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Fu Z, Sui J, Iraji A, Liu J, Calhoun VD. Cognitive and psychiatric relevance of dynamic functional connectivity states in a large (N > 10,000) children population. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02683-6. [PMID: 39085394 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02683-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Children's brains dynamically adapt to the stimuli from the internal state and the external environment, allowing for changes in cognitive and mental behavior. In this work, we performed a large-scale analysis of dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) in children aged 9~11 years, investigating how brain dynamics relate to cognitive performance and mental health at an early age. A hybrid independent component analysis framework was applied to the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) data containing 10,988 children. We combined a sliding-window approach with k-means clustering to identify five brain states with distinct DFC patterns. Interestingly, the occurrence of a strongly connected state with the most within-network synchrony and the anticorrelations between networks, especially between the sensory networks and between the cerebellum and other networks, was negatively correlated with cognitive performance and positively correlated with dimensional psychopathology in children. Meanwhile, opposite relationships were observed for a DFC state showing integration of sensory networks and antagonism between default-mode and sensorimotor networks but weak segregation of the cerebellum. The mediation analysis further showed that attention problems mediated the effect of DFC states on cognitive performance. This investigation unveils the neurological underpinnings of DFC states, which suggests that tracking the transient dynamic connectivity may help to characterize cognitive and mental problems in children and guide people to provide early intervention to buffer adverse influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zening Fu
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Jing Sui
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Armin Iraji
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jingyu Liu
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Bornstein MH, Mash C, Arterberry ME, Gandjbakhche A, Nguyen T, Esposito G. Visual stimulus structure, visual system neural activity, and visual behavior in young human infants. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302852. [PMID: 38889176 PMCID: PMC11185452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
In visual perception and information processing, a cascade of associations is hypothesized to flow from the structure of the visual stimulus to neural activity along the retinogeniculostriate visual system to behavior and action. Do visual perception and information processing adhere to this cascade near the beginning of life? To date, this three-stage hypothetical cascade has not been comprehensively tested in infants. In two related experiments, we attempted to expose this cascade in 6-month-old infants. Specifically, we presented infants with two levels of visual stimulus intensity, we measured electrical activity at the infant cortex, and we assessed infants' preferential looking behavior. Chromatic saturation provided a convenient stimulus dimension to test the cascade because greater saturation is known to excite increased activity in the primate visual system and is generally hypothesized to stimulate visual preference. Experiment 1 revealed that infants prefer (look longer) at the more saturated of two colors otherwise matched in hue and brightness. Experiment 2 showed increased aggregate neural cortical excitation in infants (and adults) to the more saturated of the same pair of colors. Thus, experiments 1 and 2 taken together confirm a cascade: Visual stimulation of relatively greater intensity evokes relatively greater levels of bioelectrical cortical activity which in turn is associated with relatively greater visual attention. As this cascade obtains near the beginning of life, it helps to account for early visual preferences and visual information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc H. Bornstein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, United Kingdom
- United Nations Children’s Fund, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Clay Mash
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Amir Gandjbakhche
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thien Nguyen
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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3
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Buesa J, Lizaran M, Almansa B, Ghosn F, Campos-Berga L, Hervás D, Andreu J, Sierra P, Livianos L, Vento M, Diago V, García-Blanco A. Understanding the course of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children born after a threatened preterm labor: a 6-year cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2024; 6:101289. [PMID: 38280551 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2024.101289] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent research suggests that children born after suspected preterm labor may observe a potential cluster with different attention deficit hyperactivity disorder features, depending on the time of birth. However, the evolution of symptoms and their predictors remain unknown in this population. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the trajectories of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms of children born after suspected preterm labor, between ages 2 and 6 years, considering prematurity condition and comparing with controls. In addition, this study aimed to find potential modifiable predictors of evolution to enhance prognosis. STUDY DESIGN In this prospective cohort study, 119 mother-child pairs who experienced suspected preterm labor and 60 controls were included. Patients were divided according to prematurity condition in full term (n=27), late preterm (n=55), and very preterm (n=37). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms were assessed at ages 2 and 6 years. The association between potential modifying factors (group, time of assessment, sex, birthweight percentile, maternal history of trauma, maternal anxiety at diagnosis, and maternal anxiety during the children's assessments) and disorder trajectories was assessed by adjusting the Bayesian mixed linear models. All analyses were performed in R (version 4.3.0; R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). RESULTS An interaction emerged between time and group, with late-preterm neonates born after suspected preterm labor being the only group to improve from ages 2 to 6 years (-2.26 points in Conners scale per percentile decrease and 0.98 probability of effect). Another interaction between time and maternal anxiety at postnatal time assessments intensified over time (0.07 and 0.84). Predictors of symptom severity included lower weight percentile at birth (-0.2 and 0.96), male sex (-2.99 and <0.99), higher maternal anxiety at diagnosis (+0.08 and 0.99), and maternal history of trauma (+0.23 and 0.98). CONCLUSION Unlike very-preterm and full-term children, those born late preterm showed an improvement over time, probably because late-preterm children do not carry the sequelae derived from severe prematurity but benefit from close monitoring. As maternal psychopathology emerged as a determinant modifier of course and severity, it is crucial to develop targeted psychological interventions for pregnant individuals and reevaluate monitoring programs for their offspring, regardless of prematurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Buesa
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesas, Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco)
| | - Marta Lizaran
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn and Drs Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco)
| | - Belén Almansa
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn and Drs Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco)
| | - Farah Ghosn
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn and Drs Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco)
| | - Laura Campos-Berga
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesas, Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco)
| | - David Hervás
- Department of Applied Statistics, Operations Research, and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain (Dr Hervás)
| | - Julia Andreu
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesas, Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco)
| | - Pilar Sierra
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesas, Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco); University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn and Drs Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco)
| | - Lorenzo Livianos
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesas, Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco); University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn and Drs Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco)
| | - Máximo Vento
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); Neonatology Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Vento)
| | - Vicente Diago
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain (Dr Diago)
| | - Ana García-Blanco
- Mental Health Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesa, Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn, Drs Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, Vento, and García-Blanco); Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain (Dr Buesas, Campos-Berga, Andreu, Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco); University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (Mses Lizaran, Almansa, and Ghosn and Drs Sierra, Livianos, and García-Blanco).
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4
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Oesch N. Social Brain Perspectives on the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience of Human Language. Brain Sci 2024; 14:166. [PMID: 38391740 PMCID: PMC10886718 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14020166] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Human language and social cognition are two key disciplines that have traditionally been studied as separate domains. Nonetheless, an emerging view suggests an alternative perspective. Drawing on the theoretical underpinnings of the social brain hypothesis (thesis of the evolution of brain size and intelligence), the social complexity hypothesis (thesis of the evolution of communication), and empirical research from comparative animal behavior, human social behavior, language acquisition in children, social cognitive neuroscience, and the cognitive neuroscience of language, it is argued that social cognition and language are two significantly interconnected capacities of the human species. Here, evidence in support of this view reviews (1) recent developmental studies on language learning in infants and young children, pointing to the important crucial benefits associated with social stimulation for youngsters, including the quality and quantity of incoming linguistic information, dyadic infant/child-to-parent non-verbal and verbal interactions, and other important social cues integral for facilitating language learning and social bonding; (2) studies of the adult human brain, suggesting a high degree of specialization for sociolinguistic information processing, memory retrieval, and comprehension, suggesting that the function of these neural areas may connect social cognition with language and social bonding; (3) developmental deficits in language and social cognition, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), illustrating a unique developmental profile, further linking language, social cognition, and social bonding; and (4) neural biomarkers that may help to identify early developmental disorders of language and social cognition. In effect, the social brain and social complexity hypotheses may jointly help to describe how neurotypical children and adults acquire language, why autistic children and adults exhibit simultaneous deficits in language and social cognition, and why nonhuman primates and other organisms with significant computational capacities cannot learn language. But perhaps most critically, the following article argues that this and related research will allow scientists to generate a holistic profile and deeper understanding of the healthy adult social brain while developing more innovative and effective diagnoses, prognoses, and treatments for maladies and deficits also associated with the social brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Oesch
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
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5
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Fu Z, Sui J, Iraji A, Liu J, Calhoun V. Cognitive and Psychiatric Relevance of Dynamic Functional Connectivity States in a Large (N>10,000) Children Population. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3586731. [PMID: 38260417 PMCID: PMC10802706 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3586731/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Children's brains dynamically adapt to the stimuli from the internal state and the external environment, allowing for changes in cognitive and mental behavior. In this work, we performed a large-scale analysis of dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) in children aged 9 ~ 11 years, investigating how brain dynamics relate to cognitive performance and mental health at an early age. A hybrid independent component analysis framework was applied to the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) data containing 10,988 children. We combined a sliding-window approach with k-means clustering to identify five brain states with distinct DFC patterns. Interestingly, the occurrence of a strongly connected state was negatively correlated with cognitive performance and positively correlated with dimensional psychopathology in children. Meanwhile, opposite relationships were observed for a sparsely connected state. The composite cognitive score and the ADHD score were the most significantly correlated with the DFC states. The mediation analysis further showed that attention problems mediated the effect of DFC states on cognitive performance. This investigation unveils the neurological underpinnings of DFC states, which suggests that tracking the transient dynamic connectivity may help to characterize cognitive and mental problems in children and guide people to provide early intervention to buffer adverse influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zening Fu
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University and Georgia State University
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LaTourrette AS, Novack MA, Waxman SR. Longer looks for language: Novel labels lengthen fixation duration for 2-year-old children. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 236:105754. [PMID: 37544069 PMCID: PMC10529313 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105754] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The language infants hear guides their visual attention; infants look more to objects when they are labeled. However, it is unclear whether labels also change the way infants attend to and encode those objects-that is, whether hearing an object label changes infants' online visual processing of that object. Here, we examined this question in the context of novel word learning, asking whether nuanced measures of visual attention, specifically fixation durations, change when 2-year-olds hear a label for a novel object (e.g., "Look at the dax") compared with when they hear a non-labeling phrase (e.g., "Look at that"). Results confirmed that children visually process objects differently when they are labeled, using longer fixations to examine labeled objects versus unlabeled objects. Children also showed robust retention of these labels on a subsequent test trial, suggesting that these longer fixations accompanied successful word learning. Moreover, when children were presented with the same objects again in a silent re-exposure phase, children's fixations were again longer when looking at the previously labeled objects. Finally, fixation duration at first exposure and silent re-exposure were correlated, indicating a persistent effect of language on visual processing. These effects of hearing labels on visual attention point to the critical interactions involved in cross-modal learning and emphasize the benefits of looking beyond aggregate measures of attention to identify cognitive learning mechanisms during infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Miriam A Novack
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Navalón P, Ghosn F, Ferrín M, Almansa B, Moreno-Giménez A, Campos-Berga L, Sahuquillo-Leal R, Diago V, Vento M, García-Blanco A. Temperamental and psychomotor predictors of ADHD symptoms in children born after a threatened preterm labour: a 6-year follow-up study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:2291-2301. [PMID: 36056973 PMCID: PMC10576661 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02073-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Children born after threatened preterm labour (TPL), regardless of whether it ends in preterm birth, may represent an undescribed "ADHD cluster". The aim of this cohort study is to identify early temperament and psychomotor manifestations and risk factors of TPL children who present ADHD symptoms. One hundred and seventeen mother-child pairs were followed from TPL diagnosis until the child's 6 years of life. TPL children were divided according to the prematurity status into three groups: full-term TPL (n = 26), late-preterm TPL (n = 53), and very-preterm TPL (n = 38). A non-TPL group (n = 50) served as control. Temperament and psychomotor development at age 6 months and ADHD symptoms at age 6 years were assessed. Perinatal and psychosocial factors were also recorded. All TPL groups showed higher severity of ADHD symptoms compared with non-TPL children (difference in means + 4.19 for the full-term group, + 3.64 for the late-preterm group, and + 4.99 for the very-preterm group, all ps < 0.021). Concretely, very-preterm and late-preterm TPL children showed higher restless/impulsive behaviours, whereas full-term TPL children showed higher emotional lability behaviours. Higher surgency/extraversion and delayed fine motor skills at age 6 months predicted ADHD symptoms at 6 years in TPL children. Male sex, maternal state anxiety symptoms at TPL diagnosis, low parental education, and past maternal experience of traumatic events predicted higher ADHD symptoms in TPL children. Therefore, TPL children may have a higher risk for developing ADHD symptoms, presenting a phenotype that depends on the prematurity status. Moreover, the specific combination of early manifestations and risk factors suggests that TPL children may conform an undescribed group at-risk of ADHD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Navalón
- Neonatal Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Farah Ghosn
- Neonatal Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maite Ferrín
- Haringey Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service, National Health Service, London, UK
- ReCognition Health, London, UK
| | - Belén Almansa
- Neonatal Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alba Moreno-Giménez
- Neonatal Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Laura Campos-Berga
- Neonatal Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rosa Sahuquillo-Leal
- Department of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Diago
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Máximo Vento
- Neonatal Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain
- Division of Neonatology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana García-Blanco
- Neonatal Research Group, La Fe Health Research Institute, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain.
- Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
- Department of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatments, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
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8
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Joseph HM, Lorenzo NE, Fisher N, Novick DR, Gibson C, Rothenberger SD, Foust JE, Chronis-Tuscano A. Research Review: A systematic review and meta-analysis of infant and toddler temperament as predictors of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:715-735. [PMID: 36599815 PMCID: PMC10404471 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with onset as early as preschool and impairment across the lifespan. Temperament factors, specifically those that theoretically map onto ADHD symptoms, may be early markers of risk for developing later childhood ADHD that could be identifiable in infancy or toddlerhood. This meta-analysis examined the associations between these early temperamental factors and later symptoms and diagnosis of ADHD and mapped early temperament constructs onto the three ADHD symptom dimensions. METHODS A systemic review of the literature was conducted to identify prospective longitudinal studies that included theoretically relevant temperament constructs (sustained attention, activity level, inhibition, and negative emotionality) examined from birth to 36 months old and ADHD (symptoms or diagnosis) in preschool or childhood. The association between each temperament construct and ADHD outcomes was examined using pooled standardized estimates in meta-analyses. RESULTS Forty-eight articles (n = 112,716 infants/toddlers) prospectively examined temperament and the relation to childhood ADHD symptoms or diagnosis. Activity level (k = 18) in infancy and toddlerhood was moderately associated with childhood ADHD (r = .39, CI = 0.27, 0.51, p < .001). Moderate effect sizes were also observed for sustained attention (k = 9; r = -.28, CI = -0.42, -0.12, p < .001) and negative emotionality (k = 33; r = .25, CI = 0.16, 0.34, p < .001) with ADHD. The specificity of each temperament construct for later ADHD symptom dimensions was such that activity level and negative emotionality were predictive of all three symptom dimensions (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and combined), whereas sustained attention was only associated with combined symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Infant and toddler temperament is an early risk factor for the development of childhood ADHD that could be utilized for early intervention identification. Yet, this systematic review found that relatively few prospective longitudinal studies have examined sustained attention (k = 9) and inhibition (k = 15) in infancy and toddlerhood in relation to later ADHD highlighting the need for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole E. Lorenzo
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, MD
- Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC
| | - Nadiyah Fisher
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | - Cassandra Gibson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | - Jill E Foust
- Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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9
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Brown RN, Pascoe L, Treyvaud K, McMahon G, Nguyen TNN, Ellis R, Stedall P, Haebich K, Collins SE, Cheong J, Doyle LW, Thompson DK, Burnett A, Anderson PJ. Early parenting behaviour is associated with complex attention outcomes in middle to late childhood in children born very preterm. Child Neuropsychol 2023; 29:165-182. [PMID: 35549808 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2075334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Attention deficits are common in children born very preterm (VP), especially for children with higher social risk. The aim of this study was to examine the association between parenting behavior and attention in children born VP, and whether this association is influenced by familial social risk. Two hundred and twenty-four children born <30 weeks' gestation and/or with a birth weight <1250 g were recruited at birth. At 2 years, social risk was calculated and parenting behaviors were observed during a parent-child interaction task, with children's attention skills assessed at 7 and 13 years using standardized assessments. Higher levels of sensitive parenting at 2 years were positively associated with divided attention at age 7 years, and higher levels of intrusive parenting were negatively associated with divided attention at 13 years. Children born VP with higher social risk were more positively influenced by sensitive parenting behavior for sustained attention at 7 years, selective attention at 13 years, and divided attention at 7 and 13 years than children born VP with lower social risk. Additionally, children born VP with higher social risk were more negatively influenced by intrusive parenting for sustained attention outcomes at 7 years than those with lower social risk. In summary, the evidence for a contribution of early parenting to attention outcomes in children born VP was stronger for more complex attention (divided attention) compared with basic attention domains. Our findings also suggest that early parenting behavior has a particular influence on children born VP from socially disadvantaged environments for attention outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca N Brown
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leona Pascoe
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karli Treyvaud
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Psychology and Counselling, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Neonatal Services, Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria, Australia
| | - Grace McMahon
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thi-Nhu-Ngoc Nguyen
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rachel Ellis
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paulina Stedall
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kristina Haebich
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simonne E Collins
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeanie Cheong
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia.,Neonatal Services, Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lex W Doyle
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Neonatal Services, Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Deanne K Thompson
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alice Burnett
- Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter J Anderson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
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10
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Kilbride HW, Vohr BR, McGowan EM, Peralta-Carcelen M, Stringer K, Das A, Archer SW, Hintz SR. Early neurodevelopmental follow-up in the NICHD neonatal research network: Advancing neonatal care and outcomes, opportunities for the future. Semin Perinatol 2022; 46:151642. [PMID: 35842320 PMCID: PMC11068160 DOI: 10.1016/j.semperi.2022.151642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
At the inception of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development Neonatal Research Network (NRN), provision of care for extremely preterm (EPT) infants was considered experimental. The NRN Follow-up Study Group, initiated in 1993, developed infrastructure with certification processes and standards, allowing the NRN to assess 2-year outcomes for EPT and to provide important metrics for randomized clinical trials. This chapter will review the NRN Follow-up Study Group's contributions to understanding factors related to improved neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes of EPT infants. We will also discuss follow up challenges, including reassessing which outcomes are most meaningful for parents and investigators. Finally, we will explore how outcome studies have informed clinical decisions and ethical considerations, given limitations of prediction of complex later childhood outcomes from early neurodevelopmental findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard W Kilbride
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy-Kansas City and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2401 Gillham Road, 3rd Floor Annex, Kansas City, MO.
| | - Betty R Vohr
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Elisabeth M McGowan
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and Brown University, Providence, RI
| | | | - Kimberlly Stringer
- Division of Neonatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Abhik Das
- Social, Statistical, and Environmental Sciences Unit, RTI International, Rockville, MD
| | - Stephanie Wilson Archer
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD
| | - Susan R Hintz
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
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11
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Attention and social communication skills of very preterm infants after training attention control: Bayesian analyses of a feasibility study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273767. [PMID: 36137090 PMCID: PMC9499320 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Very preterm (VP) infants (born 28 to <32 weeks of gestation) are at risk of cognitive delays and lower educational attainments. These risks are linked to anomalies in attention and information processing that emerge in the first years of life. Early interventions targeting attention functioning may equip VP infants with key building blocks for later attainments. Methods We tested the feasibility of a randomised trial where VP infants took part in a computerised cognitive procedure to train attention control. Ten healthy VP infants aged approximately 12 months (corrected age) and randomly allocated with 1:1 ratio to the training (interactive computerised presentations) or an active control procedure completed the study. Before and after the training programme, participating infants completed a battery of screen-based attention tests, naturalistic attention and communication tasks, and temperament assessments. In a previous study we analysed the data concerning feasibility (e.g. recruitment and retention). In the paper presented here we considered the infants’ performance and used Bayesian regression in order to provide credible treatment estimates considering the data collected. Results Estimates indicate moderate treatment effects in visual memory: compared to controls, trained infants displayed improvements equivalent to 0.59 SD units. Trained infants also improved in their abilities to attend to less salient stimuli presentations by 0.82 SD units, compared to controls. However, results did not indicate relevant gains in attention habituation or disengagement. We also reported moderate improvements in focused attention during naturalistic tasks, and in directing other people’s attention to shared objects. Discussion The results warrant further investigation concerning the effectiveness of training attention control in VP infants, extending this line of research beyond our small and homogeneous sample of healthy VP infants. This study also emphasises the utility of Bayesian approaches in estimating potentially relevant effects in small samples or exploratory studies. The scope for further research on early attention control training is discussed in light of studies indicating VP children’s susceptibility to positive environmental inputs. Trial registration Registration ID: NCT03896490. Retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials Protocol Registration and Results System (clinicaltrials.gov).
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12
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Shephard E, Zuccolo PF, Idrees I, Godoy PBG, Salomone E, Ferrante C, Sorgato P, Catão LFCC, Goodwin A, Bolton PF, Tye C, Groom MJ, Polanczyk GV. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: The Science of Early-Life Precursors and Interventions for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 61:187-226. [PMID: 33864938 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate which early neurocognitive and behavioral precursors are associated with the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and whether these are currently targeted in early interventions. METHOD We conducted 2 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of empirical studies to examine the following: (1) early-life (0-5 years) neurocognitive and behavioral precursors associated with familial likelihood for ADHD, an early ADHD diagnosis/elevated ADHD symptoms, and/or the presence of later-childhood ADHD; and (2) interventions delivered to children aged 0 to 5 years targeting the identified precursors or measuring these as outcomes. Standardized mean differences (Hedges' g) and pre-post-treatment change scores (SMD) were computed. RESULTS A total of 149 studies (165,095 participants) investigating 8 neurocognitive and behavioral domains met inclusion criteria for part 1. Multi-level random-effects meta-analyses on 136 studies revealed significant associations between ADHD and poorer cognitive (g = -0.46 [95% CIs: -0.59, -0.33]), motor (g = -0.35 [CIs: -0.48, -0.21]) and language (g = -0.43 [CIs: -0.66, -0.19]) development, social (g = 0.23 [CIs: 0.03, 0.43]) and emotional (g = 0.46 [CIs: 0.33, 0.58]) difficulties, early regulatory (g = 0.30 [CIs: 0.18, 0.43]) and sleep (g = 0.29 [CIs: 0.14, 0.44]) problems, sensory atypicalities (g = 0.52 [CIs: 0.16, 0.88]), elevated activity levels (g = 0.54 [CIs: 0.37, 0.72]), and executive function difficulties (g = 0.34 [CIs: 0.05, 0.64] to -0.87 [CIs: -1.35, -0.40]). A total of 32 trials (28 randomized, 4 nonrandomized, 3,848 participants) testing early interventions that targeted the identified precursors met inclusion criteria for part 2. Multi-level random-effects meta-analyses on 22 studies revealed significant intervention-related improvements in ADHD symptoms (SMD = 0.43 [CIs: 0.22, 0.64]) and working memory (SMD = 0.37 [CIs: 0.06, 0.69]). CONCLUSION Children aged 0 to 5 years with current or later-emerging ADHD are likely to experience difficulties in multiple neurocognitive/behavioral functions. Early interventions show some effectiveness in reducing ADHD symptoms, but their effects on neurocognitive/behavioral difficulties require further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Shephard
- Drs. Shephard, Zuccolo, Prof. Polanczyk, Ms. Godoy, and Mr. Catão are with Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; Drs. Shephard, Goodwin, Tye, and Prof. Bolton are with Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Pedro F Zuccolo
- Drs. Shephard, Zuccolo, Prof. Polanczyk, Ms. Godoy, and Mr. Catão are with Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Iman Idrees
- Ms. Idrees and Dr. Groom are with Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Priscilla B G Godoy
- Drs. Shephard, Zuccolo, Prof. Polanczyk, Ms. Godoy, and Mr. Catão are with Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Erica Salomone
- Dr. Salomone and Mss. Ferrante and Sorgato are with the University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy
| | - Camilla Ferrante
- Dr. Salomone and Mss. Ferrante and Sorgato are with the University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy
| | - Paola Sorgato
- Dr. Salomone and Mss. Ferrante and Sorgato are with the University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy
| | - Luís F C C Catão
- Drs. Shephard, Zuccolo, Prof. Polanczyk, Ms. Godoy, and Mr. Catão are with Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amy Goodwin
- Drs. Shephard, Goodwin, Tye, and Prof. Bolton are with Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick F Bolton
- Drs. Shephard, Goodwin, Tye, and Prof. Bolton are with Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, United Kingdom; Prof. Bolton is also with The Maudsley NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in Mental Health, King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte Tye
- Drs. Shephard, Goodwin, Tye, and Prof. Bolton are with Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Madeleine J Groom
- Ms. Idrees and Dr. Groom are with Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Guilherme V Polanczyk
- Drs. Shephard, Zuccolo, Prof. Polanczyk, Ms. Godoy, and Mr. Catão are with Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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Sanchez-Alonso S, Aslin RN. Towards a model of language neurobiology in early development. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 224:105047. [PMID: 34894429 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding language neurobiology in early childhood is essential for characterizing the developmental structural and functional changes that lead to the mature adult language network. In the last two decades, the field of language neurodevelopment has received increasing attention, particularly given the rapid advances in the implementation of neuroimaging techniques and analytic approaches that allow detailed investigations into the developing brain across a variety of cognitive domains. These methodological and analytical advances hold the promise of developing early markers of language outcomes that allow diagnosis and clinical interventions at the earliest stages of development. Here, we argue that findings in language neurobiology need to be integrated within an approach that captures the dynamic nature and inherent variability that characterizes the developing brain and the interplay between behavior and (structural and functional) neural patterns. Accordingly, we describe a framework for understanding language neurobiology in early development, which minimally requires an explicit characterization of the following core domains: i) computations underlying language learning mechanisms, ii) developmental patterns of change across neural and behavioral measures, iii) environmental variables that reinforce language learning (e.g., the social context), and iv) brain maturational constraints for optimal neural plasticity, which determine the infant's sensitivity to learning from the environment. We discuss each of these domains in the context of recent behavioral and neuroimaging findings and consider the need for quantitatively modeling two main sources of variation: individual differences or trait-like patterns of variation and within-subject differences or state-like patterns of variation. The goal is to enable models that allow prediction of language outcomes from neural measures that take into account these two types of variation. Finally, we examine how future methodological approaches would benefit from the inclusion of more ecologically valid paradigms that complement and allow generalization of traditional controlled laboratory methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard N Aslin
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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14
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Tu HF, Skalkidou A, Lindskog M, Gredebäck G. Maternal childhood trauma and perinatal distress are related to infants' focused attention from 6 to 18 months. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24190. [PMID: 34921204 PMCID: PMC8683435 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03568-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal distress is repeatedly reported to have negative impacts on the cognitive development in children and is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder). However, studies examining the associations between maternal distress and the development of attention in infancy are few. This study investigated the longitudinal relationships between maternal distress (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and exposure to childhood trauma) and the development of focused attention in infancy in 118 mother-infant dyads. We found that maternal exposure to non-interpersonal traumatic events in childhood was associated with the less focused attention of the infants to audio-visual stimuli at 6, 10, and 18 months. In addition, exposure to interpersonal traumatic events in childhood was identified as a moderator of the negative effect of maternal anxiety during the 2nd trimester on the development of focused attention in infants. We discuss the possible mechanisms accounting for these cross-generational effects. Our findings underscore the importance of maternal mental health to the development of focused attention in infancy and address the need for early screening of maternal mental health during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsing-Fen Tu
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marcus Lindskog
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gustaf Gredebäck
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden
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15
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Chen CH, Houston DM, Yu C. Parent-Child Joint Behaviors in Novel Object Play Create High-Quality Data for Word Learning. Child Dev 2021; 92:1889-1905. [PMID: 34463350 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This research takes a dyadic approach to study early word learning and focuses on toddlers' (N = 20, age: 17-23 months) information seeking and parents' information providing behaviors and the ways the two are coupled in real-time parent-child interactions. Using head-mounted eye tracking, this study provides the first detailed comparison of children's and their parents' behavioral and attentional patterns in two free-play contexts: one with novel objects with to-be-learned names (Learning condition) and the other with familiar objects with known names (Play condition). Children and parents in the Learning condition modified their individual and joint behaviors when encountering novel objects with to-be-learned names, which created clearer signals that reduced referential ambiguity and potentially facilitated word learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chen Yu
- The University of Texas at Austin
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16
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Bogičević L, Verhoeven M, van Baar AL. Exploring predictors at toddler age of distinct profiles of attentional functioning in 6-year-old children born moderate-to-late preterm and full term. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254797. [PMID: 34324546 PMCID: PMC8320975 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Examining relationships of toddler abilities in attention, cognitive, motor, and language development, and behavioral problems, with distinct attention profiles at 6 years of age in children born moderate-to-late preterm and full term. METHOD Longitudinal study with a cohort of 88 moderate-to-late preterm and 83 full term born children. At 18 months attention abilities were assessed. At 24 months cognitive, motor, and language development was examined and behavioral problems were screened. At 6 years ten measures of attention were administered, which were used to classify children in one of four attentional functioning profiles (normal attention, overall poorer attention, poorer cognitive attention, and behavioral attention problems). Performance at 18 and 24 months was examined in relation to these four distinct attention profiles, as well as in relation to normal (first profile) versus subaverage attention (second, third, and fourth profiles) using multinomial logistic regressions. RESULTS Orienting and alerting attention, and receptive language were related to distinct attention profiles. Specifically, children with an overall poorer attention profile at 6 years were differentiated by lower orienting attention and receptive language scores at toddler age, while those with a poorer cognitive attention profile showed lower early alerting attention at 18 months. Children with a behavioral attention problems profile at 6 years were differentiated by lower orienting attention but higher alerting attention scores at toddler age. Orienting attention and receptive language, but not alerting attention, at toddler age were related to normal versus subaverage attention, with lower scores predicting subaverage attention. CONCLUSIONS Children at risk of poorer attentional functioning at school-age, expressed in distinct attention profiles, already showed differentiated functioning in attention abilities and in language comprehension as toddlers. Distinguishing distinct attention profiles could be important for future research and clinical practice, as is early monitoring of attention and language abilities in children at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilly Bogičević
- Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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17
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Behavioural Measures of Infant Activity but Not Attention Associate with Later Preschool ADHD Traits. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11050524. [PMID: 33919004 PMCID: PMC8143002 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mapping infant neurocognitive differences that precede later ADHD-related behaviours is critical for designing early interventions. In this study, we investigated (1) group differences in a battery of measures assessing aspects of attention and activity level in infants with and without a family history of ADHD or related conditions (ASD), and (2) longitudinal associations between the infant measures and preschool ADHD traits at 3 years. Participants (N = 151) were infants with or without an elevated likelihood for ADHD (due to a family history of ADHD and/or ASD). A multi-method assessment protocol was used to assess infant attention and activity level at 10 months of age that included behavioural, cognitive, physiological and neural measures. Preschool ADHD traits were measured at 3 years of age using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Child Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ). Across a broad range of measures, we found no significant group differences in attention or activity level at 10 months between infants with and without a family history of ADHD or ASD. However, parent and observer ratings of infant activity level at 10 months were positively associated with later preschool ADHD traits at 3 years. Observable behavioural differences in activity level (but not attention) may be apparent from infancy in children who later develop elevated preschool ADHD traits.
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18
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Perra O, Wass S, McNulty A, Sweet D, Papageorgiou KA, Johnston M, Bilello D, Patterson A, Alderdice F. Very preterm infants engage in an intervention to train their control of attention: results from the feasibility study of the Attention Control Training (ACT) randomised trial. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2021; 7:66. [PMID: 33712090 PMCID: PMC7952829 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-021-00809-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Very premature birth (gestational age between 28 and 31 + 6 weeks) is associated with increased risk of cognitive delay and attention deficit disorder, which have been linked to anomalies in the development of executive functions (EFs) and their precursors. In particular, very preterm (VP) infants display anomalies in controlling attention and gathering task-relevant information. Early interventions that support attention control may be pivotal in providing a secure base for VP children’s later attainments. The Attention Control Training (ACT) is a cognitive training intervention that targets infants’ abilities to select visual information according to varying task demands but had not been tested in VP infants. We conducted a feasibility study to test the processes we intend to use in a trial delivering the ACT to VP infants. Methods and design We tested recruitment and retention of VP infants and their families in a randomised trial, as well as acceptability and completion of baseline and outcome measures. To evaluate these aims, we used descriptive quantitative statistics and qualitative methods to analyse feedback from infants’ caregivers. We also investigated the quality of eye-tracking data collected and indicators of infants’ engagement in the training, using descriptive statistics. Results Twelve VP infants were recruited, and 10 (83%) completed the study. Participants’ parents had high education attainment. The rate of completion of baseline and outcome measures was optimal. VP infants demonstrated engagement in the training, completing on average 84 min of training over three visits, and displaying improved performance during this training. Eye-tracking data quality was moderate, but this did not interfere with infants’ engagement in the training. Discussion The results suggest the ACT can be delivered to VP infants. However, challenges remain in recruitment of numerous and diverse samples. We discuss strategies to overcome these challenges informed by results of this study. Trial registration Registered Registration ID: NCT03896490. Retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials Protocol Registration and Results System (clinicaltrials.gov). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-021-00809-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Perra
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK. .,Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Sam Wass
- School of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Alison McNulty
- TinyLife, The Premature Baby Charity for Northern Ireland, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - David Sweet
- Health and Social Care Belfast Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | | | - Matthew Johnston
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.,Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.,School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Delfina Bilello
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.,Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.,School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Aaron Patterson
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Fiona Alderdice
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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19
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Burstein O, Zevin Z, Geva R. Preterm Birth and the Development of Visual Attention During the First 2 Years of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e213687. [PMID: 33783515 PMCID: PMC8010593 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.3687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Preterm birth is associated with an increased risk for long-lasting attention deficits. Early-life markers of attention abnormalities have not been established to date but could provide insights into the pathogenesis of attention abnormalities and could help identify susceptible individuals. Objective To examine whether preterm birth is associated with visual attention impairments in early life, and if so, in which attention functions and at which developmental period during the first 2 years of life. Data Sources PubMed and PsycINFO were searched on November 17, 2019, to identify studies involving visual attention outcomes in infants born preterm vs full term. Study Selection Peer-reviewed studies from the past 50 years met the eligibility criteria if they directly assessed visual attention outcomes until the age of 2 years in generally healthy infants born preterm or full term. The selection process was conducted by 2 independent reviewers. Data Extraction and Synthesis The Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) reporting guideline was followed. Random-effects models were used to determine standardized mean differences. The risk of bias was assessed both within and between studies. Main Outcomes and Measures Five nascent indices of visual attention were analyzed, including very basic functions-namely, the abilities to follow and fixate on visual targets-and more complex functions, such as visual processing (ie, habituation), recognition memory (ie, novelty preference), and the ability to effortfully focus attention for learning. Results A total of 53 studies were included, with 69 effect sizes and assessing a total of 3998 infants (2047 born preterm and 1951 born full term; of the 3376 for whom sex was reported, 1693 [50.1%] were girls). Preterm birth was associated with impairments in various attention indices, including visual-following in infancy (Cohen d, -0.77; 95% CI, -1.23 to -0.31), latency to fixate (Cohen d, -0.18; 95% CI, -0.33 to -0.02), novelty preference (Cohen d, -0.20; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.08), and focused attention (Cohen d, -0.28; 95% CI, -0.45 to -0.11). In the neonatal period, preterm birth was associated with superior visual-following (Cohen d, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.40), possibly owing to the additional extrauterine exposure to sensory stimulation. However, this early association waned rapidly in infancy (Cohen d, -0.77; 95% CI, -1.23 to -0.31). Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that preterm birth is associated with impingements to visual attention development in early life, as manifested in basic and then complex forms of attention. Advancements in neonatal care may underlie improvements found in the current era and accentuate several early protective factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Burstein
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Zipi Zevin
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ronny Geva
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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20
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Lejeune F, Delacroix E, Gentaz E, Berne-Audéoud F, Marcus L, Debillon T. Influence of swaddling on tactile manual learning in preterm infants. Early Hum Dev 2021; 153:105288. [PMID: 33291020 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Swaddling is a well-known technique in developmental care programs as there is some evidence that swaddling is an appropriate stress-reducing method for preterm infants in the NICU. However, no experimental study has investigated the influence of swaddling in a learning context. This study aimed to assess the impact of swaddling on tactile manual abilities in preterm infants. METHODS Two phases were introduced for all infants: habituation (successive presentation of the same object, prism or cylinder in the left hand), followed by discrimination (presentation of a new-shaped object). The infants were assigned to one of the two conditions (swaddled; non-swaddled). RESULTS Forty preterm infants were included (between 28 and 35 weeks' postconceptional age). First, swaddled and non-swaddled infants exhibited similar tactile habituation abilities. However, all infants needed more time and more trials to habituate to the cylinder than to the prism. Second, they all exhibited an effective discrimination, but the importance of the increase in holding time for the new-shaped object varied according to the habituated-shape and the condition. Moreover, stress intensity was higher in non-swaddled infants during tactile exploration. Finally, infants with greater previous swaddling experience during the week preceding the test took more time and more trials to habituate to the object, regardless of the condition. CONCLUSION Swaddling preterm infants during sensory learning did not influence the tactile memorization process but would improve the use of their attentional resources. Swaddling seems to provide favorable conditions for sensory learning by improving attention to tactile stimuli. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial, EMMASENS, has been registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (identifier NCT04315428).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur Lejeune
- Sensorimotor, Affective and Social Development Unit, FPSE, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Elise Delacroix
- Intensive and Regular Neonatal Care Unit, CHRU, Grenoble, France
| | - Edouard Gentaz
- Sensorimotor, Affective and Social Development Unit, FPSE, University of Geneva, Switzerland; CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Leïla Marcus
- Intensive and Regular Neonatal Care Unit, CHRU, Grenoble, France
| | - Thierry Debillon
- Intensive and Regular Neonatal Care Unit, CHRU, Grenoble, France
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21
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Gueron-Sela N, Gordon-Hacker A. Longitudinal Links Between Media Use and Focused Attention Through Toddlerhood: A Cumulative Risk Approach. Front Psychol 2020; 11:569222. [PMID: 33224062 PMCID: PMC7667257 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.569222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies that examined the links between media use and children's attention abilities have yielded inconclusive findings. In the current study, we aimed to move beyond the focus on isolated aspects of media use to a comprehensive assessment of both direct and indirect media use and practices in early childhood. Drawing from the cumulative risk literature, we examined whether cumulative media use is related to children's subsequent attention abilities. Participants were 199 mothers of toddlers (60% male) who completed questionnaires assessing various aspects of children's media use, as well as children's focused attention abilities at three time points: 18 months (T1), 22 months (T2), and 26 months (T3) of age. Cumulative media use scores were computed based on four indicators: (1) child average daily screen time; (2) household background television; (3) maternal use of media to regulate child distress; and (4) maternal use of mobile devices while spending time with the child. An autoregressive cross-lagged (ARCL) path model controlling for child sex, maternal education, and general parenting practices showed that cumulative media use at 18 months negatively predicted children's focused attention at 22 months. Moreover, there was a significant negative indirect effect from cumulative media use at 18 months to focused attention at 26 months via focused attention at 22 months. Finally, the cumulative media index appeared to be a better predictor of focused attention than any of the singular media use indicators. Children's focused attention did not predict subsequent cumulative media use across time, providing no evidence for bidirectional links. Findings suggest that exposure to multiple (rather than single) aspects of media use is related to decreased subsequent focused attention abilities during toddlerhood. Family media plans that designate media-free time and increase parental awareness to media use habits in the household should therefore be encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Gueron-Sela
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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22
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Rocha NACF, Dos Santos Silva FP, Dos Santos MM, Dusing SC. Impact of mother-infant interaction on development during the first year of life: A systematic review. J Child Health Care 2020; 24:365-385. [PMID: 31337225 DOI: 10.1177/1367493519864742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The objectives of this project were to systematically review the impact of mother-infant interaction on the development of infants 12 months or younger and determine factors that mediate this relationship and early development. We systematically reviewed the literature and identified 21 papers which fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria. The majority of the studies found significant association between mother-infant interaction and language, cognition, motor, and social development during the first year of life. Only seven studies assessed motor development and four studies found significant relationship between motor development and mother-infant interaction. Prematurity, infant age, multiples births, maternal anxiety, maternal opioid exposure, history of foster care, and criminal record were the only factors found to mediate the relationship between mother-infant interaction and social, cognitive, and language development. The quality of the interactions between a mother and infant can both positively and negatively influence cognitive, language, and social outcomes during the first year of life. Additional research is needed to determine the influence of mother-infant interaction on motor development. Future research is needed on the efficacy of interventions designed to alter mother-infant interaction with the ultimate goal of achieving positive developmental outcomes during the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira Rocha
- Department of Physical Therapy, Child Development Analysis Laboratory (LADI), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos - SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Pereira Dos Santos Silva
- Department of Physical Therapy, Child Development Analysis Laboratory (LADI), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos - SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana Martins Dos Santos
- Department of Physical Therapy, Child Development Analysis Laboratory (LADI), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos - SP, Brazil
| | - Stacey C Dusing
- Departments of Physical Therapy and Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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23
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Chen CH, Castellanos I, Yu C, Houston DM. Parental Linguistic Input and Its Relation to Toddlers' Visual Attention in Joint Object Play: A Comparison Between Children with Normal Hearing and Children With Hearing Loss. INFANCY 2020; 24:589-612. [PMID: 32677253 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Parent-child interactions are multimodal, often involving coordinated exchanges of visual and auditory information between the two partners. The current work focuses on the effect of children's hearing loss on parent-child interactions when parents and their toddlers jointly played with a set of toy objects. We compared the linguistic input received by toddlers with hearing loss (HL) and their chronological age-matched (CA) and hearing age-matched (HA) normal-hearing peers. Moreover, we used head-mounted eye trackers to examine how different parental linguistic input affected children's visual attention on objects when parents either led or followed children's attention during joint object play. Overall, parents of children with HL provided comparable amount of linguistic input as parents of the two normal-hearing groups. However, the types of linguistic input produced by parents of children with HL were similar to the CA group in some ways and similar to the HA group in other ways. Interestingly, the effects of different types of linguistic input on extending the attention of children with HL qualitatively resembled the patterns seen in the CA group, even though the effects were less pronounced in the HL group. We discuss the implications of these results for our understanding of the reciprocal, dynamic, and multi-factored nature of parent-child interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Hsin Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University
| | - Irina Castellanos
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University.,Nationwide Children's Hospital
| | - Chen Yu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University
| | - Derek M Houston
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University.,Nationwide Children's Hospital
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24
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Jones EJH, Goodwin A, Orekhova E, Charman T, Dawson G, Webb SJ, Johnson MH. Infant EEG theta modulation predicts childhood intelligence. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11232. [PMID: 32641754 PMCID: PMC7343785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67687-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Intellectual functioning is a critical determinant of economic and personal productivity. Identifying early neural predictors of cognitive function in infancy will allow us to map the neurodevelopmental pathways that underpin individual differences in intellect. Here, in three different cohorts we investigate the association between a putative neurophysiological indicator of information encoding (change in frontal theta during a novel video) in infancy and later general cognitive outcome. In a discovery cohort of 12-month-old typically developing infants, we recorded EEG during presentation of dynamic movies of people and objects. Frontal theta power (3-6 Hz) significantly increased during the course of viewing each video. Critically, increase in frontal theta during viewing of a video was associated with a differential response to repetition of that specific video, confirming relation to learning. Further, individual differences in the magnitude of change in frontal theta power were related to concurrent nonverbal cognitive level. We then sought to extend this association in two independent samples enriched for variation in cognitive outcome due to the inclusion of infants at familial risk for autism. We observed similar patterns of theta EEG change at 12 months, and found a predictive relation to verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills measured at 2, 3 and 7 years of age. For the subset of high-risk infants later diagnosed with autism, infant theta EEG explained over 80% of the variance in nonverbal skills at age 3 years. We suggest that EEG theta change in infancy is an excellent candidate predictive biomarker that could yield substantial insight into the mechanisms that underlie individual differences in childhood intelligence, particularly in high risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
| | - A Goodwin
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, Camberwell, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - E Orekhova
- MedTech West and the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academ, The University of Gothenburg, Kungsgatan 12, SE 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden
- MEG Centre, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, 123290, Moscow, Russia
| | - T Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, Camberwell, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - G Dawson
- Duke Centre for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, 4584 White Zone, Duke South, Durham, 27705, NC, USA
| | - S J Webb
- Center On Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, 1701 NE Columbia Rd, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of Washington, 2815 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
- Center On Child Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 2001 Eighth Ave, Suite 400, Seattle, WA, 98121, USA
| | - M H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
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25
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Braithwaite EK, Gui A, Jones EJH. Social attention: What is it, how can we measure it, and what can it tell us about autism and ADHD? PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 254:271-303. [PMID: 32859292 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect 2-10% of children worldwide but are still poorly understood. Prospective studies of infants with an elevated familial likelihood of ASD or ADHD can provide insight into early mechanisms that canalize development down a typical or atypical course. Such work holds potential for earlier identification and intervention to support optimal outcomes in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. Disrupted attention may be involved in developmental trajectories to ASD and ADHD. Specifically, altered attention to social stimuli has been suggested as a possible endophenotype of ASD, lying between genetic factors impacting brain development and later symptoms. Similarly, changes in domain-general aspects of attention are commonly seen in ADHD and emerging evidence suggests these may begin in infancy. Could these patterns point to a common risk factor for both disorders? Or does social attention reflect the activity of a particular network of brain systems that is distinct to those underpinning general attention skills? One challenge to addressing such questions is our lack of understanding of the relation between social and general attention. In this chapter we review evidence from infants with later ASD and ADHD that illuminates this question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor K Braithwaite
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Gui
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
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26
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Clearfield MW. Play for success: A novel intervention to boost visual attention in low-socioeconomic-status infants. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 193:104810. [PMID: 32088602 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.104810] [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: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Developmental differences in visual attention between infants of low and high socioeconomic status (SES) have been observed as early as 6 months of age. These deficits in low-SES infants may compound into the well-known achievement gap when children enter grade school. The current study implemented a novel intervention designed to boost early visual attention. The intervention, called Play for Success, was administered through the Early Head Start home visiting program and required all infants to practice focused attention with a caregiver for 10 min a day every day for 2 weeks. A total of 42 6- to 10-month-old infants were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: Social (unstructured direction), Teach Two (simple structured direction), or Teach Many (more complex structured direction). Infants' focused attention and inattention were tested three times: before the intervention, immediately following the intervention, and again 4 weeks later. The results demonstrated increased focused attention for both Teach Two and Teach Many. These results suggest that Play for Success is a promising new intervention, but only in the conditions that included parental structured direction.
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27
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Perra O, Wass S, McNulty A, Sweet D, Papageorgiou K, Johnston M, Patterson A, Bilello D, Alderdice F. Training attention control of very preterm infants: protocol for a feasibility study of the Attention Control Training (ACT). Pilot Feasibility Stud 2020; 6:17. [PMID: 32055404 PMCID: PMC7008548 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-020-0556-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children born preterm may display cognitive, learning, and behaviour difficulties as they grow up. In particular, very premature birth (gestation age between 28 and less than 32 weeks) may put infants at increased risk of intellectual deficits and attention deficit disorder. Evidence suggests that the basis of these problems may lie in difficulties in the development of executive functions. One of the earliest executive functions to emerge around 1 year of age is the ability to control attention. An eye-tracking-based cognitive training programme to support this emerging ability, the Attention Control Training (ACT), has been developed and tested with typically developing infants. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using the ACT with healthy very preterm (VP) infants when they are 12 months of age (corrected age). The ACT has the potential to address the need for supporting emerging cognitive abilities of VP infants with an early intervention, which may capitalise on infants' neural plasticity. METHODS/DESIGN The feasibility study is designed to investigate whether it is possible to recruit and retain VP infants and their families in a randomised trial that compares attention and social attention of trained infants against those that are exposed to a control procedure. Feasibility issues include the referral/recruitment pathway, attendance, and engagement with testing and training sessions, completion of tasks, retention in the study, acceptability of outcome measures, quality of data collected (particularly, eye-tracking data). The results of the study will inform the development of a larger randomised trial. DISCUSSION Several lines of evidence emphasise the need to support emerging cognitive and learning abilities of preterm infants using early interventions. However, early interventions with preterm infants, and particularly very preterm ones, face difficulties in recruiting and retaining participants. These problems are also augmented by the health vulnerability of this population. This feasibility study will provide the basis for informing the implementation of an early cognitive intervention for very preterm infants. TRIAL REGISTRATION Registered Registration ID: NCT03896490. Retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials Protocol Registration and Results System (clinicaltrials.gov).
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Perra
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland, UK
- Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Sam Wass
- School of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Alison McNulty
- TinyLife, The Premature Baby Charity for Northern Ireland, Belfast, UK
| | - David Sweet
- Health and Social Care Belfast Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Kostas Papageorgiou
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Matthew Johnston
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland, UK
- Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Aaron Patterson
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Delfina Bilello
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland, UK
- Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Fiona Alderdice
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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28
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Hendry A, Johnson MH, Holmboe K. Early Development of Visual Attention: Change, Stability, and Longitudinal Associations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121318-085114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Visual attention is a basic mechanism of information gathering and environment selection and consequently plays a fundamental role in influencing developmental trajectories. Here, we highlight evidence for predictive associations from early visual attention to emotion regulation, executive function, language and broader cognitive ability, mathematics and literacy skills, and neurodevelopmental conditions. Development of visual attention is also multifaceted and nonlinear. In daily life, core functions such as orienting, selective filtering, and processing of visual inputs are intertwined and influenced by many other cognitive components. Furthermore, the demands of an attention task vary according to the experience, motivation, and cognitive and physical constraints of participants, while the mechanisms underlying performance may change with development. Thus, markers of attention may need to be interpreted differently across development and between populations. We summarize research that has combined multiple measurements and techniques to further our understanding of visual attention development and highlight possibilities for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Hendry
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom;,
| | - Mark H. Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Karla Holmboe
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom;,
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Bogičević L, Verhoeven M, van Baar AL. Toddler skills predict moderate-to-late preterm born children's cognition and behaviour at 6 years of age. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223690. [PMID: 31693682 PMCID: PMC6834277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare moderate-to-late preterm born (32-36 weeks' gestation) to full term born (≥37 weeks' gestation) children in cognitive and behavioural functioning at the age of 6 years and assess which toddler skills predict later cognitive and behavioural functioning. DESIGN A prospective longitudinal study with a cohort of 88 moderate-to-late preterm and 83 full term born Dutch children, followed from 18 months to 6 years of age. Orienting, alerting and executive attention skills were assessed at 18 months (corrected for prematurity), and cognitive, motor and language skills (Bayley-III-NL) at 24 months (corrected for prematurity). At 6 years (corrected for prematurity), cognitive (indices of IQ; WPPSI-III-NL) and behavioural functioning (CBCL/6-18) were assessed. Group differences and potential predictors were examined with MANCOVAs and hierarchical regression analyses. RESULTS At 6 years, moderate-to-late preterm born children performed poorer than full term born children on cognitive processing speed, and they showed more behavioural attention problems. Attention problems at 6 years were predicted by poorer orienting attention skills at 18 months, while lower performance IQ was predicted by poorer alerting attention skills at 18 months. Full Scale IQ and Verbal IQ at 6 years were predicted by language skills at 24 months. Moderate-to-late preterm and full term born children showed some differing correlational patterns in the associations between early skills and later functioning, although in further analyses predictors appeared the same for both groups. CONCLUSIONS Moderate-to-late preterm born children show specific vulnerabilities at primary school-age, particularly in cognitive processing speed and behavioural attention problems. Cognitive and behavioural functioning at 6 years can be predicted by differentiated attention skills at 18 months and language skills at 24 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilly Bogičević
- Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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30
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Chen CH, Castellanos I, Yu C, Houston DM. Effects of children's hearing loss on the synchrony between parents' object naming and children's attention. Infant Behav Dev 2019; 57:101322. [PMID: 31102946 PMCID: PMC6856413 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Children's attentional state during parent-child interactions is important for word learning. The current study examines the real-time attentional patterns of toddlers with and without hearing loss (N = 15, age range: 12-37 months) in parent-child interactions. High-density gaze data recorded from head-mounted eye-trackers were used to investigate the synchrony between parents' naming of novel objects and children's sustained attention on the named objects in joint play. Results show that the sheer quantities of parents' naming and children's sustained attention episodes were comparable in children with hearing loss and their peers with normal hearing. However, parents' naming and children's sustained attention episodes were less synchronized in the hearing loss group compared to children with normal hearing. Possible implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Hsin Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, 915 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio 43212, United States.
| | - Irina Castellanos
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, 915 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio 43212, United States; Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Dr, Columbus, Ohio 43205, United States
| | - Chen Yu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Derek M Houston
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, 915 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio 43212, United States; Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Dr, Columbus, Ohio 43205, United States
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31
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Babik I, Cunha AB, Lobo MA. Play with objects in children with arthrogryposis: Effects of intervention with the Playskin Lift™ exoskeletal garment. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2019; 181:393-403. [PMID: 31232529 PMCID: PMC10740315 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Children with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) often exhibit arm movement impairments that can negatively impact activities of daily living, such as reaching, object exploration, object play, and self-care. This study evaluated the effects of intervention involving the Playskin Lift™ (Playskin) exoskeletal garment on arm function during object play for children with AMC. Seventeen children with AMC (5 males; 6-35 months at the beginning of the study) were tested in their homes biweekly with and without the Playskin throughout a 1-month Baseline, 4-month Intervention, and 1-month Post-Intervention. Within sessions (assistive effects), children contacted and manipulated objects more while wearing the Playskin; they also showed greater intensity, complexity, and variability of behaviors performed during free play, as well as increased play space and reduced number of compensatory arm and trunk flings to facilitate reaching. Across time (rehabilitative effects), children significantly improved their visual-manual coupling as well as their ability to lift objects from a surface and to manipulate objects using one hand; in addition, children exhibited greater multimodality, variability, and intensity of their play behaviors. Current results suggest the Playskin Lift™ may serve as an effective assistive and rehabilitative device to improve play for children with arm movement impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Babik
- Department of Psychological Science, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho
| | - Andrea B. Cunha
- Biomechanics & Movement Science Program, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Michele A. Lobo
- Biomechanics & Movement Science Program, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
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Miller NV, Hane AA, Degnan KA, Fox NA, Chronis-Tuscano A. Investigation of a developmental pathway from infant anger reactivity to childhood inhibitory control and ADHD symptoms: interactive effects of early maternal caregiving. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2019; 60:762-772. [PMID: 30908640 PMCID: PMC6594894 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex pathogenesis. Individual differences in temperamental reactivity - in particular, anger reactivity - are predictive of ADHD. The goal of this study was to examine the moderating (maternal caregiving behaviors; MCB) and mediating (inhibitory control) variables of reactivity using a 9-year multimethod prospective longitudinal design. METHODS Participants included 291 children (135 male; 156 female) who participated in a larger study of temperament and social-emotional development. Anger reactivity was assessed by observation of facial anger during an arm restraint task, and MCB were observed during a series of semi-structured mother-infant tasks, both at 9 months of age. Inhibitory control was assessed by performance on a go/no-go task at 5 years of age. ADHD symptoms were assessed by parent and teacher report questionnaires at 7 and 9 years, respectively. RESULTS Anger reactivity and poor inhibitory control were predictive of later ADHD symptoms. Results supported a moderated mediation model, in which the indirect effects of anger reactivity on ADHD symptoms through inhibitory control were conditional on quality of early MCB. Inhibitory control mediated the effect of anger reactivity on ADHD symptoms, but only among children exposed to lower-quality MCB. CONCLUSIONS Infant anger reactivity exerts a direct effect on later ADHD from infancy, suggesting anger reactivity as a very early indicator of ADHD risk. Higher-quality caregiving did not buffer against the direct risk of anger reactivity on ADHD but did buffer against the indirect risk by reducing the negative effect of anger reactivity on inhibitory control. Thus, in the developmental pathway from anger reactivity to ADHD, more sensitive, less intrusive parenting supports the development of protective mechanisms (i.e. inhibitory control) to remediate ADHD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie V. Miller
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - Amie A. Hane
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA
| | - Kathryn A. Degnan
- Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C
| | - Nathan A. Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
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Clearfield MW. Play for Success: An intervention to boost object exploration in infants from low-income households. Infant Behav Dev 2019; 55:112-122. [PMID: 31009861 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Infants from low-income households typically spend less time exploring objects and use less mature strategies when they do explore compared to their higher-income peers (e.g., Clearfield et al., 2014). The current study tested a novel intervention designed to boost early object exploration in infants from low-income households. The intervention, called Play for Success, was administered through the Early Head Start home visiting program, and asked all infants to explore a toy with a caregiver for 10 min a day every day for two weeks. Forty-two 6- to 10-month-old infants were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: Social (unstructured direction), Teach Two (simple structured direction), or Teach Many (complex structured direction). Infants' exploratory behaviors were tested three times: before the intervention, immediately following, and again four weeks later. The results demonstrated that only infants in Teach 2 maintained their level of exploration at both the post-test and 4 weeks later while infants in the other groups showed significant decreases in exploration over time. These results suggest that Play for Success is a promising new intervention, but only in the condition that included repeated simple structured direction.
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Berger SE, Harbourne RT, Arman F, Sonsini J. Balancing act(ion): Attentional and postural control strategies predict extent of infants’ perseveration in a sitting and reaching task. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Yu C, Suanda SH, Smith LB. Infant sustained attention but not joint attention to objects at 9 months predicts vocabulary at 12 and 15 months. Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12735. [PMID: 30255968 PMCID: PMC6918481 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Vocabulary differences early in development are highly predictive of later language learning as well as achievement in school. Early word learning emerges in the context of tightly coupled social interactions between the early learner and a mature partner. In the present study, we develop and apply a novel paradigm-dual head-mounted eye tracking-to record momentary gaze data from both parents and infants during free-flowing toy-play contexts. With fine-grained sequential patterns extracted from continuous gaze streams, we objectively measure both joint attention and sustained attention as parents and 9-month-old infants played with objects and as parents named objects during play. We show that both joint attention and infant sustained attention predicted vocabulary sizes at 12 and 15 months, but infant sustained attention in the context of joint attention, not joint attention itself, is the stronger unique predictor of later vocabulary size. Joint attention may predict word learning because joint attention supports infant attention to the named object.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Program in Cognitive Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Sumarga H. Suanda
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Linda B. Smith
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Program in Cognitive Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
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Peralta-Carcelen M, Schwartz J, Carcelen AC. Behavioral and Socioemotional Development in Preterm Children. Clin Perinatol 2018; 45:529-546. [PMID: 30144853 DOI: 10.1016/j.clp.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Prematurity is a significant risk factor for impaired neurodevelopmental outcomes. These include motor, cognitive, language, behavioral, and socioemotional competence. Long-term overall function depends on healthy socioemotional functioning. The vulnerability of the preterm brain during critical periods of development contributes to behavioral and socioemotional problems in preterm children. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) clinical features are more frequent in preterm children compared with their full-term counterparts; however, true rates of ASD and ADHD vary across studies. Early detection of behavioral and socioemotional problems in preterm children would enable timely early intervention to improve long-term functional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Peralta-Carcelen
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dearth Tower Suite 5602, McWane. 1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233-1711, USA.
| | - Justin Schwartz
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dearth Tower Suite 5602, McWane. 1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233-1711, USA
| | - Andrea C Carcelen
- International Health Department, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Room 5517, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Carvalho PF, Vales C, Fausey CM, Smith LB. Novel names extend for how long preschool children sample visual information. J Exp Child Psychol 2018; 168:1-18. [PMID: 29287205 PMCID: PMC5805614 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Known words can guide visual attention, affecting how information is sampled. How do novel words, those that do not provide any top-down information, affect preschoolers' visual sampling in a conceptual task? We proposed that novel names can also change visual sampling by influencing how long children look. We investigated this possibility by analyzing how children sample visual information when they hear a sentence with a novel name versus without a novel name. Children completed a match-to-sample task while their moment-to-moment eye movements were recorded using eye-tracking technology. Our analyses were designed to provide specific information on the properties of visual sampling that novel names may change. Overall, we found that novel words prolonged the duration of each sampling event but did not affect sampling allocation (which objects children looked at) or sampling organization (how children transitioned from one object to the next). These results demonstrate that novel words change one important dynamic property of gaze: Novel words can entrain the cognitive system toward longer periods of sustained attention early in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo F Carvalho
- Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Catarina Vales
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Caitlin M Fausey
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Linda B Smith
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Visual attention control differences in 12-month-old preterm infants. Infant Behav Dev 2018; 50:180-188. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Provenzi L, Fumagalli M, Bernasconi F, Sirgiovanni I, Morandi F, Borgatti R, Montirosso R. Very Preterm and Full-Term Infants’ Response to Socio-Emotional Stress: The Role of Postnatal Maternal Bonding. INFANCY 2016; 22:695-712. [DOI: 10.1111/infa.12175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Livio Provenzi
- 0-3 Centre for the at-Risk Infant; Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea
| | - Monica Fumagalli
- NICU, Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences; University of Milan; Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda
| | | | - Ida Sirgiovanni
- NICU, Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences; University of Milan; Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda
| | | | - Renato Borgatti
- Neuropsychiatry and Neurorehabilitation Unit; Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea
| | - Rosario Montirosso
- 0-3 Centre for the at-Risk Infant; Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea
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Executive function in the first three years of life: Precursors, predictors and patterns. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Libertus K, Joh AS, Needham AW. Motor training at 3 months affects object exploration 12 months later. Dev Sci 2016; 19:1058-1066. [PMID: 26689742 PMCID: PMC4916043 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The development of new motor skills alters how infants interact with objects and people. Consequently, it has been suggested that motor skills may initiate a cascade of events influencing subsequent development. However, only correlational evidence for this assumption has been obtained thus far. The current study addressed this question experimentally by systematically varying reaching experiences in 40 three-month-old infants who were not reaching on their own yet and examining their object engagement in a longitudinal follow-up assessment 12 months later. Results revealed increased object exploration and attention focusing skills in 15-month-old infants who experienced active reaching at 3 months of age compared to untrained infants or infants who only passively experienced reaching. Further, grasping activity after - but not before - reaching training predicted infants' object exploration 12 months later. These findings provide evidence for the long-term effects of reaching experiences and illustrate the cascading effects initiated by early motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Libertus
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, USA.
| | - Amy S Joh
- Department of Psychology, Seton Hall University, USA
| | - Amy Work Needham
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, USA
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Shisler S, Eiden RD, Molnar DS, Schuetze P, Coles CD, Huestis M, Colder CR. Effects of fetal tobacco exposure on focused attention in infancy. Infant Behav Dev 2016; 45:1-10. [PMID: 27543942 PMCID: PMC6191843 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the association between fetal tobacco exposure (FTE) and focused attention at 9 months of child age, and the role of child sex and infant behavioral reactivity as potential moderators of this association. Data were obtained from 203 mothers and their infants (105 fetally exposed and 98 non-exposed) on infant focused attention and behavioral reactivity to a frustration task. FTE was ascertained via nicotine metabolites in infant meconium, reflecting primarily third trimester fetal exposure. Results demonstrated a main effect of FTE on focused attention, such that exposed infants exhibited lower levels of focused attention than non-exposed infants. Behavioral reactivity, but not infant sex, moderated the relationship between FTE and focused attention, such that exposed infants who were highly reactive to frustration had the lowest levels of focused attention. Results suggest that smoking interventions, even in the third trimester, may have a positive impact on attentional outcomes for infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Shisler
- Research Institute on Addictions, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, United States.
| | - Rina D Eiden
- Research Institute on Addictions, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, United States.
| | - Danielle S Molnar
- Research Institute on Addictions, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, United States.
| | - Pamela Schuetze
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222-1095, United States.
| | - Claire D Coles
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, Emory University, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.
| | - Marilyn Huestis
- Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, IRP, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Biomedical Research Center, Suite 200 Room 05A-721, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States.
| | - Craig R Colder
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 227 Park Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States.
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Sleep and Self-Regulation from Birth to 7 Years: A Retrospective Study of Children with and Without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at 8 to 9 Years. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2016; 37:385-94. [PMID: 26982247 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000000281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine mean level differences and longitudinal and reciprocal relations among behavioral sleep problems, emotional dysregulation, and attentional regulation across early childhood for children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at 8 to 9 years. METHOD This study used data from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)-Infant Cohort (n = 4,109 analyzed). Children with and without ADHD were identified at age 8 to 9 years via parent report of ADHD diagnosis and the 5-item Inattention-Hyperactivity subscale from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Maternal report of child sleep problems and self-regulation was collected at 0 to 1, 2 to 3, 4 to 5, and 6 to 7 years of age. Analysis of variance was used to compare mean level differences in sleep problems and emotional and attentional regulation by ADHD group. Longitudinal structural equation modeling examined the relations among sleep and self-regulation across time in children with and without ADHD. RESULTS Children with ADHD had persistently elevated levels of sleep problems (from infancy) and emotional and attentional dysregulation compared to controls (from 2 to 3 years of age). Sleep problems, emotional dysregulation, and attentional regulation were stable over time for both groups. Sleep problems were associated with greater emotional dysregulation 2 years later from 2 to 3 years of age for both groups, which in turn was associated with poorer attentional regulation. There was no direct relationship between sleep problems and later attentional regulation. CONCLUSION Sleep problems in children with and without ADHD are associated with emotional dysregulation, which in turn contributes to poorer attentional functioning. This study highlights the importance of assessing and managing sleep problems in young children.
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de Barbaro K, Clackson K, Wass S. Stress reactivity speeds basic encoding processes in infants. Dev Psychobiol 2016; 58:546-55. [PMID: 26989999 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Acute stress attenuates frontal lobe functioning and increases distractibility while enhancing subcortical processes in both human and nonhuman animals (reviewed by Arnsten [2009] Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6):410-422). To date however these relations have not been examined for their potential effects in developing populations. Here, we examined the relationship between stress reactivity (infants' heart rate response to watching videos of another child crying) and infant performance on measures of looking duration and visual recognition memory. Our findings indicate that infants with increased stress reactivity showed shorter look durations and more novelty preference. Thus, stress appears to lead to a faster, more stimulus-ready attentional profile in infants. Additional work is required to assess potential negative consequences of stimulus-responsivity, such as decreased focus or distractibility. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58: 546-555, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaya de Barbaro
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. .,Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Kaili Clackson
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sam Wass
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK
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Delane L, Campbell C, Bayliss DM, Reid C, Stephens A, French N, Anderson M. Poorer divided attention in children born very preterm can be explained by difficulty with each component task, not the executive requirement to dual-task. Child Neuropsychol 2016; 23:510-522. [PMID: 26956776 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2016.1150445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Children born very preterm (VP, ≤ 32 weeks) exhibit poor performance on tasks of executive functioning. However, it is largely unknown whether this reflects the cumulative impact of non-executive deficits or a separable impairment in executive-level abilities. A dual-task paradigm was used in the current study to differentiate the executive processes involved in performing two simple attention tasks simultaneously. The executive-level contribution to performance was indexed by the within-subject cost incurred to single-task performance under dual-task conditions, termed dual-task cost. The participants included 77 VP children (mean age: 7.17 years) and 74 peer controls (mean age: 7.16 years) who completed Sky Search (selective attention), Score (sustained attention) and Sky Search DT (divided attention) from the Test of Everyday Attention for Children. The divided-attention task requires the simultaneous performance of the selective- and sustained-attention tasks. The VP group exhibited poorer performance on the selective- and divided-attention tasks, and showed a strong trend toward poorer performance on the sustained-attention task. However, there were no significant group differences in dual-task cost. These results suggest a cumulative impact of vulnerable lower-level cognitive processes on dual-tasking or divided attention in VP children, and fail to support the hypothesis that VP children show a separable impairment in executive-level abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Delane
- a Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology , The University of Western Australia , Perth , Crawley , Australia
| | - Catherine Campbell
- b Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, School of Paediatrics and Child Health , The University of Western Australia , Perth , Crawley , Australia.,c Neonatal Clinical Care Unit , King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco , Perth , Subiaco , Australia
| | - Donna M Bayliss
- a Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology , The University of Western Australia , Perth , Crawley , Australia
| | - Corinne Reid
- d School of Psychology and Exercise Science , Murdoch University , Perth , Murdoch , Australia
| | - Amelia Stephens
- a Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology , The University of Western Australia , Perth , Crawley , Australia
| | - Noel French
- b Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, School of Paediatrics and Child Health , The University of Western Australia , Perth , Crawley , Australia.,c Neonatal Clinical Care Unit , King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco , Perth , Subiaco , Australia
| | - Mike Anderson
- d School of Psychology and Exercise Science , Murdoch University , Perth , Murdoch , Australia
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Children with sleep disorders tend to experience attention problems, yet little is known about the relationship between sleep and attention in early development. This prospective follow-up study investigated the longitudinal relationships between neonatal sleep, attention, and distraction in infants born preterm. METHOD We used actigraphy and sleep-wake diaries in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU, N = 65), attention orienting in a visual-recognition-memory task (VRM) at age 4 months, and structured observation of attention and distractibility at age 18 months. RESULTS Infants with poorer neonatal sleep (n = 31) exhibited longer first gaze durations in the VRM at 4 months and longer distraction episodes at 18 months relative to neonatal controls who slept well (p < .01). Hierarchical regression models support relations between neonatal sleep and gaze behavior at 4 months and distractibility at 18 months; moreover, alterations in orienting attention at 4 months predicted the likelihood of being distracted during the second year of life. CONCLUSION Findings underscore the importance of early sleep-wake and attention regulation in the development of distraction in infants born preterm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronny Geva
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Hagit Yaron
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Trueswell JC, Lin Y, Armstrong B, Cartmill EA, Goldin-Meadow S, Gleitman LR. Perceiving referential intent: Dynamics of reference in natural parent-child interactions. Cognition 2016; 148:117-35. [PMID: 26775159 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2015.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2014] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Two studies are presented which examined the temporal dynamics of the social-attentive behaviors that co-occur with referent identification during natural parent-child interactions in the home. Study 1 focused on 6.2 h of videos of 56 parents interacting during everyday activities with their 14-18 month-olds, during which parents uttered common nouns as parts of spontaneously occurring utterances. Trained coders recorded, on a second-by-second basis, parent and child attentional behaviors relevant to reference in the period (40 s) immediately surrounding parental naming. The referential transparency of each interaction was independently assessed by having naïve adult participants guess what word the parent had uttered in these video segments, but with the audio turned off, forcing them to use only non-linguistic evidence available in the ongoing stream of events. We found a great deal of ambiguity in the input along with a few potent moments of word-referent transparency; these transparent moments have a particular temporal signature with respect to parent and child attentive behavior: it was the object's appearance and/or the fact that it captured parent/child attention at the moment the word was uttered, not the presence of the object throughout the video, that predicted observers' accuracy. Study 2 experimentally investigated the precision of the timing relation, and whether it has an effect on observer accuracy, by disrupting the timing between when the word was uttered and the behaviors present in the videos as they were originally recorded. Disrupting timing by only ±1 to 2 s reduced participant confidence and significantly decreased their accuracy in word identification. The results enhance an expanding literature on how dyadic attentional factors can influence early vocabulary growth. By hypothesis, this kind of time-sensitive data-selection process operates as a filter on input, removing many extraneous and ill-supported word-meaning hypotheses from consideration during children's early vocabulary learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yi Lin
- University of Pennsylvania, United States
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Babik I, Kokkoni E, Cunha AB, Galloway JC, Rahman T, Lobo MA. Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Novel Exoskeleton for an Infant With Arm Movement Impairments. Pediatr Phys Ther 2016; 28:338-46. [PMID: 27341584 PMCID: PMC4922496 DOI: 10.1097/pep.0000000000000271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine whether a novel exoskeletal device (Pediatric-Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton [P-WREX]) is feasible and effective for intervention to improve reaching and object interaction for an infant with arm movement impairments. METHODS An 8-month old infant with arthrogryposis was followed up every 2 weeks during a 1-month baseline, 3-month intervention, and 1-month postintervention. At each visit, reaching and looking behaviors were assessed. RESULTS Within sessions, the infant spent more time contacting objects across a larger space, contacting objects with both hands, and looking at objects when wearing the P-WREX. Throughout intervention, the infant increased time contacting objects both with and without the device and increased bilateral active shoulder flexion. CONCLUSIONS (1) It may be feasible for families to use exoskeletons for daily intervention, (2) exoskeletons facilitate immediate improvements in function for infants with impaired upper extremity mobility, and (3) interventions using exoskeletons can improve independent upper extremity function across time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Babik
- Department of Physical Therapy (Dr Babik, Ms. Kokkoni, Drs Galloway, and Lobo) University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Elena Kokkoni
- Department of Physical Therapy (Dr Babik, Ms. Kokkoni, Drs Galloway, and Lobo) University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Andrea B. Cunha
- Department of Physical Therapy (Dr Cunha), Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - James Cole Galloway
- Department of Physical Therapy (Dr Babik, Ms. Kokkoni, Drs Galloway, and Lobo) University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Tariq Rahman
- Department of Biomedical Research (Dr Rahman), Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Michele A. Lobo
- Department of Physical Therapy (Dr Babik, Ms. Kokkoni, Drs Galloway, and Lobo) University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonates cared for in neonatal intensive care units are exposed to many painful and stressful procedures that, cumulatively, could impact later neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, a systematic analysis of these effects is yet to be reported. OBJECTIVES The aim of this research was to review empirical studies examining the association between early neonatal pain experiences of preterm infants and the subsequent developmental outcomes of these children across different ages. METHODS The literature search was performed using the PubMed, PsycINFO, Lilacs, and SciELO databases and included the following key words: "pain," "preterm," and "development." In addition, a complementary search was performed in online journals that published pain and developmental studies to ensure all of the target studies had been found. The data were extracted according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS Thirteen studies were analyzed. In infants born extremely preterm (gestational age ≤29 wk) greater numbers of painful procedures were associated with delayed postnatal growth, with poor early neurodevelopment, high cortical activation, and with altered brain development. In toddlers born very preterm (gestational age ≤32 wk) biobehavioral pain reactivity-recovery scores were associated with negative affectivity temperament. Furthermore, greater numbers of neonatal painful experiences were associated with a poor quality of cognitive and motor development at 1 year of age and changes in cortical rhythmicity and cortical thickness in children at 7 years of age. CONCLUSIONS For infants born preterm, neonatal pain-related stress was associated with alterations in both early and in later developmental outcomes. Few longitudinal studies examined the impact of neonatal pain in the long-term development of children born preterm.
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