Neurological manifestation in COVID-19 disease with neuroimaging studies.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain or spine examines the findings as well as the time interval between the onset of symptoms and other adverse effects in coronavirus disease that first appeared in 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The goal of this study is to look at studies that use neuroimaging to look at neurological and neuroradiological symptoms in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We try to put together all of the research on how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes neurological symptoms and cognitive-behavioral changes and give a full picture. RESULTS: We have categorized neuroimaging findings into subtitles such as: headache and dizziness; cerebrovascular complications after stroke; Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH); Cerebral Microbleeds (CMBs); encephalopathy; meningitis; encephalitis and myelitis; altered mental status (AMS) and delirium; seizure; neuropsychiatric symptoms; Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) and its variants; smell and taste disorders; peripheral neuropathy; Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); and myopathy and myositis. CONCLUSION: In this review study, we talked about some MRI findings that show how COVID-19 affects the nervous system based on what we found.

Embedding choice making into the self-regulated strategy development instructional approach for students in a residential treatment facility

Students with emotional behavioral disorders often exhibit comorbid academic and behavior deficits and benefit from strategies that address those needs. Writing can be significantly difficult for students with EBD due to the complex requirements when completing written activities. Chapter 1 consists of two research to practice papers discussing how to address deficits in persuasive writing skills and behavior needs through explicit instruction in persuasive writing strategies (e.g., self-regulated strategy development) and embedded function-based choice making. Chapter 2 consists of a multiple probe across students with embedded reversal single case design on POW+TREE, a persuasive writing strategy used within the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach. Three students in grades 3rd, 5th and 6th with emotional behavioral disorders were recruited to receive SRSD POW+TREE with embedded function-based choice making in a residential education setting. The number of pers essay elements and a variety of writing quality indicators along with student motivation and active academic engagement were examined. Participants who completed the study demonstrated varied engagement and an increase in included essay elements along with overall essay quality and increased motivation to write persuasively. Implications for teachers, limitations, and future directions are presented. Data collection and results of this study were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Living with Epilepsy in Adolescence in Italy: Psychological and Behavioral Impact.

BACKGROUND: People with epilepsy have a higher prevalence of behavioral and neuropsychiatric comorbidities compared to the general population and those with other chronic medical conditions, although the underlying clinical features remain unclear. The goal of the current study was to characterize behavioral profiles of adolescents with epilepsy, assess the presence of psychopathological disorders, and investigate the reciprocal interactions among epilepsy, psychological functioning, and their main clinical variables. METHODS: Sixty-three adolescents with epilepsy were consecutively recruited at the Epilepsy Center, Childhood and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit of Santi Paolo e Carlo hospital in Milan (five of them were excluded) and assessed with a specific questionnaire for psychopathology in adolescence, such as the Questionnaire for the Assessment of Psychopathology in Adolescence (Q-PAD). Q-PAD results were then correlated with the main clinical data. RESULTS: 55.2% (32/58) of patients presented at least one emotional disturbance. Body dissatisfaction, anxiety, interpersonal conflicts, family problems, uncertainty about the future, and self-esteem/well-being disorders were frequently reported. Gender and poor control of seizures are associated with specific emotional features (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of screening for emotional distress, recognition of the impairments, and provision of adequate treatment and follow-up. A pathological score on the Q-PAD should always require the clinician to investigate the presence of behavioral disorders and comorbidities in adolescents with epilepsy.

What About Me? The Importance of Teacher Social and Emotional Learning and Well-Being in the Classroom

Today's teachers experience high levels of stress and fatigue which can negatively affect their well-being. Teacher burnout is not a new educational phenomenon, but it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we discuss the prevalence of teacher stress and its impact on teacher well-being and student achievement. We call for more attention to the social and emotional learning of special education teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. After addressing myths and misconceptions regarding current expectations for educators, we propose a new framework for establishing individual and systemic interventions to support teacher well-being.

Sustaining BEST in CLASS: Teacher-Reported Evidence-Based Practice Use with Students at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is growing evidence of the efficacy of evidence-based interventions in improving the academic and social outcomes of children who exhibit challenging behaviors during program implementation periods. However, less is known about the extent to which practices learned as part of these interventions are sustained after these projects end, when funding is paused temporarily, and in less-than-ideal conditions. This study used qualitative methods to investigate whether teachers previously trained in the BEST in CLASS-Elementary intervention continued to use the program's evidence-based practices with students 1-2 years after completing the program and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examined teachers' perceptions of the impact of practice use on students' academic and social outcomes. Thirteen BEST in CLASS-Elementary teachers from elementary schools in two southeastern states in the USA where the program was implemented completed semi-structured interviews on the topic. Data were coded thematically, and the results indicated that over 50% of teachers reported using "rules," "supportive relationships," and "praise" frequently with their students. However, "precorrection" and "opportunities to respond" were reportedly used less often. Teachers also perceived that their use of these evidence-based practices was linked to increases in their students' academic engagement and academic performance and knowledge, improvements in students' behaviors, their relationships with teachers, and general comfort and self-confidence. The discussion highlights modality-specific patterns noted in the results that might influence sustainment and the implication of these findings for interventions and programs aimed at promoting positive behavioral outcomes for early elementary school students.

Psychological distress facing the COVID-19 pandemic in dental interns from the Peruvian capital: A cross-sectional study under a multivariable regression model.

Aim: Psychological distress can be considered a maladaptive response to a stressful situation that occurs when external events or stressors impose demands that cannot be coped with. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the sociodemographic factors associated with psychological distress in dental interns from the Peruvian capital facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: This analytical, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on 392 Stomatology interns from the Peruvian capital from June to July 2022. The validated COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) scale to detect the levels of psychological distress consisted of four dimensions: negative mood, changes in behavior and cognitive skills, fatigue and hyperreactivity, and somatization. Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used for bivariable analysis. In addition, a logit model was used to assess the influence of variables: sex (X1), age group (X2), marital status (X3), monthly economic income (X4), working area in the capital city (X5), and living with people vulnerable to COVID-19 (X6), with the psychological distress levels, considering a significance p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of psychological distress in dental interns was severe in 6.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.9-8.8%] and mild in 37.8% (95% CI: 33.0-42.6%). According to bivariable analysis, the levels of psychological distress by COVID-19 were not significantly associated with sex (p = 0.190), age group (p = 0.418), marital status (p = 0.554), monthly economic income (p = 0.327), working area in the capital city (p = 0.993), and living with people vulnerable to COVID-19 (p = 0.134). In addition, according to the logistic regression analysis, none of the variables studied was considered an influential factor (p > 0.05) in psychological distress presented by dental interns. Conclusion: The 44.2% of dental interns from the Peruvian capital presented psychological distress facing the COVID-19 pandemic, without any of the possible associated variables of this study significantly affecting this behavioral disorder.

Embedding choice making into the self-regulated strategy development instructional approach for students in a residential treatment facility

Students with emotional behavioral disorders often exhibit comorbid academic and behavior deficits and benefit from strategies that address those needs. Writing can be significantly difficult for students with EBD due to the complex requirements when completing written activities. Chapter 1 consists of two research to practice papers discussing how to address deficits in persuasive writing skills and behavior needs through explicit instruction in persuasive writing strategies (e.g., self-regulated strategy development) and embedded function-based choice making. Chapter 2 consists of a multiple probe across students with embedded reversal single case design on POW+TREE, a persuasive writing strategy used within the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach. Three students in grades 3rd, 5th and 6th with emotional behavioral disorders were recruited to receive SRSD POW+TREE with embedded function-based choice making in a residential education setting. The number of pers essay elements and a variety of writing quality indicators along with student motivation and active academic engagement were examined. Participants who completed the study demonstrated varied engagement and an increase in included essay elements along with overall essay quality and increased motivation to write persuasively. Implications for teachers, limitations, and future directions are presented. Data collection and results of this study were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

"I felt like nobody cared": Understanding the educational experiences of students with learning, emotional, or behavioral difficulties

Limited literature exists detailing the educational experiences of students with learning, emotional, and behavioral difficulties from the student perspective. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to illuminate the stories of recent graduates who had IEP/504 plans, suspensions, or expulsions during their K-12 experience. Five African American and one White participant provided data through in-person and virtual interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic. An inquiry paradigm of Critical Disabilities Studies, the systematic and social disablement of individuals, and constructivist framework, the relative construction of knowledge based on experiences, were utilized to form participant data. Findings revealed that at-risk students experienced diminished opportunities for learning, a teacher's understanding of diversity impacts interactions, and the quality of interactions influences student learning. Implications for teaching practice include recognizing how thoughts and feelings about disability status, race, and culture in form teacher and student behavior. Further research to expand the participant population and disseminate findings linked with evidence-based practices can potentially improve the educational experiences of future at-risk students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

How We Work Now: Preliminary Review of a Pediatric Neuropsychology Hybrid Model in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.

OBJECTIVE: Although telehealth has become a central component of medical care in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, comprehensive pediatric neuropsychological assessment over virtual platforms lacks empirical efficacy. This paper presents: a) the results of a quality improvement project examining the feasibility of in-person evaluation in the context of safety measures that alter test standardization, b) the impact such changes had upon neuropsychological test scores, and c) how using a hybrid model of clinical service delivery affected access to care. METHOD: We compared demographic and outcome variables between patients seen during the pandemic (N = 87) to a group of patients seen in our service immediately prior to COVID-19 (N = 87). A subset of those patients were case-matched for age and diagnosis (N = 39 per group). Children seen for neuropsychological re-evaluation during the pandemic (N = 10) were examined using pairwise comparison. RESULTS: Groups did not differ on age, sex, or FSIQ. Despite changes to standardized administration, no group differences were found for any selected neuropsychological test variables in the larger sample or subsamples. In fact, all variables were moderately to highly correlated in the re-evaluation subgroup. The hybrid model expedited feedback sessions and increased face-to-face (telehealth) feedbacks. CONCLUSIONS: A hybrid model incorporating modified in-person testing and intake and feedback encounters via telehealth may be a feasible and effective way to provide pediatric neuropsychological services. These preliminary findings suggest such novel aspects of neuropsychological evaluation could represent an improvement over pre-COVID models, especially in rural settings.

REAC Cervicobrachial Neuromodulation Treatment of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: In addition to the effects of coronavirus infection, the Covid-19 pandemic has induced widespread psychosocial distress, which has triggered the onset of anxious and depressive states, reactive to the socio-relational and economic situation induced by the pandemic. Some of our participants showed depressive and anxious attitudes even in the absence of real pictures of depression and anxiety. This phenomenon, combined with mechanisms of emulation and conditioning, can trigger a vicious cycle within interpersonal relationships and promote the administration of unnecessary treatments. Various approaches have been proposed to help populations suffering from psychosocial problems induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, but there is an objective difficulty in treating a large population. METHODS: To contain and reduce this widespread psychosocial unease, in this study we used two radio electric asymmetric conveyer (REAC) technology neuromodulation treatments, neuro postural optimization (NPO) and neuropsychophysical optimization-cervicobrachial (NPPO-CB), aimed at optimizing an individual's response to the effects of environmental stressors. These treatments are quick and easy to administer; therefore, they can be administered to a large cohort of participants in a short time. To evaluate the effects of the REAC NPO and NPPO-CB treatments, the DASS-21 psychometric test was used because it has already been used to test depression, anxiety, and stress during the Covid-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The results of the study confirm the usefulness of REAC NPO and NPPO-CB treatments in helping participants to have better coping strategies for the environmental pressures and reduce the neuropsychological and behavioral effects induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. DISCUSSION: The results obtained in this study are consistent with previous clinical studies confirming the usefulness of the treatments to face neuropsychological and behavioral effects induced by exposome pressure.

Effectiveness of a Family Support Intervention on Caregiving Burden in Family of Elderly Patients With Cognitive Decline After the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a great impact on patients with cognitive decline or dementia. The lockdown period may exacerbate behavioral disorders and worsen distress of caregivers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a family support intervention on the negative effects that the COVID-19 lockdown may have on patients and related caregivers. Methods: We recruited patients whose related caregivers had attended a family support course before the COVID-19 lockdown. The course was for family members of patients with cognitive decline or dementia and consisted in eight meetings during which the participants received information about the disease, the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms, and community resources and services available for patients with dementia. Data on cognitive decline, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and functional status had been collected before the course with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and the Instrumental (IADL) and Basic (BADL) Activities of Daily Living scales, respectively. The caregiving burden had been evaluated at the end of the course by means of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). After the COVID-19 lockdown, a phone interview was made to compare neuropsychiatric symptoms, functional status, and caregiver's burden with the previous evaluation. Results: There were no significant changes before and after the COVID-19 lockdown in the mean NPI score. The IADL, BADL, and ZBI scores were significantly lower after lockdown than before. The BADL scores were inversely associated with ZBI scores. Thus, despite a worsening of patients' functional status, the caregivers' burden decreased significantly probably due to the positive effect of the family support intervention. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that a complete family support intervention for caregivers of patients with cognitive decline or dementia can reduce the burden of care even in a particular negative period, such as the COVID-19 lockdown.

Impact of Confinement on the Burden of Caregivers of Patients with the Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer Disease during the COVID-19 Crisis in France.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical presentation of the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) differs from that of Alzheimer disease (AD), with major impairments in behavioral functions in bvFTD and cognitive impairment in AD. Both behavioral disturbances in bvFTD and cognitive impairment in AD contribute to caregiver burden. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of home confinement during the COVID-19 crisis on the burden of caregivers of bvFTD or AD patients. METHODS: During the COVID-19 lockdown in France, neurologists and neuropsychologists from the Memory Center of Nantes Hospital conducted teleconsultations for 38 AD patients and 38 bvFTD patients as well as for their caregivers. During these consultations, caregivers were invited to rate the change in their burden during home confinement. They were also invited to rate behavioral or emotional changes in the patients during, compared with before, the confinement. RESULTS: Twenty-two bvFTD caregivers and 14 AD caregivers experienced an increase in burden. For bvFTD caregivers, this increased burden occurred regardless of behavioral changes, while AD caregivers experienced an increased burden related to changes in patients' neuropsychiatric symptoms. Among the whole cohort, 2 factors were associated with increased caregiver burden: behavioral change and bvFTD. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that during home confinement in the COVID-19 crisis, neuropsychiatric symptoms were the core factor that impacted caregiver burden in different ways depending on the disease.

Maternal immune responses and obstetrical outcomes of pregnant women with COVID-19 and possible health risks of offspring.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly across the world. The vast majority of patients with COVID-19 manifest mild to moderate symptoms but may progress to severe cases or even mortalities. Young adults of reproductive age are the most affected population by SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is no consensus yet if pregnancy contributes to the severity of COVID-19. Initial studies of pregnant women have found that COVID-19 significantly increases the risk of preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, and low birth weight, which have been associated with non-communicable diseases in offspring. Besides, maternal viral infections with or without vertical transmission have been allied with neurological and behavioral disorders of the offspring. In this review, obstetrical outcomes of women with COVID-19 and possible risks for their offspring are discussed by reviewing maternal immune responses to COVID-19 based on the current evidence. Structural and systemic follow-up of offspring who are exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in-utero is suggested.