Neuropsychological group rehabilitation on neurobehavioral comorbidities in children with epilepsy.

Neurobehavioral comorbidities, particularly attention-deficits, are common in children with epilepsy (CWE). Neurobehavioral problems are manifested in school performance, peer relations, and social competence. Although the high prevalence of these comorbid behavioral problems is fully recognized, there remains to be a lack of studies on the interventions targeted for CWE.

Effects of the EXAT neuropsychological multilevel intervention on behavior problems in children with executive function deficits.

This is a clinical intervention study of children with executive function (EF) deficits. A neuropsychological multimodal group intervention called EXAT (rehabilitation of EXecutive function and ATtention) was developed at the Psychology Clinic of the University of Tampere. Based on the principles of neuropsychological rehabilitation and behavioral modification, EXAT combines child group training, parent training, and teacher consultations.

Night awakening in infancy: Developmental stability and longitudinal associations with psychomotor development.

Fragmented sleep is common in infancy. Although night awakening is known to decrease with age, in some infants night awakening is more persistent and continues into older ages. However, the influence of fragmented sleep on development is poorly known.

Executive and intellectual functioning in school-aged children with specific language impairment.

Background: Earlier research and clinical practice show that specific language impairment (SLI) is often associated with nonverbal cognitive deficits and weakened skills in executive functions (EFs). Executive deficits may have a remarkable influence on a child's everyday activities in the home and school environments. However, research information is still limited on EFs in school-aged children with SLI, mostly conducted among English- and Dutch-speaking children.

Neurological outcome of childhood brain tumor survivors.

We assessed neurological and neurocognitive outcome in childhood brain tumor survivors. Altogether, 75 out of 80 brain tumor survivors diagnosed below 17 years between 1983 and 1997; and treated in Tampere University Hospital, Finland, were invited to participate in this population-based cross-sectional study. Fifty-two (69%) participated [mean age 14.

Cognitive impairment in preschool children with epilepsy.

Purpose: Studies have shown that underlying pathology and early onset of seizures are both significant factors contributing to cognitive impairment in children with epilepsy. However, there are only few studies focusing on cognitive impairment in preschool children with epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to describe the cognitive performance in a population-based cohort of preschool children with epilepsy.

Neurocognitive functioning of preschool children with uncomplicated epilepsy.

Only few studies are available on the cognitive functioning of preschool children with uncomplicated epilepsy. The aim of this study was to describe the neurocognitive functioning of 3-6-year-old children with uncomplicated epilepsy. A subgroup of children with uncomplicated epilepsy from a population based cohort of preschool children with active epilepsy (N=64) participated in the study.

Social functioning and psychological well-being of 347 young adults with epilepsy only--population-based, controlled study from Finland.

Purpose: To explore social functioning and psychological well-being in a population-based cohort of epilepsy patients compared to matched controls.

Methods: A random sample of patients with epilepsy (N = 347) and a healthy control group (N = 430) matched for age, gender and domicile were identified through National Registry of Social Insurance Institution in Finland. The data were collected by postal questionnaire assessing various factors related to social and psychological well-being and were analyzed by using linear regression analysis to compare the study and control groups.

The effects of valproate exposure in utero on behavior and the need for educational support in school-aged children.

Children exposed to valproate monotherapy in utero were evaluated with respect to neurological functioning, behavior, and additional educational needs, and the results were compared with those for age- and gender-matched controls exposed to carbamazepine and children with no prenatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs. We identified from the community-based pregnancy registry of Kuopio University Hospital area (1989-2000) all first-born and school-aged children exposed to valproate (N=13). Neurological and neuropsychological assessments were made clinically, and behavioral problems were assessed with the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS).

Language and motor speech skills in children with cerebral palsy.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to investigate associations between the severity of motor limitations, cognitive difficulties, language and motor speech problems in children with cerebral palsy. Also, the predictive power of neonatal cranial ultrasound findings on later outcome was investigated. For this purpose, 36 children (age range 1 year 10 months to 9 years 0 months) with cerebral palsy due to premature birth and white-matter damage (periventricular leukomalacia) participated in the study.

Children exposed to valproate in utero--population based evaluation of risks and confounding factors for long-term neurocognitive development.

Purpose: To evaluate neurological and cognitive functioning of school-aged (> or =6 years) children exposed to valproate monotherapy in utero in a population based, evaluator-blinded, controlled study.

Methods: Studied children (N=39, aged 6.6-13.

Children with functional motor limitations: the effects on family strengths.

Sixty children with functional motor limitations (age range from 15 months to 7 years 3 months) and their parents participated in the study. The objective was to explore the relationship of the severity of their restrictions on family strengths. Functional motor abilities of the children were assessed using Autti-Ramo's Scale.

A retrospective neurocognitive study in children with spastic diplegia.

The study presents the results on neonatal cranial ultrasonography (US) and later intelligence (Wechsler Intelligence Scale-Third Edition and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised) and Neuropsychological assessments of 15 children with spastic diplegia. The assessments were undertaken when the children were 5 to 12 years of age. The children's IQ scores were, as a group, at the lower end of the normal distribution.

Visual agnosia in a child with non-lesional occipito-temporal CSWS.

In this paper we describe a case of severe visual agnosia in a child with an electrophysiological pattern of continuous spike-wave discharges in slow sleep (CSWS) in the occipito-temporal regions. The neuropsychological spectrum related to this phenomenon is discussed. Published paediatric reports associate visual agnosia (i.