Differences in Neurocognitive Abilities in Premature and Full-term Infants at 5 Months of Age

It is known that prematurity is a risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Most of the studies were dedicated to those children who have reached the preschool and primary school age. However, the impact of prematurity on neurocognitive functions in the early stages of development is not investigated thoroughly. The aim of thisresearch was to reveal the differences in neurocognitive development in premature (24 babies) and gender-matched healthy mature full-term infants (31 participants) at 5 months of age. The gestational age of preterm children was between 29 and 35 weeks. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd Edition) were used to evaluate the neurocognitive abilities in children. The one-way ANOVA has revealedthat premature infants at 5 months of corrected age performed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) more poorly than the full-term infants on cognitive scale, receptive language, gross and fine motor. No significant differences (p ≤.05) were found between preterm and full-term children on expressive language. In view of the obtained results, itcan be assumed that the prematurity has specific (not global) negative effect on neurocognitive development at 5 months of age. Keywords: premature infants, neurocognitive development, Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd Edition

Behavioural Characteristics of Children with Developmental Disorder Risks

The article is devoted to the study of the temperament and behaviour of children with developmental disorder risks. Early age is most significant in terms of early identifying deviant development markers for implementing effective programmes for early intervention. The article deals with the peculiarities of using the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire - Revised (IBQ-R) and its application in scientific research; the results of domestic and foreign research into temperament as a marker/predictor of deviant behaviour are presented. The paper describes the results of a pilot study of differences in behaviour in a sample of 49 children aged 5.6 months. The research involved two groups of test children, a reference group (typically developing children) and the children of developmental risk groups (which included prematurity, family risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD)/attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), paediatric arterial ischemic stroke). The significant impact of developmental disorder risks on the Perceptual Sensitivity Scale (IBQ-R) as well as the effect of sexand risks on the Approach, Vocal Reactivity (IBQ-R) scale were discovered. There are suggestions that prematurity may have a negative impact on the development of temperament in children aged 6 months. However, in comparison with such factors as the genetic predisposition to atypical development or local brain damage due to paediatric arterial ischemic stroke, prematurity (excluding extremely premature) probably has less influence on the development of temperament and behavioural characteristics. There is a significant heterotypic continuity of individual differences in temperament indicators at an early age, which highlights the need for further research into the issue and the formation of large cohorts of children. Keywords: deviant development markers, behaviour, IBQ-R questionnaire

FOSTERING AND DEVELOPMENT OF MULTICULTURALISM VIA SITUATIVE VOCABULARIES

The search for ways and means of fostering and development of multiculturalism is now of great importance for the world community. Situational vocabulary was previously proposed by the author as an ICT tool for fostering and development of communicative competence in foreign language. They contain lexical structures used in specific communicative situations, as well as modern ICT tools (blogs, chats, forums, mail, etc.) to supplement already gained data and to discuss the ways and situations of use of various linguistic constructions or meanings of the words. Further study of the possibilities and ways of application of the instrument showed that students are not able to choose a relevant form for certain situations, or they lack or do not know the appropriate words and expressions, both in native and in a foreign language. In addition, the incorrect use of certain words or expressions in the situation may be regarded by representatives of other cultures as rude or disrespectful. The peculiarity of the method offered by the author is based on the idea of using situational vocabularies for gaining information and study of various linguistic and cultural aspects of the host country and other countries. In addition, the interaction in the familiar for learners ICT space motivates them and increase the effectiveness of such activities

Financial-economic tools for identifying the signs of objective bankruptcy

Objective: to develop a concept and methodological approaches for establishing objective bankruptcy based on financial and economic tools.Methods: the study used general scientific methods of cognition, including a systematic approach, analysis and synthesis, logical and comparative analysis, the method of grouping and generalization, expert analysis, methods of scientific classification, tabular methods of data visualization.Results: the need to change the concept of determining insolvency by introducing the term “objective bankruptcy” is due to the need to revise approaches to its assessment, as well as the importance for the country’s economy of determining actual organizations that are bankrupt, and the ambiguity of the existing theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis of problematic companies. To achieve the study objectives, the differences were identified between the traditional under- standing of the signs of bankruptcy and a modern interpretation of an objective bankruptcy; a classification of characteristics and reasons of the objective bankruptcy was proposed; principles and methodological approaches to using financial and economic tools for objective evidence of the bankruptcy were elaborated; the general algorithm of substantiating the date of objective bankruptcy was proposed; the peculiarities of imposing vicarious liability on the entities controlling the debtor in case of objective bankruptcy are found. Scientific novelty: for the first time, the economic and financial tools to establish the objective bankruptcy are disclosed in detail: the components of proximate analysis are identified, based on the characteristics following directly from the definition of objective bankruptcy, and in-depth (extended) analysis, revealing the financial-economic, organizational, managerial, investment reasons for its occurrence; the aggregate blocks of factors are allocated to identify the objective signs of bankruptcy; the algorithm is proposed for determining the moment of insolvency and specifying the amount of vicarious liability of the entities controlling the debtor, which involves implies not a purely accounting approach, but the one taking into account the actual conditions of the debtor’s activity, the amount of their obligations and the market value of property. Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the scientific work can be used: a) in scientific activities for further development of financial and economic tools for determining the objective bankruptcy of companies; b) in law enforcement practice when considering the issues of imposing vicarious liability on the entities controlling the debtor in case of bankruptcy; c) by the National Association of self-regulated organizations of trustees when developing a federal standard or guidelines for conducting a financial analysis of debtor companies by trustees

A case report of dopa-responsive dystonia in a young woman

Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) is a rare progressive genetically heterogenous disorder with pediatric onset. DRD is 3 times as prevalent in women than in men. This article reports a clinical case of DRD in a young female presenting with paraparesis, foot dystonia (more pronounced in the right foot) and pronounced walking impairment, who was admitted for emergency treatment to a Neurology Unit. Based on the additional tests, which included a levodopa trial and Sanger sequencing, the patient was diagnosed with DRD. Levodopa caused a considerable improvement of the symptoms. The article describes the clinical features of the disease, talks about its differential diagnosis, genetic predisposition and treatment strategy. © 2020 Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University. All rights reserved

Problems of Selecting an Anticoagulant for Secondary Stroke Prevention in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

The article describes the urgent problem of ischemic stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. It is proved that ischemic stroke in combination with AF is the most severe in terms of developing stable motor and speech disorders and disability. The frail older patients, as well as patients with swallowing disorders and reduced medical adherence present a special problem from this point of view. The most famous clinical studies on secondary prevention of cardioembolic stroke are RE-LY, ROCKET-AF, and ARISTOTLE. Based on subanalyses of randomized controlled trials, direct oral anticoagulants demonstrated a favorable efficacy profile in patients with atrial fibrillation and stroke/ transient ischemic attack, but the level of knowledge on each of them remained different. A number of advantages of rivaroxaban for primary and secondary prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, including the elderly and patients with cognitive impairments and swallowing disorders, have been demonstrated. © 2021 Vserossiiskoe Obshchestvo Kardiologov. All rights reserved.Relationships and Activities. This publication was supported by AO Bayer (PPM_RIVRU00581)

Evaluation of treatment outcomes in children with maxillofacial vascular tumors: Cohort study

Background. The variety of the clinical features of vascular tumors in the maxillofacial area limits the choice of method and is able to make difficulties in the treatment. The combined method of treatment proposed by the authors (vascular sclerotherapy with concurrent propranolol intake) demonstrates high efficacy, lack of invasiveness, shortening the rehabilitation period and less side effects. Objective. The aim of the study was to increase the effectiveness of conservative treatment of vascular tumors of the maxillofacial area in young children by combining the method of sclerotherapy and taking proprono-lol. Methods. In a cohort study, the results of treatment of 80 children aged 2 months to 2 years with vascular tumors of the maxillofacial region (ICD-10: D18.0) were evaluated. A comparison was made of the results in 2 groups of children who were treated with different methods: combined (n =40; main group; sclerotherapy and taking propranolol) and propranolol monotherapy (n =40; comparison group). Analysis of the data obtained in the main group and the comparison group led to the development of the criteria for evaluating the treatment results: good (regression of vascular tumors and the absence of a cosmetic defect), satisfactory (reduction of vascular tumors by 2/3 or more with maintaining cosmetic defect) and unsatisfactory (gross cosmetic defect) in terms of changes in the volume of tumor, the diameter of the supply vessels and the values of the linear velocity of blood flow according to ultrasound data. Results. Subjects treated by the combined treatment had a significant regression of vascular tumors in the maxillofacial area compared with the comparison group: reduction of the tumor volume, diameter of the supply vessels and linear blood flow velocity according ultrasound data reached zero after 6 months from the start of combined treatment — 6 months earlier than in the comparison group (p <0.001). Conclusion. According to the results of the study, the advantage of the author’s method over the traditional method was demonstrated, which resulted in a reduction in the duration of treatment, a decrease in the risk as well as in a degree of complications. © 2019 Paediatrician Publishers, LLC. All rights reserved

LPDs – «Linked to penumbra» discharges or EEG correlate of excitotoxicity: A review based hypothesis

Periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) or lateralized periodic discharges (LPDs) are a well-known variant of pathological EEG activity. However, the mechanisms underpinning the appearance of this pattern are not completely understood. The heterogeneity of the features derived from LPDs patterns, and the wide range of pathological conditions in which they occur, raise a question about the unifying mechanisms underlying these phenomena. This paper reassesses the current opinion surrounding LPDs which considers glutamate excitotoxicity to be the primary pathophysiological basis, and the penumbral region to be the main morphological substrate. Arguments in favour of this hypothesis are presented, with interpretations supported by evidence from recent literature involving clinical and experimental data. Presently, no single hypothesis places considerable emphasis on the pathochemical properties of LPDs, which are implicitly meaningful towards better understanding of the clinical significance of this pattern. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation [grant number 16-18-10371 ]

Electroencephalogram in premature infants: From normal to pathological activity

This study was aimed to assess electrophysiological brain activity in newborns of various gestational ages using electroencephalography (EEG). We summarized the data on the main EEG characteristics of premature infants and their dynamics and described the most common pathological EEG changes that can be identified at this age. We also discussed prognostic value of various neonatal EEG patterns (including their proportion and location), which allow verification of functional brain disorders at early stages. © 2019 ABV-Press Publishing House. All rights reserved.Russian Science Foundation, RSFФинансирование. Работа выполнена при финансовой поддержке гранта №16-18-10371 Российского научного фонда. Исследование прово-дится в рамках программы, поддержанной постановлением №211 Правительства Российской Федерации, соглашение №02.A03.21.0006. Financing. The study was funded by the grant No. 16-18-10 371 from the Russian Science Foundation. The study conducts within a program, supported by the resolution of the Russian Government No. 211, agreement No. 02.A03.21.0006