scholarly journals Virtual reality among children with mental disorders: A mini-review

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-181
Author(s):  
Marjan Rasoulian-Kasrineh ◽  
◽  
Seyyed-Mohammad Tabatabaei ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Safe Technology ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Children And Adolescence ◽  
And Behavior

Background: Mental disorders are a group of disorders that affect thinking and behavior by causing discomfort or disability to the person. Almost one in eight people aged 5 to 19 deals with these kinds of disorders and his or her growth may be significantly affected. It seems that using novel technologies in such cases are helpful. One of these advanced technologies, which has recently attracted a lot of attention in many fields such as health, is Virtual Reality. Therefore, the present study aimed to provide a brief review about the use of Virtual Reality among children with mental disorders. Methods: In this study, articles in which Virtual Reality were used among children dealing with mental disorders published during 2012 to 2021 were investigated. PsycINFO electronic databases, PubMed Google Scholar, Medline, were searched. Results: Children deal with different types of mental disorders and Virtual Reality has been used for many of them. The most common of them, in which Virtual Reality have been used and caused improvements include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia Disorder, and Developmental Disability. Discussion and conclusion: According to the results, Virtual Reality is a very interesting, useful, effective and safe technology for patients dealing with mental disorders especially children and adolescence. It is actually a highly specialized technology which can provide improvement, and in some cases completely new ways of treatment for children suffering from mental disorders.

scholarly journals The co-occurrence of mental disorders among Dutch adolescents admitted for acute alcohol intoxication

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loes de Veld ◽  
Joris J. van Hoof ◽  
Inge M. Wolberink ◽  
Nicolaas van der Lely
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Alcohol Intoxication ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Acute Alcohol Intoxication ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract Adolescents with substance use disorders are often diagnosed with co-occurring mental disorders. However, it is unknown if adolescent hospital admission for acute alcohol intoxication is also associated with co-occurring mental disorders. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of co-occurring mental disorders among Dutch adolescents admitted for acute alcohol intoxication. Secondly, this study aims to explore the cross-sectional relationship between the co-occurrence of mental disorders and patient characteristics, such as sex, age and blood alcohol concentration at admittance. Data were retrospectively collected from 726 adolescents admitted for acute alcohol intoxication. Overall, 245 (34%) of the 726 adolescents treated for acute alcohol intoxication were diagnosed with a co-occurring mental health disorder, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (13%) or autism spectrum disorder (2.1%). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in particular seems to be more prevalent in the study population than in the general Dutch adolescent population. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that among adolescents admitted for acute alcohol intoxication, the prevalence of co-occurring mental disorders is a common and a relevant issue for treatment and prevention strategies. What is Known:• Alcohol consumption among adolescents has been associated with negative psychosocial effect.• Among adolescents admitted for acute alcohol intoxication, risk factors for psychological dysfunction appear to be inadequately assessed, documented and followed up. What is New:• The current study reports on the prevalence of co-occurring mental disorders among a substantial sample of adolescents admitted for acute alcohol intoxication.• Understanding the prevalence of co-occurring mental disorders is clinically relevant for the outpatient follow-up of adolescents admitted for acute alcohol intoxication.

scholarly journals Girls’ attentive traits associate with cerebellar to dorsal attention and default mode network connectivity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane S. Rohr ◽  
Dennis Dimond ◽  
Manuela Schuetze ◽  
Ivy Y. K. Cho ◽  
Limor Lichtenstein-Vidne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Sample ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Childhood Disorders ◽  
Attention Networks ◽  
Default Mode ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Future Success ◽  
And Behavior

ABSTRACTAttention traits are a cornerstone to the healthy development of children’s performance in the classroom, their interactions with peers, and in predicting future success and problems. The cerebellum is increasingly appreciated as a region involved in complex cognition and behavior, and moreover makes important connections to key brain networks known to support attention: the dorsal attention and default mode networks (DAN; DMN). The cerebellum has also been implicated in childhood disorders affecting attention, namely autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggesting that attention networks extending to the cerebellum may be important to consider in relation to attentive traits. Yet, direct investigations into the association between cerebellar FC and attentive traits are lacking. Therefore, in this study we examined attentive traits, assessed using parent reports of ADHD and ASD symptoms, in a community sample of 52 girls aged 4-7 years, i.e. around the time of school entry, and their association with cerebellar connections with the DAN and DMN. We found that cortico-cerebellar functional connectivity (FC) jointly and differentially correlated with attentive traits, through a combination of weaker and stronger FC across anterior and posterior DAN and DMN nodes. These findings suggest that cortico-cerebellar integration may play an important role in the manifestation of attentive traits.

scholarly journals Gestational Factors throughout Fetal Neurodevelopment: The Serotonin Link

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina I. Hanswijk ◽  
Marcia Spoelder ◽  
Ling Shan ◽  
Michel M. M. Verheij ◽  
Otto G. Muilwijk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Maternal Genotype ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Behavior

Serotonin (5-HT) is a critical player in brain development and neuropsychiatric disorders. Fetal 5-HT levels can be influenced by several gestational factors, such as maternal genotype, diet, stress, medication, and immune activation. In this review, addressing both human and animal studies, we discuss how these gestational factors affect placental and fetal brain 5-HT levels, leading to changes in brain structure and function and behavior. We conclude that gestational factors are able to interact and thereby amplify or counteract each other’s impact on the fetal 5-HT-ergic system. We, therefore, argue that beyond the understanding of how single gestational factors affect 5-HT-ergic brain development and behavior in offspring, it is critical to elucidate the consequences of interacting factors. Moreover, we describe how each gestational factor is able to alter the 5-HT-ergic influence on the thalamocortical- and prefrontal-limbic circuitry and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical-axis. These alterations have been associated with risks to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, depression, and/or anxiety. Consequently, the manipulation of gestational factors may be used to combat pregnancy-related risks for neuropsychiatric disorders.

scholarly journals LEAP Motion Technology and Psychology: A Mini-Review on Hand Movements Sensing for Neurodevelopmental and Neurocognitive Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4006
Author(s):  
Giulia Colombini ◽  
Mirko Duradoni ◽  
Federico Carpi ◽  
Laura Vagnoli ◽  
Andrea Guazzini
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Leap Motion ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

Technological advancement is constantly evolving, and it is also developing in the mental health field. Various applications, often based on virtual reality, have been implemented to carry out psychological assessments and interventions, using innovative human–machine interaction systems. In this context, the LEAP Motion sensing technology has raised interest, since it allows for more natural interactions with digital contents, via an optical tracking of hand and finger movements. Recent research has considered LEAP Motion features in virtual-reality-based systems, to meet specific needs of different clinical populations, varying in age and type of disorder. The present paper carried out a systematic mini-review of the available literature using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The inclusion criteria were (i) publication date between 2013 and 2020, (ii) being an empirical study or project report, (iii) written in English or Italian languages, (iv) published in a scholarly peer-reviewed journal and/or conference proceedings, and (v) assessing LEAP Motion intervention for four specific psychological domains (i.e., autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dementia, and mild cognitive impairment), objectively. Nineteen eligible empirical studies were included. Overall, results show that protocols for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder can promote psychomotor and psychosocial rehabilitation in contexts that stimulate learning. Moreover, virtual reality and LEAP Motion seem promising for the assessment and screening of functional abilities in dementia and mild cognitive impairment. As evidence is, however, still limited, deeper investigations are needed to assess the full potential of the LEAP Motion technology, possibly extending its applications. This is relevant, considering the role that virtual reality could have in overcoming barriers to access assessment, therapies, and smart monitoring.

Self-directed speech and self-regulation in childhood neurodevelopmental disorders: Current findings and future directions

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisling Mulvihill ◽  
Annemaree Carroll ◽  
Paul E. Dux ◽  
Natasha Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
The Self ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractSelf-directed speech is considered an important developmental achievement as a self-regulatory mediator of thinking and behavior. Atypical self-directed speech is often implicated in the self-regulatory challenges characteristic of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. A growing body of evidence provides snapshots across age-levels and diagnoses, often presenting conflicting results. This systematic review is undertaken to impose clarity on the nature, extent, and self-regulatory implications of self-directed speech interruption in children with developmental language disorder (DLD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).A rigorous search process of relevant databases (i.e., PsychInfo, PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC) uncovered 19 relevant peer-reviewed articles that investigate self-directed speech in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Consistent across the research, children with DLD, ASD, and ADHD present with differential development and use of self-directed speech.In its synthesis of findings, this systematic review clearly explicates the differential ontogenesis of self-directed speech in neurodevelopmental disorders and interprets the self-regulatory implications for children with DLD, ASD, and ADHD. Furthermore, the review spotlights important future research directions to better understand the mechanistic relationship between self-directed speech and self-regulation.

scholarly journals Look duration at the face as a developmental endophenotype: elucidating pathways to autism and ADHD

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 1303-1322
Author(s):  
Anna Gui ◽  
Luke Mason ◽  
Teodora Gliga ◽  
Alexandra Hendry ◽  
Jannath Begum Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Visual Exploration ◽  
Genotype Data ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Polygenic Scores ◽  
The Face ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Proof Of Principle

AbstractIdentifying developmental endophenotypes on the pathway between genetics and behavior is critical to uncovering the mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental conditions. In this proof-of-principle study, we explored whether early disruptions in visual attention are a unique or shared candidate endophenotype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We calculated the duration of the longest look (i.e., peak look) to faces in an array-based eye-tracking task for 335 14-month-old infants with and without first-degree relatives with ASD and/or ADHD. We leveraged parent-report and genotype data available for a proportion of these infants to evaluate the relation of looking behavior to familial (n = 285) and genetic liability (using polygenic scores, n = 185) as well as ASD and ADHD-relevant temperament traits at 2 years of age (shyness and inhibitory control, respectively, n = 272) and ASD and ADHD clinical traits at 6 years of age (n = 94).Results showed that longer peak looks at the face were associated with elevated polygenic scores for ADHD (β = 0.078, p = .023), but not ASD (β = 0.002, p = .944), and with elevated ADHD traits in mid-childhood (F(1,88) = 6.401, p = .013, $\eta _p^2$=0.068; ASD: F (1,88) = 3.218, p = .076), but not in toddlerhood (ps > 0.2). This pattern of results did not emerge when considering mean peak look duration across face and nonface stimuli. Thus, alterations in attention to faces during spontaneous visual exploration may be more consistent with a developmental endophenotype of ADHD than ASD. Our work shows that dissecting paths to neurodevelopmental conditions requires longitudinal data incorporating polygenic contribution, early neurocognitive function, and clinical phenotypic variation.

Conceptualizing neurodevelopmental disorders as networks: Promises and challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristien Hens ◽  
Kris Evers ◽  
Johan Wagemans
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Target Article

AbstractThe target article by Borsboom et al. proposes network models as an alternative to reductionist approaches in the analysis of mental disorders, using mood disorders such as depression and anxiety as examples. We ask how this framework can be applied to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Specifically, we raise a number of promises and challenges when conceptualizing neurodevelopmental disorders as networks.

Examining the Role of Language in Play Among Children With and Without Developmental Disabilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 795-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Short ◽  
Rachael Cooper Schindler ◽  
Rita Obeid ◽  
Maia M. Noeder ◽  
Laura E. Hlavaty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Play Skills ◽  
Critical Aspect ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Better Than

Purpose Play is a critical aspect of children's development, and researchers have long argued that symbolic deficits in play may be diagnostic of developmental disabilities. This study examined whether deficits in play emerge as a function of developmental disabilities and whether our perceptions of play are colored by differences in language and behavioral presentations. Method Ninety-three children participated in this study (typically developing [TD]; n = 23, developmental language disorders [DLD]; n = 24, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]; n = 26, and autism spectrum disorder [ASD]; n = 20). Children were videotaped engaging in free-play. Children's symbolic play (imagination, organization, elaboration, and comfort) was scored under conditions of both audible language and no audible language to assess diagnostic group differences in play and whether audible language impacted raters' perception of play. Results Significant differences in play were evident across diagnostic groups. The presence of language did not alter play ratings for the TD group, but differences were found among the other diagnostic groups. When language was audible, children with DLD and ASD (but not ADHD) were scored poorly on play compared to their TD peers. When language was not audible, children with DLD were perceived to play better than when language was audible. Conversely, children with ADHD showed organizational deficits when language was not available to support their play. Finally, children with ASD demonstrated poor play performance regardless of whether language was audible or not. Conclusions Language affects our understanding of play skills in some young children. Parents, researchers, and clinicians must be careful not to underestimate or overestimate play based on language presentation. Differential skills in language have the potential to unduly influence our perceptions of play for children with developmental disabilities.

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