Effects of Cumulative Head Impact Exposure in Adolescent Male Contact and Collision Sport Student Athletes.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the association between head impact exposure (HIE) and neuropsychological sequelae in high school football and ice hockey players over 1 year. SETTING: Community sample. PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of 52 adolescent American football and ice hockey players were enrolled in the study, with a final study sample of 35 included in analyses. DESIGN: The study followed a prospective cohort design, with participants undergoing neuropsychological screening and accelerometer-based measurement of HIE over 1 season. MAIN MEASURES: Changes in cognition, emotions, behavior, and reported symptoms were assessed using standardized neuropsychological tests and self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS: Cumulative HIE was not consistently associated with changes in cognition, emotions, behavior, or reported symptoms. However, it was linked to an isolated measure of processing speed, showing inconsistent results based on the type of HIE. History of previous concussion was associated with worsened verbal memory recognition (ImPACT Verbal Memory) but not on a more robust measure of verbal memory (California Verbal Learning Test [CVLT]). Reported attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder history predicted improved neurocognitive change scores. No associations were found between reported history of anxiety/depression or headaches/migraines and neuropsychological change scores. CONCLUSION: Overall, our findings do not support the hypothesis that greater HIE is associated with an increase in neuropsychological sequelae over time in adolescent football and ice hockey players. The results align with the existing literature, indicating that HIE over 1 season of youth sports is not consistently associated with significant neuropsychological changes. However, the study is limited by a small sample size, attrition over time, and the absence of performance validity testing for neurocognitive measures. Future studies with larger and more diverse samples, longer follow-up, and integration of advanced imaging and biomarkers are needed to comprehensively understand the relationship between HIE and neurobehavioral outcomes. Findings can inform guidelines for safe youth participation in contact sports while promoting the associated health and psychosocial benefits.

Behavior Intervention Response Team: Piloting an Effective Means to Manage Patient- and Family-Disruptive Behaviors.

GOAL: This article describes the development and implementation of a behavior intervention response team (BIRT). Pilot data indicate the successful implementation of BIRT interventions with patients and families and the positive staff response to these interventions. METHODS: Patient- and family-disruptive behaviors are increasing in hospitals. Those behaviors arise from stress, financial burdens, and the mental weight of the patient's medical condition on the family. These distressed patients and their families tax an already overwhelmed staff, exacerbating the caregivers' exhaustion, depersonalization, and frustration. We recognized the need to proactively address these disruptions at our children's hospital with an interdisciplinary response. Disciplines engaged in the BIRT development included risk management, behavioral health, child life, service excellence, patient and family services, social work, and chaplaincy. Following multiple brainstorming sessions, we created a comprehensive, clear intervention strategy to engage with a disruptive patient or family. The BIRT was developed to work with both the family and their medical team to intervene at the first signs of potential disruption. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: With the BIRT, we were able to reduce disruptive behaviors and limit the subsequent removal of problematic individuals from the facility. Of the families who worked with the BIRT, 75.8% required no postintervention follow-up. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The development of a BIRT can help head off disruptive behaviors and improve family-medical team relationships to support the highest quality and safest healthcare.

Age-related differences in prevalence of autism spectrum disorder symptoms in children and adolescents with Costello syndrome.

Dysregulation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in Costello syndrome (CS) may contribute to increased risk for autism-spectrum disorder (ASD). We examined prevalence of ASD symptoms in 14 individuals (six females) age 1-18 years with molecularly confirmed CS. Caregivers completed the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) for ages 0-4 years (n = 7), and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) for ages 4 and older (n = 7). Age was associated with meeting ASD criteria: 5/7 (71.4%) younger children met the ASD cut-off on the MCHAT, compared to 0/7 older children on the SCQ. The following medical and developmental factors were strongly associated with ASD criteria on the M-CHAT: having a gastrostomy tube at time of assessment, not eating solid food, not walking, and not being toilet trained. Two children who met stricter ASD criteria had significantly lower adaptive functioning and were physically much more impaired. Among older participants, SCQ subscale scores in communication, socialization, and repetitive behavior domains were comparable to the typically-developing normative sample. ASD symptoms were highly elevated in younger CS individuals. Older children did not differ from typically developing samples in prevalence of ASD symptoms. CS individuals may appear to fall on the autism spectrum in early childhood due to severe feeding and orthopedic problems that improve by age four, suggesting many of these children may eventually emerge out of an ASD presentation.

Verbal memory functioning in adolescents and young adults with Costello syndrome: evidence for relative preservation in recognition memory.

Costello syndrome (CS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by germline mutations in the HRAS proto-oncogene which belongs to the family of syndromes called rasopathies. HRAS plays a key role in synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory formation. Prior research has found impaired recall memory in CS despite enhancement in LTP that would predict memory preservation. Based on findings in other rasopathies, we hypothesized that the memory deficit in CS would be specific to recall, and that recognition memory would show relative preservation. Memory was tested using word-list learning and story memory tasks with both recall and recognition trials, a design that allowed us to examine these processes separately. Participants were 11 adolescents and young adults with molecularly confirmed CS, all of whom fell in the mild to moderate range of intellectual disability. Results indicated a clear dissociation between verbal recall, which was impaired (M = 69 ± 14), and recognition memory, which was relatively intact (M = 86 ± 14). Story recognition was highly correlated with listening comprehension (r = 0.986), which also fell in the low-average range (M = 80 ± 12.9). Performance on other measures of linguistic ability and academic skills was impaired. The findings suggest relatively preserved recognition memory that also provides some support for verbal comprehension. This is the first report of relatively normal performance in a cognitive domain in CS. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms by which altered RAS-MAPK signaling affects neuronal plasticity and memory processes in the brain.

Developmental assessment of infants with biliary atresia: differences between boys and girls.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether male and female infants with biliary atresia (BA) differ cognitively and to confirm previously documented developmental lags in infants with BA before liver transplantation. METHODS: With the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, we examined 21 female and 12 male infants (ages 3-20 months) with BA, comparing scores across indices by sex and correlating Mullen Scales of Early Learning scores with standard clinical and biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Overall, both boys and girls were found to be vulnerable to developmental lags in the areas of expressive language (EL) and gross motor skills. In comparison with their male peers, girls were found to be weaker in the area of visual reception skills (P=0.05) with a trend found for EL (P=0.08). Girls were also found to have higher C-bilirubin levels and to be of shorter length. Growth parameters were found to be correlated with EL scores. International normalized ratio was found to be correlated with gross motor performance and with a trend also noted for fine motor skills. Age at Kasai predicted receptive language skills. CONCLUSIONS: As has been shown, infants with BA appear to be vulnerable to developmental lags before transplantation. In particular, female infants appear to be vulnerable to cognitive and skill delays in comparison with their male peers. C-bilirubin levels may play a role in this increased vulnerability for females.

Implementation of telehealth during COVID-19: Implications for providing behavioral health services to pediatric patients.

The coronavirus pandemic and in-person contact restrictions necessitated rapid implementation of telehealth, specifically videoconferencing, to provide essential care to patients. This study surveyed 25 pediatric behavioral health providers at a single center during their first month of utilizing telehealth during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Twenty-one participants completed a pre-questionnaire distributed prior to telehealth service delivery, and 23 providers completed a post-questionnaire approximately three weeks later. Results indicate the majority of behavioral health providers had no experience providing telehealth services prior to COVID-19. The majority of participating behavioral health providers utilized telehealth to provide pediatric patient care within the first month of access to telehealth. Participants' confidence in their ability to provide telehealth services significantly increased within the first month of implementation, regardless of previous training in telehealth. This study identified differences between anticipated and actual barriers to treatment, with technological issues identified as the largest actual barrier to service delivery. Participants indicated a preference for in-person service delivery, which they reported allows for better rapport-building, behavioral observations, reduced technological barriers, and fewer distractions. However, most participants reported they intend to continue utilizing telehealth for certain types of behavioral health services (e.g., diagnostic interviews and outpatient therapy) after the pandemic has subsided.

Assessing Preseason Baseline Cognitive Functioning in High School Student Athletes: A "Hybrid" Approach.

OBJECTIVE: International consensus statements highlight the value of neuropsychological testing for sport-related concussion. Computerized measures are the most frequently administered assessments of pre-injury baseline and post-injury cognitive functioning, despite known measurement limitations. To our knowledge, no studies have explored the convergent validity of computerized Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) and traditional, well-validated paper and pencil (P&P) neuropsychological tests in high school student athletes. This study aimed to assess a "hybrid" adolescent test battery composed of ImPACT and P&P measures to determine the extent of shared variance among ImPACT and P&P tests to inform comprehensive yet streamlined assessment. METHOD: Participants included male and female high school student athletes in the Southeastern United States participating in American football, hockey, and soccer who completed a battery of ImPACT and P&P tests (N = 69). RESULTS: We performed principal component analysis with ProMax rotation to determine components of the hybrid battery that maximally accounted for observed variance of the data (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin factor adequacy = 0.71). Our analysis revealed four independent factors (Verbal Learning and Memory, ImPACT Memory and Speed, Verbal Processing Speed/Executive Functions, and Nonverbal Processing Speed/Executive Functions) explaining 75% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study in adolescent student athletes support those from the adult literature demonstrating the independence of ImPACT and P&P tests. Providers should be aware of limitations in using standalone ImPACT or P&P measures to evaluate cognitive functioning after concussion. If confirmed in a larger, clinical sample, our findings suggest that a hybrid battery of computerized and P&P measures provides a broad scope of adolescent cognitive functioning to better inform recovery decisions, including return to play after concussion.

Neurocognitive, adaptive, and behavioral functioning of individuals with Costello syndrome: a review.

Costello syndrome is a rare rasopathy resulting from germline mutations of the proto-oncogene HRAS. Its phenotype includes severe failure-to-thrive, cardiac abnormalities, a predisposition to benign and malignant tumors, hypotonia, and developmental delay. Costello syndrome is associated with cognitive impairment, including intellectual functioning generally in the mild to moderate range of disability, commensurate adaptive functioning, and increased anxiety. Relative strengths have been found for nonverbal fluid reasoning (FR). Gender effects have been reported, with females showing better adaptive functioning across domains. Developmentally, nonverbal skills plateau in late childhood/early adolescence, whereas the rate of vocabulary acquisition may increase in adolescence into early adulthood. Here we review the literature assessing cognitive, adaptive, and behavioral functioning in Costello syndrome, and we provide data from an ongoing longitudinal study. Severity of cognitive impairment may depend upon the specific HRAS mutation, as three individuals with the p.G13C change showed average nonverbal FR skills and borderline-to-low average overall nonverbal IQ. Further, separation anxiety is more common in Costello syndrome than in the general population, affecting 39% of this cohort, and males are more often overly anxious than females. Interrelations between anxiety and cognitive and adaptive functioning were found, pointing to functional difficulties as a likely source of stress and anxiety. Taking into account data from animal models, cognitive and behavioral changes likely originate from abnormal differentiation of neuronal precursor cells, which result in structural and functional brain differences.

Language and motor skills are impaired in infants with biliary atresia before transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that in very young patients with biliary atresia, cognitive deficits are apparent before transplantation. STUDY DESIGN: With the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (Mullen), we examined 15 infants (mean age, 7.8 months) with biliary atresia, correlating Mullen scores with standard clinical and biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Overall, participants displayed significant delays in gross motor and language skills, and fine motor and visual reasoning skills were relatively preserved. The international normalized ratio correlated inversely with gross (P < .01) and fine (P < .05) motor skills. Growth parameters correlated positively with expressive language ability, but length of hospitalization and mode of feeding did not. Age at performance of the Kasai procedure was found to correlate with receptive language performance (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Very young children with biliary atresia display a characteristic profile of early developmental deficits before transplantation. These findings suggest that early intervention and aggressive nutritional management should be the standard of care to minimize neurocognitive effects.

Pediatric Teleneuropsychology: Feasibility and Recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: Teleneuropsychology (TeleNP) is a growing and promising practice within the telemedicine landscape that has been well established within the adult neuropsychology literature. This project aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of TeleNP in a pediatric clinical population and disseminate clinical decision-making procedures to guide best practices for pediatric TeleNP. METHOD: This project conducted during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic reflects the largest clinical cohort to date of TeleNP in a pediatric population (N = 129). Data were gathered retrospectively from patients who were rescheduled from in-person assessment to TeleNP between March to June 2020. RESULTS: TeleNP was an accessible option for most patients and families, with no differences in demographic variables in patient appointment attendance, whether testing was conducted, and whether the patient was referred for face-to-face follow-up. Patients using laptops/desktops were more likely to undergo remote test administration in comparison with patients using phones/tablets (χ2 = 23.83, p < .002). Sixty-three percent of the sample were referred for a face-to-face follow-up assessment. CONCLUSIONS: TeleNP is feasible in a pediatric clinical population ranging to begin the process of differential diagnosis and treatment planning. Pediatric TeleNP may be most efficacious as a screening procedure due to limited measures suited for remote administration and behavioral challenges interfering with testing requiring in-person follow-up. TeleNP screening as standard practice for patients who do not require a full, traditional neuropsychological battery may provide a more efficient care model, with more patients able to be seen using shorter batteries with less wait time.

Neurocognitive functioning of a child with partial trisomy 6 and monosomy 21.

This case study describes the neurocognitive presentation of a child with identified genetic abnormalities of trisomy 6 and monosomy 21 who was evaluated as part of a standard medical protocol for cochlear implantation following diagnosis of profound sensorineural hearing loss. This child received neurocognitive testing prior to cochlear implantation and approximately 12 months post-activation of his cochlear implant. While he has not fully developed oral language, his presentation suggested improvement in overall skills since the activation of the cochlear implant; however, less than would be expected for a typically developing child.

Nonverbal cognitive development in children with cochlear implants: relationship between the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and later performance on the Leiter International Performance Scales-Revised.

Methodologically, longitudinal assessment of cognitive development in young children has proven difficult because few measures span infancy through school age. This matter is further complicated when the child presents with a sensory deficit such as hearing loss. Few measures are validated in this population, and children who are evaluated for cochlear implantation are often reevaluated annually. The authors sought to evaluate the predictive validity of subscales of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) on Leiter International Performance Scales-Revised (LIPS-R) Full-Scale IQ scores. To further elucidate the relationship of these two measures, comparisons were also made with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-Second Edition (VABS), which provides a measure of adaptive functioning across the life span. Participants included 35 children (14 female, 21 male) who were evaluated both as part of the precandidacy process for cochlear implantation using the MSEL and VABS and following implantation with the LIPS-R and VABS. Hierarchical linear regression revealed that the MSEL Visual Reception subdomain score significantly predicted 52% of the variance in LIPS-R Full-Scale IQ scores at follow-up, F(1, 34) = 35.80, p < .0001, R (2) = .52, ß = .72. This result suggests that the Visual Reception subscale offers predictive validity of later LIPS-R Full-Scale IQ scores. The VABS was also significantly correlated with cognitive variables at each time point.

Vaginal microbicide preferences among midwestern urban adolescent women.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess adolescent women's preferences for specific microbicide characteristics including pregnancy prevention, timing of application, potential for side effects, and whether it targeted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or other sexually transmitted infections (STI). Potential differences in microbicide preferences by adolescent age group and behavioral patterns including engaging in sexual intercourse and use of hormonal contraception were examined, as it was hypothesized that as adolescents progress into adulthood and gain sexual experience their preferences in microbicide characteristics may shift. METHOD: Adolescent and young women (N = 405, 56.0% African American; 24.0% Euro-American) between the ages of 14 and 20 (mean = 17.0, SD = 1.8) were recruited from urban community-based clinics. Video-Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviews were conducted with the young women, during which they were asked about their preferences regarding the characteristics of hypothetical vaginal microbicides. Conjoint analysis was utilized to determine adolescent women's relative preferences for each microbicide characteristic and intent-to-purchase microbicides based upon a combination of the selected properties. RESULTS: Overall, the results suggest adolescent and young women had an ordered preference for a microbicide with (1) no side effects, (2) pregnancy prevention, (3) postcoital application, and (4) protection against HIV. Age and behavioral group conjoint analyses resulted in the same pattern of preferences as those reported for the entire group. However, women having sex and not using hormonal contraception had a stronger preference for postcoital application. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that young women's ratings of microbicides were sensitive to characteristics such as side effects, pregnancy prevention, and timing of application and should be considered in microbicide development. The conjoint analysis approach is useful in understanding microbicide preferences, and should be utilized with other populations to assess preferences for specific microbicide characteristics.

Teachers' ratings of the academic performance of children with epilepsy.

The present study examined how knowledge of a child's seizure condition is related to teachers' assessment of the child's academic ability. Children with epilepsy were divided into two groups based on teachers' awareness of the children's seizure condition (Label). The children's achievement was assessed using the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement-Revised (WJ-R), and the teacher's ratings were obtained from the Child Behavior Checklist Teacher Report Form (TRF) (Source). A 2 (Source) x 2 (Label) mixed-design analysis of covariance (controlling for IQ and how well the teacher knew the child) revealed a significant interaction, F(1,121)=4.22, P=0.04. For the WJ-R there was no effect of Label on Achievement, but on the TRF lower scores were observed for children who were labeled. These results support the hypothesis that some teachers might underestimate the academic abilities of children with epilepsy.