Face-to-face learning enhances the social transmission of information.

Learning from others provides the foundation for culture and the advancement of knowledge. Learning a new visuospatial skill from others represents a specific challenge-overcoming differences in perspective so that we understand what someone is doing and why they are doing it. The "what" of visuospatial learning is thought to be easiest from a shared 0° first-person perspective and most difficult from a 180° third-person perspective. However, the visual disparity at 180° promotes face-to-face interaction, which may enhance learning by scaffolding social perspective taking, the "why" of visuospatial learning. We tested these potentially conflicting hypotheses in child and young adult learners. Thirty-six children (4-6 years) and 57 young adults (18-27 years) observed a live model open a puzzle box from a first-person (0°) or third-person (90° or 180°) perspective. The puzzle box had multiple solutions, only one of which was modelled, which allowed for the assessment of imitation and goal emulation. Participants had three attempts to open the puzzle box from the model's perspective. While first-person (0°) observation increased imitation relative to a 180° third-person perspective, the 180° observers opened the puzzle box most readily (i.e., fastest). Although both age groups were excellent imitators and able to take the model's perspective, adults were more faithful imitators, and children were more likely to innovate a new solution. A shared visual perspective increased imitation, but a shared mental perspective promoted goal achievement and the social transmission of innovation. "Perfection of means and confusion of goals-in my opinion-seem to characterize our age" Einstein (1973) pg 337, Ideas and Opinions.

Patterns of Recording Epileptic Spasms in an Electronic Seizure Diary Compared With Video-EEG and Historical Cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Use of electronic seizure diaries (e-diaries) by caregivers of children with epileptic spasms is not well understood. We describe the demographic and seizure-related information of children with epileptic spasms captured in a widely used e-diary and explore the potential biases in how caregivers report these data. METHODS: We analyzed children with epileptic spasms in an e-diary, Seizure Tracker, from 2007 to 2018. We described variables including sex, time of seizure, percentage of spasms occurring as individual spasms (versus in clusters), cluster duration, and number of spasms per cluster. We compared seizure characteristics in the e-diary cohort with published cohorts to identify biases in caregiver-reported epileptic spasms. We also reviewed seizure patterns in a small cohort of children with epileptic spasms monitored on overnight video-electroencephalography (vEEG). RESULTS: There were 314 children in the e-diary cohort and nine children in the vEEG cohort. The e-diary cohort was more likely than expected to report counts divisible by five. The e-diary cohort had a lower proportion of nighttime spasms than expected based on data from published cohorts. The e-diary cohort had a significantly lower percentage of spasms as individual spasms, a greater number of spasms per cluster, and a greater cluster duration relative to the vEEG cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers using e-diaries for epileptic spasms may miss individual spams, be more likely to report long clusters, round counts to the nearest five, and underreport nighttime spasms. Clinicians should be aware of these reporting biases when using e-diary data to guide care for children with epileptic spasms.

Fellowship Training Is a Significant Predictor of Sports Medicine Physician Social Media Presence.

PURPOSE: To quantify social media use of professional sports team physicians on popular platforms and analyze differences between users and nonusers. METHODS: Team physicians for professional sports teams in the National Football League, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, and National Basketball Association were identified and characterized based on training background, practice setting, and geographic location. Rates of social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and ResearchGate were determined. Differences between social media users and nonusers were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 505 professional team physicians were identified across 4 major professional sports; 64.6% of physicians were orthopaedic surgeons. Of 505 physicians, 65.7% had a social media presence. More specifically, 21.8% had a professional Facebook page, 22.6% a professional Twitter page, 52.1% a LinkedIn profile, 21.4% a ResearchGate profile, and 9.1% an Instagram account. Fellowship-trained physicians (P = .008) had greater odds of having a social media presence. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly two-thirds of professional team physicians have a social media presence, most commonly LinkedIn. Fellowship training is a significant predictor of sports medicine physician social media presence. Sports league affiliation, training background, practice setting, and geographic location are unrelated to social media presence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, cross-sectional study.

Advanced Progression of Scoliosis After Intrathecal Baclofen in an Adult With Stiff Person Syndrome: A Case Report.

Stiff person syndrome is a neuroimmunological disorder characterized by progressive muscular rigidity and spasms that affect axial/limb muscles, resulting in severe pain and functional limitations. When refractory to conservative treatments, intrathecal baclofen is a viable option to treat the increased tone. Intrathecal baclofen has been shown to accelerate underlying neuromuscular scoliosis in the pediatric population with cerebral palsy. This adverse effect has never been reported in adults with stiff person syndrome. We report a case of an adult with stiff person syndrome and underlying scoliosis who experienced accelerated progression of scoliosis after initiation of intrathecal baclofen, subsequently requiring neurosurgical intervention.

Depression and anxiety in children with epilepsy and other chronic health conditions: National estimates of prevalence and risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: This study estimates the national prevalence of depression and anxiety among children with epilepsy and determines which demographic variables and comorbidities increase the risk of these psychopathologies. We also compare the rates of depression and anxiety in pediatric epilepsy with those of other chronic health conditions in childhood. METHODS: We used the 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs to identify children with epilepsy with and without depression and anxiety. We assessed demographic factors and comorbidities associated with depression and anxiety using weighted multivariable logistic regressions. The rates of psychiatric comorbidity in children with chronic conditions other than epilepsy were also determined. RESULTS: The final sample included 1042 children over the age of five with epilepsy. After applying the sampling weights, we estimated that 283,000 children between 5 and 17 years of age have epilepsy in the United States (U.S.). Among these children, 25% have depression and/or anxiety. This figure was not significantly different from the rates seen among children with asthma (16.5%) or allergies (21.6%) but was significantly lower than the rate seen among children with migraines (43.2%). In our analyses of children with epilepsy, low-income children (regardless of race) and children whose needs for specialist care were unmet (relative to those whose needs were met) were more likely to have depression. Low-income black children were less likely to have anxiety than high-income white children. Gender, age, and epilepsy severity were unrelated to depression or anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: One in four U.S. children with epilepsy has depression and/or anxiety. Therefore, physicians should consider the various factors that are related to depression and anxiety in children with epilepsy so that at-risk children can be screened and managed appropriately.