Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure, screen time, brain morphology, and attention problems in school-age children

Objective: This study aims to develop an age-adjusted Child Behavior Checklist- (CBCL) and Teacher Report Form (TRF)-based method for the detection of deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR) in preschoolers with ADHD and to assess its incidence, comorbidities, and consequences on interpersonal functioning. Method: Eighty-six ADHD preschoolers and 104 controls were assessed using CBCL, TRF/1½ to 5, Psychiatric Interview With Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment, Leiter-R, and ADHD rating scales. Results: Greatest sensitivity and specificity were obtained applying slightly lower threshold scores compared with school-age children (CBCL: Anxiety/Depression [A/D] ≥ 59, Attention Problems [AP] ≥ 60, Aggression Behaviors [AB] ≥ 58; TRF: A/D ≥ 59, AP ≥ 60, AB ≥ 60). DESR was detected in 33/86 (38.4%) and in 16/54 (29.6%) ADHD preschoolers versus 2/104 (1.9%) controls using CBCL and TRF, respectively. DESR is associated with significantly greater comorbidity and impairment in interpersonal functioning. Conclusion: Among ADHD preschoolers, DESR (a) requires lower CBCL and TRF threshold scores for detection, compared with school-age children, (b) displays similar incidence rates, and (c) is associated with enhanced psychiatric comorbidity and interpersonal difficulties.

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Abstract 219: The Impact of Handheld devices on Healthy Lifestyles among School Age Children: A Report from Project Healthy Schools

Circulation Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes ◽

10.1161/circoutcomes.7.suppl_1.219 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Lee ◽

Qingmei Jiang ◽

Robert Rogers ◽

Belinda Vuong ◽

Wen-Ching Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Video Games ◽

Video Game ◽

Screen Time ◽

School Age Children ◽

Healthy Lifestyles ◽

School Age ◽

Sedentary Behaviors ◽

Healthy Schools ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND: Project Healthy Schools (PHS) is an initiative designed to promote healthy lifestyles in middle school-age children in Michigan. Following the introduction of smartphones and portable video game platforms such as the Play Station Portable more children are using these devices. This trend has led to an increase in screen time in preteens resulting in less time being spent on more active, health-promoting activities. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the increase in technology and handheld/gaming devices and the impact on student’s lifestyle behaviors participating in PHS. METHODS: Data on sedentary behaviors were collected from 4,021 middle school students by a self-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire is completed by all participants of PHS at baseline and after completion of the program. The questionnaire focuses on dietary habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Sedentary behavior (screen time) questions included amount of time spent watching TV, playing video games or playing on the computer. In order to determine if technology use was impacting this cohort, baseline survey results were analyzed over a 6 year period. Because the exposure to technology could be associated to socioeconomic status (SE) of the schools, we balanced the sample in SE (based on median household income) through stratified simple random sampling without replacement. Screen times were categorized into high screen time (> 120 min /day) and low screen time (≤ 120 min/day). RESULTS: The trends of different types of screen time were plotted from 2008 to 2013 (2010 data were excluded to avoid the bias caused by the extremely small sample size of this year). A consistent trend of a high percentage of TV viewers was present each year. However, the percentage of students categorized as high computer game users and high video game users increased with each year (Table 1). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant increase in both time spent playing on the computer and time spent playing video games between the years 2008 - 2013. It’s possible the introduction of smartphones and portable video games has contributed to this trend. It is essential for wellness programs such as PHS to focus on the importance of limiting the amount of time spent playing screen games while promoting increased physical activity to this age group.

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Downstream Effects of Maternal Hypothyroxinemia in Early Pregnancy: Nonverbal IQ and Brain Morphology in School-Age Children

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/jc.2013-4281 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 99 (7) ◽

pp. 2383-2390 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

Akhgar Ghassabian ◽

Hanan El Marroun ◽

Robin P. Peeters ◽

Vincent W. Jaddoe ◽

Albert Hofman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Area ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Early Pregnancy ◽

Large Population ◽

Brain Morphology ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Brain Volumes ◽

Global Brain ◽

Volumetric Measures

Context: Although maternal hypothyroxinemia is suggested to be related to various adverse consequences in a child's neurodevelopment, the underlying neurobiology is largely unknown. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between maternal hypothyroxinemia in early pregnancy and children's nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ). Furthermore, we explored whether global brain volumes, cortical thickness, and brain surface area differed between children exposed prenatally to hypothyroxinemia and healthy controls. Design and Setting: The study included a large population-based prospective birth cohort in The Netherlands. Participants: A total of 3727 mother-child pairs with data on prenatal thyroid function at less than 18 weeks of gestation and nonverbal IQ at 6 years participated in the study. In 652 children, brain imaging was performed at 8 years of age. Main Measures: Maternal hypothyroxinemia was defined as free T4 in the lowest 5% of the sample, whereas TSH was in the normal range. At 6 years, children's IQ was assessed using a Dutch test battery. Global brain volumetric measures, cortical thickness, and surface area were assessed using high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging. Results: The children of mothers with hypothyroxinemia in early pregnancy scored 4.3 points IQ lower than the children of mothers with normal thyroid status (95% confidence interval −6.68, −1.81; P = .001). After adjustment for multiple testing, we did not find any differences in brain volumetric measures, cortical thickness, and surface area between children exposed prenatally to hypothyroxinemia and controls. Conclusions: Our findings confirm a large adverse effect of maternal hypothyroxinemia on children's nonverbal IQ at school age. However, we found no evidence that maternal hypothyroxinemia is associated with differences in brain morphology in school-age children.

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Factors Associated With Screen Time Among School-Age Children in Korea

The Journal of School Nursing ◽

10.1177/1059840513486483 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 425-434 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ok Kyung Ham ◽

Kyung Mi Sung ◽

Hee Kyung Kim

Keyword(s):

Screen Time ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Factors Associated

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6.67 PREDICTORS OF ADHD DIAGNOSIS AMONG SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION PROBLEMS IN PRIMARY CARE

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.jaac.2019.08.459 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 58 (10) ◽

pp. S292-S293

Author(s):

Jennifer Sikov ◽

Tithi D. Baul ◽

Arvin Garg ◽

Andrea Spencer

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Attention Problems ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Adhd Diagnosis

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The DiViSA’s Predictive Validity by Age: An Objective Online Test of Attention

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/sjp.2015.103 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Santacreu ◽

M. A. Quiroga

Keyword(s):

Predictive Validity ◽

School Achievement ◽

Attention Problems ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Typical Development ◽

Commission Errors ◽

Online Test ◽

Group 4 ◽

Task Organization

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to analyze the DiViSA’s predictive validity in school-age children. To do so, two groups of school-age children were compared: one with low school achievement (N = 1,174), and one with typical development (N = 1,426). The obtained results show that: (1) in all grades, children with poor school performance exhibited lower levels of attention and task organization, greater hastiness, and made more commission errors; (2) the combination of variables that best differentiated between groups was not the same in all grades; (3) level of organization improved with age in the low-school-achievement group, and did not in the typical-development group; (4) the data regarding sensitivity (81% to 93%) and specificity (79% to 90%), for the first time computed for each grade separately, support the test’s predictive validity in the grades we evaluated. The discussion focuses on the DiViSA test’s usefulness in diagnosing attention problems. It is the first computerized test to include separate scores for: (a) how children complete the task (organization) and (2) the source of their errors (distraction or hastiness).

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Association of Lifestyle Factors and Neuropsychological Development of 4-Year-Old Children

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17165668 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (16) ◽

pp. 5668

Author(s):

Giselle O’Connor ◽

Jordi Julvez ◽

Silvia Fernandez-Barrés ◽

Eva Mᵃ Navarrete-Muñoz ◽

Mario Murcia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Screen Time ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Lifestyle Factors ◽

Negative Association ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Neuropsychological Development

Background: We aimed to assess how lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, screen viewing, and physical activity, individually, as well as in a combined score, were associated with neuropsychological development in pre-school age children. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 1650 children of 4 years of age, from the Environment and Childhood Project (INMA) population-based birth cohorts in four regions of Spain. Children were classified per a childhood healthy lifestyle score (CHLS) with a range of 0 to 4 that included eating in concordance with the Mediterranean diet (1 point); reaching recommended sleep time (1 point); watching a maximum recommended screen time (1 point); and being physically active (1 point). The McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities (MSCA) were used to test neuropsychological development. Multi-adjusted linear regression models were created to assess the association with the lifestyle factors individually and as a combined score. Results: CHLS was not associated with MSCA general cognitive score (1-point increment = −0.5, 95% CI: −1.2, 0.2). Analyzed by separate lifestyle factors, physical activity had a significant negative association with MSCA score and less TV/screen time had a negative association with MSCA score. Conclusion: In this cross-sectional study, a combined score of lifestyle factors is not related to neuropsychological development at pre-school age.

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