BrainBlog

From the CBC : Concussion prevention effort features mobile app Four sports organizations partner with government on new education programs CBC News Posted: Jan 19, 2012 11:27 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 19, 2012 3:19 PM ET [snip] Four sports organizations will receive $1.5 million in federal funding for new education programs designed to reduce concussions and other brain injuries in children and youth who play team sports. The Public Health Agency of Canada's "Active and Safe" program is supporting a joint project of ThinkFirst Canada, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the Coaching Association of Canada, and Hockey Canada to help coachers, trainers, parents, and athletes recognize and prevent serious brain injuries. In announcing the funding in Ottawa Thursday, Minister of State for Amateur Sport Bal Gosal noted that an estimated 90 per cent of severe brain injuries were preventable if parents, coaches and the kids themselves knew more about the risks. "We can...

Intellectual ability and executive function in pediatric moyamoya vasculopathy Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 2011 Nov 24; Williams TS, Westmacott R, Dlamini N, Granite L, Dirks P, Askalan R, Macgregor D, Moharir M, Deveber G Abstract Aim  Moyamoya vasculopathy is characterized by progressive stenosis of the major arteries of the Circle of Willis, resulting in compromised cerebral blood flow and increased risk of stroke. The objectives of the current study were to examine intellectual and executive functioning of children with moyamoya and to evaluate the impact of moyamoya type, stroke (clinical or silent), vasculopathy laterality, and disease duration on neurocognitive abilities. Method  Thirty pediatric participants (mean age 10y 10mo, SD 4y; 18 females, 12 males) completed age-appropriate Wechsler Intelligence Scales before any therapeutic revascularization procedures. Reports of executive function were obtained from parents and teachers using the Behavior Rating Inde...

Everyday verbal memory and pediatric epilepsy Epilepsy and Behavior. 2011 Jul; 21(3): 285-290. Chapieski L, Evankovich K, Hiscock M, Collins R Abstract This study addressed the reliability and validity of reports of everyday verbal memory with a sample of 132 pediatric patients with epilepsy. Each patient and one parent completed a questionnaire on everyday verbal memory comprising two scales assessing learning/retrieval and prospective memory. Each patient was also administered tests of memory, attention, and academic skills. Information about attention, mood, and academic performance was obtained from parent and teacher report, as well as self-report. Memory test scores were correlated with children's reports of learning and retrieval in everyday activities, but were not significantly associated with reports of prospective memory. Reports of everyday memory were found to be reliable and predictive of academic performance. Performance on tests of memory, conversely, was unrelated...

A press release from the NIH: Prescribed stimulant use for ADHD continues to rise steadily NIH and AHRQ study finds pace of the rise has slowed in recent years "The prescribed use of stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose slowly but steadily from 1996 to 2008, according to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The study was published online ahead of print Sept. 28, 2011, in the American Journal of Psychiatry . "ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders, and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity). The condition is frequently treated with stimulants such as methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin), amphetamines (e.g., Adderall) or other types of medications. Behavioral therapies can also be effective. "During...

Neuropsychology at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the UCL Institute of Child Health View the website here From the homepage: "The Paediatric Neuropsychology Service consists of the Clinical Neuropsychology Department at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Unit based at the Institute of Child Health (ICH). The academic and clinical staff in the Service work collaboratively to offer a comprehensive neuropsychology service for children, adolescents and their families."

Early Saturday morning, Gav C, the father of a now-deceased young boy named Tom, spent his hour for the One and Other Antony Gormley project from the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square describing life with his son. It is a narrative extraordinary in its directness. I recommend its viewing for any student training to work with young children with disabilities. You will learn something from it. To view it: Gav C. on the Fourth Plinth

Bangirana P, Giordani B, John CC, Page C, Opoka RO, & Boivin MJ (2009). Immediate Neuropsychological and Behavioral Benefits of Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation in Ugandan Pediatric Cerebral Malaria Survivors. Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics. Aug 7. OBJECTIVE:: Our earlier studies on Ugandan children surviving cerebral malaria showed cognitive deficits mainly in attention and memory. We now present the first study in sub-Saharan Africa to investigate the feasibility and potential benefits of computerized cognitive rehabilitation training on neuropsychological and behavioral functioning of children surviving cerebral malaria. METHODS:: A randomized trial in which 65 children admitted 45 months earlier with cerebral malaria were recruited at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. For 8 weeks, 32 of the children received weekly training sessions using Captain's Log cognitive training software and the other 33 were assigned to a nontreatment condition. Pre- and...

From The New York Times , accounting of pediatric neurological complications from Texas: Read article [snippet] “The usefulness of this case report is that many doctors who deal with outpatient flu only may never have seen a case with neurological complications,” Dr. Pavia said. “It’s an important reminder that flu can present as seizures or as encephalitis.” [snippet]

From today's New York Times : A Daring Treatment, a Little Girl’s Survival By DENISE GRADY Published: March 18, 2008 Melanie Joy McDaniel is a study subject but also a reminder of how medical research can change lives. [ ... Read the full article ... ]