Executive Function Profiles in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in heterogeneous patterns of neuropsychological impairment. This study investigated heterogeneity in executive function (EF) using the Comprehensive Trail Making Test (CTMT) to evaluate 121 children and adolescents with TBI and 121 matched normal controls. The TBI group performed approximately two standard deviations below controls.

A cure is possible: a study of 10-year survivors of brain metastases.

Little is known on the natural history, recurrence patterns, neurocognitive outcomes and prognostic factors associated with survival in long-term survivors (≥10 years) from brain metastasis (BM). In this study, the records of 1953 patients who underwent treatment for BM with a potential for ≥10 years of follow-up were reviewed. Cox regression analysis identified factors predictive for overall survival (OS).

Concordance of the Montreal cognitive assessment with standard neuropsychological measures.

Introduction: The concordance of the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) with more comprehensive neuropsychological measures remains unclear. This study examined the individual MoCA domains with more comprehensive and commonly used neuropsychological measures to determine the degree of overlap.

Methods: Data included individuals seen in an outpatient neurology clinic specializing in neurodegenerative disease who were administered the MoCA and also underwent neuropsychological assessment (n = 471).

Negative symptoms in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: A psychometric evaluation of the brief negative symptom scale across diagnostic categories.

Past studies have demonstrated that the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) has excellent psychometric properties in patients with schizophrenia. In the current study, we extended this literature by examining psychometric properties of the BNSS in outpatients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (n=46), outpatients with schizophrenia (n=50), and healthy controls (n=27). Participants completed neuropsychological testing and a clinical interview designed to assess negative, positive, disorganized, mood, and general psychiatric symptoms.

Concurrent sound segregation impairments in schizophrenia: The contribution of auditory-specific and general cognitive factors.

The present study sought to test whether perceptual segregation of concurrently played sounds is impaired in schizophrenia (SZ), whether impairment in sound segregation predicts difficulties with a real-world speech-in-noise task, and whether auditory-specific or general cognitive processing accounts for sound segregation problems. Participants with SZ and healthy controls (HCs) performed a mistuned harmonic segregation task during recording of event-related potentials (ERPs). Participants also performed a brief speech-in-noise task.

Predicting psychosis across diagnostic boundaries: Behavioral and computational modeling evidence for impaired reinforcement learning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with a history of psychosis.

There is increasing evidence that schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) share a number of cognitive, neurobiological, and genetic markers. Shared features may be most prevalent among SZ and BD with a history of psychosis. This study extended this literature by examining reinforcement learning (RL) performance in individuals with SZ (n = 29), BD with a history of psychosis (BD+; n = 24), BD without a history of psychosis (BD-; n = 23), and healthy controls (HC; n = 24).

Preliminary evidence for reduced auditory lateral suppression in schizophrenia.

Background: Well-documented auditory processing deficits such as impaired frequency discrimination and reduced suppression of auditory brain responses in schizophrenia (SZ) may contribute to abnormal auditory functioning in everyday life. Lateral suppression of non-stimulated neurons by stimulated neurons has not been extensively assessed in SZ and likely plays an important role in precise encoding of sounds. Therefore, this study evaluated whether lateral suppression of activity in auditory cortex is impaired in SZ.

Radiographic skeletal survey for non-accidental injury: systematic review and development of a national New Zealand protocol.

Introduction: Clinically occult fractures from non-accidental injury (NAI) are best detected on radiographic skeletal survey. However, there are regional variations regarding the views included in such surveys. We undertook a systematic review of the evidence supporting skeletal survey protocols to design a protocol that could be implemented across New Zealand.

Using negative feedback to guide behavior: impairments on the first 4 cards of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test predict negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Research has demonstrated that individuals with schizophrenia fail to appropriately use negative feedback to guide learning. These learning deficits are thought to arise from abnormalities in midbrain dopamine activity. Primary and enduring negative symptoms are also associated with abnormal dopamine activity and are expected to produce more severe deficits in learning when they present in individuals with schizophrenia.

Ten-year review of intussusception at Starship Hospital: 1998-2007.

Aims: To review the demographics, presenting features, rates of air enema reduction success, prevalence of pathological lead points and surgical intervention rates and outcomes in patients with intussusception at Starship Children's Hospital (Auckland, New Zealand). To use this data to guide management of children at a national level in New Zealand.

Method: Retrospective case series.

Upper airway size while sucking on a pacifier in an infant with micrognathia.

In an infant with micrognathia, who was being evaluated after an apparent life-threatening event, respiration timed lateral radiographs showed an increase in the width of the middle airway space during inspiration from 2 mm without the pacifier to 9 mm while sucking on a pacifier. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that the well-documented association between the pacifier use and reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome may be at least in part related to changes in airway size.

Apparently life threatening events in infant car safety seats.

Young infants should not be left unattended to sleep in standard car safety seats

Do radiographs requested from a paediatric emergency department in New Zealand need reporting?

Objectives: To ascertain whether plain radiographs interpreted by doctors working in a paediatric ED need reporting by radiologists.

Methods: Prospective observational study based in a paediatric teaching hospital.

Results: The overall disagreement rate was 26.

Effect of sub-elite competitive running on bone density, body composition and sexual maturity of adolescent females.

The attainment of optimal peak bone mass during adolescence is important in the primary prevention of osteoporosis. Exercise may contribute to skeletal development and bone density during growth, although competitive exercise is suggested to have an adverse effect. This study assesses the effect of moderate exercise on the bone density of adolescent females.