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With the advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), it is now possible to evaluate brain activation and to isolate structures that may be involved in social perception Hemispheric Effects While photographs have been frequently studied to examine a participant's interpretation of facial expressions, social communication occurs in a dynamic and fluid setting. The use of videotaped vignettes that convey social interactions may be sensitive to the participant's ability to understand context as well as changing situations. Using fMRI, increased activation was found in the frontal-cingulate-parietal connections when faces which were morphed from a neutral emotion to fear or anger were viewed Key Words Right hemisphere ؒ Social interactions ؒ Adults ؒ Functional magnetic resonance imaging Abstract Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate whole-brain and hemispheric activation in normal adult volunteers to videos depicting positive and negative social encounters. There are few studies that have utilized dynamic social stimuli to evaluate brain activation. Method: Twenty young adults viewed videotaped vignettes during an functional magnetic resonance imaging procedure. The vignettes included positive and negative interaction scenes of social encounters. Results: Significant right greater than left activation for positive and negative conditions was found for the social interaction videos in the amygdaloid complex, the inferior frontal gyrus, the fusiform gyrus, and the temporal gyri (p ! 0.0001). Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that the regions of the right hemisphere are more active in the interpretation of social information processing than those regions in the left hemisphere. This study is a first step in understanding processing of dynamic stimuli using ecologically appropriate stimuli that approximate the realtime social processing that is appropriate for use with populations who experience significant social problems

An Intervention Approach for Children with Teacher- and Parent-Identified Attentional Difficulties

Using a multimodal and multi-informant method for diagnosis, we selected 33 children by teacher and parent nomination for attention and work completion problems that met DSM-IV criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Of the 33 children in this group, 21 participated in the initial intervention, and 12 were placed in an ADHD control group and received the intervention after pre- and post-testing. A similarly selected group of 21 children without difficulties in attention and work completion served as a control group. Each child was assessed on pre- and posttest measures of visual and auditory attention. After an 18-week intervention period that included attention and problem-solving training, all children in the intervention and control groups were retested on visual and auditory tasks. Children in both ADHD groups showed significantly poorer initial performance on the visual attention task. Whereas the ADHD intervention group showed commensurate performance to the nondisabled control group after training, the ADHD control group did not show significant improvement over the same period. Auditory attention was poorer compared to the control group for both ADHD groups initially and improved only for the ADHD intervention group. These findings are discussed as a possible intervention for children with difficulties in strategy selection in a classroom setting

Cognitive endpoints for therapy development for neuronopathic mucopolysaccharidoses: Results of a consensus procedure

AbstractThe design and conduct of clinical studies to evaluate the effects of novel therapies on central nervous system manifestations in children with neuronopathic mucopolysaccharidoses is challenging. Owing to the rarity of these disorders, multinational studies are often needed to recruit enough patients to provide meaningful data and statistical power. This can make the consistent collection of reliable data across study sites difficult. To address these challenges, an International MPS Consensus Conference for Cognitive Endpoints was convened to discuss approaches for evaluating cognitive and adaptive function in patients with mucopolysaccharidoses. The goal was to develop a consensus on best practice for the design and conduct of clinical studies investigating novel therapies for these conditions, with particular focus on the most appropriate outcome measures for cognitive function and adaptive behavior. The outcomes from the consensus panel discussion are reported here

Therapy development for the mucopolysaccharidoses : updated consensus recommendations for neuropsychological endpoints

Neurological dysfunction represents a significant clinical component of many of the mucopolysaccharidoses (also known as MPS disorders). The accurate and consistent assessment of neuropsychological function is essential to gain a greater understanding of the precise natural history of these conditions and to design effective clinical trials to evaluate the impact of therapies on the brain. In 2017, an International MPS Consensus Panel published recommendations for best practice in the design and conduct of clinical studies investigating the effects of therapies on cognitive function and adaptive behavior in patients with neuronopathic mucopolysaccharidoses. Based on an International MPS Consensus Conference held in February 2020, this article provides updated consensus recommendations and expands the objectives to include approaches for assessing behavioral and social-emotional state, caregiver burden and quality of life in patients with all mucopolysaccharidoses

Cognitive endpoints for therapy development for neuronopathic mucopolysaccharidoses: Results of a consensus procedure

The design and conduct of clinical studies to evaluate the effects of novel therapies on central nervous system manifestations in children with neuronopathic mucopolysaccharidoses is challenging. Owing to the rarity of these disorders, multinational studies are often needed to recruit enough patients to provide meaningful data and statistical power. This can make the consistent collection of reliable data across study sites difficult. To address these challenges, an International MPS Consensus Conference for Cognitive Endpoints was convened to discuss approaches for evaluating cognitive and adaptive function in patients with mucopolysaccharidoses. The goal was to develop a consensus on best practice for the design and conduct of clinical studies investigating novel therapies for these conditions, with particular focus on the most appropriate outcome measures for cognitive function and adaptive behavior. The outcomes from the consensus panel discussion are reported here

Social competence in children/ Semrud-Clikeman

xii, p. 299.; 30 c

Social competence in children/ Semrud-Clikeman

xii, p. 299.; 30 c

Child Neuropsychology 2nd Edition

The human brain represents the product of an ongoing, six-billion-year construction project. In its physical form and function, the human brain represents millions upon millions of trial-and-error adaptive adjustments. Comprised of an estimated 100 billion neurons and many more glial cells it is organized into thousands of regions. The human brain, in a seamlessly integrated manner, governs body functions and movement but more importantly, regulates cognition. Not surprisingly, although the brains of different animals may not look exactly alike, they all work according to the same principles and mechanisms. These neurons and glial cells communicate using a nearly infinite number of synaptic connections, yet the entire organ in humans weighs only about three pounds. As authors Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang eloquently describe in their book, Welcome to your brain (2007), billions of years of evolution have resulted in a very complex human brain, yet one that is a jumbled, far from efficient, crowded organ. They describe the neuronal pathways of the human brain as the equivalent of the New York City subway system or the streets of London with layers upon layers of routes each constructed at a different time in a different way. Yet this stunning system, for the most part, develops and works fine for most children