Childhood Brain Research Articles

Social robots as effective language tutors for children: empirical evidence from neuroscience

The aim of the current study was to investigate children's brain responses to robot-assisted language learning. EEG brain signals were collected from 41 Japanese children who learned French vocabularies in two groups; half of the children learned new words from a social robot that narrated a story in French using animations on a computer screen (Robot group) and the other half watched the same animated story on the screen but only with a voiceover narration and without the robot (Display group). To examine brain activation during the learning phase, we extracted EEG functional connectivity (FC) which is defined as the rhythmic synchronization of signals recorded from different brain areas. The results indicated significantly higher global synchronization of brain signals in the theta frequency band in the Robot group during the learning phase. Closer inspection of intra-hemispheric and inter-hemispheric connections revealed that children who learned a new language from the robot experienced a stronger theta-band EEG synchronization in inter-hemispheric connections, which has been previously associated with success in second language learning in the neuroscientific literature. Additionally, using a multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that theta-band FC and group assignment were significant predictors of children's language learning with the Robot group scoring higher in the post-interaction word recognition test. These findings provide novel neuroscientific evidence for the effectiveness of social robots as second language tutors for children.

THE IMPACT OF NEW MEDIA ON CHILDREN 6-12 YEARS IN INDONESIA

This study aims to analyze how the impact of the media on children aged 6-12 years. The research method used by the researcher uses a qualitative-descriptive method which focuses on understanding the process and also understanding phenomena as well as describing the situation in the current era. As well as using Literature Studies which conduct studies related to theory. The analysis uses Computer Mediated Communication Theory where the use of computers is a technological development that facilitates communication between people without having to meet face to face in different places. The results of the research, researchers show that the influence of technology, especially gadgets for early childhood is very influential & has an impact on the development of children's mindsets, where the role of parents is needed to avoid the negative effects of using technology at an early age. From the research that has been made, it can be concluded that there are negative and positive impacts on children. The positive impact is in the form of being able to train creativity for children's brain intelligence, a means of sharing together, as well as a means of socialization media among others. There are negative impacts in the form of health problems in the child's body, apathy and indifference to the surrounding environment, easily emotional, and so on.

Strengthening Multiple Intelligences Approach for Kindergarten Teachers Al-Fikh Orchard Malaysia

This article is the output of international community service activities. The aim of this activity is to provide reinforcement of the Multiple Intelligences Approach to teachers at Al-Fikh Orchard Malaysia Kindergarten. The service method used is Participatory Action Research (PAR) with a cycle of work steps including the stages to know, to understand, to plan, to act, and to change. The work matrix includes preparation activities, implementation of training activities, and evaluation of the achievements of the service program. The service partner involved is the owner of the Al-Fikh Orchard Kindergarten which has a branch of 40 Kindergartens spread throughout Malaysia. The result of this service is an increase in the capacity and quality of Al-Fikh Orchard Kindergarten teachers, especially regarding the implementation of learning processes for early childhood based on Multiple Intelligences. These strengthening activities include; provides an understanding of the working system of a child's brain, an understanding of several types of children's intelligence, and how to train children's intelligence according to their intelligence potential.

Lifetime Achievement Award in Research Presentation

Abstract:The research landscape has changed dramatically over recent decades with the evergrowing opportunities facilitated by increasingly sophisticated technologies and statistical approaches, and complexity of governance and funding requirements, coupled with a relatively recent acknowledgement of the need to consider the impact of what we study and whether it addresses concerns that are shared by patients and consumers.Over the past 20 years, the Melbourne Children's Brain and Mind team has followed children from the time of their brain injury as they have moved from infancy and childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood. With a backdrop of the myriad of changes in research approaches, over the life of this study, this presentation will describe the challenges and findings generated from our work and consider how key research questions have changed, whether the work has been impactful at a scientific and if it has impacted the outcomes of brain injury survivors.Finally, given the critical importance of researchers, at any stage of their career, in the successful conduct of programs such as ours, learnings regarding ingredients supporting successful research careers will also be explored.

Learning to Read Strengthens Functional Connectivity Between the Ventral Occipitotemporal Cortex and the Superior Temporal Gyrus During an Auditory Phonological Awareness Task.

It is often assumed that phonological awareness only reflects children's phonological skill. However, orthographic representations have been found to be automatically involved during phonological awareness tasks, which we refer to as automatic orthographic activation. Although previous longitudinal neural studies have addressed how phonological processing during phonological awareness tasks is bidirectionally related to reading skill in developing children, we do not know how automatic orthographic activation plays a role in reading skill. To address this gap, we measured 40 children's reading skill and brain activity during an auditory phonological task at two time points using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Children were 5.5 to 6.5 years old at the first time point and were followed up approximately 1.5 years later when they were 7 to 8 years old. We found that earlier reading skill predicted children's later functional connectivity during onset processing between the left superior temporal gyrus, a phonological region, and the left posterior ventral occipitotemporal cortex, an orthographic region representing letters. This finding, together with previous studies, suggests that learning to read influences phonological awareness not only by refining phonological representations but also via strengthening the automatic mapping between phonemes and letters during spoken language processing.

Systematic characterization of antibody-drug conjugate targets in central nervous system tumors.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) enhance the specificity of cytotoxic drugs by directing them to cells expressing target antigens. Multiple ADCs are FDA-approved for solid and hematologic malignancies, including those expressing HER2, TROP2, and NECTIN4. Recently, an ADC targeting HER2 (Trastuzumab-Deruxtecan) increased survival and reduced growth of brain metastases in treatment-refractory metastatic breast cancer, even in tumors with low HER2 expression. Thus, low-level expression of ADC targets may be sufficient for treatment responsiveness. However, ADC target expression is poorly characterized in many central nervous system (CNS) tumors. We analyzed publicly available RNA-sequencing and proteomic data from the children's brain tumor network (N = 188 tumors) and gene-expression-omnibus RNA-expression datasets (N = 356) to evaluate expression of 14 potential ADC targets that are FDA-approved or under investigation in solid cancers. We also used immunohistochemistry to measure the levels of HER2, HER3, NECTIN4, TROP2, CLDN6, CLDN18.2, and CD276/B7-H3 protein in glioblastoma, oligodendroglioma, meningioma, ependymoma, pilocytic astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT), adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP), papillary craniopharyngioma (PCP), and primary CNS lymphoma (N = 575). Pan-CNS analysis showed subtype-specific expression of ADC target proteins. Most tumors expressed HER3, B7-H3, and NECTIN4. Ependymomas strongly expressed HER2, while meningiomas showed weak-moderate HER2 expression. ACP and PCP strongly expressed B7-H3, with TROP2 expression in whorled ACP epithelium. AT/RT strongly expressed CLDN6. Glioblastoma showed little subtype-specific marker expression, suggesting a need for further target development. CNS tumors exhibit subtype-specific expression of ADC targets including several FDA-approved for other indications. Clinical trials of ADCs in CNS tumors may therefore be warranted.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COUNSELING USING PUZZLE AND SNAKE AND LADDER GAME MEDIA ON DENTAL CARIES KNOWLEDGE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Background: Increasing knowledge can be done through dental health education efforts, namely counseling to provide information to the community. Efforts to increase knowledge can be given a stimulus through educational games to sharpen children's brains and make children creative because the world of children is a world of play. To support playing and learning activities, media is needed that can be interesting according to the characteristics of children's development. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of counseling using puzzle game media and snakes and ladders on dental caries knowledge in elementary school students in Taebenu District. The research design uses a quasi-experimental research design with a non-equivalent control group design. Sampling was by purposive sampling, the instrument in the study used a questionnaire and the analysis used SPSS with the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. The results of the study: there is a significant difference in the number of scores between the puzzle media game and the snakes and ladders media game. This is evidenced by the results of the Mann-Whitney test, which obtained a p-value of 0.000 <0.05. From the results of the study it was concluded that there was an increase in the level of knowledge of children who were given games using snakes and ladders media more effectively than children who were given games using puzzle media.

Neuroinfectious Diseases in Children: Pathophysiology, Outcomes, and Global Challenges

Pathogens with affinity for the central nervous system (CNS) in children are diverse in their mechanisms of infecting and attacking the brain. Infections can reach the CNS via hematogenous routes, transneurally thereby avoiding the blood-brain barrier, and across mucosal or skin surfaces. Once transmission occurs, pathogens can wreak havoc both by direct action on host cells and via an intricate interplay between the protective and pathologic actions of the host's immune system. Pathogen prevalence varies depending on region, and susceptibility differs based on epidemiologic factors such as age, immune status, and genetics. In addition, some infectious diseases are monophasic, whereas others may lie dormant for years, thereby causing a dynamic effect on outcomes. Outcomes in survivors are highly variable for each particular pathogen and depend on the vaccination and immune status of the patient as well as the speed by which the patient receives evidence-based treatments. Given pathogens cause communicable diseases that can cause morbidity and mortality on a population level when spread, the burden is often the greatest and the outcomes the worst in low-resource settings. Here we will focus on the most common infections with a propensity to affect a child's brain, the pathologic mechanisms by which they do so, and what is known about the developmental outcomes in children who are affected by these infections.

Iron deficiency and its impact to children’s cognitive and development

Children are born to learn, and they develop and learn very quickly in their early years. Brain development milestones in children aged 0-5 years and Iron plays an important role in many neurodevelopmental processes, and animal studies have shown that adequate iron requirements in pregnancy and childhood are critical for a child's brain and neurodevelopment.

ЗНАЧЕННЯ ФУНКЦІЇ РІВНОВАГИ ДЛЯ ПСИХОМОВЛЕННЄВОГО РОЗВИТКУ ДІТЕЙ З ОСОБЛИВИМИ ОСВІТНІМИ ПОТРЕБАМИ

The article examines the significance of the balance function and the organs responsible for it in the general psychophysical development of children from the perspective of neurophysiology, neuropsychology, and neuropedagogy. The basis of the development and improvement of this function lies in the child's relationship with the two dual components of his existence: the gravitational force of attraction and the earth's support. On the basis of this interaction, the necessary supporting and straightening reactions are gradually formed, which in the future need to ensure a stable position of the child's body in an orthograde two-support position. First, the child's static equilibrium is formed (in place, not moving), then it improves to static-dynamic equilibrium (in the city, but moving) and finally, the child masters dynamic equilibrium (in motion). The balance function is based on the postural system of aplomb with its five external and internal channels: vestibular, visual, oculomotor, proprioceptive, gifted, articulatory (lower jaw) and auditory. Synchronization of the activity of these input channels provides appropriate and adequate postural reactions to preserve the child's body in space. The vestibular system is of particular importance, since it is the most widely represented in the formations of the child's brain and interacts with other sensory channels. The authors proposed the following algorithm for using the possibilities of the balance function in the sensorimotor development of children in the context of improving their psycho-speech development: the formation of support-rectifying antigravity reactions and poses; development of static balance in stationary poses; development of stato-dynamic equilibrium; development of dynamic balance, moving with purposeful progress in different directions; the development of vestibulo-motor reactions for the formation of the child's orientation in space (in the «space of his body», minispace, macrospace). Keywords: balance function, children with special educational needs, speech development.

Hubungan Antara Bermain Aktif Dengan Perkembangan Sosial Pada Anak Pra-Sekolah Usia 4-6 Tahun Di TK AR Rohmah Bekasi Barat

Introduction: Prenatal up to 8 years is a golden period because a child's brain development is up to 80%, so it is the best time to develop a positive and potential personality to become an adult. Active play is an activity carried out by a person in order to get pleasure and satisfaction from the activities he does himself.1 Children's social development is the ability possessed by children related to the way children behave in their social life according to community values ​​so that children can become useful individuals in community life.2 Methods: Quantitative with a research design using a cross-sectional approach the sample in this study were all parents of students at AR Rohmah Kindergarten West Bekasi as many as 45 parents the sampling technique was total sampling. Results: Active play yielded good results for 34 (75,6%) respondents, while 4 (8.9%) respondents were not good. While good social development is 2 (4,4%) respondents, while respondents with poor social development are 5 (11,1%) respondents. Hypothesis testing using Chi-Square obtained a p-value of 0,000 (P < 0,05). Discussion: There is a significant relationship between active play and social development in preschoolers aged 4-6 years at AR Rohmah Kindergarten West Bekasi in 2022.

Effect of Moringa leaf supplements during pregnancy: Follow-up study on the development of pre-school children in rural area, Indonesia

This study is a follow-up study from experimental research that provides moringa supplements in the form of flour (GTK) and extract (GEK) as well as iron folate supplements (GBF) to pregnant women. Micronutrients are very important for the development of the child's brain during the womb and infancy. This study seeks to see the extent of the effect of Moringa leaf supplementation during pregnant women on the development of children at preschool age (5-6 years) in Jeneponto Regency. This study is an analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design with a total sample of 301 preschool-age children (5-6 years) taken by purposive sampling.in six sub-districts in Jeneponto Regency who when pregnant their mothers received moringa and iron folate supplements.

An fMRI study of the neural mechanisms of third and fourth tone recognition in deaf children

Vocal tone is an important component of language and it plays a key role in language comprehension and communication. However, children with hearing loss face challenges in vocal tone recognition due to hearing impairment. In this study, five deaf children and two children with normal hearing were recruited to compare the differences in third and fourth tone recognition tasks between deaf and normal children. The results revealed that (1) some of the deaf children's brain regions that process vocal tones did not work properly due to hearing loss; (2) deaf children may rely on different neural networks when processing vocal tone information. (3) Deaf children process vocal tone information with hemispheric characteristics.

Childhood socioeconomic status and the pace of structural neurodevelopment: accelerated, delayed, or simply different?

Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with children's brain and behavioral development. Several theories propose that early experiences of adversity or low SES can alter the pace of neurodevelopment during childhood and adolescence. These theories make contrasting predictions about whether adverse experiences and low SES are associated with accelerated or delayed neurodevelopment. We contextualize these predictions within the context of normative development of cortical and subcortical structure and review existing evidence on SES and structural brain development to adjudicate between competing hypotheses. Although none of these theories are fully consistent with observed SES-related differences in brain development, existing evidence suggests that low SES is associated with brain structure trajectories more consistent with a delayed or simply different developmental pattern than an acceleration in neurodevelopment.

A dataset of multicenter database on Perinatal Factors in Child Brain-Mind Development (PeriCBD)

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) refer to a series of mental disorders that plague the motor and behavioral development of children in the K12 basic education stage. The etiology and pathogenesis of these disorders remain unclear. Multicenter Children's Brain Development Database under Perinatal Factors (PeriCBD) is established by the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, relying on county/prefecture/district central hospitals to collect data on the brain development of children in high-incidence age groups of NDDs. The primary purpose is to construct a data information platform related to brain development patterns and individual differences in children aged 3-10 under perinatal factors. Meanwhile, the platform is expected to provide critical basic data for the national brain development research, predictive diagnosis, and treatment of NDDs in children. This paper takes the data collection work completed in Anyang Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Henan Province and the People's Hospital of Liangping District of Chongqing City as examples to introduce the organizational framework of PeriCBD, and clarify the unified collection, cleaning, and analysis process of subject behavior data and magnetic resonance imaging data. In addition, following the standardization in processes, such as data extraction, conversion, loading of database links, etc., the dataset aims to establish a paradigm for subsequent PeriCBD data collection and database were shown.

KEGIATAN SOSIALISASI “GEMAR MAKAN IKAN” DAN PENGENALAN PRODUK PERIKANAN PADA ANAK USIA DINI, DESA PEMUTERAN, KECAMATAN GEROKGAK, BALI

Indonesia as a maritime country has an abundance of fish diversity. Although fish production is abundant, the level of fish consumption is declining. Fish is a source of high quality protein. Protein in fish has a complete composition and amount of essential amino acids. The fisheries and maritime sector supports the movement program to popularize eating fish (Gemarikan) designed by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to become a national movement. This activity aims to increase knowledge and understanding as well as preventive action on the importance of the benefits of eating fish from an early age because of the many nutrients found in fish which are very useful for the growth and intelligence of children's brains and bone growth. This service activity is carried out using the counseling method and the introduction of fishery products. There are several stages in this activity starting from preparation, this stage is in the form of coordination regarding the place where the presentation of the material will be carried out, and operational preparation in the form of an application for permission to carry out socialization activities. Making rambutan shrimp products, presenting materials and distributing products.

Sosialisasi Pendewasaan Usia Perkawinan Sebagai Pencegahan Stunting Oleh Mahasiswa KKN Kolaboratif Kelompok 188 di SMP 3 Ledokombo Desa Sumbersalak Kecamatan Ledokombo Kabupaten Jember

Stunting is a disease that affects children's brain and physical growth as a result of a long-term lack of proper nutrition. The lack of nutritional intake that children receive is caused by a lack of knowledge and unpreparedness of parents in caring for their children. This is related to the rise of early marriage which occurs as a result of various factors, one of which is the mindset of the people who consider early marriage to be commonplace, especially for rural communities. To support the reduction of stunting due to early marriage, the students carried out an outreach on maturing the age of marriage which was carried out targeting students of SMP Negeri 3 Ledokombo. This activity aims to make students understand the importance of maturity and careful preparation before deciding to go through with marriage. This counseling will give birth to prospective parents with adequate knowledge in parenting, which in turn will also have a contribution to preventing the birth of stunted children. The author concludes, this activity is very relevant to the problem of stunting faced in Wonorejo Village, where the many cases of early marriage experienced by students of SMP Negeri 3 Ledokombo are the main factors that increase the stunting rate in the area.

Inhibitory control associated with the neural mechanism of joint attention in preschoolers: An fNIRS evidence

Joint attention (JA) is fundamental to the development of children's social functioning; both its response and initiation are closely related to executive function (EF), but the relationship between JA and EF has been relatively rarely studied. The present study aimed to investigate the between-condition differences in brain activation and synchronization of JA under four conditions: (1) stranger-Initiating Joint Attention (Stranger-IJA); (2) teacher-Initiating Joint Attention (Teacher-IJA); (3) stranger-Responding to Joint Attention (Stranger-RJA); and (4) teacher-Responding to Joint Attention (Teacher-RJA). It also aimed to explore the relationships between neuroimaging data and children's inhibitory control levels. To address these two goals, the present study employed 41 (aged 58.61 ± 8.64 months, 24 boys) preschool children through behavioral and functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain imaging assessment to measure children's EF and brain function under JA, respectively. The results revealed that: (1) a significantly higher prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation was triggered in IJA than RJA; (2) a significantly higher brain activation was triggered in JA with a stranger than with a teacher; (3) a significantly higher index of synchronization asymmetry was evoked in the left and right PFC during interaction with the teacher than with the stranger; and (4) preschoolers' brain activation and synchronization were correlated with their inhibitory control level. The findings advance our understanding of preschoolers' social cognitive development with a biological aspect, offer an opportunity to understand the potential risk of the neural disorder in preschoolers, and provide a basis and insight for preventing neural developmental disorders.

The relationship between early childhood development and feeding practices during the dietary transitional period in rural China: a cross-sectional study.

Early childhood feeding environments and practices not only affect children's nutritional status but also provide children with a variety of external stimulations to affect the development of the child's brain, especially for the first 1,000 days of children. The relationship between early childhood development (ECD) and feeding practices during the dietary transitional period has not previously been described. This study used quantitative survey data from the Integrated Early Childhood Development Project to investigate this association between ECD and feeding practices during the dietary transitional period in poor rural areas of China. Data concerning the child and family characteristics and feeding practices were collected through the questionnaire completed by caregivers. Developmental delays were explored through a five-pronged, structured, parent-completed Age and Stage Questionnaire. The chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the associated factors in ECD. The results showed that 33.6% of children had at least one area of developmental delay during the dietary transitional period. Of all five regions evaluated, the prevalence of fine motor developmental delays was highest (17.7%), followed by communication (14.9%), problem-solving (13.8%), personal-social skills (11.9%), and gross motor (11.8%), respectively. Significant predictors of increased odds of developmental delay included types of complementary foods (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.53-0.94), adequate feeding frequency (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.52-0.90), and breastfeeding time and bottle feeding (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.50-0.88). According to the results, a high prevalence of developmental delay was observed in children during the dietary transitional period in the rural areas of China. The feeding practices of children were associated with their developmental status, including factors such as inadequate feeding frequency, types of complementary foods, breastfeeding duration, and low family income. These findings highlight the focus and potential direction for early identification and intervention.

Sharpening Early Digital Literacy Skills as a Long-Term Investment for Young Children

AbstractIn today's rapidly advancing digital era, the ability to master technology has become crucial for everyone. Nearly all activities can be carried out using technology, especially digital technology that is accessible by anyone, anytime, and anywhere, from adults to young children. However, it's important to note that young children, who are in a crucial stage of growth and development, are highly susceptible to environmental influences, including digital technology which is now easily accessible to them, often with parental permission to use gadgets. Therefore, this is a significant concern because in the age range of 0-6 years, a child's brain development progresses rapidly, reaching up to 80%, allowing their brains to easily absorb various information, both positive and negative.This period is often referred to as the "golden age," which requires close supervision from adults regarding the use of digital technology by young children. Strict supervision is necessary because digital technology can grant unrestricted access to young children, including access to negative content such as pornography and violent games, which can adversely impact their morals and development. Conversely, with proper guidance and supervision, the use of digital technology can offer numerous benefits to young children, such as enhancing their creativity and insights, as well as helping them explore talents and interests in the digital realm. Therefore, the author is interested in identifying and describing the digital literacy skills of young children as a long-term investment