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Lichter-Konecki U, Sanz JH, McCarter R. Relationship between longitudinal changes in neuropsychological outcome and disease biomarkers in urea cycle disorders. Pediatr Res 2023; 94:2005-2015. [PMID: 37454183 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02722-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) cause impaired conversion of waste nitrogen to urea leading to rise in glutamine and ammonia. Elevated ammonia and glutamine have been implicated in brain injury. This study assessed relationships between biomarkers of metabolic control and long-term changes in neuropsychological test scores in participants of the longitudinal study of UCDs. The hypothesis was that elevated ammonia and glutamine are associated with neuropsychological impairment. METHODS Data from 146 participants who completed 2 neuropsychological assessments were analyzed. Neuropsychological tests that showed significant changes in scores over time were identified and associations between score change and interim metabolic biomarker levels were investigated. RESULTS Participants showed a significant decrease in performance on visual motor integration (VMI) and verbal learning immediate-recall. A decrease in scores was associated with experiencing interim hyperammonemic events (HAE) and frequency of HAE. Outside of HAE there was a significant association between median ammonia levels ≥50µmol/L and impaired VMI. CONCLUSION VMI and memory encoding are specifically affected in UCDs longitudinally, indicating that patients experience difficulties when required to integrate motor and visual functions and learn new information. Only ammonia biomarkers showed a significant association with impairment. Preventing HAE and controlling ammonia levels is key in UCD management. IMPACT The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery VMI) and List A Trial 5 of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) may be good longitudinal biomarkers of treatment outcome in urea cycle disorders (UCD). This is the first report of longitudinal biomarkers for treatment outcome in UCD. These two biomarkers of outcome may be useful for clinical trials assessing new treatments for UCD. These results will also inform educators how to design interventions directed at improving learning in individuals with UCDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Lichter-Konecki
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Jacqueline H Sanz
- Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robert McCarter
- Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
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Srivastava R, Mailo J, Dunbar M. Perinatal Stroke in Fetuses, Preterm and Term Infants. Semin Pediatr Neurol 2022; 43:100988. [PMID: 36344024 DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2022.100988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal stroke is a well-defined heterogenous group of disorders involving a focal disruption of cerebral blood flow between 20 weeks gestation and 28 days of postnatal life. The most focused lifetime risk for stroke occurs during the first week after birth. The morbidity of perinatal stroke is high, as it is the most common cause of hemiparetic cerebral palsy which results in lifelong disability that becomes more apparent throughout childhood. Perinatal strokes can be classified by the timing of diagnosis (acute or retrospective), vessel involved (arterial or venous), and underlying cause (hemorrhagic or ischemic). Perinatal stroke has primarily been reported as a disorder of term infants; however, the preterm brain possesses different vulnerabilities that predispose an infant to stroke injury both in utero and after birth. Accurate diagnosis of perinatal stroke syndromes has important implications for investigations, management, and prognosis. The classification of perinatal stroke by age at presentation (fetal, preterm neonatal, term neonatal, and infancy/childhood) is summarized in this review, and includes detailed descriptions of risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, controversies, and resources for family support.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Srivastava
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Albertam, AB, Canada
| | - J Mailo
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Albertam, AB, Canada
| | - M Dunbar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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Loucas C, Wolters P, Toledo-Tamula MA, Rhodes A, Baldwin A, Goodwin A, Widemann B, Martin S. Verbal learning and memory in youth with neurofibromatosis type 1 and plexiform neurofibromas: Relationships with disease severity. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2022; 38:7-12. [PMID: 35334353 PMCID: PMC10575344 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
AIM To provide a comprehensive characterization of verbal learning and memory (VLM) abilities in youth with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and plexiform neurofibromas (PNs) and to evaluate disease severity as a predictor of VLM functioning over time. METHOD As part of a longitudinal natural history study, youth with NF1 and PNs were administered repeat neuropsychological assessments, including measures of VLM and ratings of NF1 disease severity completed by a medical professional. This sub-study analyzed data from 89 patients (M age baseline = 13.1, SD = 4.3 years, range 6-24 years) who had completed tests of VLM abilities and verbal attention at either baseline and/or 36 months. RESULTS VLM scores across the sample fell predominantly within the average range of functioning at both time points. However, relative to peers with mild NF1 disease severity, youth with moderate/severe NF1 disease showed lower functioning across multiple VLM domains at 36 months, even after controlling for the effects of verbal attention. INTERPRETATION Exclusive use of overall domain scores does not fully characterize VLM functioning in youth with NF1 and PNs. Additionally, children and adolescents with more severe NF1 disease should be monitored more closely for verbal memory challenges and targeted for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn Loucas
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Pamela Wolters
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mary Anne Toledo-Tamula
- Clinical Research Directorate (CRD), Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, United States
| | - Amanda Rhodes
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andrea Baldwin
- Clinical Research Directorate (CRD), Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, United States
| | - Anne Goodwin
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brigitte Widemann
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Staci Martin
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States.
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Schraegle WA, Nussbaum NL, Stefanatos AK. List-learning and verbal memory profiles in childhood epilepsy syndromes. Epilepsy Behav 2016; 62:159-65. [PMID: 27484747 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Findings of material-specific influences on memory performance in pediatric epilepsy are inconsistent and merit further investigation. This study compared 90 children (aged 6years to 16years) with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) to determine whether they displayed distinct list-learning and verbal memory profiles on the California Verbal Learning Test - Children's Version (CVLT-C). Group comparison identified greater risk of memory impairment in children with TLE and FLE syndromes but not for those with CAE. While children with TLE performed worst overall on Short Delay Free Recall, groups with TLE and FLE performed similarly on Long Delay Free Recall. Contrast indices were then employed to explore these differences. Children with TLE demonstrated a significantly greater retroactive interference (RI) effect compared with groups with FLE and CAE. Conversely, children with FLE demonstrated a significantly worse learning efficiency index (LEI), which compares verbal memory following repetition with initial recall of the same list, than both children with TLE and CAE. These findings indicated shallow encoding related to attentional control for children with FLE and retrieval deficits in children with TLE. Finally, our combined sample showed significantly higher rates of extreme contrast indices (i.e., 1.5 SD difference) compared with the CVLT-C standardization sample. These results underscore the high prevalence of memory dysfunction in pediatric epilepsy and offer support for distinct patterns of verbal memory performance based on childhood epilepsy syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Schraegle
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Nancy L Nussbaum
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Arianna K Stefanatos
- Pediatric Neuropsychology, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Gascoigne MB, Barton B, Webster R, Gill D, Antony J, Lah SS. Accelerated long-term forgetting in children with idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Epilepsia 2012; 53:2135-40. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03719.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on hippocampal volume, verbal learning, and verbal and spatial recall in late childhood. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2008; 14:1022-33. [PMID: 18954482 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617708081368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) show deficits in verbal learning and spatial memory, as well as abnormal hippocampal development. The relationship between their memory and neuroanatomic impairments, however, has not been directly explored. Given that the hippocampus is integral for the synthesis and retrieval of learned information and is particularly vulnerable to the teratogenic effects of alcohol, we assessed whether reduced learning and recall abilities in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are associated with abnormal hippocampal volumes. Nineteen children with FASDs and 18 typically developing controls aged 9 to 15 years were assessed for verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall and underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. Images were analyzed for total intracranial volume and for right and left hippocampal volumes. Results revealed smaller left hippocampi and poorer verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall performance in children with FASDs than controls, as well as positive correlations between selective memory indices and hippocampal volumes only in the FASD group. Additionally, hippocampal volumes increased significantly with age in controls only, suggesting that PAE may be associated with long-term abnormalities in hippocampal development that may contribute to impaired verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall.
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Pollak Y, Kahana-Vax G, Hoofien D. Retrieval processes in adults with ADHD: a RAVLT study. Dev Neuropsychol 2008; 33:62-73. [PMID: 18443970 DOI: 10.1080/87565640701729789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with memory deficiencies. In the current study we compared different aspects of verbal memory using standard and constructed measures of the Rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT). Performance on learning and recognition measures of RAVLT was similar in both ADHD and control groups. In contrast, adults with ADHD committed more double recalls and intrusion errors, indicating inaccurate recall processes. These findings suggest that memory problems in adults with ADHD may be caused by deficient executive processes that support retrieval from memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Pollak
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Israel.
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Campbell JM, Brown RT, Cavanagh SE, Vess SF, Segall MJ. Evidence-based assessment of cognitive functioning in pediatric psychology. J Pediatr Psychol 2008; 33:999-1014; discussion 1015-20. [PMID: 18194973 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsm138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review the evidence base for measures of cognitive functioning frequently used within the field of pediatric psychology. METHODS From a list of 47 measures identified by the Society of Pediatric Psychology (Division 54) Evidence-Based Assessment Task Force Workgroup, 27 measures were included in the review. Measures were organized, reviewed, and evaluated according to general domains of functioning (e.g., attention/executive functioning, memory). RESULTS Twenty-two of 27 measures reviewed demonstrated psychometric properties that met "Well-established" criteria as set forth by the Assessment Task Force. Psychometric properties were strongest for measures of general cognitive ability and weakest for measures of visual-motor functioning and attention. CONCLUSIONS We report use of "Well-established" measures of overall cognitive functioning, nonverbal intelligence, academic achievement, language, and memory and learning. For several specific tests in the domains of visual-motor functioning and attention, additional psychometric data are needed for measures to meet criteria as "Well established."
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Campbell
- University of Georgia, Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, 325-J Aderhold Hall, Athens, GA 30602-7143, USA.
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