scholarly journals Potential Consequences of Abandonment in Preschool-Age: Neuropsychological Findings in Institutionalized Children

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan F. Cardona ◽  
Facundo Manes ◽  
Josefina Escobar ◽  
Jéssica López ◽  
Agustín Ibáñez
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Institutional Care ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Early Deprivation ◽  
Institutionalized Children ◽  
Preschool Period ◽  
History Of ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Attention Memory

Objective:Several longitudinal studies had shown that early deprivation and institutionalization during the first six months of life affects the emotional, cognitive, social and neurophysiologic development. Nevertheless, our understanding of possible similar effects of delayed institutionalization, in preschool-age remains unclear to this day. The goal of this study is to evaluate the cognitive performance of institutionalized children with history of preschool-age physical abandonment.Method:18 male institutionalized children with history of abandonment during the preschool-age (2–5 years old) and comparison group matched by age, handedness, gender, educational and socioeconomic level were tested on multiple tasks of attention, memory and executive functions.Results:We found a cognitive impairment in the institutionalized children in several measures of attention, memory and executive functions. This is the first report of cognitive impairment related to late abandonment and institutionalization effects (after 2 years old), extending the already known effects on early institutionalization.Conclusions:This preliminary study suggests that environmental factors including abandonment and institutional care, can affect not only the infancy period, but also the preschool period providing new insights into our understanding of neurocognitive development.

scholarly journals Disruptions of working memory and inhibition mediate the association between exposure to institutionalization and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Tibu ◽  
M. A. Sheridan ◽  
K. A. McLaughlin ◽  
C. A. Nelson ◽  
N. A. Fox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Early Deprivation ◽  
Institutionalized Children ◽  
Memory Response ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender

BackgroundYoung children raised in institutions are exposed to extreme psychosocial deprivation that is associated with elevated risk for psychopathology and other adverse developmental outcomes. The prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is particularly high in previously institutionalized children, yet the mechanisms underlying this association are poorly understood. We investigated whether deficits in executive functioning (EF) explain the link between institutionalization and ADHD.MethodA sample of 136 children (aged 6–30 months) was recruited from institutions in Bucharest, Romania, and 72 never institutionalized community children matched for age and gender were recruited through general practitioners’ offices. At 8 years of age, children's performance on a number of EF components (working memory, response inhibition and planning) was evaluated. Teachers completed the Health and Behavior Questionnaire, which assesses two core features of ADHD, inattention and impulsivity.ResultsChildren with history of institutionalization had higher inattention and impulsivity than community controls, and exhibited worse performance on working memory, response inhibition and planning tasks. Lower performances on working memory and response inhibition, but not planning, partially mediated the association between early institutionalization and inattention and impulsivity symptom scales at age 8 years.ConclusionsInstitutionalization was associated with decreased EF performance and increased ADHD symptoms. Deficits in working memory and response inhibition were specific mechanisms leading to ADHD in previously institutionalized children. These findings suggest that interventions that foster the development of EF might reduce risk for psychiatric problems in children exposed to early deprivation.

scholarly journals The prospective association between stressful life events and inflammation among adolescents with a history of early institutional rearing

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1715-1724
Author(s):  
Alva Tang ◽  
Mark Wade ◽  
Nathan A. Fox ◽  
Charles A. Nelson ◽  
Charles H. Zeanah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Institutional Care ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Institutionalized Children ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
History Of ◽  
Prospective Association

AbstractEarly adversity has been shown to sensitize individuals to the effects of later stress and enhance risk of psychopathology. Using a longitudinal randomized trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care, we extend the stress sensitization hypothesis to examine whether early institutional rearing sensitizes individuals to stressful events in adolescence engendering chronic low-grade inflammation. At baseline, institutionalized children in Romania (ages 6–31 months) were randomly assigned to foster care or to remain in usual care within institutions. A group of never-institutionalized children was recruited as an in-country comparison sample. At ages 12 and 16, participants reported stressful events. At age 16, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were derived from blood spots. Among children assigned to care as usual, more stressful events at age 12, but not age 16, were associated with higher IL-6. In the same group, stressful events at age 16 were associated with higher CRP, though these effects attenuated after adjusting for covariates. These associations were not observed in the foster care or never-institutionalized groups. The findings suggest that heightened inflammation following stress exposure is one pathway through which early neglect could compromise physical health. In contrast, early family care might buffer against these risks.

scholarly journals Early caregiving quality predicts consistency of competent functioning from middle childhood to adolescence following early psychosocial deprivation

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Katherine L. Guyon-Harris ◽  
Kathryn L. Humphreys ◽  
Devi Miron ◽  
Florin Tibu ◽  
Nathan A. Fox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Institutional Care ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Early Deprivation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Competent Functioning

Abstract Adverse developmental outcomes for some children following institutional care are well established. Removal from institutional care and placement into families can promote recovery. However, little is known about how positive outcomes are sustained across adolescence among children with histories of severe deprivation. The present study examined the caregiving conditions that are associated with attaining and maintaining competent functioning (i.e., outcomes within typical levels) from middle childhood to adolescence following exposure to early institutional care. The participants included children with and without a history of institutional care who had competence assessed at ages 8, 12, and 16 years across seven domains: family relationships, peer relationships, academic performance, physical health, mental health, substance use (ages 12 and 16 years only), and risk-taking behavior. The participants were grouped based on whether they were always versus not always competent and never versus ever competent at ages 8 through 16 years. Adolescents with a history of institutional care were less likely to be consistently competent than those who were family reared. Among those who were exposed to early institutional rearing, maintaining competent functioning from 8 to 16 years was associated with spending less time in institutions and receiving higher-quality caregiving early in life. Ensuring high quality early caregiving may promote competent functioning following early deprivation.

Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction in Older Patients with a History of Alcohol Abuse

2007 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith A. Hudetz ◽  
Zafar Iqbal ◽  
Sweeta D. Gandhi ◽  
Kathleen M. Patterson ◽  
Trevor F. Hyde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Noncardiac Surgery ◽  
History Of

Background Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) affects a significant number of patients and may have serious consequences for quality of life. Although POCD is most frequent after cardiac surgery, the prevalence of POCD after noncardiac surgery in older patients is also significant. The risk factors for POCD after noncardiac surgery include advanced age and preexisting cognitive impairment. Self-reported alcohol abuse is a risk factor for postoperative delirium, but its significance for long-term POCD has not been investigated. The goal of this study was to determine whether neurocognitive function is impaired after noncardiac surgery during general anesthesia in older patients with a history of alcohol abuse. Methods Subjects aged 55 yr and older with self-reported alcohol abuse (n = 28) and age-, sex-, education-matched nonalcoholic controls (n = 28) were tested using a neurocognitive battery before and 2 weeks after elective surgery (n = 28) or a corresponding time interval without surgery (n = 28). Verbal memory, visuospatial memory, and executive functions were assessed. A neurologic examination was performed to exclude subjects with potential cerebrovascular damage. Results Significant three-way interactions (analysis of variance) for Visual Immediate Recall, Visual Delayed Recall, Semantic Fluency, Phonemic Fluency, and the Color-Word Stroop Test implied that cognitive performance in the alcoholic group decreased after surgery more than it did in the other three groups. Conclusions The results suggest that a history of alcohol abuse in older patients presents a risk for postoperative cognitive impairment in the domains of visuospatial abilities and executive functions that may have important implications for quality of life and health risks.

scholarly journals Relationship between Intelligence and Executive Functions in Preschoolers

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Nikolaeva ◽  
Anastasiya Isaiko ◽  
Nina Soboleva
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Control Level ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Nonverbal Intelligence ◽  
Normative Development ◽  
Preschool Period ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Relationship

The paper raises the problem of the relationship between executive functions and intelligence in preschool period of the development. Based on the discussion about the components of executive functions proposed by different authors, two components (inhibitory control and working memory) were selected for analysis. Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices were chosen for the assessment of the intelligence. We chose this method due to the fact that there are a lot of preschoolers who have speech problems that prevent an adequate assessment of verbal intelligence. The go/go and go/no-go paradigms to evaluate inhibitory control (Vergunov & Nikolaeva, 2009) and a test aimed at evaluating working memory (Razumnikova & Savinykh, 2016) were used. The specificity of the test aimed at the level of inhibitory control assessment was a fractal structure of the sensory flow. Both go/go and go/no-go series included two identical parts, but children did not know about this. Some children, however, showed better results in the second part of the series rather than the first one. This could indicate that children intuitively discovered the structure of the sensory flow and learned to respond more effectively. In go/go series, children were asked to respond to each presented stimulus (circles of different colours). In the go/no-go series, they were forbidden to respond to a target stimulus (red circles). Calculating the mistakes (reactions to the red circles), we could assess the inhibitory control level. To assess a working memory, the subjects were offered three series including the same set of visual stimuli, and the order of the stimuli was changed in each series. The number of recalling stimuli in each series and interference inhibition resulting from the presentation of the same set of stimuli were calculated. The study involved 90 preschoolers (average age 6.5±0.4 years) of normative development, parents of all children signed informed consents, and all children were told about the goals of the study. It was shown that nonverbal intelligence has no correlation with any parameters of the inhibitory control or parameters of working memory in preschool age. Immaturity of the prefrontal cortex at this age was suggested to be the main reason for the lack of such a link. The low levels of both inhibitory control and interference inhibition could not provide a high level of correlation with intelligence. It was proved that nonverbal intelligence is associated with greater performance in the second part of the go/go series. This suggests that the higher the child's intelligence is, the better they are able to navigate the sensory flow.

Enhanced Vocational Rehabilitation: A Pilot for Veterans With Cognitive Impairment and a History of Mild TBI

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen K. O'Connor ◽  
Lisa Mueller ◽  
Alicia Semiatin ◽  
Charles E. Drebing ◽  
Shihwe Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Mild Tbi ◽  
History Of

Physical activity and cognitive function in older persons

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Critical Challenge

Strategies to improve cognitive aging are highly needed. Among those, promotion of exercise and physical activity appears as one of the most attractive and beneficial intervention. Indeed, results from basic and clinical studies suggest that exercise and physical activity have positive effects on cognition in older persons without cognitive impairment, as well as in those with dementia. Despite inconsistent results, aerobic exercise appears to have the strongest potential to enhance cognition. However, even limited periods of walking (45 minutes, three times a week, over a 6-month period) have also been shown to enhance cognition, particularly executive functions. Changing long-term lifestyle habits in these older persons remains a critical challenge and attractive programs susceptible to gain adherence are needed to succeed in achieving improved cognitive aging.

Voltage-gated potassium channel limbic encephalitis presenting as functional cognitive impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. e233179
Author(s):  
Eric Garrels ◽  
Fawziya Huq ◽  
Gavin McKay
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Potassium Channel ◽  
Limbic Encephalitis ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Differential Diagnoses ◽  
Visual Hallucinations ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
History Of ◽  
Impaired Cognition

Limbic encephalitis is often reported to present as seizures and impaired cognition with little focus on psychiatric presentations. In this case report, we present a 49-year-old man who initially presented to the Psychiatric Liaison Service with a several month history of confusion with the additional emergence of visual hallucinations and delusions. Due to the inconsistent nature of the symptoms in the context of a major financial stressor, a provisional functional cognitive impairment diagnosis was made. Investigations later revealed a positive titre of voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) antibodies, subtype leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 accounting for his symptoms which dramatically resolved with steroids and immunoglobulins. This case highlighted the need for maintaining broad differential diagnoses in a patient presenting with unusual psychiatric symptoms.

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