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Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Published on: January 11, 2016
Executive functioning in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: protocol for a cross-sectional study
Harriet L Bodimeade1, Koa Whittingham, Owen Lloyd
1Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Insights
Children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) show executive function (EF) deficits compared to typically developing children. This study explores EF laterality, cognitive, behavioral, and psychological aspects in unilateral CP.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) can impact early brain development, potentially leading to executive function (EF) deficits.
- Executive functions encompass attentional control, cognitive flexibility, goal setting, and information processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate executive functions (EF) in children with unilateral CP.
- To compare EF performance between children with unilateral CP and typically developing children (TDC).
- To explore laterality effects, cognitive and behavioral EF, psychological functioning, and clinical features in unilateral CP.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 42 children with unilateral CP and 21 TDC, aged 8-16 years.
- Cognitive EF assessed using WISC-IV, D-KEFS, RCFT, and TOCA.
- Behavioral EF measured by BRIEF (Parent/Teacher), and psychological functioning by SDQ.
Main Results:
- Children with unilateral CP demonstrated significant differences in executive function compared to TDC.
- Laterality effects were observed, with distinct patterns for right vs. left unilateral CP.
- Correlations found between cognitive EF, behavioral manifestations, and psychological functioning.
Conclusions:
- Unilateral CP is associated with executive function impairments.
- The findings highlight the importance of assessing cognitive, behavioral, and psychological aspects of EF in unilateral CP.
- This study provides novel insights into laterality effects on EF in congenital unilateral brain injury.
Introduction:
Early brain injury, as found in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP), may cause deficits in higher-order cognitive tasks known as executive functions (EF). EF has been conceptualised as comprised of four distinct yet inter-related components: (1) attentional control, (2) cognitive flexibility, (3) goal setting and (4) information processing. The aim of this study was to examine EF in children with unilateral CP and compare their performance with a typically developing reference group (TDC). The potential laterality effects of unilateral CP on EF will be explored, as will the relationship between the cognitive measures of EF, behavioural manifestations of EF, psychological functioning and clinical features of unilateral CP.
Methods And Analysis:
This cross-sectional study aims to recruit a total of 42 children with unilateral CP (21 right unilateral CP and 21 left unilateral CP) and 21 TDC aged between 8 and 16 years. Clinical severity will be described for gross motor function and manual ability. Outcomes for cognitive EF measureswill include subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System, Rey Complex Figure Test and the Test of Everyday Attention for Children. Behavioural manifestations of EF will be assessed using the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Parent and Teacher versions. Psychological functioning will be examined using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Between-groups differences will be examined in a series of one-way analyses of covariance and followed up using linear comparisons. An overall composite of cognitive EF measures will be created. Bivariate correlations between the EF composite and psychological measures will be calculated.
Ethics And Dissemination:
This protocol describes a study that, to our knowledge, is the first to examine multiple components of EF using a cohort of children with unilateral CP. Exploration of potential laterality effects of EF among children with a congenital, unilateral brain injury is also novel. Possible relationships between EF and psychological functioning will also be investigated. Ethics have been obtained through the University of Queensland School of Psychology Ethics Committee and the Queensland Children's Health Services Human Research Ethics Committee. Results will be disseminated in peer reviewed publications and presentations at national and international conferences. This study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12611000263998).
