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Guo Y, Li Y, Liu F, Lin H, Sun Y, Zhang J, Hong Q, Yao M, Chi X. Association between neural prosody discrimination and language abilities in toddlers: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. BMC Pediatr 2024; 24:449. [PMID: 38997661 PMCID: PMC11241962 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-04889-7] [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: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Language delay affects near- and long-term social communication and learning in toddlers, and, an increasing number of experts pay attention to it. The development of prosody discrimination is one of the earliest stages of language development in which key skills for later stages are mastered. Therefore, analyzing the relationship between brain discrimination of speech prosody and language abilities may provide an objective basis for the diagnosis and intervention of language delay. METHODS In this study, all cases(n = 241) were enrolled from a tertiary women's hospital, from 2021 to 2022. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess children's neural prosody discrimination abilities, and a Chinese communicative development inventory (CCDI) were used to evaluate their language abilities. RESULTS Ninety-eight full-term and 108 preterm toddlers were included in the final analysis in phase I and II studies, respectively. The total CCDI screening abnormality rate was 9.2% for full-term and 34.3% for preterm toddlers. Full-term toddlers showed prosody discrimination ability in all channels except channel 5, while preterm toddlers showed prosody discrimination ability in channel 6 only. Multifactorial logistic regression analyses showed that prosody discrimination of the right angular gyrus (channel 3) had a statistically significant effect on language delay (odd ratio = 0.301, P < 0.05) in full-term toddlers. Random forest (RF) regression model presented that prosody discrimination reflected by channels and brain regions based on fNIRS data was an important parameter for predicting language delay in preterm toddlers, among which the prosody discrimination reflected by the right angular gyrus (channel 4) was the most important parameter. The area under the model Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.687. CONCLUSIONS Neural prosody discrimination ability is positively associated with language development, assessment of brain prosody discrimination abilities through fNIRS could be used as an objective indicator for early identification of children with language delay in the future clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- YanRu Guo
- Children's Healthcare Department, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - YanWei Li
- College of Early Childhood Education, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, China
| | - FuLin Liu
- Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - HuanXi Lin
- Children's Healthcare Department, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - YuYing Sun
- Children's Healthcare Department, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - JiaLin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing, China
| | - Qin Hong
- Children's Healthcare Department, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing, China
| | - MengMeng Yao
- Children's Healthcare Department, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing, China.
| | - Xia Chi
- Children's Healthcare Department, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing Women and Children's Healthcare Hospital), Nanjing, China.
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Stummer S, Reuter C, Czedik-Eysenberg I, Bertsch M, Klebermass-Schrehof K, Mader J, Buchmayer J, Bartha-Doering L, Berger A, Giordano V. "Every breath you take": evaluating sound levels and acoustic characteristics of various neonatal respiratory support and ventilation modalities. Front Pediatr 2024; 12:1379249. [PMID: 38706923 PMCID: PMC11066168 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1379249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Early sensory experiences have a significant impact on the later life of preterm infants. The NICU soundscape is profoundly influenced by various modalities of respiratory support or ventilation, which are often mandatory early in the care. The incubator, believed to shield from external noise, is less effective against noise originating inside. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sound levels and characteristics of frequently used respiratory support and ventilation modalities, taking into consideration the developing auditory system of premature infants. Methods To evaluate sound dynamics inside and outside an incubator during respiratory support/ventilation, experimental recordings were conducted at the Center for Pediatric Simulation Training of the Medical University Vienna. The ventilator used was a FABIAN HFOI®. Results Jet CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure), whether administered via mask or prongs, generates significantly higher sound levels compared to High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and to High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) delivered through an endotracheal tube. Upon evaluating the sound spectrum of jet CPAP support, a spectral peak is observed within the frequency range of 4 to 8 kHz. Notably, this frequency band aligns with the range where the hearing threshold of preterm infants is at its most sensitive. Conclusion Non-invasive HFNC and invasive HFOV generate lower sound levels compared to those produced by jet CPAP systems delivered via masks or prongs. Moreover, HFNC and HFOV show a reduced acoustic presence within the frequency range where the preterm infant's hearing is highly sensitive. Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate that the potential for auditory impairment might be more pronounced in preterm infants who require prolonged use of jet CPAP therapy during their time in the incubator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Stummer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Matthias Bertsch
- Department of Music Physiology, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katrin Klebermass-Schrehof
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Mader
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Buchmayer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergology and Endocrinology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Berger
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vito Giordano
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Filippa M, Benis D, Adam-Darque A, Grandjean D, Hüppi PS. Preterm infants show an atypical processing of the mother's voice. Brain Cogn 2023; 173:106104. [PMID: 37949001 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.106104] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
To understand the consequences of prematurity on language perception, it is fundamental to determine how atypical early sensory experience affects brain development. At term equivalent age, ten preterm and ten full-term newborns underwent high-density EEG during mother or stranger speech presentation, in the forward or backward order. A general group effect terms > preterms is evident in the theta frequency band, in the left temporal area, with preterms showing significant activation for strangers' and terms for the mother's voice. A significant group contrast in the low and high theta in the right temporal regions indicates higher activations for the stranger's voice in preterms. Finally, only full terms presented a late gamma band increase for the maternal voice, indicating a more mature brain response. EEG time-frequency analysis demonstrate that preterm infants are selectively responsive to stranger voices in both temporal hemispheres, and that they lack selective brain responses to their mother's forward voice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Filippa
- Division of Development and Growth, Child and Adolescent Department, Rue Willy-Donzé 1205 Genève, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 101 Genève, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Damien Benis
- Division of Development and Growth, Child and Adolescent Department, Rue Willy-Donzé 1205 Genève, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 101 Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Adam-Darque
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neurorehabilitation, University Hospital of Geneva and University of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Didier Grandjean
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Boulevard Carl-Vogt 101 Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Petra S Hüppi
- Division of Development and Growth, Child and Adolescent Department, Rue Willy-Donzé 1205 Genève, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Berdasco-Muñoz E, Biran V, Nazzi T. Probing the Impact of Prematurity on Segmentation Abilities in the Context of Bilingualism. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040568. [PMID: 37190533 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Infants born prematurely are at a high risk of developing linguistic deficits. In the current study, we compare how full-term and healthy preterm infants without neuro-sensorial impairments segment words from fluent speech, an ability crucial for lexical acquisition. While early word segmentation abilities have been found in monolingual infants, we test here whether it is also the case for French-dominant bilingual infants with varying non-dominant languages. These bilingual infants were tested on their ability to segment monosyllabic French words from French sentences at 6 months of (postnatal) age, an age at which both full-term and preterm monolinguals are able to segment these words. Our results establish the existence of segmentation skills in these infants, with no significant difference in performance between the two maturation groups. Correlation analyses failed to find effects of gestational age in the preterm group, as well as effects of the language dominance within the bilingual groups. These findings indicate that monosyllabic word segmentation, which has been found to emerge by 4 months in monolingual French-learning infants, is a robust ability acquired at an early age even in the context of bilingualism and prematurity. Future studies should further probe segmentation abilities in more extreme conditions, such as in bilinguals tested in their non-dominant language, in preterm infants with medical issues, or testing the segmentation of more complex word structures.
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Bartha-Doering L, Kollndorfer K, Schwartz E, Fischmeister FP, Langs G, Weber M, Lackner-Schmelz S, Kienast P, Stümpflen M, Taymourtash A, Mandl S, Alexopoulos J, Prayer D, Seidl R, Kasprian G. Fetal temporal sulcus depth asymmetry has prognostic value for language development. Commun Biol 2023; 6:109. [PMID: 36707693 PMCID: PMC9883513 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04503-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In most humans, the superior temporal sulcus (STS) shows a rightward depth asymmetry. This asymmetry can not only be observed in adults, but is already recognizable in the fetal brain. As the STS lies adjacent to brain areas important for language, STS depth asymmetry may represent an anatomical marker for language abilities. This study investigated the prognostic value of STS depth asymmetry in healthy fetuses for later language abilities, language localization, and language-related white matter tracts. Less right lateralization of the fetal STS depth was significantly associated with better verbal abilities, with fetal STS depth asymmetry explaining more than 40% of variance in verbal skills 6-13 years later. Furthermore, less right fetal STS depth asymmetry correlated with increased left language localization during childhood. We hypothesize that earlier and/or more localized fetal development of the left temporal cortex is accompanied by an earlier development of the left STS and is favorable for early language learning. If the findings of this pilot study hold true in larger samples of healthy children and in different clinical populations, fetal STS asymmetry has the potential to become a diagnostic biomarker of the maturity and integrity of neural correlates of language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Bartha-Doering
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathrin Kollndorfer
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria ,grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Neuroradiology and Muscoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Schwartz
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Ph.S. Fischmeister
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Neuroradiology and Muscoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria ,grid.5110.50000000121539003Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria ,grid.452216.6BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Georg Langs
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Weber
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Neuroradiology and Muscoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sonja Lackner-Schmelz
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria ,grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Neuroradiology and Muscoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patric Kienast
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Neuroradiology and Muscoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marlene Stümpflen
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Neuroradiology and Muscoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Athena Taymourtash
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sophie Mandl
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johanna Alexopoulos
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria ,grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Prayer
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Neuroradiology and Muscoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Seidl
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Neuroradiology and Muscoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Alexopoulos J, Giordano V, Doering S, Seidl R, Benavides-Varela S, Russwurm M, Greenwood S, Berger A, Bartha-Doering L. Sex differences in neural processing of speech in neonates. Cortex 2022; 157:117-128. [PMID: 36279755 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The large majority of studies shows that girls develop their language skills faster than boys in the first few years of life. Are girls born with this advantage in language development? The present study used fNIRS in neonates to investigate sex differences in neural processing of speech within the first days of life. We found that speech stimuli elicited significantly more brain activity than non-speech stimuli in both groups of male and female neonates. However, whereas girls showed significant HbO changes to speech stimuli only within the left hemisphere, boys exhibited simultaneous neural activations in both hemispheres, with a larger and more significant fronto-temporal cluster in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, in boys, the variation in time-to-peak latencies was considerably greater than in girls. These findings suggest an earlier maturation of language-related brain areas in girls and highlight the importance of sex-specific investigations of neural language networks in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Alexopoulos
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vito Giordano
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephan Doering
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Seidl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvia Benavides-Varela
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization & Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Magdalena Russwurm
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephanie Greenwood
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Berger
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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7
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Giordano V, Alexopoulos J, Spagna A, Benavides-Varela S, Peganc K, Kothgassner OD, Klebermass-Schrehof K, Olischar M, Berger A, Bartha-Doering L. Accent discrimination abilities during the first days of life: An fNIRS study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 223:105039. [PMID: 34678622 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Humans are biologically endowed with the faculty of language. However, the way neonates can crack this complex communicative code is yet not totally understood. While phonetic discrimination has been widely investigated in neonates, less is known about the role of supra-segments patterns in the recognition of native language. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate accent discrimination abilities in newborns in a sentential prosody paradigm. We used near-infared spectroscopy to investigate accent discrimination in 21 full-term born infants within the first days of life. Sentential prosody was used to investigate: (a) native accent, (b) foreign accent, and (c) flattened accent. Neonates revealed a significantly smaller hemodynamic response to native accent compared to flattened accent and foreign accent, respectively. Cluster-based permutation analysis revealed two clusters with a significant difference between the two conditions native accent and foreign accent. The first cluster covered the middle and superior frontal, middle and superior temporal, central, and parietal areas within the left hemisphere. The second cluster, located in the right hemisphere, covered inferior, middle, and superior frontal, central, middle and superior temporal areas. We therefore conclude that neonates can differentiate prosodic features like accents within the same language a few days after birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vito Giordano
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Johanna Alexopoulos
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alfredo Spagna
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, NY 10027, USA
| | - Silvia Benavides-Varela
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization & Department of Neurscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Katja Peganc
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department for Cognitive Science, University of Ljubliana, Faculty of Education, Ljubliana, Slovenia
| | - Oswald D Kothgassner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katrin Klebermass-Schrehof
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Olischar
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Berger
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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