The Canadian Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Common Data Elements Project: Harmonizing Outcomes to Increase Understanding of Pediatric Concussion.

A critical component for accelerating the clinical uptake of research data in the area of pediatric concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) pertains to the establishment and utilization of common databases. The objective of the first phase of our CanPedCDE initiative was to agree upon pediatric common data elements (CDEs) that could best characterize children with MTBI over their recovery period. The selection of CDEs for our framework aimed to balance factors such as the comprehensiveness of outcomes collected, their applicability to diverse settings, as well as the costs associated with their use.

The contribution of social cognition in predicting social participation following moderate and severe TBI in youth.

Youth with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at risk for reduced social participation after the injury, and the contribution of social cognition to these changes in functioning has been little studied. This study aimed to examine social participation and to measure the contribution of social and non-social cognitive functions to social participation impairment in youth (ages 12-21) who sustained moderate or severe TBI. Youth with TBI (= 23) were compared to typically developing (TD) controls on self- and parent-rated social participation questionnaires.

Difference in neural response to social exclusion observation and subsequent altruism between adolescents and adults.

Empathy and prosocial behaviors toward peers promote successful social development and creation of significant long-term relationships, but surprisingly little is known about the maturation of these skills during the period of adolescence. As the majority of studies have used questionnaires or pain observation paradigms, it remains unknown whether the empathic response of adolescents differs from that of adults in a paradigm that is closer to everyday life. In the current study, fMRI was used to examine the neural correlates of social exclusion observation and subsequent prosocial behavior in 20 adolescents (aged 12-17 years) and 20 adults (aged 22-30 years) while playing a ball-tossing game with what they believed to be real individuals.

Executive dysfunction following a mild traumatic brain injury revealed in early adolescence with locomotor-cognitive dual-tasks.

Objective: To compare gait parameters between children in early adolescence (EA) with and without a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) during dual-task walking (DTW).

Methods: Children in EA with mTBI (n = 14; six girls) were compared to those without (n = 13; five girls) while walking in different combinations of obstacle avoidance and cognitive dual-tasks. Gait speed and fluidity and their related dual-task costs (DTC) were analysed along with foot clearance and proximity to the obstacle.

Impact of traumatic brain injury on social cognition in adolescents and contribution of other higher order cognitive functions.

Social cognition impairments can contribute to social participation difficulties following traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, little attention has been given to these impairments during adolescence, a period of life when peer relationships are central. The aim of the current study was to examine the impact of a moderate to severe TBI sustained in adolescence on multiple facets of social cognition.

Interrupting the social processes linked with initiation of injection drug use: results from a pilot study.

Background: Injection drug use is a skill learned in social settings. Change the Cycle (CTC), a peer-delivered, one-session intervention, is designed to reduce among people who inject drugs (PIDs) injection initiation-related behaviours (i.e.

Regioselective pivaloylation of N-phthaloylchitosan: a promising soluble intermediate for chitosan chemistry.

A simple and efficient pivaloylation of primary alcohols was realized on N-phthaloylchitosan that was regioselectively and entirely protected. The selectivity of this mild esterification was demonstrated by comparison with (1)H NMR chemical shifts of H-1 and H-3 of complete 3,6-O-dipivaloylated derivatives. The selective hydrazinolysis of N-phthaloyl groups in the presence of pivaloyl ester was achieved in ethanol/water.

Obstetric and perinatal complications in placentas with fetal thrombotic vasculopathy.

Fetal thrombotic vasculopathy (FTV) is a placental lesion characterized by regionally distributed avascular villi and is often accompanied by upstream thrombosis in placental fetal vessels. Previous studies, using preselected populations, have shown associations of this lesion with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes and potentially obstructive lesions of the umbilical cord. We investigated the prevalence of obstetric complications, perinatal disease, and placental abnormalities in cases with FTV.

Gross abnormalities of the umbilical cord: related placental histology and clinical significance.

Objective: To evaluate umbilical cord abnormalities predisposing to mechanical cord compression and determine their relationship to adverse clinical outcomes and stasis-associated histologic changes in the placenta.

Methods: Placental slides of 224 singleton pregnancies with gross cord abnormality (true knots, long cords, nuchal/body cords, abnormal cord insertion, hypercoiled cords, narrow cords with diminished Wharton's jelly), delivered on or after 28 weeks gestational age, and 317 gestational age-matched controls, were reviewed and specifically evaluated for the following histologic changes: (1) fetal vascular ectasia, (2) fetal vascular thrombosis, (3) and fetal thrombotic vasculopathy/avascular villi. These changes were analyzed in relation to both clinical information and findings at gross pathologic examination.