ABSTRACT
Objetivo: Verificar a sensibilidade da TINC - Triagem Infantil Neuropsicológica Computadorizada na seleção de suspeitos de Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH) por meio de análise estatística comparativa do desempenho de crianças e adolescentes com TDAH e controles devidamente matriculados no sistema público e particular de Curitiba-PR e região metropolitana. Método: Grupo clínico composto por 38 participantes (20 do sexo masculino e 18 do sexo feminino) com diagnóstico médico de TDAH sem comorbidades e grupo controle formado por 170 sujeitos (67 do sexo masculino e 103 do sexo feminino) sem histórico de comprometimento neurológico submetidos à TINC Triagem Infantil Neuropsicológica Computadorizada. Resultados: O grupo TDAH obteve resultados inferiores no total geral da TINC e em 8 dos 10 subtestes avaliados (Organização Acústico-Motora, Habilidade Tátil-Cinestésica, Habilidade Visual, Linguagem Oral Expressiva, Escrita, Leitura, Raciocínio Matemático e Memória Imediata). Além disso, o grupo TDAH também necessitou de mais tempo para realizar o teste. Conclusão: A TINC permitiu discriminar crianças e adolescentes suspeitos de TDAH.
Objective: Check the sensibility of TINC Neuropsychological Computadorized Screening for Children in selection of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) suspects by comparative statistical analysis among children and adolescents with ADHD and controls from Curitiba-PR and metropolitan area. Methods: Clinical group of 38 participants (20 males and 18 females) with a diagnosis of ADHD without comorbidities and control group of 170 subjects (67 males and 103 females) with no history of neurological impairment underwent to TINC - Children´s Neuropsychological Screening Computed.TINC - Children´s Neuropsychological Screening Computed. Results: The ADHD group had poor results in the total score of TINC and in 8 of the 10 analyzed subtests (Organization Acoustic-Motor, Tactile-Kinesthetic Ability, Visual Skills, Oral Expressive Language, Writing, Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Immediate Memory). Furthermore, ADHD group also required more time to perform the test. Conclusion: TINC discriminate children and adolescents suspected ADHD.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Health Evaluation , Child , Neuropsychology , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity , Triage , Psychology, AppliedABSTRACT
Executive functions (EF) have been a major focus of interest in neuropsychology. However, there are few studies about their development in healthy children. To fill this gap in the literature, the current study aims to compare the performance in EF tasks in children from 6 to 12 (n=90) years old. Three age groups (6-7, 8-10 and 11-12 years-old) were assessed using the following instruments: verbal fluency, narrative discourse, random number generation, N-Back, Bells Test and Hayling Test. Analyses of variance were used to compare the scores among groups. There was a significant effect of age in all executive performance scores, especially between the youngest and oldest groups. The most significant differences were observed in the central executive component of working memory and inhibition, which showed a marked development between 6-7 and 8-10 years of age. In addition, a remarkable peak was observed in the tasks that assess planning and processing speed in the group of 11-12 year-old children. The current results suggest that the development of all components of EF should be further investigated in school-aged children in normative studies so that possible dissociations in the development of these abilities can be better understood.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Child , Executive Function , Neuropsychological Tests , Age FactorsABSTRACT
Childhood neuropsychology is a growing scientific area in Brazil. Regarding cognitive function in infancy, executive function (EF) has been the main focus of several studies because of its importance for and complexity in human cognition and behavior. Executive functions can be considered a set of cognitive processes related to control and integration devoted to the execution of goal-directed behaviors. Research has shown that these abilities begin in infancy and progressively develop until adulthood. Although some studies on EF development in children have already been conducted, our knowledge on this topic is still incipient. Because of the relevant role of age in cognition and EF development, the present study investigated whether differences exist between children aged 6 to 12 years concerning their performance on the Hayling test-adult version, an instrument that assesses the EF components of initiation and inhibition. Pilot data are presented that verify the applicability of this test to children. Significant differences were found between comparable age groups only in three of the seven main Hayling test scores, suggesting that the adult version may not be appropriate for children, and an adaptation of the test for child assessment is necessary. The study may lead to an initial reflection on the development of these components and thus contribute to improvements in the field of child neuropsychology