-
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Oct 2018Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most common pediatric neurobehavioral disorder, frequently presents with coexisting reading disorders (RDs). Despite...
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most common pediatric neurobehavioral disorder, frequently presents with coexisting reading disorders (RDs). Despite this, it is unclear whether medication improves symptoms and function in children with comorbid ADHD and RD. We present a systematic review of studies investigating the effects of ADHD medications on ADHD symptoms, academic outcomes, and neuropsychological measures in this important group.
Topics: Academic Performance; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Adolescent Development; Age Factors; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Brain; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Child; Child Behavior; Child Development; Comorbidity; Dyslexia; Female; Humans; Male; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 30053315
DOI: 10.1002/cpt.1192 -
International Journal of Health... Jun 2018The relationships between food environments and dietary intake have been assessed via a range of methodologically diverse measures of spatial exposure to food outlets,...
BACKGROUND
The relationships between food environments and dietary intake have been assessed via a range of methodologically diverse measures of spatial exposure to food outlets, resulting in a largely inconclusive body of evidence, limiting informed policy intervention.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review aims to evaluate the influence of methodological choice on study outcomes by examining the within-study effect of availability (e.g., counts) versus accessibility (e.g., proximity) spatial exposure measures on associations with diet.
METHODS
(PROSPERO registration: CRD42018085250). PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and ScienceDirect databases were searched for empirical studies from 1980 to 2017, in the English language, involving adults and reporting on the statistical association between a dietary outcome and spatial exposure measures of both availability and accessibility. Studies were appraised using an eight-point quality criteria with a narrative synthesis of results.
RESULTS
A total of 205 associations and 44 relationships (i.e., multiple measures of spatial exposure relating to a particular food outlet type and dietary outcome) were extracted from 14 eligible articles. Comparative measures were dominated by counts (availability) and proximity (accessibility). Few studies compared more complex measures and all counts were derived from place-based measures of exposure. Sixteen of the 44 relationships had a significant effect involving an availability measure whilst only 8 had a significant effect from an accessibility measure. The largest effect sizes in relationships were mostly for availability measures. After stratification by scale, availability measure had the greatest effect size in 139 of the 176 pairwise comparisons. Of the 33% (68/205) of associations that reached significance, 53/68 (78%) were from availability measures. There was no relationship between study quality and reported study outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
The limited evidence suggests that availability measures may produce significant and greater effect sizes than accessibility measures. However, both availability and accessibility measures may be important concepts of spatial exposure depending on the food outlet type and dietary outcome examined. More studies reporting on multi-method effects are required to differentiate findings by the type of spatial exposure assessment and build an evidence base regarding the appropriateness and robustness of measures under different circumstances.
Topics: Adult; Diet; Environment; Female; Food Supply; Geographic Information Systems; Humans; Male; Residence Characteristics; Spatial Analysis
PubMed: 29885662
DOI: 10.1186/s12942-018-0139-7 -
Journal of Learning Disabilities 2018Many students at risk for or identified with reading disabilities need intensive reading interventions. This meta-analysis provides an update to the Wanzek and Vaughn... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Many students at risk for or identified with reading disabilities need intensive reading interventions. This meta-analysis provides an update to the Wanzek and Vaughn synthesis on intensive early reading interventions. Effects from 25 reading intervention studies are analyzed to examine the overall effect of intensive early reading interventions as well as relationships between intervention and student characteristics related to outcomes. The weighted mean effect size (ES) estimate (ES = 0.39), with a mean effect size adjusted for publication bias (ES = 0.28), both significantly different from zero, suggested intensive early reading interventions resulted in positive outcomes for early struggling readers in kindergarten through third grades. There was no statistically significant or meaningful heterogeneity in the study-wise effect sizes. Exploratory examination of time in intervention, instructional group size, initial reading achievement, and date of publication are provided.
Topics: Dyslexia; Humans; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Remedial Teaching
PubMed: 29779424
DOI: 10.1177/0022219418775110 -
Research in Developmental Disabilities Nov 2018While an understanding of the genetic contributions to specific reading disorder (RD) is emerging, there is no agreement about which putative hazard factors are clearly...
BACKGROUND
While an understanding of the genetic contributions to specific reading disorder (RD) is emerging, there is no agreement about which putative hazard factors are clearly involved in the aetiology of this disorder.
AIMS
A literature review looking at the impact of environmental risk variables implicated in RD either per se or when interacting with the genes.
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
We performed a systematic literature review using the following keywords: dyslexia OR reading disability AND environmental risk factors OR environmental hazard factors, in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO, without any time restrictions.
OUTCOMES AND RESULTS
Gestational weeks and birth weight are among the pre- and peri-natal risk factors shown to reliably predict reading readiness and the odds of having RD. Inconclusive findings have been reported for maternal cigarette smoking, family history of psychiatric and medical diseases, and risk of miscarriage. A broad definition of familial socio-economic status and home literacy environment have been identified as good life-long risk predictors of reading skills.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
We highlighted the need to consider environmental hazards, their interactions and interactions with RD-candidate genes in the study of the aetiology of RD in order to provide much-needed insight into how these variables influence reading skills.
Topics: Dyslexia; Gene-Environment Interaction; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Risk Factors; Social Environment
PubMed: 29566979
DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.03.005 -
PloS One 2018Accurate aphasia diagnosis is important in stroke care. A wide range of language tests are available and include informal assessments, tests developed by healthcare... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Accurate aphasia diagnosis is important in stroke care. A wide range of language tests are available and include informal assessments, tests developed by healthcare institutions and commercially published tests available for purchase in pre-packaged kits. The psychometrics of these tests are often reported online or within the purchased test manuals, not the peer-reviewed literature, therefore the diagnostic capabilities of these measures have not been systematically evaluated. This review aimed to identify both commercial and non-commercial language tests and tests used in stroke care and to examine the diagnostic capabilities of all identified measures in diagnosing aphasia in stroke populations.
METHODS
Language tests were identified through a systematic search of 161 publisher databases, professional and resource websites and language tests reported to be used in stroke care. Two independent reviewers evaluated test manuals or associated resources for cohort or cross-sectional studies reporting the tests' diagnostic capabilities (sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios or diagnostic odds ratios) in differentiating aphasic and non-aphasic stroke populations.
RESULTS
Fifty-six tests met the study eligibility criteria. Six "non-specialist" brief screening tests reported sensitivity and specificity information, however none of these measures reported to meet the specific diagnostic needs of speech pathologists. The 50 remaining measures either did not report validity data (n = 7); did not compare patient test performance with a comparison group (n = 17); included non-stroke participants within their samples (n = 23) or did not compare stroke patient performance against a language reference standard (n = 3). Diagnostic sensitivity analysis was completed for six speech pathology measures (WAB, PICA, CADL-2, ASHA-FACS, Adult FAVRES and EFA-4), however all studies compared aphasic performance with that of non-stroke healthy controls and were consequently excluded from the review.
CONCLUSIONS
No speech pathology test was found which reported diagnostic data for identifying aphasia in stroke populations. A diagnostically validated post-stroke aphasia test is needed.
Topics: Aphasia; Humans; Language Tests; Stroke
PubMed: 29566043
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194143 -
Psychiatria Polska Dec 2017The aim of the systematic review was to evaluate the use of EEG Biofeedback/Neurofeedback in patients treated for mental disorders. The review covered publications... (Review)
Review
The aim of the systematic review was to evaluate the use of EEG Biofeedback/Neurofeedback in patients treated for mental disorders. The review covered publications analyzing influences and effects of therapy in patients receiving psychiatric treatment based on EEG Biofeedback/Neurofeedback. Selection of publications was made by searching PubMed and Scopus databases. 328 records concerning applications of the presented method were identified in total, including 84 records for patients diagnosed with mental disorders. The analysis of studies indicates that EEG Biofeedback/Neurofeedback is used for treatment of neurological, somatic and mental disorders. Its psychiatric applications for clinically diagnosed disorders include treatmentof depression, anorexia, dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADD, ADHD, schizophrenia, abuse of substances, neuroses, PTSD, and Alzheimer's disease. Research results imply that the neuromodulating effect of the therapy positively influences cognitive processes, mood, and anxiety levels. Positive effects of EEG Biofeedback confirm usefulness of this method as a main or auxiliary method in treatment of people with mental disorders. On the basis of conducted studies, it is worthwhile to consider inclusion of this method into the comprehensive neurorehabilitation activities.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Behavior, Addictive; Brain Injuries; Depressive Disorder; Electroencephalography; Electromyography; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Neurofeedback; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 29432505
DOI: 10.12740/PP/68919 -
European Journal of Physical and... Jun 2018Exergames represent a way to perform physical activity through active video games, serving as potentially useful tool in the field of neurorehabilitation. However,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
Exergames represent a way to perform physical activity through active video games, serving as potentially useful tool in the field of neurorehabilitation. However, little is known regarding the possible role of exergames in improving cognitive functions in persons suffering from neurological disabilities.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
A search for relevant articles was carried out on PubMed/Medline, Scopus, PEDro, and Google Scholar. Only randomized controlled studies and non-randomized but controlled studies were retained. The following additional inclusion criteria were applied: studies focused on physical activity interventions carried out by means of exergames; populations targeted were affected by neurological disabilities; and reported results were related to cognitive outcomes. We calculated standardized mean differences (SMD) and pooled results using a random effects meta-analysis.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Of 520 abstracts screened, thirteen studies met the criteria to be included yielding a total of 465 participants, 233 randomized to exergames, and 232 allocated to the alternative or no intervention. The included studies varied in terms of studied populations (e.g., multiple sclerosis, post-stroke hemiparesis, Parkinson's disease, dementia, dyslexia, Down syndrome), type and duration of interventions, and cognitive outcome measures. Exergames significantly improved executive functions (SMD=0.53, P=0.005; 8 studies, N.=380) and visuo-spatial perception (SMD=0.65, P<0.0001; 5 studies, N.=209) when compared to the alternative or no intervention. There were no significant differences for attention (SMD=0.57, P=0.07; 7 studies, N.=250) and global cognition (SMD=0.05, P=0.80; 6 studies, N.=161).
CONCLUSIONS
Exergames are a highly-flexible tool for rehabilitation of both cognitive and motor functions in adult populations suffering from various neurological disabilities and developmental neurological disorders. Additional high-quality clinical trials with larger samples and more specific cognitive outcomes are needed to corroborate these preliminary findings.
CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT
Exergames could be considered either as a supplemental treatment to conventional rehabilitation, or as strategy to extend benefits of conventional programs at home.
Topics: Cognition; Disability Evaluation; Evidence-Based Medicine; Executive Function; Exercise Therapy; Female; Humans; Male; Nervous System Diseases; Neurological Rehabilitation; Physical Therapy Modalities; Prognosis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome; Video Games
PubMed: 29072042
DOI: 10.23736/S1973-9087.17.04680-9 -
Developmental Neuropsychology 2017Despite advances in the characterization of developmental dyslexia (DD), several questions regarding the interplay between DD-susceptibility genes and environmental risk... (Review)
Review
Despite advances in the characterization of developmental dyslexia (DD), several questions regarding the interplay between DD-susceptibility genes and environmental risk factors remain open. This systematic review aimed at answering the following questions: What has been the impact of new resources on the knowledge about DD? Which questions remain open? What is the investigative agenda for the short term? Forty-six studies were analyzed. Despite the growing literature on DD candidate genes, most studies have not been replicated. We found large effects on causative genes and smaller environmental contributions, involving maternal smoking during pregnancy, SES and the DYX1C1-1259C/G marker. Implications are discussed.
Topics: Child; Dyslexia; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Male; Pregnancy; Risk Factors
PubMed: 29068706
DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2017.1374960 -
Ear and Hearing 2018Children diagnosed with auditory processing disorders (APD) experience difficulties in auditory functioning and with memory, attention, language, and reading tasks.... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
OBJECTIVES
Children diagnosed with auditory processing disorders (APD) experience difficulties in auditory functioning and with memory, attention, language, and reading tasks. However, it is not clear whether the behavioral characteristics of these children are distinctive from the behavioral characteristics of children diagnosed with a different developmental disorder, such as specific language impairment (SLI), dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disorder (LD), or autism spectrum disorder. This study describes the performance of children diagnosed with APD, SLI, dyslexia, ADHD, and LD to different outcome measurements. The aim of this study was to determine (1) which characteristics of APD overlap with the characteristics of children with SLI, dyslexia, ADHD, LD, or autism spectrum disorder; and (2) if there are characteristics that distinguish children diagnosed with APD from children diagnosed with other developmental disorders.
DESIGN
A systematic review. Six electronic databases (Pubmed, CINAHL, Eric, PsychINFO, Communication & Mass Media Complete, and EMBASE) were searched to find peer-reviewed studies from 1954 to May 2015. The authors included studies reporting behaviors and performance of children with (suspected) APD and children diagnosed with a different developmental disorder (SLI, Dyslexia, ADHD, and LD). Two researchers identified and screened the studies independently. Methodological quality of the included studies was assessed with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's levels-of-evidence scheme.
RESULTS
In total, 13 studies of which the methodological quality was moderate were included in this systematic review. In five studies, the performance of children diagnosed with APD was compared with the performance of children diagnosed with SLI: in two with children diagnosed with dyslexia, one with children diagnosed with ADHD, and in another one with children diagnosed with LD. Ten of the studies included children who met the criteria for more than one diagnosis. In four studies, there was a comparison made between the performances of children with comorbid disorders. There were no studies found in which the performance of children diagnosed with APD was compared with the performance of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Children diagnosed with APD broadly share the same characteristics as children diagnosed with other developmental disorders, with only minor differences between them. Differences were determined with the auditory and visual Duration Pattern Test, the Children's Auditory Processing Performance Scale questionnaire, and the subtests of the Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences test, in which noise is spatially separated from target sentences. However, these differences are not consistent between studies and are not found in comparison to all groups of children with other developmental disorders.
CONCLUSIONS
Children diagnosed with APD perform equally to children diagnosed with SLI, dyslexia, ADHD, and LD on tests of intelligence, memory or attention, and language tests. Only small differences between groups were found for sensory and perceptual functioning tasks (auditory and visual). In addition, children diagnosed with dyslexia performed poorer in reading tasks compared with children diagnosed with APD. The result is possibly confounded by poor quality of the research studies and the low quality of the used outcome measures. More research with higher scientific rigor is required to better understand the differences and similarities in children with various neurodevelopmental disorders.
Topics: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Auditory Perceptual Disorders; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child; Developmental Disabilities; Dyslexia; Humans; Language Disorders; Learning Disabilities
PubMed: 28863035
DOI: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000479 -
Schizophrenia Research Jan 2018Evidence from event-related-potential (ERP) studies has repeatedly shown differences in the perception and processing of auditory stimuli in children with dyslexia... (Review)
Review
Evidence from event-related-potential (ERP) studies has repeatedly shown differences in the perception and processing of auditory stimuli in children with dyslexia compared to control children. The mismatch negativity (MMN) - an ERP component reflecting passive auditory change detection ability - has been found to be reduced, not only in children with a diagnosis of dyslexia, but also in infants and preschool children at risk of developing dyslexia. However, the results are controversial due to the different methods, age of the children and stimuli used. The aim of the present review is to summarize and evaluate the MMN research about at-risk children in order to identify risk factors that discriminate between children with and without dyslexia risk and to analyze if the MMR (the abbreviation refers to positive and negative mismatch responses) correlates with later reading and spelling ability. A literature search yielded 17 studies reporting MMR to speech or non-speech stimuli in children at risk of dyslexia. The results of the studies were inconsistent. Studies measuring speech MMR often found attenuated amplitudes in the at-risk group, but mainly in very young children. The results for older children (6-7years) and for non-speech stimuli are more heterogeneous. A moderate positive correlation of MMR amplitude size with later reading and spelling abilities was consistently found. Overall, the findings of this review indicate that the MMR can be a valuable part of early dyslexia identification, which can enable efficient support and intervention for a child before the first problems appear.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Databases, Factual; Dyslexia; Electroencephalography; Evoked Potentials, Auditory; Humans; Speech Perception
PubMed: 28712970
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.07.010