Association between motor and mental functioning in toddlers with cerebral palsy

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the association between motor and mental functioning in toddlers with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods: The Mental and Motor Scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development–Second Edition (BSID-II) were administered.

Subjects: Seventy-eight toddlers with CP (mean age 2 years 7 months, SD 1 month; 43 boys, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I–V).

Results: Spearman correlation coefficient between mental and motor functioning was 0.67 (p < 0.01). Sixty-five percent (51/78) of the children performed at the same level in mental and motor functioning, of whom 36 performed significantly delayed and 15 within normal limits. Thirty-five percent of the children were more delayed in motor functioning than in mental functioning.

Conclusion: In toddlers with CP, an association was found between mental and motor functioning. When motor and mental functioning did not develop synchronously, it was always in favour of mental functioning. This study emphasizes the importance of examining both mental functioning and motor functioning separately of pre-school children with CP.     

The effects of organophosphate pesticide exposure on Hispanic children's cognitive and behavioral functioning

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the effects of Organophosphate (OP) pesticides exposure on the cognitive and behavioral functioning of Hispanic children living in an agricultural community. METHODS: Forty-eight children were administered a battery of cognitive measures, and their parents and teachers completed behavior rating scales. Children provided a urine sample for analysis of OP pesticides metabolites. RESULTS: All children had a detectable level of at least one OP pesticide metabolite. Higher OP pesticide metabolite concentration levels were significantly correlated with poorer performance on some subtests of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. However, the significance of this association was dependent upon the inclusion of two samples with noticeable higher OP pesticide metabolite concentration levels. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term OP pesticide exposure seems to have deleterious effects on children's speed of attention, sequencing, mental flexibility, visual search, concept formation, and conceptual flexibility. This study is among a relatively small number of studies investigating an extremely complex problem. Limitations and suggestions for future studies are discussed.     

精神分裂症患者认知功能与精神症状相关性研究

目的：探讨精神分裂症患者认知功能与精神症状的相关性。方法：对40例精神分裂症患者于治疗前、治疗12周末分别进行韦氏成人智力量表（WAIS-R）、韦氏记忆量表（WMS）、H—R神经心理成套测验（HRB）中的连线测验A、威斯康星卡片分类测验（WCST）及言语流利性测验及简明精神病评定量表（BPRS）评定。结果：治疗前焦虑抑郁因子分与总记忆商数（MQ）分显著相关,迟滞因子分与WCST完成类别数、智力显著相关;治疗12周末焦虑抑郁因子分与总智商（IQ）显著相关,迟滞因子分与WCST持续反应数、言语IQ、操作IQ显著相关,猜疑因子分与WCST持续反应数显著相关。结论：精神分裂症患者部分认知功能与精神症状显著相关。     

Social cognition and interaction training for patients with stable schizophrenia in Chinese community settings

Accumulated evidence suggests that Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) is associated with improved performance in social cognition and social skills in patients diagnosed with psychotic disorders. The current study examined the clinical utility of SCIT in patients with schizophrenia in Chinese community settings. Adults with stable schizophrenia were recruited from local community health institutions, and were randomly assigned to SCIT group (n=22) or a waiting-list control group (n=17). The SCIT group received the SCIT intervention plus treatment-as-usual, whereas the waiting-list group received only treatment-as-usual during the period of the study. All patients were administered the Chinese versions of the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), Face Emotion Identification Task (FEIT), Eyes task, and Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) at baseline of the SCIT treatment period and at follow-up, 6 months after completion of the 20-week treatment period. Patients in SCIT group showed a significant improvement in the domains of emotion perception, theory of mind, attributional style, and social functioning compared to those in waiting-list group. Findings indicate that SCIT is a feasible and promising method for improving social cognition and social functioning among Chinese outpatients with stable schizophrenia.     

The impact of region-specific leukoaraiosis on working memory deficits in dementia

MRI leukoaraiosis (LA) is less likely to interfere with simple compared to more complex working memory (WM) skills. We hypothesize that LA within the left hemisphere negatively impacts higher-level WM processes in dementia. Participants with dementia (n=64; MMSE=22.0+/-3.4) performed a Backward Digit Task measuring simple storage/rehearsal (ANY-ORDER) and complex disengagement/temporal re-ordering (SERIAL-ORDER) recall. A visual rating scale categorized MRI-LA in five regions per hemisphere: frontal and parietal centrum semiovale, white matter around the frontal horns, body of the lateral ventricles and posterior horns. Amidst equivalent hemispheric LA scores [t(62)=-1.12, p>0.05], correlations revealed an association between left-sided LA and SERIAL-ORDER recall (r=-0.31, p=0.007) with LA around the posterior horn (rho=-0.30, p=0.008) and frontal centrum semiovale (rho=-0.29, p=0.01) showing the greatest association. Regression modeling confirmed the left posterior horn contribution to SERIAL-ORDER performance variance. Results suggest involvement of anterior (fronto-striatal) and more posterior (inferior parietal) white matter tracts in higher order WM deficits in dementia.