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Brain and Behavior Sep 2022Among the target groups in child and adolescent psychiatry, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been more applied in neurodevelopmental disorders... (Review)
Review
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials on efficacy and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation in major neurodevelopmental disorders: ADHD, autism, and dyslexia.
OBJECTIVE
Among the target groups in child and adolescent psychiatry, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been more applied in neurodevelopmental disorders specifically, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and dyslexia. This systematic review aims to provide the latest update on published randomized-controlled trials applying tDCS in these disorders for evaluating its efficacy and safety.
METHODS
Based on a pre-registered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42022321430) and using the PRISMA approach, a literature search identified 35 randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of tDCS on children and adolescents with ADHD (n = 17), ASD (n = 11), and dyslexia (n = 7).
RESULTS
In ADHD, prefrontal anodal tDCS is reported more effective compared to stimulation of the right inferior frontal gyrus. Similarly in ASD, prefrontal anodal tDCS was found effective for improving behavioral problems. In dyslexia, stimulating temporoparietal regions was the most common and effective protocol. In ASD and dyslexia, all tDCS studies found an improvement in at least one of the outcome variables while 64.7% of studies (11 of 17) in ADHD found a similar effect. About 88% of all tDCS studies with a multi-session design in 3 disorders (16 of 18) reported a significant improvement in one or all outcome variables after the intervention. Randomized, double-blind, controlled trials consisted of around 70.5%, 36.3%, and 57.1% of tDCS studies in ADHD, ASD, and dyslexia, respectively. tDCS was found safe with no reported serious side effects in 6587 sessions conducted on 745 children and adolescents across 35 studies.
CONCLUSION
tDCS was found safe and partially effective. For evaluation of clinical utility, larger randomized controlled trials with a double-blind design and follow-up measurements are required. Titration studies that systematically evaluate different stimulation intensities, duration, and electrode placement are lacking.
Topics: Adolescent; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder; Child; Dyslexia; Humans; Prefrontal Cortex; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
PubMed: 35938945
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2724 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021Several studies have reported contradictory results regarding the benefits of music interventions in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs),...
Several studies have reported contradictory results regarding the benefits of music interventions in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines. We searched the Cochrane, PubMed and Medline databases from January 1970 to September 2020 to review all empirical findings, except case reports, measuring the effect of music therapy on youths with ASD, intellectual disability (ID), communication disorder (CD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD), specific learning disorder, and attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thirty-nine studies ( = 1,774 participants) were included in this review (ASD: = 22; ID: = 7; CD and dyslexia: = 5; DCD: = 0; ADHD: = 5 studies). Two main music therapies were used: educational music therapy and improvisational music therapy. A positive effect of educational music therapy on patients with ASD was reported in most controlled studies (6/7), particularly in terms of speech production. A positive effect of improvisational music therapy was reported in most controlled studies (6/8), particularly in terms of social functioning. The subgroup of patients with both ASD and ID had a higher response rate. Data are lacking for children with other NDDs, although preliminary evidence appears encouraging for educational music therapy in children with dyslexia. Improvisational music therapy in children with NDDs appears relevant for individuals with both ASD and ID. More research should be encouraged to explore whether oral and written language skills may improve after educational music therapy, as preliminary data are encouraging.
PubMed: 33897497
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.643234 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023The provisions of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for disability-inclusive education have stimulated a growing interest in ascertaining the...
AIM
The provisions of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for disability-inclusive education have stimulated a growing interest in ascertaining the prevalence of children with developmental disabilities globally. We aimed to systematically summarize the prevalence estimates of developmental disabilities in children and adolescents reported in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
METHODS
For this umbrella review we searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library for systematic reviews published in English between September 2015 and August 2022. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility, extracted the data, and assessed risk of bias. We reported the proportion of the global prevalence estimates attributed to country income levels for specific developmental disabilities. Prevalence estimates for the selected disabilities were compared with those reported in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019.
RESULTS
Based on our inclusion criteria, 10 systematic reviews reporting prevalence estimates for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental intellectual disability, epilepsy, hearing loss, vision loss and developmental dyslexia were selected from 3,456 identified articles. Global prevalence estimates were derived from cohorts in high-income countries in all cases except epilepsy and were calculated from nine to 56 countries. Sensory impairments were the most prevalent disabilities (approximately 13%) and cerebral palsy was the least prevalent disability (approximately 0.2-0.3%) based on the eligible reviews. Pooled estimates for geographical regions were available for vision loss and developmental dyslexia. All studies had a moderate to high risk of bias. GBD prevalence estimates were lower for all disabilities except cerebral palsy and intellectual disability.
CONCLUSION
Available estimates from systematic reviews and meta-analyses do not provide representative evidence on the global and regional prevalence of developmental disabilities among children and adolescents due to limited geographical coverage and substantial heterogeneity in methodology across studies. Population-based data for all regions using other approaches such as reported in the GBD Study are warranted to inform global health policy and intervention.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Humans; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Cerebral Palsy; Developmental Disabilities; Dyslexia; Epilepsy; Intellectual Disability; Prevalence; Systematic Reviews as Topic
PubMed: 36891340
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1122009 -
International Journal of... Feb 2024This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess whether (i) significant differences exist in the N400 response to lexico-semantic tasks between typically... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess whether (i) significant differences exist in the N400 response to lexico-semantic tasks between typically developing (TD) readers and readers with dyslexia, and (ii) whether these differences are moderated by the modality of task presentation (visual vs. auditory), the type of task, age, or opaque orthography (shallow and transparent alphabets vs Chinese morpho-syllabary). Twenty studies were included in the meta-analysis, and the analysis did not demonstrate strong evidence of publication bias. An overall effect size of Hedge's g = 0.66, p < .001, was found between typically developing readers and readers with dyslexia. All moderators were found to be significant; larger effects were associated with visual modality (g = 0.692, p < .001), semantically incongruent sentence tasks (g = 0.948, p < .001), pseudowords/characters tasks (g = 0.971, p < .001), and orthography [Chinese (g = 1.015, p < .001) vs. alphabets (g = 0.539, p < .001)]. Analysis of reaction time showed Hedge's g = 1.613, p < .001. Results suggest that the N400 reliably differentiated between typically developing readers and readers with dyslexia. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Electroencephalography; Evoked Potentials; Dyslexia; Semantics; Language; Reading
PubMed: 38128616
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2023.112283 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Sep 2020This study presents a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of temporal processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental dyslexia (DD), two... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This study presents a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of temporal processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental dyslexia (DD), two neurodevelopmental disorders in which temporal processing deficits have been highly researched. The results provide strong evidence for impairments in temporal processing in both ASD (g = 0.48) and DD (g = 0.82), as measured by judgments of temporal order and simultaneity. In individual analyses, multisensory temporal processing was impaired for both ASD and DD, and unisensory auditory, visual and tactile processing were all impaired in DD. In ASD, speech stimuli showed moderate impairment effect sizes, whereas nonspeech stimuli showed small effects. Greater reading and spelling skills in DD were associated with greater temporal precision. Temporal deficits did not show changes with age in either disorder. In addition to more clearly defining temporal impairments in ASD and DD, the results highlight common and distinct patterns of temporal processing between these disorders. Deficits are discussed in relation to existing theoretical models, and recommendations are made for future research.
Topics: Auditory Perception; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder; Dyslexia; Humans; Time Perception; Visual Perception
PubMed: 32544540
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.013 -
Acta Psychologica Jun 2024In recent decades, the connections between academic skills, such as reading, writing, and calculation, and motor skills/capacities have received increasing attention.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
In recent decades, the connections between academic skills, such as reading, writing, and calculation, and motor skills/capacities have received increasing attention. Many studies provided evidence for motor difficulties in children and adolescents with dyslexia, prompting the need for a meta-analysis to combine these multiple findings. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis using PsycINFO, Pubmed, and SportDiscus as scientific databases. A total of 572 studies were analyzed following several stringent inclusion criteria, resulting in the inclusion of 23 peer-reviewed studies in the final analysis. Our results showed that children and adolescents with dyslexia displayed significant different performances in multiple motor tasks and these differences persisted also when the type of motor task was considered as moderator in the analysis. The present findings are in accordance with the literature that supports a close connection between reading disabilities and difficulties in motor skills/capacities.
Topics: Humans; Dyslexia; Motor Skills; Child; Adolescent; Reading
PubMed: 38642452
DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104269 -
Annals of Dyslexia Jul 2023Dyslexia is one of the most studied learning disorders. Despite this, its biological basis and main causes are still not fully understood. Electroencephalography (EEG)...
Dyslexia is one of the most studied learning disorders. Despite this, its biological basis and main causes are still not fully understood. Electroencephalography (EEG) could be a powerful tool in identifying the underlying mechanisms, but knowledge of the EEG correlates of developmental dyslexia (DD) remains elusive. We aimed to systematically review the evidence on EEG correlates of DD and establish their quality. In July 2021, we carried out an online search of the PubMed and Scopus databases to identify published articles on EEG correlates in children with dyslexia aged 6 to 12 years without comorbidities. We follow the PRISMA guidelines and assess the quality using the Appraisal Tool questionnaire. Our final analysis included 49 studies (14% high quality, 63% medium, 20% low, and 2% very low). Studies differed greatly in methodology, making a summary of their results challenging. However, some points came to light. Even at rest, children with dyslexia and children in the control group exhibited differences in several EEG measures, particularly in theta and alpha frequencies; these frequencies appear to be associated with learning performance. During reading-related tasks, the differences between dyslexic and control children seem more localized in the left temporoparietal sites. The EEG activity of children with dyslexia and children in the control group differed in many aspects, both at rest and during reading-related tasks. Our data are compatible with neuroimaging studies in the same diagnostic group and expand the literature by offering new insights into functional significance.
Topics: Child; Humans; Dyslexia; Reading; Electroencephalography; Learning Disabilities
PubMed: 36417146
DOI: 10.1007/s11881-022-00273-1 -
Dyslexia (Chichester, England) May 2022Inconsistencies in the operationalisation of dyslexia in assessment practices are concerning. Variations in different countries' education contexts and education-related...
Inconsistencies in the operationalisation of dyslexia in assessment practices are concerning. Variations in different countries' education contexts and education-related legislation could contribute to continuing discrepancies between psychologists' assessment practices. However, an international "snapshot" of these practices is unavailable. An international comparison of psychologists' dyslexia assessment practices could help ascertain whether there are contextual factors that can foster converging practices. Accordingly, this study systematically reviewed the literature to capture how psychologists identify and/or diagnose dyslexia across English-speaking countries. Quantitative and/or qualitative studies, published between 2013 and 2021, that investigated psychologists' self-reported methods for assessing, identifying, and/or diagnosing individuals with dyslexia were included. Eleven studies (published across fourteen papers) met the inclusion criteria. Most included studies sampled school psychologists who work in the USA. Psychologists' dyslexia assessment practices were diverse (including the use of cognitive discrepancy and response-to-intervention methods). The results highlight an international need to develop a consensus operational definition of dyslexia and universal assessment guidelines. Future research might investigate the practices and beliefs of psychologists who work outside of the USA, and to be inclusive of adult populations. Implications for research and training are explored.
Topics: Adult; Dyslexia; Humans
PubMed: 34931397
DOI: 10.1002/dys.1706 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2022Currently, little is known about Chinese-speaking primary progressive aphasia (PPA) patients compared to patients who speak Indo-European languages. We examined the...
INTRODUCTION
Currently, little is known about Chinese-speaking primary progressive aphasia (PPA) patients compared to patients who speak Indo-European languages. We examined the demographics and clinical manifestations, particularly reading and writing characteristics, of Chinese patients with PPA over the last two decades to establish a comprehensive profile and improve diagnosis and care.
METHODS
We reviewed the demographic features, clinical manifestations, and radiological features of Chinese-speaking PPA patients from 56 articles published since 1994. We then summarized the specific reading and writing errors of Chinese-speaking patients.
RESULTS
The average age of onset for Chinese-speaking patients was in their early 60's, and there were slightly more male patients than female patients. The core symptoms and images of Chinese-speaking patients were similar to those of patients who speak Indo-European languages. Reading and writing error patterns differed due to Chinese's distinct tone and orthography. The types of reading errors reported in Chinese-speaking patients with PPA included tonal errors, regularization errors, visually related errors, semantic errors, phonological errors, unrelated errors, and non-response. Among these errors, regularization errors were the most common in semantic variant PPA, and tonal errors were specific to Chinese. Writing errors mainly consisted of non-character errors (stroke, radical/component, visual, pictograph, dyskinetic errors, and spatial errors), phonologically plausible errors, orthographically similar errors, semantic errors, compound word errors, sequence errors, unrelated errors, and non-response.
CONCLUSION
This paper provides the latest comprehensive demographic information and unique presentations on the reading and writing of Chinese-speaking patients with PPA. More detailed studies are needed to address the frequency of errors in reading and writing and their anatomical substrates.
PubMed: 36561305
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1025660 -
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2022To investigate ocular movements measures of vectoelectro-nystagmography and video-nystagmography in dyslexic children and compare with measures of typical children. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
To investigate ocular movements measures of vectoelectro-nystagmography and video-nystagmography in dyslexic children and compare with measures of typical children.
METHODS
A systematic review of observational studies comparing the ocular movements differences between dyslexic and typical children with no publication date or language restriction. The literature survey included the bibliographic databases MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, Lilacs and CENTRAL. Gray literature databases were also searched, including: OpenGrey.eu, DissOnline.de, The New York Academy of Medicine and WorldCat. The meta-analysis was performed using software RevMan 5.3 (Cochran Collaboration).
RESULTS
A total of 2375 articles were found of which 113 fell within the inclusion criteria. Among these, 52 were duplicates (found in more than one research source), and 45 articles were selected for reading in full. Thirteen (13) articles were included for analysis and discussion. Meta-analysis showed statistical differences between the two groups for the total number of saccades and duration of fixation.
CONCLUSION
The study revealed that children with dyslexia have longer duration of fixation and fewer saccades during ocular movements on vectoelectro-nystagmography and video-nystagmography when compared to children without dyslexia.
Topics: Child; Humans; Fixation, Ocular; Dyslexia; Saccades; Reading; Eye Movements
PubMed: 35094959
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.10.006