Single-case experimental design intervention for inappropriate sexualised behaviour in adolescent traumatic brain injury.

PURPOSE: This study develops the evidence-base of interventions for inappropriate sexualised behaviour following brain injury involving adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe a Single-Case Multiple Baseline Design intervention of Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) across settings. It involves a 16 year old adolescent who had a severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and presented with sexualised talk and touch. PBS may potentially be a successful intervention to remediate this. The aim of the article was to determine whether PBS could reduce the frequency and impact of the sexualised behaviour in a variety of his key daily settings. Visual and quantitative analyses were completed before and after the introduction of the PBS intervention within home and school settings. RESULTS: Findings showed reduction in the frequency of sexualised talk and touch alongside subjective impact ratings in the home. Downward trends were encouraging in the school settings, but demonstrated smaller effects than home. The Overt Behaviour Scale showed a reduction in overall severity and the impact on others. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the promising impact on behaviour of introducing the PBS intervention within the home and school settings to support positive clinical change evidenced in the reduction in target behaviours and subjective response for caregivers.

Positive Behavioural Support is an effective intervention for managing inappropriate sexualised behaviour in a young person with a traumatic brain injury.Positive Behavioural Support can improve the subjective experience of the young person and their caregivers in parallel to managing behaviour.Single Case Experimental Design can be utilised across care and home settings for measuring change in person-centred interventions.

Using recognition testing to support semantic learning in developmental amnesia.

ABSTRACTPatients with developmental amnesia (DA) have suffered hippocampal damage in infancy and subsequently shown poor episodic memory, but good semantic memory. It is not clear how patients with DA learn semantic information in the presence of episodic amnesia. However, patients with DA show good recognition memory and it is possible that semantic learning may be supported by recognition. Building on previous work, we compared two methods for supporting semantic learning in DA; recognition-learning and recall-learning. In each condition, a patient with DA (aged 8 years) was presented with semantic information in animated videos. After each presentation of a video, learning was supported by an immediate memory test. Two videos were paired with a cued recall test. Another two videos were paired with a multiple-choice test to enable recognition-based learning. The outcome measure was semantic recall performance after a short delay of 30 min and a long delay of one week. Results showed a benefit of recognition-learning compared to recall-learning on cued recall in the patient with DA (76% vs. 35%). This finding indicates that young people with severe hippocampal damage can utilize recognition to support semantic learning. This has implications for the support of school-aged children with episodic memory difficulties.

National UK guidelines for the management of paediatric craniopharyngioma.

Although rare, craniopharyngiomas constitute up to 80% of tumours in the hypothalamic-pituitary region in childhood. Despite being benign, the close proximity of these tumours to the visual pathways, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland means that both treatment of the tumour and the tumour itself can cause pronounced long-term neuroendocrine morbidity against a background of high overall survival. To date, the optimal management strategy for these tumours remains undefined, with practice varying between centres. In light of these discrepancies, as part of a national endeavour to create evidence-based and consensus-based guidance for the management of rare paediatric endocrine tumours in the UK, we aimed to develop guidelines, which are presented in this Review. These guidelines were developed under the auspices of the UK Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group and the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, with the oversight and endorsement of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health using Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II methodology to standardise care for children and young people with craniopharyngiomas.

Transatlantic progress in measurement of cognitive outcomes in paediatric oncology trials.

The importance of measuring quality of survival within paediatric oncology trials is increasingly recognised. However, capturing neuropsychological outcomes and other aspects of quality of survival in the context of large or multinational trials can be challenging. We provide examples of protocols designed to address this challenge recently employed in clinical trials in the USA and Europe. We discuss their respective strengths and challenges, obstacles encountered and future opportunities for transatlantic collaboration.

Adapting intervention approaches to new contexts: Three case studies of international adaptation of the Teen Online Problem Solving (TOPS) program.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: To describe the process of adapting the evidence-based Teen Online Problem Solving (TOPS) program, a telehealth problem-solving treatment addressing executive function and behavior regulation challenges in adolescents with traumatic brain injury, in Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Research Method/Design: We describe the process of adapting and translating the TOPS program in 3 case studies with unique methods and samples. In Italy, 14 parents of adolescents with TBI participated in focus groups, and 2 adolescents with TBI and their parents and 2 physicians provided input on the resulting translation. In New Zealand, an independent Maori cultural advisor reviewed the content, and 6 adolescent-parent dyads and 2 health professionals completed the 10 modules independently over a five-week period to inform adaptation. In the United Kingdom, a team of neuropsychologists and a parent of an adolescent with ABI reviewed and adapted the content through successive iterations. RESULTS: In Italy, suggested changes included greater emphasis on nonverbal communication and clearer examples of inappropriate problem-solving responses. In New Zealand, parents and adolescents rated the program as acceptable and helpful. Suggestions included incorporating familiar Maori settings, integrating religion, and developing videos with New Zealand adolescents. In the United Kingdom, iterative refinements focused on adapting TOPS for other acquired brain injuries and reflecting cross-national differences (e.g., drinking age). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: These 3 case studies suggest that programs such as TOPS developed in 1 cultural context can be broadly acceptable in other contexts, with adaptations focusing on tailoring to reflect the unique cultural and linguistic setting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Telepsychotherapy With Children and Families: Lessons Gleaned From Two Decades of Translational Research.

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has led to sweeping changes in psychological practice and the concomitant rapid uptake of telepsychotherapy. Although telepsychotherapy is new to many clinical psychologists, there is considerable research on telepsychotherapy treatments. Nearly 2 decades of clinical research on telepsychotherapy treatments with children with neurological conditions has the potential to inform emerging clinical practice in the age of COVID-19. Toward that end, we synthesized findings from 14 clinical trials of telepsychotherapy problem-solving and parent-training interventions involving more than 800 children and families with diverse diagnoses, including traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, brain tumors, congenital heart disease, and perinatal stroke. We summarize efficacy across studies and clinical populations and report feasibility and acceptability data from the perspectives of parents, children, and psychotherapists. We describe adaptation for international contexts and strategies for troubleshooting technological challenges and working with families of varying socioeconomic strata. The extensive research literature reviewed and synthesized provides considerable support for the utility of telepsychotherapy with children with neurological conditions and their families and underscores its high level of acceptability with both diverse clinical populations and providers. During this period of heightened vulnerability and stress and reduced access to usual supports and services, telepsychotherapy approaches such as online family problem-solving treatment and online parenting skills training may allow psychologists to deliver traditional evidence-based treatments virtually while preserving fidelity and efficacy.

El nuevo coronavirus, COVID-19, ha conducido a cambios radicales en la psicología. práctica y el rápido consumo concomitante de telepsicoterapia. A pesar de que la telepsicoterapia es nueva para muchos psicólogos clínicos, existe una investigación considerable sobre tratamientos de telepsicoterapia. Casi dos décadas de investigación clínica sobre los tratamientos de telepsicoterapia con niños con afecciones neurológicas tienen la potencial para informar la práctica clínica emergente en la edad de COVID-19. Hacia ese fin, sintetizamos los resultados de 14 ensayos clínicos de resolución de problemas de telepsicoterapia e intervenciones de capacitación para padres que involucran a más de 800 niños y familias con diagnósticos diversos que incluyen lesión cerebral traumática, epilepsia, tumores cerebrales, enfermedad cardíaca congénita y accidente cerebrovascular perinatal. Resumimos la eficacia entre los estudios y poblaciones clínicas e reportamos datos de viabilidad y aceptabilidad desde las perspectivas de padres, hijos y psicoterapeutas. Describimos adaptacion para contextos internacionales y estrategias para resolver problemas tecnológicos y trabajar con familias de estratos socioeconómicos variables. La extensa literatura de investigación revisada y sintetizado proporciona un apoyo considerable para la utilidad de la telepsicoterapia con niños con afecciones neurológicas y sus familias y subraya su alto nivel de aceptabilidad con diversas poblaciones clínicas y proveedores. Durante este período de mayor vulnerabilidad y estrés y menor acceso a los apoyos habituales y servicios, enfoques de telepsicoterapia como tratamiento em línea para resolución de problemas familiares y la capacitación en habilidades para padres en línea pueden permitir que los psicólogos brinden tratamientos tradicionales basados en evidencia virtualmente mientras se preserva la fidelidad y la eficacia.

Self-awareness assessment during cognitive rehabilitation in children with acquired brain injury: a feasibility study and proposed model of child anosognosia.

PURPOSE: To compare three ways of assessing self-awareness in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to propose a model of child anosognosia. METHOD: Five single cases of children with severe TBI, aged 8-14, undergoing metacognitive training. Awareness was assessed using three different measures: two measures of metacognitive knowledge/intellectual awareness (a questionnaire and illustrated stories where child characters have everyday problems related to their executive dysfunction) and one measure of on-line/emergent awareness (post-task appraisal of task difficulty). RESULTS: All three measures showed good feasibility. Analysis of awareness deficit scores indicated large variability (1-100%). Three children showed dissociated scores. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, we propose a model of child self-awareness and anosognosia and a framework for awareness assessment for rehabilitation purposes. The model emphasizes (1) the role of on-line error detection in the construction of autobiographical memories that allow a child to build a self-knowledge of his/her strengths and difficulties; (2) the multiple components of awareness that need to be assessed separately; (3) the implications for rehabilitation: errorless versus error-based learning, rehabilitation approaches based on metacognition, rationale for rehabilitation intervention based on child's age and impaired awareness component, ethical and developmental consideration of confrontational methods. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Self-awareness has multiple components that need to be assessed separately, to better adapt cognitive rehabilitation. Using questionnaires and discrepancy scores are not sufficient to assess awareness, because it does not include on-line error detection, which can be massively impaired in children, especially those with impaired executive functions. On-line error detection is important to promote and error-based learning is useful to allow a child to build a self-knowledge of his/her strengths and difficulties, in the absence of severe episodic memory problems. Metacognitive trainings may not be appropriate for younger children who have age appropriate developmentally immature self-awareness, nor for patients with brain injury if they suffer anosognosia because of their brain injury.

Quality of survival assessment in European childhood brain tumour trials, for children aged 5 years and over.

INTRODUCTION: There is increasing recognition of the long-term sequelae of brain tumours treated in childhood. Five year survival rates now exceed 75% and assessing the quality of survival (QoS) in multiple domains is essential to any comparison of the benefits and harms of treatment regimens. AIM: The aim of this position statement is to rationalise assessments and facilitate collection of a common data set across Europe. Sufficient numbers of observations can then be made to enable reliable comparisons between outcomes following different tumour types and treatments. METHODS: This paper represents the consensus view of the QoS working group of the Brain Tumour group of the European Society of Paediatric Oncology regarding domains of QoS to prioritise for assessment in clinical trials. This consensus between clinicians and researchers across Europe has been arrived at by discussion and collaboration over the last eight years. RESULTS: Areas of assessment discussed include core medical domains (e.g. vision, hearing, mobility, endocrine), emotion, behaviour, adaptive behaviour and cognitive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: A 'core plus' approach is suggested in which core assessments (both direct and indirect tests) are recommended for all clinical trials. The core component is a relatively brief screening assessment that, in most countries, is a sub-component of routine clinical provision. The 'plus' components enable the addition of assessments which can be selected by individual countries and/or tumour-, age-, and location-specific groups. The implementation of a QoS protocol common to all European clinical studies of childhood brain tumours is also discussed.

Breastfeeding, the use of docosahexaenoic acid-fortified formulas in infancy and neuropsychological function in childhood.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between breastfeeding, use of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-fortified formula and neuropsychological function in children. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Southampton, UK. SUBJECTS: 241 children aged 4 years followed up from birth. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: IQ measured by the Wechsler Pre-School and Primary Scale of Intelligence (3rd edn), visual attention, visuomotor precision, sentence repetition and verbal fluency measured by the NEPSY, and visual form-constancy measured by the Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (Non-Motor). RESULTS: In unadjusted analyses, children for whom breast milk or DHA-fortified formula was the main method of feeding throughout the first 6 months of life had higher mean full-scale and verbal IQ scores at age 4 years than those fed mainly unfortified formula. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, particularly maternal IQ and educational attainment, the differences in IQ between children in the breast milk and unfortified formula groups were severely attenuated, but children who were fed DHA-fortified formula had full-scale and verbal IQ scores that were respectively 5.62 (0.98 to 10.2) and 7.02 (1.56 to 12.4) points higher than children fed unfortified formula. However, estimated total intake of DHA in milk up to age 6 months was not associated with subsequent IQ or with score on any other test. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in children's intelligence according to type of milk fed in infancy may be due more to confounding by maternal or family characteristics than to the amount of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids they receive in milk.

Dietary patterns in infancy and cognitive and neuropsychological function in childhood.

BACKGROUND: Trials in developing countries suggest that improving young children's diet may benefit cognitive development. Whether dietary composition influences young children's cognition in developed countries is unclear. Although many studies have examined the relation between type of milk received in infancy and subsequent cognition, there has been no investigation of the possible effect of variations in the weaning diet. METHODS: We studied 241 children aged 4 years, whose diet had been assessed at age 6 and 12 months. We measured IQ with the Wechsler Pre-School and Primary Scale of Intelligence, visual attention, visuomotor precision, sentence repetition and verbal fluency with the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY), and visual form-constancy with the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills. RESULTS: In sex-adjusted analyses, children whose diet in infancy was characterised by high consumption of fruit, vegetables and home-prepared foods ('infant guidelines' dietary pattern) had higher full-scale and verbal IQ and better memory performance at age 4 years. Further adjustment for maternal education, intelligence, social class, quality of the home environment and other potential confounding factors attenuated these associations but the relations between higher 'infant guidelines' diet score and full-scale and verbal IQ remained significant. For a standard deviation increase in 'infant guidelines' diet score at 6 or 12 months full-scale IQ rose by .18 (95% CI .04 to .31) of a standard deviation. For a standard deviation increase in 'infant guidelines' diet score at 6 months verbal IQ rose by .14 (.01 to .27) of a standard deviation. There were no associations between dietary patterns in infancy and 4-year performance on the other tests. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that dietary patterns in early life may have some effect on cognitive development. It is also possible that they reflect the influence of unmeasured confounding factors.