Increased frontal electroencephalogram theta amplitude in patients with anorexia nervosa compared to healthy controls

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a blind study of quantitative electroencephalogram-band amplitudes in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with AN and 24 controls were examined with eyes-closed 16-channel electroencephalogram. Main variables were absolute alpha, theta, and delta amplitudes in frontal, temporal, and posterior regions. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the AN patients and controls regarding absolute regional band amplitudes in μV. Borderline significance was found for anterior theta (P=0.051). Significantly increased left and right frontal electrode theta amplitude was found in AN patients (F3, P=0.014; F4, P=0.038) compared to controls. Significant differences were also observed for secondary variables: lower values for relative parietooccipital delta and frontocentral alpha activity among AN patients than among controls. CONCLUSION: We observed slight excess frontal theta and lower relative alpha and delta amplitudes among AN patients than among controls. This pattern is possibly related to a slight frontal lobe dysfunction in AN, or it may reflect increased attention/vigilance or another state-related change in patients with AN compared to healthy controls

Neurocognitive Outcome and Compensating Possibilities in Children and Adolescents Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Chemotherapy Only

Aim: To examine the neurocognitive outcomes in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission who were treated with systemic chemotherapy only (CTO). Methods: Neurocognitive performances in 36 children and adolescents, aged 8.4–15.3 years, in long-term remission from ALL 4.3–12.4 years post diagnosis, without relapse, and with no pre-diagnosis history of neurodevelopmental disorder were compared with 36 healthy controls matched for gender, age, and parents’ socio-economic status. The former patients and the healthy controls completed an extensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Results: Survivors who were treated by CTO obtained significantly lower scores than did healthy controls on the domains of Copy and drawing (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.85; after controlling for Type 1 errors q = 0.006), Arithmetic (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.80; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.006), and Tactile sensory functions (p = 0.008; Cohen’s d 0.65; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.03). Fifty percent of the ALL group were more than 1 SD below the control groups mean on Copy and drawing. There was an interaction between age and group (ALL vs. Control, p = 0.042) on Copy and drawing, indicating that the youngest ALL patients exhibited the worst performance. The oldest ALL patients performed equal to or better than the controls. A tendency in the same direction was seen for Arithmetic and Tactile sensory functions. The ALL survivors exhibited a steeper rising learning slope on repeated tests, with lower scores on a tactile problem-solving task, tactile sensory tests, verbal memory, and visual attention, but they performed as well as the controls when stimuli were repeated. Conclusion: The results indicate that neurocognitive long-term sequelae in ALL survivors are limited to specific domains – particularly complex drawing, arithmetic, and tactile processing, and novelty processing. Cognitive deficits are shown among the youngest ALL patients. Intervention programs and school programs should account for difficulties with processing new information and taking advantage of repetitions as a strength, which may prevent survivors from falling behind their peers.publishedVersio

Increased frontal electroencephalogram theta amplitude in patients with anorexia nervosa compared to healthy controls

This is an Open Access article licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC BY 3.0) and originally published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. You can access the article by following this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S113586Dette er en vitenskapelig, fagfellevurdert artikkel som opprinnelig ble publisert i Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. Artikkelen er publisert under lisensen Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC BY 3.0). Du kan også få tilgang til artikkelen ved å følge denne lenken: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S113586Objective: To conduct a blind study of quantitative electroencephalogram-band amplitudes in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-one patients with AN and 24 controls were examined with eyes-closed 16-channel electroencephalogram. Main variables were absolute alpha, theta, and delta amplitudes in frontal, temporal, and posterior regions. Results: There were no significant differences between the AN patients and controls regarding absolute regional band amplitudes in µV. Borderline significance was found for anterior theta (P=0.051). Significantly increased left and right frontal electrode theta amplitude was found in AN patients (F3, P=0.014; F4, P=0.038) compared to controls. Significant differences were also observed for secondary variables: lower values for relative parietooccipital delta and frontocentral alpha activity among AN patients than among controls. Conclusion: We observed slight excess frontal theta and lower relative alpha and delta amplitudes among AN patients than among controls. This pattern is possibly related to a slight frontal lobe dysfunction in AN, or it may reflect increased attention/vigilance or another state-related change in patients with AN compared to healthy controls

Association of anxiety and depression to headache, abdominal- and musculoskeletal pain in children

The comorbidity between recurrent pain, anxiety, and depression among children is frequent and well documented. However, only a few studies of the predictive effect of anxiety and depression on pain have adjusted for symptoms of the other disorder when examining the respective relations to different pain locations, rendering the unique contribution from anxiety and depression undetermined. In the current investigation we explore the strength of associations between pain at different locations with symptoms of anxiety and depression in a community sample of 10-year-old children (n = 703). The children were interviewed about the frequency of pain during the last 3 months. Parents and children were interviewed separately about symptoms of anxiety and depression using a semi-structured diagnostic interview. Results of three multivariate regression models for each of headache, abdominal and musculoskeletal pain revealed that depression was associated with musculoskeletal pain and headache, whereas anxiety was not. The associations for depression were not significantly stronger compared to anxiety. Gender-specific models found that depression was related to headache only among girls, but the association was not statistically different compared to boys. These results may, in turn, influence our interpretation of different forms of pain in children, with less weight given to abdominal symptoms viewed as a strong correlate with psychological problems, compared to for instance headache. The results provided no clear support for neither a differential relationship between anxiety and pain and depression and pain nor gender differences

Neurocognitive Outcome and Compensating Possibilities in Children and Adolescents Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Chemotherapy Only

Aim: To examine the neurocognitive outcomes in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission who were treated with systemic chemotherapy only (CTO).Methods: Neurocognitive performances in 36 children and adolescents, aged 8.4–15.3 years, in long-term remission from ALL 4.3–12.4 years post diagnosis, without relapse, and with no pre-diagnosis history of neurodevelopmental disorder were compared with 36 healthy controls matched for gender, age, and parents’ socio-economic status. The former patients and the healthy controls completed an extensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests.Results: Survivors who were treated by CTO obtained significantly lower scores than did healthy controls on the domains of Copy and drawing (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.85; after controlling for Type 1 errors q = 0.006), Arithmetic (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.80; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.006), and Tactile sensory functions (p = 0.008; Cohen’s d 0.65; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.03). Fifty percent of the ALL group were more than 1 SD below the control groups mean on Copy and drawing. There was an interaction between age and group (ALL vs. Control, p = 0.042) on Copy and drawing, indicating that the youngest ALL patients exhibited the worst performance. The oldest ALL patients performed equal to or better than the controls. A tendency in the same direction was seen for Arithmetic and Tactile sensory functions. The ALL survivors exhibited a steeper rising learning slope on repeated tests, with lower scores on a tactile problem-solving task, tactile sensory tests, verbal memory, and visual attention, but they performed as well as the controls when stimuli were repeated.Conclusion: The results indicate that neurocognitive long-term sequelae in ALL survivors are limited to specific domains – particularly complex drawing, arithmetic, and tactile processing, and novelty processing. Cognitive deficits are shown among the youngest ALL patients. Intervention programs and school programs should account for difficulties with processing new information and taking advantage of repetitions as a strength, which may prevent survivors from falling behind their peers

Neurocognitive function and associations with mental health in adults born preterm with very low birthweight or small for gestational age at term

ObjectivesTo assess neurocognitive function in adults born with low birthweight compared with controls and to explore associations between neurocognitive function and psychopathology in these groups.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, one group born preterm with very low birthweight (VLBW: birthweight <1,500 g, n = 53), one group born small for gestational age at term (SGA: birthweight <10th percentile, n = 63) and one term-born control group (birthweight ≥10th percentile, n = 81) were assessed with neurocognitive tests, diagnostic interviews, and self-report questionnaires at 26 years of age.ResultsThe VLBW group scored significantly below the control group on several neurocognitive measures, including IQ measures, psychomotor speed, verbal fluency, aspects of visual learning and memory, attention, social cognition, working memory and fine motor speed. The SGA group consistently scored at an intermediate level between the VLBW and the control group and had significantly lower scores than controls on Performance IQ and psychomotor speed, including switching. In the VLBW group, associations were found between lower spatial working memory and the presence of anxiety disorders, internalizing and attention problems, and autistic traits. Furthermore, lower Full scale IQ was associated with attention problems when adjusting for sex and parental socioeconomic status.ConclusionAdults born preterm with VLBW or born term SGA displayed neurocognitive difficulties. Spatial working memory was associated with difficulties with attention, anxiety, and social function of VLBW adults. The finding and its clinical applicability should be further explored

Neurocognitive Outcome and Compensating Possibilities in Children and Adolescents Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Chemotherapy Only

Aim: To examine the neurocognitive outcomes in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission who were treated with systemic chemotherapy only (CTO). Methods: Neurocognitive performances in 36 children and adolescents, aged 8.4–15.3 years, in long-term remission from ALL 4.3–12.4 years post diagnosis, without relapse, and with no pre-diagnosis history of neurodevelopmental disorder were compared with 36 healthy controls matched for gender, age, and parents’ socio-economic status. The former patients and the healthy controls completed an extensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Results: Survivors who were treated by CTO obtained significantly lower scores than did healthy controls on the domains of Copy and drawing (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.85; after controlling for Type 1 errors q = 0.006), Arithmetic (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.80; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.006), and Tactile sensory functions (p = 0.008; Cohen’s d 0.65; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.03). Fifty percent of the ALL group were more than 1 SD below the control groups mean on Copy and drawing. There was an interaction between age and group (ALL vs. Control, p = 0.042) on Copy and drawing, indicating that the youngest ALL patients exhibited the worst performance. The oldest ALL patients performed equal to or better than the controls. A tendency in the same direction was seen for Arithmetic and Tactile sensory functions. The ALL survivors exhibited a steeper rising learning slope on repeated tests, with lower scores on a tactile problem-solving task, tactile sensory tests, verbal memory, and visual attention, but they performed as well as the controls when stimuli were repeated. Conclusion: The results indicate that neurocognitive long-term sequelae in ALL survivors are limited to specific domains – particularly complex drawing, arithmetic, and tactile processing, and novelty processing. Cognitive deficits are shown among the youngest ALL patients. Intervention programs and school programs should account for difficulties with processing new information and taking advantage of repetitions as a strength, which may prevent survivors from falling behind their peers

Increased frontal electroencephalogram theta amplitude in patients with anorexia nervosa compared to healthy controls

Objective: To conduct a blind study of quantitative electroencephalogram-band amplitudes in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-one patients with AN and 24 controls were examined with eyes-closed 16-channel electroencephalogram. Main variables were absolute alpha, theta, and delta amplitudes in frontal, temporal, and posterior regions. Results: There were no significant differences between the AN patients and controls regarding absolute regional band amplitudes in µV. Borderline significance was found for anterior theta (P=0.051). Significantly increased left and right frontal electrode theta amplitude was found in AN patients (F3, P=0.014; F4, P=0.038) compared to controls. Significant differences were also observed for secondary variables: lower values for relative parietooccipital delta and frontocentral alpha activity among AN patients than among controls. Conclusion: We observed slight excess frontal theta and lower relative alpha and delta amplitudes among AN patients than among controls. This pattern is possibly related to a slight frontal lobe dysfunction in AN, or it may reflect increased attention/vigilance or another state-related change in patients with AN compared to healthy controls

Neurocognitive Outcome and Compensating Possibilities in Children and Adolescents Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Chemotherapy Only

Aim: To examine the neurocognitive outcomes in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission who were treated with systemic chemotherapy only (CTO). Methods: Neurocognitive performances in 36 children and adolescents, aged 8.4–15.3 years, in long-term remission from ALL 4.3–12.4 years post diagnosis, without relapse, and with no pre-diagnosis history of neurodevelopmental disorder were compared with 36 healthy controls matched for gender, age, and parents’ socio-economic status. The former patients and the healthy controls completed an extensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Results: Survivors who were treated by CTO obtained significantly lower scores than did healthy controls on the domains of Copy and drawing (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.85; after controlling for Type 1 errors q = 0.006), Arithmetic (p = 0.001; Cohen’s d 0.80; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.006), and Tactile sensory functions (p = 0.008; Cohen’s d 0.65; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.03). Fifty percent of the ALL group were more than 1 SD below the control groups mean on Copy and drawing. There was an interaction between age and group (ALL vs. Control, p = 0.042) on Copy and drawing, indicating that the youngest ALL patients exhibited the worst performance. The oldest ALL patients performed equal to or better than the controls. A tendency in the same direction was seen for Arithmetic and Tactile sensory functions. The ALL survivors exhibited a steeper rising learning slope on repeated tests, with lower scores on a tactile problem-solving task, tactile sensory tests, verbal memory, and visual attention, but they performed as well as the controls when stimuli were repeated. Conclusion: The results indicate that neurocognitive long-term sequelae in ALL survivors are limited to specific domains – particularly complex drawing, arithmetic, and tactile processing, and novelty processing. Cognitive deficits are shown among the youngest ALL patients. Intervention programs and school programs should account for difficulties with processing new information and taking advantage of repetitions as a strength, which may prevent survivors from falling behind their peers

Neurocognitive Outcome and Compensating Possibilities in Children and Adolescents Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Chemotherapy Only

Aim: To examine the neurocognitive outcomes in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission who were treated with systemic chemotherapy only (CTO). Methods: Neurocognitive performances in 36 children and adolescents, aged 8.4-15.3 years, in long-term remission from ALL 4.3-12.4 years post diagnosis, without relapse, and with no pre-diagnosis history of neurodevelopmental disorder were compared with 36 healthy controls matched for gender, age, and parents' socio-economic status. The former patients and the healthy controls completed an extensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Results: Survivors who were treated by CTO obtained significantly lower scores than did healthy controls on the domains of Copy and drawing (p = 0.001; Cohen's d 0.85; after controlling for Type 1 errors q = 0.006), Arithmetic (p = 0.001; Cohen's d 0.80; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.006), and Tactile sensory functions (p = 0.008; Cohen's d 0.65; after controlling for Type 1 errors, q = 0.03). Fifty percent of the ALL group were more than 1 SD below the control groups mean on Copy and drawing. There was an interaction between age and group (ALL vs. Control, p = 0.042) on Copy and drawing, indicating that the youngest ALL patients exhibited the worst performance. The oldest ALL patients performed equal to or better than the controls. A tendency in the same direction was seen for Arithmetic and Tactile sensory functions. The ALL survivors exhibited a steeper rising learning slope on repeated tests, with lower scores on a tactile problem-solving task, tactile sensory tests, verbal memory, and visual attention, but they performed as well as the controls when stimuli were repeated. Conclusion: The results indicate that neurocognitive long-term sequelae in ALL survivors are limited to specific domains - particularly complex drawing, arithmetic, and tactile processing, and novelty processing. Cognitive deficits are shown among the youngest ALL patients. Intervention programs and school programs should account for difficulties with processing new information and taking advantage of repetitions as a strength, which may prevent survivors from falling behind their peers