Links between abnormal brain structure and cognition in holoprosencephaly
Child; Female; Humans; Male; Age Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Cognition; Sex Factors; Predictive Value of Tests; adolescent; Preschool; infant; Q3 Literature Search; Neuropsychological Tests; Brain/abnormalities; Cognition Disorders/pathology; Corpus Striatum/abnormalities; Epilepsy/pathology; Holoprosencephaly/pathology; Hypothalamus/abnormalities; Motor Skills Disorders/pathology; Thalamic Nuclei/abnormalities
Converging information on medical issues, motor ability, and cognitive outcomes is essential when addressing long-term clinical management in children with holoprosencephaly. This study considered whether adding more informative structural indices to classic holoprosencephaly categories would increase prediction of cognitive outcomes. Forty-two children with holoprosencephaly were examined to determine the association of deep gray nuclei abnormalities with cognitive abilities and the effect of motor skill deficits on cognitive performance. Additionally, a cognitive profile was described using the Carter Neurocognitive Assessment, an experimental diagnostic instrument designed specifically for young children with severe neurodevelopmental dysfunction. Findings indicated that nonseparation of the deep gray nuclei was significantly associated with the cognitive construct of vocal communication, but not with the cognitive constructs of social awareness, visual attention, or auditory comprehension. Importantly, motor skill deficits did not significantly affect performance on the Carter Neurocognitive Assessment. This study is the first investigation to provide a descriptive overview of specific cognitive skills in this group of children. The results also strongly suggest that this feature of the brain's structure does not predict all aspects of neurodevelopmental function. These findings contribute a critical component to the growing body of knowledge regarding the medical and clinical outcomes of children with holoprosencephaly.
2006
Roesler CP; Paterson SJ; Flax J; Hahn JS; Kovar C; Stashinko EE; Jing H; Benasich AA
Pediatric Neurology
2006
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2006.07.004" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2006.07.004</a>
The Carter Neurocognitive Assessment for children with severely compromised expressive language and motor skills
Child; Female; Humans; Male; Severity of Illness Index; Observer Variation; Preschool; infant; Children W/SNI; Social Perception; Neuropsychological Tests; Brain/physiopathology; Attention; Cognition Disorders/diagnosis/epidemiology/physiopathology; Functional Laterality/physiology; Language Disorders/diagnosis/epidemiology; Motor Skills Disorders/diagnosis/epidemiology; Visual Perception
In this paper, different means of assessing cognitive development in children with severe impairments in both their expressive language and their motor skills are reviewed. A range of techniques are considered, including traditional cognitive tests and behavioral and physiological measures, but these techniques are generally impractical and minimally informative when it comes to assessing children with both motor and speech impairments. Electrophysiological measures show some promise for the future, but are currently inadequate for wide-ranging cognitive assessment. Development of the Carter Neurocognitive Assessment (CNA) is described. The CNA is appropriate for use in clinical and research settings and was designed to minimalize the impact of severely impaired motor skills and expressive language on performance. The CNA is intended to itemize and quantify a range of skills reflecting a cognitive level up to approximately 18 to 24 months in four areas: Social Awareness, Visual Attention, Auditory Comprehension and Vocal Communication. The use of the CNA to assess the performance and developmental growth of eight children with Holoprosencephaly (HPE), a midline developmental brain malformation, is described. The CNA is a useful tool for the assessment of children with severely compromised motor and verbal skills and has provided a more positive view of the cognitive potential of children with severe handicaps, such as the sample of children with HPE, than that presented in the past.
2005
Leevers HJ; Roesler CP; Flax J; Benasich AA
Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry, And Allied Disciplines
2005
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00354.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00354.x</a>