Clinical Application of Combined EEG-qEEG Functional Neuroimaging in the Practice of Pediatric Neuroscience: A Personal Perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 155005942098241
Author(s):  
Robert P. Turner

This brief article is an overview of my personal experience over the past almost 10 years of the clinical use of EEG and quantitative EEG (qEEG) functional neuroimaging in a busy pediatric neurology practice. The concomitant use of surface EEG and functional electromagnetic EEG neuroimaging/qEEG in clinical practice provides significant additional clinical and neurophysiologic information. The qEEG is a noninvasive, inexpensive, portable technique with high temporal resolution (milliseconds) and improving spatial resolution (down to 3 mm3) and is an appropriate and validated tool for investigation of abnormal brain dynamics and connectivity of neuronal networks in clinical disorders of the brain. This article describes the daily applicability and utility of this modality in assisting diagnosis and clinical management of patients with a wide variety of presenting symptoms, including headaches, tics, autism spectrum disorder, inattention, sleep dysregulation, anxiety, and depression. The ease of data acquisition and analysis in clinical practices, coupled with skilled interpretation and clinical application, makes this tool one of the most valuable clinical tools to complement a thorough history and examination process.

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Murphy ◽  
Clare Allely

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review available literature targeting the assessment and management of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) admitted to high secure psychiatric care (HSPC). Key areas of examination include the prevalence of ASD in HSPC, how individuals with an ASD differ from other patient groups in clinical and cognitive characteristics, the views of staff regarding patients with an ASD, an exploration of the experiences and quality of life of patients with an ASD, as well as treatment and interventions. Design/methodology/approach A review of the published literature. Findings Although individuals with an ASD comprise a relatively small proportion of the total HSPC cohort, they appear to be over represented relative to the general population prevalence. Several research projects suggest that individuals with an ASD present with difficulties and needs different to other patient groups, as well as being viewed by staff as potentially vulnerable and requiring a different care approach. Individuals with an ASD report both positive and negative aspects to life in HSPC. Practical implications Suggestions are made with regard to how individuals with an ASD might be better managed in HSPC. Following the spirit of various pieces of government legislation such as the Autism Act (2009) and the Equalities Act (2010) the role of a specialist ASD HSPC service is proposed. Originality/value This paper provides a detailed review of the research to date exploring the assessment and management of individuals with an ASD detained in HSPC. It outlines key research findings, highlights limitations with it and provides a personal perspective on future research and clinical targets.


1980 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kal M. Telage

This paper emphasizes the availability of easy-to-use computers and illustrates some advantages that might be derived from application of computers as clinical tools in our profession. A program designed to perform a series of segmental and componential analyses of misarticulations is described to illustrate a clinical application. Case study data based on 10 computer analyses are summarized and tabulated.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayur Jayarao ◽  
Kristin Sohl ◽  
Tomoko Tanaka

OBJECT Patients with symptomatic Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) frequently present with headaches, neck pain, difficulty swallowing, and balance disturbances. In children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), diagnosing CM-I can be a challenging task. Moreover, even if symptomatic, some patients do not undergo further evaluation or management, as their presentations are attributed to autism and its myriad symptoms. Therefore, cranial MRI findings were reviewed after evaluating and treating patients with coexisting ASD and CM-I. In this paper, the authors report on 5 children with ASD and symptomatic CM-I, including their clinical presentation, imaging studies, management, and outcomes, and discuss the likely underrecognized coexistence of these conditions. METHODS All pediatric patients with ASD and cranial MRI conducted for any reason in the period from 1999 to 2013 were considered for analysis. All cases with concomitant symptomatic CM-I were eligible for this retrospective analysis. RESULTS One hundred twenty-five pediatric patients diagnosed with ASD had undergone MRI, and 9 of them had evidence of cerebellar tonsillar herniation. Five patients were symptomatic and underwent suboccipital craniectomy, a C-1 or a C-1 and C-2 laminectomy, and duraplasty with bovine pericardium or Type I collagen allograft. There were no intraoperative complications. All patients showed symptom improvement and/or resolution of presenting symptoms, which included headache, dysphasia, speech, and irritability. CONCLUSIONS There is no identified cause of autism. Children with ASD can be difficult to assess specifically in a neurological examination. Thus, cranial MRI considered when completing a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. While cranial MRI is not a routine part of ASD evaluation, this study demonstrates that CM-I and ASD may coexist and be underrecognized. The study reinforces the importance of a comprehensive medical evaluation designed to elucidate neurological findings in children with impaired communication abilities and suggests the judicious use of neuroimaging.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 4931
Author(s):  
Fatma Tanrıkulu ◽  
Funda Erol ◽  
Yurdanur Dikmen

Aim: This study was conducted to observe the efficiency of the reflection method used in clinical practices in nursing students and the examination of the effects and problem solving skills.Method: The samples of this study consist of 50 freshmen students of Sakarya University Nursery Department.  The data were collected with the Evaluation Form on the Students’ Perception Related to the Reflection Method. In the analysis of the data, number, percentage, standard deviation, and t test in related groups were applied.Results: A large portion of the students (76.0%) stated that with the application of this method on clinical application, they found the opportunity to evaluate themselves in different perspectives, 78.0% stated this method was helpful on reviewing their positive or negative experiences in the clinical application fields and application of this method positively developed the critical thinking skills in the process of patient care. 74% of the students stated that, the reflection application should be carried out with the accompaniment of the educators and for the situation to be analyzed correctly in the reflection application, they required assistance from the educators. The PSI points average was determined difference to statistically meaningless.Conclusion: According to the results of the study, it was determined reflection application on clinical application of nursery students has a positive effect on the students’ self-awareness, in the development of critical thinking skills, also the realization of the problems the students face with in the clinical environment by the students and their explanations on experiences with solving these problems, however the reflection method does not effect their problem solving skills. ÖzetAmaç: Bu araştırma hemşirelik öğrencilerinde klinik uygulamalarda kullanılan reflekşın yönteminin problem çözme becerisine etkisini incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu araştırmanın örneklemini Sakarya Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Bölümü birinci sınıfta öğrenim gören 50 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Veriler “Reflekşın Yöntemine İlişkin Öğrencilerin Algılarını Değerlendirme Formu” ile “Problem Çözme Envanteri (PÇE)” kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde sayı, yüzde, ortalama, standart sapma ve bağımlı gruplarda t testi kullanılmıştır.Bulgular: Öğrencilerin büyük bölümü (%76.0) klinik uygulamada bu yöntemin kullanılması ile kendilerini farklı açılardan değerlendirme fırsatı bulduklarını, %78’i bu yöntemin klinik uygulama alanlarında olumlu ya da olumsuz deneyimlerini gözden geçirmelerine yardımcı olduğunu ve hasta bakımı sürecinde eleştirel düşünme becerilerini olumlu olarak geliştirdiğini belirtmiştir. Öğrencilerin %74’ü reflekşın uygulamasının eğitimciler eşliğinde yapılması gerektiğini ve reflekşın uygulamasında durumun doğru analiz edilebilmesi için eğitimcilerin desteğine ihtiyaç duyduğunu belirtmiştir. Ancak öğrencilerin PÇE puan ortalamaları arasındaki farkın istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olmadığı saptanmıştır (p>0,05).Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, hemşirelik öğrencilerinde klinik uygulama eğitiminde reflekşın yönteminin; öğrencilerin kendini tanımasına, eleştirel düşünme becerilerinin artmasına, ayrıca öğrencilerin klinik ortamda yaşadıkları sorunları fark etmelerine ve bu sorunları nasıl çözümleyeceklerine yönelik deneyimlerini açıklamasına olumlu katkı sağlamıştır. Ancak öğrencilerin problem çözme becerilerini etkilemediği saptanmıştır.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Yaguchi ◽  
Takeshi Atsumi ◽  
Reiko Fukatsu ◽  
Masakazu Ide

AbstractBackgroundResearchers have been focused on perceptual characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in terms of sensory hyperreactivity. Previously, we demonstrated that temporal resolution, which is the accuracy in differentiating the order of two successive vibrotactile stimuli, is associated with the severity of sensory hyperreactivity (Ide et al. 2019). Herein, we examined whether an increase in the perceptual intensity of a tactile stimulus, despite its short duration, is derived from high temporal resolution and a high frequency of sensory temporal summation.MethodSixteen participants with ASD and fifteen typically developing (TD) participants performed two psychophysical experimental tasks, and we evaluated the detectable duration of vibrotactile stimuli with the same amplitude and temporal resolution. Sensory hyperreactivity was estimated using a self-reported questionnaire.ResultsThere was no relationship between temporal resolution and the duration of detectable stimuli in either group. However, the ASD group showed more severe sensory hyperreactivity in daily life than the TD group did, and ASD participants with severe sensory hyperreactivity tended to have high temporal resolution but not high sensitivity for detectable duration.ConclusionContrary to our hypothesis, there might be different processing between temporal resolution and sensitivity for stimulus detection. Sensory reactivity in daily life would not be based on sensitivity for stimulus detection measured in an experimental task, and we suggest that atypical temporal processing would affect sensory reactivity in ASD. Keywords (within 6 keywords): Temporal resolution, Temporal summation, Autism spectrum disorder, Hyperreactivity, Gap detection


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Dizeux ◽  
Marc Gesnik ◽  
Harry Ahnine ◽  
Kevin Blaize ◽  
Fabrice Arcizet ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn recent decades, neuroimaging has played an invaluable role in improving the fundamental understanding of the brain. At the macro scale, neuroimaging modalities such as MRI, EEG, and MEG, exploit a wide field of view to explore the brain as a global network of interacting regions. However, this comes at the price of either limited spatiotemporal resolution or limited sensitivity. At the micro scale, electrophysiology is used to explore the dynamic aspects of neuronal activity with a very high temporal resolution. However, this modality requires a statistical averaging of several tens of single task responses. A large-scale neuroimaging modality of sufficient spatial and temporal resolution and sensitivity to study brain region activation dynamically would open new territories of possibility in neuroscienceWe show that neurofunctional ultrasound imaging (fUS) is both able to assess brain activation during single cognitive tasks within superficial and deeper areas of the frontal cortex areas, and image the directional propagation of information within and between these regions. Equipped with an fUS device, two macaque rhesus monkeys were instructed before a stimulus appeared to rest (fixation) or to look towards (saccade) or away (antisaccade) from a stimulus. Our results identified an abrupt transient change in activity for all acquisitions in the supplementary eye field (SEF) when the animals were required to change a rule regarding the task cued by a stimulus. Simultaneous imaging in the anterior cingulate cortex and SEF revealed a time delay in the directional functional connectivity of 0.27 ± 0.07 s and 0.9 ± 0.2 s for animals S and Y, respectively. These results provide initial evidence that recording cerebral hemodynamics over large brain areas at a high spatiotemporal resolution and sensitivity with neurofunctional ultrasound can reveal instantaneous monitoring of endogenous brain signals and behavior.


2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 922-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN Y. BOOKHEIMER ◽  
A. TING WANG ◽  
ASHLEY SCOTT ◽  
MARIAN SIGMAN ◽  
MIRELLA DAPRETTO

AbstractFunctional neuroimaging studies of face processing deficits in autism have typically focused on visual processing regions, such as the fusiform face area (FFA), which have shown reduced activity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), though inconsistently. We recently reported reduced activity in the inferior frontal region in ASD, implicating impaired mirror-neuron systems during face processing. In the present study, we used fMRI during a face processing task in which subjects had to match faces presented in the upright versus inverted position. Typically developing (TD) children showed a classic behavioral inversion effect, increased reaction time for inverted faces, while this effect was significantly reduced in ASD subjects. The fMRI data showed similar responses in the fusiform face area for ASD and TD children, with both groups demonstrating increased activation for inverted faces. However, the groups did differ in several brain regions implicated in social cognition, particularly prefrontal cortex and amygdala. These data suggest that the behavioral differences in processing upright versus inverted faces for TD children are related not to visual information processing but to the social significance of the stimuli. Our results are consistent with other recent studies implicating frontal and limbic dysfunction during face processing in autism. (JINS, 2008, 14, 922–932.)


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