Detection of Relapse by Tumor Markers Versus Imaging in Children and Adolescents With Nongerminomatous Malignant Germ Cell Tumors: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.

Purpose: To investigate relapse detection methods among children and adolescents with nongerminomatous malignant germ cell tumors (MGCTs) and to determine whether tumor markers alone might be sufficient for surveillance.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients enrolled in a phase III, single-arm trial for low-risk and intermediate-risk MGCTs. The method used to detect relapse was assessed based on case report forms, tumor markers, imaging, and pathology reports.

Development of the Pediatric Social Risk Instrument Using a Structured Panel Approach.

Background: Social determinants of health impact child illness. Currently, no instrument exists to identify social need during hospital admission.

Methods: Using the UCLA (University of California Los Angeles)-RAND appropriateness method, consensus was reached for an instrument to identify social need in hospitalized children.

Adherence in Youth With Multiple Sclerosis: A Qualitative Assessment of Habit Formation, Barriers, and Facilitators.

Rates of medication nonadherence in youth with multiple sclerosis (MS) range from 10% to 60%. Qualitative studies of adherence can provide insight into children's own perspectives about barriers and facilitators to their adherence and inform future interventions. This qualitative longitudinal descriptive study included children with MS ( n = 28) participating in a randomized controlled trial focused on medication adherence ( clinicaltrials.

Experiences with unregulated respite care among family caregivers of children dependent on respiratory technologies.

Increasingly, children with respiratory conditions who are dependent on medical technology (e.g. ventilators and tracheostomies) are cared for at home by family caregivers who are at risk for significant health, financial and social burdens.

Combined Modality Intervention for ADHD With Comorbid Reading Disorders: A Proof of Concept Study.

To evaluate the relative efficacy of two reading programs with and without adjunctive stimulant medication for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid reading disorder (ADHD+RD). Sixty-five children (7-11 years in age) were assigned randomly to one of three intensive remedial academic programs (phonologically or strategy-based reading instruction, or general academic strategy and social skills training) in combination with either immediate-release methylphenidate or placebo. Multiple-blind procedures were used for medication/placebo, given twice daily.

A qualitative content analysis of peer mentoring video calls in adolescents with chronic illness.

This article endeavored to determine the topics of discussion during open-ended peer mentoring between adolescents and young adults living with chronic illness. This study occurred alongside a study of the iPeer2Peer Program. Fifty-two calls (7 mentor-mentee pairings) were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using inductive coding with an additional 30 calls (21 mentor-mentee pairings) coded to ensure representativeness of the data.

Common genetic variants influence human subcortical brain structures.

The highly complex structure of the human brain is strongly shaped by genetic influences. Subcortical brain regions form circuits with cortical areas to coordinate movement, learning, memory and motivation, and altered circuits can lead to abnormal behaviour and disease. To investigate how common genetic variants affect the structure of these brain regions, here we conduct genome-wide association studies of the volumes of seven subcortical regions and the intracranial volume derived from magnetic resonance images of 30,717 individuals from 50 cohorts.

Functional health status in children and adolescents after Fontan: comparison of generic and disease-specific assessments.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare associations between generic versus disease-specific functional health status assessments and patient and clinical characteristics for patients with severe congenital heart disease.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study involving 325 single ventricle patients, aged 10-18 years, after Fontan procedure. Enrolled patients underwent a medical history review, laboratory testing, and assessment of the functional health status by completion of the generic Child Report Child Health Questionnaire and the disease-specific Congenital Heart Adolescent and Teenage questionnaire.