Adolescents’ Digital activity and its Correlation with Cognitive-Emotional Features, School Performance, and Social and Age Factors: Cross-Sectional Study

Background. The study of digital activity correlation with cognitive-emotional features, as well as with other parameters of adolescents’ life-activity in non-capital regions of Russian Federation remains relevant.

Objective. The aim of the study is to analyze the digital activity structure in adolescents and its correlation with cognitive-emotional features, school performance and social and age factors.

Methods. Participants are secondary school students of the 8th–11th grades. Digital activity was examined via online survey among adolescents. We took into account the use of social media, information search, watching videos on the Internet, using of messengers, playing games with electronic devices. Cognitive features (memory, thinking, executive functions, sensory information procession, reading and speech, understanding of emotions, decision-making) and emotional state of adolescents (anxiety) were evaluated by clinical psychologists via various tests. School performance was determined by the recent results of the school quarters/semester finished by the time of the survey. Social and age factors included regular out-of-school physical activity and family structure (complete/ incomplete).

Results. We have examined 438 teenagers. 53 (12%) respondents spend more than 5 hours a day with digital devices on weekdays, 133 (30%) — on weekends, 147 (34%) — during the holidays. Structure of digital activity during weekdays (≥ 1 hour) among adolescents was the following: activity in social media prevailed (63.5% of respondents), fewer teenagers searched for information or watched videos on the Internet (47.3 and 42.9%, respectively), about a third (34.9%) played via electronic devices. Structure of digital activity changed over the weekend and during the holidays. We have revealed differences between the information search activity and the volume of short-time memory, understanding the verbal messages, and verbal-logical operations level. Adolescents with different levels of computer gaming activity have shown diversity in sensomotor reaction speed, visuospatial memorization accuracy, number of errors in high-speed reading, reading pace, and understanding text basic meaning.

Conclusion. The greater time of digital activity among 8th–11th grades students is associated with negative results of cognitive activity and school performance.

Levels of Neurospecific Peptides, Neurotransmitters and Neuroreceptor Markers in the Serum of Children with Various Sensory Disorders, Mild Cognitive Impairments and Other Neuropathology

Background. The role of recently discovered neurospecific peptides in the pathogenesis of acute and progressive neurologic disorders, their neuroprotective features, and possibilities to use them as markers for the course and prognosis of certain diseases have been actively studied in recent decades. However, neurospecific peptides are almost not studied in chronic residual diseases. In our study we measured the levels of neurospecific peptides and some other markers to achieve understanding of general neurophysiological trends in congenital and acquired chronic non-progressive brain pathology with reference to the selection of relevant groups — study objects. Objective. The aim of the study is to study patterns of neurospecific peptides, neurotransmitters and neuroreceptor markers distribution in the serum of children with various pathogenetic variants of chronic neuropathology. Methods. The study included children from 3 to 16 years old with different pathologies. The sample was divided into groups by pathology type: no sensory and neurological disorders, congenital sensory deficit due to mutation of genes expressed and not expressed in the brain, early acquired sensory deficit of multifactorial nature, congenital mild and severe organic disorders of central nervous system (CNS) in residual stage without baseline sensory deficit, acquired functional CNS disorders without baseline organic defect and sensory deficit. The following laboratory data (neurophysiological components) was studied: nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotropic factor, neurotrophin-3, neurotrophin-4, neuregulin-1-beta-1, beta-secretase, sirtuin-1, synaptophysin, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, and anti-NR2 glutamate receptor antibodies. The parameters of cognitive activity, sense of vision, sense of smell, and acoustic sense were also evaluated. Results. The study included 274 participants. Neuropeptides and markers have shown a variable degree and range in the group spectrum of differences from normal levels. The most variable in the examined sample was NO-synthase, as well as levels of both neurotrophins, beta-secretase, and glutamate receptor marker. All visual deficits were associated with increased NO-synthase levels (p < 0.001). Neuroplasticity peptides (beta-secretase, neurotrophin-3 and 4) have been activated in all pathological conditions. Nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotropic factor were specifically activated in mild organic CNS lesions (mild cognitive impairments), while neuregulin — in congenital genetically determined visual deficits. There was no specific activation of neuropeptides and NO-synthase level tended to decrease in cases of severe CNS lesions. Conclusion. The study results suggest that all types of early visual impairment are associated with increased physiological neuronal activity, and non-organic neurological functional disorders — mainly with increased physiological synaptic activity. General neuroplasticity processes were activated in all cases of visual deficits but more specific. However, more specific and well-studied processes were activated in mild organic CNS lesions, and neuroplasticity processes did not activate adequately in severe organic CNS lesions probably due to the limited neuronal and synaptic resources.

Complex Approach to the Diagnosis of Children with Nasal and Nasopharyngeal Pathology. Key Results

Background. Nasal and nasopharyngeal pathology is one of the most important and widespread challenge in pediatrics and pediatric otorhinolaryngology. Prolonged nasal breathing difficulty can be caused by various diseases and their combinations. It requires multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis with the involvement of modern examination methods and pathogenetic treatment. Objective. The aim of the study is to develop complex technology for the management of children with nasal and nasopharyngeal pathologies. Methods. The study included 240 children aged from 6 to 18 years. All patients were divided into 3 groups, comparable by sex and age: Group 1 — 85 patients with confirmed ENT-organ disease, Group 2 — 104 patients with confirmed allergic disease, control group — 51 somatically healthy patients who did not have any ENT-organ or allergic diseases. Examination procedures: diagnostic nasopharyngeal endoscopy, rhinomanometry (RMM), rhinoresistometry (RRM), olfactometry. Results. The obtained results (RRM, RMM) have shown that air flow rate in nasal cavity increased due to nasal resistance decrease. Nasal resistance was higher and air flow rate was lower in all children with various ENT-organs or allergic diseases compared to the control group. Nasal resistance decreased in all study groups (significantly in children with aggravation of allergic diseases of airways and ENT-organs diseases) as well as air flow rate increased in all study groups (significantly in Group 1 and 2) after anemisation of nasal mucosa with decongestants. Apparently, it can be associated not only with anatomical features (nasal septum deviation), but also with inflammatory features of nasal cavity and nasopharynx (adenoid hypertrophy and inflammation, persistent swelling of nasal mucosa at allergic rhinitis). We would like to present the algorithm for diagnosis of children with nasal and nasopharyngeal pathologies according to the study results. The following practical guidelines have been proposed: 1) all patients with complaints on prolonged nasal breathing difficulties require not only otorhinolaryngologist examination, but also diagnostic endoscopy of nasal cavity and nasopharynx; 2) in case of nasal septum deviation and complaints on prolonged nasal breathing difficulties, it is necessary to perform functional methods for nasal breathing evaluating (RRM, RMM) to choose adequate treatment method; 3) the use of RRM, RMM would help to choose the optimal treatment approach in children with complaints on prolonged nasal breathing difficulties and confirmed diagnosis of allergic disease (allergic rhinitis, hay fever, etc.), also associated with adenoid hypertrophy and/or nasal cavity and nasopharynx inflammatory diseases; 4) all patients with confirmed chronic diseases of ENT-organs should be examined by allergist, and, if necessary, should undergo comprehensive allergological examination. Conclusion. The developed complex approach to the management of children with nasal cavity and nasopharynx pathology is innovative and represents the technology of personalized use of modern, objective methods for diagnosing the nasal cavity and nasopharynx state. The presented diagnostic algorithm and practical guidelines allow us to establish diagnosis and choose the treatment tactics within a short time. The use of these studies in clinical practice will allow to monitor the therapy efficacy (including various pharmacotherapeutic strategies) for nasal cavity and nasopharynx diseases in children. Timely examination and pathogenetic treatment will allow to prevent the chronization of pathological process in ENT-organs. This is especially crucial in childhood as it provides children with the best chance of healthy growth and development.

Management of Children with Speech Disorders via Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Non-Randomized Controlled Study

Background. Speech development impairment is urgent and common problem in pediatric neurology. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is one of the promising treatment variants for children with speech disorders. Objective. The aim of the study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of the developed approaches to TMS usage in the management of children with speech disorders. Methods. It was non-randomized controlled study. It included 46 children with speech disorders aged from 3 to 6.5 years. All children were divided into two groups comparable by gender and age: 26 children of the treatment group received TMS course, 20 children of the control group received treatment with hopantenic acid. All patients with speech disorders underwent psychological and pedagogical evaluation of speech and cognitive development, electroencephalography (EEG) before and after treatment. Moreover, comparative analysis of TMS and nootropic therapy efficacy was carried out. Specialized examination of speech and cognitive development was also performed via E.A. Strebeleva method for psychological and pedagogical diagnosis of children development. Furthermore, we carried out side reactions / adverse events registration according to patients and/or their parents complaints confirmed by physical examination, patient’s behavior observation, data from specially developed questionnaire for assessing child’s behavior and well-being (filled up by parents). Finally, we evaluated brain bioelectric activity recorded by EEG. Results. The study results have shown that it is possible to achieve significant positive dynamics in cognitive and speech development in preschool children with speech disorders in both groups (TMS course and medical treatment). But hereby, TMS treatment has demonstrated significantly higher positive dynamics in two out of the three evaluated parameters. There were no cases of adverse events in TMS group leading to early course discontinuation. Conclusion. TMS is non-invasive and safe method for treatment of children with speech disorders. This study has demonstrated the efficacy of the method in the field of personalized management of children with impaired speech and cognitive development.

Clinical Features and Management of the Disease Caused by New Coronaviral Infection (COVID-19) in Children. Version 2

The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation jointly with professional association and experts in the field of pediatrics, infectious diseases and resuscitation has revised guidelines “Clinical Features and Management of the Disease Caused by New Coronaviral Infection (COVID-19) in Children” in order to provide the child population with effective medical care during the pandemic of the new coronaviral infection. The practical experience of specialists from various countries was considered during the development of this document. Special attention should be given to the evidence base of the presented data, as well as to the efficiency and safety issues of medications used in treatment of coronaviral infection and its complications. The authors highlight the problems of prevention, diagnostics and management of pathological conditions caused by COVID-19 in the article according to the presented guidelines. Patient’s management is presented depending on the age and severity of the disease itself. The therapy is considered with regard to etiological, pathogenetic and symptom focus.

ENIGMA and global neuroscience: A decade of large-scale studies of the brain in health and disease across more than 40 countries

This review summarizes the last decade of work by the ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) Consortium, a global alliance of over 1400 scientists across 43 countries, studying the human brain in health and disease. Building on large-scale genetic studies that discovered the first robustly replicated genetic loci associated with brain metrics, ENIGMA has diversified into over 50 working groups (WGs), pooling worldwide data and expertise to answer fundamental questions in neuroscience, psychiatry, neurology, and genetics. Most ENIGMA WGs focus on specific psychiatric and neurological conditions, other WGs study normal variation due to sex and gender differences, or development and aging; still other WGs develop methodological pipelines and tools to facilitate harmonized analyses of "big data" (i.e., genetic and epigenetic data, multimodal MRI, and electroencephalography data). These international efforts have yielded the largest neuroimaging studies to date in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. More recent ENIGMA WGs have formed to study anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts and behavior, sleep and insomnia, eating disorders, irritability, brain injury, antisocial personality and conduct disorder, and dissociative identity disorder. Here, we summarize the first decade of ENIGMA's activities and ongoing projects, and describe the successes and challenges encountered along the way. We highlight the advantages of collaborative large-scale coordinated data analyses for testing reproducibility and robustness of findings, offering the opportunity to identify brain systems involved in clinical syndromes across diverse samples and associated genetic, environmental, demographic, cognitive, and psychosocial factors.