Life In Children Research Articles

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire.

Cancer patients with children are increasing; however, few studies have quantitatively assessed the parenting concerns of cancer patients with children. The Parenting Concerns Questionnaire was developed in the USA in 2012 and is the only instrument to measure the parenting concerns of cancer patients with children. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire and evaluate its reliability and validity. An Internet survey was conducted among cancer patients registered with 'Cancer Parents', an Internet community site for cancer patients, who have children aged <18years, and 174 responses were recorded. Two weeks later, a retest was conducted, and responses were obtained from 87 patients. Based on confirmatory factor analysis of the factor structure proposed by the authors of the original version, factors 'I. The impact of my illness on the child's daily life (five items)', 'II. The impact of my illness on the child's feelings (five items)' and 'III. Concerns about my parenting partner (five items)' were consistent with the original version. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for all items and by factors were 0.86, 0.79, 0.86 and 0.86. The Parenting Concerns Questionnaire total scores correlated with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (r=0.52), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy General (r=-0.56), Family Assessment Device-General Functioning (r=0.51) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (r=-0.47). The intraclass correlation coefficients for all items and by factors were 0.81, 0.71, 0.77 and 0.85. The Japanese version of the Parenting Concerns Questionnaire has satisfactory reliability and validity.

It's about living a normal life: parents' quality of life when their child has a life-threatening or life-limiting condition - a qualitative study.

Pediatric palliative care (PPC) seeks to enhance the quality of life (QoL) for both children and their families. While most studies within PPC have focused on the ill child's QoL, less is known about parents' experiences of their own QoL. The aim of this study was to explore parents' QoL when their child has a life-threatening or life-limiting condition. The study has a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological design inspired by van Manen's phenomenology of practice. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 fathers and 12 mothers of children living with cancer or a genetic condition. A deeper understanding of parents' lived experiences was obtained through an adapted photo elicitation method. Two rounds of thematic analysis were conducted, covering both the photo elicitation data, and interview data. The findings describe four themes related to parents' QoL: living a normal life, giving my child a good life, having time to fulfill siblings' needs, and feeling heard and respected in the health and social care system. The complexity of elements shaping parents' QoL is evident. The interconnectedness between parents, the ill child, siblings, and interactions with the health and social care system, highlights the need to understand and address diverse aspects in enhancing parents QoL.

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Translation of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Neuromuscular Module for 2-to 4-Year-Olds in Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) Neuromuscular Module (PedsQL™ 3.0 NM) evaluates the health-related quality of life in children who are affected by neuromuscular diseases. This study's aim is to assess the adaptation of the PedsQL™ 3.0 NM Turkish version (PedsQL™ 3.0 NM-TR) for 2- to 4-year-olds in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The procedure of translating the PedsQL™ 3.0 NM into Turkish was conducted in accordance with the translation methodology outlined by the PedsQL™ measurement model. The PedsQL™ 3.0 NM-TR was administered to 54 parents of children with SMA aged 2 to 4 years. The test-retest reliability and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were measured for reliability analysis. Cronbach's α coefficient and item score correlations were calculated for internal consistency. Concurrent construct validity was evaluated by Pearson correlations between the outcomes of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scale (PedsQL™ 4.0 GCS) and the PedsQL™ 3.0 NM. The PedsQL™ 3.0 NM-TR total score shows excellent reliability. The Cronbach's α values for the PedsQL™ 3.0 NM ranged between 0.871 and 0.906, while those for the PedsQL™ 4.0 GCS ranged between 0.843 and 0.897. Test-retest ICC values for the PedsQL™ 3.0 NM-TR ranged between 0.812 and 0.917, and for the PedsQL™ 4.0 GCS ranged between 0.773 and 0.899. The relationship between the PedsQL™ 3.0 NM-TR and the subscores of the PedsQL™ 4.0 GCS demonstrated a range of correlations from excellent to fair, indicating the interplay between two scales. This study established the PedsQL™ 3.0 NM-TR as reliable, valid, and feasible for use in children aged 2 to 4 years with SMA.

Out-of-pocket expenses and parent reported quality of life in children with cow's milk protein allergyin Bogotá, Colombia.

To identify the out-of-pocket expenses and parent-reported quality of life (QoL) of children with a diagnosis of cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA)between the ages of 0 and 5 using the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire - Parent Form. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary care centers in Bogotá. Demographic, medical information, and QoL scores were collected by parental interview. We carried out a cost-of-illness analysis based on self-reported out-of-pocket expenses attributed to the treatment as a whole and the family's monthly income. Exploratory analyses used the QoL scores and the percentage of out-of-pocket expenses attributable to treatment as outcomes. 122 families were analyzed. Median subject age was 17 months (Q1-Q3: 11-26.75 months) and female subjects made up 71% of the sample. The median QoL score was 3.21 points (Q1-Q3: 2.43-4.34) and only differed by age groups and personal history of other food allergies. The median out-of-pocket treatment related costs was 300,000 Colombian pesos (COP) (Q1-Q3: 280,000-340,000 COP). About 17% of the families had to pay over 15% of their monthly income to purchase food and dietary products. Out-of-pocket treatment related costs differed depending on whether the treatment included formulas (Mann-Whitney test p < 0.001). Out-of-pocket treatment expenses were uncorrelated with the QoL scores. Food allergy related QoL scores were not associated with out-of-pocket expenses as a whole or as a fraction of monthly income but were higher in children with additional food allergies and in older age groups, suggesting a lower QoL.

Digital technologies in children’s everyday lives and in ‘doing family’

This article contributes to the sociological debate on how digital technologies (DT) have penetrated the lives of families and children, and examines the relevance of digital technologies for children and for practices of ‘doing family’. We analysed qualitative data from focus groups and interviews with children between 5 and 10 years old (n=231) and interviews with further members of children’s families from four different European countries (Austria, Estonia, Norway and Romania). Results reveal that DT contributed to doing family when families created and maintained a feeling of ‘we-ness’ through digital activities; when DT required families to balance different needs, rights, or emotions; and when caring practices were supported through DT. Children appeared as significant actors in practices of doing family. As DT helped to decouple practices of doing family from physical co-presence, doing family was expanded. When children’s needs were fulfilled and their digital competences were enhanced, their resilience increased.

Estimating the prevalence of Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) from the ABCD sample.

Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in processing visuospatial information but with age-appropriate verbal skills. This cognitive profile has been hypothesized to be associated with atypical white matter, but at the present there is a lack of evidence for this hypothesis. Currently, the condition is not characterized within the main diagnostic systems, in part because no clear set of criteria for characterizing the disorder exists. This report is the first attempt to estimate NVLD prevalence, using two sets of diagnostic criteria, in a large sample of over 11,000 children who were selected without regards to problems of specific nature, either psychological, neurological, physical and/or social. Furthermore, it examined the association between the profile of cognitive abilities and aspects of whole-brain white matter measures in children with and without symptoms associated with NVLD. Participants were drawn from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, a 10-year longitudinal study of 11,876 children in the U.S. The data used in the present study were drawn from the initial testing point at which the children were 9-10years old. Prevalence of NVLD based on two distinct sets of criteria, correlations between the measures used to create the criteria, correlations between criteria measures and measures of white matter integrity. The cognitive criteria included measures of visuospatial processing, reading, intelligence and social skills. By varying the cut-offs applied to social skills in conjunction with visuo-spatial difficulties, spared reading skills and intelligence scores, we calculated prevalence for two NVLD groups. White matter characteristics were measures of volume, fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity. Based on the criteria used, the estimated prevalence of NVLD varied from 1 to 8%. Furthermore, children with NVLD showed a dissociation between measures of visuo-spatial processing not observed in non-NVLD children. At the neurological level, findings provide preliminary evidenceof associations between the cognitive profile of NVLD and abnormalities in white matters tracts. The present study documents that exists, within this large non-selected sample, a proportion of youth who show evidence of NVLD. Given those results, it appears essential to establish the best diagnostic criteria, to improve the treatment options and quality of life for children with this disorder.

Family Resilience and Children's Subjective Well-Being: A Two-Wave Study.

According to the Theory of Change, the resilience of the family unit plays a crucial role in shaping the developmental trajectory of children. Families exhibiting higher levels of family resilience are typically characterized by transparent and effective communication, optimistic outlooks on adversity, adept problem-solving skills, strong spiritual beliefs, and effective management of social and financial resources. While existing research has indicated that parental and familial characteristics can predict diverse outcomes for children, investigations concerning the association between family resilience and children's subjective well-being remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to examine whether different dimensions of family resilience can predict changes in children's subjective well-being, tested one year later. The sample includes 762 child-mother-father triads (intact families). Children aged 9-13 years (48% boys, age = 11.04, SD = 1.16) assessed their life satisfaction, positive and negative affect in two study waves, while mothers and fathers assessed family resilience in the first wave. A dyadic data common fate model was employed to create latent variables representing family resilience. Three latent variables were: family problem-solving, family spirituality, and utilization of social and economic resources. Findings from the structural equation model indicated a positive association between higher levels of family problem-solving and increased children's life satisfaction, alongside a negative relationship between higher family spirituality and negative affect. Parental assessments of social and economic resources utilization were not uniquely related to children's life satisfaction, positive, or negative affect.

Pola pengasuhan yang relevan untuk pengembangan karakter anak pada era teknologi digital dan globalisasi

Children's lives today are marked by the sophistication of digital technology which has culminated in globalization. On the one hand, digital technology helps us in many ways, but on the other hand, it also poses problems for the development of children's character because they may not be able to use it properly as well as their parents hope. Therefore, without denying the positive benefits of digital technology for the dissemination of information and communication, it can also cause problems for the development of children's character, in particular, related to parenting patterns in the family and the internalization of values to strengthen their positive character. This article aims to describe parenting patterns in families in the era of digital technology which the author views as relevant for developing children's character. The writing method used in this research is qualitative. The results of this research show that the relevant parenting patterns in the era of digital technology are those based on the example of parents. Therefore, the main problem raised in this article is what are the threats and challenges of digital technology for children's character development? What parenting patterns in the era of digital technology are considered relevant for children's character development?

Intrinsic Mechanisms of Facial Expression Recognition Defects in Children with Autism

The difficulty of facial expression recognition in autistic children mainly includes the inability to accurately understand the emotions and intentions of others, and shows the lack of facial expression response in social interaction. This defect has caused problems with their adaptation and understanding of others in social communication. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed about the intrinsic mechanism of facial expression recognition defects in children with autism. Children with autism may lack the development of psychological theory, causing them to correctly interpret and understand facial expressions with emotional[1]. Neurobiological factors may influence the areas of facial expression processing in the brain of autistic children, leading to their abnormalities in the transmission of neural circuits. In addition, children with autism may have abnormalities in brain function, making it difficult for them to effectively process and interpret information about facial expressions. Therefore, it is very important to further investigate the intrinsic mechanism of facial expression recognition defects in autistic children and the development of related treatments, which can help to improve the social communication ability and improve their quality of life of autistic children.

Pemanfaatan Alat Permainan Edukatif Botol Angka Dalam Menstimulasi Perkembangan Anak Usia Dini

Early childhood development is crucial in a child's life. One of them is by stimulating children through the number bottle educational game tool. These educational game tools can develop fine motor and cognitive development in early childhood. The purpose of this community service activity is to assist in utilizing the number bottle educational game tool in stimulating early childhood development in Yasalmuna Palangka Raya Islamic Kindergarten. The method used is the service learning method through lectures and demonstrations. The subjects in the activity were 17 students at Yasalmuna Palangka Raya Islamic Kindergarten. The result of this activity is that children can demonstrate the number bottle educational game tool well. In addition, children's abilities in fine motor and cognitive development can also be seen.

Parental Involvement and Stress in Children's Quality of Life: A Longitudinal Study with Portuguese Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period.

Parental involvement (PI) has particular relevance on children's academic adjustment and on children's general quality of life (QoL). QoL can be influenced by parental stress, specifically the stress suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the differences during the pandemic period (before, after and with no lockdown), comparing these constructs with parental educational level to provide predictors of their children's quality of life. Data collection was performed with a non-probability convenience sampling procedure. It was composed of 129 parents, mainly women (71.8%), with children aged between 6 and 12 years. The family's sociodemographic characteristics were assessed, as well as the PI, parental stress, and children's QoL. The comparison between the three times revealed an increase in the children's QoL, but no differences were found in PI. Based on the parental educational level, as defined by academic qualifications and split into superior and non-superior levels, it is possible conclude that engagement in school activities and parents' meetings increased in the parents with superior education levels and decreased in the parents with lower education levels. This study concluded that despite this difficult and uncertain pandemic period, these parents were able to maintain important aspects of their children's lives.

Childcare centre soil microbiomes are influenced by substrate type and surrounding vegetation condition

Urban development has profoundly reduced human exposure to biodiverse environments, which is linked to a rise in human disease. The ‘biodiversity hypothesis’ proposes that contact with diverse microbial communities (microbiota) benefits human health, as exposure to microbial diversity promotes immune training and regulates immune function. Soils and sandpits in urban childcare centres may provide exposure to diverse microbiota that support immunoregulation at a critical developmental stage in a child's life. However, the influence of outdoor substrate (i.e., sand vs. soil) and surrounding vegetation on these environmental microbiota in urban childcare centres remains poorly understood. Here, we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to examine the variation in bacterial communities in sandpits and soils across 22 childcare centres in Adelaide, Australia, plus the impact of plant species richness and habitat condition on these bacterial communities. We show that sandpits had distinct bacterial communities and lower alpha diversity than soils. In addition, we found that plant species richness in the centres' yards and habitat condition surrounding the centres influenced the bacterial communities in soils but not sandpits. These results demonstrate that the diversity and composition of childcare centre sandpit and soil bacterial communities are shaped by substrate type, and that the soils are also shaped by the vegetation within and surrounding the centres. Accordingly, there is potential to modulate the exposure of children to health-associated bacterial communities by managing substrates and vegetation in and around childcare centres.

Indigenous Pedagogy for Developing Essential Life-Skills of Children in Masaka District, Uganda

Contemporary education practice is widely seen as practices that blend conventional approaches with either new innovations or culturally tested practices. In a situation where being cultural or modern has its own drawbacks, towing the middle position becomes an inevitable choice. The paper presents findings from an exploratory sequential study that examined the influence of Indigenous Pedagogy (IP) on developing children's life skills in Masaka District, Uganda. It was anchored on Lewin's (1922) change theory; likened to Manion and Cohen's (1975) reinvention theory and adopted as a restoration theory. Snow bowling, purposive and stratified random sampling were used to select 44 participants. Twenty (20) key informants including 6 parents, 2 elders, 6 religious, 2 District Education Officers; 2 Ministry officials and 2 local council leaders were interviewed. Twenty-four (24) other respondents participated in three-eight-member Focus Group Discussions (FDGs). The findings portray replicable practices of skilling based on deep-rooted beliefs set on standards that are supported by aspirations in harmony with nature. The study found that methods used by Masaka parents combined theory and practice daily; in lessons that happen where knowledge was situated, mainly through apprenticeship, attachment, heart-to-heart and one-to-one encounters. They also embraced global citizenry based on firm principles of what Africans value. The study concluded that indigenous methods were still useful in grooming children with life skills of productive work, character, positive attitudes, mental acuity and social orientation. It recommends that teacher education institutions require academic programmes blending contemporary with indigenous methods anchored on core African values to prepare pro-cultural-modern teachers. To link the valuable past to the inevitable contemporary ways of knowing, the application of hybrid pedagogy becomes imperative

Evaluation of Pediatric Oral Health-Related Quality of Life score in children with traumatic dental avulsion injury: A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional survey.

Dental avulsion injury, being one of the traumatic dental injuries, has negative impacts on children's life quality. This study aims to evaluate the Pediatric Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (POQL) scores of children with dental avulsion history from their perspective. The population of this cross-sectional study comprises 40 patients, aged between 8 and 14, who have a history of dental avulsion, in comparison to 40 other healthy peers. A questionnaire including general questions (such as age, gender, loss of tooth due to dental avulsion, malocclusion) and POQL instrument, with subscales including physical function, social function, emotional function, and role function, were completed by these children. Mann-Whitney U-test is used when comparing the POQL scores. The social scores (median: 47, interquartile range [IQR]: 17-95) and total score percentages (median: 30, IQR: 14-40) of children with a history of avulsion were higher than those of their healthy peers (p < 0.05). The higher total POQL scores among girls (median: 37, IQR: 31-47) with a history of dental avulsion compared to boys (median: 19, IQR: 8-34) (p = .002) can be attributed to girls achieving higher scores in both social (median: 81, IQR: 39-100) and emotional (median: 35, IQR: 17-47) scores following dental avulsion (psocial = .02, pemotional = .006). Whether the avulsed tooth is replanted or not, it has not made any visible impact on the POQL scores. However, the loss of replanted teeth over time has created a borderline significant difference in emotional scores (median: 21, IQR: 11-35, p = .055). Within the limits of our study, avulsion injuries have negative effects on children's emotional, social, and total quality of life. Even though avulsion injuries may be inevitable, to prevent these negative effects, it is vital to provide appropriate psychological support in the treatment of these children.

Effect of diabetes self-management education on health-related quality of life of Tunisian children with type1 diabetes mellitus and their parents: A randomized controlled trial.

To assess the effect of diabetes self-management education (DSME) on health related quality of life (HRQoL) of Tunisian children/adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their parents. This monocentral study used a randomized controlled trial design, during five-month intervention and five-month follow-up and including 110 patients (54 in the DSME intervention group and 56 in the Individual Education by Pediatrician (IEP) control group) and their parents. Pediatric Generic Core Quality-of-Life Inventory 4.0-Scale (PedsQL4.0) evaluated HRQoL. At baseline, both groups had similar clinical features and PedsQL4.0 scores (p>0.05). In DSME, clinical outcomes were significantly improved from baseline to follow-up (p<0.001), while in the IEP group, which received no intervention, these outcomes remained unchanged. During follow-up, DSME showed higher PedsQL4.0 scores in parents' proxy-report and children/adolescents self-report (p<0.001). According to parents' proxy-report, PedsQL4.0 scores were significantly higher during follow-up compared to baseline in DSME (p<0.001) while they remained the same in IEP (p>0.05). DSME had higher percentage of change in the PedsQL4.0 scores than IEP (p<0.01). The median change varied from -5.01% to 0% vs 5.41% to 36.36% in IEP and DSME, respectively. Encouraging healthcare professionals to incorporate these interventions could enhance the HRQoL of diabetic children and bolster their self-esteem.

Validity and reliability test of the Indonesian version of the PedHALshort questionnaire.

The PedHAL questionnaire is employed in measuring the activities of haemophilia children. The PedHALshort was developed in 2022 to determine the most relevant item for the assessment. Haemo-QoL questionnaire assesses the quality of life of haemophilia children. Determine the validity and reliability of the PedHALshort Indonesia language version compared to the Haemo-QoL in the Indonesian population. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jakarta, Indonesia. The subjects were children (4-16 years old) with moderate or severe haemophilia A or B with repeated joint bleeding. The daily activity was assessed using the PedHALshorts and Haemo-QoL. The validity and reliability were tested. The validity was determined with Pearson correlation test, construct validity was assessed using convergent and discriminant validity. The Spearman correlation was used to determine which domains of Haemo-QoL correlated with PedHALshort. The reliability was analyzed using test-retest reliability. Cronbach's α was used to determined internal consistency. Fifty children were included in the study (78% haemophilia A, 70% severe group). All domains were valid (r>.284). The convergent validity test showed PedHALshort had a moderate negative correlation with physical health and sports school domain of Haemo-QoL (r=-.479, p<.001). The discriminant validity test showed the PedHALshort demonstrated a moderate negative correlation with physical health (r=-.585), view (r=-.590), sport school domain (r=-.430) in severe haemophilia subjects. The internal consistency of the PedHALshort questionnaire was high (Cronbach's α of.85 (.74-.92)). The PedHALshort is valid and reliable, hence, it can be used to measure the functional physical activity of children with haemophilia.

The impact of living with assistance dog placements on quality of life in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder or a physical disability: A longitudinal service evaluation

Abstract Assistance dogs are highly trained animals to support individuals with disabilities and medical conditions. Evidence suggests the support provided by an assistance dog can extend beyond physical assistance to therapeutic and communicative domains. However, there is limited research exploring the lived experience of assistance dog placements in the United Kingdom (UK) over an extended period of time. This longitudinal service evaluation was designed to evaluate the placement of assistance dogs, trained by the charity Dogs for Good, with adults and children with autism or a physical disability in the UK. Goals and expectations of being matched with an assistance dog prior to placement, and perceptions of how these dogs have impacted the quality of life of adults and children with autism and/or a physical disability and their families were assessed. Service users who had applied for an assistance dog via the Dogs for Good charity (n = 307) were contacted and invited to complete questionnaires at five different time points (pre-dog placement, and 6-, 12-, 24-, and 36-months post dog-placement). Repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to determine if there were significant changes to quality of life over time. Mean quality of life scores improved significantly for all service users. Responses to free-text questions were thematically analysed, and three main themes were identified from the free-text responses: goals and expectations for assistance dog pre-placement (e.g., enhancing independence, physical functioning and wellbeing), the positive impact of the assistance dog post-placement (e.g., promoting independence, development of the human-animal bond, improving wider family dynamics, and reducing stigma), and satisfaction with the service. The findings complement and extend previous insights into the impact of assistance dogs on people with autism or a physical disability. They also highlight some challenges associated with the placement of assistance dogs and indicate the need to consider the development of further targeted support strategies.

Speech Task Force and Quality of Life after Surgery in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate: Limitation of Professionals.

Background Shortage of speech and language therapists results in lack of speech services. The aims of this study were to find the effectiveness of a combination speech therapy model at Level IV: General speech and language pathologist (GSLP) and Level V: Specific speech and language pathologist (SSLP) in reduction of the number of articulation errors and promotion the quality of life (QoL) for children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP ± L). Methods Fifteen children with CP ± L, aged 4 years 1 month to 10 years 9 months (median = 76 months; minimum:maximum = 49:129 months) were enrolled in this study. Pre- and post-assessment included oral peripheral examination; articulation tests via Articulation Screening Test, Thai Universal Parameters of Speech Outcomes for People with Cleft Palate, Hearing Evaluation, The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief_Thai (WHOQOL-BRIEF-THAI) version questionnaire for QoL were performed. Speech therapy included a 3-day intensive speech camp by SSLP, five 30-minute speech therapy sessions by a GSLP, and five 1-day follow-up speech camps by SSLP that provided four 45-minute speech therapy sessions for each child. Results Post-articulation revealed statistically significant reduction of the numbers of articulation errors at word, sentence, and screening levels (median difference [MD] = 3, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2-5; MD = 6, 95% CI = 4.5-8; MD = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.5-3, respectively) and improvement of QoL. Conclusion A speech task force consisting of a combination of Level IV: GSLP and Level V: SSLP could significantly reduce the number of articulation errors and promote QoL.

Tackle your Tics, a brief intensive group-based exposure treatment for young people with tics: results of a randomised controlled trial.

Tics can have a serious impact on the quality of life of children and their families. Behavioural therapy is an evidence-based first line treatment for tic disorders. This randomised controlled trial studied the efficacy of a brief, condensed group-based programme for children with tics (Dutch Trial Registry NL8052, 27 September 2019). Tackle your Tics is a four-day group treatment, including exposure and response prevention and supporting components, delivered by therapists and 'experts by experience'. We collected outcome measures at baseline (T1), directly post-treatment (T2), and at three- and 6-months follow-up (T3, T4) including tic severity (primary outcome measure), tic-related impairment, quality of life, tic-related cognitions, emotional/behavioural functioning, family functioning, treatment satisfaction and adherence. Outcomes directly post-treatment improved in both the treatment group (n = 52) and waiting list (n = 54), but showed no statistically significant differences between the conditions (differential change over time T1-T2) on tic severity (Yale Global Tic Severity Scale), quality of life (Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality of Life Scale), tic-related cognitions and family functioning. At longer term (T3), again no between-group difference was found on tic severity, but tic-related impairment, quality of life and emotional/behavioural functioning significantly improved in the treatment group compared to the waiting list. Mean treatment satisfaction scores were favourable for both children and parents. Directly posttreatment, Tackle your Tics showed no superior effect compared to waiting list. However, on longer term this brief four-day group treatment was effective in improving tic-related impairment, quality of life and emotional/behavioural functioning.

A rat model of adenoid hypertrophy constructed by using ovalbumin and lipopolysaccharides to induce allergy, chronic inflammation, and chronic intermittent hypoxia.

Adenoid hypertrophy (AH) is a common pediatric disease that significantly impacts the growth and quality of life of children. However, there is no replicable and valid model for AH. An AH rat model was developed via comprehensive allergic sensitization, chronic inflammation induction, and chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). The modeling process involved three steps: female Sprague-Dawley rats (aged 4-5 weeks) were used for modeling. Allergen sensitization was induced via intraperitoneal administration and intranasal provocation using ovalbumin (OVA); chronic nasal inflammation was induced through intranasal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration for sustained nasal irritation; CIH akin to obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome was induced using an animal hypoxia chamber. Postmodel establishment, behaviors, and histological changes in nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) and nasal mucosa were assessed. Arterial blood gas analysis and quantification of serum and tissue levels of (interleukin) IL-4 and IL-13, OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), IL-17, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were conducted for assessment. The treatment group received a combination of mometasone furoate and montelukast sodium for a week and then was evaluated. Rats exhibited notable nasal symptoms and hypoxia after modeling. Histopathological analysis revealed NALT follicle hypertrophy and nasal mucosa inflammatory cell infiltration. Elevated IL-4, IL-13, IL-17, OVA-sIgE, ECP, and TNF-α levels and reduced TGF-β levels were observed in the serum and tissue of model-group rats. After a week of treatment, the treatment group exhibited symptom and inflammatory factor improvement. The model effectively simulates AH symptoms and pathological changes. But it should be further validated for genetic, immunological, and hormonal backgrounds in the currently used and other strains and species.