Attention and social functioning in children with malformations of cortical development and stroke.

Attention and social functioning and their interrelationships have not been routinely examined in children with early brain insult (EBI). This study aimed to describe attention and social functioning in children with two types of EBI: malformations of cortical development (MCD) and stroke. Children diagnosed with MCD (n = 14, 6 males) or stroke (n = 14, 8 males) aged 8 to 14 years (M = 12 years 11 months) completed neuropsychological assessments to examine attention processes. Primary caregivers completed a questionnaire to assess executive components of children's attention and teachers completed a questionnaire to measure children's social functioning. Brain scans (MRI or CT) were coded by a pediatric neuroradiologist. Higher rates of impairments in attention and social function were found in children with EBI compared with normative expectations. Children with MCD experienced more global and clinically significant levels of impairment than children with stroke; though impairments were present in both groups. A strong association between executive components of attention and social function was observed. In addition, complex attention processes were associated with social function. The findings emphasize the reciprocity between attention, behavior and social outcomes, and the vulnerability of social function following EBI.

Neuropsychological outcome after acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: impact of age at illness onset.

Recovery from acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in childhood appears relatively uneventful, at least when looking at functional recovery parameters such as neurologic outcome. However, neuropsychology literature suggests that relatively transient illnesses affecting the central nervous system are associated with cognitive and social sequelae, particularly when the illness occurs during the preschool years. This study investigated the impact of timing of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis on intellectual, educational, and social functioning in children. Nineteen children (10 with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis before the age of 5 years), who had been admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne Australia, in the past 6 years underwent a brief neuropsychologic assessment. Performance was compared with 19 control subjects, stratified for age and socioeconomic status with the acute disseminated encephalomyelitis group. Children who sustained their illness before 5 years of age were particularly vulnerable to impairments in both cognitive and social domains. In particular, a higher incidence of severe behavioral and emotional problems was reported by parents of children who had experienced acute disseminated encephalomyelitis before 5 years of age. This finding suggests that there may be long-term complications in early childhood. A multidisciplinary approach to management post-illness is warranted in this age group.