their answers than children from the control group, regardless of age. The findings are discussed in relation to theories of executive function deficits in ADHD.

Perception of non-verbal auditory stimuli in Italian dyslexic children.

PubMed

Cantiani, Chiara; Lorusso, Maria Luisa; Valnegri, Camilla; Molteni, Massimo

2010-01-01

Auditory temporal processing deficits have been proposed as the underlying cause of phonological difficulties in Developmental Dyslexia. The hypothesis was tested in a sample of 20 Italian dyslexic children aged 8-14, and 20 matched control children. Three tasks of auditory processing of non-verbal stimuli, involving discrimination and reproduction of sequences of rapidly presented short sounds were expressly created. Dyslexic subjects performed more poorly than control children, suggesting the presence of a deficit only partially influenced by the duration of the stimuli and of inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs).

Action planning and position sense in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder.

PubMed

Adams, Imke L J; Ferguson, Gillian D; Lust, Jessica M; Steenbergen, Bert; Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien C M

2016-04-01

The present study examined action planning and position sense in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Participants performed two action planning tasks, the sword task and the bar grasping task, and an active elbow matching task to examine position sense. Thirty children were included in the DCD group (aged 6-10years) and age-matched to 90 controls. The DCD group had a MABC-2 total score ⩽5th percentile, the control group a total score ⩾25th percentile. Results from the sword-task showed that children with DCD planned less for end-state comfort. On the bar grasping task no significant differences in planning for end-state comfort between the DCD and control group were found. There was also no significant difference in the position sense error between the groups. The present study shows that children with DCD plan less for end-state comfort, but that this result is task-dependent and becomes apparent when more precision is needed at the end of the task. In that respect, the sword-task appeared to be a more sensitive task to assess action planning abilities, than the bar grasping task. The action planning deficit in children with DCD cannot be explained by an impaired position sense during active movements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Susceptible to distraction: children lack top-down control over spatial attention capture.

PubMed

Gaspelin, Nicholas; Margett-Jordan, Tessa; Ruthruff, Eric

2015-04-01

Considerable evidence has indicated that adults can exert top-down control to avoid distraction by salient-but-irrelevant stimuli. However, relatively little research has explored how this ability develops across the lifespan. In the present study, we therefore assessed how well children can control the capture of spatial attention. Children (M age = 4.2 years) and adults (M age = 21.5 years) searched for target "spaceships" of a specific color while trying to ignore salient precues that either matched or mismatched the target spaceship color. The results demonstrated that children are, in fact, more vulnerable to capture by irrelevant stimuli than are adults, even after accounting for children's overall cognitive slowing.

The Effects of the 1999 Turkish Earthquake on Young Children: Analyzing Traumatized Children's Completion of Short Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oncu, Elif Celebi; Wise, Aysegul Metindogan

2010-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether projective techniques could identify long-term consequences among children stemming from exposure to a traumatic event. The first group of children (n = 53; 26 female, 27 male) experienced 2 major earthquakes at age 7, 3 months apart, in Turkey, while a similarly matched control group…

Neural processing of amplitude and formant rise time in dyslexia.

PubMed

Peter, Varghese; Kalashnikova, Marina; Burnham, Denis

2016-06-01

This study aimed to investigate how children with dyslexia weight amplitude rise time (ART) and formant rise time (FRT) cues in phonetic discrimination. Passive mismatch responses (MMR) were recorded for a/ba/-/wa/contrast in a multiple deviant odd-ball paradigm to identify the neural response to cue weighting in 17 children with dyslexia and 17 age-matched control children. The deviant stimuli had either partial or full ART or FRT cues. The results showed that ART did not generate an MMR in either group, whereas both partial and full FRT cues generated MMR in control children while only full FRT cues generated MMR in children with dyslexia. These findings suggest that children, both controls and those with dyslexia, discriminate speech based on FRT cues and not ART cues. However, control children have greater sensitivity to FRT cues in speech compared to children with dyslexia. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Novel Measures of Response Performance and Inhibition in Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morein-Zamir, Sharon; Hommersen, Paul; Johnston, Charlotte; Kingstone, Alan

2008-01-01

Fifteen children with ADHD aged 8 to 12 years and age and gender matched controls performed two different stopping tasks to examine response performance and inhibition and their respective moment-to-moment variability. One task was the well-established stop-signal task, while the other was a novel tracking task where the children tracked a…

Social Communication Impairments in Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome: Slow Response Time and the Impact of Prompting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaland, Nils; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Smith, Lars

2011-01-01

In the present study children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome (N=13) and a matched control group of typically developing children and adolescents were presented with 26 vignettes of daily life situations, including irony, metaphors, contrary emotions, jealousy, social blunders, and understanding intentions. The participants in the AS group…

Phonological and Semantic Priming in Children with Reading Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Betjemann, Rebecca S.; Keenan, Janice M.

2008-01-01

Lexical priming was assessed in children with reading disability (RD) and in age-matched controls (M= 11.5 years), in visual and auditory lexical decision tasks. In the visual task, children with RD were found to have deficits in semantic (SHIP-BOAT), phonological/graphemic (GOAT-BOAT), and combined (FLOAT-BOAT) priming. The same pattern of…

Deaf and Hearing Children: A Comparison of Peripheral Vision Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Codina, Charlotte; Buckley, David; Port, Michael; Pascalis, Olivier

2011-01-01

This study investigated peripheral vision (at least 30[degrees] eccentric to fixation) development in profoundly deaf children without cochlear implantation, and compared this to age-matched hearing controls as well as to deaf and hearing adult data. Deaf and hearing children between the ages of 5 and 15 years were assessed using a new,…

Disaggregating the Distal, Proximal, and Time-Varying Effects of Parent Alcoholism on Children's Internalizing Symptoms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussong, A. M.; Cai, L.; Curran, P. J.; Flora, D. B.; Chassin, L. A.; Zucker, R. A.

2008-01-01

We tested whether children show greater internalizing symptoms when their parents are actively abusing alcohol. In an integrative data analysis, we combined observations over ages 2 through 17 from two longitudinal studies of children of alcoholic parents and matched controls recruited from the community. Using a mixed modeling approach, we tested…

Children's Attributions of Intentions to an Invisible Agent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bering, Jesse M.; Parker, Becky D.

2006-01-01

Children ages 3-9 years were informed that an invisible agent (Princess Alice) would help them play a forced-choice game by "telling them, somehow, when they chose the wrong box," whereas a matched control group of children were not given this supernatural prime. On 2 unexpected event trials, an experimenter triggered a simulated unexpected event…

Mapping the Network of Neuropsychological Impairment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Graph Theoretical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibrahim, George M.; Morgan, Benjamin R.; Vogan, Vanessa M.; Leung, Rachel C.; Anagnostou, Evdokia; Taylor, Margot J.

2016-01-01

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit social-communicative impairments. Less is known about the neuropsychological profile of ASD, although cognitive and neuropsychological deficits are evident. We modelled neuropsychological function in 20 children with ASD and 20 sex, age and IQ matched typically-developing controls (ages 7-14) as…

Perception of Stop Onset Spectra in Chinese Children with Phonological Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Wenli; Yue, Guoan

2012-01-01

The ability to identify stop consonants from brief onset spectra was compared between a group of Chinese children with phonological dyslexia (the PD group, with a mean age of 10 years 4 months) and a group of chronological age-matched control children. The linguistic context, which included vowels and speakers, and durations of stop onset spectra…

Noise on, Voicing off: Speech Perception Deficits in Children with Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegler, Johannes C.; Pech-Georgel, Catherine; George, Florence; Lorenzi, Christian

2011-01-01

Speech perception of four phonetic categories (voicing, place, manner, and nasality) was investigated in children with specific language impairment (SLI) (n=20) and age-matched controls (n=19) in quiet and various noise conditions using an AXB two-alternative forced-choice paradigm. Children with SLI exhibited robust speech perception deficits in…

Verbal Memory and Semantic Organization of Children with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polychroni, Fotini; Economou, Alexandra; Printezi, Anna; Koutlidi, Ifigeneia

2011-01-01

The present study examined the verbal learning performance and the semantic organization used by Greek reading-disabled readers as compared to a control group using a list-learning task. The sample consisted of 45 elementary school children with reading difficulties and 45 comparison children matched for age and gender. Tests of reading ability,…

The Role of Sensorimotor Impairments in Dyslexia: A Multiple Case Study of Dyslexic Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Sarah; Milne, Elizabeth; Rosen, Stuart; Hansen, Peter; Swettenham, John; Frith, Uta; Ramus, Franck

2006-01-01

This study attempts to investigate the role of sensorimotor impairments in the reading disability that characterizes dyslexia. Twenty-three children with dyslexia were compared to 22 control children, matched for age and non-verbal intelligence, on tasks assessing literacy as well as phonological, visual, auditory and motor abilities. The dyslexic…

Neuropsychological Assessment of Children with Hearing Impairment on Trail Making, Tactual Performance, and Category Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Mark D.

1995-01-01

The performance of 42 hearing-impaired children and 42 matched hearing peers was examined on the Category, Tactual Performance, and Trail Making tests of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery for Older Children. The major finding was that performance of deaf students was similar to that of hearing controls. (SLD)

Sustained Effects of Incredible Years as a Preventive Intervention in Preschool Children with Conduct Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posthumus, Jocelyne A.; Raaijmakers, Maartje A. J.; Maassen, Gerard H.; van Engeland, Herman; Matthys, Walter

2012-01-01

The present study evaluated preventive effects of the Incredible Years program for parents of preschool children who were at risk for a chronic pattern of conduct problems, in the Netherlands. In a matched control design, 72 parents of children with conduct problems received the Incredible Years program. These families (intervention group) were…

Eating behaviors in obese children with pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Children with pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHP-1a) develop early-onset obesity. These children have decreased resting energy expenditure but it is unknown if hyperphagia contributes to their obesity. Methods We conducted a survey assessment of patients 2 to 12 years old with PHP-1a and matched controls using the Hyperphagia Questionnaire (HQ) and Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Results of the PHP-1a group were also compared with an obese control group and normal weight sibling group. Results We enrolled 10 patients with PHP-1a and 9 matched controls. There was not a significant difference between the PHP-1a group and matched controls for total HQ score (p = 0.72), Behavior (p = 0.91), Drive (p = 0.48) or Severity (p = 0.73) subset scores. There was also no difference between the PHP-1a group and matched controls on the CEBQ. In a secondary analysis, the PHP-1a group was compared with obese controls (n = 30) and normal weight siblings (n = 6). Caregivers reported an increased interest in food before age 2 years in 6 of 10 PHP-1a patients (60%), 9 of 30 obese controls (30%) and none of the siblings (p = 0.04). The sibling group had a significantly lower Positive Eating Behavior score than the PHP-1a group (2.6 [2.4, 2.9] vs. 3.5 [3.1, 4.0], p < 0.01) and obese controls (2.6 [2.4, 2.9] vs. 3.4 [2.6, 3.8], p = 0.04), but there was not a significant difference between the PHP-1a and obese controls (p = 0.35). The sibling group had a lower Desire to Drink score than both the PHP-1a group (1.8 [1.6, 2.7] vs. 4.3 [3.3, 5.0], p < 0.01) and obese controls (1.8 [1.6, 2.7] vs. 3.3 [3.0, 4.0], p < 0.01) but there was not a significant difference between the PHP-1a and obese control Desire to Drink scores (p = 0.11). Conclusions Patients with PHP-1a demonstrate hyperphagic symptoms similar to matched obese controls. PMID:25337124

Idiom Comprehension Deficits in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Korean Autism Social Language Task

PubMed Central

Lee, Seul Bee; Song, Seung Ha; Ham, Ju Hyun; Song, Dong Ho

2015-01-01

Purpose High-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves pragmatic impairment of language skills. Among numerous tasks for assessing pragmatic linguistic skills, idioms are important to evaluating high-functioning ASD. Nevertheless, no assessment tool has been developed with specific consideration of Korean culture. Therefore, we designed the Korean Autism Social Language Task (KASLAT) to test idiom comprehension in ASD. The aim of the current study was to introduce this novel psychological tool and evaluate idiom comprehension deficits in high-functioning ASD. Materials and Methods The participants included 42 children, ages 6-11 years, who visited our child psychiatric clinic between April 2014 and May 2015. The ASD group comprised 16 children; the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) group consisted of 16 children. An additional 10 normal control children who had not been diagnosed with either disorder participated in this study. Idiom comprehension ability was assessed in these three groups using the KASLAT. Results Both ASD and ADHD groups had significantly lower scores on the matched and mismatched tasks, compared to the normal control children (matched tasks mean score: ASD 11.56, ADHD 11.56, normal control 14.30; mismatched tasks mean score: ASD 6.50, ADHD 4.31, normal control 11.30). However, no significant differences were found in scores of KASLAT between the ADHD and ASD groups. Conclusion These findings suggest that children with ASD exhibit greater impairment in idiom comprehension, compared to normal control children. The KASLAT may be useful in evaluating idiom comprehension ability. PMID:26446644

Impact of long-term erythrocytapheresis on growth and peak height velocity of children with sickle cell disease.

PubMed

Bavle, Abhishek; Raj, Ashok; Kong, Maiying; Bertolone, Salvatore

2014-11-01

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) lag in weight and height and have a delayed growth spurt compared to normal children. We studied the effect of long-term erythrocytapheresis (LTE) on the growth of children with SCD and the age at which they attained peak height velocity. A retrospective chart review was performed recording weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) measurements of 36 patients with SCD who received LTE every 3-5 weeks for an average duration of 5 years. The z-scores for weight, height, and BMI of these patients were compared with that of patients with SCD from the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD) and a sub-set of 64 controls matched for age, sex, and initial growth parameter z-scores at the start of LTE. The z-scores for all parameters improved significantly for our patients on LTE compared to match controls from CSSCD and the entire pediatric CSSCD cohort (P-value: <0.01). Peak height velocity was achieved 2 months earlier for females (P-value: 0.94) and 11 months earlier for males (P-value: 0.02), who started LTE before 14 years of age, compared to matched CSSCD controls. The study subjects who had not been on regular simple transfusions prior to starting LTE had a mean serum ferritin of 681 ng/ml after LTE for an average duration of 63 months. LTE improves the growth of children with SCD without the risk of iron overload. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analogical reasoning in children with specific language impairment: Evidence from a scene analogy task.

PubMed

Krzemien, Magali; Jemel, Boutheina; Maillart, Christelle

2017-01-01

Analogical reasoning is a human ability that maps systems of relations. It develops along with relational knowledge, working memory and executive functions such as inhibition. It also maintains a mutual influence on language development. Some authors have taken a greater interest in the analogical reasoning ability of children with language disorders, specifically those with specific language impairment (SLI). These children apparently have weaker analogical reasoning abilities than their aged-matched peers without language disorders. Following cognitive theories of language acquisition, this deficit could be one of the causes of language disorders in SLI, especially those concerning productivity. To confirm this deficit and its link to language disorders, we use a scene analogy task to evaluate the analogical performance of SLI children and compare them to controls of the same age and linguistic abilities. Results show that children with SLI perform worse than age-matched peers, but similar to language-matched peers. They are more influenced by increased task difficulty. The association between language disorders and analogical reasoning in SLI can be confirmed. The hypothesis of limited processing capacity in SLI is also being considered.

Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect on adult economic well-being.

PubMed

Currie, Janet; Widom, Cathy Spatz

2010-05-01

Child abuse and neglect represent major threats to child health and well-being; however, little is known about consequences for adult economic outcomes. Using a prospective cohort design, court substantiated cases of childhood physical and sexual abuse and neglect during 1967-1971 were matched with nonabused and nonneglected children and followed into adulthood (mean age 41). Outcome measures of economic status and productivity were assessed in 2003-2004 (N 1/4 807). Results indicate that adults with documented histories of childhood abuse and/or neglect have lower levels of education, employment, earnings, and fewer assets as adults, compared to matched control children. There is a 14% gap between individuals with histories of abuse/neglect and controls in the probability of employment in middle age, controlling for background characteristics. Maltreatment appears to affect men and women differently, with larger effects for women than men. These new findings demonstrate that abused and neglected children experience large and enduring economic consequences.

Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect on Adult Economic Well-Being

PubMed Central

Currie, Janet; Widom, Cathy Spatz

2013-01-01

Child abuse and neglect represent major threats to child health and well-being; however, little is known about consequences for adult economic outcomes. Using a prospective cohort design, court substantiated cases of childhood physical and sexual abuse and neglect during 1967–1971 were matched with nonabused and nonneglected children and followed into adulthood (mean age 41). Outcome measures of economic status and productivity were assessed in 2003–2004 (N = 807). Results indicate that adults with documented histories of childhood abuse and/or neglect have lower levels of education, employment, earnings, and fewer assets as adults, compared to matched control children. There is a 14% gap between individuals with histories of abuse/neglect and controls in the probability of employment in middle age, controlling for background characteristics. Maltreatment appears to affect men and women differently, with larger effects for women than men. These new findings demonstrate that abused and neglected children experience large and enduring economic consequences. PMID:20425881

Risk factors for the transmission of diarrhoea in children: a case-control study in rural Malaysia.

PubMed

Knight, S M; Toodayan, W; Caique, W C; Kyi, W; Barnes, A; Desmarchelier, P

1992-08-01

In response to a recorded increasing incidence of diarrhoea in Tumpat District, Malaysia, a case-control study was performed to identify modifiable risk factors for the transmission of diarrhoea, in children aged 4-59 months. Ninety-eight pairs of children, matched on age and sex, were recruited prospectively from health centres. Exposure status was determined during a home visit. Interviewers were 'blinded' as to the disease status of each child. Odds ratios were measured through matched pair analysis and conditional logistic regression. Risk factors for diarrhoea identified were: reported--drinking of unboiled water, storage of cooked food before consumption and bottle feeding; and observations--animals inside the house and absence of washing water in latrines. Water quality, source of drinking water, reported hand washing behaviour, indiscriminate defecation by children, cup use and the absence of a functional latrine were not associated with diarrhoea. Nonsignificant associations were found for: accessibility of washing water source, type of water storage container and use of fly covers for food.

Association of Autism Spectrum Disorders With Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia

PubMed Central

Nylund, Cade M.; Gorman, Gregory H.; Hisle-Gorman, Elizabeth; Erdie-Lalena, Christine R.; Kuehn, Devon

2015-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a common neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown etiology. Studies suggest a link between autism and neonatal jaundice. A 1:3 matched case–control study was conducted with children enrolled in the Military Health System born between October 2002 and September 2009. Diagnostic and procedure codes were used for identifying ASD and hyperbilirubinemia. Two definitions for hyperbilirubinemia were evaluated: an inpatient admission with a diagnosis of jaundice and treatment with phototherapy. A total of 2917 children with ASD and 8751 matched controls were included in the study. After adjustment, there remained an association between ASD in children and an admission with a diagnosis of jaundice (odds ratio = 1.18; 95% confidence interval = 1.06-1.31; P = .001) and phototherapy treatment (odds ratio = 1.33; 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.69; P = .008). Children who develop ASD are more likely to have an admission with a diagnosis of jaundice in the neonatal period and more likely to require treatment for this jaundice. PMID:27335973

Comparing the Oral Health Status of Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Children from Puerto Rico: a Case-control Pilot Study

PubMed Central

López del Valle, Lydia M.; Ocasio-López, Carlos

2015-01-01

Objective Children with type 1 diabetes have infrequently been the subjects of studies examining oral health status (caries and gingival diseases); in addition, no study of this type has ever been on Puerto Rican children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral health status of Puerto Rican children (ranging in age from 6 to 12 years) either with or without type 1 diabetes and compare the two groups with regard to that status. Methods This was a matched case-control study. A convenience sample of 25 children with type 1 diabetes (cases) and 25 non-diabetic children (controls), all ranging in age from 6 to 12 years and matched by age and gender, was evaluated by a calibrated dentist for caries, bleeding on probing, and plaque and calculus indexes. A sample of saliva was taken from each subject and analyzed to determine Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and t-test were used to describe and assess the data. Results We used the caries index to evaluate the teeth of the children participating in our study; we found significant differences in the number of lesions in the permanent teeth of diabetic children compared to the number found in the permanent teeth of non-diabetic children (1.43 and 0.56, respectively; p = 0.05). The mean number of sites of bleeding on probing for diabetic children was 23.9; for non-diabetic children it was 4.2. Diabetic children had more plaque than did the control children (plaque index = 2.5 vs. 0.8; p = 0.007) and more bleeding on probing (p = 0.001). High levels of glycosylated hemoglobin in diabetic children were statistically significantly associated with a greater number of sites with bleeding on probing. Conclusion Diabetic children are at higher risk for caries and gum disease than are non-diabetic children. PMID:21932712

Comparing the oral health status of diabetic and non-diabetic children from Puerto Rico: a case-control pilot study.

PubMed

López del Valle, Lydia M; Ocasio-López, Carlos

2011-09-01

Children with type 1 diabetes have infrequently been the subjects of studies examining oral health status (caries and gingival diseases); in addition, no study of this type has ever been on Puerto Rican children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral health status of Puerto Rican children (ranging in age from 6 to 12 years) either with or without type 1 diabetes and compare the two groups with regard to that status. This was a matched case-control study. A convenience sample of 25 children with type 1 diabetes (cases) and 25 non-diabetic children (controls), all ranging in age from 6 to 12 years and matched by age and gender, was evaluated by a calibrated dentist for caries, bleeding on probing, and plaque and calculus indexes. A sample of saliva was taken from each subject and analyzed to determine Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and t-test were used to describe and assess the data. We used the caries index to evaluate the teeth of the children participating in our study; we found significant differences in the number of lesions in the permanent teeth of diabetic children compared to the number found in the permanent teeth of non-diabetic children (1.43 and 0.56, respectively; p = 0.05). The mean number of sites of bleeding on probing for diabetic children was 23.9; for non-diabetic children it was 4.2. Diabetic children had more plaque than did the control children (plaque index = 2.5 vs. 0.8; p = 0.007) and more bleeding on probing (p = 0.001). High levels of glycosylated hemoglobin in diabetic children were statistically significantly associated with a greater number of sites with bleeding on probing. Diabetic children are at higher risk for caries and gum disease than are non-diabetic children.

Dental treatment and caries prevention preceding treatment under general anaesthesia in healthy children and adolescents: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Grindefjord, M; Persson, J; Jansson, L; Tsilingaridis, G

2018-04-01

This was to examine healthy children and adolescents treated under general anaesthesia (GA) and a matched control group not receiving GA to compare treatment and preventive care received prior to GA treatment. This retrospective cohort study included 71 healthy subjects and 213 age- and gender-matched control subjects. The treatment group had been consecutively referred from the Public Dental Health Service (PDS) in Stockholm to the Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Eastman Institute, Stockholm during 2006-2007. Data was extracted from the patient records at the PDS, including variables such as number of dental visits, treatment/prophylaxis prior to GA, number of missed and cancelled appointments, and number of decayed teeth. On average, the treatment group had significantly more decayed teeth (p < 0.001) than the control group. Furthermore, the treatment group had significantly more restorations (p < 0.01), had visited the dentist significantly more often (p < 0.001), and had undergone significantly more behaviour management treatment and preventive treatment (p < 0.001). In the treatment group 65% of the children and adolescents, had received no behaviour management treatment and 48%, no preventive treatment. In the Stockholm PDS, over half of the children and adolescents referred by general dentists to paediatric specialists had no behaviour management treatment and nearly half, no preventive treatment, despite receiving significantly more operative treatment compared with matched controls. General dentists should target high caries-risk patients for additional behaviour management and preventive care to reduce the need for treatment under GA.

Effectiveness of one dose of mumps vaccine against clinically diagnosed mumps in Guangzhou, China, 2006-2012.

PubMed

Fu, Chuanxi; Xu, Jianxiong; Cai, Yuanjun; He, Qing; Zhang, Chunhuan; Chen, Jian; Dong, Zhiqiang; Hu, Wensui; Wang, Hui; Zhu, Wei; Wang, Ming

2013-12-01

Although mumps-containing vaccines were introduced in China in 1990s, mumps continues to be a public health concern due to the lack of decline in reported mumps cases. To assess the mumps vaccine effectiveness (VE) in Guangzhou, China, we performed a 1:1 matched case-control study. Among children in Guangzhou aged 8 mo to 12 y during 2006 to 2012, we matched one healthy child to each child with clinically diagnosed mumps. Cases with clinically diagnosed mumps were identified from surveillance sites system and healthy controls were randomly sampled from the Children's Expanded Programmed Immunization Administrative Computerized System in Guangzhou. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate VE. We analyzed the vaccination information for 1983 mumps case subjects and 1983 matched controls and found that the overall VE for 1 dose of mumps vaccine, irrespective of the manufacture, was 53.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 41.0-63.5%) to children aged 8 mo to 12 y. This post-marketing mumps VE study found that immunization with one dose of the mumps vaccine confers partial protection against mumps disease. Evaluation of the VE for the current mumps vaccines, introduction of a second dose of mumps vaccine, and assessment of modifications to childhood immunization schedules is essential.

Inflectional and derivational morphological spelling abilities of children with Specific Language Impairment

PubMed Central

Critten, Sarah; Connelly, Vincent; Dockrell, Julie E.; Walter, Kirsty

2014-01-01

Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) are known to have difficulties with spelling but the factors that underpin these difficulties, are a matter of debate. The present study investigated the impact of oral language and literacy on the bound morpheme spelling abilities of children with SLI. Thirty-three children with SLI (9–10 years) and two control groups, one matched for chronological age (CA) and one for language and spelling age (LA) (aged 6–8 years) were given dictated spelling tasks of 24 words containing inflectional morphemes and 18 words containing derivational morphemes. There were no significant differences between the SLI group and their LA matches in accuracy or error patterns for inflectional morphemes. By contrast when spelling derivational morphemes the SLI group was less accurate and made proportionately more omissions and phonologically implausible errors than both control groups. Spelling accuracy was associated with phonological awareness and reading; reading performance significantly predicted the ability to spell both inflectional and derivational morphemes. The particular difficulties experienced by the children with SLI for derivational morphemes are considered in relation to reading and oral language. PMID:25221533

Inflectional and derivational morphological spelling abilities of children with Specific Language Impairment.

PubMed

Critten, Sarah; Connelly, Vincent; Dockrell, Julie E; Walter, Kirsty

2014-01-01

Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) are known to have difficulties with spelling but the factors that underpin these difficulties, are a matter of debate. The present study investigated the impact of oral language and literacy on the bound morpheme spelling abilities of children with SLI. Thirty-three children with SLI (9-10 years) and two control groups, one matched for chronological age (CA) and one for language and spelling age (LA) (aged 6-8 years) were given dictated spelling tasks of 24 words containing inflectional morphemes and 18 words containing derivational morphemes. There were no significant differences between the SLI group and their LA matches in accuracy or error patterns for inflectional morphemes. By contrast when spelling derivational morphemes the SLI group was less accurate and made proportionately more omissions and phonologically implausible errors than both control groups. Spelling accuracy was associated with phonological awareness and reading; reading performance significantly predicted the ability to spell both inflectional and derivational morphemes. The particular difficulties experienced by the children with SLI for derivational morphemes are considered in relation to reading and oral language.

Family-Environmental Factors Associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Chinese Children: A Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

du Prel Carroll, Xianming; Yi, Honggang; Liang, Yuezhu; Pang, Ke; Leeper-Woodford, Sandra; Riccardi, Patrizia; Liang, Xianhong

2012-01-01

Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, affecting an estimated 5 to 12% of school-aged children worldwide. From 15 to 19 million Chinese children suffer from ADHD. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between family-environmental factors and ADHD in a sample of Chinese children. Methods A pair-matched, case-control study was conducted with 161 ADHD children and 161 non-ADHD children of matching age and sex, all from 5–18 years of age. The ADHD subjects and the normal controls were all evaluated via structured diagnostic interviews. We examined the association between family-environmental factors and ADHD using the conditional multiple logistic regression with backward stepwise selection to predict the associated factors of ADHD. Results Having experienced emotional abuse and being a single child were both significant factors associated with children diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD subjects were more likely to have suffered from emotional abuse (OR = 11.09, 95% CI = 2.15–57.29, P = 0.004) and have been a single child in the family (OR = 6.32, 95% CI = 2.09–19.14, P = 0.001) when compared to normal controls. The results were not modified by other confounding factors. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence that family-environmental factors are associated with ADHD among children in China. These findings, if confirmed by future research, may help to decrease ADHD by increasing the awareness of the effects of childhood emotional abuse. PMID:23209774

Blantyre Malaria Project Epilepsy Study (BMPES) of neurological outcomes in retinopathy-positive paediatric cerebral malaria survivors: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Birbeck, Gretchen L; Molyneux, Malcolm E; Kaplan, Peter W; Seydel, Karl B; Chimalizeni, Yamikani F; Kawaza, Kondwani; Taylor, Terrie E

2010-12-01

Cerebral malaria, a disorder characterised by coma, parasitaemia, and no other evident cause of coma, is challenging to diagnose definitively in endemic regions that have high rates of asymptomatic parasitaemia and limited neurodiagnostic facilities. A recently described malaria retinopathy improves diagnostic specificity. We aimed to establish whether retinopathy-positive cerebral malaria is a risk factor for epilepsy or other neurodisabilities. Between 2005 and 2007, we did a prospective cohort study of survivors of cerebral malaria with malaria retinopathy in Blantyre, Malawi. Children with cerebral malaria were identified at the time of their index admission and age-matched to concurrently admitted children without coma or nervous system infection. Initially matching of cases to controls was 1:1 but, in 2006, enrolment criteria for cerebral malaria survivors were revised to limit inclusion to children with cerebral malaria and retinopathy on the basis of indirect ophthalmoscopic examination; matching was then changed to 1:2 and the revised inclusion criteria were applied retrospectively for children enrolled previously. Clinical assessments at discharge and standardised nurse-led follow-up every 3 months thereafter were done to identify children with new seizure disorders or other neurodisabilities. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was done for incident epilepsy. 132 children with retinopathy-positive cerebral malaria and 264 age-matched, non-comatose controls were followed up for a median of 495 days (IQR 195-819). 12 of 132 cerebral malaria survivors developed epilepsy versus none of 264 controls (odds ratio [OR] undefined; p<0·0001). 28 of 121 cerebral malaria survivors developed new neurodisabilities, characterised by gross motor, sensory, or language deficits, compared with two of 253 controls (OR 37·8, 95% CI 8·8-161·8; p<0·0001). The risk factors for epilepsy in children with cerebral malaria were a higher maximum temperature (39·4°C [SD 1·2] vs 38·5°C [1·1]; p=0·01) and acute seizures (11/12 vs 76/120; OR 6·37, 95% CI 1·02-141·2), and male sex was a risk factor for new neurodisabilities (20/28 vs 38/93; OR 3·62, 1·44-9·06). Almost a third of retinopathy-positive cerebral malaria survivors developed epilepsy or other neurobehavioural sequelae. Neuroprotective clinical trials aimed at managing hyperpyrexia and optimising seizure control are warranted. US National Institutes of Health and Wellcome Trust. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in glaucomatous hydrophthalmic eyes assessed by scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation in comparison with age-matched healthy children.

PubMed

Hložánek, Martin; Ošmera, Jakub; Ležatková, Pavlína; Sedláčková, Petra; Filouš, Aleš

2012-12-01

To compare the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in hydrophthalmic glaucomatous eyes in children with age-matched healthy controls using scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (GDxVCC). Twenty hydrophthalmic eyes of 20 patients with the mean age of 10.64 ± 3.02 years being treated for congenital or infantile glaucoma were included in the analysis. Evaluation of RNFL thickness measured by GDxVCC in standard Temporal-Superior-Nasal-Inferior-Temporal (TSNIT) parameters was performed. The results were compared to TSNIT values of an age-matched control group of 120 healthy children published recently as referential values. The correlation between horizontal corneal diameter and RNFL thickness in hydrophthalmic eyes was also investigated. The mean ± SD values in TSNIT Average, Superior Average, Inferior Average and TSNIT SD in hydrophthalmic eyes were 52.3 ± 11.4, 59.7 ± 17.1, 62.0 ± 15.6 and 20.0 ± 7.8 μm, respectively. All these values were significantly lower compared to referential TSNIT parameters of age-matched healthy eyes (p = 0.021, p = 0.001, p = 0.003 and p = 0.018, respectively). A substantial number of hydrophthalmic eyes laid below the level of 5% probability of normality in respective TSNIT parameters: 30% of the eyes in TSNIT average, 50% of the eyes in superior average, 30% of the eyes in inferior average and 45% of the eyes in TSNIT SD. No significant correlation between enlarged corneal diameter and RNFL thickness was found. The mean values of all standard TSNIT parameters assessed using GDxVCC in hydrophthalmic glaucomatous eyes in children were significantly lower in comparison with referential values of healthy age-matched children. © 2011 The Authors. Acta Ophthalmologica © 2011 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation.

Epilepsy and Other Neurological Diseases in the Parents of Children with Infantile Autism. A Case Control Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mouridsen, Svend Erik; Rich, Bente; Isager, Torben

2008-01-01

In order to study the broader phenotype of infantile autism (IA) we compared the rates and types of epilepsy and other neurological diseases in the parents of 111 consecutively admitted patients with IA with a matched control group of parents of 330 children from the general population. All participants were screened through the nationwide Danish…

Brain tumors in children and occupational exposure of parents.

PubMed

Peters, F M; Preston-Martin, S; Yu, M C

1981-07-10

Ninety-two cases of brain tumor in children less than 10 years old were compared with 92 matched controls for parental occupational history. Cases were more likely than controls to show material occupations involving chemical exposure, paternal occupations involving solvents, and employment of father in the aircraft industry. These three factors were not affected by adjustment for the potential confounding variables examined in this study.

Autoimmune Diseases in Parents of Children with Infantile Autism: A Case--Control Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mouridsen, Svend Erik; Rich, Bente; Isager, Torben; Nedergaard, Niels Jorgen

2007-01-01

This register study compared the rates and types of autoimmune disease in the parents of 111 patients (82 males, 29 females; mean age at diagnosis 5y 5mo [SD 2y 6mo]) with infantile autism (IA) with a matched control group of parents of 330 children from the general population. All parents were screened through the nationwide Danish National…

The Effectiveness of a Universal School-Based Programme on Coping and Mental Health: A Randomised, Controlled Study of Zippy' Friends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holen, Solveig; Waaktaar, Trine; Lervag, Arne; Ystgaard, Mette

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Zippy's Friends, a universal school programme that aims at strengthening children's coping skills. The sample consisted of 1483 children (aged 7-8 years) from 91 second-grade classes in 35 schools. The schools were matched and randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. Coping was assessed by…

Auditing Practice Style Variation in Pediatric Inpatient Asthma Care.

PubMed

Silber, Jeffrey H; Rosenbaum, Paul R; Wang, Wei; Ludwig, Justin M; Calhoun, Shawna; Guevara, James P; Zorc, Joseph J; Zeigler, Ashley; Even-Shoshan, Orit

2016-09-01

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic illness among children, remaining a leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations and representing a major financial burden to many health care systems. To implement a new auditing process examining whether differences in hospital practice style may be associated with potential resource savings or inefficiencies in treating pediatric asthma admissions. A retrospective matched-cohort design study, matched for asthma severity, compared practice patterns for patients admitted to Children's Hospital Association hospitals contributing data to the Pediatric Hospital Information System (PHIS) database. With 3 years of PHIS data on 48 887 children, an asthma template was constructed consisting of representative children hospitalized for asthma between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2014. The template was matched with either a 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1 ratio at each of 37 tertiary care children's hospitals, depending on available sample size. Treatment at each PHIS hospital. Cost, length of stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) utilization. After matching patients (n = 9100; mean [SD] age, 7.1 [3.6] years; 3418 [37.6%] females) to the template (n = 100, mean [SD] age, 7.2 [3.7] years; 37 [37.0%] females), there was no significant difference in observable patient characteristics at the 37 hospitals meeting the matching criteria. Despite similar characteristics of the patients, we observed large and significant variation in use of the ICUs as well as in length of stay and cost. For the same template-matched populations, comparing utilization between the 12.5th percentile (lower eighth) and 87.5th percentile (upper eighth) of hospitals, median cost varied by 87% ($3157 vs $5912 per patient; P < .001); total hospital length of stay varied by 47% (1.5 vs 2.2 days; P < .001); and ICU utilization was 254% higher (6.5% vs 23.0%; P < .001). Furthermore, the patterns of resource utilization by patient risk differed significantly across hospitals. For example, as patient risk increased one hospital displayed significantly increasing costs compared with their matched controls (comparative cost difference: lowest risk, -34.21%; highest risk, 53.27%; P < .001). In contrast, another hospital displayed significantly decreasing costs relative to their matched controls as patient risk increased (comparative cost difference: lowest risk, -10.12%; highest risk, -16.85%; P = .01). For children with asthma who had similar characteristics, we observed different hospital resource utilization; some values differed greatly, with important differences by initial patient risk. Through the template matching audit, hospitals and stakeholders can better understand where this excess variation occurs and can help to pinpoint practice styles that should be emulated or avoided.

[Characteristics and habits of parents of children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus].

PubMed

Sipetić, Sandra; Vlajinac, Hristina; Kocev, Nikola; Radmanović, Slobodan

2003-01-01

The aim of this case-control study conducted in Belgrade during 1994-1997 was to investigate whether parental demographic characteristics and habits are associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Case group comprised 105 children up to 16 years old with IDDM and control group comprised 210 children with skin diseases. Cases and controls were individually matched by age (+/- one year), sex and place of residence (Belgrade). According to chi 2 test results, children with IDDM significantly had five or more family members and they also significantly more frequently had poor socio-economic status than their controls. Higher education of fathers was significantly more frequently reported in diabetic children, in comparison with their controls. Parents of diabetic children were significantly more frequently occupationally exposed to radiation, petroleum, and its derivates, organic solvents, dyes and lacquers. During pregnancy mothers of diabetic children significantly more frequently smoked cigarettes and consumed coffee, coca-cola, alcohol and foods containing nitrosamines. Fathers of diabetic children more frequently consumed alcohol.

"Plyo Play": A Novel Program of Short Bouts of Moderate and High Intensity Exercise Improves Physical Fitness in Elementary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faigenbaum, Avery D.; Farrell, Anne C.; Radler, Tracy; Zbojovsky, Dan; Chu, Donald A.; Ratamess, Nicholas A.; Kang, Jie; Hoffman, Jay R.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a school-based plyometric training program (i.e., Plyo Play) on children's fitness performance. Forty children (8 to 11 yrs) participated in the program and 34 age-matched children served as controls. Performance of the long jump, sit and reach flexibility, abdominal curl, push-up, shuttle…

Brain Imaging and Neurodevelopment in HIV-uninfected Thai Children Born to HIV-infected Mothers.

PubMed

Jahanshad, Neda; Couture, Marie-Claude; Prasitsuebsai, Wasana; Nir, Talia M; Aurpibul, Linda; Thompson, Paul M; Pruksakaew, Kanchana; Lerdlum, Sukalaya; Visrutaratna, Pannee; Catella, Stephanie; Desai, Akash; Kerr, Stephen J; Puthanakit, Thanyawee; Paul, Robert; Ananworanich, Jintanat; Valcour, Victor G

2015-09-01

Perinatal use of combination antiretroviral therapy dramatically reduces vertical (mother-to-child) transmission of HIV but has led to a growing population of children with perinatal HIV-exposure but uninfected (HEU). HIV can cause neurological injury among children born with infection, but the neuroanatomical and developmental effects in HEU children are poorly understood. We used structural magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion tensor imaging to compare brain anatomy between 30 HEU and 33 age-matched HIV-unexposed and uninfected (HUU) children from Thailand. Maps of brain volume and microstructural anatomy were compared across groups; associations were tested between neuroimaging measures and concurrent neuropsychological test performance. Mean (standard deviation) age of children was 10.3 (2.8) years, and 58% were male. All were enrolled in school and lived with family members. Intelligence quotient (IQ) did not differ between groups. Caretaker education levels did not differ, but income was higher for HUU (P < 0.001). We did not detect group differences in brain volume or diffusion tensor imaging metrics, after controlling for sociodemographic factors. The mean (95% confidence interval) fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum was 0.375 (0.368-0.381) in HEU compared with 0.370 (0.364-0.375) in HUU. Higher fractional anisotropy and lower mean diffusivity were each associated with higher IQ scores in analyses with both groups combined. No differences in neuroanatomical or brain integrity measures were detectable in HEU children compared with age-matched and sex-matched controls (HUU children). Expected associations between brain integrity measures and IQ scores were identified suggesting sufficient power to detect subtle associations that were present.

The School Adjustment of Post-Meningitic Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pate, John E.; And Others

1974-01-01

To explore relationships between success in school and infectious childhood disease, 25 children in regular primary grades who had survived laboratory confirmed acute bacterial meningitis prior to 4 years of age without observable sequelae were matched with 25 non-meningitic controls and subjected to intensive multidisciplinary examinations.…

Evidence that a Motor Timing Deficit Is a Factor in the Development of Stuttering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olander, Lindsey; Smith, Anne; Zelaznik, Howard N.

2010-01-01

Purpose: To determine whether young children who stutter have a basic motor timing and/or a coordination deficit. Method: Between-hands coordination and variability of rhythmic motor timing were assessed in 17 children who stutter (4-6 years of age) and 13 age-matched controls. Children clapped in rhythm with a metronome with a 600-ms interbeat…

Oral Health among Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Case-Control Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du, Rennan Y; Yiu, Cynthia K. Y.; King, Nigel M.; Wong, Virginia C. N.; McGrath, Colman P. J.

2015-01-01

Aim: To assess and compare the oral health status of preschool children with and without autism spectrum disorders. Methods: A random sample of 347 preschool children with autism spectrum disorder was recruited from 19 Special Child Care Centres in Hong Kong. An age- and gender-matched sample was recruited from mainstream preschools as the control…

Functional Brain Activation Differences in School-Age Children with Speech Sound Errors: Speech and Print Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Jonathan L.; Felsenfeld, Susan; Frost, Stephen J.; Mencl, W. Einar; Fulbright, Robert K.; Grigorenko, Elena L.; Landi, Nicole; Seki, Ayumi; Pugh, Kenneth R.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To examine neural response to spoken and printed language in children with speech sound errors (SSE). Method: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to compare processing of auditorily and visually presented words and pseudowords in 17 children with SSE, ages 8;6[years;months] through 10;10, with 17 matched controls. Results: When…

Oral Language and Narrative Skills in Children with Specific Language Impairment with and without Literacy Delay: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandewalle, Ellen; Boets, Bart; Boons, Tinne; Ghesquiere, Pol; Zink, Inge

2012-01-01

This longitudinal study compared the development of oral language and more specifically narrative skills (storytelling and story retelling) in children with specific language impairment (SLI) with and without literacy delay. Therefore, 18 children with SLI and 18 matched controls with normal literacy were followed from the last year of…

Reading Comprehension in Children with ADHD: Cognitive Underpinnings of the Centrality Deficit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Amanda C.; Keenan, Janice M.; Betjemann, Rebecca S.; Willcutt, Erik G.; Pennington, Bruce F.; Olson, Richard K.

2013-01-01

We examined reading comprehension in children with ADHD by assessing their ability to build a coherent mental representation that allows them to recall central and peripheral information. We compared children with ADHD (mean age 9.78) to word reading-matched controls (mean age 9.89) on their ability to retell a passage. We found that even though…

Pathways to School Achievement in Very Preterm and Full Term Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Wolfgang; Wolke, Dieter; Schlagmuller, Matthias; Meyer, Renate

2004-01-01

Individual differences in academic success were investigated in a geographically defined whole-population sample of very preterm children with a gestational age of less than 32 weeks or a birth weight of less than 1500 gm. The sample consisted of 264 very preterm children (75.6% of German-speaking survivors) and 264 controls matched for gender,…

The Family Development Research Program: A Program for Prenatal, Infant and Early Childhood Enrichment. Progress Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lally, J. Ronald

This progress report on the Family Development Research Program for 108 low-income families, conducted at Syracuse University Children's Center, provides information on a longitudinal comparison instituted when the program children reached 36 months of age. The families of the children were matched to control families on a number of variables.…

Screening for Specific Language Impairment in Preschool Children: Evaluating a Screening Procedure Including the Token Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willinger, Ulrike; Schmoeger, Michaela; Deckert, Matthias; Eisenwort, Brigitte; Loader, Benjamin; Hofmair, Annemarie; Auff, Eduard

2017-01-01

Specific language impairment (SLI) comprises impairments in receptive and/or expressive language. Aim of this study was to evaluate a screening for SLI. 61 children with SLI (SLI-children, age-range 4-6 years) and 61 matched typically developing controls were tested for receptive language ability (Token Test-TT) and for intelligence (Wechsler…

Revisiting the Strange Stories: Revealing Mentalizing Impairments in Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Sarah; Hill, Elisabeth; Happe, Francesca; Frith, Uta

2009-01-01

A test of advanced theory of mind (ToM), first introduced by F. Happe (1994), was adapted for children (mental, human, animal, and nature stories plus unlinked sentences). These materials were closely matched for difficulty and were presented to forty-five 7- to 12-year-olds with autism and 27 control children. Children with autism who showed ToM…

Health-related quality of life in Japanese children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during and after chemotherapy.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Kyoko; Nakagami-Yamaguchi, Etsuko; Hayakawa, Akira; Adachi, Souichi; Hara, Junichi; Tokimasa, Sadao; Ohta, Hideaki; Hashii, Yoshiko; Rikiishi, Takeshi; Sawada, Machiko; Kuriyama, Kikuko; Kohdera, Urara; Kamibeppu, Kiyoko; Kawasaki, Hirohide; Oda, Megumi; Hori, Hiroki

2017-02-01

Quality of life (QOL) as a treatment outcome has not yet been evaluated among patients receiving a specific treatment regimen by treatment phase in a consistent manner. This exploratory cross-sectional study evaluated the QOL of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) receiving one of the most popular treatment regimens in Japan (Japan Association of Childhood Leukemia Study ALL-02 revised protocol). Children aged 5-18 years with newly diagnosed B-cell precursor ALL were included. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory ™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQL-J) were completed by children with ALL and their siblings, as well as by age- and sex-matched healthy controls. PedsQL Cancer Module (PedsQL-C) scores were also collected from children with ALL. QOL in children with ALL of the consolidation phase group was significantly decreased compared with that of healthy controls, except in the area of emotional functioning. Regarding the maintenance phase group, QOL impairment was noted in the physical and school functioning, but no differences were noted in social functioning. The off-treatment group had a large effect size only for physical functioning, and the social functioning score was even better in children with ALL than in matched controls. QOL of children with ALL differed with treatment phase. Effect size varied with function and treatment phase. QOL may change with the progression of treatment, and the timing of these changes varied according to function and problem. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

Yoga Practice Increases Minimum Muscular Fitness in Children with Visual Impairment

PubMed Central

Mohanty, Soubhagyalaxmi; Venkata Ramana Murty, Peri; Pradhan, Balaram; Hankey, Alex

2015-01-01

Introduction: Muscle strength, a component for balance, gait and functional mobility is vital for children with visual impairment. Yoga has frequently been demonstrated to improve physical and mental fitness in children. This study aimed to assess the effect of 16 weeks yoga training on muscular fitness in children with visual impairment. Methods: This was a wait-listed two-armed-matched case–control study. Eighty (41 yoga, 39 control) visual impairment students of both genders aged 9-16 years matched on age, gender and degree of blindness were assessed at pre, mid (after 8 weeks) and post (after 16 weeks) yoga intervention using the Kraus-Weber test. Results: The percentage of students passed in yoga group were 12.2%, 43.9% and 68.3% whereas percentages in the control group were 23.1%, 30.8% and 30.8% in pre, mid, and post tests respectively. McNemar test showed significant differences between pre and mid, mid and post in the yoga group while those parameters were not significantly different in the control group. Yoga therapy seemed to have considerable benefits for the children’s muscular fitness. Conclusion: The study suggests that yoga have considerable benefits for improvement of fitness level in children with visual impairment and may be recommended as and effective, alternative, inexpensive low risk training activity option for them. PMID:26744725

Relative Ease in Creating Detailed Orthographic Representations Contrasted with Severe Difficulties to Maintain Them in Long-term Memory Among Dyslexic Children.

PubMed

Binamé, Florence; Danzio, Sophie; Poncelet, Martine

2015-11-01

Most research into orthographic learning abilities has been conducted in English with typically developing children using reading-based tasks. In the present study, we examined the abilities of French-speaking children with dyslexia to create novel orthographic representations for subsequent use in spelling and to maintain them in long-term memory. Their performance was compared with that of chronological age (CA)-matched and reading age (RA)-matched control children. We used an experimental task designed to provide optimal learning conditions (i.e. 10 spelling practice trials) ensuring the short-term acquisition of the spelling of the target orthographic word forms. After a 1-week delay, the long-term retention of the targets was assessed by a spelling post-test. Analysis of the results revealed that, in the short term, children with dyslexia learned the novel orthographic word forms well, only differing from both CA and RA controls on the initial decoding of the targets and from CA controls on the first two practice trials. In contrast, a dramatic drop was observed in their long-term retention relative to CA and RA controls. These results support the suggestion of the self-teaching hypothesis (Share, 1995) that initial errors in the decoding and spelling of unfamiliar words may hinder the establishment of fully specified novel orthographic representations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Out-of-pocket medical costs and third-party healthcare costs for children with Down syndrome.

PubMed

Kageleiry, Andrew; Samuelson, David; Duh, Mei Sheng; Lefebvre, Patrick; Campbell, John; Skotko, Brian G

2017-03-01

Prior analyses have estimated the lifetime total societal costs of a person with Down syndrome (DS); however, no studies capture the expected medical costs that patients with DS can expect to incur during childhood. The study utilized the OptumHealth Reporting and Insights administrative claims database from 1999 to 2013. Children with a diagnosis of DS were identified, and their time was divided into clinically relevant age categories. Patients with DS in each age category were matched to controls without chromosomal conditions. Out-of-pocket medical costs and third-party expenditures were compared between the patient-age cohorts with DS and matched controls. Patients with DS had significantly higher mean annual out-of-pocket costs than their matched controls within each age and cost category. Total annual incremental out-of-pocket costs associated with DS were highest among individuals from birth to age 1 ($1,907, P < 0.001). The main drivers of the incremental out-of-pocket costs associated with DS were inpatient costs in the 1st year of life ($925, P < 0.001) and outpatient costs in later years (ranging $183-$623, all P < 0.001). Overall, patients with DS incurred incremental out-of-pocket medical costs of $18,248 between birth and age 18 years; third-party payers incurred incremental costs of $230,043 during the same period. Across all age categories, mean total out-of-pocket annual costs were greater for individuals with DS than those of matched controls. On average, parents of children with DS pay an additional $84 per month for out-of-pocket medical expenses when costs are amortized over 18 years. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Psychosocial factors in childhood pedestrian injury: a matched case-control study. Kid's'n'Cars Team.

PubMed

Christoffel, K K; Donovan, M; Schofer, J; Wills, K; Lavigne, J V

1996-01-01

Psychosocial factors--such as hyperactivity and low family cohesion--contribute to the risk for child pedestrian injury (PI), even after controlling for known demographic risk factors. Urban PI victims aged 5 to 12 years were recruited from one large, urban pediatric trauma center in a large city. One hundred twenty-eight cases were matched to uninjured children on age, sex, race, location of residence, and parental education. Among matched cases: 70% were male, 41% were black, 33% were Hispanic, and 66% of the mothers had a high school education or less. RESEARCH DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: Case-control comparisons on 19 psychosocial variables drawn from interviews and standardized tests, using one-tailed matched-pairs t tests and conditional logistic regression analyses. Cases had higher reported physical quotient [PQ] (P = .01), self-help quotient (P = .04), and family stress (P = .02), and lower family supportiveness (P = .03). Multivariate analyses confirmed that PQ was higher in cases (10-point increase: odds ratio (OR) = 1.32 [90% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.76], that stress was higher in cases (1 log increase: OR 2.13, [1.26-3.61]), and that cases had lower family supportiveness (25-point decrease: OR 1.43 [1.25-1.63]). It also identified household crowding as a factor for non-black cases (OR for increase of 0.25 people per room: 2.18, [1.31-3.62]). Even when controlling for demographic risk, several family factors and one child factor place children at risk for PI. Clinicians may choose to use these as indicators for injury prevention counseling. Research on family effects may help clarify means to protect children who are demographically at risk for PI.

Risk of Childhood Rheumatic and Non-Rheumatic Autoimmune Diseases in Children Born to Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PubMed

Couture, Julie; Bernatsky, Sasha; Scott, Susan; Pineau, Christian A; Vinet, Evelyne

2018-05-23

Several autoimmune diseases have familial aggregation and possibly, common genetic predispositions. In a large population-based study, we evaluated if children born to mothers with SLE have an increased risk of rheumatic and non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases, versus children born to mothers without SLE. Using the "Offspring of SLE mothers Registry (OSLER)", we identified children born live to SLE mothers and their matched controls, and ascertained autoimmune diseases based on ≥1 hospitalization or ≥2 physician visits with a relevant diagnostic code. We adjusted for maternal age, education, race/ethnicity, obstetrical complications, calendar birth year, and sex of child. 509 women with SLE had 719 children, while 5824 matched controls had 8493 children. Mean follow-up was 9.1 (SD 5.8) years. Children born to mothers with SLE had similar frequency of rheumatic autoimmune diagnoses (0.14%, 95% CI 0.01, 0.90) versus controls (0.19%, 95% CI 0.11, 0.32). There was a trend towards more non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases in SLE offspring (1.11%, 95% CI 0.52, 2.27) versus controls (0.48%, 95% CI 0.35, 0.66). In multivariate analyses, we did not see a clear increase in rheumatic autoimmune disease (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.11-4.82) but children born to mothers with SLE had a substantially increased risk of non-rheumatic autoimmune disease versus controls (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.06-5.03). Although the vast majority of offspring have no autoimmune disease, children born to women with SLE may have an increased risk of non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases, versus controls. Additional studies assessing offspring through to adulthood would be additionally enlightening. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Clostridium difficile infection is associated with increased risk of death and prolonged hospitalization in children.

PubMed

Sammons, Julia Shaklee; Localio, Russell; Xiao, Rui; Coffin, Susan E; Zaoutis, Theoklis

2013-07-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality among adults. However, outcomes are poorly defined among children. A retrospective cohort study was performed among hospitalized children at 41 children's hospitals between January 2006 and August 2011. Patients with CDI (exposed) were matched 1:2 to patients without CDI (unexposed) based on the probability of developing CDI (propensity score derived from patient characteristics). Exposed subjects were stratified by C. difficile test date, suggestive of community-onset (CO) versus hospital-onset (HO) CDI. Outcomes were analyzed for matched subjects. We identified 5107 exposed and 693 409 unexposed subjects. Median age was 6 years (interquartile range [IQR], 2-13 years) for exposed and 8 years (IQR, 3-14 years) for unexposed subjects. Of these, 4474 exposed were successfully matched to 8821 unexposed by propensity score. In-hospital mortality differed significantly (CDI, 1.43% vs matched unexposed, 0.66%; P < .001). Mortality rates were similar between CO-CDI and matched subjects. However, mortality rates were significantly greater among HO-CDI compared with matched unexposed (odds ratio, 6.73 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 3.77-12.02]). Mean differences in length of stay (LOS) and total cost were significant: 5.55 days (95% CI, 4.54-6.56 days) and $18 900 (95% CI, $15 100-$22 700) for CO-CDI, and 21.60 days (95% CI, 19.29-23.90 days) and $93 600 (95% CI, $80 000-$107 200) for HO-CDI. Pediatric CDI is associated with increased mortality, longer LOS, and higher costs. These findings underscore the importance of antibiotic stewardship and infection control programs to prevent this disease in children.

Clostridium difficile Infection Is Associated With Increased Risk of Death and Prolonged Hospitalization in Children

PubMed Central

Sammons, Julia Shaklee; Localio, Russell; Xiao, Rui; Coffin, Susan E.; Zaoutis, Theoklis

2013-01-01

Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality among adults. However, outcomes are poorly defined among children. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed among hospitalized children at 41 children's hospitals between January 2006 and August 2011. Patients with CDI (exposed) were matched 1:2 to patients without CDI (unexposed) based on the probability of developing CDI (propensity score derived from patient characteristics). Exposed subjects were stratified by C. difficile test date, suggestive of community-onset (CO) versus hospital-onset (HO) CDI. Outcomes were analyzed for matched subjects. Results We identified 5107 exposed and 693 409 unexposed subjects. Median age was 6 years (interquartile range [IQR], 2–13 years) for exposed and 8 years (IQR, 3–14 years) for unexposed subjects. Of these, 4474 exposed were successfully matched to 8821 unexposed by propensity score. In-hospital mortality differed significantly (CDI, 1.43% vs matched unexposed, 0.66%; P < .001). Mortality rates were similar between CO-CDI and matched subjects. However, mortality rates were significantly greater among HO-CDI compared with matched unexposed (odds ratio, 6.73 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 3.77–12.02]). Mean differences in length of stay (LOS) and total cost were significant: 5.55 days (95% CI, 4.54–6.56 days) and $18 900 (95% CI, $15 100–$22 700) for CO-CDI, and 21.60 days (95% CI, 19.29–23.90 days) and $93 600 (95% CI, $80 000–$107 200) for HO-CDI. Conclusions Pediatric CDI is associated with increased mortality, longer LOS, and higher costs. These findings underscore the importance of antibiotic stewardship and infection control programs to prevent this disease in children. PMID:23532470

Cognitive functions in preschool children with specific language impairment.

PubMed

Reichenbach, Katrin; Bastian, Laura; Rohrbach, Saskia; Gross, Manfred; Sarrar, Lea

2016-07-01

A growing body of research has focused on executive functions in children with specific language impairment (SLI). However, results show limited convergence, particularly in preschool age. The current neuropsychological study compared performance of cognitive functions focused on executive components and working memory in preschool children with SLI to typically developing controls. Performance on the measures cognitive flexibility, inhibition, processing speed and phonological short-term memory was assessed. The monolingual, Caucasian study sample consisted of 30 children with SLI (Mage = 63.3 months, SD = 4.3 months) and 30 healthy controls (Mage = 62.2 months, SD = 3.7 months). Groups were matched for age and nonverbal IQ. Socioeconomic status of the participating families was included. Children with SLI had significantly poorer abilities of phonological short-term memory than matched controls. A tendency of poorer abilities in the SLI group was found for inhibition and processing speed. We confirmed phonological short-term memory to be a reliable marker of SLI in preschoolers. Our results do not give definite support for impaired executive function in SLI, possibly owing to limited sensitivity of test instruments in this age group. We argue for a standardization of executive function tests for research use. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Long-Term Tracheostomy on Spectral Characteristics of Vowel Production.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamen, Ruth Saletsky; Watson, Ben C.

1991-01-01

Eight preschool children who underwent tracheotomy during the prelingual period were compared to matched controls on a variety of speech measures. Children with tracheotomies showed reduced acoustic vowel space, suggesting they were limited in their ability to produce extreme vocal tract configurations for vowels postdecannulation. Oral motor…

Inner Speech Impairments in Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehouse, Andrew J. O.; Maybery, Murray T.; Durkin, Kevin

2006-01-01

Background: Three experiments investigated the role of inner speech deficit in cognitive performances of children with autism. Methods: Experiment 1 compared children with autism with ability-matched controls on a verbal recall task presenting pictures and words. Experiment 2 used pictures for which the typical names were either single syllable or…

Neural Basis of Visual Attentional Orienting in Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Eric R.; Norr, Megan; Strang, John F.; Kenworthy, Lauren; Gaillard, William D.; Vaidya, Chandan J.

2017-01-01

We examined spontaneous attention orienting to visual salience in stimuli without social significance using a modified Dot-Probe task during functional magnetic resonance imaging in high-functioning preadolescent children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and age- and IQ-matched control children. While the magnitude of attentional bias (faster…

Early Childhood Education: The Long-Term Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakken, Linda; Brown, Nola; Downing, Barry

2017-01-01

This study was designed to substantiate the positive, long-term outcomes demonstrated by children from economically disadvantaged homes who received a high-quality, early education. Children who attended The Opportunity Project (TOP) Early Learning Centers in a midwestern city in the United States were matched with a like control sample from a…

Neologisms and Idiosyncratic Language in Autistic Speakers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volden, Joanne; Lord, Catherine

1991-01-01

This study of 80 autistic (ages 6-18), mentally handicapped, and normal children found that more autistic subjects used neologisms and idiosyncratic language than age- and language-skill-matched control groups. More autistic children used words inappropriately that were neither phonologically nor conceptually related to intended English words than…

Environmental Print and Word Reading.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronin, Virginia; Farrell, Denise; Delaney, Mary

1999-01-01

Compares two views about the importance of environmental print in children's learning experiences. Assesses environmental print knowledge in non-reading preschool children and relates it to word recognition training. Finds words from the known logos were more readily learned than the matching control words, but only in Study 1 were the known logo…

Psychological Concomitants of Cystic Fibrosis in Children and Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kashani, Javad H.; And Others

1988-01-01

Administered several psychiatric inventories to 30 cystic fibrosis and 30 matched control children and their parents. Data analysis revealed few differences in either psychopathological symptoms or psychiatric diagnoses between groups. Differences were either physical in nature or did not depart enough from normal scores to merit label of high…

Olfactory Processing in Male Children with Autism: Atypical Odor Threshold and Identification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muratori, Filippo; Tonacci, Alessandro; Billeci, Lucia; Catalucci, Tiziana; Igliozzi, Roberta; Calderoni, Sara; Narzisi, Antonio

2017-01-01

Sensory issues are of great interest in ASD diagnosis. However, their investigation is mainly based on external observation (parent reports), with methodological limitations. Unobtrusive olfactory assessment allows studying autism neurosensoriality. Here, 20 male children with high-functioning ASD and 20 matched controls were administered a…

Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea Associates with Neuropsychological Deficits and Neuronal Brain Injury

PubMed Central

Halbower, Ann C; Degaonkar, Mahaveer; Barker, Peter B; Earley, Christopher J; Marcus, Carole L; Smith, Philip L; Prahme, M. Cristine; Mahone, E. Mark

2006-01-01

Background Childhood obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with neuropsychological deficits of memory, learning, and executive function. There is no evidence of neuronal brain injury in children with OSA. We hypothesized that childhood OSA is associated with neuropsychological performance dysfunction, and with neuronal metabolite alterations in the brain, indicative of neuronal injury in areas corresponding to neuropsychological function. Methods and Findings We conducted a cross-sectional study of 31 children (19 with OSA and 12 healthy controls, aged 6–16 y) group-matched by age, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Participants underwent polysomnography and neuropsychological assessments. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging was performed on a subset of children with OSA and on matched controls. Neuropsychological test scores and mean neuronal metabolite ratios of target brain areas were compared. Relative to controls, children with severe OSA had significant deficits in IQ and executive functions (verbal working memory and verbal fluency). Children with OSA demonstrated decreases of the mean neuronal metabolite ratio N-acetyl aspartate/choline in the left hippocampus (controls: 1.29, standard deviation [SD] 0.21; OSA: 0.91, SD 0.05; p = 0.001) and right frontal cortex (controls: 2.2, SD 0.4; OSA: 1.6, SD 0.4; p = 0.03). Conclusions Childhood OSA is associated with deficits of IQ and executive function and also with possible neuronal injury in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. We speculate that untreated childhood OSA could permanently alter a developing child's cognitive potential. PMID:16933960

Barriers to dental care for children with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Barry, S; O'Sullivan, E A; Toumba, K J

2014-04-01

This study examined the problems encountered by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), when accessing dental care. This was a cross-sectional, case-control questionnaire study. A piloted questionnaire was developed to identify the main barriers to dental care experienced by patients with ASD in Hull and East Riding. The study group was comprised of parents/carers of children with ASD, and the control group was comprised of parents/carers of age matched healthy, neurotypical children. Results were analysed using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests where appropriate. Significance was deemed at p < 0.05. Ordinal data was presented using medians and 25th and 75th centiles and compared using Mann-Whitney U test. A piloted questionnaire was developed to identify the main barriers to dental care experienced by patients with ASD in Hull and East Riding. The study group was comprised of parents/carers of children with ASD, and the control group was comprised of parents/carers of age matched healthy, neurotypical children. 112 subjects completed the questionnaire. There was no significant difference in accessing dental care between study and control groups (p = 0.051), although access was perceived as more difficult in the ASD group (p < 0.001). There was a significantly greater perceived difficulty in travelling to the dental surgery in the ASD group. Predicted negative behaviours were more frequent in the ASD group. All suggested interventions were predicted to be helpful in a significantly greater proportion of the ASD group. Difficulties exist for children with ASD in accessing dental care in the Hull and East Riding area.

Developmental dyslexia and phonological processing in European Portuguese orthography.

PubMed

Moura, Octávio; Moreno, Joana; Pereira, Marcelino; Simões, Mário R

2015-02-01

This study analysed the performance of phonological processing, the diagnostic accuracy and the influence on reading in children who were native speakers of an orthography of intermediate depth. Portuguese children with developmental dyslexia (DD; N=24; aged 10-12 years), chronological age (CA)-matched controls (N=24; aged 10-12 years) and reading level (RL)-matched controls (N=24; aged 7-9 years) were tested on measures of phonological processing (phonological awareness, naming speed and verbal short-term memory) and reading. The results indicated that the children with DD performed significantly poorer in all measures compared with the CA and RL. Phonological awareness and naming speed showed a high accuracy (receiver operating characteristics curve analysis) for discriminating the children with DD from the CA and RL, whereas the presence of abnormally low scores in phonological awareness and naming speed was more frequent in the DD group than in the controls and the normative population. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that phonological awareness was the most important predictor of all reading accuracy measures, whereas naming speed was particularly related to text reading fluency. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A small pons as a characteristic finding in Down syndrome: A quantitative MRI study.

PubMed

Fujii, Yuta; Aida, Noriko; Niwa, Tetsu; Enokizono, Mikako; Nozawa, Kumiko; Inoue, Tomio

2017-04-01

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal aberration, but the characteristics of the brainstem component in this condition during childhood (from newborn to preteen stages) have not been clarified. To evaluate the morphological features of the brainstem in DS on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRIs for 32 children with DS (16 boys and girls each; age range, 0-11years) without major brain insults, and 32 age-matched controls (16 boys and girls each) were retrospectively analyzed. Height, width, and area of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata were measured on sagittal T1-weighted images; these were compared in children with DS and age-matched controls. The ratios of the brainstem to the size of the posterior fossa (BS/PF index) were calculated; these were also compared in the children with DS and the control group. The width and area of the midbrain; height, width, area of the pons; and area of the medulla oblongata were significantly smaller in children with DS than in control children (P<0.05); the area of the pons, particularly for the ventral part, showed the largest differences in the mean relative differences. The BS/PF indices of the height, width, and area of the pons were significantly smaller in children with DS than in the control group (P<0.01). However, the BS/PF indices for the midbrain and the medulla oblongata did not differ between these two groups. Children with DS may have small brainstems, particularly in the pons; this may be a characteristic morphological feature of the brainstem on MRI in childhood including neonates. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serum levels of zinc and copper in epileptic children during long-term therapy with anticonvulsants.

PubMed

Talat, Mohamed A; Ahmed, Anwar; Mohammed, Lamia

2015-10-01

To evaluate the serum levels of zinc and copper in epileptic children during the long-term treatment of anticonvulsant drugs and correlate this with healthy subjects. A hospital-based group matched case-control study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt between November 2013 and October 2014. Ninety patients aged 7.1 ± 3.6 years were diagnosed with epilepsy by a neurologist. The control group was selected from healthy individuals and matched to the case group. Serum zinc and copper were measured by the calorimetric method using a colorimetric method kit. The mean zinc level was 60.1 ± 22.6 ug/dl in the cases, and 102.1 ± 18 ug/dl in the controls (p<0.001). The mean copper level was 180.1 ± 32.4 ug/dl in cases compared with 114.5 ± 18.5 ug/dl in controls (p<0.001). Serum zinc levels in epileptic children under drug treatment are lower compared with healthy children. Also, serum copper levels in these patients are significantly higher than in healthy people. No significant difference in the levels of serum copper and zinc was observed in using one drug or multiple drugs in the treatment of epileptic patients.

Serum levels of zinc and copper in epileptic children during long-term therapy with anticonvulsants

PubMed Central

Talat, Mohamed A.; Ahmed, Anwar; Mohammed, Lamia

2015-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the serum levels of zinc and copper in epileptic children during the long-term treatment of anticonvulsant drugs and correlate this with healthy subjects. Methods: A hospital-based group matched case-control study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt between November 2013 and October 2014. Ninety patients aged 7.1±3.6 years were diagnosed with epilepsy by a neurologist. The control group was selected from healthy individuals and matched to the case group. Serum zinc and copper were measured by the calorimetric method using a colorimetric method kit. Results: The mean zinc level was 60.1±22.6 ug/dl in the cases, and 102.1±18 ug/dl in the controls (p<0.001). The mean copper level was 180.1±32.4 ug/dl in cases compared with 114.5±18.5 ug/dl in controls (p<0.001). Conclusion: Serum zinc levels in epileptic children under drug treatment are lower compared with healthy children. Also, serum copper levels in these patients are significantly higher than in healthy people. No significant difference in the levels of serum copper and zinc was observed in using one drug or multiple drugs in the treatment of epileptic patients. PMID:26492112

Reverse transport of children from a tertiary pediatric hospital.

PubMed

McPherson, Mona L; Jefferson, Larry S; Smith, E O'Brian; Sitler, Garry C; Graf, Jeanine M

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiology and resources used and to study the potential savings of pediatric reverse transport patients. A case control study was performed with patients undergoing a reverse or outbound transport from a large, pediatric hospital. Twenty-five children undergoing reverse transport were compared with matched controls. Lengths of stay and costs were compared between the reverse transport and matched control patients. Fifty-two percent of the reverse transport patients returned home, whereas 32% went home for end-of-life care and 16% went to other facilities. The average reverse transport was more than 400 miles and cost $6,064. The reverse transport of these patients did not save pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) days but did result in a shorter hospital stay compared with the matched controls (10 vs. 19 days, P = .03). Decreased utilization of bed days came from less use of intermediate care unit resources. Pediatric patients undergo reverse transports for a variety of reasons, often for end-of-life care. The ability to reverse transport pediatric patients may not save PICU bed days but may offer pediatric tertiary care hospitals a means to provide more intermediate care bed availability.

Family CHAOS is associated with glycaemic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Chae, M; Taylor, B J; Lawrence, J; Healey, D; Reith, D M; Gray, A; Wheeler, B J

2016-02-01

Despite advances in the medical management of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), for many, glycaemic control remains substandard. Other factors are clearly important in determining success, or lack thereof, with diabetes management. With this in mind, we have investigated whether family CHAOS may provide a novel tool to identify when environmental confusion could impact on diabetes management and subsequent glycaemic control. A case-control study of children and adolescents with established T1DM and age-/sex-matched controls was conducted. Demographic information, both maternal and paternal CHAOS scores, and HbA1c were collected. Statistical analysis was undertaken to explore associations between T1DM and CHAOS and between CHAOS and HbA1c. Data on 65 children with T1DM and 60 age-/sex-matched controls were obtained. There was no evidence of group differences for maternal CHAOS (p = 0.227), but paternal CHAOS scores were higher for the T1DM group (p = 0.041). Greater maternal and paternal CHAOS scores were both associated with higher HbA1c (p ≤ 0.027). The maternal association remained after controlling for diabetes duration, SMBG frequency, and insulin therapy. In children with T1DM, there appears to be a negative association between increased environmental confusion, as rated by CHAOS, and glycaemic control. In addition, when compared to controls, fathers of children and adolescents with T1DM appear to experience CHAOS differently to mothers. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature exploring psychosocial factors in T1DM. Continuing efforts are required to fully understand how the family and psychosocial environment interact with diabetes to impact on long-term health outcomes.

Performance of children with developmental dyslexia on high and low topological entropy artificial grammar learning task.

PubMed

Katan, Pesia; Kahta, Shani; Sasson, Ayelet; Schiff, Rachel

2017-07-01

Graph complexity as measured by topological entropy has been previously shown to affect performance on artificial grammar learning tasks among typically developing children. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of graph complexity on implicit sequential learning among children with developmental dyslexia. Our goal was to determine whether children's performance depends on the complexity level of the grammar system learned. We conducted two artificial grammar learning experiments that compared performance of children with developmental dyslexia with that of age- and reading level-matched controls. Experiment 1 was a high topological entropy artificial grammar learning task that aimed to establish implicit learning phenomena in children with developmental dyslexia using previously published experimental conditions. Experiment 2 is a lower topological entropy variant of that task. Results indicated that given a high topological entropy grammar system, children with developmental dyslexia who were similar to the reading age-matched control group had substantial difficulty in performing the task as compared to typically developing children, who exhibited intact implicit learning of the grammar. On the other hand, when tested on a lower topological entropy grammar system, all groups performed above chance level, indicating that children with developmental dyslexia were able to identify rules from a given grammar system. The results reinforced the significance of graph complexity when experimenting with artificial grammar learning tasks, particularly with dyslexic participants.

Quality of life in children and adolescents with growth hormone deficiency: association with growth hormone treatment.

PubMed

Geisler, Alexandra; Lass, Nina; Reinsch, Nicole; Uysal, Yvonne; Singer, Viola; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Reinehr, Thomas

2012-01-01

Quality of life (QoL) as it is related with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a matter of controversy. We analyzed QoL in 95 children aged 8-18 years with isolated GHD (72% male) treated with growth hormone (GH). These children were compared to 190 age- and gender-matched healthy children with similar height [height <10th percentile; control group 1 (CG1)] and age- and gender-matched 285 healthy children of normal stature (control group 2: CG2). QoL was measured by the KINDL® questionnaire referring to six domains (physical well-being, emotional well-being, self-esteem, family, friends, and school). QoL was significantly reduced in CG1 (effect-size 0.21) compared to CG2, while QoL was not significantly altered in children with GHD. In multiple linear regression analyses adjusted to age, gender, BMI, migration background, and socioeconomic status, decreasing height-SDS was associated with poorer QoL (especially emotional well-being), and treatment with GH was related significantly to better self-esteem. Increase of height-SDS in children treated with GH was associated positively with QoL and all its subscales except family and school. These findings suggest psychological consequences of short stature in children and an improvement of QoL in children treated with GH with the focus on self-esteem and emotional well-being. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Piped water supply interruptions and acute diarrhea among under-five children in Addis Ababa slums, Ethiopia: A matched case-control study.

PubMed

Adane, Metadel; Mengistie, Bezatu; Medhin, Girmay; Kloos, Helmut; Mulat, Worku

2017-01-01

The problem of intermittent piped water supplies that exists in low- and middle-income countries is particularly severe in the slums of sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about whether there is deterioration of the microbiological quality of the intermittent piped water supply at a household level and whether it is a factor in reducing or increasing the occurrence of acute diarrhea among under-five children in slums of Addis Ababa. This study aimed to determine the association of intermittent piped water supplies and point-of-use (POU) contamination of household stored water by Escherichia coli (E. coli) with acute diarrhea among under-five children in slums of Addis Ababa. A community-based matched case-control study was conducted from November to December, 2014. Cases were defined as under-five children with acute diarrhea during the two weeks before the survey. Controls were matched by age and neighborhood with cases by individual matching. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and E. coli analysis of water from piped water supplies and household stored water. A five-tube method of Most Probable Number (MPN)/100 ml standard procedure was used for E. coli analysis. Multivariable conditional logistic regression with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used for data analysis by controlling potential confounding effects of selected socio-demographic characteristics. During the two weeks before the survey, 87.9% of case households and 51.0% of control households had an intermittent piped water supply for an average of 4.3 days and 3.9 days, respectively. POU contamination of household stored water by E. coli was found in 83.3% of the case households, and 52.1% of the control households. In a fully adjusted model, a periodically intermittent piped water supply (adjusted matched odds ratio (adjusted mOR) = 4.8; 95% CI: 1.3-17.8), POU water contamination in household stored water by E. coli (adjusted mOR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.1-10.1), water retrieved from water storage containers using handle-less vessels (adjusted mOR = 16.3; 95% CI: 4.4-60.1), and water retrieved by interchangeably using vessels both with and without handle (adjusted mOR = 5.4; 95% CI: 1.1-29.1) were independently associated with acute diarrhea. We conclude that provision of continuously available piped water supplies and education of caregivers about proper water retrieval methods of household stored water can effectively reduce POU contamination of water at the household level and thereby reduce acute diarrhea among under-five children in slums of Addis Ababa. Promotion of household water treatment is also highly encouraged until the City's water authority is able to deliver continuously available piped water supplies.

Are families of children with reading difficulties at risk for immune disorders and nonrighthandedness?

PubMed

Crawford, S G; Kaplan, B J; Kinsbourne, M

1994-06-01

This study used questionnaire data to examine immune disorders and nonrighthandedness in the families of children enrolled in a learning disabilities school and children attending regular classrooms in public schools. Groups were organized according to their performance on a standardized test of reading comprehension to avoid overlap. In total, 468 questionnaires were returned, from which we were able to derive a final sample of carefully matched subjects: 55 subjects undergoing remediation for reading problems and 55 age- and sex-matched control subjects. The results indicated that children with reading problems and their families more frequently suffered from some immune and autoimmune disorders, particularly those involving the gastrointestinal tract and the thyroid gland. In addition, symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were associated with Crohn's disease and migraine headache in the families. There was no evidence of an elevated prevalence of nonrighthandedness in the children with reading problems and their families.

Spontaneous improvement in oculomotor function of children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Ego, Caroline; Orban de Xivry, Jean-Jacques; Nassogne, Marie-Cécile; Yüksel, Demet; Lefèvre, Philippe

2014-11-20

Eye movements are essential to get a clear vision of moving objects. In the present study, we assessed quantitatively the oculomotor deficits of children with cerebral palsy (CP). We recorded eye movements of 51 children with cerebral palsy (aged 5-16 years) with relatively mild motor impairment and compared their performance with age-matched control and premature children. Overall eye movements of children with CP are unexpectedly close to those of controls even though some oculomotor parameters are biased by the side of hemiplegia. Importantly, the difference in performance between children with CP and controls decreases with age, demonstrating that the oculomotor function of children with CP develops as fast as or even faster than controls for some visual tracking parameters. That is, oculomotor function spontaneously improves over the course of childhood. This evolution highlights the ability of lesioned brain of children with CP to compensate for impaired motor function beyond what would be achieved by normal development on its own. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Phonological Short-Term Memory and Speech Perception on Spoken Sentence Comprehension in Children: Simulating Deficits in an Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Meaghan C.; Penney, Sarah B.; Robertson, Erin K.

2017-01-01

The roles of phonological short-term memory (pSTM) and speech perception in spoken sentence comprehension were examined in an experimental design. Deficits in pSTM and speech perception were simulated through task demands while typically-developing children (N = 71) completed a sentence-picture matching task. Children performed the control,…

Self- and Co-Regulation of Anger and Fear in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Role of Maternal Parenting Style and Temperament

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirschler-Guttenberg, Yael; Feldman, Ruth; Ostfeld-Etzion, Sharon; Laor, Nathaniel; Golan, Ofer

2015-01-01

Emotion regulation (ER) difficulties are a major concern in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Maternal temperament and parenting style have significant effects on children's ER. However, these effects have not been studied in children with ASD. Forty preschoolers with ASD and their mothers and forty matched controls engaged in fear and…

Lexical and semantic ability in groups of children with cochlear implants, language impairment and autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Löfkvist, Ulrika; Almkvist, Ove; Lyxell, Björn; Tallberg, Ing-Mari

2014-02-01

Lexical-semantic ability was investigated among children aged 6-9 years with cochlear implants (CI) and compared to clinical groups of children with language impairment (LI) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as to age-matched children with normal hearing (NH). In addition, the influence of age at implantation on lexical-semantic ability was investigated among children with CI. 97 children divided into four groups participated, CI (n=34), LI (n=12), ASD (n=12), and NH (n=39). A battery of tests, including picture naming, receptive vocabulary and knowledge of semantic features, was used for assessment. A semantic response analysis of the erroneous responses on the picture-naming test was also performed. The group of children with CI exhibited a naming ability comparable to that of the age-matched children with NH, and they also possessed a relevant semantic knowledge of certain words that they were unable to name correctly. Children with CI had a significantly better understanding of words compared to the children with LI and ASD, but a worse understanding than those with NH. The significant differences between groups remained after controlling for age and non-verbal cognitive ability. The children with CI demonstrated lexical-semantic abilities comparable to age-matched children with NH, while children with LI and ASD had a more atypical lexical-semantic profile and poorer sizes of expressive and receptive vocabularies. Dissimilar causes of neurodevelopmental processes seemingly affected lexical-semantic abilities in different ways in the clinical groups. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug without Antibiotics for Acute Viral Infection Increases the Empyema Risk in Children: A Matched Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Le Bourgeois, Muriel; Ferroni, Agnès; Leruez-Ville, Marianne; Varon, Emmanuelle; Thumerelle, Caroline; Brémont, François; Fayon, Michael J; Delacourt, Christophe; Ligier, Caroline; Watier, Laurence; Guillemot, Didier

2016-08-01

To investigate the risk factors of empyema after acute viral infection and to clarify the hypothesized association(s) between empyema and some viruses and/or the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A case-control study was conducted in 15 centers. Cases and controls were enrolled for a source population of children 3-15 years of age with acute viral infections between 2006 and 2009. Among 215 empyemas, 83 cases (children with empyema and acute viral infection within the 15 preceding days) were included, and 83 controls (children with acute viral infection) were matched to cases. Considering the intake of any drug within 72 hours after acute viral infection onset and at least 6 consecutive days of antibiotic use and at least 1 day of NSAIDs exposure, the multivariable analysis retained an increased risk of empyema associated with NSAIDs exposure (aOR 2.79, 95% CI 1.4-5.58, P = .004), and a decreased risk associated with antibiotic use (aOR 0.32, 95% CI 0.11-0.97, P = .04). The risk of empyema associated with NSAIDs exposure was greater for children not prescribed an antibiotic and antibiotic intake diminished that risk for children given NSAIDs. NSAIDs use during acute viral infection is associated with an increased risk of empyema in children, and antibiotics are associated with a decreased risk. The presence of antibiotic-NSAIDs interaction with this risk is suggested. These findings suggest that NSAIDs should not be recommended as a first-line antipyretic treatment during acute viral infections in children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Period for Normalization of Voice Acoustic Parameters in Indian Pediatric Cochlear Implantees.

PubMed

Joy, Jeena V; Deshpande, Shweta; Vaid, Dr Neelam

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the duration required by children with cochlear implants to approximate the norms of voice acoustic parameters. The study design is retrospective. Thirty children with cochlear implants (chronological ages ranging between 4.1 and 6.7 years) were divided into three groups, based on the postimplantation duration. Ten normal-hearing children (chronological ages ranging between 4 and 7 years) were selected as the control group. All implanted children underwent an objective voice analysis using Dr. Speech software (Tiger DRS, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA) at 6 months and at 1 and 2 years of implant use. Voice analysis was done for the children in the control group and means were derived for all the parameters analyzed to obtain the normal values. Habitual fundamental frequency (HFF), jitter (frequency variation), and shimmer (amplitude variation) were the voice acoustic parameters analyzed for the vowels |a|, |i|, and |u|. The obtained values of these parameters were then compared with the norms. HFF for the children with implant use for 6 months and 1 year did significantly differ from the control group. However, there was no significant difference (P > 0.5) observed in the children with implant use for 2 years, thus matching the norms. Jitter and shimmer showed a significant difference (P < 0.5) even at 2 years of implant use when compared with the control group. The findings of the study divulge that children with cochlear implants approximate age-matched normal-hearing kids with respect to the voice acoustic parameter of HFF by 2 years of implant use. However, jitter and shimmer were not found to stabilize for the duration studied. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DNA methylation in inflammatory genes among children with obstructive sleep apnea.

PubMed

Kim, Jinkwan; Bhattacharjee, Rakesh; Khalyfa, Abdelnaby; Kheirandish-Gozal, Leila; Capdevila, Oscar Sans; Wang, Yang; Gozal, David

2012-02-01

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) leads to multiple end-organ morbidities that are mediated by the cumulative burden of oxidative stress and inflammation. Because not all children with OSA exhibit increased systemic inflammation, genetic and environmental factors may be affecting patterns of DNA methylation in genes subserving inflammatory functions. DNA from matched children with OSA with and without high levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were assessed for DNA methylation levels of 24 inflammatory-related genes. Primer-based polymerase chain reaction assays in a case-control setting involving 47 OSA cases and 31 control subjects were conducted to confirm the findings; hsCRP and myeloid-related protein (MRP) 8/14 levels were also assayed. Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) showed higher methylation in six children with OSA and high hsCRP levels compared with matched children with OSA and low hsCRP levels (P < 0.05). In the case-control cohort, children with OSA and high CRP levels had higher log FOXP3 DNA methylation levels compared with children with OSA and low CRP levels and control subjects. IRF1 did not exhibit significant differences. FOXP3 DNA methylation levels correlated with hsCRP and MRP 8/14 levels and with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), BMI z score, and apolipoprotein B levels. A stepwise multiple regression model showed that AHI was independently associated with FOXP3 DNA methylation levels (P < 0.03). The FOXP3 gene, which regulates expression of T regulatory lymphocytes, is more likely to display increased methylation among children with OSA who exhibit increased systemic inflammatory responses. Thus, epigenetic modifications may constitute an important determinant of inflammatory phenotype in OSA, and FOXP3 DNA methylation levels may provide a potential biomarker for end-organ vulnerability.

Predictors of diarrheal mortality and patterns of caregiver health seeking behavior in in Karachi, Pakistan

PubMed Central

Qamar, Farah Naz; Zaman, Umber; Quadri, Farheen; Khan, Asia; Shaikh, Babar Tasneem; Azam, Iqbal; Nasrin, Dilruba; Kotloff, Karen; Levine, Myron; Brown, Nick; Zaidi, Anita K M

2016-01-01

Background Pakistan is unfortunately among the five countries that contributed to the most deaths due to diarrhea and pneumonia in 2010. To explore factors associated with diarrheal deaths we assessed care–seeking behavior and other predictors of diarrhea–related mortality in children in selected low–income peri–urban communities of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods A mixed methods study (qualitative and quantitative) using matched case–control design and focus group discussions with parents of children with moderate to severe diarrhea (MSD) was undertaken. Cases were children  <5 years of age who died within 60 days of developing an episode of MSD. Controls were age–matched children who survived after 60 days of an episode of MSD. Demographic, clinical, and care–related behavioral predictors of mortality were assessed. Conditional logistic regression was performed, matched adjusted odds ratios (mOR) are reported. Results Parents of 77 cases and 154 controls were interviewed. Cases were less likely to receive appropriate care compared to controls (mOR = 0.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.91). Refusal for hospital admission (OR = 8.9, 95% CI 2.6–30.8), and delays in reaching the health facility (OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.0–12.9) were significant independent predictors of mortality. We found strong beliefs in traditional and spiritual healing in the population; use of both modern and traditional/spiritual treatments concurrently was common. Conclusion Appropriate care seeking behavior predicts survival in children with diarrhea in Pakistan. There is a complex belief system relating to traditional and standard therapies. Health education for appropriate health care seeking should be implemented in order to achieve a substantial decline in diarrheal disease mortality in Pakistan. PMID:27606059

Association Between Swimming Lessons and Drowning in Childhood

PubMed Central

Brenner, Ruth A.; Taneja, Gitanjali Saluja; Haynie, Denise L.; Trumble, Ann C.; Qian, Cong; Klinger, Ron M.; Klebanoff, Mark A.

2014-01-01

Objective To estimate the association between swimming lessons and the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 19 years. Design Case-control study. Setting Cases were identified from medical examiners’/ coroners’ offices between mid-2003 and mid-2005. Jurisdictions included the states of Maryland and North Carolina, 14 districts (33 counties) in Florida, 3 counties in California, 1 county in Texas, and 1 county in New York. Participants Cases were children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 years who died of unintentional drowning. Interviews were conducted with 88 families of children who drowned and 213 matched controls. Main Exposure Swimming lessons. Main Outcome Measure Death due to unintentional drowning. Drownings that were intentional, of undetermined intent, or that occurred under conditions in which swimming ability was unlikely to impact risk (eg, in ice water or bathtubs) were excluded. Results Of the 61 cases in the 1- to 4-year age group, 2 (3%) had participated in formal swimming lessons vs 35 of 134 matched controls (26%) (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01–0.97). Among the 27 cases aged 5 to 19 years, 7 (27%) had ever taken formal swimming lessons vs 42 of 79 matched controls (53%) (adjusted OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.09–1.51). In adjusted analyses, there was no statistically significant association between informal instruction and drowning risk. Conclusions Participation in formal swimming lessons was associated with an 88% reduction in the risk of drowning in the 1- to 4-year-old children, although our estimates were imprecise and 95% CIs included risk reductions ranging from 3% to 99%. PMID:19255386

Verbal strategies and nonverbal cues in school-age children with and without specific language impairment (SLI)

PubMed Central

Eichorn, Naomi; Marton, Klara; Campanelli, Luca; Scheuer, Jessica

2014-01-01

Background Considerable evidence suggests that performance across a variety of cognitive tasks is effectively supported by the use of verbal and nonverbal strategies. Studies exploring the usefulness of such strategies in children with specific language impairment (SLI) are scarce and report inconsistent findings. Aim The present study examined effects of induced labelling and auditory cues on the performance of children with and without SLI during a categorization task. Methods & Procedures Sixty-six school-age children (22 with SLI, 22 age-matched controls, 22 language-matched controls) completed three versions of a computer-based categorization task: one baseline, one requiring overt labelling, and one with auditory cues (tones) on randomized trial blocks. Outcomes & Results Labelling had no effect on performance for typically developing children but resulted in lower accuracy and longer reaction time in children with SLI. The presence of tones had no effect on accuracy but resulted in faster reaction time and post-error slowing across groups. Conclusions & Implications Verbal strategy use was ineffective for typically developing children and negatively affected children with SLI. All children showed faster performance and increased performance monitoring as a result of tones. Overall, effects of strategy use in children appear to vary based on task demands, strategy domain, age, and language ability. Results suggest that children with SLI may benefit from auditory cues in their clinical intervention but that further research is needed to determine when and how verbal strategies might similarly support performance in this population. PMID:24861540

Metopic synostosis: Measuring intracranial volume change following fronto-orbital advancement using three-dimensional photogrammetry.

PubMed

Freudlsperger, Christian; Steinmacher, Sahra; Bächli, Heidi; Somlo, Elek; Hoffmann, Jürgen; Engel, Michael

2015-06-01

There is still disagreement regarding the intracranial volumes of patients with metopic synostosis compared with healthy patients. This study aimed to compare the intracranial volume of children with metopic synostosis before and after surgery to an age- and sex-matched control cohort using three-dimensional (3D) photogrammetry. Eighteen boys with metopic synostosis were operated on using standardized fronto-orbital advancement. Frontal, posterior and total intracranial volumes were measured exactly 1 day pre-operatively and 10 days post-operatively, using 3D photogrammetry. To establish an age- and sex-matched control group, the 3D photogrammetric data of 634 healthy boys between the ages of 3 and 13 months were analyzed. Mean age at surgery was 9 months (SD 1.7). Prior to surgery, boys with metopic synostosis showed significantly reduced frontal and total intracranial volumes compared with the reference group, but similar posterior volumes. After surgery, frontal and total intracranial volumes did not differ statistically from the control group. As children with metopic synostosis showed significantly smaller frontal and total intracranial volumes compared with an age- and sex-matched control group, corrective surgery should aim to achieve volume expansion. Furthermore, 3D photogrammetry provides a valuable alternative to CT scans in the measurement of intracranial volume in children with metopic synostosis, which significantly reduces the amount of radiation exposure to the growing brain. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Taxonomic Knowledge of Children with and without Cochlear Implants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lund, Emily; Dinsmoor, Jessica

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the taxonomic vocabulary knowledge and organization of children with cochlear implants to (a) children with normal hearing matched for age, and (b) children matched for vocabulary development. Method: Ten children with cochlear implants, 10 age-matched children with normal hearing, and 10…

Fine motor skills in children with rolandic epilepsy.

PubMed

Ayaz, Muhammed; Kara, Bülent; Soylu, Nusret; Ayaz, Ayşe Burcu

2013-11-01

This study aimed to evaluate fine motor skills in children with rolandic epilepsy (RE). The research included 44 children diagnosed with typical RE and 44 controls matched in terms of age, gender, and level of education. Fine motor skills were evaluated with the Purdue Pegboard Test, and intelligence was measured with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. After controlling for the effect of intelligence on fine motor skills, the results showed that the children with RE did not perform as well as the controls in the PPT dominant hand, both hands, and assembly subtests. Epileptic focus, treatment status, type of antiepileptic treatment, age at the time of the first seizure, time since the last seizure, and total number of seizures did not affect motor skills. Rolandic epilepsy negatively affected fine motor skills regardless of the children's level of intelligence. © 2013.

Enhancing emotion recognition in children with autism spectrum conditions: an intervention using animated vehicles with real emotional faces.

PubMed

Golan, Ofer; Ashwin, Emma; Granader, Yael; McClintock, Suzy; Day, Kate; Leggett, Victoria; Baron-Cohen, Simon

2010-03-01

This study evaluated The Transporters, an animated series designed to enhance emotion comprehension in children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). n = 20 children with ASC (aged 4-7) watched The Transporters everyday for 4 weeks. Participants were tested before and after intervention on emotional vocabulary and emotion recognition at three levels of generalization. Two matched control groups of children (ASC group, n = 18 and typically developing group, n = 18) were also assessed twice without any intervention. The intervention group improved significantly more than the clinical control group on all task levels, performing comparably to typical controls at Time 2. We conclude that using The Transporters significantly improves emotion recognition in children with ASC. Future research should evaluate the series' effectiveness with lower-functioning individuals.

Vitamin D and Fracture Risk in Early Childhood: A Case-Control Study

PubMed Central

Anderson, Laura N.; Heong, Sze Wing; Chen, Yang; Thorpe, Kevin E.; Adeli, Khosrow; Howard, Andrew; Sochett, Etienne; Birken, Catherine S.; Parkin, Patricia C.; Maguire, Jonathon L.; Abdullah, Kawsari; Anderson, Laura N.; Birken, Catherine S.; Borkhoff, Cornelia M.; Carsley, Sarah; Chen, Yang; Katz-Lavigne, Mikael; Kavikondala, Kanthi; Kowal, Christine; Maguire, Jonathon L.; Mason, Dalah; Omand, Jessica; Parkin, Patricia C.; Persaud, Navindra; van den Heuvel, Meta; Baker, Jillian; Barozzino, Tony; Bonifacio, Joey; Campbell, Douglas; Cheema, Sohail; Chisamore, Brian; Danayan, Karoon; Das, Paul; Derocher, Mary Beth; Do, Anh; Dorey, Michael; Freeman, Sloane; Fung, Keewai; Guiang, Charlie; Handford, Curtis; Hatch, Hailey; Jacobson, Sheila; Kiran, Tara; Knowles, Holly; Kwok, Bruce; Lakhoo, Sheila; Lam-Antoniades, Margarita; Lau, Eddy; Leung, Fok-Han; Loo, Jennifer; Mahmoud, Sarah; Moodie, Rosemary; Morinis, Julia; Naymark, Sharon; Neelands, Patricia; Owen, James; Peer, Michael; Perlmutar, Marty; Persaud, Navindra; Pinto, Andrew; Porepa, Michelle; Ramji, Nasreen; Ramji, Noor; Rosenthal, Alana; Saunderson, Janet; Saxena, Rahul; Sgro, Michael; Shepherd, Susan; Smiltnieks, Barbara; Taylor, Carolyn; Weisdors, Thea; Wijayasinghe, Sheila; Wong, Peter; Ying, Ethel; Young, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of vitamin D intake and serum levels with fracture risk in children under 6 years of age. A case-control study was conducted in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Cases were recruited from the fracture clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children, and matched controls were obtained from the TARGet Kids! primary-care research network. Controls were matched to cases on age, sex, height, and season. Fracture risk was estimated from conditional logistic regression, with adjustment for skin type, fracture history, waist circumference, outdoor free play, neighborhood income, soda consumption, and child's birth weight. A total of 206 cases were recruited during May 2009–April 2013 and matched to 343 controls. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration (per 10-nmol/L increment: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88, 1.03) and intake of cow's milk (<2 cups/day vs. 2 cups/day: aOR = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.60, 1.52); >2 cups/day vs. 2 cups/day: aOR = 1.39 (95% CI: 0.85, 2.23)) were not significantly associated with reduced odds of fracture. A statistically significant association was observed between child use of vitamin D supplements and decreased odds of fracture (yes vs. no: aOR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.69). Vitamin D supplementation, but not serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level or milk intake, was associated with reduced fracture risk among these healthy young children. PMID:28459987

The Fears, Phobias and Anxieties of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Down Syndrome: Comparisons with Developmentally and Chronologically Age Matched Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, David W.; Canavera, Kristin; Kleinpeter, F. Lee; Maccubbin, Elise; Taga, Ken

2005-01-01

This study compared the fears and behavior problems of 25 children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 43 children with Down syndrome (DS), 45 mental age (MA) matched children, and 37 chronologically age (CA) matched children. Children's fears, phobias, anxieties and behavioral problems were assessed using parent reports. Significant…

Long term healthcare costs of infants who survived neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis: a retrospective longitudinal study among infants enrolled in Texas Medicaid

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Infants who survive advanced necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) at the time of birth are at increased risk of having poor long term physiological and neurodevelopmental growth. The economic implications of the long term morbidity in these children have not been studied to date. This paper compares the long term healthcare costs beyond the initial hospitalization period incurred by medical and surgical NEC survivors with that of matched controls without a diagnosis of NEC during birth hospitalization. Methods The longitudinal healthcare utilization claim files of infants born between January 2002 and December 2003 and enrolled in the Texas Medicaid fee-for-service program were used for this research. Propensity scoring was used to match infants diagnosed with NEC during birth hospitalization to infants without a diagnosis of NEC on the basis of gender, race, prematurity, extremely low birth weight status and presence of any major birth defects. The Medicaid paid all-inclusive healthcare costs for the period from 6 months to 3 years of age among children in the medical NEC, surgical NEC and matched control groups were evaluated descriptively, and in a generalized linear regression framework in order to model the impact of NEC over time and by birth weight. Results Two hundred fifty NEC survivors (73 with surgical NEC) and 2,909 matched controls were available for follow-up. Medical NEC infants incurred significantly higher healthcare costs than matched controls between 6–12 months of age (mean incremental cost = US$ 5,112 per infant). No significant difference in healthcare costs between medical NEC infants and matched controls was seen after 12 months. Surgical NEC survivors incurred healthcare costs that were consistently higher than that of matched controls through 36 months of age. The mean incremental healthcare costs of surgical NEC infants compared to matched controls between 6–12, 12–24 and 24–36 months of age were US$ 18,274, 14,067 (p < 0.01) and 8,501 (p = 0.06) per infant per six month period, respectively. These incremental costs were found to vary between sub-groups of infants born with birth weight < 1,000g versus ≥ 1,000g (p < 0.05). Conclusions The all-inclusive healthcare costs of surgical NEC survivors continued to be substantially higher than that of matched controls through the early childhood development period. These results can have important treatment and policy implications. Further research in this topic is needed. PMID:23962093

When Less Is More: Poor Discrimination but Good Colour Memory in Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heaton, Pamela; Ludlow, Amanda; Roberson, Debi

2008-01-01

In two experiments children with autism and two groups of controls matched for either chronological or non-verbal mental age were tested on tasks of colour discrimination and memory. The results from experiment 1 showed significantly poorer colour discrimination in children with autism in comparison to typically developing chronological age…

Toxic Trace Elements in the Hair of Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fido, Abdullahi; Al-Saad, Samira

2005-01-01

Excess or deficiency of natural trace elements has been implicated in the etiology of autism. This study explores whether concentration levels of toxic metals in the hair of children with autism significantly differ from those of age- and sex-matched healthy controls. In-hair concentration levels of antimony, uranium, arsenic, beryllium, mercury,…

Goal-Directed Action Control in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geurts, Hilde M; de Wit, Sanne

2014-01-01

Repetitive behavior is a key characteristic of autism spectrum disorders. Our aim was to investigate the hypothesis that this abnormal behavioral repetition results from a tendency to over-rely on habits at the expense of flexible, goal-directed action. Twenty-four children with autism spectrum disorders and 24 age- and gender-matched controls…

Effects of Color Stimulation and Information on the Copying Performance of Attention-Problem Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zentall, Sydney S.; And Others

The optimal stimulaton theory (which proposes that hyperactive children are more readily underaroused than nonhyperactive children and should thus derive greater gains from stimulation added to repetitive copying tasks than comparisons) was tested with 16 adolescents, rating high on attention and behavior problems, and 16 controls. Matched pairs…

The Effects of Neglect on Academic Achievement and Disciplinary Problems: A Developmental Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendall-Tackett, Kathleen A.; Eckenrode, John

1996-01-01

Comparison of 324 neglected children and adolescents and a matched nonmaltreated sample found that the neglected children had lower grades, more suspensions, more disciplinary referrals, and more grade repetitions, even when controlling for gender and socioeconomic status. Junior high appeared to be a particularly problematic time for neglected…

Long-Term Effects of Preterm Birth on Language and Literacy at Eight Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guarini, Annalisa; Sansavini, Alessandra; Fabbri, Cristina; Savini, Silvia; Alessandroni, Rosina; Faldella, Giacomo; Karmiloff-Smith, Annette

2010-01-01

The aims of this study were to investigate whether specific linguistic difficulties in preterm children persist at eight years and to examine the interrelationships between language and literacy in this population, compared with a control group of full-term children. Sixty-eight monolingual Italian preterms and 26 chronologically matched controls…

Impaired Antioxidant Status and Reduced Energy Metabolism in Autistic Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Essa, M. M.; Braidy, N.; Waly, M. I.; Al-Farsi, Y. M.; Al-Sharbati, M.; Subash, S.; Amanat, A.; Al-Shaffaee, M. A.; Guillemin, G. J.

2013-01-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that oxidative stress induced mechanisms are believed to be associated with the pathophysiology of autism. In this study, we recruited 19 Omani autistic children with age-matched controls to analyze their plasma and serum redox status and the levels of ATP, NAD[superscript +] and NADH using well established…

Effects of Feedforward and Feedback Consistency on Reading and Spelling in Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Robert A. I.; Weekes, Brendan S.

2005-01-01

We investigated the effects of rime consistency on reading and spelling among dyslexic children and a group of matched reading age skilled readers by manipulating consistency of orthography-to-phonology (OP) mappings and consistency of mappings from phonology-to-orthography (PO). For both dyslexic and control children we found feedforward…

"Tunnel Vision": A Possible Keystone Stimulus Control Deficit in Autistic Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rincover, Arnold; And Others

1986-01-01

Three autistic boys (ages 9-13) were trained to select a card containing a stimulus array comprised of three visual cues. Decreased distance between cues resulted in responses to more cues, increased distance to fewer cues. Distances did not affect the responding of children matched for mental and chronological age. (Author/JW)

Internal Model Deficits Impair Joint Action in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoit, Astrid M. B.; van Schie, Hein T.; Riem, Madelon; Meulenbroek, Ruud G. J.; Newman-Norlund, Roger D.; Slaats-Willemse, Dorine I. E.; Bekkering, Harold; Buitelaar, Jan K.

2011-01-01

Qualitative differences in social interaction and communication are diagnostic hallmarks in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The present study investigated the hypothesis that impaired social interaction in ASD reflects a deficit to internally model the behavior of a co-actor. Children and adolescents with ASD and matched controls performed a…

Group Music Training and Children's Prosocial Skills.

PubMed

Schellenberg, E Glenn; Corrigall, Kathleen A; Dys, Sebastian P; Malti, Tina

2015-01-01

We investigated if group music training in childhood is associated with prosocial skills. Children in 3rd or 4th grade who attended 10 months of music lessons taught in groups were compared to a control group of children matched for socio-economic status. All children were administered tests of prosocial skills near the beginning and end of the 10-month period. Compared to the control group, children in the music group had larger increases in sympathy and prosocial behavior, but this effect was limited to children who had poor prosocial skills before the lessons began. The effect was evident even when the lessons were compulsory, which minimized the role of self-selection. The results suggest that group music training facilitates the development of prosocial skills.

Group Music Training and Children's Prosocial Skills

PubMed Central

Schellenberg, E. Glenn; Corrigall, Kathleen A.; Dys, Sebastian P.; Malti, Tina

2015-01-01

We investigated if group music training in childhood is associated with prosocial skills. Children in 3rd or 4th grade who attended 10 months of music lessons taught in groups were compared to a control group of children matched for socio-economic status. All children were administered tests of prosocial skills near the beginning and end of the 10-month period. Compared to the control group, children in the music group had larger increases in sympathy and prosocial behavior, but this effect was limited to children who had poor prosocial skills before the lessons began. The effect was evident even when the lessons were compulsory, which minimized the role of self-selection. The results suggest that group music training facilitates the development of prosocial skills. PMID:26506414

Cognitive Impairments of Children with Severe Arithmetic Difficulties: Cognitive Deficit or Developmental Lag?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berg, Derek H.

2008-01-01

An age-matched/achievement-matched design was utilized to examine the cognitive functioning of children with severe arithmetic difficulties. A battery of cognitive tasks was administered to three groups of elementary aged children: 20 children with severe arithmetic difficulties (SAD), 20 children matched in age (CAM) to the children with SAD, and…

Gait pathology subtypes are not associated with self-reported fall frequency in children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Boyer, Elizabeth R; Patterson, Aleksys

2018-05-05

Trips and falls are common concerns reported by parents of children with cerebral palsy. Specific gait pathologies (excessive internal hip rotation, intoeing, and stiff knee gait) are anecdotally associated with higher rates of falls. Is fall frequency higher for the aforementioned gait pathologies? Parent-reported fall frequency from 1063 children with cerebral palsy who also had a three-dimensional gait analysis was retrospectively reviewed. Frequency of 10 common gait pathologies was determined and fall frequency for the gait pathologies of interest were compared to matched control groups. Possible effects of Gross Motor Functional Classification System (GMFCS) level and age on fall frequency were also assessed and matched in the control group, as appropriate. In general, parent-reported fall frequency increased from GMFCS level I to II and then decreased until level IV. Moreover, younger children tended to report greater fall frequency, though children who reported never falling were of similar age as those who reported weekly falls, resulting in an inverted-U shaped relationship. Children with cerebral palsy who walked with excessive internal hip rotation, excessive intoeing, or stiff knee gait did not report increased fall frequencies compared to other children with cerebral palsy matched on GMFCS level and age that did not walk with those gait patterns. Approximately 35% of children reported never falling, 35% reported falling daily, and 30% reported falling monthly or weekly for each gait pattern. Therefore, elevated fall frequency appears to be a generic problem for most children with CP rather than a function of a specific gait pattern. Clinicians should be aware of these relationships, or lack thereof, when trying to decipher the cause of a child's falling and when determining appropriate interventions. Future studies may seek to more objectively quantify fall frequency, as self-report is the main limitation of this study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recall memory in children with Down syndrome and typically developing peers matched on developmental age.

PubMed

Milojevich, H; Lukowski, A

2016-01-01

Whereas research has indicated that children with Down syndrome (DS) imitate demonstrated actions over short delays, it is presently unknown whether children with DS recall information over lengthy delays at levels comparable with typically developing (TD) children matched on developmental age. In the present research, 10 children with DS and 10 TD children participated in a two-session study to examine basic processes associated with hippocampus-dependent recall memory. At the first session, the researcher demonstrated how to complete a three-step action sequence with novel stimuli; immediate imitation was permitted as an index of encoding. At the second session, recall memory was assessed for previously modelled sequences; children were also presented with two novel three-step control sequences. The results indicated that group differences were not apparent in the encoding of the events or the forgetting of information over time. Group differences were also not observed when considering the recall of individual target actions at the 1-month delay, although TD children produced more target actions overall at the second session relative to children with DS. Group differences were found when considering memory for temporal order information, such that TD children evidenced recall relative to novel control sequences, whereas children with DS did not. These findings suggest that children with DS may have difficulty with mnemonic processes associated with consolidation/storage and/or retrieval processes relative to TD children. © 2015 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Brief Report: The Effect of Delayed Matching to Sample on Stimulus Over-Selectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Phil

2012-01-01

Stimulus over-selectivity occurs when one aspect of the environment controls behavior at the expense of other equally salient aspects. Participants were trained on a match-to-sample (MTS) discrimination task. Levels of over-selectivity in a group of children (4-18 years) with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) were compared with a mental-aged matched…

Recognition of facial expressions of mixed emotions in school-age children exposed to terrorism.

PubMed

Scrimin, Sara; Moscardino, Ughetta; Capello, Fabia; Altoè, Gianmarco; Axia, Giovanna

2009-09-01

This exploratory study aims at investigating the effects of terrorism on children's ability to recognize emotions. A sample of 101 exposed and 102 nonexposed children (mean age = 11 years), balanced for age and gender, were assessed 20 months after a terrorist attack in Beslan, Russia. Two trials controlled for children's ability to match a facial emotional stimulus with an emotional label and their ability to match an emotional label with an emotional context. The experimental trial evaluated the relation between exposure to terrorism and children's free labeling of mixed emotion facial stimuli created by morphing between 2 prototypical emotions. Repeated measures analyses of covariance revealed that exposed children correctly recognized pure emotions. Four log-linear models were performed to explore the association between exposure group and category of answer given in response to different mixed emotion facial stimuli. Model parameters indicated that, compared with nonexposed children, exposed children (a) labeled facial expressions containing anger and sadness significantly more often than expected as anger, and (b) produced fewer correct answers in response to stimuli containing sadness as a target emotion.

The Profile of Memory Function in Children With Autism

PubMed Central

Williams, Diane L.; Goldstein, Gerald; Minshew, Nancy J.

2007-01-01

A clinical memory test was administered to 38 high-functioning children with autism and 38 individually matched normal controls, 8–16 years of age. The resulting profile of memory abilities in the children with autism was characterized by relatively poor memory for complex visual and verbal information and spatial working memory with relatively intact associative learning ability, verbal working memory, and recognition memory. A stepwise discriminant function analysis of the subtests found that the Finger Windows subtest, a measure of spatial working memory, discriminated most accurately between the autism and normal control groups. A principal components analysis indicated that the factor structure of the subtests differed substantially between the children with autism and controls, suggesting differing organizations of memory ability. PMID:16460219

Do school break-time policies influence child dental health and snacking behaviours? An evaluation of a primary school programme.

PubMed

Freeman, R; Oliver, M

2009-06-27

The aim of the two-year controlled trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of the 'Boosting Better Breaks' (BBB) break-time policy to reduce obvious decay experience and sugar snacking in a cohort of nine-year-old children attending intervention and control primary schools. A matched controlled prospective trial design. Children in Year 5 were invited with their parents/guardians to take part. The children were assessed at baseline and at 24-month follow-up. One hundred and eighty-nine children attended intervention schools and 175 attended control schools which were matched for socio-economic status (SES), school location and co-education status. The outcome variables were obvious decay experience and evidence of sugar snacks found in the children's rubbish bags. All children were asked to complete a questionnaire and keep evidence of the snacks they consumed starting from school-time break to when they retired for bed in a numbered and coded 'rubbish bag' on a specific collection day at baseline and 24-month follow-up. All children had a dental examination at baseline and 24-month follow-up. Sixty percent of children at baseline and all of the children at follow-up had at least one sugar snack in their rubbish bag. The most popular snacks at follow-up were sweets, chocolate, crisps and carbonated drinks. In the school environment children attending BBB policy schools had significantly lower mean scores for sugar snacks scores at baseline but equivalent mean sugar snacks scores at follow-up compared with children attending control schools. In the outside school environment there was no effect of school intervention on sugar snack scores. Decay into dentine at follow-up was predicted by school intervention status and evidence of sugar snacks consumption outside school and at home. The BBB break-time policy did not achieve its health promotion goals of promoting child dental health or encouraging children to adopt healthier dietary habits in school or in the wider environment in which they lived.

Impairment Severity Selectively Affects the Control of Proximal and Distal Components of Reaching Movements in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domellof, Erik; Rosblad, Birgit; Ronnqvist, Louise

2009-01-01

This study explored proximal-to-distal components during goal-directed reaching movements in children with mild or moderate hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP); [seven females, four males; mean age 8y 6mo; SD 27mo], compared with age-matched, typically developing children (seven females, five males; mean age 8y 3mo [SD 25mo]. Severity of HCP was…

Occult spinal canal stenosis due to C-1 hypoplasia in children with Down syndrome.

PubMed

Matsunaga, Shunji; Imakiire, Takanori; Koga, Hiroaki; Ishidou, Yasuhiro; Sasaki, Hiromi; Taketomi, Eiji; Higo, Masaru; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Komiya, Setsuro

2007-12-01

Little has been published about subclinical spinal canal stenosis due to C-1 hypoplasia in patients with Down syndrome. In this paper the authors performed a matched comparison study with cross-sectional survey to investigate occult spinal canal stenosis due to C-1 hypoplasia in children with Down syndrome. A total of 102 children with Down syndrome ranging in age from 10 to 15 years were matched according to age and physique with 176 normal children. In all participants, the anteroposterior (AP) diameter of C-1 and the atlas-dens interval (ADI) were measured on plain lateral x-ray images of the cervical spine. The cross-sectional area of the atlas was also measured from a cross-sectional computed tomography image of C-1. Eight children (6.7%) with Down syndrome developed atlantoaxial subluxation associated with myelopathy. The difference in the ADI between the patients and controls was not statistically significant. The average AP diameter of the atlas and the spinal canal area along the cross-section of the atlas were significantly smaller in children with Down syndrome than those in the control group. Atlantoaxial instability and occult spinal canal stenosis due to C-1 hypoplasia in patients with Down syndrome may significantly increase the risk of myelopathy.

Neuropsychological Comparison of Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and an IQ-Matched Comparison Group

PubMed Central

Vaurio, Linnea; Riley, Edward P.; Mattson, Sarah N.

2012-01-01

An objective in current research on children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is to determine neurobehavioral profiles to identify affected individuals. Deficits observed when children with FASD are compared to typically developing controls may be confounded by lower IQ scores in the subjects with FASD. To determine if prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with neurobehavioral deficits after controlling for IQ differences, multivariate analyses were conducted to compare alcohol-exposed (ALC) subjects to a comparison group closely matched on IQ (IQC). The initial analysis included a broad neuropsychological battery with measures of language, executive function, visual–motor integration, motor ability, and academic achievement. Additional, in depth comparisons focused on visual sustained attention, verbal learning and memory and parent/guardian-reported behavior problems. Group differences (ALC < IQC) were found on verbal learning and parent-rated behavior problems. Group differences were marginally significant (measures within the broad neuropsychological comparison) or not significant (visual attention, retention of verbal material) on the remaining comparisons. Therefore, some deficits (e.g., verbal learning and behavior problems) in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure cannot be explained by the lower FSIQ observed in the population. These areas of relative weakness could be useful in distinguishing children with FASD from other children with lowered IQ. PMID:21349236

Accommodation and vergence response gains to different near cues characterize specific esotropias.

PubMed

Horwood, Anna M; Riddell, Patricia M

2013-09-01

To describe preliminary findings of how the profile of the use of blur, disparity, and proximal cues varies between non-strabismic groups and those with different types of esotropia. This was a case control study. A remote haploscopic photorefractor measured simultaneous convergence and accommodation to a range of targets containing all combinations of binocular disparity, blur, and proximal (looming) cues. Thirteen constant esotropes, 16 fully accommodative esotropes, and 8 convergence excess esotropes were compared with age- and refractive error-matched controls and 27 young adult emmetropic controls. All wore full refractive correction if not emmetropic. Response AC/A and CA/C ratios were also assessed. Cue use differed between the groups. Even esotropes with constant suppression and no binocular vision (BV) responded to disparity in cues. The constant esotropes with weak BV showed trends for more stable responses and better vergence and accommodation than those without any BV. The accommodative esotropes made less use of disparity cues to drive accommodation (p = 0.04) and more use of blur to drive vergence (p = 0.008) than controls. All esotropic groups failed to show the strong bias for better responses to disparity cues found in the controls, with convergence excess esotropes favoring blur cues. AC/A and CA/C ratios existed in an inverse relationship in the different groups. Accommodative lag of > 1.0 D at 33 cm was common (46%) in the pooled esotropia groups compared with 11% in typical children (p = 0.05). Esotropic children use near cues differently from matched non-esotropic children in ways characteristic to their deviations. Relatively higher weighting for blur cues was found in accommodative esotropia compared to matched controls.

Accommodation and vergence response gains to different near cues characterize specific esotropias

PubMed Central

Horwood, Anna M; Riddell, Patricia M

2015-01-01

Aim To describe preliminary findings of how the profile of the use of blur, disparity and proximal cues varies between non-strabismic groups and those with different types of esotropia. Design Case control study Methodology A remote haploscopic photorefractor measured simultaneous convergence and accommodation to a range of targets containing all combinations of binocular disparity, blur and proximal (looming) cues. 13 constant esotropes, 16 fully accommodative esotropes, and 8 convergence excess esotropes were compared with age and refractive error matched controls, and 27 young adult emmetropic controls. All wore full refractive correction if not emmetropic. Response AC/A and CA/C ratios were also assessed. Results Cue use differed between the groups. Even esotropes with constant suppression and no binocular vision (BV) responded to disparity in cues. The constant esotropes with weak BV showed trends for more stable responses and better vergence and accommodation than those without any BV. The accommodative esotropes made less use of disparity cues to drive accommodation (p=0.04) and more use of blur to drive vergence (p=0.008) than controls. All esotropic groups failed to show the strong bias for better responses to disparity cues found in the controls, with convergence excess esotropes favoring blur cues. AC/A and CA/C ratios existed in an inverse relationship in the different groups. Accommodative lag of >1.0D at 33cm was common (46%) in the pooled esotropia groups compared with 11% in typical children (p=0.05). Conclusion Esotropic children use near cues differently from matched non-esotropic children in ways characteristic to their deviations. Relatively higher weighting for blur cues was found in accommodative esotropia compared to matched controls. PMID:23978142

Surface developmental dyslexia is as prevalent as phonological dyslexia when appropriate control groups are employed.

PubMed

Wybrow, Dean P; Hanley, J Richard

2015-01-01

Previous investigations of the incidence of developmental surface and phonological dyslexia using reading-age-matched control groups have identified many more phonological dyslexics (poor nonword reading relative to irregular-word reading) than surface dyslexics (poor irregular-word reading relative to nonword reading). However, because the measures that have been used to estimate reading age include irregular-word reading ability, they appear inappropriate for assessing the incidence of surface dyslexia. The current study used a novel method for generating control groups whose reading ability was matched to that of the dyslexic sample. The incidence of surface dyslexia was assessed by comparing dyslexic performance with that of a control group who were matched with the dyslexics on a test of nonword reading. The incidence of phonological dyslexia was assessed with reference to a control group who were matched with the dyslexics at irregular-word reading. These control groups led to the identification of an approximately equal number of children with surface and phonological dyslexia. It appeared that selecting control participants who were matched with dyslexics for reading age led to the recruitment of individuals with relatively high nonword reading scores relative to their irregular-word reading scores compared with other types of control group. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Use of ultrasound measurement of the inferior vena cava diameter as an objective tool in the assessment of children with clinical dehydration.

PubMed

Chen, Lei; Kim, Yunie; Santucci, Karen A

2007-10-01

Bedside ultrasonography (US) measurement of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and aorta (Ao) may be useful in objectively assessing children with dehydration. The objectives of this study were 1) to compare the IVC and Ao diameters (IVC/Ao) ratio of dehydrated children with controls and 2) to compare the IVC/Ao ratio before and after intravenous (i.v.) rehydration in children with dehydration. This prospective observational study was performed in an urban pediatric emergency department. Children between 6 months and 16 years of age with clinical evidence of dehydration were enrolled. Bedside US measurements of the IVC and Ao were taken before and immediately after i.v. fluids were administered. An age-, gender-, and weight-matched control without dehydration was enrolled for each subject. The IVC/Ao ratios of subjects and controls were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test, as were the ratios before and after i.v. hydration for each subject. Thirty-six pairs of subjects and matched controls were enrolled. The IVC/Ao ratios in the subjects were lower as compared with controls (mean of 0.75 vs. 1.01), with a mean difference of 0.26 (95% confidence interval = 0.18 to 0.35). In subjects, the IVC/Ao ratios were significantly lower before i.v. hydration (mean of 0.75 vs. 1.09), with a mean difference of 0.34 (95% confidence interval = 0.29 to 0.39). As measured by bedside US measurement, the IVC/Ao ratio is lower in children clinically assessed to be dehydrated. Furthermore, it increases with administration of i.v. fluid boluses.

Variables influencing stimulus overselectivity and "tunnel vision" in developmentally delayed children.

PubMed

Rincover, A; Ducharme, J M

1987-01-01

Three variables (diagnosis, location of cues, and MA of learners) influencing stimulus control and stimulus overselectivity in autistic children were assessed. Eight autistic and 8 intellectually average children, matched on MA, were trained on two discrimination tasks; one task contained two "within-stimulus" (i.e., physically connected) cues; the other contained the same two cues presented "extra-stimulus" (i.e., physically separate). Generalization gradients were used following training to measure the degree of stimulus control acquired by each cue. Results showed: autistic subjects tended to respond overselectively only in the extra-stimulus condition; MA was positively correlated with breadth of learning; and when autistic children were overselective to one cue, some stimulus control was also acquired by the second cue. The notion of tunnel vision was discussed, as it may represent a "keystone" deficit interfering with stimulus control and learning by autistic children.

Sonority's Effect as a Surface Cue on Lexical Speech Perception of Children With Cochlear Implants.

PubMed

Hamza, Yasmeen; Okalidou, Areti; Kyriafinis, George; van Wieringen, Astrid

2018-03-06

Sonority is the relative perceptual prominence/loudness of speech sounds of the same length, stress, and pitch. Children with cochlear implants (CIs), with restored audibility and relatively intact temporal processing, are expected to benefit from the perceptual prominence cues of highly sonorous sounds. Sonority also influences lexical access through the sonority-sequencing principle (SSP), a grammatical phonotactic rule, which facilitates the recognition and segmentation of syllables within speech. The more nonsonorous the onset of a syllable is, the larger is the degree of sonority rise to the nucleus, and the more optimal the SSP. Children with CIs may experience hindered or delayed development of the language-learning rule SSP, as a result of their deprived/degraded auditory experience. The purpose of the study was to explore sonority's role in speech perception and lexical access of prelingually deafened children with CIs. A case-control study with 15 children with CIs, 25 normal-hearing children (NHC), and 50 normal-hearing adults was conducted, using a lexical identification task of novel, nonreal CV-CV words taught via fast mapping. The CV-CV words were constructed according to four sonority conditions, entailing syllables with sonorous onsets/less optimal SSP (SS) and nonsonorous onsets/optimal SSP (NS) in all combinations, that is, SS-SS, SS-NS, NS-SS, and NS-NS. Outcome measures were accuracy and reaction times (RTs). A subgroup analysis of 12 children with CIs pair matched to 12 NHC on hearing age aimed to study the effect of oral-language exposure period on the sonority-related performance. The children groups showed similar accuracy performance, overall and across all the sonority conditions. However, within-group comparisons showed that the children with CIs scored more accurately on the SS-SS condition relative to the NS-NS and NS-SS conditions, while the NHC performed equally well across all conditions. Additionally, adult-comparable accuracy performance was achieved by the children with CIs only on the SS-SS condition, as opposed to NS-SS, SS-NS, and SS-SS conditions for NHC. Accuracy analysis of the subgroups of children matched in hearing age showed similar results. Overall longer RTs were recorded by the children with CIs on the sonority-treated lexical task, specifically on the SS-SS condition compared with age-matched controls. However, the subgroup analysis showed that both groups of children did not differ on RTs. Children with CIs performed better in lexical tasks relying on the sonority perceptual prominence cues, as in SS-SS condition, than on SSP initial relying conditions as NS-NS and NS-SS. Template-driven word learning, an early word-learning strategy, appears to play a role in the lexical access of children with CIs whether matched in hearing age or not. The SS-SS condition acts as a preferred word template. The longer RTs brought about by the highly accurate SS-SS condition in children with CIs is possibly because listening becomes more effortful. The lack of RTs difference between the children groups when matched on hearing age points out the importance of oral-language exposure period as a key factor in developing the auditory processing skills.

Anxiety disorders in 8-11-year-old children: motor skill performance and self-perception of competence.

PubMed

Ekornås, Belinda; Lundervold, Astri J; Tjus, Tomas; Heimann, Mikael

2010-06-01

This study investigates motor skill performance and self-perceived competence in children with anxiety disorders compared with children without psychiatric disorders. Motor skills and self-perception were assessed in 329 children aged 8 to 11 years, from the Bergen Child Study. The Kiddie-SADS PL diagnostic interview was employed to define a group of children with an anxiety disorder without comorbid diagnosis, and a control group (no diagnosis) matched according to gender, age, and full-scale IQ. Children in the anxiety disorder group displayed impaired motor skills and poor self-perceived peer acceptance and physical competence compared with the control group. Two-thirds of the anxious boys scored on the Motor Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) as having motor problems. The present study demonstrated impaired motor skills in boys with "pure" anxiety disorders. Anxious children also perceived themselves as being less accepted by peers and less competent in physical activities compared with children in the control group.

Audio-visual integration during speech perception in prelingually deafened Japanese children revealed by the McGurk effect.

PubMed

Tona, Risa; Naito, Yasushi; Moroto, Saburo; Yamamoto, Rinko; Fujiwara, Keizo; Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Shinohara, Shogo; Kikuchi, Masahiro

2015-12-01

To investigate the McGurk effect in profoundly deafened Japanese children with cochlear implants (CI) and in normal-hearing children. This was done to identify how children with profound deafness using CI established audiovisual integration during the speech acquisition period. Twenty-four prelingually deafened children with CI and 12 age-matched normal-hearing children participated in this study. Responses to audiovisual stimuli were compared between deafened and normal-hearing controls. Additionally, responses of the children with CI younger than 6 years of age were compared with those of the children with CI at least 6 years of age at the time of the test. Responses to stimuli combining auditory labials and visual non-labials were significantly different between deafened children with CI and normal-hearing controls (p<0.05). Additionally, the McGurk effect tended to be more induced in deafened children older than 6 years of age than in their younger counterparts. The McGurk effect was more significantly induced in prelingually deafened Japanese children with CI than in normal-hearing, age-matched Japanese children. Despite having good speech-perception skills and auditory input through their CI, from early childhood, deafened children may use more visual information in speech perception than normal-hearing children. As children using CI need to communicate based on insufficient speech signals coded by CI, additional activities of higher-order brain function may be necessary to compensate for the incomplete auditory input. This study provided information on the influence of deafness on the development of audiovisual integration related to speech, which could contribute to our further understanding of the strategies used in spoken language communication by prelingually deafened children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serum Amino Acid Profiling in Citrin-Deficient Children Exhibiting Normal Liver Function During the Apparently Healthy Period.

PubMed

Miyazaki, Teruo; Nagasaka, Hironori; Komatsu, Haruki; Inui, Ayano; Morioka, Ichiro; Tsukahara, Hirokazu; Kaji, Shunsaku; Hirayama, Satoshi; Miida, Takashi; Kondou, Hiroki; Ihara, Kenji; Yagi, Mariko; Kizaki, Zenro; Bessho, Kazuhiko; Kodama, Takahiro; Iijima, Kazumoto; Yorifuji, Tohru; Matsuzaki, Yasushi; Honda, Akira

2018-04-14

Citrin (mitochondrial aspartate-glutamate transporter) deficiency causes the failures in both carbohydrate-energy metabolism and the urea cycle, and the alterations in the serum levels of several amino acids in the stages of newborn (NICCD) and adult (CTLN2). However, the clinical manifestations are resolved between the NICCD and CTLN2, but the reasons are still unclear. This study evaluated the serum amino acid profile in citrin-deficient children during the healthy stage. Using HPLC-MS/MS analysis, serum amino acids were evaluated among 20 citrin-deficient children aged 5-13 years exhibiting normal liver function and 35 age-matched healthy controls. The alterations in serum amino acids characterized in the NICCD and CTLN2 stages were not observed in the citrin-deficient children. Amino acids involved in the urea cycle, including arginine, ornithine, citrulline, and aspartate, were comparable in the citrin-deficient children to the respective control levels, but serum urea was twofold higher, suggestive of a functional urea cycle. The blood sugar level was normal, but glucogenic amino acids and glutamine were significantly decreased in the citrin-deficient children compared to those in the controls. In addition, significant increases of ketogenic amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), a valine intermediate 3-hydroxyisobutyrate, and β-alanine were also found in the citrin-deficient children. The profile of serum amino acids in the citrin-deficient children during the healthy stage showed different characteristics from the NICCD and CTLN2 stages, suggesting that the failures in both urea cycle function and energy metabolism might be compensated by amino acid metabolism. In the citrin-deficient children during the healthy stage, the characteristics of serum amino acids, including decrease of glucogenic amino acids, and increase of ketogenic amino acids, BCAAs, valine intermediate, and β-alanine, were found by comparison to the age-matched healthy control children, and it suggested that the characteristic alteration of serum amino acids may be resulted from compensation for energy metabolism and ammonia detoxification.

Blood lead levels in children with neurological disorders: a single centre preliminary study.

PubMed

Mahmoudian, Touran; Modaresi, Mohamadreza; Zarei, Ali; Poursafa, Parinaz; Kelishadi, Roya

2009-11-01

Lead poisoning is a potentially devastating problem among young children. Chronic low level lead exposure can lead to learning disabilities and behavior changes such as colic, insomnia, hyperactivity, impaired growth, hearing loss and upper extremity weakness. The purpose of this cross sectional study was to determine the blood lead level in children with neurological disorders in comparison with healthy controls. Blood lead concentrations were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in 100 children aged 1-10 years and suffering from various neurological disorders. One hundred age and sex-matched healthy children served as controls. The mean blood lead concentration was higher in children with neurological disorders than in controls (113.2 + or - 47.5 microg/L vs 84.7 + or - 38.0 microg/L; p<0.01). Overall, 44% of children with neurological disorders and 19% of controls were found to have increased blood lead levels, i.e.>100 microg/L. An increase in blood lead level in children might be related to neurological disorders. The measurement of blood lead level might be included in diagnostic eveluation of children with neurological disorders.

Effects of methylphenidate on body index and physical fitness in Korean children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Kang, Kyoung Doo; Yun, Sin Weon; Chung, Unsun; Kim, Tae Ho; Park, Jeong Ha; Park, In Hui; Han, Doug Hyun

2016-03-01

The side effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on growth remain a controversial concern. This study aimed to investigate the effect of MPH on clinical symptoms, growth, and physical fitness in Korean children. Fifty male children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treated with methylphenidate (MPH-ADHD), 69 MPH-naïve male children with ADHD (Naïve-ADHD), and 60 age-matched and sex-matched healthy control subjects were recruited. Intelligence quotient (IQ), clinical symptoms of ADHD, body index (height, weight, and body mass index [BMI]), and physical fitness (muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, agility, speed, and balance) were assessed. Total IQ and performance IQ scores were significantly different among the three groups, as were mean Korean Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (K-ARS)-total, K-ARS-inattention, and K-ARS-hyperactivity scores. There was no significant difference in height, weight, or BMI among the three groups. There were significant differences in skill-related fitness scores for balance (healthy controls > MPH-ADHD > Naïve-ADHD) and agility shuttle test time (healthy controls < MPH-ADHD < Naïve-ADHD). Our findings support the effectiveness of MPH treatment for improving IQ, attention, and balance and agility measures of skill-related fitness in Korean children with ADHD. MPH was not associated with growth delays in height, weight, and BMI. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recognizing emotion in faces: developmental effects of child abuse and neglect.

PubMed

Pollak, Seth D; Cicchetti, Dante; Hornung, Katherine; Reed, Alex

2000-09-01

The contributions to the recognition of emotional signals of (a) experience and learning versus (b) internal predispositions are difficult to investigate because children are virtually always exposed to complex emotional experiences from birth. The recognition of emotion among physically abused and physically neglected preschoolers was assessed in order to examine the effects of atypical experience on emotional development. In Experiment 1, children matched a facial expression to an emotional situation. Neglected children had more difficulty discriminating emotional expressions than did control or physically abused children. Physically abused children displayed a response bias for angry facial expressions. In Experiment 2, children rated the similarity of facial expressions. Control children viewed discrete emotions as dissimilar, neglected children saw fewer distinctions between emotions, and physically abused children showed the most variance across emotions. These results suggest that to the extent that children's experience with the world varies, so too will their interpretation and understanding of emotional signals.

Early Language Abilities of High-Risk Infants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubatch, Leona M.; And Others

1985-01-01

Ten children with a history of prematurity and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were matched with 101 full-term controls in the single-word stage of language. Control subjects demonstrated superior performance on all receptive language and child verbosity measures despite their younger age. (Author/CL)

Independent Children's Social Work Practice Pilots: Evaluating Practitioners' Job Control and Burnout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussein, Shereen; Manthorpe, Jill; Ridley, Julie; Austerberry, Helen; Farrelly, Nicola; Larkins, Cath; Bilson, Andy; Stanley, Nicky

2014-01-01

Objectives: To investigate whether a new model that delegates some out-of-home care services from the public to the private and not-for-profit sectors in England enhances practitioners' job control and stress levels. Methods: A 3-year longitudinal matched-control evaluation examined changes in Karasek demand-control model and Maslach burnout…

Behavioral Control and Resiliency in the Onset of Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use: A Prospective Study from Preschool to Adolescence

PubMed Central

Wong, Maria M.; Nigg, Joel T.; Zucker, Robert A.; Puttler, Leon I.; Fitzgerald, Hiram E.; Jester, Jennifer M.; Glass, Jennifer M.; Adams, Kenneth

2008-01-01

We examined the developmental trajectories of behavioral control and resiliency from early childhood to adolescence and their effects on early onset of substance use. Behavioral control is the tendency to express or contain one’s impulses and behaviors. Resiliency is the ability to adapt flexibly one’s characteristic level of control in response to the environment. Study participants were 514 children of alcoholics and matched controls from a longitudinal community sample (Time 1 age in years: M=4.32, SD=0.89). Children with slower rates of increase in behavioral control were more likely to use alcohol and other drugs in adolescence. Children with higher initial levels of resiliency were less likely to begin using alcohol. PMID:16942503

Prenatal exposure to maternal smoking and childhood behavioural problems: a quasi-experimental approach.

PubMed

McCrory, Cathal; Layte, Richard

2012-11-01

This retrospective cross-sectional paper examines the relationship between maternal smoking during pregnancy and children's behavioural problems at 9 years of age independent of a wide range of possible confounders. The final sample comprised 7,505 nine-year-old school children participating in the first wave of the Growing Up in Ireland study. The children were selected through the Irish national school system using a 2-stage sampling method and were representative of the nine-year population. Information on maternal smoking during pregnancy was obtained retrospectively at 9 years of age via parental recall and children's behavioural problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire across separate parent and teacher-report instruments. A quasi-experimental approach using propensity score matching was used to create treatment (smoking) and control (non-smoking) groups which did not differ significantly in their propensity to smoke in terms of 16 observed characteristics. After matching on the propensity score, children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were 3.5 % (p < 0.001) and 3.4 % (p < 0.001) more likely to score in the problematic range on the SDQ total difficulties index according to parent and teacher-report respectively. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was more strongly associated with externalising than internalising behavioural problems. Analysis of the dose-response relationship showed that the differential between matched treatment and control groups increased with level of maternal smoking. Given that smoking is a modifiable risk factor, the promotion of successful cessation in pregnancy may prevent potentially adverse long-term consequences.

Bilingualism Alters Children's Frontal Lobe Functioning for Attentional Control

PubMed Central

Arredondo, Maria M.; Hu, Xiao-Su; Satterfield, Teresa; Kovelman, Ioulia

2017-01-01

Bilingualism is a typical linguistic experience, yet relatively little is known about its impact on children's cognitive and brain development. Theories of bilingualism suggest early dual-language acquisition can improve children's cognitive abilities, specifically those relying on frontal lobe functioning. While behavioral findings present much conflicting evidence, little is known about its effects on children's frontal lobe development. Using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), the findings suggest that Spanish-English bilingual children (n=13, ages 7-13) had greater activation in left prefrontal cortex during a non-verbal attentional control task relative to age-matched English monolinguals. In contrast, monolinguals (n=14) showed greater right prefrontal activation than bilinguals. The present findings suggest early bilingualism yields significant changes to the functional organization of children's prefrontal cortex for attentional control and carry implications for understanding how early life experiences impact cognition and brain development. PMID:26743118

Health and Development of Children Born after Assisted Reproductive Technology and Sub-Fertility Compared to Naturally Conceived Children: Data from a National Study

PubMed Central

Sutcliffe, Alastair G.; Melhuish, Edward; Barnes, Jacqueline; Gardiner, Julian

2014-01-01

In a non-matched case-control study using data from two large national cohort studies, we investigated whether indicators of child health and development up to 7 years of age differ between children conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART), children born after sub-fertility (more than 24 months of trying for conception) and other children. Information on ART use/sub-fertility was available for 23,649 children. There were 227 cases (children conceived through ART) and two control groups: 783 children born to sub-fertile couples, and 22,639 children born to couples with no fertility issues. In models adjusted for social and demographic factors there were significant differences between groups in rate of hospital admissions before the children were 9 months old (P=0.029), with the ART group showing higher rates of hospital admission than the no fertility issues control group, the sub-fertile control group being intermediate between the two. Children born after ART had comparable health and development beyond 9 months of age to their naturally conceived peers. This applied to the whole sample and to a sub-sample of children from deprived neighborhoods. PMID:24711911

Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke or alcohol and cerebellum volume in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and typical development

PubMed Central

de Zeeuw, P; Zwart, F; Schrama, R; van Engeland, H; Durston, S

2012-01-01

Prenatal exposure to teratogenic substances, such as nicotine or alcohol, increases the risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To date, studies examining this relationship have used symptom scales as outcome measures to assess the effect of prenatal exposure, and have not investigated the neurobiological pathways involved. This study explores the effect of prenatal exposure to cigarettes or alcohol on brain volume in children with ADHD and typically developing controls. Children with ADHD who had been exposed prenatally to either substance were individually matched to children with and without ADHD who had not been. Controls who had been exposed prenatally were also individually matched to controls who had not been. For prenatal exposure to both smoking and alcohol, we found a pattern where subjects with ADHD who had been exposed had the smallest brain volumes and unexposed controls had the largest, with intermediate volumes for unexposed subjects with ADHD. This effect was most pronounced for cerebellum. A similar reduction fell short of significance for controls who had been exposed to cigarettes, but not alcohol. Our results are consistent with an additive effect of prenatal exposure and ADHD on brain volume, with the effects most pronounced for cerebellum. PMID:22832850

Spelling Errors in French-speaking Children with Dyslexia: Phonology May Not Provide the Best Evidence.

PubMed

Daigle, Daniel; Costerg, Agnès; Plisson, Anne; Ruberto, Noémia; Varin, Joëlle

2016-05-01

For children with dyslexia, learning to write constitutes a great challenge. There has been consensus that the explanation for these learners' delay is related to a phonological deficit. Results from studies designed to describe dyslexic children's spelling errors are not always as clear concerning the role of phonological processes as those found in reading studies. In irregular languages like French, spelling abilities involve other processes than phonological processes. The main goal of this study was to describe the relative contribution of these other processes in dyslexic children's spelling ability. In total, 32 francophone dyslexic children with a mean age of 11.4 years were compared with 24 reading-age matched controls (RA) and 24 chronological-age matched controls (CA). All had to write a text that was analysed at the graphemic level. All errors were classified as either phonological, morphological, visual-orthographic or lexical. Results indicated that dyslexic children's spelling ability lagged behind not only that of the CA group but also of the RA group. Because the majority of errors, in all groups, could not be explained by inefficiency of phonological processing, the importance of visual knowledge/processes will be discussed as a complementary explanation of dyslexic children's delay in writing. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Visual Attention to Competing Social and Object Images by Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasson, Noah J.; Touchstone, Emily W.

2014-01-01

Eye tracking studies of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report a reduction in social attention and an increase in visual attention to non-social stimuli, including objects related to circumscribed interests (CI) (e.g., trains). In the current study, fifteen preschoolers with ASD and 15 typically developing controls matched on…

Brief Report: Is Impaired Classification of Subtle Facial Expressions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Related to Atypical Emotion Category Boundaries?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitaker, Lydia R.; Simpson, Andrew; Roberson, Debi

2017-01-01

Impairments in recognizing subtle facial expressions, in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may relate to difficulties in constructing prototypes of these expressions. Eighteen children with predominantly intellectual low-functioning ASD (LFA, IQ <80) and two control groups (mental and chronological age matched), were assessed for…

Temporal Cognition in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Tests of Diachronic Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boucher, Jill; Pons, Francisco; Lind, Sophie; Williams, David

2007-01-01

Impaired diachronic thinking--(the propensity and capacity to think about events spreading across time)--was demonstrated in a 2-Phase study in which children with autism were compared with age and ability matched controls. Identical tests of diachronic thinking were administered in both phases of the study, but to different participant groups,…

Sensory Responsiveness as a Predictor of Social Severity in Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilton, Claudia L.; Harper, Jacquelyn D.; Kueker, Rachel Holmes; Lang, Andrea Runzi; Abbacchi, Anna M.; Todorov, Alexandre; LaVesser, Patricia D.

2010-01-01

This study examines the relationship between sensory responsiveness and social severity in children with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD; N = 36) and age-matched controls (N = 26) between 6 and 10 years old. Significant relationships were found between social responsiveness scale scores and each of the six sensory profile sensory…

Spatial Working Memory and Arithmetic Deficits in Children with Nonverbal Learning Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mammarella, Irene Cristina; Lucangeli, Daniela; Cornoldi, Cesare

2010-01-01

Visuospatial working memory and its involvement in arithmetic were examined in two groups of 7- to 11-year-olds: one comprising children described by teachers as displaying symptoms of nonverbal learning difficulties (N = 21), the other a control group without learning disabilities (N = 21). The two groups were matched for verbal abilities, age,…

Specific-Language-Impaired Children's Quick Incidental Learning of Words: The Effect of a Pause.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Mabel L.; And Others

1992-01-01

Comparison of 2 methods of presenting novel words, either preceded by a pause or in normal prosody, on initial word comprehension of 20 5-year-old children with language impairments (and 2 control groups matched for either age or mean length of utterance) found no effect for presentation method. (Author/DB)

Mirror Visual Feedback Induces Lower Neuromuscular Activity in Children with Spastic Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feltham, Max G.; Ledebt, Annick; Deconinck, Frederik J. A.; Savelsbergh, Geert J. P.

2010-01-01

The study examined the effects of mirror feedback information on neuromuscular activation during bimanual coordination in eight children with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy (SHCP) and a matched control group. The "mirror box" creates a visual illusion, which gives rise to a visual perception of a zero lag, symmetric movement between the two…

Implicit Phonological and Semantic Processing in Children with Developmental Dyslexia: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jednorog, K.; Marchewka, A.; Tacikowski, P.; Grabowska, A.

2010-01-01

Dyslexia is characterized by a core phonological deficit, although recent studies indicate that semantic impairment also contributes to this condition. In this study, event-related potentials (ERP) were used to examine whether the N400 wave in dyslexic children is modulated by phonological or semantic priming, similarly to age-matched controls.…

The role of language in mathematical development: evidence from children with specific language impairments.

PubMed

Donlan, Chris; Cowan, Richard; Newton, Elizabeth J; Lloyd, Delyth

2007-04-01

A sample (n=48) of eight-year-olds with specific language impairments is compared with age-matched (n=55) and language matched controls (n=55) on a range of tasks designed to test the interdependence of language and mathematical development. Performance across tasks varies substantially in the SLI group, showing profound deficits in production of the count word sequence and basic calculation and significant deficits in understanding of the place-value principle in Hindu-Arabic notation. Only in understanding of arithmetic principles does SLI performance approximate that of age-matched-controls, indicating that principled understanding can develop even where number sequence production and other aspects of number processing are severely compromised.

Theory of mind and specific language impairment in school-age children.

PubMed

Spanoudis, George

2016-01-01

Research on the relationship between aspects of language development and Theory of Mind (ToM) in children with language impairments suggests that children with language impairment show a delay in ToM development. This study aimed to examine the relationships of the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic skills with ToM in school-age children. Twenty children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) aged 9-12 years and two control groups, one matched for chronological age (CA) and one for language ability (LA) (aged 8-10 years) were compared on a set of language tasks tapping syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic skills and on an advanced test of ToM. Results showed that children with SLI performed poorly on the ToM task compared to the CA matches. Also, analysis showed that language skills and ToM are related and that syntactic and pragmatic abilities contributed significantly to the prediction of ToM performance in the SLI group. It is concluded that the syntax/pragmatic aspects of the language impact on ToM understanding in children with SLI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of an internet-based animated preparatory video for children undergoing non-sedated MRI.

PubMed

McGlashan, Hannah L; Dineen, Rob A; Szeszak, Sofia; Whitehouse, William P; Chow, Gabriel; Love, Andrew; Langmack, Gill; Wharrad, Heather

2018-05-10

We evaluate the value of an internet-based educational animated video designed to prepare children for MRI scans, and whether this video reduces scan-related anxiety in children with a neurological disorder, and healthy controls. Participants completed a pre- and post-scan questionnaire evaluating participant online viewing behaviour, understanding of the MRI procedure, anxiety regarding the MRI, impact of animation in preparing the child and whether the child's expectation of the MRI scan matched their experience. 21 children were recruited (12 healthy controls) ranging in age from 6.5 to 11.5 years. The animation was successfully accessed by participants on a range of digital devices and had high levels of approval. Children who viewed the animation had a good understanding of the MRI procedure and low anxiety levels prior to the scan, and reported that their expectations broadly matched the real-life MRI experience. Children reported that the animation positively impacted on their preparation with similar ratings before and after the scan, and the impact on preparation was rated greater by younger children. There were no group differences between healthy children and those with the neurological disorder for ratings of anxiety, impact on preparation and expectation of the experience. This evaluation demonstrates accessibility, acceptability and relevance of internet-based educational animation for typically developing children, and children with a neurodisability aged 6 to 11 years, with positive impact on preparation for MRI. Advances in knowledge: The internet-based educational animation provides a widely accessible tool to support preparation of children for non-sedated MRI.

Behavioral and neurophysiological study of attentional and inhibitory processes in ADHD-combined and control children.

PubMed

Baijot, S; Deconinck, N; Slama, H; Massat, I; Colin, C

2013-12-01

This study compares behavioral and electrophysiological (P300) responses recorded in a cued continuous performance task (CPT-AX) performed by children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-combined subtype (ADHD-com) and age-matched healthy controls. P300 cognitive-evoked potentials and behavioral data were recorded in eight children with ADHD (without comorbidity) and nine control children aged 8-12 years while performing a CPT-AX task. Such task enables to examine several kinds of false alarms and three different kinds of P300 responses: the "Cue P300", the "Go P300" and the "NoGo P300", respectively, associated with preparatory processing/attentional orienting, motor/response execution and motor/response inhibition. Whereas hit rates were about 95% in each group, ADHD children made significantly more false alarm responses (inattention- and inhibition-related) than control children. ADHD children had a marginally smaller Cue P300 than the control children. Behavioral and electrophysiological findings both highlighted inhibition and attention deficits in ADHD-com children in the CPT-AX task. A rarely studied kind of false alarm, the "Other" FA, seems to be a sensitive FA to take into account, even if its interpretation remains unclear.

Low CD4+ T-cell levels and B-cell apoptosis in vertically HIV-exposed noninfected children and adolescents.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Maristela; Pessoa, Silvana D; Ono, Erika; Machado, Daisy M; Salomão, Reinaldo; Succi, Regina C de M; Pahwa, Savita; de Moraes-Pinto, Maria Isabel

2010-12-01

Lymphocyte subsets, activation markers and apoptosis were assessed in 20 HIV-exposed noninfected (ENI) children born to HIV-infected women who were or not exposed to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs during pregnancy and early infancy. ENI children and adolescents were aged 6-18 years and they were compared to 25 age-matched healthy non-HIV-exposed children and adolescents (Control). ENI individuals presented lower CD4(+) T cells/mm(3) than Control group (control: 1120.3 vs. ENI: 876.3; t-test, p = 0.030). ENI individuals had higher B-cell apoptosis than Control group (Control: 36.6%, ARV exposed: 82.3%, ARV nonexposed: 68.5%; Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05), but no statistical difference was noticed between those exposed and not exposed to ARV. Immune activation in CD4(+) T, CD8(+) T and in B cells was comparable in ENI and in Control children and adolescents. Subtle long-term immune alterations might persist among ENI individuals, but the clinical consequences if any are unknown, and these children require continued monitoring.

Reduced Bone Mineral Density in Children With Screening-detected Celiac Disease.

PubMed

Björck, Sara; Brundin, Charlotte; Karlsson, Magnus; Agardh, Daniel

2017-11-01

The aim of the study was to assess whether bone mass and metabolism are impaired in genetically at-risk children with screening-detected celiac disease. Included were 71 children with screening-detected celiac disease diagnosed at 10.0 ± 0.7 (mean ± standard deviation) years and 142 matched controls and 30 children with screening-detected celiac disease diagnosed at 3.3 ± 0.4 years of age presently on a gluten-free diet for 6.9 ± 1.1 years and 60 matched controls. All participants were assessed for bone mineral density (BMD) of total body and spine by dual x-ray absorptiometry, serum 25(OH) vitamin D3, parathyroid hormone (PTH), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, interferon gamma, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. At diagnosis, screening-detected celiac disease children as compared to controls had a mean -0.03 g/cm reduced BMD of both total body and spine (P = 0.009 and P = 0.005, respectively), a mean -11.4 nmol/L lower level of 25(OH) vitamin D3 (P < 0.001), and a mean +1.0 pmol/L higher PTH level (P < 0.001). Systemic levels of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor alpha were all increased in screening-detected celiac disease as compared to controls (P < 0.001). No difference in BMD, 25(OH) vitamin D3, PTH, and cytokine levels were detected in children on a gluten-free diet compared with controls. Children with screening-detected celiac disease have reduced BMD, lower levels of vitamin D3, higher levels of PTH, and signs of systemic inflammation compared with controls. These differences were not found in celiac disease children on a gluten-free diet, indicating that children with screening-detected celiac disease benefit from an early diagnosis and treatment.

Joint attention revisited: Finding strengths among children with autism.

PubMed

Hurwitz, Sarah; Watson, Linda R

2016-07-01

Differences in joint attention are prominent for some children with autism and are often used as an indicator of the disorder. This study examined the joint attention competencies of young children with autism who demonstrated joint attention ability and compared them to children with developmental delays. A total of 40 children with autism and developmental delays were matched pairwise based on mental and chronological age. Videos of children engaging in play were coded for the frequency and forms (eye contact, gestures, affect, etc.) of joint attention. Additionally, concurrent language was compared among children with autism (N = 32) by their joint attention ability. Children with autism spectrum disorder entered into joint attention significantly less often than children with developmental delays, but once engaged used the forms of joint attention similarly. For the matched pairs, there were no differences in language, but the children with autism who used joint attention had significantly better language than children with autism who did not (even after controlling for mental age). There is a group of young children with autism who can use joint attention but do so at lower frequencies than children with developmental delays. Possible reasons include difficulty disengaging attention and limited intrinsic social motivation to share. Adult persistence is recommended to encourage joint attention. © The Author(s) 2015.

Attention-Related Eye Vergence Measured in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Solé Puig, Maria; Pérez Zapata, Laura; Puigcerver, Laura; Esperalba Iglesias, Neus; Sanchez Garcia, Carmen; Romeo, August; Cañete Crespillo, Josep; Supèr, Hans

2015-01-01

Recent evidence shows a novel role for eye vergence in orienting attention in adult subjects. Here we investigated whether such modulation in eye vergence by attention is present in children and whether it is altered in children with ADHD compared to control subjects. We therefore measured the angle of eye vergence in children previously diagnosed with ADHD while performing a cue task and compared the results to those from age-matched controls. We observed a strong modulation in the angle of vergence in the control group and a weak modulation in the ADHD group. In addition, in the control group the modulation in eye vergence was different between the informative cue and uninformative cue condition. This difference was less noticeable in the ADHD group. Our study supports the observation of deficient binocular vision in ADHD children. We argue that the observed disruption in vergence modulation in ADHD children is manifest of altered cognitive processing of sensory information. Our work may provide new insights into attention disorders, like ADHD. PMID:26694162

Herpes virus antibodies seroprevalence in children with autoimmune thyroid disease.

PubMed

Thomas, Dimitrios; Karachaliou, Feneli; Kallergi, Konstantina; Vlachopapadopoulou, Elpis; Antonaki, Georgia; Chatzimarkou, Fotini; Fotinou, Aspasia; Kaldrymides, Philippos; Michalacos, Stefanos

2008-04-01

Elevated titers of antibodies against different herpes virus antigens have been reported in some immunodeficient and systemic autoimmune disorders. To examine if Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG and IgM antibodies are detected more frequently in children with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) compared to controls. Thirty-four children with AITD, aged 9.62 +/- 2.35 years, and 31 matched controls, aged 9.24 +/- 2.98 years, were studied. The percentage of EBV IgG+ children with AITD was statistically higher than the percentage of EBV IgG+ controls (82.35% versus 51.61%, P = 0.008). The percentage of EBV IgG+ children with AITD and hypothyroidism was statistically higher than the percentage of EBV IgG+ children with AITD, without hypothyroidism (100% versus 70%, P = 0.024). No other statistically significant differences were observed in HSV-1+2, and CMV IgG or IgM antibodies between the subgroups of children studied. EBV seroprevalence is higher in children with AITD compared to controls and the underlying pathology remains to be elucidated.

Prosody Perception and Production in Children with Hearing Loss and Age- and Gender-Matched Controls.

PubMed

Kalathottukaren, Rose Thomas; Purdy, Suzanne C; Ballard, Elaine

2017-04-01

Auditory development in children with hearing loss, including the perception of prosody, depends on having adequate input from cochlear implants and/or hearing aids. Lack of adequate auditory stimulation can lead to delayed speech and language development. Nevertheless, prosody perception and production in people with hearing loss have received less attention than other aspects of language. The perception of auditory information conveyed through prosody using variations in the pitch, amplitude, and duration of speech is not usually evaluated clinically. This study (1) compared prosody perception and production abilities in children with hearing loss and children with normal hearing; and (2) investigated the effect of age, hearing level, and musicality on prosody perception. Participants were 16 children with hearing loss and 16 typically developing controls matched for age and gender. Fifteen of the children with hearing loss were tested while using amplification (n = 9 hearing aids, n = 6 cochlear implants). Six receptive subtests of the Profiling Elements of Prosody in Speech-Communication (PEPS-C), the Child Paralanguage subtest of Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy 2 (DANVA 2), and Contour and Interval subtests of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) were used. Audio recordings of the children's reading samples were rated using a perceptual prosody rating scale by nine experienced listeners who were blinded to the children's hearing status. Thirty two children, 16 with hearing loss (mean age = 8.71 yr) and 16 age- and gender-matched typically developing children with normal hearing (mean age = 8.87 yr). Assessments were completed in one session lasting 1-2 hours in a quiet room. Test items were presented using a laptop computer through loudspeaker at a comfortable listening level. For children with hearing loss using hearing instruments, all tests were completed with hearing devices set at their everyday listening setting. All PEPS-C subtests and total scores were significantly lower for children with hearing loss compared to controls (p < 0.05). The hearing loss group performed more poorly than the control group in recognizing happy, sad, and fearful emotions in the DANVA 2 subtest. Musicality (composite MBEA scores and musical experience) was significantly correlated with prosody perception scores, but this link was not evident in the regression analyses. Regression modeling showed that age and hearing level (better ear pure-tone average) accounted for 55.4% and 56.7% of the variance in PEPS-C and DANVA 2 total scores, respectively. There was greater variability for the ratings of pitch, pitch variation, and overall impression of prosody in the hearing loss group compared to control group. Prosody perception (PEPS-C and DANVA 2 total scores) and ratings of prosody production were not correlated. Children with hearing loss aged 7-12 yr had significant difficulties in understanding different aspects of prosody and were rated as having more atypical prosody overall than controls. These findings suggest that clinical assessment and speech-language therapy services for children with hearing loss should be expanded to target prosodic difficulties. Future studies should investigate whether musical training is beneficial for improving receptive prosody skills. American Academy of Audiology

Piped water supply interruptions and acute diarrhea among under-five children in Addis Ababa slums, Ethiopia: A matched case-control study

PubMed Central

Adane, Metadel; Mengistie, Bezatu; Medhin, Girmay; Kloos, Helmut; Mulat, Worku

2017-01-01

Background The problem of intermittent piped water supplies that exists in low- and middle-income countries is particularly severe in the slums of sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about whether there is deterioration of the microbiological quality of the intermittent piped water supply at a household level and whether it is a factor in reducing or increasing the occurrence of acute diarrhea among under-five children in slums of Addis Ababa. This study aimed to determine the association of intermittent piped water supplies and point-of-use (POU) contamination of household stored water by Escherichia coli (E. coli) with acute diarrhea among under-five children in slums of Addis Ababa. Methods A community-based matched case-control study was conducted from November to December, 2014. Cases were defined as under-five children with acute diarrhea during the two weeks before the survey. Controls were matched by age and neighborhood with cases by individual matching. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and E. coli analysis of water from piped water supplies and household stored water. A five-tube method of Most Probable Number (MPN)/100 ml standard procedure was used for E. coli analysis. Multivariable conditional logistic regression with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used for data analysis by controlling potential confounding effects of selected socio-demographic characteristics. Main findings During the two weeks before the survey, 87.9% of case households and 51.0% of control households had an intermittent piped water supply for an average of 4.3 days and 3.9 days, respectively. POU contamination of household stored water by E. coli was found in 83.3% of the case households, and 52.1% of the control households. In a fully adjusted model, a periodically intermittent piped water supply (adjusted matched odds ratio (adjusted mOR) = 4.8; 95% CI: 1.3–17.8), POU water contamination in household stored water by E. coli (adjusted mOR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.1–10.1), water retrieved from water storage containers using handle-less vessels (adjusted mOR = 16.3; 95% CI: 4.4–60.1), and water retrieved by interchangeably using vessels both with and without handle (adjusted mOR = 5.4; 95% CI: 1.1–29.1) were independently associated with acute diarrhea. Conclusion We conclude that provision of continuously available piped water supplies and education of caregivers about proper water retrieval methods of household stored water can effectively reduce POU contamination of water at the household level and thereby reduce acute diarrhea among under-five children in slums of Addis Ababa. Promotion of household water treatment is also highly encouraged until the City’s water authority is able to deliver continuously available piped water supplies. PMID:28723927

Multisensory Information Boosts Numerical Matching Abilities in Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Kerry E.; Baker, Joseph

2011-01-01

This study presents the first evidence that preschool children perform more accurately in a numerical matching task when given multisensory rather than unisensory information about number. Three- to 5-year-old children learned to play a numerical matching game on a touchscreen computer, which asked them to match a sample numerosity with a…

Complex Sentence Comprehension and Working Memory in Children With Specific Language Impairment

PubMed Central

Montgomery, James W.; Evans, Julia L.

2015-01-01

Purpose This study investigated the association of 2 mechanisms of working memory (phonological short-term memory [PSTM], attentional resource capacity/allocation) with the sentence comprehension of school-age children with specific language impairment (SLI) and 2 groups of control children. Method Twenty-four children with SLI, 18 age-matched (CA) children, and 16 language- and memory-matched (LMM) children completed a nonword repetition task (PSTM), the competing language processing task (CLPT; resource capacity/allocation), and a sentence comprehension task comprising complex and simple sentences. Results (1) The SLI group performed worse than the CA group on each memory task; (2) all 3 groups showed comparable simple sentence comprehension, but for complex sentences, the SLI and LMM groups performed worse than the CA group; (3) for the SLI group, (a) CLPT correlated with complex sentence comprehension, and (b) nonword repetition correlated with simple sentence comprehension; (4) for CA children, neither memory variable correlated with either sentence type; and (5) for LMM children, only CLPT correlated with complex sentences. Conclusions Comprehension of both complex and simple grammar by school-age children with SLI is a mentally demanding activity, requiring significant working memory resources. PMID:18723601

Face-specific and domain-general visual processing deficits in children with developmental prosopagnosia.

PubMed

Dalrymple, Kirsten A; Elison, Jed T; Duchaine, Brad

2017-02-01

Evidence suggests that face and object recognition depend on distinct neural circuitry within the visual system. Work with adults with developmental prosopagnosia (DP) demonstrates that some individuals have preserved object recognition despite severe face recognition deficits. This face selectivity in adults with DP indicates that face- and object-processing systems can develop independently, but it is unclear at what point in development these mechanisms are separable. Determining when individuals with DP first show dissociations between faces and objects is one means to address this question. In the current study, we investigated face and object processing in six children with DP (5-12-years-old). Each child was assessed with one face perception test, two different face memory tests, and two object memory tests that were matched to the face memory tests in format and difficulty. Scores from the DP children on the matched face and object tasks were compared to within-subject data from age-matched controls. Four of the six DP children, including the 5-year-old, showed evidence of face-specific deficits, while one child appeared to have more general visual-processing deficits. The remaining child had inconsistent results. The presence of face-specific deficits in children with DP suggests that face and object perception depend on dissociable processes in childhood.

Young children's preference for unique owned objects.

PubMed

Gelman, Susan A; Davidson, Natalie S

2016-10-01

An important aspect of human thought is the value we place on unique individuals. Adults place higher value on authentic works of art than exact replicas, and young children at times value their original possessions over exact duplicates. What is the scope of this preference in early childhood, and when do children understand its subjective nature? On a series of trials, we asked three-year-olds (N=36) to choose between two toys for either themselves or the researcher: an old (visibly used) toy vs. a new (more attractive) toy matched in type and appearance (e.g., old vs. brand-new blanket). Focal pairs contrasted the child's own toy with a matched new object; Control pairs contrasted toys the child had never seen before. Children preferred the old toys for Focal pairs only, and treated their own preferences as not shared by the researcher. By 3years of age, young children place special value on unique individuals, and understand the subjective nature of that value. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Young Children's Preference for Unique Owned Objects

PubMed Central

Gelman, Susan A.; Davidson, Natalie S.

2016-01-01

An important aspect of human thought is the value we place on unique individuals. Adults place higher value on authentic works of art than exact replicas, and young children at times value their original possessions over exact duplicates. What is the scope of this preference in early childhood, and when do children understand its subjective nature? On a series of trials, we asked three-year-olds (N=36) to choose between two toys for either themselves or the researcher: an old (visibly used) toy versus a new (more attractive) toy matched in type and appearance (e.g., old vs. brand-new blanket). Focal pairs contrasted the child's own toy with a matched new object; Control pairs contrasted toys the child had never seen before. Children preferred the old toys for Focal pairs only, and treated their own preferences as not shared by the researcher. By 3 years of age, young children place special value on unique individuals, and understand the subjective nature of that value. PMID:27395441

Primary nocturnal enuresis is associated with lower intelligence quotient scores in boys from poorer socioeconomic status families.

PubMed

Basiri, Abbas; Bahrainian, Seyed Abdolmajid; Khoshdel, Alireza; Jalaly, Niloofar; Golshan, Shabnam; Pakmanesh, Hamid

2017-03-01

To explore intelligence quotient in boys with primary nocturnal enuresis compared with normal boys considering their socioeconomic status. A total of 152 school-aged boys (including 55 boys with primary nocturnal enuresis and 97 matched normal controls) were assessed. Boys with a history of any neurological or urological disease were excluded. Two different districts of Tehran: Khani-Abad (a poor district) and Pirouzi (a middle class district) districts were enrolled according to socioeconomic status data reported by the World Health Organization. Intelligence tests were carried out using a validated Iranian translation of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised. Total, as well as performance intelligence quotient and verbal intelligence quotient scores and verbal-performance discrepancy (the difference between verbal and performance intelligence quotient scores for each individual) were compared using a t-test between boys with primary nocturnal enuresis in each district and their matched controls. Considering each district separately, the total intelligence quotient score was lower in primary nocturnal enuresis cases than controls only in the lower income district (90.7 ± 23.3 vs 104.8 ± 14.7, P = 0.002). Similarly, boys with primary nocturnal enuresis ranked lower in verbal intelligence quotient (P = 0.002) and performance intelligence quotient (P = 0.004) compared with their matched normal controls only in lower income district, whereas in the higher income district, boys with primary nocturnal enuresis ranked similar in total intelligence quotient to their matched controls. Boys with primary nocturnal enuresis had a lower intelligence quotient compared with the control participants only in low-income district. It seems important to adjust the results of the intelligence quotient assessment in these children according to their socioeconomic status. © 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.

Animal-related factors associated with moderate-to-severe diarrhea in children younger than five years in western Kenya: A matched case-control study.

PubMed

Conan, Anne; O'Reilly, Ciara E; Ogola, Eric; Ochieng, J Benjamin; Blackstock, Anna J; Omore, Richard; Ochieng, Linus; Moke, Fenny; Parsons, Michele B; Xiao, Lihua; Roellig, Dawn; Farag, Tamer H; Nataro, James P; Kotloff, Karen L; Levine, Myron M; Mintz, Eric D; Breiman, Robert F; Cleaveland, Sarah; Knobel, Darryn L

2017-08-01

Diarrheal disease remains among the leading causes of global mortality in children younger than 5 years. Exposure to domestic animals may be a risk factor for diarrheal disease. The objectives of this study were to identify animal-related exposures associated with cases of moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) in children in rural western Kenya, and to identify the major zoonotic enteric pathogens present in domestic animals residing in the homesteads of case and control children. We characterized animal-related exposures in a subset of case and control children (n = 73 pairs matched on age, sex and location) with reported animal presence at home enrolled in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study in western Kenya, and analysed these for an association with MSD. We identified potentially zoonotic enteric pathogens in pooled fecal specimens collected from domestic animals resident at children's homesteads. Variables that were associated with decreased risk of MSD were washing hands after animal contact (matched odds ratio [MOR] = 0.2; 95% CI 0.08-0.7), and presence of adult sheep that were not confined in a pen overnight (MOR = 0.1; 0.02-0.5). Variables that were associated with increased risk of MSD were increasing number of sheep owned (MOR = 1.2; 1.0-1.5), frequent observation of fresh rodent excreta (feces/urine) outside the house (MOR = 7.5; 1.5-37.2), and participation of the child in providing water to chickens (MOR = 3.8; 1.2-12.2). Of 691 pooled specimens collected from 2,174 domestic animals, 159 pools (23%) tested positive for one or more potentially zoonotic enteric pathogens (Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, non-typhoidal Salmonella, diarrheagenic E. coli, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, or rotavirus). We did not find any association between the presence of particular pathogens in household animals, and MSD in children. Public health agencies should continue to promote frequent hand washing, including after animal contact, to reduce the risk of MSD. Future studies should address specific causal relations of MSD with sheep and chicken husbandry practices, and with the presence of rodents.

Nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci in Gambian children and in their families.

PubMed

Lloyd-Evans, N; O'Dempsey, T J; Baldeh, I; Secka, O; Demba, E; Todd, J E; Mcardle, T F; Banya, W S; Greenwood, B M

1996-10-01

Nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci is prevalent among children in developing countries but little is known about the relationship of nasopharyngeal carriage to invasive disease or about the way in which pneumococci spread within households. To determine the prevalence of nasopharyngeal carriage in healthy and sick Gambian children and to investigate transmission within households. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained by the per nasal route and cultured for pneumococci on selective media. Pneumococci were serotyped with the use of latex particles coated with type-specific antisera. Pneumococci were isolated from the nasopharynx of 73 (90.1%) of 81 children with invasive pneumococcal disease, 86 (76.1%) of 113 healthy, age-matched control children and 911 (85.1%) of 1071 sick children. Pneumococci belonging to serotypes 1, 14 and 12 were isolated significantly more frequently from cases than from matched controls. In 43 (76.8%) of 56 children with invasive disease, pneumococci isolated from the nasopharynx and from the blood or other sterile site belonged to the same serotype. Pneumococci of the same serotype as the bacterium responsible for invasive disease in a child were obtained from 72 (8.5%) of 843 family members, most frequently from young siblings of the case patients. Nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci is more prevalent among young Gambian children than among adults and invasive infections are probably acquired more frequently from siblings than from parents. However, further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis with more discriminating markers than polysaccharide serotyping.

Comparison of biomechanical gait parameters of young children with haemophilia and those of age-matched peers.

PubMed

Stephensen, D; Drechsler, W; Winter, M; Scott, O

2009-03-01

Quality of life for children with haemophilia has improved since the introduction of prophylaxis. The frequency of joint haemorrhages has reduced, but the consequences of reduced bleeding on the biomechanical parameters of walking are not well understood. This study explored the differences in sagittal plane biomechanics of walking between a control group (Group 1) of normal age-matched children and children with haemophilia (Group 2) with a target ankle joint. A motion capture system and two force platforms were used to collect sagittal plane kinematic, kinetic and temporal-spatial data during walking of 14 age-matched normal children and 14 children with haemophilia aged 7-13 years. Group differences in maximum and minimum flexion/extension angles and moments of the hip, knee and ankle joints, ground reaction forces and temporal-spatial gait cycle parameters were analysed using one-way anova. Significant changes (P < 0.05) in kinematic and kinetic parameters but not temporal-spatial parameters were found in children with haemophilia; greater flexion angles and external moments of force at the knee, greater ankle plantarflexion external moments and lower hip flexion external moments. These results suggest that early biomechanical changes are present in young haemophilic children with a history of a target ankle joint and imply that lower limb joint function is more impaired than current clinical evaluations indicate. Protocols and quantitative data on the biomechanical gait pattern of children with haemophilia reported in this study provide a baseline to evaluate lower limb joint function and clinical progression.

Lexical diversity and productivity in Cantonese-speaking children with specific language impairment.

PubMed

Stokes, S F; Fletcher, P

2000-01-01

Recent studies of lexical diversity in English-speaking children with specific language impairment (ESLI) have produced conflicting results. Differences between SLI and age-matched (AM) groups on verb types, and overall types have been reported, as have differences between SLI and language-matched (LM) groups on verb types and/or verb tokens, and noun types and noun tokens. At the same time there have been other claims that there is no difference between SLI and LM groups in terms of lexical diversity. This comparison of the lexical diversity of Cantonese-speaking children with SLI (CSLI) and their language-matched peers controlled the length of the samples and the number of tokens as the basis for comparison. There was no difference between the groups in use of verb tokens or types, but there were significant differences in noun tokens and types and 'other' open class tokens and types. Although there was no difference between the groups in the use of a specific grammatical marker (aspect markers), the way in which the CSLI children deployed these markers was severely restricted in comparison with their LM peers. A limited capacity model of language production is invoked to explain the findings.

Short-Term Changes in Postoperative Cognitive Function in Children Aged 5 to 12 Years Undergoing General Anesthesia: A Cohort Study.

PubMed

Aun, Cindy S T; McBride, Catherine; Lee, Anna; Lau, Angel S C; Chung, Raymond C K; Yeung, Chung Kwong; Lai, Kelly Y C; Gin, Tony

2016-04-01

Due to the neurotoxicity effects of general anesthesia (GA) and sedatives found in animal studies, there is a general recommendation to avoid nonurgent surgical procedures requiring anesthesia in children younger than 3 years of age. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of anesthesia-related postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) on the first day (Day 1) and at 6 weeks after elective noncardiac surgery in school-age children.This was a prospective cohort study of 118 children undergoing GA and 126 age-matched controls of school children aged 5 to 12 years. All children were given a panel of 4 neuropsychological assessments (Hong Kong List Learning for verbal memory, Visual Matching for processing speed, Visual Memory, and General Comprehension Skill from the Hong Kong Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children). The primary outcome was the incidence of POCD on Day 1 and at 6 weeks after surgery. POCD was defined as when at least 2 of the 4 cognitive function tests showed individual Z-scores ≤-1.96 or a combined Z-score ≤-1.96.Using the combined Z-score definition, the incidence of POCD in the GA group on Day 1 and at 6 weeks were 5.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.1-10.3) and 3.4% (95% CI: 1.1-8.0), respectively. No POCD was found using the other definition. The incidences of decline and improvement in neuropsychological tests were similar between groups over time except for a higher risk in visual matching impairment in the anesthesia group (11.9%) versus control group (1.6%) on Day 1 (P < 0.01). The adjusted relative risk ratio of postoperative cognitive decline to improvement between groups on Day 1 and at 6 weeks were 0.85 (95% CI: 0.10-7.05) and 0.45 (95% CI: 0.04-4.84), respectively. The observed risk of POCD is assumed to apply to current drugs and techniques used in GA.In conclusion, the incidence of POCD was low. GA was associated with a transient effect on visual matching. When using the widely accepted Z-score definitions and relative risk ratio methodology, we found no anesthesia-related POCD per se in school-age children.

Facial recognition in children after perinatal stroke.

PubMed

Ballantyne, A O; Trauner, D A

1999-04-01

To examine the effects of prenatal or perinatal stroke on the facial recognition skills of children and young adults. It was hypothesized that the nature and extent of facial recognition deficits seen in patients with early-onset lesions would be different from that seen in adults with later-onset neurologic impairment. Numerous studies with normal and neurologically impaired adults have found a right-hemisphere superiority for facial recognition. In contrast, little is known about facial recognition in children after early focal brain damage. Forty subjects had single, unilateral brain lesions from pre- or perinatal strokes (20 had left-hemisphere damage, and 20 had right-hemisphere damage), and 40 subjects were controls who were individually matched to the lesion subjects on the basis of age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Each subject was given the Short-Form of Benton's Test of Facial Recognition. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test and multiple regression. The lesion subjects performed significantly more poorly than did matched controls. There was no clear-cut lateralization effect, with the left-hemisphere group performing significantly more poorly than matched controls and the right-hemisphere group showing a trend toward poorer performance. Parietal lobe involvement, regardless of lesion side, adversely affected facial recognition performance in the lesion group. Results could not be accounted for by IQ differences between lesion and control groups, nor was lesion severity systematically related to facial recognition performance. Pre- or perinatal unilateral brain damage results in a subtle disturbance in facial recognition ability, independent of the side of the lesion. Parietal lobe involvement, in particular, has an adverse effect on facial recognition skills. These findings suggest that the parietal lobes may be involved in the acquisition of facial recognition ability from a very early point in brain development, but that there is sufficient potential to reorganize or compensate such that the residual deficits, though significant, are subtle.

Seasonal influenza vaccine efficacy and its determinants in children and non-elderly adults: a systematic review with meta-analyses of controlled trials.

PubMed

DiazGranados, Carlos A; Denis, Martine; Plotkin, Stanley

2012-12-17

The true level of influenza vaccine efficacy is controversial and many factors may influence its estimation. To estimate the efficacy of vaccination of children and non-elderly adults for the prevention of influenza and to explore the impact of type of vaccine, age, degree of strain matching, influenza type and case ascertainment methods on vaccine efficacy estimates. Medline and EmBase databases until October 2011. References of relevant articles were also reviewed. Controlled trials evaluating seasonal influenza vaccines and presenting incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza illness were eligible. Studies exploring efficacy after experimental challenge, presenting duplicate data, employing group randomization, or focusing on special populations were excluded. The vaccine effect on influenza prevention was evaluated by calculating Mantel-Haenszel risk ratios (RR) and using random-effects models. Vaccine efficacies were calculated for each comparison as (1-RR)×100. Thirty studies were included in one or more of a total of 101 analyses, comprising 88.468 study participants. There was evidence of heterogeneity in 49% of the analyses. Summary vaccine efficacy was 65% against any strain, 78% against matched strains and 55% against not-matched strains. Both live-attenuated and inactivated vaccines showed similar levels of protection against not-matched strains (60% and 55%, respectively). Live-attenuated vaccines performed better than inactivated vaccines in children (80% versus 48%), whereas inactivated vaccines performed better than live-attenuated vaccines in adults (59% versus 39%). There was a large difference (20%) in efficacy against influenza A (69%) and influenza B (49%) types for not-matched strains. Summary estimates of vaccine efficacy were highest when ascertainment was based on culture confirmation. Influenza vaccines are efficacious, but efficacy estimates depend on many variables including type of vaccine and age of vaccinees, degree of matching of the circulating strains to the vaccine, influenza type, and methods of case ascertainment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioral and emotional problems in Chinese children of divorced parents.

PubMed

Liu, X; Guo, C; Okawa, M; Zhai, J; Li, Y; Uchiyama, M; Neiderhiser, J M; Kurita, H

2000-07-01

This study examined the behavioral problems in Chinese children of divorced parents. A total of 58 children of divorce and 116 gender-, age-, and school class-matched controls were ascertained from a general population sample of children aged 6 through 15 years. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and teachers completed the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) and Conners Hyperkinesis Index. Parent-reported problem scores on the CBCL total scale and each subscale, and prevalence of all CBCL syndromes except for Somatic Complaints, were significantly higher in children of divorce than in controls. Teacher-reported problem scores on the TRF total scale and Social and Attention Problems and prevalence of Attention Problems were significantly different for the 2 groups of children. Social competence was rated significantly lower in children of divorce than in controls. Discriminant function analysis showed that behavioral problems in children of divorce were characterized by aggressive behavior, withdrawal, and social problems. The findings emanating from China provide the first evidence of the link between parental divorce and children's psychopathology and clarify the psychopathological dimensions in Chinese children of divorced parents.

Decreased bone turnover markers in children on long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) for intestinal failure (IF).

PubMed

Derepas, Charlène; Kosar, Christina; Avitzur, Yaron; Wales, Paul W; Courtney-Martin, Glenda

2015-01-01

Metabolic bone disease (MBD) is a well-recognized but poorly understood complication of long-term parenteral nutrition (PN). Bone histomorphometry in adults has provided useful information but does not provide quantitative measures of bone resorption and is to invasive for children. Measurement of bone turnover markers provides an alternative less invasive approach. We therefore aimed to measure bone turnover markers in children on long-term PN for intestinal failure (IF), and to compare them to age- and gender-matched controls. Serum concentrations of osteocalcin (OC), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP), and c-telopeptide (CTx) were measured in IF patients treated at a multidisciplinary intestinal rehabilitation and home PN program at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. Age- and gender-matched control participants were recruited for comparison. A total of 13 IF patients and 20 control participants were recruited. IF patients had lower serum OC and CTx concentrations when compared with controls: 42.43 ± 11.54 vs 68.39 ± 20.95 µg/L (P < .01) and 7.454 ± 2.17 vs 9.246 ± 1.92 (P < .05; mean ± SD) µg/L for OC and CTx, respectively. In a subgroup of 9 IF patients for whom BMD was available, OC and CTx concentration were negatively correlated to BMD (g/cm(2)) and BMD z score. Bone turnover markers may be useful indicators for identifying children on long-term PN at risk of MBD. Further studies are needed to validate the current results and determine the factors that influence the occurrence and evolution of MBD in children on PN. © 2013 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

In Search of Cellular Immunophenotypes in the Blood of Children with Autism

PubMed Central

Ashwood, Paul; Corbett, Blythe A.; Kantor, Aaron; Schulman, Howard; Van de Water, Judy; Amaral, David G.

2011-01-01

Background Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social behavior, communication difficulties and the occurrence of repetitive or stereotyped behaviors. There has been substantial evidence for dysregulation of the immune system in autism. Methods We evaluated differences in the number and phenotype of circulating blood cells in young children with autism (n = 70) compared with age-matched controls (n = 35). Children with a confirmed diagnosis of autism (4–6 years of age) were further subdivided into low (IQ<68, n = 35) or high functioning (IQ≥68, n = 35) groups. Age- and gender-matched typically developing children constituted the control group. Six hundred and forty four primary and secondary variables, including cell counts and the abundance of cell surface antigens, were assessed using microvolume laser scanning cytometry. Results There were multiple differences in immune cell populations between the autism and control groups. The absolute number of B cells per volume of blood was over 20% higher for children with autism and the absolute number of NK cells was about 40% higher. Neither of these variables showed significant difference between the low and high functioning autism groups. While the absolute number of T cells was not different across groups, a number of cellular activation markers, including HLA-DR and CD26 on T cells, and CD38 on B cells, were significantly higher in the autism group compared to controls. Conclusions These results support previous findings that immune dysfunction may occur in some children with autism. Further evaluation of the nature of the dysfunction and how it may play a role in the etiology of autism or in facets of autism neuropathology and/or behavior are needed. PMID:21573236

The impact of instructional context on classroom on-task behavior: a matched comparison of children with ADHD and non-ADHD classmates.

PubMed

Imeraj, Lindita; Antrop, Inge; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund; Deboutte, Dirk; Deschepper, Ellen; Bal, Sarah; Roeyers, Herbert

2013-08-01

Classroom inattentiveness is an important reason for clinical referral of children with ADHD and a strong predictor of their educational achievement. This study investigates classroom on-task behavior of Flemish children with ADHD withdrawn from medication as a function of instructional context. Thirty-one pairs of children (one with ADHD and one age- and sex-matched control; 25 boys and 6 girls 6 to 12years of age) were observed in their classroom environment during two consecutive school days. On-task behavior (time on-task and on-task span) of ADHD and non-ADHD individuals was compared in different class contexts (i.e., different class structures and academic content types). Individualized teacher supervision was simultaneously assessed. Generalized estimation equation analyses showed that children with ADHD were significantly less on-task than controls during individual work and whole class group teaching, but not during small group work, and had significantly shorter on-task span during academic tasks (mathematics, language, and sciences) and instructional transitions between tasks, but not during music and arts. These effects persisted even after controlling for the higher levels of teacher supervision observed for ADHD pupils (7%) across all contexts (vs. 4% in controls). Findings suggest that despite receiving more overall teacher supervision, children with ADHD displayed lower levels of on-task behavior in settings that place high self-regulatory, information processing, and motivational demands on them. This finding may have initial implications for classroom interventions in this population. Copyright © 2013 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social-Emotional Effects of Day Care. Final Project Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lippman, Marcia Z.; Grote, Barbara H.

This study compared the effects of group day care, family day care, and full parental care on such aspects of children's social-emotional adjustment as curiosity, attachment, self-concept, sex role, achievement motivation, impulse control, cooperation, and sharing. Initial differences between groups were controlled by matching on race, sex, number…

Lung volumes, ventricular function and pulmonary arterial flow in children operated on for left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia: long-term results.

PubMed

Abolmaali, Nasreddin; Koch, Arne; Götzelt, Knut; Hahn, Gabriele; Fitze, Guido; Vogelberg, Christian

2010-07-01

To compare MRI-based functional pulmonary and cardiac measurements in the long-term follow-up of children operated on for left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) with age- and body size-matched healthy controls. Twelve children who received immediate postnatal surgery for closure of isolated left-sided CDH were included and received basic medical examinations, pulmonary function testing and echocardiography. MRI included measurement of lung volume, ventricular function assessment and velocity-encoded imaging of the pulmonary arteries and was compared with the data for 12 healthy children matched for age and body size. While patients' clinical test results were not suspicious, comparison between the MRI data for patients and those for healthy controls revealed significant differences. In patients, the volumes of the left lungs were increased and the tidal volume was larger on the right side. While the stroke volumes of both ventricles were reduced, heart rate and ejection fraction were increased. Flow, acceleration time and cross-sectional area of the left pulmonary artery were reduced. Functional MRI detected pulmonary and cardiac findings in the late follow-up of CDH children which may be missed by standard clinical methods and might be relevant for decisions regarding late outcome and treatment.

The perception of lexical tone contrasts in Cantonese children with and without specific language impairment (SLI).

PubMed

Wong, Anita M-Y; Ciocca, Valter; Yung, Sun

2009-12-01

This study examined the perception of fundamental frequency (f0) patterns by Cantonese children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). Participants were 14 five-year-old children with SLI, and 14 age-matched (AM) and 13 four-year-old vocabulary-matched (VM) controls. The children identified a word from familiar word pairs that illustrated the 8 minimally contrastive pairs of the 6 lexical tones. They discriminated the f0 patterns within contrastive tonal pairs in speech and nonspeech stimuli. In tone identification, the SLI group performed worse than the AM group but not the VM group. In tone discrimination, the SLI group did worse than the AM group on 2 contrasts and showed a nonsignificant trend of poorer performance on all contrasts combined. The VM group generally did worse than the AM group. There were no group differences in discrimination performance between speech and nonspeech stimuli. No correlation was found between identification and discrimination performance. Only the normal controls showed a moderate correlation between vocabulary scores and performance in the 2 perception tasks. The SLI group's poor tone identification cannot be accounted for by vocabulary knowledge alone. The group's tone discrimination performance suggests that some children with SLI have a deficit in f0 processing.

Case-control cytogenetic study in offspring of mothers treated with bromocriptine during early pregnancy.

PubMed

Czeizel, A; Kiss, R; Rácz, K; Mohori, K; Gláz, E

1989-01-01

The distribution of modal and non-modal karyotypes was examined in mitoses of lymphocyte cultures of 31 children who had been exposed to bromocriptine in utero, and in 31 matched controls. No mosaicism was diagnosed. Furthermore, no more hypomodal cells occurred in the study group than in the control group.

Effects of Classification Exposure upon Numerical Achievement of Educable Mentally Retarded Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Kerri L.; Tseng, M. S.

Two groups of 32 educable mentally retarded children (ages 7 to 14 years) were compared as to their arithmetic and classification performances attributable to the presence or absence of a 4 1/2 week exposure to classification tasks. The randomized block pretest-posttest design was used. The experimental group and the control group were matched on…

Mismatch Negativity Responses in Children with a Diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froud, Karen; Khamis-Dakwar, Reem

2012-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate whether a hypothesis suggesting that apraxia of speech results from phonological overspecification could be relevant for childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Method: High-density EEG was recorded from 5 children with CAS and 5 matched controls, ages 5-8 years, with and without CAS, as they listened to randomized sequences of CV…

Brief Report: Syndromes in Autistic Children in a Finnish Birth Cohort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timonen-Soivio, Laura; Vanhala, Raija; Malm, Heli; Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki, Susanna; Gissler, Mika; Brown, Alan; Sourander, Andre

2016-01-01

We studied the association between specific congenital syndromes and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the large Finnish Register material. Our data include all children diagnosed with ASD (n = 4441) according to Finnish Hospital Discharge Register in 1987-2000. Four controls per each case were matched to sex, birthplace, date of birth (±30 days)…

An Investigation of the Security of Caregiver Attachment during Middle Childhood in Children with High-Functioning Autistic Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, Felicity; Dissanayake, Cheryl

2014-01-01

Previous research has investigated caregiver attachment relationships in children with autism during early childhood, with few differences found from matched control groups. However, little is known of this relationship during middle childhood (ages 8-12 years). In this study, the aim was to establish whether there are differences in the security…

Brief Report: Further Evidence for a Link between Inner Speech Limitations and Executive Function in High-Functioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell-Smith, Suzanna N.; Comerford, Bronwynn J. E.; Maybery, Murray T.; Whitehouse, Andrew J. O.

2014-01-01

This study investigated the involvement of inner speech limitations in the executive dysfunction associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Seventeen children with ASD and 18 controls, statistically-matched in age and IQ, performed a computer-based card sorting test (CST) to assess cognitive flexibility under four conditions: baseline, with…

Sleep Disturbances, Behavioural Problems and Adaptive Skills in Children with Down's Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelmanson, Igor A.

2017-01-01

The study was performed in St. Petersburg in 2015 and comprised 34 children with diagnosed Down's syndrome (DS) aged 9-15 (mean 11) years (17 boys, 17 girls) who attended special schools. Control group was made up of 34 clinically healthy normal intelligence schoolchildren matched for age, sex and geographical distribution. The mothers were…

Brief Report: Dysregulated Immune System in Children with Autism: Beneficial Effects of Intravenous Immune Globulin on Autistic Characteristics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Sudhir; And Others

1996-01-01

Children (ages 3-12) with autism (n=25) were given intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) treatments at 4-week intervals for at least 6 months. Marked abnormality of immune parameters was observed in subjects, compared to age-matched controls. IVIG treatment resulted in improved eye contact, speech, behavior, echolalia, and other autistic features.…

Working Memory as a Predictor of Reading Achievement in Orally Educated Hearing-Impaired Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daneman, Meredyth; And Others

1995-01-01

This study found that three measures of working memory capacity (processing and storage capacity, reading and listening span, and visual shape span) were good predictors of reading achievement in 30 orally educated children (ages 5 to 14) with hearing impairments as well as in an age-matched hearing control group. Degree of hearing loss did not…

Action Planning in Typically and Atypically Developing Children (Unilateral Cerebral Palsy)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craje, Celine; Aarts, Pauline; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria; Steenbergen, Bert

2010-01-01

In the present study, we investigated the development of action planning in children with unilateral Cerebral Palsy (CP, aged 3-6 years, n = 24) and an age matched control group. To investigate action planning, participants performed a sequential movement task. They had to grasp an object (a wooden play sword) and place the sword in a hole in a…

The Effect of Perceptual-Motor Training on Attention in the Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afshari, Javad

2012-01-01

The present study attempted to investigate the effect of perceptual-motor training on attention in children with autism spectrum disorders. The participants (20 girls and 20 boys) were divided into experimental and control groups. They were selected from among 85 subjects after primary tests to be matched. The design of the study was…

Tachycardia may prognosticate life- or organ-threatening diseases in children with abdominal pain.

PubMed

Hayakawa, Itaru; Sakakibara, Hiroshi; Atsumi, Yukari; Hataya, Hiroshi; Terakawa, Toshiro

2017-06-01

Abdominal pain is common in children, but expeditious diagnosis of life- or organ-threatening diseases can be challenging. An evidence-based definition of tachycardia in children was established recently, but its diagnostic utility has not yet been studied. To test the hypothesis that abdominal pain with tachycardia may pose a higher likelihood of life- or organ-threatening diseases in children. A nested case-control study was conducted in a pediatric emergency department in 2013. Tachycardia was defined as a resting heart rate of more than 3 standard deviations above the average for that age. Life- or organ-threatening diseases were defined as "disorders that might result in permanent morbidity or mortality without appropriate intervention." A triage team recorded vital signs before emergency physicians attended patients. Patients with tachycardia (cases) and without tachycardia (controls) were systematically matched for age, sex, and month of visit. The groups were compared for the presence of life- or organ-threatening diseases. There were 1683 visits for abdominal pain, 1512 of which had vital signs measured at rest. Eighty-three patients experienced tachycardia, while 1429 did not. Fifty-eight cases and 58 controls were matched. Life- or organ-threatening diseases were more common in the case group (19%) than the control group (5%, p=0.043). The relative risk of tachycardia to the presence of the diseases was 3.7 (95% confidence interval 1.2-12.0). Tachycardia significantly increased the likelihood of life- or organ-threatening diseases. Tachycardia in children with abdominal pain should alert emergency physicians to the possibility of serious illness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increased gray-matter volume in medication-naive high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Palmen, Saskia J M C; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E; Kemner, Chantal; Schnack, Hugo G; Durston, Sarah; Lahuis, Bertine E; Kahn, René S; Van Engeland, Herman

2005-04-01

To establish whether high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have enlarged brains in later childhood, and if so, whether this enlargement is confined to the gray and/or to the white matter and whether it is global or more prominent in specific brain regions. Brain MRI scans were acquired from 21 medication-naive, high-functioning children with ASD between 7 and 15 years of age and 21 comparison subjects matched for gender, age, IQ, height, weight, handedness, and parental education, but not pubertal status. Patients showed a significant increase of 6% in intracranium, total brain, cerebral gray matter, cerebellum, and of more than 40% in lateral and third ventricles compared to controls. The cortical gray-matter volume was evenly affected in all lobes. After correction for brain volume, ventricular volumes remained significantly larger in patients. High-functioning children with ASD showed a global increase in gray-matter, but not white-matter and cerebellar volume, proportional to the increase in brain volume, and a disproportional increase in ventricular volumes, still present after correction for brain volume. Advanced pubertal development in the patients compared to the age-matched controls may have contributed to the findings reported in the present study.

Risk factors for the occurrence of sporadic Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis infections in children in France: a national case-control study.

PubMed Central

Delarocque-Astagneau, E.; Desenclos, J. C.; Bouvet, P.; Grimont, P. A.

1998-01-01

To determine risk factors associated with the occurrence of sporadic cases of Salmonella enteritidis infections among children in France, we conducted a matched case-control study. Cases were identified between 1 March and 30 September 1995. One hundred and five pairs of cases and controls matched for age and place of residence were interviewed. In the 1-5 years age group, illness was associated with the consumption of raw eggs or undercooked egg-containing foods (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.8). Storing eggs more than 2 weeks after purchase was associated with Salmonella enteritidis infection (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.4-10.2), particularly during the summer period (OR 6.0, 95% CI 1.3-26.8). Cases were more likely to report a case of diarrhoea in the household 10-3 days before the onset of symptoms, particularly in the age group < or = 1 year (P = 0.01). This study confirms the link between eggs and the occurrence of sporadic cases of Salmonella enteritidis among children, highlights the potential role of prolonged egg storage and underlines the role of person-to-person transmission in infants. PMID:10030705

Dynamic assessment of narrative ability in English accurately identifies language impairment in English language learners.

PubMed

Peña, Elizabeth D; Gillam, Ronald B; Bedore, Lisa M

2014-12-01

To assess the identification accuracy of dynamic assessment (DA) of narrative ability in English for children learning English as a 2nd language. A DA task was administered to 54 children: 18 Spanish-English-speaking children with language impairment (LI); 18 age-, sex-, IQ- and language experience-matched typical control children; and an additional 18 age- and language experience-matched comparison children. A variety of quantitative and qualitative measures were collected in the pretest phase, the mediation phase, and the posttest phase of the study. Exploratory discriminant analysis was used to determine the set of measures that best differentiated among this group of children with and without LI. A combination of examiner ratings of modifiability (compliance, metacognition, and task orientation), DA story scores (setting, dialogue, and complexity of vocabulary), and ungrammaticality (derived from the posttest narrative sample) classified children with 80.6% to 97.2% accuracy. DA conducted in English provides a systematic means for measuring learning processes and learning outcomes, resulting in a clinically useful procedure for identifying LIs in bilingual children who are in the process of learning English as a second language.

Spatial and temporal analysis of postural control in dyslexic children.

PubMed

Gouleme, Nathalie; Gerard, Christophe Loic; Bui-Quoc, Emmanuel; Bucci, Maria Pia

2015-07-01

The aim of this study is to examine postural control of dyslexic children using both spatial and temporal analysis. Thirty dyslexic (mean age 9.7±0.3years) and thirty non-dyslexic age-matched children participated in the study. Postural stability was evaluated using Multitest Equilibre from Framiral®. Posture was recorded in the following conditions: eyes open fixating a target (EO) and eyes closed (EC) on stable (-S-) and unstable (-U-) platforms. The findings of this study showed poor postural stability in dyslexic children with respect to the non-dyslexic children group, as demonstrated by both spatial and temporal analysis. In both groups of children postural control depends on the condition, and improves when the eyes are open on a stable platform. Dyslexic children have spectral power indices that are higher than in non-dyslexic children and they showed a shorter cancelling time. Poor postural control in dyslexic children could be due to a deficit in using sensory information most likely caused by impairment in cerebellar activity. The reliability of brain activation patterns, namely in using sensory input and cerebellar activity may explain the deficit in postural control in dyslexic children. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beyond Auditory Sensory Processing Deficits: Lexical Tone Perception Deficits in Chinese Children With Developmental Dyslexia.

PubMed

Tong, Xiuhong; Tong, Xiuli; King Yiu, Fung

Increasing evidence suggests that children with developmental dyslexia exhibit a deficit not only at the segmental level of phonological processing but also, by extension, at the suprasegmental level. However, it remains unclear whether such a suprasegmental phonological processing deficit is due to a difficulty in processing acoustic cues of speech rhythm, such as rise time and intensity. This study set out to investigate to what extent suprasegmental phonological processing (i.e., Cantonese lexical tone perception) and rise time sensitivity could distinguish Chinese children with dyslexia from typically developing children. Sixteen children with dyslexia and 44 age-matched controls were administered a Cantonese lexical tone perception task, psychoacoustic tasks, a nonverbal reasoning ability task, and word reading and dictation tasks. Children with dyslexia performed worse than controls on Cantonese lexical tone perception, rise time, and intensity. Furthermore, Cantonese lexical tone perception appeared to be a stable indicator that distinguishes children with dyslexia from controls, even after controlling for basic auditory processing skills. These findings suggest that suprasegmental phonological processing (i.e., lexical tone perception) is a potential factor that accounts for reading difficulty in Chinese.

Deficits in working memory, reading comprehension and arithmetic skills in children with mouth breathing syndrome: analytical cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kuroishi, Rita Cristina Sadako; Garcia, Ricardo Basso; Valera, Fabiana Cardoso Pereira; Anselmo-Lima, Wilma Terezinha; Fukuda, Marisa Tomoe Hebihara

2015-01-01

Mouth breathing syndrome is very common among school-age children, and it is possibly related to learning difficulties and low academic achievement. In this study, we investigated working memory, reading comprehension and arithmetic skills in children with nasal and mouth breathing. Analytical cross-sectional study with control group conducted in a public university hospital. 42 children (mean age = 8.7 years) who had been identified as mouth breathers were compared with a control group (mean age = 8.4 years) matched for age and schooling. All the participants underwent a clinical interview, tone audiometry, otorhinolaryngological evaluation and cognitive assessment of phonological working memory (numbers and pseudowords), reading comprehension and arithmetic skills. Children with mouth breathing had poorer performance than controls, regarding reading comprehension (P = 0.006), arithmetic (P = 0.025) and working memory for pseudowords (P = 0.002), but not for numbers (P = 0.76). Children with mouth breathing have low academic achievement and poorer phonological working memory than controls. Teachers and healthcare professionals should be aware of the association of mouth breathing with children's physical and cognitive health.

Caries experience among children with type 1 diabetes in Kuwait.

PubMed

Akpata, Enosakhare Samuel; Alomari, Qasem; Mojiminiyi, Olusequn A; Al-Sanae, Hala

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the association among type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), caries experience, and salivary glucose in 12- to 15-year-olds in Kuwait. A cross-sectional design was chosen involving 53 DM patients and 53 nondiabetic controls, group-matched by age and sex to the experimental group. The DM patients comprised 2 groups: (1) 14 controlled DM children (glycated haemoglobin, HbA1c=<8); and (2) 39 children with uncontrolled DM (HbA1c>8). The children's caries experience, at the precavitation and cavitation diagnostic threshold, was measured. In addition, their frequency of sugar consumption, plaque index, salivary flow rate, buffering capacity, as well as mutans streptococci, lactobacilli, and yeast counts were recorded. The DM children had significantly higher caries experience both at precavitation and cavitation diagnostic thresholds, than the control group. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed age, frequency of sugar consumption, and resting salivary flow rate to be significantly associated with high caries experience among the diabetic children. Caries experience was significantly higher in children with type 1 diabetes than in nondiabetic controls.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) Increases Pedestrian Injury Risk in Children

PubMed Central

Avis, Kristin T.; Gamble, Karen L.; Schwebel, David C

2014-01-01

Objectives To evaluate pedestrian behavior, including reaction time, impulsivity, risk-taking, attention, and decision-making, in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) compared with healthy controls. Study design Using a case control design, sixty 8- to 16-year-olds with newly diagnosed and untreated OSAS engaged in a virtual reality pedestrian environment. Sixty-one healthy children matched using a yoke-control procedure by age, race, gender and household income served as controls. Results Children with OSAS were riskier pedestrians than healthy children of the same age, race, and sex. Children with OSAS waited less time to cross (p<.01). The groups did not differ in looking at oncoming traffic or taking longer to decide to cross. Conclusions Results suggest OSAS may have significant consequences on children’s daytime functioning in a critical domain of personal safety, pedestrian skills. Children with OSAS appeared to have greater impulsivity when crossing streets. Results highlight the need for heightened awareness of the consequences of untreated sleep disorders and identify a possible target for pediatric injury prevention. PMID:25444002

Brain morphology in school-aged children with prenatal opioid exposure: A structural MRI study.

PubMed

Sirnes, Eivind; Oltedal, Leif; Bartsch, Hauke; Eide, Geir Egil; Elgen, Irene B; Aukland, Stein Magnus

Both animal and human studies have suggested that prenatal opioid exposure may be detrimental to the developing fetal brain. However, results are somewhat conflicting. Structural brain changes in children with prenatal opioid exposure have been reported in a few studies, and such changes may contribute to neuropsychological impairments observed in exposed children. To investigate the association between prenatal opioid exposure and brain morphology in school-aged children. A cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of prenatally opioid-exposed children and matched controls. A hospital-based sample (n=16) of children aged 10-14years with prenatal exposure to opioids and 1:1 sex- and age-matched unexposed controls. Automated brain volume measures obtained from T1-weighted MRI scans using FreeSurfer. Volumes of the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellar white matter were reduced in the opioid-exposed group, whereas there were no statistically significant differences in global brain measures (total brain, cerebral cortex, and cerebral white matter volumes). In line with the limited findings reported in the literature to date, our study showed an association between prenatal opioid exposure and reduced regional brain volumes. Adverse effects of opioids on the developing fetal brain may explain this association. However, further research is needed to explore the causal nature and functional consequences of these findings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cognitive flexibility in preschool children with and without stuttering disorders.

PubMed

Eichorn, Naomi; Marton, Klara; Pirutinsky, Steven

2017-11-13

Multifactorial explanations of developmental stuttering suggest that difficulties in self-regulation and weak attentional flexibility contribute to persisting stuttering. We tested this prediction by examining whether preschool-age children who stutter (CWS) shift their attention less flexibly than children who do not stutter (CWNS) during a modified version of the Dimension Card Change Sort (DCCS), a reliable measure of attention switching for young children. Sixteen CWS (12 males) and 30 children CWNS (11 males) participated in the study. Groups were matched on age (CWS: M=49.63, SD=10.34, range=38-80months; CWNS: M=50.63, SD=9.82, range=37-74months), cognitive ability, and language skills. All children completed a computer-based variation of the DCCS, in which they matched on-screen bivalent stimuli to response buttons based on rules that switched mid-task. Results showed increased slowing for CWS compared to controls during the postswitch phase, as well as contrasting patterns of speed-accuracy tradeoff for CWS and CWNS as they moved from the preswitch to postswitch phase of the task. Group differences in performance suggest that early stuttering may be associated with difficulty shifting attention efficiently and greater concern about errors. Findings are consistent with a growing literature indicating links between weak attentional control and persisting developmental stuttering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reasons of repeat dental treatment under general anaesthesia: A retrospective study.

PubMed

Guidry, J; Bagher, S; Felemban, O; Rich, A; Loo, C

2017-12-01

The purpose of this chart review study was to investigate the common factors that exist in paediatric patients requiring a repeat dental treatment under general anaesthesia (GA2) within four years after the initial dental treatment under general anaesthesia (GA1). The Electronic Health Records of one to 12 year-old children who received dental treatment under general anaesthesia (GA) between April 2004 and October 2009 were identified and analysed by a single examiner. Children who had GA2, within a four year period following GA1 were categorised as cases. Children who had only one dental treatment under GA were considered the control pool. Each case was matched to three controls based on sex and age range at GA1 of ± 6 months. Other recorded variables included: date of birth, date of GAs (GA1 and GA2 for cases; GA1 for controls), type of payment, dmfs before GA1, dental treatments provided under GA, return of 1-week post-GA1 follow-up, frequency of recare/recall visits following one-year post-GA1 visit and the type and frequency of post GA1 emergency visits. Out of 581 subjects, 29 (4.99%) cases were matched to 87 controls. Medically compromised patients had four times the risk of GA2. At GA1, cases received statistically significant less sealants (p=0.026), less extractions (p<0.0001), and more composite restorations (p=0.0002) compared to controls. Medically compromised children and children treated with more composites and fewer sealants and extractions at their initial dental treatment under general anaesthesia were more likely to have a repeat dental treatment under general anaesthesia within 4 years.

The effect of amblyopia on fine motor skills in children.

PubMed

Webber, Ann L; Wood, Joanne M; Gole, Glen A; Brown, Brian

2008-02-01

In an investigation of the functional impact of amblyopia in children, the fine motor skills of amblyopes and age-matched control subjects were compared. The influence of visual factors that might predict any decrement in fine motor skills was also explored. Vision and fine motor skills were tested in a group of children (n = 82; mean age, 8.2 +/- 1.7 [SD] years) with amblyopia of different causes (infantile esotropia, n = 17; acquired strabismus, n = 28; anisometropia, n = 15; mixed, n = 13; and deprivation n = 9), and age-matched control children (n = 37; age 8.3 +/- 1.3 years). Visual motor control (VMC) and upper limb speed and dexterity (ULSD) items of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency were assessed, and logMAR visual acuity (VA) and Randot stereopsis were measured. Multiple regression models were used to identify the visual determinants of fine motor skills performance. Amblyopes performed significantly poorer than control subjects on 9 of 16 fine motor skills subitems and for the overall age-standardized scores for both VMC and ULSD items (P < 0.05). The effects were most evident on timed tasks. The etiology of amblyopia and level of binocular function significantly affected fine motor skill performance on both items; however, when examined in a multiple regression model that took into account the intercorrelation between visual characteristics, poorer fine motor skills performance was associated with strabismus (F(1,75) = 5.428; P = 0.022), but not with the level of binocular function, refractive error, or visual acuity in either eye. Fine motor skills were reduced in children with amblyopia, particularly those with strabismus, compared with control subjects. The deficits in motor performance were greatest on manual dexterity tasks requiring speed and accuracy.

Aetiology of diarrhoeal disease and evaluation of viral-bacterial coinfection in children under 5 years old in China: a matched case-control study.

PubMed

Li, L L; Liu, N; Humphries, E M; Yu, J M; Li, S; Lindsay, B R; Stine, O C; Duan, Z J

2016-04-01

Globally, diarrhoeal diseases are the second leading cause of death among children under 5 years old. Few case-control studies on the aetiology of diarrhoea have been conducted in China. A case-control study on 922 children under 5 years old who presented with diarrhoea and individually matched controls was conducted in China between May 2011 and January 2013. Quantitative PCR was used to analyze stool samples for 10 diarrhoeal pathogens. Potential enteric pathogens were detected in 377 (81.8%) of 461 children with diarrhoea and 215 controls (46.6%, p <0.001). Rotavirus, norovirus GII, Shigella and adenovirus were qualitatively associated with diarrhoea. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, the optimal cutoff threshold for defining a symptomatic individual was 72, 5840, and 10(4) copies per reaction for rotavirus (odds ratio 259), norovirus GII (odds ratio 10.6) and Shigella (odds ratio 5.1). The attributable fractions were 0.18 for rotavirus, 0.08 for norovirus GII, 0.01 for Shigella and 0.04 for adenovirus. Coinfections between pathogens were common. Two pairs, rotavirus and adenovirus, and norovirus GII and Salmonella were positively associated. The co-occurrence of rotavirus and sapovirus, astrovirus, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli or Campylobacter jejuni only occurred in children with disease. Coinfection was not correlated with clinical symptoms. Quantitative data are critical. Our results indicate that increased pathogen loads increase the OR between diarrhoea and rotavirus, norovirus GII and Shigella. Coinfections with rotavirus and norovirus GII are common and occur in a nonrandom distribution. Despite testing for ten diarrhoeal pathogens, over two-thirds of cases do not have a recognized attributable cause. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Anxiety, depression, stress, and cortisol levels in mothers of children undergoing maintenance therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PubMed

Neu, Madalynn; Matthews, Ellyn; King, Nancy A; Cook, Paul F; Laudenslager, Mark L

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare anxiety, depression, and stress between mothers of children during maintenance treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and matched controls. Twenty-six mothers were recruited from the hematology unit at a children's hospital, and 26 mothers were recruited from the community. Participants were matched to their child's age and gender. Mothers completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Perceived Stress Sale, and collected salivary cortisol 4 times a day for 3 consecutive days. Compared with mothers of healthy children, anxiety scores did not differ (P=.10), but depression scores were higher (P=.003) in mothers of children with ALL. More mothers in the ALL group scored above the cutoff of 7 indicating clinical anxiety (46%) and depressive symptoms (27%). A trend toward increased stress was found in mothers in the ALL group. No difference was found in overall daily cortisol (area under the curve), daily decrease in cortisol (slope), and cortisol awakening response. Mothers of children with ALL experienced emotional symptoms many months after the initial diagnosis.

Detecting epilepsy-related cognitive problems in clinically referred children with epilepsy: is the WISC-IV a useful tool?

PubMed

Sherman, Elisabeth M S; Brooks, Brian L; Fay-McClymont, Taryn B; MacAllister, William S

2012-06-01

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition is the most widely used intelligence quotient (IQ) test in use today. However, despite numerous studies on IQ in childhood epilepsy, data exist almost exclusively from prior editions of the test, and no studies to date provide information on the sensitivity of specific WISC-IV scores (full-scale IQ [FSIQ], index, and subtest scores) to epilepsy-related cognitive impairments. The goal of this study was to determine the relative sensitivity of WISC-IV index and subscale scores in detecting cognitive problems in a group of clinically referred children with epilepsy compared to matched controls, and to define the relationship among WISC-IV scales, demographic factors, and epilepsy-related variables. WISC-IV data for children with epilepsy and high seizure burden were obtained from the Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH) and the New York University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (NYU), two tertiary care medical centers for pediatric epilepsy. All children were clinically referred and received a standard assessment including WISC-IV. Matched controls were obtained from the WISC-IV Canadian and American standardization samples. WISC-IV scores from 212 children were included: 106 children with epilepsy (46 girls, 60 boys; mean age 11.0 years, standard deviation [SD] 3.1; parental education 14.5 years, SD 2.8), and 106 controls matched for age, gender, ethnicity, and parental education. Of the children with epilepsy, 44 had a clearly lateralized focus on electroencephalography (EEG) involving either the right or left hemisphere (26 left, 18 right). FSIQ for the epilepsy group was significantly lower than for controls, and 36.8% of children had IQs compatible with intellectual disability (FSIQ < 70), versus <1% of controls. In children with epilepsy, Working Memory and Processing Speed Index scores were lower than those for Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Reasoning (p < 0.01). At the subtest level, scores for children with epilepsy were highest on visual and verbal subtests measuring reasoning skills such as Matrix Reasoning, and lowest on Coding (mean 5.93, SD 3.6). In terms of percentage of children on each subtest with low scores (i.e., scores below 2 SDs from the expected normative mean of 10), the Coding subtest identified the most children (28.3%) with low scores, and the Similarities subtest identified the fewest (16%). Later age at onset and shorter epilepsy duration were both correlated with higher WISC-IV FSIQ and index scores (r correlation coefficient values ranging from 0.36 to 0.44, p < 0.0001), and number of current and previous antiepileptic drug trials were both inversely correlated with FSIQ and index scores (r -0.27 to -0.47, all p-values < 0.01). Neither the FSIQ nor the index scores were significantly related to seizure frequency. A similar pattern was found for subtest scores. No differences in FSIQ, index scores, or subtest scores were found between children with left- and right-hemisphere seizure foci, or between those with positive or negative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. The WISC-IV is sensitive to epilepsy-related cognitive problems in clinically referred children with high seizure burden, particularly problems relating to expressive verbal, working memory, and processing speed difficulties. Compared to healthy children, these children have a very high rate of cognitive difficulties as assessed by the WISC-IV. The usefulness of the WISC-IV in detecting cognitive deficits in children with milder forms of epilepsy remains to be determined. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 International League Against Epilepsy.

A Comparison of the Metalinguistic Performance and Spelling Development of Children With Inconsistent Speech Sound Disorder and Their Age-Matched and Reading-Matched Peers.

PubMed

McNeill, Brigid C; Wolter, Julie; Gillon, Gail T

2017-05-17

This study explored the specific nature of a spelling impairment in children with speech sound disorder (SSD) in relation to metalinguistic predictors of spelling development. The metalinguistic (phoneme, morphological, and orthographic awareness) and spelling development of 28 children ages 6-8 years with a history of inconsistent SSD were compared to those of their age-matched (n = 28) and reading-matched (n = 28) peers. Analysis of the literacy outcomes of children within the cohort with persistent (n = 18) versus resolved (n = 10) SSD was also conducted. The age-matched peers outperformed the SSD group on all measures. Children with SSD performed comparably to their reading-matched peers on metalinguistic measures but exhibited lower spelling scores. Children with persistent SSD generally had less favorable outcomes than children with resolved SSD; however, even children with resolved SSD performed poorly on normative spelling measures. Children with SSD have a specific difficulty with spelling that is not commensurate with their metalinguistic and reading ability. Although low metalinguistic awareness appears to inhibit these children's spelling development, other factors should be considered, such as nonverbal rehearsal during spelling attempts and motoric ability. Integration of speech-production and spelling-intervention goals is important to enhance literacy outcomes for this group.

Non-organ-specific autoantibodies in children with chronic hepatitis C: clinical significance and impact on interferon treatment.

PubMed

Muratori, Paolo; Muratori, Luigi; Verucchi, Gabriella; Attard, Luciano; Bianchi, Francesco B; Lenzi, Marco

2003-11-15

We evaluated the prevalence and clinical significance of non-organ-specific autoantibodies (NOSAs) in 47 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive children with abnormal alanine transaminase levels and analyzed the association between NOSAs and virus level, genotype, human leukocyte antigen status, and interferon (IFN) response. Forty-two hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive children and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy children served as control subjects. NOSAs were found in 34% of the HCV-positive children, 12% of the HBV-positive controls, and none of the healthy control subjects. Liver-kidney microsomal antibody type 1 (LKM1) was detected in 11% of the HCV-positive children but in none of the controls. The HCV load was significantly higher in NOSA-negative than in NOSA-positive children. HCV genotype distribution and human leukocyte antigen alleles were similar, irrespective of NOSA status. Long-term response to IFN therapy was achieved by 18% of the NOSA-positive and 55% of the NOSA-negative subjects. Two LKM1-positive children developed acute, self-limited hepatocellular necrosis while receiving IFN therapy. NOSAs are frequently present in children with hepatitis C, who are less likely to benefit from IFN therapy.

Childhood leukemia and traffic air pollution in Taiwan: petrol station density as an indicator.

PubMed

Weng, Hsu-Huei; Tsai, Shang-Shyue; Chiu, Hui-Fen; Wu, Trong-Neng; Yang, Chun-Yuh

2009-01-01

To investigate the relationship between traffic air pollution exposure and development of childhood leukemia (14 yr of age or younger), a matched case-control study was conducted using childhood deaths that occurred in Taiwan from 1996 through 2006. Data on all eligible childhood leukemia deaths were obtained from the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Taiwan Provincial Department of Health. The control group consisted of children who died from causes other than neoplasms or diseases that were not associated with respiratory complications. The controls were pair matched to the cancer cases by gender, year of birth, and year of death. Each matched control was selected randomly from the set of possible controls for each case. Data on the number of petrol stations in study municipalities were collected from the two major petroleum supply companies, Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Formosa Petrochemical Corporation (FPCC). The petrol station density (per square kilometer) (PSD) for study municipalities was used as an indicator of a subject's exposure to benzene and other hydrocarbons present in evaporative losses of petrol or to air emissions from motor vehicles. The subjects were divided into tertiles according to PSD in their residential municipality. The results showed that there was a significant exposure-response relationship between PSD and the risk of leukemia development in young children after controlling for possible confounders. The findings of this study warrant further investigation of the role of traffic air pollution exposure in the etiology of childhood leukemia.

Visual acuity deficits in the fellow eyes of children with unilateral amblyopia.

PubMed

Varadharajan, Srinivasa; Hussaindeen, Jameel Rizwana

2012-02-01

To study the visual acuity deficits and maturation in the fellow eyes of children with unilateral amblyopia who were treated with patching. Medical records of patients aged 4-13 years visiting a tertiary eye care center between January 2003 and December 2007 who were diagnosed for the first time with unilateral amblyopia were reviewed. Subjects included in the study were followed through April 2009. The baseline visual acuity in the fellow eye of amblyopic subjects was compared with that of age-matched healthy subjects. Changes in visual acuity in the amblyopic and fellow eyes during subsequent visits were analyzed. A total of 112 children with amblyopia were included (strabismic, 14; anisometropic, 51; combined mechanism, 47). Baseline visual acuity in the fellow eye of these children differed significantly from that of age-matched controls up to 8 years of age. Average logMAR acuity reached 0.0 at age 5 years in controls versus age 9 years in patients. Although the mean visual acuity of the fellow eyes improved during treatment, 21% developed temporary occlusion amblyopia. Full-time patching had no additional benefit when compared with part-time patching. Visual acuity in the fellow eye of children with unilateral amblyopia is reduced at baseline and matures more slowly than in healthy control patients. The risk for temporary occlusion amblyopia in the fellow eye is similar what has been previously reported. Copyright © 2012 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-specific effect of measles vaccination on overall child mortality in an area of rural India with high vaccination coverage: a population-based case-control study.

PubMed

Kabir, Zubair; Long, Jean; Reddaiah, Vankadara P; Kevany, John; Kapoor, Suresh K

2003-01-01

To determine whether vaccination against measles in a population with sustained high vaccination coverage and relatively low child mortality reduces overall child mortality. In April and May 2000, a population-based, case-control study was conducted at Ballabgarh (an area in rural northern India). Eligible cases were 330 children born between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1998 who died aged 12-59 months. A programme was used to match 320 controls for age, sex, family size, and area of residence from a birth cohort of 15 578 born during the same time period. The analysis used 318 matched pairs and suggested that children aged 12-59 months who did not receive measles vaccination in infancy were three times more likely to die than those vaccinated against measles. Children from lower caste households who were not vaccinated in infancy had the highest risk of mortality (odds ratio, 8.9). A 27% increase in child mortality was attributable to failure to vaccinate against measles in the study population. Measles vaccine seems to have a non-specific reducing effect on overall child mortality in this population. If true, children in lower castes may reap the greatest gains in survival. The findings should be interpreted with caution because the nutritional status of the children was not recorded and may be a residual confounder. "All-cause mortality" is a potentially useful epidemiological endpoint for future vaccine trials.

Poor nutrition is a serious problem in children with cerebral palsy in Palawan, the Philippines.

PubMed

Socrates, C; Grantham-McGregor, S M; Harknett, S G; Seal, A J

2000-09-01

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) in developed countries have poor nutritional status; however there is little data from developing countries. In Palawan, in the Philippines, the nutritional status of 31 children with CP was compared to that of their siblings (n = 20) and a control group of neighbourhood children (n = 64), matched for age and sex. The children's weights, heights and armspans were measured. The heights of children with CP could not be measured and were estimated from their armspans using an equation relating height to armspan in siblings and controls. Haemoglobin levels of the study cases and siblings were measured. Siblings and controls had similar nutritional status. The children with CP had extremely poor nutritional status, and had significantly smaller weights for height, heights for age and weights for age than siblings or controls. Haemoglobin levels were not significantly different between the children with CP and their siblings. The nutritional status of children with quadriplegic CP was much poorer than that of similar children in the USA. The severity of malnutrition in children with CP is likely to be detrimental to their development, and a nutritional component should be incorporated into rehabilitation programmes. Also, there is a need to examine the nutritional status of children with CP in other developing countries.

Deficits in visual short-term memory binding in children at risk of non-verbal learning disabilities.

PubMed

Garcia, Ricardo Basso; Mammarella, Irene C; Pancera, Arianna; Galera, Cesar; Cornoldi, Cesare

2015-01-01

It has been hypothesized that learning disabled children meet short-term memory (STM) problems especially when they must bind different types of information, however the hypothesis has not been systematically tested. This study assessed visual STM for shapes and colors and the binding of shapes and colors, comparing a group of children (aged between 8 and 10 years) at risk of non-verbal learning disabilities (NLD) with a control group of children matched for general verbal abilities, age, gender, and socioeconomic level. Results revealed that groups did not differ in retention of either shapes or colors, but children at risk of NLD were poorer than controls in memory for shape-color bindings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multiple benefits of personal FM system use by children with auditory processing disorder (APD).

PubMed

Johnston, Kristin N; John, Andrew B; Kreisman, Nicole V; Hall, James W; Crandell, Carl C

2009-01-01

Children with auditory processing disorders (APD) were fitted with Phonak EduLink FM devices for home and classroom use. Baseline measures of the children with APD, prior to FM use, documented significantly lower speech-perception scores, evidence of decreased academic performance, and psychosocial problems in comparison to an age- and gender-matched control group. Repeated measures during the school year demonstrated speech-perception improvement in noisy classroom environments as well as significant academic and psychosocial benefits. Compared with the control group, the children with APD showed greater speech-perception advantage with FM technology. Notably, after prolonged FM use, even unaided (no FM device) speech-perception performance was improved in the children with APD, suggesting the possibility of fundamentally enhanced auditory system function.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Is Associated With Adverse Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.

PubMed

Berni, Thomas R; Morgan, Christopher L; Berni, Ellen R; Rees, D Aled

2018-06-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hyperandrogenism and subfertility, but the effects on mental health and child neurodevelopment are unclear. To determine if (1) there is an association between PCOS and psychiatric outcomes and (2) whether rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are higher in children of mothers with PCOS. Data were extracted from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Patients with PCOS were matched to two control sets (1:1) by age, body mass index, and primary care practice. Control set 2 was additionally matched on prior mental health status. Primary outcomes were the incidence of depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Secondary outcomes were the prevalence of ADHD or ASD in the children. Eligible patients (16,986) were identified; 16,938 and 16,355 were matched to control sets 1 and 2, respectively. Compared with control set 1, baseline prevalence was 23.1% vs 19.3% for depression, 11.5% vs 9.3% for anxiety, and 3.2% vs 1.5% for bipolar disorder (P < 0.001). The hazard ratio for time to each endpoint was 1.26 (95% confidence interval 1.19 to 1.32), 1.20 (1.11 to 1.29), and 1.21 (1.03 to 1.42) for set 1 and 1.38 (1.30 to 1.45), 1.39 (1.29 to 1.51), and 1.44 (1.21 to 1.71) for set 2. The odds ratios for ASD and ADHD in children were 1.54 (1.12 to 2.11) and 1.64 (1.16 to 2.33) for set 1 and 1.76 (1.27 to 2.46) and 1.34 (0.96 to 1.89) for set 2. PCOS is associated with psychiatric morbidity and increased risk of ADHD and ASD in their children. Screening for mental health disorders should be considered during assessment.

Biosocial variables and auditory acuity as risk factors for non-fatal childhood injuries in Greece.

PubMed Central

Petridou, E.; Zervos, I.; Christopoulos, G.; Revinthi, K.; Papoutsakis, G.; Trichopoulos, D.

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether biosocial variables and auditory acuity are risk factors for injuries among children. SETTING: Children with injuries who presented at the emergency clinics of one of the two university hospitals for children in Athens, Greece between December 1993 and April 1994. METHODS: 144 children aged 5-14 years, residents of Athens, were brought to the emergency clinics for a moderate to severe injury. For each of these children one hospital control, matched for age and sex, and one classmate control similarly matched were identified. A standard interview form was completed for all 432 children and acouometric and tympanometric examinations were performed in each of them. Analysis was done through conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: The likelihood of an accident was higher in children of younger fathers (odds ratio (OR) = 0.7, p = 0.04), children of mothers with non-professional jobs (OR = 1.9, p = 0.03) as well as in children of higher birth order (OR = 1.7, p = 0.01), in those with predominantly other than parental daily supervision (OR = 2.6, p = 0.001), and those with a history of previous accident (OR = 1.3, p = 0.002). Somatometric factors, school performance, use of corrective eyeglasses and subnormal auditory acuity were not found to be risk factors, but auditory imbalance and abnormal tympanograms were positively related to the risk of childhood injury (OR = 2.6, p = 0.02; and OR = 2.3, p = 0.08 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: the findings of this study underline the importance of attentive supervision and safety training of children living in modern cities; they also suggest that children with auditory imbalance and history of an accident are at higher injury risk and they should be targeted with specific intervention programs. PMID:9346003

Children with severe developmental disabilities and behavioral disorders have increased special healthcare needs.

PubMed

Kennedy, Craig H; Juárez, A Pablo; Becker, Angela; Greenslade, Kathryn; Harvey, Mark T; Sullivan, Clare; Tally, Brenna

2007-12-01

We studied whether children with severe developmental disabilities (SDDs) who have a comorbid behavioral disorder also have higher rates of special healthcare needs (SHCNs). We used a matched-comparison control group design to establish whether SHCNs were higher in children with SDDs with behavioral disorders versus children with SDDs without behavioral disorders. Thirty-six children were matched for age (mean 12 y 6 mo; range 5 y 2 mo-18 y 8 mo), sex (24 males, 12 females), ethnicity (22 non-white), mental retardation level (22 moderate, eight severe, six profound), and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition axis I diagnosis (18 autism spectrum disorder, 10 specified syndrome, eight mental retardation not otherwise specified). Measures included the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, behavioral observation, health status examination, and Childhood Health Questionnaire (CHQ). Children with SDDs with behavioral disorders had significantly higher levels of SHCN, as measured by the CHQ and health status examination. Children with SDDs with behavioral disorders had a twofold higher incidence of SHCNs than children with SDDs without behavioral disorders. No difference was observed in the number or types of prescription medication that children received. The findings suggest that SHCNs contribute to the occurrence and/or intensity of behavioral disorders in children with SDD and may require interdisciplinary care coordination.

Low cortical bone density measured by computed tomography in children and adolescents with untreated hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Numbenjapon, Nawaporn; Costin, Gertrude; Gilsanz, Vicente; Pitukcheewanont, Pisit

2007-05-01

To determine whether increased thyroid hormones levels have an effect on various bone components (cortical vs cancellous bone). The anthropometric and 3-dimensional quantitative computed tomography (CT) bone measurements, including bone density (BD), cross-sectional area (CSA) of the lumbar spine and femur, and cortical bone area (CBA) of the femur, of 18 children and adolescents with untreated hyperthyroidism were reviewed and compared with those of age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched historical controls. No significant differences in height, weight, body mass index (BMI), or pubertal staging between patients and controls were found. Cortical BD was significantly lower (P < .001) in children and adolescents with hyperthyroidism compared with historical controls. After adjusting for weight and height, no difference in femur CSA between hyperthyroid children and historical controls was evident. No significant correlations among thyroid hormone levels, antithyroid antibody levels, and cortical BD values were found. As determined by CT, cortical bone is the preferential site of bone loss in children and adolescents with untreated hyperthyroidism.

Autonomic Dysfunction and Risk Factors Associated with Trypanosoma cruzi Infection among Children in Arequipa, Peru

PubMed Central

Bowman, Natalie M.; Kawai, Vivian; Gilman, Robert H.; Bocangel, Cesar; Galdos-Cardenas, Gerson; Cabrera, Lilia; Levy, Michael Z.; Cornejo del Carpio, Juan Geny; Delgado, Freddy; Rosenthal, Lauren; Pinedo-Cancino, Vivian V.; Steurer, Francis; Seitz, Amy E.; Maguire, James H.; Bern, Caryn

2011-01-01

Chagas disease affects an estimated 8 million people in Latin America. Infected individuals have 20–30% lifetime risk of developing cardiomyopathy, but more subtle changes in autonomic responses may be more frequent. We conducted a matched case-control study of children in Arequipa, Peru, where triatomine infestation and Trypanosoma cruzi infection are emerging problems. We collected data on home environment, history, physical examination, electrocardiogram, and autonomic testing. Signs of triatomine infestation and/or animals sleeping in the child's room and household members with Chagas disease were associated with increased infection risk. Electrocardiogram findings did not differ between cases and controls. However, compared with control children, infected children had blunted autonomic responses by three different measures, the Valsalva maneuver, the cold pressor test, and the orthostatic test. T. cruzi-infected children show autonomic dysfunction, although the prognostic value of this finding is not clear. Sustained vector control programs are essential to decreasing future T. cruzi infections. PMID:21212207

Open-Fit Domes and Children with Bilateral High-Frequency Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Benefits and Outcomes.

PubMed

Johnstone, Patti M; Yeager, Kelly R; Pomeroy, Marnie L; Hawk, Nicole

2018-04-01

Open-fit domes (OFDs) coupled with behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids were designed for adult listeners with moderate-to-severe bilateral high-frequency hearing loss (BHFL) with little to no concurrent loss in the lower frequencies. Adult research shows that BHFL degrades sound localization accuracy (SLA) and that BTE hearing aids with conventional earmolds (CEs) make matters worse. In contrast, research has shown that OFDs enhance spatial hearing percepts in adults with BHFL. Although the benefits of OFDs have been studied in adults with BHFL, no published studies to date have investigated the use of OFDs in children with the same hearing loss configuration. This study seeks to use SLA measurements to assess efficacy of bilateral OFDs in children with BHFL. To measure SLA in children with BHFL to determine the extent to which hearing loss, age, duration of CE use, and OFDs affect localization accuracy. A within-participant experimental design using repeated measures was used to determine the effect of OFDs on localization accuracy in children with BHFL. A between-participant experimental design was used to compare localization accuracy between children with BHFL and age-matched controls with normal hearing (NH). Eighteen children with BHFL who used CE and 18 age-matched NH controls. Children in both groups were divided into two age groups: older children (10-16 yr) and younger children (6-9 yr). All testing was done in a sound-treated booth with a horizontal array of 15 loudspeakers (radius of 1 m). The stimulus was a spondee word, "baseball": the level averaged 60 dB SPL and randomly roved (±8 dB). Each child was asked to identify the location of a sound source. Localization error was calculated across the loudspeaker array for each listening condition. A significant interaction was found between immediate benefit from OFD and duration of CE usage. Longer CE usage was associated with degraded localization accuracy using OFDs. Regardless of chronological age, children who had used CEs for <6 yr showed immediate localization benefit using OFDs, whereas children who had used CEs for >6 yr showed immediate localization interference using OFDs. Development, however, may play a role in SLA in children with BHFL. When unaided, older children had significantly better localization acuity than younger children with BHFL. When compared to age-matched controls, children with BHFL of all ages showed greater localization error. Nearly all (94% [17/18]) children with BHFL spontaneously reported immediate own-voice improvement when using OFDs. OFDs can provide sound localization benefit to younger children with BHFL. However, immediate benefit from OFDs is reduced by prolonged use of CEs. Although developmental factors may play a role in improving localization abilities over time, children with BHFL will rarely equal that of peers without early use of minimally disruptive hearing aid technology. Also, the occlusion effect likely impacts children far more than currently thought. American Academy of Audiology.

The relationship between gross motor skills and academic achievement in children with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Westendorp, Marieke; Hartman, Esther; Houwen, Suzanne; Smith, Joanne; Visscher, Chris

2011-01-01

The present study compared the gross motor skills of 7- to 12-year-old children with learning disabilities (n = 104) with those of age-matched typically developing children (n = 104) using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Additionally, the specific relationships between subsets of gross motor skills and academic performance in reading, spelling, and mathematics were examined in children with learning disabilities. As expected, the children with learning disabilities scored poorer on both the locomotor and object-control subtests than their typically developing peers. Furthermore, in children with learning disabilities a specific relationship was observed between reading and locomotor skills and a trend was found for a relationship between mathematics and object-control skills: the larger children's learning lag, the poorer their motor skill scores. This study stresses the importance of specific interventions facilitating both motor and academic abilities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intellectual and language functions in children of mothers with epilepsy.

PubMed

Thomas, Sanjeev V; Sukumaran, Sajith; Lukose, Neetha; George, Annamma; Sarma, P S

2007-12-01

To compare the intellectual and language functions of children of mothers with epilepsy (CME) with that of controls matched for age and socioeconomic status. Cases were CME, aged six years or more (n = 71), drawn from a prospective cohort in the Kerala Registry of Epilepsy and Pregnancy. Controls were 201 children of parents without epilepsy, matched for age and socioeconomic status. The outcome measures included Indian adaptation of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children and MLT-a locally developed proficiency test for regional language. All relevant data were abstracted from the registry records. The Full Scale IQ and MLT scores were significantly lower for the cases (87.7 +/- 22.6 and 73.4 +/- 17.3) compared to controls (93.0 +/- 14.4 and 83.2 +/- 11.8). Compared to controls, CME scored poor on all subtests of MLT but their impairment was confined to only some of the subtests of IQ. Maternal education and maternal IQ significantly correlated with low IQ and MLT scores for CME whereas type of epilepsy, seizures during pregnancy or low birth weight did not have any significant association with these outcome measures. Polytherapy and higher dosage of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were associated with significant impairment in outcome measures. Infants with low developmental quotient at one year of age continued to have low scores on outcome measures at six years. Low maternal IQ, maternal education, and antenatal AED exposure were associated with significant impairment of intellectual and language functions for CME at six years.

Pediatric Outcome after Maternal Cancer Diagnosed during Pregnancy.

PubMed

Amant, Frédéric; Vandenbroucke, Tineke; Verheecke, Magali; Fumagalli, Monica; Halaska, Michael J; Boere, Ingrid; Han, Sileny; Gziri, Mina Mhallem; Peccatori, Fedro; Rob, Lukas; Lok, Christianne; Witteveen, Petronella; Voigt, Jens-Uwe; Naulaers, Gunnar; Vallaeys, Lore; Van den Heuvel, Frank; Lagae, Lieven; Mertens, Luc; Claes, Laurence; Van Calsteren, Kristel

2015-11-05

Data on the long-term outcome of children who are exposed to maternal cancer with or without treatment during pregnancy are lacking. In this multicenter case-control study, we compared children whose mothers received a diagnosis of cancer during the pregnancy with matched children of women without a cancer diagnosis. We used a health questionnaire and medical files to collect data regarding neonatal and general health. All children were prospectively assessed (by means of a neurologic examination and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development) at 18 months, 36 months, or both. A cardiac assessment was performed at 36 months. A total of 129 children (median age, 22 months; range, 12 to 42) were included in the group whose mother had cancer (prenatal-exposure group) with a matching number in the control group. During pregnancy, 96 children (74.4%) were exposed to chemotherapy (alone or in combination with other treatments), 11 (8.5%) to radiotherapy (alone or in combination), 13 (10.1%) to surgery alone, 2 (1.6%) to other drug treatments, and 14 (10.9%) to no treatment. Birth weight was below the 10th percentile in 28 of 127 children (22.0%) in the prenatal-exposure group and in 19 of 125 children (15.2%) in the control group (P=0.16). There was no significant between-group difference in cognitive development on the basis of the Bayley score (P=0.08) or in subgroup analyses. The gestational age at birth was correlated with the cognitive outcome in the two study groups. Cardiologic evaluation among 47 children at 36 months of age showed normal cardiac findings. Prenatal exposure to maternal cancer with or without treatment did not impair the cognitive, cardiac, or general development of children in early childhood. Prematurity was correlated with a worse cognitive outcome, but this effect was independent of cancer treatment. (Funded by Research Foundation-Flanders and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00330447.).

Typhoid fever in young children in Bangladesh: clinical findings, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and immune responses.

PubMed

Khanam, Farhana; Sayeed, Md Abu; Choudhury, Feroza Kaneez; Sheikh, Alaullah; Ahmed, Dilruba; Goswami, Doli; Hossain, Md Lokman; Brooks, Abdullah; Calderwood, Stephen B; Charles, Richelle C; Cravioto, Alejandro; Ryan, Edward T; Qadri, Firdausi

2015-04-01

Children bear a large burden of typhoid fever caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S. Typhi) in endemic areas. However, immune responses and clinical findings in children are not well defined. Here, we describe clinical and immunological characteristics of young children with S. Typhi bacteremia, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of isolated strains. As a marker of recent infection, we have previously characterized antibody-in-lymphocyte secretion (TPTest) during acute typhoid fever in adults. We similarly assessed membrane preparation (MP) IgA responses in young children at clinical presentation, and then 7-10 days and 21-28 days later. We also assessed plasma IgA, IgG and IgM responses and T cell proliferation responses to MP at these time points. We compared responses in young children (1-5 years) with those seen in older children (6-17 years), adults (18-59 years), and age-matched healthy controls. We found that, compared to age-matched controls patients in all age cohorts had significantly more MP-IgA responses in lymphocyte secretion at clinical presentation, and the values fell in all groups by late convalescence. Similarly, plasma IgA responses in patients were elevated at presentation compared to controls, with acute and convalescent IgA and IgG responses being highest in adults. T cell proliferative responses increased in all age cohorts by late convalescence. Clinical characteristics were similar in all age cohorts, although younger children were more likely to present with loss of appetite, less likely to complain of headache compared to older cohorts, and adults were more likely to have ingested antibiotics. Multi-drug resistant strains were present in approximately 15% of each age cohort, and 97% strains had resistance to nalidixic acid. This study demonstrates that S. Typhi bacteremia is associated with comparable clinical courses, immunologic responses in various age cohorts, including in young children, and that TPTest can be used as marker of recent typhoid fever, even in young children.

Motor Skills in Children Aged 7-10 Years, Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whyatt, Caroline P.; Craig, Cathy M.

2012-01-01

This study used the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC2) to assess motor skills in children aged 7-10 years with autism (n = 18) in comparison to two groups of age-matched typically developing children; a receptive vocabulary matched group (n = 19) and a nonverbal IQ matched group (n = 22). The results supported previous work, as…

Post-Operative Quality of Life in Children with Severe Perthes Disease: Differences to Matched Controls and Correlation with Clinical Function

PubMed Central

Palmen, Nina K.; Zilkens, Christoph; Rosenthal, Dietmar; Krauspe, Rüdiger; Hefter, Harald; Westhoff, Bettina

2014-01-01

The diagnosis of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) has a considerable influence on the daily life of the patients with restrictions in their leisure time activities. This might influence their mood. Until now this aspect of the disease has been neglected. Therefore the objective of the study was to evaluate the health related quality of life (HRQoL) of children with severe LCPD who had an extensive surgery with pelvic/femoral osteotomy. The KIDSCREEN-10 and the modified Modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) -questionnaire were administered to 17 children (16 boys and 1 girl) aged 5 to 11 years at the time of surgery. Analyses of mHHS were made preoperatively and at the time of the follow-up examination at least 2 years postoperatively. KIDSCREEN-analyses were made postoperatively. The follow-up results were compared to an age-matched normal control group. Correlations were computed between KIDSCREEN-10 and mHHS pre- and post-operatively. The postoperative calculated KIDSCREEN-10-T-value [70.2 (SD 12.7)] was higher than the mean T-value of the control-group [56.6 (SD 10.4)]. The mHHS improved from 54.4 (SD 19.9) to a score of 99.5 (SD 1.5) postoperatively. A strong correlation was found between the preoperative mHHS and the postoperative KIDSCREEN-10-T-value (Spearman’s-rho 0.67, P=0.003). After containment improving surgery and a mean follow-up period of 4.2 years the HRQoL-status is even better compared with a healthy age-matched control group. As well an excellent clinical function could be achieved. PMID:25568729

Inter-relationships between objective handwriting features and executive control among children with developmental dysgraphia.

PubMed

Rosenblum, Sara

2018-01-01

To describe handwriting and executive control features and their inter-relationships among children with developmental dysgraphia, in comparison to controls. Participants included 64 children, aged 10-12 years, 32 with dysgraphia based on the Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire (HPSQ) and 32 matched controls. Children copied a paragraph onto paper affixed to a digitizer that supplied handwriting process objective measures (Computerized Penmanship Evaluation Tool (ComPET). Their written product was evaluated by the Hebrew Handwriting Evaluation (HHE). Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire about their child's executive control abilities. Significant group differences were found for handwriting performance measures (HHE and ComPET) and executive control domains (BRIEF). Based on one discriminate function, including handwriting performance and executive control measures, 98.4% of the participants were correctly classified into groups. Significant correlations were found in each group between working memory and legibility as well as for other executive domains and handwriting measures. Furthermore, twenty percent of the variability of the mean pressure applied towards the writing surface among children with was explained by their 'emotional control' (BRIEF). The results strongly suggest consideration of executive control domains to obtain better insight into handwriting impairment characteristics among children with dysgraphia to improve their identification, evaluation and the intervention process.

Inter-relationships between objective handwriting features and executive control among children with developmental dysgraphia

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objective To describe handwriting and executive control features and their inter-relationships among children with developmental dysgraphia, in comparison to controls. Method Participants included 64 children, aged 10–12 years, 32 with dysgraphia based on the Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire (HPSQ) and 32 matched controls. Children copied a paragraph onto paper affixed to a digitizer that supplied handwriting process objective measures (Computerized Penmanship Evaluation Tool (ComPET). Their written product was evaluated by the Hebrew Handwriting Evaluation (HHE). Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) questionnaire about their child's executive control abilities. Results Significant group differences were found for handwriting performance measures (HHE and ComPET) and executive control domains (BRIEF). Based on one discriminate function, including handwriting performance and executive control measures, 98.4% of the participants were correctly classified into groups. Significant correlations were found in each group between working memory and legibility as well as for other executive domains and handwriting measures. Furthermore, twenty percent of the variability of the mean pressure applied towards the writing surface among children with was explained by their 'emotional control' (BRIEF). Conclusion The results strongly suggest consideration of executive control domains to obtain better insight into handwriting impairment characteristics among children with dysgraphia to improve their identification, evaluation and the intervention process. PMID:29689111

Effectiveness of one dose of mumps vaccine against clinically diagnosed mumps in Guangzhou, China, 2006–2012

PubMed Central

Fu, Chuanxi; Xu, Jianxiong; Cai, Yuanjun; He, Qing; Zhang, Chunhuan; Chen, Jian; Dong, Zhiqiang; Hu, Wensui; Wang, Hui; Zhu, Wei; Wang, Ming

2013-01-01

Although mumps-containing vaccines were introduced in China in 1990s, mumps continues to be a public health concern due to the lack of decline in reported mumps cases. To assess the mumps vaccine effectiveness (VE) in Guangzhou, China, we performed a 1:1 matched case-control study. Among children in Guangzhou aged 8 mo to 12 y during 2006 to 2012, we matched one healthy child to each child with clinically diagnosed mumps. Cases with clinically diagnosed mumps were identified from surveillance sites system and healthy controls were randomly sampled from the Children’s Expanded Programmed Immunization Administrative Computerized System in Guangzhou. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate VE. We analyzed the vaccination information for 1983 mumps case subjects and 1983 matched controls and found that the overall VE for 1 dose of mumps vaccine, irrespective of the manufacture, was 53.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 41.0–63.5%) to children aged 8 mo to 12 y. This post-marketing mumps VE study found that immunization with one dose of the mumps vaccine confers partial protection against mumps disease. Evaluation of the VE for the current mumps vaccines, introduction of a second dose of mumps vaccine, and assessment of modifications to childhood immunization schedules is essential. PMID:23955378

Maternal and paternal occupational exposures and hepatoblastoma: results from the HOPE study through the Children's Oncology Group.

PubMed

Janitz, Amanda E; Ramachandran, Gurumurthy; Tomlinson, Gail E; Krailo, Mark; Richardson, Michaela; Spector, Logan

2017-07-01

Little is known about the etiology of hepatoblastoma. We aimed to confirm the results of a previous study evaluating the association between parental occupational exposures and hepatoblastoma. In our case-control study, we identified cases (n=383) from the Children's Oncology Group and controls from birth certificates (n=387), which were frequency matched to cases on year and region of birth, sex, and birth weight. Occupational exposure in the year before and during the index pregnancy was collected through maternal interview and analyzed using unconditional logistic regression. The odds of both paternal and maternal "Likely" exposure to paints was elevated among cases compared with controls (paternal odds ratio (OR): 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 2.81; maternal OR: 3.29, 95% CI: 0.32, 33.78) after adjustment for matching factors and the confounding factors of maternal race (maternal only) and household income. In addition, paternal exposure to other chemicals was also elevated when adjusting for matching factors only (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.30). The results of our study provide further evidence of an association between parental occupation and hepatoblastoma. These results warrant further investigation of the etiologically relevant timing of occupational exposure to fumes and chemicals related to hepatoblastoma.

Exercise improves behavioral, neurocognitive, and scholastic performance in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Pontifex, Matthew B; Saliba, Brian J; Raine, Lauren B; Picchietti, Daniel L; Hillman, Charles H

2013-03-01

To examine the effect of a single bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on preadolescent children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using objective measures of attention, brain neurophysiology, and academic performance. Using a within-participants design, task performance and event-related brain potentials were assessed while participants performed an attentional-control task following a bout of exercise or seated reading during 2 separate, counterbalanced sessions. Following a single 20-minute bout of exercise, both children with ADHD and healthy match control children exhibited greater response accuracy and stimulus-related processing, with the children with ADHD also exhibiting selective enhancements in regulatory processes, compared with after a similar duration of seated reading. In addition, greater performance in the areas of reading and arithmetic were observed following exercise in both groups. These findings indicate that single bouts of moderately intense aerobic exercise may have positive implications for aspects of neurocognitive function and inhibitory control in children with ADHD. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Utility of Case-Control Methods for Health Policy and Planning Analysis: An Illustration from Kinshasa, Zaire.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mock, Nancy B.; And Others

1993-01-01

The use of case-control methodology as an applied policy/planning research tool in assessing the potential effectiveness of behavioral interventions is studied in connection with diarrhea control in Zaire. Results with 107 matched pairs of children demonstrate the importance of hygiene-related knowledge and the utility of the research approach.…

Formal Thought Disorder and the Autism Spectrum: Relationship with Symptoms, Executive Control, and Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Marjorie; Ozonoff, Sally; Carter, Cameron; Caplan, Rochelle

2008-01-01

This study investigated whether children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) exhibit formal thought disorder (FTD), and whether this is related to ASD symptoms, executive control, and anxiety. Participants aged 8-17 with ASDs exhibited significantly more illogical thinking and loose associations than matched typically developing control…

Prenatal and Perinatal Risk Factors for Autism in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Xin; Lv, Cong-Chao; Tian, Jiang; Miao, Ru-Juan; Xi, Wei; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Qi, Lihong

2010-01-01

We conducted a case-control study using 190 Han children with and without autism to investigate prenatal and perinatal risk factors for autism in China. Cases were recruited through public special education schools and controls from regular public schools in the same region (Tianjin), with frequency matching on sex and birth year. Unadjusted…

Understanding emotions in others: mirror neuron dysfunction in children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Dapretto, Mirella; Davies, Mari S; Pfeifer, Jennifer H; Scott, Ashley A; Sigman, Marian; Bookheimer, Susan Y; Iacoboni, Marco

2006-01-01

To examine mirror neuron abnormalities in autism, high-functioning children with autism and matched controls underwent fMRI while imitating and observing emotional expressions. Although both groups performed the tasks equally well, children with autism showed no mirror neuron activity in the inferior frontal gyrus (pars opercularis). Notably, activity in this area was inversely related to symptom severity in the social domain, suggesting that a dysfunctional 'mirror neuron system' may underlie the social deficits observed in autism.

Referential communication abilities in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

PubMed

Van Den Heuvel, Ellen; ReuterskiöLd, Christina; Solot, Cynthia; Manders, Eric; Swillen, Ann; Zink, Inge

2017-10-01

This study describes the performance on a perspective- and role-taking task in 27 children, ages 6-13 years, with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). A cross-cultural design comparing Dutch- and English-speaking children with 22q11.2DS explored the possibility of cultural differences. Chronologically age-matched and younger typically developing (TD) children matched for receptive vocabulary served as control groups to identify challenges in referential communication. The utterances of children with 22q11.2DS were characterised as short and simple in lexical and grammatical terms. However, from a language use perspective, their utterances were verbose, ambiguous and irrelevant given the pictured scenes. They tended to elaborate on visual details and conveyed off-topic, extraneous information when participating in a barrier-game procedure. Both types of aberrant utterances forced a listener to consistently infer the intended message. Moreover, children with 22q11.2DS demonstrated difficulty selecting correct speech acts in accordance with contextual cues during a role-taking task. Both English- and Dutch-speaking children with 22q11.2DS showed impoverished information transfer and an increased number of elaborations, suggesting a cross-cultural syndrome-specific feature.

The Combined Burden of Cognitive, Executive Function, and Psychosocial Problems in Children with Epilepsy: A Population-Based Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoie, B.; Sommerfelt, K.; Waaler, P. E.; Alsaker, F. D.; Skeidsvoll, H.; Mykletun, A.

2008-01-01

The combined burden of psychosocial (Achenbach scales), cognitive (Raven matrices), and executive function (EF) problems was studied in a population-based sample of 6- to 12-year-old children with epilepsy (n = 162; 99 males, 63 females) and in an age- and sex-matched control group (n = 107; 62 males, 45 females). Approximately 35% of the children…

Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? Category Use in Problem-Solving in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alderson-Day, Ben; McGonigle-Chalmers, Margaret

2011-01-01

Fourteen children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and fourteen age-matched typically-developing (TD) controls were tested on an adapted version of the Twenty Questions Task (Mosher and Hornsby in Studies in cognitive growth. Wiley, New York, pp 86-102, "1966") to examine effects of content, executive and verbal IQ factors on category use in…

The Role of Vision in the Development of Finger-Number Interactions: Finger-Counting and Finger-Montring in Blind Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crollen, Virginie; Mahe, Rachel; Collignon, Olivier; Seron, Xavier

2011-01-01

Previous research has suggested that the use of the fingers may play a functional role in the development of a mature counting system. However, the role of developmental vision in the elaboration of a finger numeral representation remains unexplored. In the current study, 14 congenitally blind children and 14 matched sighted controls undertook…

Reading and Reading-Related Skills in Children Using Cochlear Implants: Prospects for the Influence of Cued Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouton, Sophie; Bertoncini, Josiane; Serniclaes, Willy; Cole, Pascale

2011-01-01

We assessed the reading and reading-related skills (phonemic awareness and phonological short-term memory) of deaf children fitted with cochlear implants (CI), either exposed to cued speech early (before 2 years old) (CS+) or never (CS-). Their performance was compared to that of 2 hearing control groups, 1 matched for reading level (RL), and 1…

Working Memory Deficits in ADHD: The Contribution of Age, Learning/Language Difficulties, and Task Parameters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sowerby, Paula; Seal, Simon; Tripp, Gail

2011-01-01

Objective: To further define the nature of working memory (WM) impairments in children with combined-type ADHD. Method: A total of 40 Children with ADHD and an age and gender-matched control group (n = 40) completed two measures of visuo-spatial WM and two measures of verbal WM. The effects of age and learning/language difficulties on performance…

Social Attribution in Children with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome: An Exploratory Study in the Chinese Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Raymond C. K.; Hu, Zhou-yi; Cui, Ji-fang; Wang, Ya; McAlonan, Grainne M.

2011-01-01

The present study aimed to examine social attribution in children with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger's syndrome (AS). A sample of 20 boys (9 with HFA and 11 with AS) and 20 age-matched controls were recruited for this study. All participated in two tasks measuring social attribution ability, the conventional Social Attribution Task…

Anti-Yo Antibodies in Children With ADHD: First Results About Serum Cytokines.

PubMed

Donfrancesco, Renato; Nativio, Paola; Di Benedetto, Angela; Villa, Maria Pia; Andriola, Elda; Melegari, Maria Grazia; Cipriano, Enrica; Di Trani, Michela

2016-04-19

We investigated whether ADHD children who are positive to Purkinje cell antibodies display pro-inflammatory activity associated with high cytokine serum levels. Fifty-eight ADHD outpatients were compared with 36 healthy, age- and sex-matched children. Forty-five of the ADHD children were positive to anti-Yo antibodies, whereas 34 of the control children were negative. Interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), and interferon gamma (IFNγ) cytokine serum levels were tested in ADHD children who were positive to anti-Yo antibodies and in the control children who were negative. Anti-Yo antibodies were present to a greater extent in the ADHD group: 77.58% versus 22.42%. Significant differences emerged between the two groups in IL-6 and IL-10, with higher cytokine levels being detected in ADHD children than in controls. Immune processes in ADHD are likely to be associated with mediators of inflammation, such as cytokines. These results contribute to our understanding of action of neural antibodies and cytokines in ADHD. © The Author(s) 2016.

[Activation of peripheral T lymphocytes in children with epilepsy and production of cytokines].

PubMed

Yang, Jie; Hu, Chongkang; Jiang, Xun

2016-09-01

Objective To study the state of peripheral T lymphocytes and cytokine levels in children with epilepsy. Methods Twenty children with epilepsy and 20 healthy age-matched children were recruited and their peripheral blood was collected. The activation of T lymphocytes was evaluated by detecting the expressions of CD25, CD69 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-assicated antigen 4 (CTLA4). The function of T lymphocytes was evaluated by detecting the expressions of interferon γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), IL-17A and IL-6. The activation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) was evaluated by detecting the expression of IL-10. Results Children with epilepsy had higher expressions of CD25, CD69 and CTLA-4 in T lymphocytes than the controls did. The expressions of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17A and IL-6 in T lymphocytes of children with epilepsy were higher than those of the controls. Frequency of Tregs producing IL-10 was higher in children with epilepsy as compared with the controls. Conclusion Peripheral T lymphocytes of children with epilepsy are activated and produce cytokines.

Internal State Language in the Storybook Narratives of Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder: Investigating Relations to Theory of Mind Abilities

PubMed Central

Siller, Michael; Swanson, Meghan R.; Serlin, Gayle; George, Ann

2014-01-01

The current study examines narratives elicited using a wordless picture book, focusing on language used to describe the characters’ thoughts and emotions (i.e., internal state language, ISL). The sample includes 21 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and 24 typically developing controls, matched on children's gender, IQ, as well as receptive and expressive vocabulary. This research had three major findings. First, despite equivalent performance on standardized language assessments, the volume of children's narratives (i.e., the number of utterances and words, the range of unique verbs and adjectives) was lower in children with ASD than in typically developing controls. Second, after controlling for narrative volume, the narratives of children with ASD were less likely to reference the characters’ emotions than was the case for typically developing controls. Finally, our results revealed a specific association between children's use of emotion terms and their performance on a battery of experimental tasks evaluating children's Theory of Mind abilities. Implications for our understanding of narrative deficits in ASD as well as interventions that use narrative as a context for improving social comprehension are discussed. PMID:24748899

Internal State Language in the Storybook Narratives of Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder: Investigating Relations to Theory of Mind Abilities.

PubMed

Siller, Michael; Swanson, Meghan R; Serlin, Gayle; George, Ann

2014-05-01

The current study examines narratives elicited using a wordless picture book, focusing on language used to describe the characters' thoughts and emotions (i.e., internal state language, ISL). The sample includes 21 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and 24 typically developing controls, matched on children's gender, IQ, as well as receptive and expressive vocabulary. This research had three major findings. First, despite equivalent performance on standardized language assessments, the volume of children's narratives (i.e., the number of utterances and words, the range of unique verbs and adjectives) was lower in children with ASD than in typically developing controls. Second, after controlling for narrative volume, the narratives of children with ASD were less likely to reference the characters' emotions than was the case for typically developing controls. Finally, our results revealed a specific association between children's use of emotion terms and their performance on a battery of experimental tasks evaluating children's Theory of Mind abilities. Implications for our understanding of narrative deficits in ASD as well as interventions that use narrative as a context for improving social comprehension are discussed.

Increased risk of snoring and adenotonsillectomy in children referred for tympanostomy tube insertion.

PubMed

Tauman, Riva; Derowe, Ari; Ophir, Orna; Greenfeld, Michal; Sivan, Yakov

2010-02-01

Eustachian tube dysfunction and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) share common pathophysiologic mechanisms. Our objective was to investigate whether children referred for isolated TTI (tympanostomy tube insertion) are at increased risk for snoring and upper airway procedures. Telephone interviews to parents of children who underwent isolated TTI and to age- and gender-matched controls were conducted. Four hundred fifty-seven children were included in the study; 352 had isolated TTI (study group) and 105 children were controls. Twenty-two percent of children in the study group were reported to snore compared with 7.6% in the controls (p=0.001). Eighteen percent of children in the study group were reported to have undergone adenotonsillectomy compared with 4.8% in the controls (p=0.0005). Future SDB, i.e., either snoring or adenotonsillectomy following TTI, was found in 34% of children in the study group compared with 11% in the controls (p=0.0004). Children who underwent isolated TTI were at increased risk for future snoring (OR=3.4, CI: 1.6-7.2) and future adenotonsillectomy (OR=4.4, CI: 1.7-11.2). Children who undergo isolated TTI are at increased risk for snoring and for adenotonsillectomy. We suggest that these children be followed for symptoms of SDB on a scheduled basis to allow for early diagnosis and intervention. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying Children With Poor Cochlear Implantation Outcomes Using Massively Parallel Sequencing

PubMed Central

Wu, Chen-Chi; Lin, Yin-Hung; Liu, Tien-Chen; Lin, Kai-Nan; Yang, Wei-Shiung; Hsu, Chuan-Jen; Chen, Pei-Lung; Wu, Che-Ming

2015-01-01

Abstract Cochlear implantation is currently the treatment of choice for children with severe to profound hearing impairment. However, the outcomes with cochlear implants (CIs) vary significantly among recipients. The purpose of the present study is to identify the genetic determinants of poor CI outcomes. Twelve children with poor CI outcomes (the “cases”) and 30 “matched controls” with good CI outcomes were subjected to comprehensive genetic analyses using massively parallel sequencing, which targeted 129 known deafness genes. Audiological features, imaging findings, and auditory/speech performance with CIs were then correlated to the genetic diagnoses. We identified genetic variants which are associated with poor CI outcomes in 7 (58%) of the 12 cases; 4 cases had bi-allelic PCDH15 pathogenic mutations and 3 cases were homozygous for the DFNB59 p.G292R variant. Mutations in the WFS1, GJB3, ESRRB, LRTOMT, MYO3A, and POU3F4 genes were detected in 7 (23%) of the 30 matched controls. The allele frequencies of PCDH15 and DFNB59 variants were significantly higher in the cases than in the matched controls (both P < 0.001). In the 7 CI recipients with PCDH15 or DFNB59 variants, otoacoustic emissions were absent in both ears, and imaging findings were normal in all 7 implanted ears. PCDH15 or DFNB59 variants are associated with poor CI performance, yet children with PCDH15 or DFNB59 variants might show clinical features indistinguishable from those of other typical pediatric CI recipients. Accordingly, genetic examination is indicated in all CI candidates before operation. PMID:26166082

Mentoring Children With Incarcerated Parents: Implications for Research, Practice, and Policy.

PubMed

Shlafer, Rebecca J; Poehlmann, Julie; Coffino, Brianna; Hanneman, Ashley

2009-12-01

We investigated children and families who were participating in a mentoring program targeting children with incarcerated parents. Using multiple methods and informants, we explored the development of the mentoring relationship, challenges and benefits of mentoring children with incarcerated parents, and match termination in 57 mentor-child dyads. More than one-third of matches terminated during the first 6 months of participation. For those matches that continued to meet, however, children who saw their mentors more frequently exhibited fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In monthly interviews with participants, themes emerged about challenges associated with mentoring and reasons for match termination. Implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are discussed.

Sleep disturbances in preschool age children with cerebral palsy: a questionnaire study.

PubMed

Romeo, Domenico M; Brogna, Claudia; Musto, Elisa; Baranello, Giovanni; Pagliano, Emanuela; Casalino, Tiziana; Ricci, Daniela; Mallardi, Maria; Sivo, Serena; Cota, Francesco; Battaglia, Domenica; Bruni, Oliviero; Mercuri, Eugenio

2014-09-01

The study aimed to analyze (i) the prevalence of sleep disorders in pre-school children with cerebral palsy (CP) using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), (ii) the possible association with motor, cognitive and behavioral problems, and (iii) the possible differences with typically developing children matched for age and gender. One-hundred children with CP (age range: 3-5 years, mean: 3.8 years) were assessed using the SDSC, the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, and the Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL) to assess sleep, motor, cognitive, and behavioral problems, respectively. Further 100 healthy children matched for age and sex were assessed using the SDSC. An abnormal total sleep score was found in 13% of children with CP while 35% had an abnormal score on at least one SDSC factor. SDSC total score was significantly associated with pathological internalizing scores on CBCL and active epilepsy on multivariate analysis. CP group reported higher significant median scores on SDSC total, parasomnias, and difficulty in initiating and maintaining sleep factors. In pre-school children sleep disorders are more common in children with CP than in healthy control group and are often associated with epilepsy and behavioral problems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Computer-based multisensory learning in children with developmental dyslexia.

PubMed

Kast, Monika; Meyer, Martin; Vögeli, Christian; Gross, Markus; Jäncke, Lutz

2007-01-01

Several attempts have been made to remediate developmental dyslexia using various training environments. Based on the well-known retrieval structure model, the memory strength of phonemes and graphemes should be strengthened by visual and auditory associations between graphemes and phonemes. Using specifically designed training software, we examined whether establishing a multitude of visuo-auditory associations might help to mitigate writing errors in children with developmental dyslexia. Forty-three children with developmental dyslexia and 37 carefully matched normal reading children performed a computer-based writing training (15-20 minutes 4 days a week) for three months with the aim to recode a sequential textual input string into a multi-sensory representation comprising visual and auditory codes (including musical tones). The study included four matched groups: a group of children with developmental dyslexia (n=20) and a control group (n=18) practiced with the training software in the first period (3 months, 15-20 minutes 4 days a week), while a second group of children with developmental dyslexia (n=23) (waiting group) and a second control group (n=19) received no training during the first period. In the second period the children with developmental dyslexia and controls who did not receive training during the first period now took part in the training. Children with developmental dyslexia who did not perform computer-based training during the first period hardly improved their writing skills (post-pre improvement of 0-9%), the dyslexic children receiving training strongly improved their writing skills (post-pre improvement of 19-35%). The group who did the training during the second period also revealed improvement of writing skills (post-pre improvement of 27-35%). Interestingly, we noticed a strong transfer from trained to non-trained words in that the children who underwent the training were also better able to write words correctly that were not part of the training software. In addition, even non-impaired readers and writers (controls) benefited from this training. Three-month of visual-auditory multimedia training strongly improved writing skills in children with developmental dyslexia and non-dyslexic children. Thus, according to the retrieval structure model, multi-sensory training using visual and auditory cues enhances writing performance in children with developmental dyslexia and non-dyslexic children.

Reading Comprehension in Children with ADHD: Cognitive Underpinnings of the Centrality Deficit

PubMed Central

Miller, Amanda C.; Keenan, Janice M.; Betjemann, Rebecca S.; Willcutt, Erik; Pennington, Bruce F.; Olson, Richard K.

2012-01-01

We examined reading comprehension in children with ADHD by assessing their ability to build a coherent mental representation that allows them to recall central and peripheral information. We compared children with ADHD (mean age 9.78) to word reading-matched controls (mean age 9.89) on their ability to retell a passage. We found that even though children with ADHD recalled more central than peripheral information, they showed their greatest deficit, relative to controls, on central information – a centrality deficit (Miller & Keenan, 2009). We explored the cognitive underpinnings of this deficit using regressions to compare how well cognitive factors (working memory, inhibition, processing speed, and IQ) predicted the ability to recall central information, after controlling for word reading ability, and whether these cognitive factors interacted with ADHD symptoms. Working memory accounted for the most unique variance. Although previous evidence for reading comprehension difficulties in children with ADHD have been mixed, this study suggests that even when word reading ability is controlled, children with ADHD have difficulty building a coherent mental representation, and this difficulty is likely related to deficits in working memory. PMID:23054132

Reputation Management in Children on the Autism Spectrum.

PubMed

Cage, Eilidh; Bird, Geoffrey; Pellicano, Elizabeth

2016-12-01

Being able to manage reputation is an important social skill, but it is unclear whether autistic children can manage reputation. This study investigated whether 33 autistic children matched to 33 typical children could implicitly or explicitly manage reputation. Further, we examined whether cognitive processes-theory of mind, social motivation, inhibitory control and reciprocity-contribute to reputation management. Results showed that neither group implicitly managed reputation, and there was no group difference in explicit reputation management. Results suggested different mechanisms contribute to reputation management in these groups-social motivation in typical children and reciprocity in autistic children. Explicit reputation management is achievable for autistic children, and there are individual differences in its relationship to underlying cognitive processes.

Effect of visual attention on postural control in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Bucci, Maria Pia; Seassau, Magali; Larger, Sandrine; Bui-Quoc, Emmanuel; Gerard, Christophe-Loic

2014-06-01

We compared the effect of oculomotor tasks on postural sway in two groups of ADHD children with and without methylphenidate (MPH) treatment against a group of control age-matched children. Fourteen MPH-untreated ADHD children, fourteen MPH-treated ADHD children and a group of control children participated to the study. Eye movements were recorded using a video-oculography system and postural sway measured with a force platform simultaneously. Children performed fixation, pursuits, pro- and anti-saccades. We analyzed the number of saccades during fixation, the number of catch-up saccades during pursuits, the latency of pro- and anti-saccades; the occurrence of errors in the anti-saccade task and the surface and mean velocity of the center of pressure (CoP). During the postural task, the quality of fixation was significantly worse in both groups of ADHD children with respect to control children; in contrast, the number of catch-up saccades during pursuits, the latency of pro-/anti-saccades and the rate of errors in the anti-saccade task did not differ in the three groups of children. The surface of the CoP in MPH-treated children was similar to that of control children, while MPH-untreated children showed larger postural sway. When performing any saccades, the surface of the CoP improved with respect to fixation or pursuits tasks. This study provides evidence of poor postural control in ADHD children, probably due to cerebellar deficiencies. Our study is also the first to show an improvement on postural sway in ADHD children performing saccadic eye movements. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating Inhibitory Control in Children with Epilepsy: An fMRI Study

PubMed Central

Triplett, Regina L.; Velanova, Katerina; Luna, Beatriz; Padmanabhan, Aarthi; Gaillard, William D.; Asato, Miya R.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Objective Deficits in executive function are increasingly noted in children with epilepsy and have been associated with poor academic and psychosocial outcomes. Impaired inhibitory control contributes to executive dysfunction in children with epilepsy; however, its neuroanatomic basis has not yet been investigated. We used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to probe the integrity of activation in brain regions underlying inhibitory control in children with epilepsy. Methods This cross-sectional study consisted of 34 children aged 8 to 17 years: 17 with well-controlled epilepsy and 17 age-and sex-matched controls. Participants performed the antisaccade (AS) task, representative of inhibitory control, during fMRI scanning. We compared AS performance during neutral and reward task conditions and evaluated task-related blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activation. Results Children with epilepsy demonstrated impaired AS performance compared to controls during both neutral (non-reward) and reward trials, but exhibited significant task improvement during reward trials. Post-hoc analysis revealed that younger patients made more errors than older patients and all controls. fMRI results showed preserved activation in task-relevant regions in patients and controls, with the exception of increased activation in the left posterior cingulate gyrus in patients specifically with generalized epilepsy across neutral and reward trials. Significance Despite impaired inhibitory control, children with epilepsy accessed typical neural pathways as did their peers without epilepsy. Children with epilepsy showed improved behavioral performance in response to the reward condition, suggesting potential benefits of the use of incentives in cognitive remediation. PMID:25223606

Preferences for Verb Interpretation in Children with Specific Language Impairment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Donna J.; Rice, Mabel L.

1994-01-01

This study examined initial preferences for verb interpretation by 15 5-year-old children with specific language impairment, 15 language-matched children, and 15 age-matched children. Children indicated preferred interpretations of novel verbs from videotapes of motion and change-of-state activity scenes. Findings suggested that children's verb…

Risk of Allergic Rhinitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis, and Eczema in Children Born to Mothers with Gum Inflammation during Pregnancy

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Vivian Chia-Rong; Liu, Chin-Chen; Hsiao, Yu-Chen; Wu, Trong-Neng

2016-01-01

Purpose Despite links between maternal and child health status, evidence on the association between gum infection in pregnant mothers and childhood allergies is scarce. We aim to evaluate the risk of developing allergy in children born to periodontal mothers in a nationwide study. Methods We conducted a 9-year population-based, retrospective cohort study using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance database. A study cohort of 42,217 newborns born to mothers with periodontal disease during pregnancy was identified in 2001 and matched with 42,334 babies born to mothers without any infection (control) by mother’s age at delivery and baby sex. With a follow-up period from 2001 to 2010, we observed the incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), and eczema in these children. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed with premature deaths as competing risk for the estimation of allergic disease risks. Results Nine-year cumulative incidences were the highest among children born to periodontal mothers; they reached 46.8%, 24.2%, and 40.4% (vs. 39.5%, 18.3% and 34.8% in control) for AR, AC, and eczema, respectively. Our results showed moderately increased risks for the allergies in children born to periodontal mothers relative to their matched non-inflammatory control (adjusted HRs: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.15–1.20; 1.27, 1.24–1.31; 1.14, 1.12–1.17, respectively). Because the impact of food consumption and living environment cannot be considered using insurance data, we attempted to control it by adjusting for parental income and mother’s residential area. Conclusions Overall cumulative incidence and risks of children born to periodontal mothers for AR, AC, and eczema are significantly higher than those born to non-inflammatory mothers. Gum infection in women during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for allergic diseases in children, thus its intergenerational consequences should be considered in gestational care. PMID:27224053

Risk of Allergic Rhinitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis, and Eczema in Children Born to Mothers with Gum Inflammation during Pregnancy.

PubMed

Hsieh, Vivian Chia-Rong; Liu, Chin-Chen; Hsiao, Yu-Chen; Wu, Trong-Neng

2016-01-01

Despite links between maternal and child health status, evidence on the association between gum infection in pregnant mothers and childhood allergies is scarce. We aim to evaluate the risk of developing allergy in children born to periodontal mothers in a nationwide study. We conducted a 9-year population-based, retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. A study cohort of 42,217 newborns born to mothers with periodontal disease during pregnancy was identified in 2001 and matched with 42,334 babies born to mothers without any infection (control) by mother's age at delivery and baby sex. With a follow-up period from 2001 to 2010, we observed the incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), and eczema in these children. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed with premature deaths as competing risk for the estimation of allergic disease risks. Nine-year cumulative incidences were the highest among children born to periodontal mothers; they reached 46.8%, 24.2%, and 40.4% (vs. 39.5%, 18.3% and 34.8% in control) for AR, AC, and eczema, respectively. Our results showed moderately increased risks for the allergies in children born to periodontal mothers relative to their matched non-inflammatory control (adjusted HRs: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.15-1.20; 1.27, 1.24-1.31; 1.14, 1.12-1.17, respectively). Because the impact of food consumption and living environment cannot be considered using insurance data, we attempted to control it by adjusting for parental income and mother's residential area. Overall cumulative incidence and risks of children born to periodontal mothers for AR, AC, and eczema are significantly higher than those born to non-inflammatory mothers. Gum infection in women during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for allergic diseases in children, thus its intergenerational consequences should be considered in gestational care.

Effectiveness of influenza vaccine against life-threatening RT-PCR-confirmed influenza illness in US children, 2010-2012.

PubMed

Ferdinands, Jill M; Olsho, Lauren E W; Agan, Anna A; Bhat, Niranjan; Sullivan, Ryan M; Hall, Mark; Mourani, Peter M; Thompson, Mark; Randolph, Adrienne G

2014-09-01

No studies have examined the effectiveness of influenza vaccine against intensive care unit (ICU) admission associated with influenza virus infection among children. In 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, children aged 6 months to 17 years admitted to 21 US pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) with acute severe respiratory illness and testing positive for influenza were enrolled as cases; children who tested negative were PICU controls. Community controls were children without an influenza-related hospitalization, matched to cases by comorbidities and geographic region. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated with logistic regression models. We analyzed data from 44 cases, 172 PICU controls, and 93 community controls. Eighteen percent of cases, 31% of PICU controls, and 51% of community controls were fully vaccinated. Compared to unvaccinated children, children who were fully vaccinated were 74% (95% CI, 19% to 91%) or 82% (95% CI, 23% to 96%) less likely to be admitted to a PICU for influenza compared to PICU controls or community controls, respectively. Receipt of 1 dose of vaccine among children for whom 2 doses were recommended was not protective. During the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 US influenza seasons, influenza vaccination was associated with a three-quarters reduction in the risk of life-threatening influenza illness in children. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Non-group A streptococci in the pharynx. Pathogens or innocent bystanders?

PubMed

Hayden, G F; Murphy, T F; Hendley, J O

1989-07-01

To determine whether beta-hemolytic streptococci from groups other than A are an important cause of sporadic pharyngitis in children. Cross-sectional, case-referent survey. General pediatric clinic at a military base in Ohio. One hundred fifty children with symptomatic pharyngitis and 150 controls matched for age and time of presentation over a 20-month study period. None. Anaerobic culture technique was used to improve isolation of beta-hemolytic streptococci. Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci were detected significantly more often among the ill children than among the controls (39% vs 16%, respectively). In contrast, non-group A beta-hemolytic streptococci were isolated in similar frequency from the ill and control children (17% vs 21%, respectively). Non-group A beta-hemolytic streptococci from groups B, C, F, and G were each isolated in similar frequency among the ill and control children. The isolation rate of non-group A organisms increased with age among both patients and controls. Non-group A beta-hemolytic streptococci seemed not to be an important cause of sporadic pharyngitis in this pediatric population.

Risk factors for long-bone fractures in children up to 5 years of age: a nested case-control study.

PubMed

Baker, Ruth; Orton, Elizabeth; Tata, Laila J; Kendrick, Denise

2015-05-01

To investigate risk factors for first long-bone fractures in children up to 5 years old in order to provide evidence about which families could benefit from injury prevention interventions. Population-based matched nested case-control study using The Health Improvement Network, a UK primary care research database, 1988-2004. Maternal, household and child risk factors for injury were assessed among 2456 children with long-bone fractures (cases). 23,661 controls were matched to cases on general practice. Adjusted ORs and 95% CIs were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Fractures of long-bones were independently associated with younger maternal age and higher birth order, with children who were the fourth-born in the family, or later, having a threefold greater odds of fracture compared to first-born children (adjusted OR 3.12, 95% CI 2.08 to 4.68). Children over the age of 1 year had a fourfold (13-24 months, adjusted OR 4.09 95% CI 3.51 to 4.76) to fivefold (37+ months, adjusted OR 4.88 95% CI 4.21 to 5.66) increase in the odds of a long-bone fracture compared to children aged 0-12 months. Children in families with a history of maternal alcohol misuse had a raised odds of long-bone fracture (adjusted OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.13 to 4.82) compared to those with no documented history. Risk factors for long-bone fractures in children less than 5 years old included age above 1 year, increasing birth order, younger maternal age and maternal alcohol misuse. These risk factors should be used to prioritise families and communities for injury prevention interventions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Sleep problems and temperament in young children with Down syndrome and typically developing controls.

PubMed

Lukowski, A F; Milojevich, H M

2017-03-01

Although group differences have been found between children with Down syndrome (DS) and typically developing (TD) children when considering sleep problems and temperament independently, none of the research conducted to date has examined sleep-temperament associations in children with DS. The present research was conducted to determine (1) whether the sleep problems experienced by children with DS are associated with temperament or (2) if the demonstrated relations between sleep and temperament differ from those that are observed in TD children. The present study included examination of relations between parent-reported sleep problems and temperament in 19 children with DS and 20 TD controls matched on developmental age. The results revealed group differences in temperament and sleep problems. Mediation models indicated that temperament (effortful control and inhibitory control) mediated the association between group and sleep problems; sleep problems also mediated the association between group and temperament (effortful and inhibitory control). Findings indicated that sleep problems may serve as both cause and consequence of variability in effortful and inhibitory control and provide insight as to future experimental studies that should be conducted to better elucidate these relations. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association between medication prescription for atopic diseases and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

van der Schans, Jurjen; Pleiter, Janine C; de Vries, Tjalling W; Schuiling-Veninga, Catharina C M; Bos, Jens H J; Hoekstra, Pieter J; Hak, Eelko

2016-08-01

Data on the association between atopic diseases and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been inconclusive. To assess whether children with drug-treated ADHD are more likely to receive treatment for asthma, allergic rhinitis, or eczema before the start of ADHD medication use compared with controls and to examine the effect of parents receiving medication for ADHD and atopic diseases on ADHD medication use in their offspring. We conducted a retrospective nested case-control study among children (6-12 years of age) using the Groningen University prescription database. Cases were defined as children with at least 2 prescriptions of methylphenidate within 12 months. For each case, 4 controls were matched on age, sex, and regional area code. Parental prescription data were linked to cases and controls to assess the influence of parents receiving medication for ADHD and atopic diseases on ADHD medication use in their offspring. We identified 4257 cases and 17,028 matched controls. Drug treatment for asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema was more common in cases than controls (adjusted odds ratios [aORs], 1.4 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-1.6], 1.4 [95% CI, 1.1-1.8], and 1.3 [95% CI, 1.1-1.5], respectively). Medication for allergic rhinitis and asthma among parents was associated with ADHD treatment in their children (aORs, 1.3 [95% CI, 1.1-1.5] and 1.2 [95% CI, 1.1-1.3], respectively). This study provides further evidence to support the hypothesis that atopic diseases are associated with ADHD. The parental-offspring association suggests a possible genetic and/or environmental component. Copyright © 2016 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Encephalopathy after whole-cell pertussis or measles vaccination: lack of evidence for a causal association in a retrospective case-control study.

PubMed

Ray, Paula; Hayward, Jean; Michelson, David; Lewis, Edwin; Schwalbe, Joan; Black, Steve; Shinefield, Henry; Marcy, Michael; Huff, Ken; Ward, Joel; Mullooly, John; Chen, Robert; Davis, Robert

2006-09-01

Whole-cell pertussis (wP) and measles vaccines are effective in preventing disease but have also been suspected of increasing the risk of encephalopathy or encephalitis. Although many countries now use acellular pertussis vaccines, wP vaccine is still widely used in the developing world. It is therefore important to evaluate whether wP vaccine increases the risk of neurologic disorders. A retrospective case-control study was performed at 4 health maintenance organizations. Records from January 1, 1981, through December 31, 1995, were examined to identify children aged 0 to 6 years old hospitalized with encephalopathy or related conditions. The cause of the encephalopathy was categorized as known, unknown or suspected but unconfirmed. Up to 3 controls were matched to each case. Conditional logistic regression was used to analyze the relative risk of encephalopathy after vaccination with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) or measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines in the 90 days before disease onset as defined by chart review compared with an equivalent period among controls indexed by matching on case onset date. Four-hundred fifty-two cases were identified. Cases were no more likely than controls to have received either vaccine during the 90 days before disease onset. When encephalopathies of known etiology were excluded, the odds ratio for case children having received DTP within 7 days before onset of disease was 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45-3.31, P = 0.693) compared with control children. For MMR in the 90 days before onset of encephalopathy, the odds ratio was 1.23 (95% confidence interval = 0.51-2.98, P = 0.647). In this study of more than 2 million children, DTP and MMR vaccines were not associated with an increased risk of encephalopathy after vaccination.

Improving Spoken Language Outcomes for Children With Hearing Loss: Data-driven Instruction.

PubMed

Douglas, Michael

2016-02-01

To assess the effects of data-driven instruction (DDI) on spoken language outcomes of children with cochlear implants and hearing aids. Retrospective, matched-pairs comparison of post-treatment speech/language data of children who did and did not receive DDI. Private, spoken-language preschool for children with hearing loss. Eleven matched pairs of children with cochlear implants who attended the same spoken language preschool. Groups were matched for age of hearing device fitting, time in the program, degree of predevice fitting hearing loss, sex, and age at testing. Daily informal language samples were collected and analyzed over a 2-year period, per preschool protocol. Annual informal and formal spoken language assessments in articulation, vocabulary, and omnibus language were administered at the end of three time intervals: baseline, end of year one, and end of year two. The primary outcome measures were total raw score performance of spontaneous utterance sentence types and syntax element use as measured by the Teacher Assessment of Spoken Language (TASL). In addition, standardized assessments (the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals--Preschool Version 2 (CELF-P2), the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT), the Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (ROWPVT), and the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation 2 (GFTA2)) were also administered and compared with the control group. The DDI group demonstrated significantly higher raw scores on the TASL each year of the study. The DDI group also achieved statistically significant higher scores for total language on the CELF-P and expressive vocabulary on the EOWPVT, but not for articulation nor receptive vocabulary. Post-hoc assessment revealed that 78% of the students in the DDI group achieved scores in the average range compared with 59% in the control group. The preliminary results of this study support further investigation regarding DDI to investigate whether this method can consistently and significantly improve the achievement of children with hearing loss in spoken language skills.

Stage-related behavioural problems in the 1-4 year old child: parental expectations in a child development unit referral group compared with a control group.

PubMed

Ticehurst, R L; Henry, R L

1989-02-01

Behavioural problems in preschool (1-4 years) children are a common cause of referral to health services. Parents of children presenting to the child development unit with behavioural problems (n = 18) were compared with a control group (n = 45). A questionnaire was utilized to examine the parents' expectations of the children's behaviours. As might be expected, the parents of children presenting to the Unit rated their children as having more difficult behaviours. These parents had unrealistic expectations, particularly for the 'negative' behaviours (disobedience, temper tantrums, defiance and whinging). However, they were able to anticipate normal age-related difficulties in some problem areas (dawdling during mealtimes, masturbating, not sharing toys and being jealous of one's siblings). Counselling should address the issue of matching the expectations of parents with the individual rates of development of their children.

Participation Patterns of Preschool Children With Intellectual Developmental Disabilities.

PubMed

Gilboa, Yafit; Fuchs, Reut

2018-04-01

We aim to examine the pattern of participation of children with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) or global developmental delay (GDD) in comparison with typically developing preschoolers. In addition, to identify environmental and personal factors associated with their participation, 20 children with mild to moderate GDD or IDD, and 24 age- and gender-matched controls, aged 3 to 6 years, were assessed using the Assessment of Preschool Children's Participation and the Environmental Restriction Questionnaire. Significant differences were found between the groups, both for general scales of participation and for each activity area. For the IDD/GDD group, participation was significantly negatively correlated with environmental restrictions at home. For the control group, participation was correlated with demographic variables. Typically developing children participate at a higher frequency and in a more diverse range of activities compared with children with IDD/GDD. Associations between participation and contextual factors varied depending on the child's health condition.

Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and Cortisol Levels in Mothers of Children Undergoing Maintenance Therapy for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

PubMed Central

Neu, Madalynn; Matthews, Ellyn; King, Nancy; Cook, Paul F.; Laudenslager, Mark L.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare anxiety, depression, and stress between mothers of children during maintenance treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and matched controls. Twenty-six mothers were recruited from the hematology unit at a children’s hospital, and 26 mothers were recruited from the community. Participants were matched to their child’s age and gender. Mothers completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Perceived Stress Sale, and collected salivary cortisol 4 times a day for 3 consecutive days. Compared with mothers of healthy children, anxiety scores did not differ (P = .10), but depression scores were higher (P = .003) in mothers of children with ALL. More mothers in the ALL group scored above the cutoff of 7 indicating clinical anxiety (46%) and depressive symptoms (27%). A trend toward increased stress was found in mothers in the ALL group. No difference was found in overall daily cortisol (area under the curve), daily decrease in cortisol (slope), and cortisol awakening response. Mothers of children with ALL experienced emotional symptoms many months after the initial diagnosis. PMID:24608702

Neuropsychological profiles and outcomes in children with new onset frontal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Matricardi, Sara; Deleo, Francesco; Ragona, Francesca; Rinaldi, Victoria Elisa; Pelliccia, Sarah; Coppola, Giangennaro; Verrotti, Alberto

2016-02-01

Frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) is the second most frequent type of localization-related epilepsy, and it may impact neurocognitive functioning with high variability. The prevalence of neurocognitive impairment in affected children remains poorly defined. This report outlines the neuropsychological profiles and outcomes in children with new onset FLE, and the impact of epilepsy-related factors, such as seizure frequency and antiepileptic drug (AED) load, on the neurocognitive development. Twenty-three consecutive children (15 males and 8 females) with newly diagnosed cryptogenic FLE were enrolled; median age at epilepsy onset was 7 years (6-9.6 years). They underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation and neuropsychological assessment before starting AED treatment (time 0) and after one year of treatment (time 1). Twenty age-matched patients affected by idiopathic generalized epilepsy (10 male and 10 females) and eighteen age-matched healthy subjects (9 males and 9 females) were enrolled as controls and underwent the same assessment. All patients with FLE showed a significant difference in almost all assessed cognitive domains compared with controls, mainly in frontal functions and memory. At time 1, patients were divided into two groups according to epilepsy-related factors: group 1 (9 patients) with persisting seizures despite AED polytherapy, and group 2 (14 patients) with good seizure control in monotherapy. A significant difference was highlighted in almost all subtests in group 1 compared with group 2, both at time 0 and at time 1. In children with FLE showing a broad range of neurocognitive impairments, the epilepsy-related factors mostly related to a worse neurocognitive outcome are poor seizure control and the use of AED polytherapy, suggesting that epileptic discharges may have a negative impact on the functioning of the involved cerebral regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intermodal Matching of Emotional Expressions in Young Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahana-Kalman, Ronit; Goldman, Sylvie

2008-01-01

This study examined the ability of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to detect affective correspondences between facial and vocal expressions of emotion using an intermodal matching paradigm. Four-year-old children with ASD (n = 18) and their age-matched normally developing peers (n = 18) were presented pairs of videotaped facial…

Promoting Resilience in High-risk Children in Jamaica: A Pilot Study of a Multimodal Intervention.

PubMed

Guzder, Jaswant; Paisley, Vanessa; Robertson-Hickling, Hilary; Hickling, Frederick W

2013-05-01

To assess the effectiveness of a multimodal afterschool and summer intervention called the Dream-A-World (DAW) Project for a cohort of school-aged Jamaican children from an impoverished, disadvantaged inner-city community in Kingston, Jamaica. Children were selected by their teachers based on severe disruptive disorders and academic underachievement and compared with a matched control group. The pilot was a child focused therapeutic modality without parental intervention for disruptive conduct and academic failure. A group psychotherapeutic intervention of creative arts therapies and remedial academic support adapted for the Jamaican context was implemented with 30 children from an inner-city primary school. The intervention was implemented over 2½ years spanning grade three to six with evaluation of outcomes using the ASEBA Teacher Report Form (TRF) and end of term grades for the intervention group versus matched controls who were offered usual school supports. The intervention group made significant improvements in school social and behavior adjustment measured by the TRF, with more successful outcome amongst boys for behavioral gains. No significant improvements were made by the girls. Limitations of cohort size, lack of parent data and questions of gender disparities in outcome were unresolved interpretative issues. This multi-modal mental health and academic intervention for high-risk children living in an impoverished, violent neighbourhood, improved global functioning of boys more than girls, and raised questions for design of further preventive planning.

Control of preference in children by conditioned positive reinforcement.

PubMed

Favell, J E; Favell, J E

1972-07-01

A preference measure was employed with children to evaluate the conditioned positive reinforcing function of a stimulus that preceded reinforcement. A match-to-sample procedure was arranged in which subjects could respond to either the form or color dimension of a compound sample stimulus. Intermittent token reinforcement was provided equally for color and form matches. Two stimuli were employed (Stimulus A and Stimulus B), each consisting of a distinctive tone and colored light. One of these stimuli (the paired stimulus) preceded each token delivery, and the other did not (nonpaired stimulus). The paired stimulus was dependent upon each response to one match dimension, and the nonpaired stimulus followed each response to the other dimension. Three of the five subjects responded primarily to the dimension that was followed by the paired stimulus. This effect was obtained regardless of which stimulus (A or B) was paired and on which match dimension (color or form) the paired stimulus was dependent. These results were unaltered by discontinuing the nonpaired stimulus. The other two subjects demonstrated consistent preferences for the form dimension and Stimulus A, respectively.

Subject descriptions, control groups, and research designs in published studies of language-impaired children.

PubMed

Schmitt, J F; Meline, T J

1990-12-01

We reviewed the 1983-1988 issues of six journals that frequently publish papers including specifically language-impaired (LI) subjects. A total of 92 research reports provided data for our review. The research reports included experimental studies, ex post facto studies, and intervention studies. These studies represent a broad spectrum of the theoretical and empirical foundations of knowledge regarding LI children. The analysis of the published research centered on subject descriptions and the use of control groups. A descriptive analysis of the data showed few consistent trends among the studies with respect to subject selection, subject description, and the number and types of control groups. We discuss the importance of more complete subject descriptions in studies of LI children as well as the importance of the choice of matching criteria for control groups in between-subjects designs.

Parenting Stress: A Comparison of Grandmother Caretakers and Mothers

PubMed Central

Musil, Carol M.; Youngblut, JoAnne M.; Ahn, Sukhee; Curry, Vanessa L.

2011-01-01

Parenting stress in grandmother caretakers has not been directly compared with a matched sample of mothers in the caretaker role. This study examined the main and interaction effects of caretaker status, employment, and race on parenting stress and whether these factors affect parenting stress in a convenience sample of grandmothers raising grandchildren (n = 86) and a sample of mothers of preschoolers (n = 86), matched for women’s partner status, race, and employment. Grandmothers raising grandchildren reported more overall parenting stress and parental distress than mothers. Non-employed women reported more negative perceptions of their children and more difficult interactions with them. When controlling for contextual variables, grandmother caretakers showed greater parenting distress, but employment was not related to parenting stress. Being Caucasian and caretaking of older children affected overall parenting stress, parent-child interactions, and perceptions of one’s children. Future research needs to consider the effect of outside influences on grandmothers’ stress. PMID:21966182

Allostatic load in parents of children with developmental disorders: moderating influence of positive affect.

PubMed

Song, Jieun; Mailick, Marsha R; Ryff, Carol D; Coe, Christopher L; Greenberg, Jan S; Hong, Jinkuk

2014-02-01

This study examines whether parents of children with developmental disorders are at risk of elevated allostatic load relative to control parents and whether positive affect moderates difference in risk. In all, 38 parents of children with developmental disorders and 38 matched comparison parents were analyzed. Regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between parent status and positive affect: parents of children with developmental disorders had lower allostatic load when they had higher positive affect, whereas no such association was evident for comparison parents. The findings suggest that promoting greater positive affect may lower health risks among parents of children with developmental disorders.

Allostatic load in parents of children with developmental disorders: Moderating influence of positive affect

PubMed Central

Song, Jieun; Mailick, Marsha R.; Ryff, Carol D.; Coe, Christopher L.; Greenberg, Jan S.; Hong, Jinkuk

2013-01-01

This study examines whether parents of children with developmental disorders (DD) are at risk for elevated allostatic load (AL) relative to control parents, and whether positive affect moderates difference in risk. Thirty-eight parents of children with DD and 38 matched comparison parents were analyzed. Regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between parent status and AL level: parents of children with DD had lower AL when they had higher positive affect, whereas no such association was evident for comparison parents. The findings suggest that promoting greater positive affect may lower health risks among parents of children with DD. PMID:23300048

Audiological and electrophysiological evaluation of children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

PubMed

Matas, Carla Gentile; Leite, Renata Aparecida; Magliaro, Fernanda Cristina Leite; Gonçalves, Isabela Crivellaro

2006-08-01

We examined the peripheral auditory system and the auditory brainstem pathway of children with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). One hundred and one children, 51 with AIDS diagnosis and 50 normal children were evaluated. Audiological assessment included immittance measures, pure tone and speech audiometry and auditory brainstem response (ABR). The children with AIDS more frequently had abnormal results than did their matched controls, presenting either peripheral or auditory brainstem impairment. We suggest that AIDS be considered a risk factor for peripheral and/or auditory brainstem disorders. Further research should be carried out to investigate the auditory effects of HIV infection along the auditory pathway.

[Analysis of the risk factors for pesticide poisoning among children in countryside of Guigang city].

PubMed

Li, Hai; Yang, Li; Feng, Qi-ming; Li, Chun-ling

2011-12-01

This study was to investigate the risk factors for pesticide poisoning among rural children in Guigang. A 1:4 matched case-control study was conducted. A total of 78 rural children who were hospitalized or visited the out-patient clinic due to pesticide poisoning in Guigang from January to December in 2009 were recruited as cases, and 312 matched controls were recruited during the same time. The children's parents or guardians were surveyed with a questionnaire. The questionnaire including general information and 21 possible risk factors concerned in family structure, guardian status, educational level of parents, average annual family income, family and school health education and dangerous behavior in children. The data were analyzed by conditional logistic regression analysis. Three risk factors and five protective factors were identified significantly associated with pesticide poisoning in rural children. The risk factors included inappropriate deposit of hydrocomion and contaminated working clothes (OR = 3.529, 95%CI: 1.408 - 8.848), playing outside frequently (OR = 2.846, 95%CI: 1.513 - 5.352), grandparents being children's guardian (OR = 2.187, 95%CI: 1.187 - 4.029). The protective factors included high frequency of guardianship (OR = 0.408, 95%CI: 0.205 - 0.811), knowledge for poisoning prevention (OR = 0.412, 95%CI: 0.224 - 0.758), washing working clothes in time (OR = 0.435, 95%CI: 0.212 - 0.893), taking health educational courses in school (OR = 0.448, 95%CI: 0.232 - 0.867) and teaching children non-access to toxic agents regularly (OR = 0.462, 95%CI: 0.227 - 0.939). Childhood pesticide poisoning accidence in countryside of Guigang was caused by multiple factors including children's risk behaviors, family factors, environmental factors and health education.

How does a bilingual environment affect the results in children with cochlear implants compared to monolingual-matched children? An Italian follow-up study.

PubMed

Forli, Francesca; Giuntini, Giada; Ciabotti, Annalisa; Bruschini, Luca; Löfkvist, Ulrika; Berrettini, Stefano

2018-02-01

To compare the results after cochlear implantation achieved by monolingual and bilingual deaf children implanted at our Institution, with the aim of understanding if there are any differences between the two groups and if there is a correlation between the outcomes and some patients' variables. The study group was composed by 14 bilingual deaf children and the control group by the same number of monolingual children implanted at our Institution. The control group was obtained by matching to each bilingual child a monolingual one with a similar clinical history regarding age at hearing loss diagnosis, age at first hearing-aids fitting and age at CI procedure. Children received a speech perception and linguistic development evaluation through specific structured tests. The linguistic competence of the patients both in mainstream and native language was determined by the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM). We did not find any statistically significant differences between bilingual and monolingual children in speech perception outcomes. Nevertheless, we obtained different results concerning language skills: bilingual implanted children scored lower at structured language tests, even if the difference was not statistically relevant. Bilingual children scored significantly lower than monolingual ones at the SOLOM scale for linguistic competence. The results reported in the present study show better language skills after cochlear implant in Italian monolingual cases than in bilingual ones. This seems to be related to the condition of bilingualism in Italy, mainly related to immigration, and frequently associated with low socio-economic levels, poor competence in the mainstream language and poor social integration, with a suboptimal exposure to the mainstream language and difficulties in following the rehabilitative program. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Which are the best predictors of theory of mind delay in children with specific language impairment?

PubMed

Andrés-Roqueta, Clara; Adrian, Juan E; Clemente, Rosa A; Katsos, Napoleon

2013-01-01

The relationship between language and theory of mind (ToM) development in participants with specific language impairment (SLI) it is far from clear due to there were differences in study design and methodologies of previous studies. This research consisted of an in-depth investigation of ToM delay in children with SLI during the typical period of acquisition, and it studied whether linguistic or information-processing variables were the best predictors of this process. It also took into account whether there were differences in ToM competence due to the degree of pragmatic impairment within the SLI group. Thirty-one children with SLI (3;5-7;5 years old) and two control groups (age matched and language matched) were assessed with False Belief (FB) tasks, a wide battery of language measures and additional information-processing measures. The members of the SLI group were less competent than their age-matched peers at solving FB tasks, but they performed similarly to the language-matched group. Regression analysis showed that overall linguistic skills of children with SLI were the best predictor of ToM performance, and especially grammar abilities. No differences between SLI subgroups were found according to their pragmatic level. A delay in ToM development in children with SLI around the critical period of acquisition is confirmed more comprehensively, and it is shown to be more strongly related to their general linguistic level than to their age and other information-processing faculties. This finding stresses the importance of early educational and clinical programmes aimed at reducing deleterious effects in later development. © 2013 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Mentoring Children With Incarcerated Parents: Implications for Research, Practice, and Policy

PubMed Central

Shlafer, Rebecca J.; Poehlmann, Julie; Coffino, Brianna; Hanneman, Ashley

2010-01-01

We investigated children and families who were participating in a mentoring program targeting children with incarcerated parents. Using multiple methods and informants, we explored the development of the mentoring relationship, challenges and benefits of mentoring children with incarcerated parents, and match termination in 57 mentor-child dyads. More than one-third of matches terminated during the first 6 months of participation. For those matches that continued to meet, however, children who saw their mentors more frequently exhibited fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In monthly interviews with participants, themes emerged about challenges associated with mentoring and reasons for match termination. Implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are discussed. PMID:20657746

The neural correlates of visuo-spatial working memory in children with autism spectrum disorder: effects of cognitive load

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Research on the neural bases of cognitive deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown that working memory (WM) difficulties are associated with abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex. However, cognitive load impacts these findings, and no studies have examined the relation between WM load and neural underpinnings in children with ASD. Thus, the current study determined the effects of cognitive load on WM, using a visuo-spatial WM capacity task in children with and without ASD with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods We used fMRI and a 1-back colour matching task (CMT) task with four levels of difficulty to compare the cortical activation patterns associated with WM in children (7–13 years old) with high functioning autism (N = 19) and matched controls (N = 17) across cognitive load. Results Performance on CMT was comparable between groups, with the exception of one difficulty level. Using linear trend analyses, the control group showed increasing activation as a function of difficulty level in frontal and parietal lobes, particularly between the highest difficulty levels, and decreasing activation as a function of difficulty level in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri. In contrast, children with ASD showed increasing activation only in posterior brain regions and decreasing activation in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri, as a function of difficulty level. Significant differences were found in the precuneus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and medial premotor cortex, where control children showed greater positive linear relations between cortical activity and task difficulty level, particularly at the highest difficulty levels, but children with ASD did not show these trends. Conclusions Children with ASD showed differences in activation in the frontal and parietal lobes—both critical substrates for visuo-spatial WM. Our data suggest that children with ASD rely mainly on posterior brain regions associated with visual and lower level processing, whereas controls showed activity in frontal lobes related to the classic WM network. Findings will help guide future work by localizing areas of vulnerability to developmental disturbances. PMID:25057329

The neural correlates of visuo-spatial working memory in children with autism spectrum disorder: effects of cognitive load.

PubMed

Vogan, Vanessa M; Morgan, Benjamin R; Lee, Wayne; Powell, Tamara L; Smith, Mary Lou; Taylor, Margot J

2014-01-01

Research on the neural bases of cognitive deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown that working memory (WM) difficulties are associated with abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex. However, cognitive load impacts these findings, and no studies have examined the relation between WM load and neural underpinnings in children with ASD. Thus, the current study determined the effects of cognitive load on WM, using a visuo-spatial WM capacity task in children with and without ASD with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We used fMRI and a 1-back colour matching task (CMT) task with four levels of difficulty to compare the cortical activation patterns associated with WM in children (7-13 years old) with high functioning autism (N = 19) and matched controls (N = 17) across cognitive load. Performance on CMT was comparable between groups, with the exception of one difficulty level. Using linear trend analyses, the control group showed increasing activation as a function of difficulty level in frontal and parietal lobes, particularly between the highest difficulty levels, and decreasing activation as a function of difficulty level in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri. In contrast, children with ASD showed increasing activation only in posterior brain regions and decreasing activation in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri, as a function of difficulty level. Significant differences were found in the precuneus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and medial premotor cortex, where control children showed greater positive linear relations between cortical activity and task difficulty level, particularly at the highest difficulty levels, but children with ASD did not show these trends. Children with ASD showed differences in activation in the frontal and parietal lobes-both critical substrates for visuo-spatial WM. Our data suggest that children with ASD rely mainly on posterior brain regions associated with visual and lower level processing, whereas controls showed activity in frontal lobes related to the classic WM network. Findings will help guide future work by localizing areas of vulnerability to developmental disturbances.

Quality of life in neurologically healthy children with urinary incontinence.

PubMed

Gladh, Gunilla; Eldh, Monica; Mattsson, Sven

2006-12-01

To bring forward the arguments for active treatment of urine incontinence in otherwise healthy children, a quality-of-life (QoL) study was performed. A self-rating QoL questionnaire, child-adjusted and validated, was completed by 120 neurologically healthy children, aged 6-16 y, with urinary incontinence. Another 239 age-matched children made up a control group. The two groups were compared both totally and in age-related subgroups (6-8, 9-12, >12 y) concerning the index for all questions, for universal parts (without questions dealing with incontinence) as well as for specific key domains. The patient group had a significantly lower index than the control group both with and without items related to incontinence (p<0.0001). Social situation, self-esteem and self-confidence were most influenced, particularly in the youngest children. Thirty-one children (13%) of the control group reported incontinence and did not score their QoL as good as their continent peers but better than the study patients. From the quality-of-life aspects, the study supports active treatment of urinary incontinence in children already at younger ages.

[Intelligence level and intelligence structure of children with primary nocturnal enuresis].

PubMed

Dai, Xiao-Mei; Ma, Hong-Wei; Pan, Xue-Xia

2007-10-01

Some research has shown that there may be memory/caution (M/C) defects in children with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE). This study aimed to investigate whether the defects affect the intelligence level and the intelligence structure in PNE children. Intelligence tests were performed by means of Wechsler Young Children Scales of Intelligence (C-WISC) in 40 children with PNE and 40 age-matched normal children. The full intelligence quotient (FIQ), verbal IQ (VIQ) and performances IQ (PIQ) in the PNE group were in a normal range and did not different from the control group. There were significant differences in the scores for digit extent, decipher, knowledge and arithmetics between the PNE and the control groups (P < 0.05). M/C factor in the PNE group was statistically lower than in the control group (93.44 +/-11.27 vs 100.03 +/-11.79; P < 0.05). The total intelligence level of children with PNE was normal, but the M/C factor in the intelligence structure had some defects, suggesting that PNE may be related to the abnormity of executive function in the frontal lobe.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: the impact of methylphenidate on working memory, inhibition capacity and mental flexibility.

PubMed

Bolfer, Cristiana; Pacheco, Sandra Pasquali; Tsunemi, Miriam Harumi; Carreira, Walter Souza; Casella, Beatriz Borba; Casella, Erasmo Barbante

2017-04-01

To compare children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), before and after the use of methylphenidate, and a control group, using tests of working memory, inhibition capacity and mental flexibility. Neuropsychological tests were administrated to 53 boys, 9-12 years old: the WISC-III digit span backward, and arithmetic; Stroop Color; and Trail Making Tests. The case group included 23 boys with ADHD, who were combined type, treatment-naive, and with normal intelligence without comorbidities. The control group (n = 30) were age and gender matched. After three months on methylphenidate, the ADHD children were retested. The control group was also retested after three months. Before treatment, ADHD children had lower scores than the control group on the tests (p ≤ 0.001) and after methylphenidate had fewer test errors than before (p ≤ 0.001). Methylphenidate treatment improves the working memory, inhibitory control and mental flexibility of ADHD boys.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders--a case-control study from India.

PubMed

Nayak, Raghavendra; Murthy, Pratima; Girimaji, Satish; Navaneetham, Jamuna

2012-02-01

Maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy can lead to fetal neurotoxicity and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). To compare the clinical features and neurobehavioral profiles of children exposed to alcohol during pregnancy with controls. Children exposed to alcohol in utero (n = 26) and 27-years age- and sex-matched controls were compared on FAS facial features, minor physical anomalies (MPAs), anthropometric measures, behavioral problems and intellectual functioning. MPAs were more common in cases (p = 0.001). Among FAS facial features, only philtrum smoothness varied significantly between the groups (p = 0.001). Behavioral problems (on Childhood Behavior Check List) were more pronounced (p = 0.001) and intellectual functioning significantly poorer in cases (p = 0.001) compared to controls. Children prenatally exposed to alcohol manifest several neurobehavioral problems compared to controls. Underlying malnutrition may have altered some of the clinical findings.

Amino-terminal propeptide of C-type natriuretic peptide and linear growth in children: effects of puberty, testosterone, and growth hormone.

PubMed

Olney, Robert C; Prickett, Timothy C R; Yandle, Timothy G; Espiner, Eric A; Han, Joan C; Mauras, Nelly

2007-11-01

C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), a paracrine factor of the growth plate, plays a key role in stimulating bone growth. The amino-terminal propeptide of CNP (NTproCNP) is produced in equimolar amounts with CNP and is measurable in plasma, providing a potential biomarker for growth plate activity and, hence, linear growth. We explored the effects of puberty, testosterone, and GH treatment on NTproCNP levels in normal and short-statured children. This was a retrospective analysis of samples obtained during previous studies. The study was conducted at a pediatric clinical research center. Children with short stature due to GH deficiency, idiopathic short stature (ISS), or constitutional delay of growth and maturation (CDGM) were studied (n = 37). A cohort of normal-statured adolescent boys was also studied (n = 23). Children with GH deficiency and ISS were studied before and during testosterone and/or GH treatment. Boys with CDGM and healthy controls were studied once. The main outcomes were NTproCNP levels before and during growth-promoting therapy and during pubertal growth. Children with short stature due to GH deficiency, ISS, or CDGM had comparable baseline levels of NTproCNP, and levels increased markedly in response to GH or testosterone treatment. In boys with CDGM, levels were comparable with height-matched controls but were less than those from age-matched controls. In healthy boys, NTproCNP appears to peak with the pubertal growth spurt. NTproCNP levels increase during growth-promoting therapy and are increased during puberty in boys. This novel biomarker of growth may have clinical utility in the evaluation of children with short stature and for monitoring growth-promoting therapy.

Accuracy of self-reported intake of signature foods in a school meal intervention study: comparison between control and intervention period.

PubMed

Biltoft-Jensen, Anja; Damsgaard, Camilla Trab; Andersen, Rikke; Ygil, Karin Hess; Andersen, Elisabeth Wreford; Ege, Majken; Christensen, Tue; Sørensen, Louise Bergmann; Stark, Ken D; Tetens, Inge; Thorsen, Anne-Vibeke

2015-08-28

Bias in self-reported dietary intake is important when evaluating the effect of dietary interventions, particularly for intervention foods. However, few have investigated this in children, and none have investigated the reporting accuracy of fish intake in children using biomarkers. In a Danish school meal study, 8- to 11-year-old children (n 834) were served the New Nordic Diet (NND) for lunch. The present study examined the accuracy of self-reported intake of signature foods (berries, cabbage, root vegetables, legumes, herbs, potatoes, wild plants, mushrooms, nuts and fish) characterising the NND. Children, assisted by parents, self-reported their diet in a Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children during the intervention and control (packed lunch) periods. The reported fish intake by children was compared with their ranking according to fasting whole-blood EPA and DHA concentration and weight percentage using the Spearman correlations and cross-classification. Direct observation of school lunch intake (n 193) was used to score the accuracy of food-reporting as matches, intrusions, omissions and faults. The reporting of all lunch foods had higher percentage of matches compared with the reporting of signature foods in both periods, and the accuracy was higher during the control period compared with the intervention period. Both Spearman's rank correlations and linear mixed models demonstrated positive associations between EPA+DHA and reported fish intake. The direct observations showed that both reported and real intake of signature foods did increase during the intervention period. In conclusion, the self-reported data represented a true increase in the intake of signature foods and can be used to examine dietary intervention effects.

Left ear dichotic listening performance on consonant-vowel combinations and digits in subtypes of reading-disabled children.

PubMed

Morton, L L; Siegel, L S

1991-02-01

Twenty reading comprehension-disabled (CD) and 20 reading comprehension and word recognition-disabled (CWRD), right-handed male children were matched with 20 normal-achieving age-matched controls and 20 normal-achieving reading level-matched controls and tested for left ear report on dichotic listening tasks using digits and consonant-vowel combinations (CVs). Left ear report for CVs and digits did not correlate for any of the groups. Both reading-disabled groups showed lower left ear report on digits. On CVs the CD group showed a high left ear report but only when there were no priming precursors, such as directions to attend right first and to process digits first. Priming effects interfered with the processing of both digits and CVs. Theoretically, the CWRD group seems to be characterized by a depressed right hemisphere, whereas the CD group may have a more labile right hemisphere, perhaps tending to overengagement for CV tasks but vulnerable to situational precursors in the form of priming effects. Implications extend to (1) subtyping practices in research with the learning-disabled, (2) inferences drawn from studies using different dichotic stimuli, and (3) the neuropsychology of reading disorders.

Family characteristics have limited ability to predict weight status of young children.

PubMed

Gray, Virginia B; Byrd, Sylvia H; Cossman, Jeralynn S; Chromiak, Joseph; Cheek, Wanda K; Jackson, Gary B

2007-07-01

The ability of (a) family characteristics (marital status, income, race, and education), (b) parental control over child's food intake, and (c) parental belief in causes of overweight to predict weight status of children was assessed. Parents/caretakers of elementary school-aged children were surveyed to determine attitudes related to childhood nutrition and overweight. Anthropometric measurements were obtained from children to determine weight status (n=169 matched surveys and measurements). chi(2) tests and nested logistic regression models were used to determine relationships between children's weight status and family characteristics, parental control, and parental belief in the primary cause of overweight. Low household income was an important predictor of overweight; marital status and race added no further explanatory power to the model. Parental control was not a significant predictor of overweight. Parental belief in the primary cause of overweight in children (diet vs physical activity) was significantly related to children's weight; however, it was not significant after controlling for income. Low household income relates strongly to increased childhood weight status; therefore, school and government policies should promote an environment that supports affordable, safe, and feasible opportunities for healthful nutrition and physical activity, particularly for low-income audiences.

Inner speech impairments in autism.

PubMed

Whitehouse, Andrew J O; Maybery, Murray T; Durkin, Kevin

2006-08-01

Three experiments investigated the role of inner speech deficit in cognitive performances of children with autism. Experiment 1 compared children with autism with ability-matched controls on a verbal recall task presenting pictures and words. Experiment 2 used pictures for which the typical names were either single syllable or multisyllable. Two encoding conditions manipulated the use of verbal encoding. Experiment 3 employed a task-switching paradigm for which performance has been shown to be contingent upon inner speech. In Experiment 1, children with autism demonstrated a lower picture-superiority effect compared to controls. In Experiment 2, the children with autism showed a lower word-length effect when pictures were presented alone, but a more substantial word-length effect in a condition requiring overt labelling. In Experiment 3, articulatory suppression affected the task-switching performance of the control participants only. Individuals with autism have limitations in their use of inner speech.

Sleep-wake patterns reported by parents in hyperactive children diagnosed according to ICD-10, as compared to paired controls.

PubMed

Gomes, Ana Allen; Parchão, Carla; Almeida, Anabela; Clemente, Vanda; Pinto de Azevedo, Maria Helena

2014-10-01

This study aimed primarily to compare the parent-reported sleep of children with ICD-10 hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) versus community children. Thirty children aged 5-13 years (83.3% boys) diagnosed with HKD by their child and adolescent psychiatrists took part in this study, plus 30 community children, matched for sex, age, and school year. Compared to the controls, the HKD children showed significantly later bedtimes, stronger bedtime resistance, longer sleep latency, shorter sleep; more frequent behaviors and symptoms concerning falling asleep into parents bed, needing something special to initiate sleep, nightmares, sleep talking, sleep bruxism, fear from darkness, bedwetting, and, most notably, loud snoring (26.7%); they also tended to show higher daytime somnolence. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/HKD children may thus have more sleep-related problems than typically developing children. Alternatively, our results may reflect misdiagnoses; thus, special attention should be directed to comorbidity and differential diagnosis issues between sleep disturbances and ADHD/HKD.

Differences of biased recall memory for emotional information among children and adolescents of mothers with MDD, children and adolescents with MDD, and normal controls.

PubMed

Fattahi Asl, Abouzar; Ghanizadeh, Ahmad; Mollazade, Javad; Aflakseir, Abdolaziz

2015-08-15

This study examines explicit memory bias for emotional information in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). Participants were a convenient sample of 28 children and adolescents of mothers with MDD, 28 children and adolescents with MDD, and 29 healthy controls. Their age range was 11-17 years old. The groups were matched for gender ratio, mean age, and the years of educational level. They were assessed by the Recall Task. Emotional stimuli consisted of three sets of words namely sad, happy, and neutral words. Children and adolescents of mothers with MDD similar to children and adolescents with MDD recalled more sadness stimuli in comparison with the controls. In other words, they showed an explicit memory bias towards sad stimuli. Also, healthy children significantly recalled more happy words than the other two groups. There was no significant difference among the three groups for the recall of neutral stimuli. Current findings support that there is a recall memory bias for emotional information in children with MDD. These children more than healthy children recall sad words. Moreover, healthy children recall happy words more than children with MDD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Early Development of Joint Attention in Infants with Autistic Disorder Using Home Video Observations and Parental Interview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifford, Sally M; Dissanayake, Cheryl

2008-01-01

The aim in the current study was to investigate the early development of joint attention, eye contact and affect during the first 2 years of life, by using retrospective parental interviews and analyses of home videos of infants who were later diagnosed with Autistic Disorder (AD). The 36 children with AD and the 27 matched control children were…

Children of Deviants: A Fifteen Year Follow-Up Study of Children of Schizophrenic Mothers, Welfare Mothers, Matched Controls and Random Urban Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Dorothy; And Others

How does a psychotic mother affect the emotional development of her child? Studies have found that mental illness in the family and intra-family conflict are important concomitants of neurosis, but most studies have failed to link the child's experiences with a mentally ill mother clearly with later development of a similar mental illness. Our own…

The Nature of the Phonological Processing in French Dyslexic Children: Evidence for the Phonological Syllable and Linguistic Features' Role in Silent Reading and Speech Discrimination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maionchi-Pino, Norbert; Magnan, Annie; Ecalle, Jean

2010-01-01

This study investigated the status of phonological representations in French dyslexic children (DY) compared with reading level- (RL) and chronological age-matched (CA) controls. We focused on the syllable's role and on the impact of French linguistic features. In Experiment 1, we assessed oral discrimination abilities of pairs of syllables that…

Early Indications of Delayed Cognitive Development in Preschool Children Born Very Preterm: Evidence from Domain-General and Domain-Specific Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitchford, Nicola; Johnson, Samantha; Scerif, Gaia; Marlow, Neil

2011-01-01

Cognitive impairment often follows preterm birth but its early underlying nature is not well understood. We used a novel approach by investigating the development of colour cognition in 54 very preterm children born less than or equal to 30 weeks gestational age without severe neurosensory impairment and 37 age-matched term-born controls, aged 2-5…

Multisensory information boosts numerical matching abilities in young children.

PubMed

Jordan, Kerry E; Baker, Joseph

2011-03-01

This study presents the first evidence that preschool children perform more accurately in a numerical matching task when given multisensory rather than unisensory information about number. Three- to 5-year-old children learned to play a numerical matching game on a touchscreen computer, which asked them to match a sample numerosity with a numerically equivalent choice numerosity. Samples consisted of a series of visual squares on some trials, a series of auditory tones on other trials, and synchronized squares and tones on still other trials. Children performed at chance on this matching task when provided with either type of unisensory sample, but improved significantly when provided with multisensory samples. There was no speed–accuracy tradeoff between unisensory and multisensory trial types. Thus, these findings suggest that intersensory redundancy may improve young children’s abilities to match numerosities.

Volumetric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Brain and Cerebellum in Children with Cerebral Palsy

PubMed Central

Maciorkowska, Elżbieta; Gościk, Elżbieta

2016-01-01

Introduction. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are rarely used in the diagnosis of patients with cerebral palsy. The aim of present study was to assess the relationships between the volumetric MRI and clinical findings in children with cerebral palsy compared to control subjects. Materials and Methods. Eighty-two children with cerebral palsy and 90 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were collected. Results. The dominant changes identified on MRI scans in children with cerebral palsy were periventricular leukomalacia (42%) and posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (21%). The total brain and cerebellum volumes in children with cerebral palsy were significantly reduced in comparison to controls. Significant grey matter volume reduction was found in the total brain in children with cerebral palsy compared with the control subjects. Positive correlations between the age of the children of both groups and the grey matter volumes in the total brain were found. Negative relationship between width of third ventricle and speech development was found in the patients. Positive correlations were noted between the ventricles enlargement and motor dysfunction and mental retardation in children with cerebral palsy. Conclusions. By using the voxel-based morphometry, the total brain, cerebellum, and grey matter volumes were significantly reduced in children with cerebral palsy. PMID:27579318

Volumetric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Brain and Cerebellum in Children with Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Kułak, Piotr; Maciorkowska, Elżbieta; Gościk, Elżbieta

2016-01-01

Introduction. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are rarely used in the diagnosis of patients with cerebral palsy. The aim of present study was to assess the relationships between the volumetric MRI and clinical findings in children with cerebral palsy compared to control subjects. Materials and Methods. Eighty-two children with cerebral palsy and 90 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were collected. Results. The dominant changes identified on MRI scans in children with cerebral palsy were periventricular leukomalacia (42%) and posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (21%). The total brain and cerebellum volumes in children with cerebral palsy were significantly reduced in comparison to controls. Significant grey matter volume reduction was found in the total brain in children with cerebral palsy compared with the control subjects. Positive correlations between the age of the children of both groups and the grey matter volumes in the total brain were found. Negative relationship between width of third ventricle and speech development was found in the patients. Positive correlations were noted between the ventricles enlargement and motor dysfunction and mental retardation in children with cerebral palsy. Conclusions. By using the voxel-based morphometry, the total brain, cerebellum, and grey matter volumes were significantly reduced in children with cerebral palsy.

Non-specific effect of measles vaccination on overall child mortality in an area of rural India with high vaccination coverage: a population-based case-control study.

PubMed Central

Kabir, Zubair; Long, Jean; Reddaiah, Vankadara P.; Kevany, John; Kapoor, Suresh K.

2003-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether vaccination against measles in a population with sustained high vaccination coverage and relatively low child mortality reduces overall child mortality. METHODS: In April and May 2000, a population-based, case-control study was conducted at Ballabgarh (an area in rural northern India). Eligible cases were 330 children born between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1998 who died aged 12-59 months. A programme was used to match 320 controls for age, sex, family size, and area of residence from a birth cohort of 15 578 born during the same time period. FINDINGS: The analysis used 318 matched pairs and suggested that children aged 12-59 months who did not receive measles vaccination in infancy were three times more likely to die than those vaccinated against measles. Children from lower caste households who were not vaccinated in infancy had the highest risk of mortality (odds ratio, 8.9). A 27% increase in child mortality was attributable to failure to vaccinate against measles in the study population. CONCLUSION: Measles vaccine seems to have a non-specific reducing effect on overall child mortality in this population. If true, children in lower castes may reap the greatest gains in survival. The findings should be interpreted with caution because the nutritional status of the children was not recorded and may be a residual confounder. "All-cause mortality" is a potentially useful epidemiological endpoint for future vaccine trials. PMID:12764490

Locus of Control and Helplessness: Gender Differences among Bereaved Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubinstein, Gidi

2004-01-01

This study investigated locus of control (LC) and hopelessness (H) among 25 pairs of bereaved parents, who lost their children in the Arab--Israeli conflict, and 25 pairs of demographically matched non-bereaved parents (mean age 53). Four of the 5 hypotheses were supported by results. LC was significantly more external and H was significantly…

The Specificity of Inhibitory Impairments in Autism and Their Relation to ADHD-Type Symptoms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanderson, Charlotte; Allen, Melissa L.

2013-01-01

Findings on inhibitory control in autism have been inconsistent. This is perhaps a reflection of the different tasks that have been used. Children with autism (CWA) and typically developing controls, matched for verbal and non-verbal mental age, completed three tasks of inhibition, each representing different inhibitory subcomponents: Go/No-Go…

Grasping Motor Impairments in Autism: Not Action Planning but Movement Execution Is Deficient

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoit, Astrid M. B.; van Schie, Hein T.; Slaats-Willemse, Dorine I. E.; Buitelaar, Jan K.

2013-01-01

Different views on the origin of deficits in action chaining in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been posited, ranging from functional impairments in action planning to internal models supporting motor control. Thirty-one children and adolescents with ASD and twenty-nine matched controls participated in a two-choice reach-to-grasp paradigm…

Oral lesions and dental status of autistic children in Yemen: A case–control study

PubMed Central

Al-Maweri, Sadeq Ali; Halboub, Esam S.; Al-Soneidar, Walid Ahmed; Al-Sufyani, Ghadah A.

2014-01-01

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of oral lesions among children with autism in Sana’a City, Yemen, and to evaluate their dental status. Patients and Methods: This case–control study included 42 children with autism, aged between 5 and 16 years, and 84 age- and gender-matched healthy children as controls. Oral lesions were assessed based on standardized criteria according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Dental caries, gingival health, and oral hygiene status were assessed using dmft/DMFT index, Gingival Index (GI), and Plaque Index (PI), respectively. Chi-square test and Mann–Whitney's test were used to compare the groups. Results: Compared to controls, children with autism revealed higher proportion of fistulae (9.5% vs. 2.4%), ulcerative lesions (7.1% vs. 1.2%), gingival hyperplasia (4.8% vs. 0.0%), and cheilitis (4.8% vs. 2.4%); however, the differences were not statistically significant. The mean dmft score was significantly higher in children with autism than in controls (5.23 vs. 4.06; P < 0.001). Moreover, children with autism revealed poorer oral hygiene than controls, and the majority had gingivitis. Conclusions: Children with autism in Yemen have high prevalence of oral soft tissue lesions, caries, and gingivitis. Therefore, proper oral health education programs should be initiated and directed toward this special section of the society. PMID:25625079

Immediate processing of erotic stimuli in paedophilia and controls: a case control study.

PubMed

Habermeyer, Benedikt; Esposito, Fabrizio; Händel, Nadja; Lemoine, Patrick; Klarhöfer, Markus; Mager, Ralph; Dittmann, Volker; Seifritz, Erich; Graf, Marc

2013-03-19

Most neuroimaging studies investigating sexual arousal in paedophilia used erotic pictures together with a blocked fMRI design and long stimulus presentation time. While this approach allows the detection of sexual arousal, it does not enable the assessment of the immediate processing of erotically salient stimuli. Our study aimed to identify neuronal networks related to the immediate processing of erotic stimuli in heterosexual male paedophiles and healthy age-matched controls. We presented erotic pictures of prepubescent children and adults in an event related fMRI-design to eight paedophilic subjects and age-matched controls. Erotic pictures of females elicited more activation in the right temporal lobe, the right parietal lobe and both occipital lobes and erotic pictures of children activated the right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in both groups. An interaction of sex, age and group was present in the right anteriolateral oribitofrontal cortex. Our event related study design confirmed that erotic pictures activate some of the brain regions already known to be involved in the processing of erotic pictures when these are presented in blocks. In addition, it revealed that erotic pictures of prepubescent children activate brain regions critical for choosing response strategies in both groups, and that erotically salient stimuli selectively activate a brain region in paedophilic subjects that had previously been attributed to reward and punishment, and that had been shown to be implicated in the suppression of erotic response and deception.

Recurrent acute otitis media detracts from health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Kujala, T; Alho, O-P; Kristo, A; Uhari, M; Renko, M; Pokka, T; Koivunen, P

2017-02-01

Acute otitis media causes discomfort to children and inconvenience to their parents. This study evaluated the quality of life in children with recurrent acute otitis media aged less than 24 months. Quality of life was evaluated in 149 children aged 10 to 24 months who were referred to the Oulu University Hospital on account of recurrent acute otitis media. The children were treated with or without surgery. Age-matched controls were selected randomly from the general child population. Parents completed the Child Health Questionnaire. The children with recurrent acute otitis media had a significantly poorer quality of life than control children. The control children with a history of a few acute otitis media episodes had a significantly poorer quality of life than those without any such history. The quality of life of the children with recurrent acute otitis media improved during the one-year follow up, regardless of the treatment, but did not reach the same level as healthy children. Acute otitis media detracted from quality of life when a generic measure was used. The mode of treatment used to prevent further recurrences of acute otitis media did not influence quality of life improvement.

Eight years later: outcomes of CBT-treated versus untreated anxious children.

PubMed

Adler Nevo, Gili W; Avery, David; Fiksenbaum, Lisa; Kiss, Alex; Mendlowitz, Sandra; Monga, Suneeta; Manassis, Katharina

2014-09-01

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders of childhood, generate significant distress, are considered precursors to diverse psychiatric disorders, and lead to poor social and employment outcomes in adulthood. Although childhood anxiety has a significant impact on a child's developmental trajectory, only a handful of studies examined the long-term impact of treatment and none included a control group. The aim of this study was to conduct a long-term follow-up (LTFU) of anxious children who were treated with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) compared to a matched group of children who were not. Subjects comprised 120 children: a treatment group which included the first 60 consecutive consenting children who were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and treated with CBT between the years 1997 and 2003 and a control group, 60 matched children who were assessed but not treated with CBT. An "ex-post-facto" design was used to compare the two groups. Children showed lower rates of anxiety diagnosis (about 50% for both groups) and significantly improved functioning at LTFU (time effect P < 0.0001; no group difference). Anxiety levels were significantly lower in the nontreatment group at LTFU as compared to initial assessment (P = 0.02), but not in the treatment group, and a significant between-group difference was found (P = 0.01) according to child. An inverse relationship was found between self-efficacy/self-esteem and anxiety outcome ([P = 0.0008] and [P = 0.04], respectively). This study supports the assumption that childhood anxiety disorders may improve without treatment and highlights self-efficacy/self-esteem as potential factors in recovery.

Sleep Architecture Relates to Daytime Affect and Somatic Complaints in Clinically Anxious but Not Healthy Children.

PubMed

Palmer, Cara A; Alfano, Candice A

2017-01-01

It is increasingly clear that seminal sleep-affective relationships begin to take root in childhood, yet studies exploring how nighttime sleep characteristics relate to daytime affective symptoms, both in clinical and healthy populations of children, are lacking. The current study sought to explore these relationships by investigating whether trait-like and/or daily reports of affective and somatic symptoms of children with generalized anxiety disorder and matched controls relate to sleep architecture. Sixty-six children (ages 7-11; 54.4% female; 56.1% Caucasian; 18.2% biracial; 6.1% African American; 3% Asian; 16.7% Hispanic) participated including 29 with primary generalized anxiety disorder (without comorbid depression) and 37 healthy controls matched on age and race/ethnicity. Participants underwent structured diagnostic assessments including child-report measures and subsequently reported on their negative affect and somatic symptoms over the course of 1 week. Children also completed 1 night of polysomnography. Among children with generalized anxiety disorder only, greater amounts of slow wave sleep corresponded with less negative affect, and greater amounts of rapid eye movement sleep was related to more somatic complaints across the week. Similarly, for trait-like measures, more rapid eye movement sleep and shorter latency to rapid eye movement sleep were related to greater depressive symptoms in the anxious group only. The current findings suggest that physiologic sleep characteristics may contribute in direct ways to the symptom profiles of clinically anxious children. The functional relevance of such findings (e.g., how specific sleep characteristics serve to either increase or reduce long-term risk) is a vital direction for future research.

The Development of Emotion-Processing in Children: Effects of Age, Emotion, and Intensity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herba, Catherine M.; Landau, Sabine; Russell, Tamara; Ecker, Christine; Phillips, Mary L.

2006-01-01

Background: This study examined the effects of age and two novel factors (intensity and emotion category) on healthy children's developing emotion-processing from 4 to 15 years using two matching paradigms. Methods: An explicit emotion-matching task was employed in which children matched the emotion of a target individual, and an implicit task…

Children with Dyslexia Are Slow Writers Because They Pause More Often and Not Because They Are Slow at Handwriting Execution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumner, Emma; Connelly, Vincent; Barnett, Anna L.

2013-01-01

It is commonly assumed that children with dyslexia are slower at handwriting than other children. However, evidence of slow handwriting in children with dyslexia is very mixed. Thirty-one children with dyslexia, aged 9 years, were compared to both age-matched children and younger spelling-ability matched children. Participants completed an…

Immaturity of the Oculomotor Saccade and Vergence Interaction in Dyslexic Children: Evidence from a Reading and Visual Search Study

PubMed Central

Bucci, Maria Pia; Nassibi, Naziha; Gerard, Christophe-Loic; Bui-Quoc, Emmanuel; Seassau, Magali

2012-01-01

Studies comparing binocular eye movements during reading and visual search in dyslexic children are, at our knowledge, inexistent. In the present study we examined ocular motor characteristics in dyslexic children versus two groups of non dyslexic children with chronological/reading age-matched. Binocular eye movements were recorded by an infrared system (mobileEBT®, e(ye)BRAIN) in twelve dyslexic children (mean age 11 years old) and a group of chronological age-matched (N = 9) and reading age-matched (N = 10) non dyslexic children. Two visual tasks were used: text reading and visual search. Independently of the task, the ocular motor behavior in dyslexic children is similar to those reported in reading age-matched non dyslexic children: many and longer fixations as well as poor quality of binocular coordination during and after the saccades. In contrast, chronological age-matched non dyslexic children showed a small number of fixations and short duration of fixations in reading task with respect to visual search task; furthermore their saccades were well yoked in both tasks. The atypical eye movement's patterns observed in dyslexic children suggest a deficiency in the visual attentional processing as well as an immaturity of the ocular motor saccade and vergence systems interaction. PMID:22438934

Emotion understanding in postinstitutionalized Eastern European children

PubMed Central

WISMER FRIES, ALISON B.; POLLAK, SETH D.

2005-01-01

To examine the effects of early emotional neglect on children’s affective development, we assessed children who had experienced institutionalized care prior to adoption into family environments. One task required children to identify photographs of facial expressions of emotion. A second task required children to match facial expressions to an emotional situation. Internationally adopted, postinstitutionalized children had difficulty identifying facial expressions of emotion. In addition, postinstitutionalized children had significant difficulty matching appropriate facial expressions to happy, sad, and fearful scenarios. However, postinstitutionalized children performed as well as comparison children when asked to identify and match angry facial expressions. These results are discussed in terms of the importance of emotional input early in life on later developmental organization. PMID:15487600

The fears, phobias and anxieties of children with autism spectrum disorders and Down syndrome: comparisons with developmentally and chronologically age matched children.

PubMed

Evans, David W; Canavera, Kristin; Kleinpeter, F Lee; Maccubbin, Elise; Taga, Ken

2005-01-01

This study compared the fears and behavior problems of 25 children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 43 children with Down syndrome (DS), 45 mental age (MA) matched children, and 37 chronologically age (CA) matched children. Children's fears, phobias, anxieties and behavioral problems were assessed using parent reports. Significant differences emerged across the diagnostic groups on a variety of fears. Children with ASD were reported to have more situation phobias and medical fears, but fewer fears of harm/injury compared to all other groups. The groups also differed in terms of the pattern of correlations between fears, phobias, anxieties and behavior problems. For children with ASD, fears, phobias and anxieties were closely related to problem behaviors, whereas fears, phobias, and anxieties were less related to behavioral symptoms for the other groups of subjects. Such findings suggest that children with ASD exhibit a distinct profile of fear and anxiety compared to other mental age and chronologically age-matched children, and these fears are related to the symptoms associated with ASD.

Reaction time, impulsivity, and attention in hyperactive children and controls: a video game technique.

PubMed

Mitchell, W G; Chavez, J M; Baker, S A; Guzman, B L; Azen, S P

1990-07-01

Maturation of sustained attention was studied in a group of 52 hyperactive elementary school children and 152 controls using a microcomputer-based test formatted to resemble a video game. In nonhyperactive children, both simple and complex reaction time decreased with age, as did variability of response time. Omission errors were extremely infrequent on simple reaction time and decreased with age on the more complex tasks. Commission errors had an inconsistent relationship with age. Hyperactive children were slower, more variable, and made more errors on all segments of the game than did controls. Both motor speed and calculated mental speed were slower in hyperactive children, with greater discrepancy for responses directed to the nondominant hand, suggesting that a selective right hemisphere deficit may be present in hyperactives. A summary score (number of individual game scores above the 95th percentile) of 4 or more detected 60% of hyperactive subjects with a false positive rate of 5%. Agreement with the Matching Familiar Figures Test was 75% in the hyperactive group.

Multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in children with an autism spectrum disorder: "weak" central coherence and its relationship to theory of mind and executive control.

PubMed

Pellicano, Elizabeth; Maybery, Murray; Durkin, Kevin; Maley, Alana

2006-01-01

This study examined the validity of "weak" central coherence (CC) in the context of multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in autism. Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and matched typically developing children were administered tasks tapping visuospatial coherence, false-belief understanding and aspects of executive control. Significant group differences were found in all three cognitive domains. Evidence of local processing on coherence tasks was widespread in the ASD group, but difficulties in attributing false beliefs and in components of executive functioning were present in fewer of the children with ASD. This cognitive profile was generally similar for younger and older children with ASD. Furthermore, weak CC was unrelated to false-belief understanding, but aspects of coherence (related to integration) were associated with aspects of executive control. Few associations were found between cognitive variables and indices of autistic symptomatology. Implications for CC theory are discussed.

Predisposing factors in childhood masturbation in Turkey.

PubMed

Unal, F

2000-05-01

The aim of this prospective, referral-based study was to assess demographical and developmental features associated with childhood masturbation in Turkey. A total of 61 children with childhood masturbation who were referred for the first time to the Department of Child Psychiatry were examined from demographical, psychosocial and medical aspects and compared with two control groups consisting of 61 age and gender matched children who were brought to the paediatric outpatient clinics and 43 children and adolescents who were the biological siblings of the study group. In children with masturbation, sleep difficulties were more frequent (P < 0.001) and breast-feeding was shorter than in controls (P < 0.05). The onset of masturbation was often associated with a genito-urinary disorder or a stressful life event like weaning, the birth of a sibling, or separation from the parents. This is the first controlled study investigating the clinical and the developmental features of childhood masturbation. These findings may help identify children who could be at risk for this condition.

Specific and Non-specific Clinical Presentations in the Year Before the Diagnosis of Childhood Leukaemia.

PubMed

Yang, TienYu Owen; Liu, Yen-Lin; Huang, Wan-Ting; Chen, Mei-Huei; Chen, Pau-Chung

2016-08-01

Clinical presentations of childhood leukaemia have been reported in case-only studies. The timing when these presentations start to occur prior to diagnosis is less clear. In this nested case-control study, 1,025 and 334 children with lymphoid and myeloid leukaemia, respectively, were matched (1:30) to population-based controls by sex, region and year of birth. An index date was assigned for each control when the matched case was diagnosed. Healthcare access records of cases and controls in the year before the index date were extracted. Children with lymphoid leukaemia started to visit doctors more often at least 2 months before leukaemia diagnosis (P < 0.05). Various presentations were recorded in these visits: rates of haematological presentations, musculoskeletal presentations, and injuries started to increase significantly at least 3 months before diagnosis; rates of respiratory, gastrointestinal and urinary tract presentations did not increase significantly until the last month. The findings for myeloid lymphoma were less clear, but children appeared to visit doctors more often at least 4 months before diagnosis, and the rate of haematological presentations also started to increase at least 4 months before leukaemia diagnosis. Although haematological presentations were most strongly associated with undiagnosed leukaemia (odds ratio > 290 in the last month), the majority (>96%) of children with haematological presentations did not have leukaemia if they had not been diagnosed in their first visit. We described a clinical picture in the year before leukaemia diagnosis. These findings revealed ongoing difficulties in early diagnosis of childhood leukaemia in healthcare settings. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.