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Memory Skills (memory + skill)
Selected AbstractsWeak hand preference in children with down syndrome is associated with language deficitsDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2008M. A. Groen Abstract This study explores associations between language ability and hand preference in children with Down syndrome. Compared to typically developing children of the same age, children with Down syndrome showed weaker hand preference, were less consistent in the hand they used and also less willing to reach to extreme positions in contralateral space. Within the group of children with Down syndrome, those who showed a stronger or more consistent hand preference had better language and memory skills. This association could not be explained by differences in non-verbal cognitive ability or hearing loss. These findings are discussed within the theory of neurolinguistic development proposed by Locke [Locke (1997). Brain & Language, 58, 265,326]. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 242,250, 2008. [source] Adaptive training leads to sustained enhancement of poor working memory in childrenDEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2009Joni Holmes Working memory plays a crucial role in supporting learning, with poor progress in reading and mathematics characterizing children with low memory skills. This study investigated whether these problems can be overcome by a training program designed to boost working memory. Children with low working memory skills were assessed on measures of working memory, IQ and academic attainment before and after training on either adaptive or non-adaptive versions of the program. Adaptive training that taxed working memory to its limits was associated with substantial and sustained gains in working memory, with age-appropriate levels achieved by the majority of children. Mathematical ability also improved significantly 6 months following adaptive training. These findings indicate that common impairments in working memory and associated learning difficulties may be overcome with this behavioral treatment. [source] Timing of Thyroid Hormone Action in the Developing Brain: Clinical Observations and Experimental FindingsJOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 10 2004R. T. Zoeller Abstract The original concept of the critical period of thyroid hormone (TH) action on brain development was proposed to identify the postnatal period during which TH supplement must be provided to a child with congenital hypothyroidism to prevent mental retardation. As neuropsychological tools have become more sensitive, it has become apparent that even mild TH insufficiency in humans can produce measurable deficits in very specific neuropsychological functions, and that the specific consequences of TH deficiency depends on the precise developmental timing of the deficiency. Models of maternal hypothyroidism, hypothyroxinaemia and congential hyperthyroidism have provided these insights. If the TH deficiency occurs early in pregnancy, the offspring display problems in visual attention, visual processing (i.e. acuity and strabismus) and gross motor skills. If it occurs later in pregnancy, children are at additional risk of subnormal visual (i.e. contrast sensitivity) and visuospatial skills, as well as slower response speeds and fine motor deficits. Finally, if TH insufficiency occurs after birth, language and memory skills are most predominantly affected. Although the experimental literature lags behind clinical studies in providing a mechanistic explanation for each of these observations, recent studies confirm that the specific action of TH on brain development depends upon developmental timing, and studies informing us about molecular mechanisms of TH action are generating hypotheses concerning possible mechanisms to account for these pleiotropic actions. [source] A prospective study of severe hypoglycemia and long-term spatial memory in children with type 1 diabetesPEDIATRIC DIABETES, Issue 2 2004Tamara Hershey Abstract:, In a previous retrospective study, severe hypoglycemia (SH) was associated with decreased long-term spatial memory in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that prospectively ascertained SH would also be associated with decreased spatial long-term memory over time. Children with T1DM (n = 42) and sibling controls (n = 25) performed a spatial delayed response (SDR) task with short and long delays and other neuropsychological tests at baseline and after 15 months of monitoring. Extreme glycemic events and other medical complications were recorded prospectively during follow-up. Fourteen T1DM children experienced at least one episode of SH during the follow-up period (range = 1,5). After controlling for long-delay SDR performance at baseline, age, gender, and age of onset, the presence of SH during the prospective period was statistically associated with decreased long-delay SDR performance at follow-up (semipartial r = ,0.38, p = 0.017). This relationship was not seen with short-delay SDR or with verbal or object memory, attention, or motor speed. These results, together with previously reported data, support the hypothesis that SH has specific, negative effects on spatial memory skills in T1DM children. [source] A comparison of working memory skills and learning in children with developmental coordination disorder and moderate learning difficultiesAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Tracy Packiam Alloway The present study compared 6,11 years old with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and those with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) on measures of memory (verbal short-term and working memory, visuo-spatial short-term and working memory), literacy and numeracy, and IQ. The findings indicate that children with DCD appear to be impaired in all four areas of memory function; in particular they performed at significantly lower levels than children with MLD in measures of verbal short-term memory, visuo-spatial short-term and working memory. In contrast, performance of children with MLD in the memory measures was within age-expected levels, with deficits observed only in verbal working memory tasks. There were also differential links between memory and attainment between the two groups, and these were significant even after statistically accounting for the contribution of IQ. Reasons for why working memory contributes to learning in these two developmental groups are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reliability and validity of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Neurocognitive QuestionnaireCANCER, Issue 8 2008Kevin R. Krull PhD Abstract BACKGROUND. Up to 40% of childhood cancer survivors may experience neurocognitive impairment in 1 or more specific domains. As such, regular monitoring has been recommended for patients exposed to cranial irradiation and/or antimetabolite chemotherapy. This study reports the results of a questionnaire developed to identify those survivors who may be experiencing neurocognitive problems. METHODS. Participants for this study were 7121 members of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort (6739 survivors and 382 siblings). These participants completed a new neurocognitive questionnaire designed to assess functions commonly affected by cancer therapy, as well as a standard measure of emotional functioning. A measure of cognitive and emotional functioning was also completed on a subset of the patients roughly 7 years before the current questionnaire. Responses to the questionnaires among subgroups of survivors were then analyzed to examine the reliability and validity of the new neurocognitive questionnaire. RESULTS. Four reliable factors were identified that assessed task efficiency, emotional regulation, organization, and memory skills. These neurocognitive factors accurately discriminated survivors who were at "high risk" for neurocognitive dysfunction, because of neurologic abnormalities or a history of intensive focal cranial irradiation, from healthy "low-risk" survivors and siblings. CONCLUSIONS. The questionnaire demonstrated excellent reliability, as well as construct and discriminative validity. It appears to be a practical and efficient tool for monitoring neurocognitive outcomes in adult survivors of pediatric cancer. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. [source] | |||||||||||||