Connectivity In Children Research Articles

Peer bonds and nature's embrace: exploring the influence of pet caregiving on social well-being and nature connection among Taiwanese children.

This study investigated the associations between pet-ownership on nature engagement, interpersonal relationships, and well-being among 471 Taiwanese children aged 11-12, across different genders. The findings revealed that interactions with pets, primarily in the form of caregiving, enhanced empathy toward nature, notably among female participants from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, although direct contact with nature was generally limited. In terms of interpersonal relationships, family bonds were significant, with boys reporting stronger connections. Children who had previously or were currently owning pets displayed increased empathy toward the natural environment. The study highlighted a significant predictive relationship between children's connection to nature and their development of interpersonal relationships, with peer relationships being particularly influential in predicting children's well-being. These results underscored the importance of pet caregiving and peer interactions in the emotional and social development of children.

Adapting and validating a game-based testing instrument for measuring nature connectedness in children

This study aimed to adapt and validate a Canadian-developed instrument for measuring nature connectedness among young children in China. Nature connectedness, which encompasses emotional, cognitive, and experiential relationships with the natural environment, is linked to various positive outcomes in children, including well-being, eco-friendly behaviors, and academic success. However, existing instruments, which often rely on self-reports, face challenges when applied to young children due to dependence on introspective and expressive abilities and issues with cultural relevance across diverse settings. To address these limitations, this research adapted and validated a game-based instrument through three steps: adaptation for cultural relevance and linguistic accuracy, expert review for content validity, and empirical testing for construct validity. The initial adaptation was informed by a pilot study with 38 children in Hangzhou, which led to further modifications based on feedback. The adapted Chinese version was tested with 406 kindergartners from Hangzhou and Shanghai, demonstrating good reliability and validity in measuring nature connectedness in this population. Findings indicate that the adapted instrument effectively captures the dimensions of nature connectedness among young Chinese children, validating its feasibility of adapting for use in non-Western contexts. This research underscores the importance of culturally sensitive tools in environmental psychology and education, offering a valuable methodology for understanding and enhancing children's connections with nature across different cultural backgrounds. The study contributes to developing educational strategies and environmental policies to foster a deep, enduring relationship between children and the natural world.

Language Performance and Disruption of Brain Connectivity in Children with Epilepsy

Abstract Objective To explore the correlation between brain connectivity and language difficulties in children with epilepsy. We hypothesize that the epileptic cortex (where seizures arise) becomes hyperconnected to left frontal and temporal language regions thus suppressing connectivity between language regions. We expect that connectivity is associated with language performance. Method Right-handed children with Self-Limited Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (SeLECTS) recruited from a specialty clinic, and typically developing age and sex-matched controls (63 children, 9.3+/−2 years, 37% female) recruited from the community completed a language task (verb generation) and a resting task while undergoing an electroencephalogram. Phonological awareness was measured with the CTOPP-2. Connectivity between four regions – left frontal & temporal language regions and bilateral motor regions (epileptic cortices) – was measured using the weighted Phase Lag Index. We tested for group differences in connectivity in either task and for associations between connectivity and phonological awareness. Results SeLECTS had higher left frontal to left temporal connectivity than controls during verb generation (group difference = 0.07, 95% CI 0.02–0.11, p = 0.003) but not at rest. Right motor to left temporal connectivity was elevated in SeLECTS during verb generation (difference = 0.04, 95% CI 0.01–0.07, p = 0.008) and rest (difference = 0.03, 95% CI 0.01–0.05, p = 0.001). Higher right motor to left temporal (−55.8, 95% CI -81.5 to −30.1, p < 0.0001) connectivity during verb generation was associated with poorer phonological awareness in SeLECTS but not controls. Resting connectivity was not associated with phonological awareness in either group. Conclusions Hyperconnectivity may contribute to language difficulties and electroencephalogram may be a biomarker for phonological awareness in children with epilepsy.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Modulates Brain Connectivity in Children with Self-limited Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes.

Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) alter brain connectivity in children with epilepsy; this connectivity change may be a mechanism by which epilepsy induces cognitive deficits. Here, we test whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, modulates connectivity and reduces IEDs in children with epilepsy. Nineteen children with self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) participated in a cross-over study comparing the impact of active vs. sham rTMS on IEDs and brain connectivity. SeLECTS is an epilepsy syndrome affecting the motor cortex, and prior studies show that motor cortices become pathologically hyper-connected to frontal and temporal language cortices. Using a crossover design, we compared the effect of single doses of active versus sham motor cortex rTMS. Connectivity, which was quantified by the weighted phase lag index (wPLI), was measured before and after rTMS using single pulses of TMS combined with EEG (spTMS-EEG). Analyses focused on six regions: bilateral motor cortices and bilateral inferior frontal and superior temporal regions. IEDs were counted in the five minutes before and after rTMS. Active, but not sham, rTMS significantly and globally decreased wPLI connectivity between multiple regions, with the greatest reductions seen in the superior temporal region connections in the stimulated hemisphere. Additionally, there was a trend suggesting that rTMS decreases IED frequency. These findings underscore the potential of low-frequency rTMS to target pathologic hyperconnectivity and reduce IEDs in children with SeLECTS and potentially other pediatric epilepsy syndromes, offering a promising avenue for therapeutic intervention.

Understanding connection to nature in Turkish middle school children: Personal factors and Nature's restorative effect

A connection to nature can be healing and restorative for children, especially when they are coping with psychological symptoms. Better understanding the essence of this connection and investigating the associated variables can, therefore, prove useful. This research consisted of three studies measuring the connection to nature among youth in Turkey's unique, non-Western context. In Study-1 (n = 214), the 14-item Connection to Nature Index (CNI) was tested with confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that the CNI was a valid and reliable instrument in the Turkish sample. Study-2 (n = 375) examined personal factors predicting children's connection to nature. Regression analysis showed that gender was a significant predictor of CNI. We also found that connection to nature increased as screen time decreased and the frequency of contact with nature increased. In Study 3 (n = 404), we found that hope and satisfaction with life acted as serial and complete mediators between CNI and psychological symptoms. Unlike the results of previous studies conducted in the West, this study highlights for the first time the importance of children's connection with the natural world in Turkey, an Eastern society.

"A 'Cool' Kid Wears a Brand, and Everyone's following Him" Hierarchal Social Status in Preadolescence: A New Developmental Perspective.

Inequality in hierarchical social status, especially among socially excluded children, profoundly affects preadolescents. Historically viewed through a lens of psychopathology and moral deficiencies, it challenges the education system's approaches and interventions. This article introduces a developmental perspective, highlighting the hierarchical social status' role in shaping classroom cohesion, strength, and distinctiveness. This study's phenomenological, qualitative methodology aimed to gain preliminary insight into the children's perspectives. Drawing from 12 focus group discussions involving 140 latency-age (grade 5) children in Israel, it uniquely reveals the dynamic nature of hierarchical social status influenced by children's connections with the group. This dynamism promotes group unity, strengthens bonds, and prioritizes collective concerns, contributing to the development of a "social self" in the latency phase. Beyond theory, this study proposes innovative interventions to address social status disparities.

0790 Polysomnographic Insights into the ADHD and OSA Connection in Children

0790 Polysomnographic Insights into the ADHD and OSA Connection in Children

Resting-state Functional Connectivity in Children and Adults with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (P2-11.002)

Resting-state Functional Connectivity in Children and Adults with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (P2-11.002)

Landscape tools to support the educational use of school grounds

Recent years have seen an increasing emphasis on child-friendly concepts in landscape architecture and urban planning, as well as a growing emphasis on school grounds and environmental education, both in terms of pedagogy and landscape design. School grounds provide places for active engagement with the environment, for experiencing what is taught in class, and, are therefore of particular importance for education and for building children's connection with nature. The aim of this research is to develop a set of landscape architecture tools that can be used to promote child-friendly and education-centered design of school grounds. The research collects and organises the different school ground features, drawing on literature research, and the analysis of the Framework Curriculum. The toolkit presented in this paper lists and evaluates each feature according to its function, its relevance to school subjects and the specific knowledge or skills it can help to acquire, its space requirements and feasibility. To conclude, school grounds offer opportunities for teaching almost any subject and can therefore be linked to educational activities in multiple ways. The results of this research are to be developed into design guidelines in order to be used by designers and teachers alike, to help develop school grounds contributing to the well-being and environmental awareness of new generations.

A Study of Policies for Kindergarten Education Linking to Primary Education in Guizhou Province

The purpose of this study is to explore the policy of connecting kindergarten education with primary education in Guizhou Province. Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, was selected as the research object, and semi-structured interviews, questionnaire surveys, and literature analysis methods were used for the study. In the study, it was found that there is a primary school phenomenon in learning. In terms of daily routines and self-care abilities, it was found that parents overly dote on their children or do not attach importance to their children's connection and development. Through correlation analysis and regression analysis, it was found that parents with higher educational levels are more likely to choose both public and private schools to recruit such enrollment methods. Subsequently, from the perspectives of policies, parents Provide relevant suggestions from four aspects: teachers and schools.

Сравнительный анализ подходов Л.С. Выготского и Дж. Боулби к развитию ребенка на первом году жизни

<p>Objective: To compare the positions of L.S. Vygotsky and J. Bowlby regarding three critical aspects of mental development of a child: the characteristics of newborn perception, the extent of an infant's engagement in early social interaction, and the psychological nature of the bond between an infant and its mother. Method: a comparative analysis. Results. The authors' viewpoints share common ground in acknowledging the child's immediate engagement in social relationships following birth and the pivotal role of a primary caregiver figure in the child's development. Nevertheless, disparities in the interpretation of “primordial we" and "attachment" concepts, employed by the authors to elucidate the specifics of the child's connection with the mother or a caregiver, are explored. The study reveals a divergence between L.S. Vygotsky's postulate of infant helplessness, forming the foundation of the developmental social context at this stage, and J. Bowlby's perspective, emphasizing the presence of highly effective inborn forms of social perception and behavior in infants. Conclusions. These disparities in the authors' viewpoints may be attributed to their reliance on different research paradigms, with one emphasizing culture-centred approach and the other adopting an evolution-centred approach. L.S. Vygotsky's assertion about infant helplessness, though lacking empirical validation, maintains its theoretical importance as a direction in the search for the unique course of human development. Keywords: cultural-historical theory, attachment theory, newborn, childhood, infancy.</p>

An Empirical Study on the Psychological Consequences of Child Hawking

Hawking is referred to as an occupation engaged by children and young adults which involves selling of items or goods in the street. Despite India's recent economic progress, more than a third of the population still lives in poverty. Any family, society, or nation that does not have a good agenda or adequate plans for its children is inevitably bound to fail to ensure its own survival and continuity. The ability of a society's children and youths to function effectively as members of that society depends on their ability to function effectively socially, politically, economically, and religiously. The quality of a child's connections with his or her primary caregivers has the biggest impact on his or her socio-emotional development . The early nurture, experiences, and interactions that a kid has have a tremendous impact on his or her socio-emotional development. . The main objective of study is based on the psychological consequences of child hawking. The method followed in the study is an empirical research method using a convenient sampling method. The sample size of the total number is 200. The independent variables used in the study are age ,gender, occupation and place of living. The dependent variable used in the study 1. Do you know about child hawking? 2. Agreeability to forcing children to sell things on the street. 3.factors constituting child hawking. 4. Results of child hawking. The Aim the study is that according to people’s view child hawking is to be considered as a serious maltreatment towards children and it completely violates the child’s fundamental rights. It also results bt causing mental stress, lack of education, rape and sexual abuse and lot more.

Parent and early childhood educator perspectives of unstructured nature play for young children: A qualitative descriptive study.

Nature play is growing in popularity, with many early childhood settings transforming their outdoor play environments to incorporate more natural elements. Current research highlights the benefits of engaging in unstructured nature play for children's health and development; yet little is known about the experiences of key nature play end-users such as parents and early childhood educators, even though they directly impact the application of nature play within early childhood settings. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring parent and early childhood educator (ECE) perspectives to gain an understanding about their experiences with nature play. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, semi-structured in-person and telephone interviews were conducted with 18 ECE and 13 parents across four early childhood centres (from various socio-economic regions) across metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia during 2019-2020. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis identified five main themes; positive affirmations of nature play, factors influencing nature play engagement, defining nature play, outdoor play space design and risky play. Children's connection to the natural world, learning about sustainability, emotional regulation, and children discovering their own capabilities were perceived advantages of engaging in nature play. Despite the benefits, ECE's described institutional barriers such as resourcing, adhering to policies and scheduling conflicts, whereas, parents described time, getting dirty and proximity to nature play spaces as barriers to nature play engagement. Parents and ECEs alike described adults as gatekeepers for play, especially when other daily tasks compete for their time, or when faced with weather-imposed barriers (cold, rain, extreme heat in summer). The findings suggest that parents and ECEs may need additional resources and guidance on how to engage with nature play and how to overcome barriers within early childhood settings and the home environment.

Association of Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference With Imaging Metrics of Brain Integrity and Functional Connectivity in Children Aged 9 to 10 Years in the US, 2016-2018

Aside from widely known cardiovascular implications, higher weight in children may have negative associations with brain microstructure and neurodevelopment. To evaluate the association of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference with imaging metrics that approximate brain health. This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to examine the association of BMI and waist circumference with multimodal neuroimaging metrics of brain health in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses over 2 years. From 2016 to 2018, the multicenter ABCD study recruited more than 11 000 demographically representative children aged 9 to 10 years in the US. Children without any history of neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders were included in this study, and a subsample of children who completed 2-year follow-up (34%) was included for longitudinal analysis. Children's weight, height, waist circumference, age, sex, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, handedness, puberty status, and magnetic resonance imaging scanner device were retrieved and included in the analysis. Association of preadolescents' BMI z scores and waist circumference with neuroimaging indicators of brain health: cortical morphometry, resting-state functional connectivity, and white matter microstructure and cytostructure. A total of 4576 children (2208 [48.3%] female) at a mean (SD) age of 10.0 years (7.6 months) were included in the baseline cross-sectional analysis. There were 609 (13.3%) Black, 925 (20.2%) Hispanic, and 2565 (56.1%) White participants. Of those, 1567 had complete 2-year clinical and imaging information at a mean (SD) age of 12.0 years (7.7 months). In cross-sectional analyses at both time points, higher BMI and waist circumference were associated with lower microstructural integrity and neurite density, most pronounced in the corpus callosum (fractional anisotropy for BMI and waist circumference at baseline and second year: P < .001; neurite density for BMI at baseline: P < .001; neurite density for waist circumference at baseline: P = .09; neurite density for BMI at second year: P = .002; neurite density for waist circumference at second year: P = .05), reduced functional connectivity in reward- and control-related networks (eg, within the salience network for BMI and waist circumference at baseline and second year: P < .002), and thinner brain cortex (eg, for the right rostral middle frontal for BMI and waist circumference at baseline and second year: P < .001). In longitudinal analysis, higher baseline BMI was most strongly associated with decelerated interval development of the prefrontal cortex (left rostral middle frontal: P = .003) and microstructure and cytostructure of the corpus callosum (fractional anisotropy: P = .01; neurite density: P = .02). In this cross-sectional study, higher BMI and waist circumference among children aged 9 to 10 years were associated with imaging metrics of poorer brain structure and connectivity as well as hindered interval development. Future follow-up data from the ABCD study can reveal long-term neurocognitive implications of excess childhood weight. Imaging metrics that had the strongest association with BMI and waist circumference in this population-level analysis may serve as target biomarkers of brain integrity in future treatment trials of childhood obesity.

A Graph Theory Study of Resting-State Functional MRI Connectivity in Children With Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

The effect of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning on the topology of brain functional networks is unclear, especially in children whose brains are still developing. To investigate the topological alterations of the whole-brain functional connectome in children with CO poisoning and characterize its relationship with disease severity. Cross-sectional and prospective study. A total of 26 patients with CO poisoning and 26 healthy controls. A 3.0 T MRI system/echo planar imaging (EPI) and 3D brain volume imaging (BRAVO) sequences. We used the network-based statistics (NBS) method to explore between-group differences in functional connectivity strength and a graph-theoretical-based analytic method to explore the topology of brain networks. Student's t-test, chi-square test, NBS, Pearson correlation coefficient, and false discovery rate correction. The statistical significance threshold was set at P < 0.05. The case group's brain functional network topology was impaired in comparison to the control group (reduced global efficiency and small-worldness, increased characteristic path length). According to node and edge analyses, the case group showed topologically damaged regions in the frontal lobe and basal ganglia, as well as neuronal circuits with weaker connections. Also, there was a significant correlation between the patients' coma time and the degree (r = -0.4564), efficiency (r = -0.4625), and characteristic path length (r = 0.4383) of the nodes in the left orbital inferior frontal gyrus. Carbon monoxide hemoglobin content (COHb) concentration and right rolandic operculum node characteristic path length (r = -0.3894) were significantly correlated. The node efficiency and node degree of the right middle frontal gyrus (r = 0.4447 and 0.4539) and right pallidum (r = 0.4136 and 0.4501) significantly correlated with the MMSE score. The brain network topology of CO poisoned children is damaged, which is manifested by reduced network integration and may lead to a series of clinical symptoms in patients. 2. Stage 2.

The Role of the Mind-Body Connection in Children with Food Reactions and Identified Adversity: Implications for Integrating Stress Management and Resilience Strategies in Clinical Practice.

Child adversity is often associated with poor quality of life in pediatric gastrointestinal disorders, including non-allergic food reactions (food intolerances), which may be improved using mind-body interventions. We conducted an observational study to (1) describe child adversity (stressors) and resilience factors in children with food intolerances, and (2) explore the association between stressors and self-reported use of integrative modalities. A retrospective chart review of children ≥4-years-old presenting to a pediatric food intolerances clinic from 2017 to 2020 was performed (n = 130). Use of integrative medicine at intake, demographic, illness, and social history data were collected. Qualitative analysis identified exposure to stressors and resilience strategies. Correlation was assessed using a chi-square test. Management of the medical condition was the most common stressor, indicating impact on quality of life. Resilience strategies included themes of self-coping and social support. Individuals with one or more stressors were more likely to be using an integrative modality (most commonly, mind-body interventions) prior to their visit (X2 = 8.1, p = 0.004). Our hypothesis-generating study suggests that screening for child adversity and integrative medicine use may be used to better address quality of life and personalized approaches to treat pediatric food intolerances.

Altered White Matter Connectivity in Children with Prenatal Marijuana Exposure

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Background:&#x0D; The potential health outcomes of cannabis use during pregnancy are currently not well-known. Several studies have shown an association between prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) and adverse neonatal outcomes. Specifically, cannabis use has been associated with an increased risk of cognitive deficits and neuropsychiatric disease. The aim of this project is to examine alterations in cerebral white matter connectivity of children with PME compared to unexposed controls based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Identifying such microstructural alterations may help us better understand neurodevelopmental and cognitive effects of PME.&#x0D; Hypothesis:&#x0D; We hypothesize that there will be differences in white matter connectivity in children with PME compared to controls.&#x0D; Methods:&#x0D; DTI images for children with (n=88) and without (n=90) PME were obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study database. Image quality assurance, preprocessing, and tractography were completed using DSI Studio. Fiber counts between 94 regions of interest were assessed. A groupwise comparison was performed to assess differences in structural connectivity in children with and without PME.&#x0D; Results:&#x0D; The PME group and control group had 35 and 37 males, respectively. The mean age for both groups was 9.9 years. First level comparative analysis revealed alterations in microstructural connectivity between PME and control groups. Increased connectivity was found in the PME group compared to the control group in 51 tracts, while decreased connectivity was indicated in 22 tracts. However, significance was not maintained when corrected for multiple comparisons.&#x0D; Conclusion/Impact:&#x0D; Although there were small alterations in brain structural connectivity in children with PME, these were not significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. It is possible that microstructural neuroplasticity in the developing brain lowers the impact of potential long-term adverse effects of marijuana exposure in utero. Further studies are required to understand longitudinal brain development and adverse neurodevelopmental and cognitive outcomes associated with PME.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Abnormalities of EEG Functional Connectivity and Effective Connectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that interferes with normal brain development. Brain connectivity may serve as a biomarker for ASD in this respect. This study enrolled a total of 179 children aged 3-10 years (90 typically developed (TD) and 89 with ASD). We used a weighted phase lag index and a directed transfer function to investigate the functional and effective connectivity in children with ASD and TD. Our findings indicated that patients with ASD had local hyper-connectivity of brain regions in functional connectivity and simultaneous significant decrease in effective connectivity across hemispheres. These connectivity abnormalities may help to find biomarkers of ASD.

Do environmental education fieldtrips strengthen children's connection to nature and promote environmental behaviour or wellbeing?

Nature-based environmental education could be an effective way to promote children's connection to nature, every-day pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) and psychological wellbeing. We conducted a longitudinal, quasi-experimental field study with children aged 7 - 13 years from schools who attended environmental education fieldtrips in Wellington, New Zealand (N = 257). Data was collected via a self-administered questionnaire and a gifting (Token) experiment immediately before and four weeks after children attended an environmental education fieldtrip. Results indicate that environmental education was associated with a small increase in children's PEB and an increase in support for conservation relative to a control group. However, the intervention had little effect on children's connection to nature, vitality or life satisfaction. The effect of the intervention on connection to nature was moderated by children's pre-existing levels of connection to nature. Fieldtrips only increased connection to nature for those children who had higher levels of connection to nature before the intervention.Reconnecting people to nature is considered a deep leverage point to promote individual PEB and co-benefits such as individual wellbeing. Our results provide modest and nuanced support for its influence on PEB but not wellbeing.

Connection to nature is associated with social-emotional learning of children

When assessing the link between nature exposure and social-emotional or proximal outcomes of children, few studies have included the psychological connection to nature as a mediating variable. We determined the association between children's connection to nature and their overall social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The final study sample of children ages 8–10 (n = 138) originated from three elementary schools serving majority economically disadvantaged Latino households in communities with relatively low access to nature in Austin, Texas, United States, in 2019. SEL skills originated from a survey administered annually by the school district. Output from ordinary least squares regression models in which nature connection was measured using the Connection to Nature Index and that adjusted for gender, race, ethnicity, grade, and school found children's connection to nature was directly associated with higher overall SEL skills (β = 0.29; 95% CI [0.13, 0.45]; p = 0.001); self-awareness (β = 0.46; 95% CI [0.29, 0.64]; p = 0.001); self-management (β = 0.34; 95% CI [0.09, 0.60]; p = 0.009); and relationship skills (β = 0.39; 95% CI [0.10, 0.68]; p = 0.009). Results suggest children's connection to nature may positively impact their SEL skills. We recommend developing nature-based SEL interventions with explicit focus on strengthening children's psychological connection to nature.