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Studer M, Heussler M, Romano F, Lidzba K, Bigi S. Processing speed and its association with working memory and episodic memory 3-6 months after pediatric mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj 2024; 38:928-937. [PMID: 38819316 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2024.2361626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), children show reduced processing speed (PS). Evidence suggests that slowed PS after TBI is associated with working memory deficits. Our aim was to investigate several forms of PS and to examine its impact on working and episodic memory performance in children after mTBI. METHOD We included data of 64 children after mTBI and 57 healthy control children aged 8-16 years. PS (Color Naming, Coding, Symbol Search, Alertness) was compared between groups 1 week (T1) and 3-6 months (T2) after the injury; working and episodic memory outcome was compared between groups at T2. RESULTS Alertness at T1 and Color Naming at T1 and T2 were significantly reduced following mTBI compared to controls, although most group differences in PS disappeared when patients with previous impairments and mTBI were excluded. PS was predictive for episodic and working memory performance 3-6 months after injury, whereas group was a significant predictor of working memory. CONCLUSIONS Compared to healthy controls, children after mTBI showed reduced performance in verbal PS, which was associated with working memory. In children who are symptomatic after mTBI, diagnostic screening of PS could be helpful in identifying patients that could profit from speed-improving strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Studer
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, University Children's Hospital Basel UKBB, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Milena Heussler
- Division of Neuropaediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Fabrizio Romano
- Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Karen Lidzba
- Division of Neuropaediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Bigi
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Central Switzerland, Lucerne, Switzerland
- Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Lidzba K, Afridi Z, Romano F, Wingeier K, Bigi S, Studer M. Impaired episodic verbal memory recall after 1 week and elevated forgetting in children after mild traumatic brain injury - results from a short-term longitudinal study. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1359566. [PMID: 38887630 PMCID: PMC11182044 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1359566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective There is preliminary evidence that children after traumatic brain injury (TBI) have accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF), i.e., an adequate learning and memory performance in standardized memory tests, but an excessive rate of forgetting over delays of days or weeks. The main aim of this study was to investigate episodic memory performance, including delayed retrieval 1 week after learning, in children after mild TBI (mTBI). Methods This prospective study with two time-points (T1: 1 week after injury and T2: 3-6 months after injury), included data of 64 children after mTBI and 57 healthy control children aged between 8 and 16 years. We assessed episodic learning and memory using an auditory word learning test and compared executive functions (interference control, working memory, semantic fluency and flexibility) and divided attention between groups. We explored correlations between memory performance and executive functions. Furthermore, we examined predictive factors for delayed memory retrieval 1 week after learning as well as for forgetting over time. Results Compared to healthy controls, patients showed an impaired delayed recall and recognition performance 3-6 months after injury. Executive functions, but not divided attention, were reduced in children after mTBI. Furthermore, parents rated episodic memory as impaired 3-6 months after injury. Additionally, verbal learning and group, but not executive functions, were predictive for delayed recall performance at both time-points, whereas forgetting was predicted by group. Discussion Delayed recall and forgetting over time were significantly different between groups, both post-acutely and in the chronic phase after pediatric mTBI, even in a very mildly injured patient sample. Delayed memory performance should be included in clinical evaluations of episodic memory and further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of ALF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Lidzba
- Division of Neuropediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zainab Afridi
- Division of Neuropediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Fabrizio Romano
- Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kevin Wingeier
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Bigi
- Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Central Switzerland, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Martina Studer
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Ledoux AA, Zemek R, Cairncross M, Silverberg N, Sicard V, Barrowman N, Goldfield G, Gray C, Harris AD, Jaworska N, Reed N, Saab BJ, Smith A, Walker L. Smartphone App-Delivered Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescents: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2024; 13:e57226. [PMID: 38602770 PMCID: PMC11046387 DOI: 10.2196/57226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concussion in children and adolescents is a significant public health concern, with 30% to 35% of patients at risk for prolonged emotional, cognitive, sleep, or physical symptoms. These symptoms negatively impact a child's quality of life while interfering with their participation in important neurodevelopmental activities such as schoolwork, socializing, and sports. Early psychological intervention following a concussion may improve the ability to regulate emotions and adapt to postinjury symptoms, resulting in the greater acceptance of change; reduced stress; and recovery of somatic, emotional, and cognitive symptoms. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of conducting a parallel-group (1:1) randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate a digital therapeutics (DTx) mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in adolescents aged 12 to <18 years. The attention-matched comparator intervention (a math game also used in previous RCTs) will be delivered on the same DTx platform. Both groups will be provided with the standard of care guidelines. The secondary objective is to examine intervention trends for quality of life; resilience; self-efficacy; cognition such as attention, working memory, and executive functioning; symptom burden; and anxiety and depression scores at 4 weeks after concussion, which will inform a more definitive RCT. A subsample will be used to examine whether those randomized to the experimental intervention group have different brain-based imaging patterns compared with those randomized to the control group. METHODS This study is a double-blind Health Canada-regulated trial. A total of 70 participants will be enrolled within 7 days of concussion and randomly assigned to receive the 4-week DTx MBI (experimental group) or comparator intervention. Feasibility will be assessed based on the recruitment rate, treatment adherence to both interventions, and retention. All outcome measures will be evaluated before the intervention (within 7 days after injury) and at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after the injury. A subset of 60 participants will undergo magnetic resonance imaging within 72 hours and at 4 weeks after recruitment to identify the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the potential benefits from MBI training in adolescents following a concussion. RESULTS The recruitment began in October 2022, and the data collection is expected to be completed by September 2024. Data collection and management is still in progress; therefore, data analysis is yet to be conducted. CONCLUSIONS This trial will confirm the feasibility and resolve uncertainties to inform a future definitive multicenter efficacy RCT. If proven effective, a smartphone-based MBI has the potential to be an accessible and low-risk preventive treatment for youth at risk of experiencing prolonged postconcussion symptoms and complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05105802; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05105802. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/57226.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrée-Anne Ledoux
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Roger Zemek
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Molly Cairncross
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Noah Silverberg
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Rehabilitation Research Program, Centre for Aging SMART, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Veronik Sicard
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas Barrowman
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Gary Goldfield
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Clare Gray
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ashley D Harris
- Department of Radiology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Natalia Jaworska
- Department of Cellular Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nick Reed
- Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Andra Smith
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa Walker
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Sicard V, Ledoux AA, Tang K, Yeates KO, Brooks BL, Anderson P, Keightley M, Desire N, Beauchamp MH, Zemek R. The association between symptom burden and processing speed and executive functioning at 4 and 12 weeks following pediatric concussion. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38273645 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617724000043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Symptoms and cognition are both utilized as indicators of recovery following pediatric concussion, yet their interrelationship is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate: 1) the association of post-concussion symptom burden and cognitive outcomes (processing speed and executive functioning [EF]) at 4 and 12 weeks after pediatric concussion, and 2) the moderating effect of sex on this association. METHODS This prospective, multicenter cohort study included participants aged 5.00-17.99 years with acute concussion presenting to four Emergency Departments of the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada network. Five processing speed and EF tasks and the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI; symptom burden, defined as the difference between post-injury and retrospective [pre-injury] scores) were administered at 4 and 12 weeks post-concussion. Generalized least squares models were conducted with task performances as dependent variables and PCSI and PCSI*sex interaction as the main predictors, with important pre-injury demographic and injury characteristics as covariates. RESULTS 311 children (65.0% males; median age = 11.92 [IQR = 9.14-14.21 years]) were included in the analysis. After adjusting for covariates, higher symptom burden was associated with lower Backward Digit Span (χ2 = 9.85, p = .043) and Verbal Fluency scores (χ2 = 10.48, p = .033) across time points; these associations were not moderated by sex, ps ≥ .20. Symptom burden was not associated with performance on the Coding, Continuous Performance Test, and Color-Word Interference scores, ps ≥ .17. CONCLUSIONS Higher symptom burden is associated with lower working memory and cognitive flexibility following pediatric concussion, yet these associations were not moderated by sex. Findings may inform concussion management by emphasizing the importance of multifaceted assessments of EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronik Sicard
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Andrée-Anne Ledoux
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ken Tang
- Independent Statistical Consultant, Richmond, BC, Canada
| | - Keith Owen Yeates
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Brian L Brooks
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Neurosciences Program, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Peter Anderson
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Mental Health Neuropsychology Program, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle Keightley
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, TorontoON, Canada
- Departments of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Naddley Desire
- Department of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Miriam H Beauchamp
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Ste-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Roger Zemek
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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van der Horn HJ, Dodd AB, Wick TV, Robertson‐Benta CR, McQuaid JR, Hittson AK, Ling JM, Zotev V, Ryman SG, Erhardt EB, Phillips JP, Campbell RA, Sapien RE, Mayer AR. Neural correlates of cognitive control deficits in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6173-6184. [PMID: 37800467 PMCID: PMC10619369 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of research showing that cerebral pathophysiological processes triggered by pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (pmTBI) may extend beyond the usual clinical recovery timeline. It is paramount to further unravel these processes, because the possible long-term cognitive effects resulting from ongoing secondary injury in the developing brain are not known. In the current fMRI study, neural processes related to cognitive control were studied in 181 patients with pmTBI at sub-acute (SA; ~1 week) and early chronic (EC; ~4 months) stages post-injury. Additionally, a group of 162 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited at equivalent time points. Proactive (post-cue) and reactive (post-probe) cognitive control were examined using a multimodal attention fMRI paradigm for either congruent or incongruent stimuli. To study brain network function, the triple-network model was used, consisting of the executive and salience networks (collectively known as the cognitive control network), and the default mode network. Additionally, whole-brain voxel-wise analyses were performed. Decreased deactivation was found within the default mode network at the EC stage following pmTBI during both proactive and reactive control. Voxel-wise analyses revealed sub-acute hypoactivation of a frontal area of the cognitive control network (left pre-supplementary motor area) during proactive control, with a reversed effect at the EC stage after pmTBI. Similar effects were observed in areas outside of the triple-network during reactive control. Group differences in activation during proactive control were limited to the visual domain, whereas for reactive control findings were more pronounced during the attendance of auditory stimuli. No significant correlations were present between task-related activations and (persistent) post-concussive symptoms. In aggregate, current results show alterations in neural functioning during cognitive control in pmTBI up to 4 months post-injury, regardless of clinical recovery. We propose that subacute decreases in activity reflect a general state of hypo-excitability due to the injury, while early chronic hyperactivation represents a compensatory mechanism to prevent default mode interference and to retain cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Josef M. Ling
- The Mind Research Network/LBERIAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | - Vadim Zotev
- The Mind Research Network/LBERIAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | | | - Erik B. Erhardt
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | | | - Richard A. Campbell
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | - Robert E. Sapien
- Department of Emergency MedicineUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | - Andrew R. Mayer
- The Mind Research Network/LBERIAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
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