School achievement and school adaptation in children in relation to CNS development as assessed by a complex reaction time measured on school entry--a follow-up

An evaluation of a short questionnaire for parents about their school-aged children's global maturity level

The aim was to evaluate a questionnaire for parents concerning their school-aged children's global maturity level. Immature children (n = 29) as reported by their parents were compared to a control group (n = 68). Immaturity was linked to a reduced general knowledge, a childish body appearance, problems with the fine motor function and problems with peers. The index group also had on average a lower test result in total score of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and more commission errors in the Continuous Performance Test, both test results indicating a lower mental age.

Somatosensory-evoked potentials in athletes

We measured somatosensory-evoked potentials in athletes to determine whether there were differences in somatosensory pathways related to sports performance or training. Seven sedentary subjects, 10 endurance runners, and seven elite gymnasts of similar height and weight were investigated. Peak latencies and amplitudes were measured of P9, P11, P13/14, N20, P25, and N30 waves, following electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist. Central and peripheral conduction speeds of the sensory pathway were calculated. The subjects also completed a simple reaction test to a visual stimulus. There were no significant differences between the groups in any of the attributes we measured. The was a positive correlation between years of training undergone and the amplitude of N20, a negative correlation between the amplitudes of P11 and P13/14 and the number of hours of training undertaken per week, and a positive correlation between the amplitude of N30 and the simple visual reaction time. We conclude that the gymnasts, runners and sedentary subjects had no differences in somatosensory pathways, as measured using standard clinical procedures for evaluating somatosensory-evoked potentials.

Mental and somatic health and social adjustment in ordinary school children during childhood and adolescence related to central nervous functions as expressed by a complex reaction time

A cohort of ordinary Swedish children were followed up from school entry through childhood and adolescence and checked retrospectively from birth to the age of 6 years regarding psychiatric and physical health and contact with the social welfare authorities. The children were allocated to different risk groups at age 7 on the basis of their psycho-physical development expressed as complex reaction time (CRT). It was previously shown that many of the slow CRT children have problems in psychomotor and language development at school, and that many leave compulsory school with poor achievements in Swedish and gymnastics as continuing signs of their developmental delay. This study shows that slow CRT children have an increased prevalence of child psychiatric problems. At an early age there were symptoms of aggression, hyperactivity and withdrawal in conjunction with developmental delay. During adolescence, depression, maladjustment and psycho-somatic disorders were prominent features, often in association with developmental delay, dyslexia and poor motoric skill. These children could have a disadvantage at school and in society and they felt themselves "handicapped" and were stressed by feelings of limited future possibilities. In adolescence, many of them were in need of help, especially financial aid from the social welfare services. The findings stress that a slow cognitive processing ability seen as a slow CRT must be considered a handicap of importance and a risk-factor in the society of today, with primary or secondary psychic and social manifestations often in a multifactorial setting of biological co-morbidity and family problems. In contrast, an advanced CNS development with a fast CRT may be seen as a protective factor.