Vocal Patterns in Infants with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Canonical Babbling Status and Vocalization Frequency

Canonical babbling is a critical milestone for speech development and is usually well in place by 10 months. The possibility that infants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show late onset of canonical babbling has so far eluded evaluation. Rate of vocalization or “volubility” has also been suggested as possibly aberrant in infants with ASD. We conducted a retrospective video study examining vocalizations of 37 infants at 9–12 and 15–18 months. Twenty-three of the 37 infants were later diagnosed with ASD and indeed produced low rates of canonical babbling and low volubility by comparison with the 14 typically developing infants. The study thus supports suggestions that very early vocal patterns may prove to be a useful component of early screening and diagnosis of ASD

The effect of acute exercise on the formation of long-term memory

Though the body of literature converges on the notion that acute exercise has a small, positive effect on cognitive performance in general (Chang, Labban, Gapin, & Etnier, 2012; Lambourne & Tomporowski, 2010), effects on certain cognitive domains remain poorly understood. Among these cognitive domains, memory is one of the least studied within the acute exercise literature. Despite the lack of attention in the exercise literature, memory is an intriguing and important domain of study. Most effects of acute exercise on cognitive function abate relatively quickly following exercise cessation. However, if exercise can improve the ability to process and/or store newly acquired information, then it is conceivable that the product of these effects (i.e. - improved recall) could be observed well after exercise cessation. The purpose of this study was twofold. The primary purpose was to test whether a single bout of aerobic exercise affects performance on a long-term memory task. The secondary purpose was to determine whether that effect operates primarily through the encoding and/or consolidation processes of long-term memory formation. The secondary purpose was tested by manipulating the timing of exercise relative to exposure to the to-be-remembered material (word list). A within-subjects, repeated measures design was used. Participants completed 3 conditions in randomized order, including 2 treatment conditions and one control condition. Treatment conditions involved participants exercising either immediately prior to or immediately following word list exposure. Exercise prior to exposure could impact encoding or consolidation (E+C); whereas, exercise following exposure could only impact consolidation (C). The control condition involved no exercise (NE) at all. Exercise consisted of 20 minutes, at moderate intensity, on a cycle ergometer, as well as a 5-minute warm-up and a 5-minutecool-down (30 minutes total). Memory for the word list was assessed 60 minutes and 24 hours after participants had finished listening to it. Analyses revealed that the E+C condition produced significantly better recall of the word list following both the 60-minute (?p2 = 0.24) and 24-hour (?p2 = 0.22) delays. Pairwise comparisons revealed statistically significant differences in recall for the E+C condition versus the NE condition; however, no differences were observed involving the C condition. These results suggested that acute exercise can benefit long-term memory, and that this benefit is accomplished primarily through an effect on the encoding process

The effects of physical activity on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms: The evidence

Evidence supports the beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) on cognitive performance and suggests that effects might be particularly large for children. However, limited research has explored PA as a means of managing behavioral symptoms and improving cognitive performance of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The etiology of ADHD and the putative mechanisms for the effects of PA on cognitive performance suggest that PA might be especially important for this population.ObjectiveThe purpose of this paper is to review the literature regarding the potential of PA for ADHD symptom management, particularly in regard to behavioral and cognitive symptoms.MethodsLiterature was reviewed for published and unpublished research specifically examining the effects of PA on cognitive and/or behavioral symptoms of ADHD. Additionally, potential mechanisms were addressed.ResultsAlbeit limited, current research generally supports the potential for acute and chronic PA to mitigate ADHD symptoms.ConclusionGiven the generally supportive extant literature and the challenges that face children with ADHD, future research exploring the potential of PA with this population is advocated

The effect of acute exercise on encoding and consolidation of long-term memory

Evidence supports that acute exercise benefits long-term memory. However, it is unclear whether these effects are due to benefits to encoding or consolidation. The purpose of this study was to more effectively isolate encoding and consolidation to advance our understanding of the specific nature of the effects of exercise on long-term memory. Using a within-subject design, participants completed a control session (no exercise), an encoding and consolidation condition (exercise prior to exposure to the memory task, E + C), and a consolidation condition (exercise following exposure). The exercise was 30min of moderate-intensity cycling. Memory was assessed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test with recall assessed at 60 min and recall and recognition assessed at 24 hr. Results showed that the E + C condition had significantly better recall at 60 min and 24 hr than the no-exercise condition. This provides additional evidence that acute exercise benefits encoding more than consolidation

Effects of acute exercise on long-term memory

In this study, we tested the effect of acute exercise on long-term memory, specifically the timing of exercise relative to the memory challenge. We assessed memory via paragraph recall, in which participants listened to two paragraphs (exposure) and recounted them following a 35-min delay. Participants (n = 48) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: exercise prior to exposure, exercise after exposure, or no-exercise. Exercise consisted of 30 min on a cycle ergometer, including 20 min at moderate intensity. Only the exercise-prior group recalled significantly more than the control group (p < .05). Differences among the exercise groups failed to reach significance (p = .09). Results indicated that acute exercise positively influenced recall and that exercise timing relative to memory task may have an impact on this effect

Effects of an acute bout of exercise on memory in 6th grade children

Research supports the positive effects of exercise on cognitive performance by children. However, a limited number of studies have explored the effects specifically on memory. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of an acute bout of exercise on learning, short-term memory, and long-term memory in a sample of children. Children were randomly assigned to an exercise condition or to a no-treatment control condition and then performed repeated trials on an auditory verbal learning task. In the exercise condition, participants performed the PACER task, an aerobic fitness assessment, in their physical education class before performing the memory task. In the control condition, participants performed the memory task at the beginning of their physical education class. Results showed that participants in the exercise condition demonstrated significantly better learning of the word lists and significantly better recall of the words after a brief delay. There were not significant differences in recognition of the words after an approximately 24-hr delay. These results provide evidence in a school setting that an acute bout of exercise provides benefits for verbal learning and long-term memory. Future research should be designed to identify the extent to which these findings translate to academic measures

The effects of acute exercise on memory and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

Acute exercise benefits cognition, and some evidence suggests that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in this effect. The purpose of this study was to explore the dose–response relationship between exercise intensity, memory, and BDNF. Young adults completed 3 exercise sessions at different intensities relative to ventilator threshold (Vt) (VO2max, Vt – 20%, Vt + 20%). For each session, participants exercised for approximately 30 min. Following exercise, they performed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) to assess short-term memory, learning, and long-term memory recall. Twenty-four hours later, they completed the RAVLT recognition trial, which provided another measure of long-term memory. Blood was drawn before exercise, immediately postexercise, and after the 30-min recall test. Results indicated that long-term memory as assessed after the 24-hr delay differed as a function of exercise intensity with the largest benefits observed following maximal intensity exercise. BDNF data showed a significant increase in response to exercise; however, there were no differences relative to exercise intensity and there were no significant associations between BDNF and memory. Future research is warranted so that we can better understand how to use exercise to benefit cognitive performance

Examining maternal and paternal involvement as promotive factors of competence in African American children in informal kinship care

Grandparents or other relatives are raising over 2.7 million children in the United States; and research suggests that the birth parents of these children maintain varying levels of involvement with them and their relative caregivers. However, the impact of parental involvement on children's developmental outcomes remains largely unexplored. This study sought to understand the role of maternal and paternal involvement (each parent's contact with the caregiver, contact with the child, friendliness to the caregiver, and quality of relationship with the child) on competence levels of African American children in informal kinship care. Exploring these relationships are pivotal, especially given the various psychosocial benefits associated with social and academic competence. Findings from the SEM analysis suggest that paternal involvement in informal kinship care is a significant predictor of competence among this sample of African American children. Maternal involvement only revealed a positive trend with competence; however the quality of the mothers' relationship with children was associated with children's competence levels. Implications for future research and social work practice are discussed

Brothers leading healthy lives: outcomes from the pilot testing of a culturally and contextually congruent HIV prevention intervention for black male college students

We used a treatment group-only design to pilot test a newly developed intervention to increase condom use among higher risk heterosexually active African American/black male college students. A community-based participatory research partnership developed the intervention called Brothers Leading Healthy Lives. Following an initial screening of 245 men, 81 eligible men were contacted for participation. Of the 64 men who agreed to participate, 57 completed the intervention and 54 of those completed the 3-monthfollow-up assessment, for a 93% completion rate. Results show significant changes between the baseline and 3-month follow-up assessments in behavioral outcomes, including reductions in unprotected sex, increase in protection during last intercourse, and fewer condom use errors. Most potential mediators (knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and condom use self-efficacy) also changed significantly in the expected direction. These demonstrated changes provide good evidence that men exposed to this intervention will see changes that reduce their risk for HIV

The influence of delayed light curing on the degree of conversion and polymerization contraction stress in dual-cured resin luting agents

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of delayed photo-initiation on the polymerization contraction stress (PCS) and degree of conversion (DC) of a dual-cure resin-luting agent. Thirty-five disk (6 mm × 1 mm) samples (n = 10 each group) of dual cure resin luting agent for PCS assessment were fabricated and polymerized using two illuminated quartz rods. Based on the delay in photo-initiation, 30 disks were divided among six groups [group A-0 min (min) delay, group B-2 min, group C-4 min, group D-6 min, group E-8 min and group F-10 min]. A non-photoinitiated group (group G – chemical cure – n = 5) was included as control. The PCS for all specimens was assessed using a Tensometer. For DC evaluation thirty-five specimens were divided into seven groups with delays in photo-initiation (group H-0 min, group I-2 min, group J-4 min, group K-6 min, group L-8 min and group M-10 min, group N-chemical cure). DC was assessed using attenuated total reflectance spectroscopic technique. Statistical comparison among groups was performed using analysis of variance (α = 0.05). The maximum and minimum PCS and DC values with delayed photo-initiation was observed in group-C (3.34 MPa) & group-F (2.44 MPa); and group-M (0.78 MPa) and group-H (0.55 MPa) respectively. Chemically cured samples showed the least PCS (group-G, 1.94) and DC (group-N, 0.53) values in their respective categories. PCS significantly decreased with delayed photo-initiation. A significant increase in DC was noticed when photo-initiation was delayed in the dual cure resin luting agent