Cognitive dysfunction in children with sleep disorders.
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Sleep is basic for physical and cognitive development and some studies have suggested that there may be an association between sleep disorders (SD) and cognitive dysfunction (CD) in children. Little is known, however, about SD and cognition in 7-10-year-old children, a fact that motivated the present study. METHOD: We applied an SD questionnaire in 1180 children, 547 with SD and 633 without SD (CG), to assess cognition with a screening test (Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test - BT). RESULTS: We observed a similar frequency of CD in the children with SD (39%) and that ot the CG (40%). The 8-year-old children with SD presented a lower prevalence of CD than the CG (SD=6%, n=6; CG=13%, n=16; p=0.04). CONCLUSION: The frequency of children with CD was equal in the study and control groups when considering the total sample (7- to 10-year-old children). In contrast to our expectations, the SD group of 8-year-old children presented a lower frequency of CD than the control group. (+info)
Sleep disorders are associated with impulsivity in school children aged 8 to 10 years.
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CONTEXT: Sleep has an important function in the physical and emotional development of children. Some studies suggest an association between impulsivity and sleep disorders. However, little is known about this association in schoolchildren aged 8 to 10 years. METHOD: We studied 1180 children, 547 with sleep disorders (SD) and 633 without SD (control group), classified with SD questionnaires. Within the SD group, 53 children with sleep-related respiratory disorders (SRRD) and 521 children with non-respiratory sleep disorders (NRSD) were analyzed. We assessed emotional indicators of impulsivity with Bender test. RESULTS: More SD children presented impulsivity than control group (p<0.05). More NRSD and 10 years old children presented impulsivity than control group of the same age (p=0.001). Impulsivity and SRRD were associated with 8 years old children (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Children with SD, 8 years old children with SRRD, and 10 years old children with NRSD presented higher proportion of impulsivity than control children. (+info)
Risk factor frequency for learning disabilities in low socioeconomic level preschool children in Mexico city.
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Megavitamins and learning disorders: a controlled double-blind experiment.
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The study investigated the effectiveness of large amounts of ascorbic acid, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, and pyridoxine when added to a low carbohydrate-high protein diet with 20 learning disabled children. After a double-blind, 6-month period of treatment, the addition of vitamins to the diet failed to produce significant improvements when compared to the diet alone on a variety of intellectual, school achievement, perceptual, and behavioral, measures. Regardless of their group assignment, 18 children showed improvements on a parent-administered behavior checklist. However, without a diet-placebo control group, these gains may have been produced by parental enthusiasm or the children's maturation rather than dietary control. The children's urinary excretion of kryptopyrrole was unrelated to whether or not they showed pre-, post-test gains and, therefore, proved to be invalid as a screening test for "vitamin dependent (on pharmacologic doses) learning disorders." (+info)
Psychological changes correlated with thalamotomy site.
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The effects of surgically placed thalamic lesions on cognitive skills, as measured by psychological tests, are dependent upon the nature of the skill and the site of the lesion. Lesions within the limits of the centrum medianum nucleus produce few deficits, whereas lesions outside its limits result in deficits for a greater number of skills. In general, the more complex skills revealed more impairment and the deficits were long lasting. (+info)
Idiopathic epilepsy and school achievement.
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Forty one children (20 boys, 21 girls) aged 6-10.8 years (mean age 8.6 years) who were affected with idiopathic epilepsy underwent neuropsychological (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Bender test) and behavioural assessment (Personality Inventory for Children; this was also used in a matched control group). Further information was obtained by teachers' reports. School underachievement occurred in 25 children (61%). Statistical analysis showed no influence of sex, social background, age of onset, seizure type, duration of illness, features seen on electroencephalography, and treatment. School failure was due to poor performance in almost all academic fields, and was associated with higher visuomotor impairment; children showing good school performance had a higher mean IQ and less visuomotor impairment. The behaviour of children with epilepsy who had a good academic performance did not differ from that of their healthy peers. Emotional maladjustment (social skill impairment, depression, poor motivation, and low self esteem) was associated with poor school performance. Such problems, that may complicate the course of idiopathic epilepsy and require an appropriate educational programme, should be carefully considered by the clinician. (+info)
Intellectual output of children with chronic renal failure on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
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The aim of this study is to quantify the intelligence output in our pediatric population on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment. A total of 30 children were studied, with an age range of eight to 18 years. For evaluating a global intelligence quotient (IQ), the Wechsler test was applied according to their age. And, as a complement, a Bender test was also requested to deny or confirm brain damage. The Wechsler test showed an average intelligence quotient in most of the children (76.7%); a small group (16.7%) was classified as dull normal, 1 child had mild retardation, and 1 was borderline. All of them had a Bender test that did not correlate with brain damage. Most of them maintained a very high verbal IQ, but, when the performance IQ was qualified, 34% got a low score, and a certain difficulty in solving this part of the test was observed. Maybe this was influenced by chronicity of the sickness and/or the blood urea nitrogen level. In conclusion, the child's plasticity is his best quality to cope with uremia and the alterations caused by it. Therefore the idea is to consider the intelligence quotient as the capacity that the subjects have to use their own resources to cope with their environment. And, even though the neurological alterations exist, the child's plasticity helps him/her maintain a good global intelligence quotient, even though he/she is not having immediate transplantation. (+info)
15-Year developmental study on effects of severe undernutrition during infancy on subsequent physical growth and intellectual functioning.
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This third 5-year follow-up on the effects of severe undernutrition during infancy on subsequent brain growth and intellectual development confirms the level of gross retardation of intellect in the undernourished group when compared with the controls. As the subjects are now 15-18 years of age this must be permanent. All but 5 of the undernourished group are now living in conditions comparable to the controls. Improved nutrition is manifest by catch-up in height, in that the mean difference between undernourished subjects and controls has decreased by 2-73 cm. Remarkably, the difference in head circumference has increased by 0-5 cm, the mean head circumference of the undernourished now being 2-8 cm less than that of the controls. The Bender Gestalt and Human Figure Drawing tests did not correlate with the intelligence tests, indicating a separate deficit of a marked disturbance of visual-motor perception in 17 of the undernourished subjects, in 9 of whom these tests were highly significant of minimal brain dysfunction (5 of the controls). In retrospect there is much evidence to suggest the controls were also suboptimal; 8 controls had abnormal electroencephalograms as did 6 of the undernourished group. (+info)