Reading and language profiles among children with epilepsy.

This study evaluated the profile of language and reading skills among children with epilepsy. We utilized a sample of children from an epilepsy database who were administered a measure of reading comprehension, excluding those whose intellectual skills were in the impaired range (N=147; age range 4-20 years, 52 % female). Additional measures that were considered within the sample included broad language skills, pre-reading skills (phonological processing, rapid naming, decoding), and basic reading skills (sight word reading, reading fluency). We further considered associations between these skills and seizure characteristics (age of onset, number of anti-seizure medications, seizure type, seizure frequency, and localization). We found that our sample performed significantly lower on all language and reading skills, on average, than normative expectations. Within our sample, relative strengths were noted in broad language skills, and relative weaknesses were found in phonological processing, rapid naming, reading fluency, word reading, and reading comprehension. We further identified a subgroup of our sample (31 %) who were characterized as struggling in reading comprehension (performing one standard deviation below the normative mean); these children exhibited a profile more consistent with non-epilepsy samples with reading disabilities/ dyslexia. Seizure variables that were associated with language and reading skills included age of onset, number of anti-seizure medications, seizure frequency, and having generalized (versus focal) seizures. These results have important implications for the identification and treatment of reading problems in children with epilepsy.

Cognitive, Social, and Emotional-Behavioral Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome.

Although Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome spectrum (BWSp) is not usually associated with intellectual disability, recent evidences calls for further investigation of cognitive development and academic skills in children with BWSp. Moreover, research has documented social difficulties and emotional-behavioral problems associated with BWSp. Nevertheless, a full characterization of socio-emotional development in BWSp is still lacking. In the current study, cognitive and socio-emotional development was assessed in 29 children with BWSp aged 5-18 years, using a test of nonverbal intelligence, a neuropsychological battery covering multiple domains, academic skills tests, and questionnaires evaluating autistic traits and emotional-behavioral problems. As expected, most participants showed adequate performance in cognitive tests. However, the findings also highlighted greater difficulties in language than visuospatial processing, strengths in social perception, as well as slowness in reading and mental calculation. The assessment of emotional-behavioral difficulties indicated a prevalent phenotype characterized by increased anxiety, low self-esteem, social withdrawal and a tendency to control externalizing reactions, but no associations with autistic traits, cognitive outcomes, and the clinical score proposed by the recent Consensus statement. Increased social perception and internalization problems likely result from coping strategies with social and care-related stress. Overall, the findings of this study inform clinical management and genetic counseling for children and adolescents with BWSp.

The predictive validity of the strange situation procedure: Evidence from registered analyses of two landmark longitudinal studies.

Meta-analyses demonstrate that the quality of early attachment is modestly associated with peer social competence (r = .19) and externalizing behavior (r = -.15), but weakly associated with internalizing symptoms (r = -.07) across early development (Groh et al., Child Development Perspectives, 11(1), 70-76, 2017). Nonetheless, these reviews suffer from limitations that undermine confidence in reported estimates, including evidence for publication bias and the lack of comprehensive assessments of outcome measures from longitudinal studies in the literature. Moreover, theoretical claims regarding the specificity of the predictive significance of early attachment variation for socioemotional versus academic outcomes had not been evaluated when the analyses for this report were registered (but see Dagan et al., Child Development, 1-20, 2023; Deneault et al., Developmental Review, 70, 101093, 2023). To address these limitations, we conducted a set of registered analyses to evaluate the predictive validity of infant attachment in two landmark studies of the Strange Situation: the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA) and the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD). Across-time composite assessments reflecting teacher report, mother report, and self-reports of each outcome measure were created. Bivariate associations between infant attachment security and socioemotional outcomes in the MLSRA were comparable to, or slightly weaker than, those reported in the recent meta-analyses, whereas those in the SECCYD were weaker for these outcomes. Controlling for four demographic covariates, partial correlation coefficients between infant attachment and all socioemotional outcomes were r ≤ .10 to .15 in both samples. Compositing Strange Situations at ages 12 and 18 months did not substantively alter the predictive validity of the measure in the MLSRA, though a composite measure of three different early attachment measures in the SECCYD did increase predictive validity coefficients. Associations between infant attachment security and academic skills were unexpectedly comparable to (SECCYD) or larger than (MLSRA) those observed with respect to socioemotional outcomes.

Associations between physical activity, screen time, sleep time and selected academic skills in 8/9-year-old children.

BACKGROUND: High levels of physical activity (PA), low levels of screen time, combined with sufficient sleep time, provide better health benefits. However, few studies have examined the association of these behaviours with academic skills. Therefore, this study aims to determine how PA, screen time, and sleep time are related to selected academic skills of 8/9-year-old children while examining compliance with the guidelines on PA, sedentary behaviour, and sleep among this population group. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 114 primary school children (50% girls) aged 8-9years old from 2nd grade. The levels of PA, screen time, and sleep were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. The selected academic skills (based on reading and writing) were assessed by a battery of methods designed to diagnose the causes of school failure in students aged 7-9. Non-linear regression was applied to build multivariate models aimed at finding the most significant predictors for the selected academic skills separately. RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent of children met the sleep guidelines, 22% met the screen time guidelines, and only 8% met PA guidelines. In terms of screen time, boys spent more time playing games than girls (p = .008). Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was associated with higher/better scores of the visual-auditory integration (B = -0.07, p = .040). Not meeting the sleep guidelines was associated with lower scores in visual-auditory integration among children (B = 0.12, p = .042). Children who did not meet the screen time guidelines had lower scores in perceptual-motor integration (B = -0.09, p = .040). CONCLUSIONS: Participating in PA, limiting screen time and sufficient sleep time may benefit/support academic skills in children.

The effects of motor skill and physical activity interventions on preschoolers' cognitive and academic skills: A systematic review.

The present systematic review aimed to investigate the methodological quality and the effects of fundamental motor skills and physical activity interventions on cognitive and academic skills in typically developing 3 to 7-year-old children. The review was conducted and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A literature search was carried out in April 2020 using seven electronic databases. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed with the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) Quality Assessment Tool. Cohen's d effect size calculations and post hoc power analyses were conducted for the included studies. A total of 35 studies, representing 2472 children met the inclusion criteria. Two of the studies demonstrated a strong methodological quality, while 24 were considered as methodologically weak. The majority (71%) of the included studies demonstrated the beneficial effects of the intervention on cognitive and academic skills. The most evidence was found for executive functions, language, and numeracy, and the effects were largest in enhancing memory. The effects were larger on cognitive and academic skills in the combined interventions compared to only fundamental motor skill and physical activity interventions, while fundamental motor skill interventions had larger effects than physical activity interventions. These findings indicate that it may be possible to support typically developing preschoolers' cognitive and academic learning with fundamental motor skill and physical activity interventions. However, most of the studies in this field have a weak methodological quality and thus, the presented evidence was considered weak in nature.

The unique relevance of executive functions and self-regulation behaviors for understanding early childhood experiences and preschoolers' outcomes in rural Pakistan.

Performance-based measures of children's executive functions (EFs) do not capture children's application of these skills during everyday emotionally-laden and socially-mediated interactions. The current study demonstrates the value of using assessor report of self-regulation behaviors (inhibitory control and positive affect/engagement) in addition to EF tasks when studying early childhood experiences and development in a rural lower-middle-income country setting. In a sample of 1302 disadvantaged 4-year-olds living in rural Pakistan, we found that directly assessed EFs were significantly related to assessor observations of children's inhibitory control and positive affect/engagement during a structured assessment protocol. However, EFs and two types of self-regulation behaviors demonstrated unique associations with children's (1) contextual experiences, as indexed by family socio-economic resources, participation in parenting interventions, and children's physical growth; and (2) age-salient developmental outcomes, as indexed by direct assessment of pre-academic skills and maternal report of prosocial behaviors and behavior problems. First, family wealth uniquely predicted only observed positive affect/engagement, whereas maternal education uniquely predicted only EFs. Second, children's antecedent linear growth was a significant predictor of both EFs and positive affect/engagement, but exposure to an enhanced nutrition intervention during the first 2 years of life and preschoolers' hair cortisol concentration were associated only with observed self-regulation behaviors. Finally, both EFs and observed positive affect/engagement uniquely predicted children's pre-academic skills. In contrast, only assessors' ratings of positive affect/engagement uniquely predicted maternal report of prosocial behaviors and only assessors' ratings of inhibitory control uniquely predicted maternal report of behavioral problems.

Predictability of dental students' performance in clinical courses based on their performance in pre-clinical and academic courses.

OBJECTIVES: Some dental schools depend on the students' academic performance for admission purposes. This research aimed at investigating the correlations between dental students' performance in specific academic courses and their pre-clinical and clinical counterparts and the correlations between students' performance in the pre-clinical practical courses and the clinical courses. METHODS: Academic and practical pre-clinical and clinical grades were retrieved for 811 students who graduated from the School of Dentistry, the University of Jordan, between 2016 and 2018. Ten courses (five academic and five practical) were selected. Pearson's rho test was used to calculate the correlations between the courses. RESULTS: Statistically significant weak-to-moderate positive correlations were found between each academic course and its pre-clinical or clinical counterparts and between pre-clinical and clinical courses. A statistically significant positive moderate correlation (p < .001) was found between students' performance in fourth and fifth year restorative clinics. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the academic performance could partially predict the practical performance in both the pre-clinical and clinical courses and that the clinical performance could partially be predicted from the pre-clinical practical performance. Moreover, students who can successfully perform the required clinical procedures in fourth year will successfully perform the required clinical procedures in fifth year. However, other confounding factors should be taken into consideration such as manual dexterity and artistic skills even though their intellectual abilities are average.

Teaching Science Facts to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders via Telehealth.

The interruption in the education of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) during the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated telehealth services offered both to the individuals and their parents. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of the simultaneous prompting procedure and observational learning in teaching science facts to middle-school students with ASD by using multiple probe designs with probe trials via telehealth. The researchers also conducted follow-up and novel adult probe sessions to assess the effects of simultaneous prompting procedure and observational learning along with the opinions of students and their mothers in terms of social validity. Results indicated that students acquired the target science facts and observational learning skills, maintained them over time, and generalized them across different people. The implication of the findings and directions for future research was additionally discussed.

Using a multidimensional model of attention to predict low-income preschoolers' early academic skills across time.

The current study examines the organization of attention skills across the preschool year before kindergarten, and tests how distinct attention subcomponents predict early academic skills in a sample of low-income children (n = 99). Children completed well-validated attention tasks in fall at 4.5 years old and spring at 5 years old, capturing the abilities to selectively focus, sustain attention, and employ executive control. Exploratory factor analyses at both time points support a 2-factor model differentiating selective and sustained attention from attention processing speed and executive attention, suggesting that attention in low-income preschoolers may have a simpler organization than the 3-factor structure found in adulthood. Multiple regression models find children's ability to selectively focus and sustain attention serves as a robust concurrent and longitudinal predictor of academic skills. These results highlight the role of selective and sustained attention processes in supporting school readiness for economically vulnerable children.

Early Antecedents of School Burnout in Upper Secondary Education: A Five-year Longitudinal Study.

School burnout symptoms are prevalent among upper secondary education students, but thus far, very little is known about the background of these symptoms. The present study examined the extent to which school burnout symptoms (i.e., exhaustion and cynicism) among upper secondary education students have their roots in primary and lower secondary school and whether early antecedents of school burnout symptoms could be identified. The sample consisted of 1544 Finnish students followed up four times (Time1-Time 4) from the end of primary school (T1; mean age 12.74 and range 11.71-14.20) to the first year of upper secondary education (T4; mean age 16.66 and range 15.55-18.39). The results of latent growth curve modeling showed that school burnout symptoms in upper secondary education were predicted by the level of school burnout symptoms at the end of primary school and by an increase in these symptoms across the transition from primary school through lower secondary school. In addition, psychological well-being, academic skills, and gender were found to contribute to the prediction of school burnout symptoms. Overall, the present study suggest that potential warning signs of school burnout should not be ignored and attention should be directed to earlier education phases.

The role of executive function and social-emotional skills in the development of literacy and numeracy during preschool: a cross-lagged longitudinal study.

The majority of evidence on the interplay between academic and non-academic skills comes from high-income countries. The aim of this study was to examine the bidirectional associations between Ghanaian children's executive function, social-emotional, literacy, and numeracy skills longitudinally. Children (N = 3,862; M age = 5.2 years at time 1) were assessed using direct assessment at three time points over the course of two school years. Controlling for earlier levels of the same skill, early executive function predicted higher subsequent literacy and numeracy skills, and early literacy and numeracy skills predicted higher subsequent executive function, indicating that the development of executive function and academic skills is inter-related and complementary over time. Early literacy and numeracy predicted subsequent social-emotional skills, but early social-emotional skills did not predict subsequent literacy and numeracy skills. The findings provide longitudinal evidence on children's learning and development in West Africa and contribute to a global understanding of the relations between various developmental skills over time.

Development and assessment of an academic performance enrichment program for low-performing, first-year pharmacy students.

Pharmacy school applications have steadily declined over the past several years. Thus pharmacy schools are not only searching for effective means to increase enrollment of qualified candidates, but are also focusing on the development of programs to improve academic performance and retention of enrolled students. To address the needs of struggling first-year pharmacy students enrolled in an Integrated Biological Sciences (BSI) course, an academic performance enrichment program (APEP) was developed. The program was designed to improve academic success by engaging low-performing students with the aims of improving their time management skills, study skills, metacognition, and understanding of BSI course material. The APEP consisted of structured tutoring sessions twice per week, which were required for all students with a course grade ≤73.5% at any point during the semester. To assess program effectiveness, performance improvement on BSI exams by the APEP students were compared with that of non-APEP students in the same class and to those in the previous 3 yr. Student perceptions of the program were also evaluated via an online survey. The APEP was deemed effective in that a greater percentage of students were able to improve their exam scores and to a greater extent by attending the APEP sessions compared with non-APEP students in the same class and with low-performing students in previous years when the APEP did not exist. Furthermore, APEP students believed the program was effective in meeting its aims. In conclusion, the APEP was effective in improving academic performance of low-performing students in BSI.

Executive functioning, academic skills, and quality of life in pediatric patients with brain tumors post-proton radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy (RT) is integral in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors; however, photon RT (XRT) often results in intellectual decline, executive functioning (EF) deficits, academic underachievement/failure, and lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Proton RT (PRT) provides more targeted therapy, minimizing damage to the developing brain, yet few studies have examined its neuropsychological effects. This study investigated the role of EF in academic skills and HRQoL in a sample of children treated with PRT. A mediation model was proposed in which academic skills mediated relations between aspects of EF and school-based HRQoL (sHRQoL). Sixty-five children (x̅age = 12.4; 43.9% male) treated with PRT completed follow-up neuropsychological testing as part of routine care. Measures included assessment of intellectual functioning, EF, attention, and academic skills (reading, math, spelling). Parents reported on children's EF and attention problems. sHRQoL was assessed via child self-report. Children who underwent PRT demonstrated relatively intact intelligence, academics, attention, EF, and sHRQoL, but were at risk for reduced processing speed. Poorer working memory and processing speed were related to lower sHRQoL. Better EF and faster processing speed were associated with better academic skills, which were linked to higher sHRQoL. Better working memory was associated with better math performance, which was linked to higher sHRQoL; this relationship did not hold for reading or spelling. Results highlight the importance of EF skills in academic performance and sHRQoL, and the need for routine screening of EF deficits and proactive supports. Supports may include cognitive rehabilitation and in-class accommodations. Overall, results compare favorably to XRT outcomes reported in the literature.

Development of a web-based tool for undergraduate engagement in medical research; the ProjectPal experience.

BACKGROUND: We report the development and evaluation of a web-based tool designed to facilitate student extra-curricular engagement in medical research through project matching students with academic supervisors. UK based university students were surveyed to explore their perceptions of undergraduate research, barriers and facilitators to current engagement. Following this, an online web-based intervention ( www.ProjectPal.org ) was developed to support access of students to research projects and supervisors. A pilot intervention was undertaken across a London-based university in January 2013 to February 2016. In March 2016, anonymised data were extracted from the prospective data log for analysis of website engagement and usage. Supervisors were surveyed to evaluate the website and student outputs. RESULTS: Fifty-one students responded to the electronic survey. Twenty-four (47%) reported frustration at a perceived lack of opportunities to carry out extra-curricular academic projects. Major barriers to engaging in undergraduate research reported were difficulties in identifying suitable supervisors (33/51; 65%) and time pressures (36/51; 71%) associated with this. Students reported being opportunistic in their engagement with undergraduate research. Following implementation of the website, 438 students signed up to ProjectPal and the website was accessed 1357 times. Access increased on a yearly basis. Overall, 70 projects were advertised by 35 supervisors. There were 86 applications made by students for these projects. By February 2016, the 70 projects had generated 5 peer-review publications with a further 7 manuscripts under peer-review, 14 national presentations, and 1 national prize. CONCLUSION: The use of an online platform to promote undergraduate engagement with extra-curricular research appears to facilitate extra-curricular engagement with research. Further work to understand the impact compared to normal opportunistic practices in enhancing student engagement is now underway.

Health literacy and its correlates in informal caregivers of adults with memory loss.

This secondary analysis examined health literacy among informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults with memory loss and assessed correlates of caregiver health literacy using the Abilities, Skills and Knowledge Model. Caregiver health literacy (n = 91) was assessed by the Newest Vital Sign. Limited health literacy presented in 38.5% caregivers, with significantly low document literacy. Health literacy was associated bivariately with age, education, global cognitive function, executive function, and working memory (all ps < 0.001), as well as medication knowledge (p = 0.015). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that older age (p = 0.017), and lower global cognitive function (p < 0.001), working memory (p = 0.001), and academic skills (years of education) (p = 0.004), independently predicted lower health literacy (R2 = 0.54). Medication knowledge, however, was not found to be an independent predictor in the model. Findings suggest limited health literacy is a potential issue among informal caregivers of adults with memory loss. Appropriate assessment and personalized support are needed for informal caregivers who are at high risk for poor health literacy.

Time knowledge acquisition in children aged 6 to 11 years and its relationship with numerical skills.

Acquisition of time knowledge (TK; the correct representation and use of time units) is linked to the development of numerical abilities, but this relationship has not been investigated in children. The current study examined the acquisition of TK and its association with numerical skills. A total of 105 children aged 6 to 11 years were interviewed with our Time Knowledge Questionnaire (TKQ), developed for purposes of this study, and the Zareki-R, a battery for the evaluation of number processing and mental calculation. The TKQ assessed conventional time knowledge (temporal orientation, temporal sequences, relationships between time units, and telling the time on a clock), estimation of longer durations related to birthday and life span, and estimation of the duration of the interview. Time knowledge increased with age, especially from 6 to 8 years, and was strongly linked to numerical skills. Regression analyses showed that four numerical components were implicated in TK: academic knowledge of numbers and number facts (e.g., reading Arabic numerals, mental calculation), number line estimation (e.g., correspondence between a number and a distance), contextual estimation (e.g., many/few leaves on a tree, children in a family), and numerical tasks involving verbal working memory (e.g., comparison of numbers presented orally). Numerical correlations with TK varied according to children's age; subtests based on academic knowledge of numbers, working memory, and number line estimation were linked with TK in the younger children, but only contextual estimation was associated with TK in the older children.

Executive function of Spanish-speaking language-minority preschoolers: Structure and relations with early literacy skills and behavioral outcomes.

Young children's executive function (EF) is increasingly recognized as an important construct associated with development in cognitive and socioemotional domains. To date, however, few studies have examined EF in populations of language-minority children. In this study, 241 Spanish-speaking language-minority preschoolers who ranged in age from 38 to 69 months (M=54.23 months, SD=6.17) completed three tasks designed to measure inhibitory control (IC) and four tasks designed to measure working memory (WM). Children completed assessments of their vocabulary skills, early literacy skills, and behavioral self-regulation in both English and Spanish, and their classroom teachers completed three behavior rating measures. Children were classified as more proficient in English or Spanish based on their scores on the vocabulary measures, and all IC and WM measures were administered in the children's more proficient language. Results of confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor model of EF for both groups of children as well as strong measurement and structural invariance across groups. Children's EF was substantially related to the language, early literacy, and behavioral self-regulation measures as well as teacher ratings of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. For children with more proficient English, EF was associated with skills in both English and Spanish; however, for children with more proficient Spanish, EF was associated primarily with skills in Spanish. These results provide evidence of strong correspondence for EF measured in Spanish-speaking language-minority preschoolers and monolingual preschoolers, and they identify a potential key factor that can enhance understanding of development in this population of children.

Academic skills of chronically unemployed drug-addicted adults.

BACKGROUND: The strong association between unemployment and drug addiction suggests that employment interventions are an important and needed focus of drug-addiction treatment. The increasing necessity of possessing basic academic skills to function in the workplace may require that some individuals receive educational training along with vocational training. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the academic skills of drug-addicted and chronically-unemployed adults (N = 559) who were enrolled in one of six studies conducted at the Center for Learning and Health in Baltimore, MD. METHODS: Upon study enrollment, academic skills in math, spelling, and reading were examined using the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3 or WRAT-4) and educational history was examined using the Addiction Severity Index-Lite. RESULTS: Although participants completed an average of 11 years of education, actual academic skill level was at or below the seventh grade level for 81% of participants in math, 61% in spelling, and 43% in reading, and most participants were classified as Low Average or below based on age group norms. Despite the fact that participants in this analysis were studied across several years and were from diverse populations, rates of high school completion and academic skill levels were remarkably similar. CONCLUSIONS: Programs designed to improve the long-term employment status of drug-addicted individuals may benefit from the inclusion of basic adult education; future research on the topic is needed. Although establishing basic skills does not directly address chronic unemployment, it may help individuals obtain the jobs they desire and function effectively in those jobs.

A longitudinal study of breastmilk feeding duration, EEG power and early academic skills.

BACKGROUND: The cognitive benefits of breastfeeding are widely recognized; however, its effects on brain development and later academic skills require further examination. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relations between breastmilk feeding, neurophysiological changes, and early academic skills. METHODS: In the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) birth cohort, breastmilk feeding practices were collected every 3 months from 3 weeks to 18 months postpartum. Resting electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded at 18 months and power spectral density was derived. The outcomes were a set of early academic assessments administered at age 4 (n = 810). Structural equation modelling was used to investigate EEG power as a mediator between breastmilk duration and early academic skills. RESULTS: Breastmilk feeding for ≥12 months was associated with better general knowledge, numeracy, and language at age 4 compared to shorter durations of breastmilk feeding (Cohen's d: 1.53-17.44). Linear regression showed that breastmilk duration was negatively and positively associated with low- (i.e., delta, theta) and high-frequency power (i.e., gamma), respectively (Cohen's f2: 0.03-0.09). After adjusting for demographic and child baseline covariates, a decrease in absolute and relative delta, as well as relative theta was associated with better general knowledge and numeracy (Cohen's f2: 0.16-0.25). Relative delta power provided an indirect path between breastmilk duration and early academic skills (x2: 18.390, p = 0.010; CFI: 0.978; TLI: 0.954; RMSEA: 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Extended breastmilk feeding is associated with reduced low-frequency power and better early academic skills, suggesting benefits to brain development. Additional research to confirm this finding is warranted.

Evaluation of school achievements in adolescents with primary hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Primary hypertension (HT) is a global public health problem with increasing prevalence in recent years. HT may have caused decreased neurocognitive functions and learning difficulties. In this study, clinical characteristics of adolescents with primary HT were examined and the relationship between semester grade point average (GPA) and HT was evaluated. METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted on adolescents with primary HT attending high school. Patient records (number of hospital visits, HT-related complaints, blood pressure measurements, and laboratory tests) were evaluated retrospectively. End-of-semester report card grades of Mathematics, Turkish Language and Literature and English courses were noted, and compared with the clinical characteristics of the patients. RESULTS: The study included 83 patients with a mean age of 15.6±1.2 years. Patients with higher body mass index had lower grades in Mathematics (p=0.007) and Turkish Language and Literature (p=0.004). Patients with HT-related symptoms such as headache, epistaxis and palpitations had lower GPAs for all courses. Also, patients with hyperuricemia or proteinuria had lower semester GPAs compared to patients with normal serum uric acid levels or without proteinuria (p<0.05). GPAs for Mathematics (p=0.000) and Turkish Language and Literature (p=0.006) decrease as the number of hospital visits increases. CONCLUSION: HT may cause not only cardiovascular complications but also decreased neurocognitive functions through various mechanisms and may have a negative impact on academic skills. Therefore, HT should be followed up with a multidisciplinary approach and intensive efforts should be made to approach the goal of normotension.