Measures Of Cognitive Development Research Articles

A behavioral intervention to increase preschool attendance in Uruguay

This paper presents the results of a nationwide, low-cost intervention that used messages informed by behavioral economics and delivered through the government’s official mobile app to increase preschool attendance in Uruguay. We document null results for attendance and child development outcomes. We also estimate conditional average treatment effects (CATE) across individuals using causal forest algorithms. We present exploratory evidence that absenteeism and some measures of cognitive development might have improved for children around the median of the baseline distribution of attendance rate.

Seafood Intake During Pregnancy and Lactation and Child Neurocognitive Development: A NESR Systematic Review

ObjectivesTo inform the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, the USDA and HHS identified important public health questions to be examined by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The Committee conducted a systematic review with support from USDA’s Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR) team to answer the question: What is the relationship between seafood consumption during pregnancy and lactation and neurocognitive development in the child? MethodsThe Committee developed a protocol that described how they would use NESR’s systematic review methodology to examine evidence related to seafood intake during pregnancy and lactation and child neurocognitive development. NESR librarians conducted a literature search (2000–2019) and NESR analysts dual-screened the results using pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. NESR analysts extracted data and assessed risk of bias of included studies. The Committee synthesized the evidence, developed conclusion statements, and graded the strength of evidence underlying the conclusion statements. ResultsTwenty-six articles (from 18 prospective cohort studies [PCS]) met inclusion criteria; all assessed prenatal seafood intake and none assessed seafood intake during lactation. Evidence from 15 PCS suggests that prenatal seafood intake has beneficial associations with cognitive development, particularly in young children. Evidence from 12 PCS suggests that there may be a beneficial association between prenatal seafood intake and language/communication development. Less consistent evidence and/or scant to no evidence was available for movement/physical or social-emotional/behavioral development, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, academic performance, anxiety, and depression. ConclusionsModerate evidence indicates that seafood intake during pregnancy is associated favorably with measures of cognitive development in young children. Limited evidence suggests that seafood intake during pregnancy may be associated favorably with measures of language and communication development in the child. Insufficient or no evidence was available for all other relationships assessed. Funding SourcesUSDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Alexandria, VA.

Trajectories of child cognitive development during ages 0\u20133 in rural Western China: prevalence, risk factors and links to preschool-age cognition

BackgroundCognitive development after age three tends to be stable and can therefore predict cognitive skills in later childhood. However, there is evidence that cognitive development is less stable before age three. In rural China, research has found large shares of children under age three are developmentally delayed, yet little is known about the trajectories of cognitive development between 0 and 3 years of age or how developmental trajectories predict later cognitive skills. This study seeks to describe the trajectories of child cognitive development between the ages of 0–3 years and examine how different trajectories predict cognitive development at preschool age.MethodsWe collected three waves of longitudinal panel data from 1245 children in rural Western China. Child cognitive development was measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development when the child was 6–12 months and 22–30 months, and by the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition when the child was 49–65 months. We used the two measures of cognitive development before age three to determine the trajectories of child cognitive development.ResultsOf the children, 39% were never cognitively delayed; 13% were persistently delayed; 7% experienced improving cognitive development; and 41% experienced deteriorating development before age 3. Compared to children who had never experienced cognitive delay, children with persistent cognitive delay and those with deteriorating development before age 3 had significantly lower cognitive scores at preschool age. Children with improving development before age 3 showed similar levels of cognition at preschool age as children who had never experienced cognitive delay.ConclusionsLarge shares of children under age 3 in rural Western China show deteriorating cognitive development from infancy to toddlerhood, which predict lower levels of cognition at preschool age. Policymakers should invest in improving cognitive development before age 3 to prevent long-term poor cognition among China’s rural children.

Maternal Immune Activation During the Third Trimester Is Associated with Neonatal Functional Connectivity of the Salience Network and Fetal to Toddler Behavior.

Prenatal maternal immune activation (MIA) is associated with altered brain development and risk of psychiatric disorders in offspring. Translational human studies of MIA are few in number. Alterations of the salience network have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the same psychiatric disorders associated with MIA. If MIA is pathogenic, then associated abnormalities in the salience network should be detectable in neonates immediately after birth. We tested the hypothesis that third trimester MIA of adolescent women who are at risk for high stress and inflammation is associated with the strength of functional connectivity in the salience network of their neonate. Thirty-six women underwent blood draws to measure interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) and electrocardiograms to measure fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) at 34-37 weeks gestation. Resting-state imaging data were acquired in the infants at 40-44 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Functional connectivity was measured from seeds placed in the anterior cingulate cortex and insula. Measures of cognitive development were obtained at 14 months PMA using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (BSID-III). Both sexes were studied. Regions in which the strength of the salience network correlated with maternal IL-6 or CRP levels included the medial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, and basal ganglia. Maternal CRP level correlated inversely with FHRV acquired at the same gestational age. Maternal CRP and IL-6 levels correlated positively with measures of cognitive development on the BSID-III. These results suggest that MIA is associated with short- and long-term influences on offspring brain and behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Preclinical studies in rodents and nonhuman primates and epidemiological studies in humans suggest that maternal immune activation (MIA) alters the development of brain circuitry and associated behaviors, placing offspring at risk for psychiatric illness. Consistent with preclinical findings, we show that maternal third trimester interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels are associated with neonatal functional connectivity and with both fetal and toddler behavior. MIA-related functional connectivity was localized to the salience, default mode, and frontoparietal networks, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. Our results suggest that MIA alters functional connectivity in the neonatal brain, that those alterations have consequences for cognition, and that these findings may provide pathogenetic links between preclinical and epidemiological studies associating MIA with psychiatric risk in offspring.

Evaluation of an Intervention Program for Families with Children at Risk for Maltreatment and Developmental Impairment: A Preliminary Study

This study evaluated the preliminary effects of an early intervention program for parents and children at-risk. In this study, a sample of 40 children were randomly assigned to a 9-months intervention program (intervention group, n = 20) or remained in usual practice conditions (control group, n = 20). The intervention involved group dynamics with children in pre-school and individual work sessions with the parents and the children at home. A repeated measures design 2 × 2 was used to test the program effects on parenting practices (Maltreatment Questionnaire) and on children’s mental and social development (Griffiths Mental Development Scales). Results revealed that the program had a positive impact mostly on parenting practices, decreasing physical and psychological abuse (d = −1.01), physical neglect (d = −0.71) and lack of supervision (d = −0.48), and also on measures of cognitive development (i.e., hearing and language; d = 0.31). The program reinforces the importance and effectiveness of attunement intervention programs for parents and for children.

Longitudinal association between air pollution exposure at school and cognitive development in school children over a period of 3.5 years

IntroductionRecently, we showed that exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (TRAPs) at school was negatively associated with cognitive development, specifically working memory and inattentiveness, in primary schoolchildren during a course of 12 months. The persistence of such associations over longer periods remains as an open question. ObjectiveTo study the longitudinal association between TRAPs at school and cognitive development over a period of 3.5 years. MethodsIndoor and outdoor levels of TRAPs (elemental carbon (EC), dioxide nitrogen (NO2), particulate matter (PM2.5) from traffic sources and ultrafine particles (UFP)) were measured at 39 schools across Barcelona during 2012/2013. Working memory, as a measure of cognitive development, was evaluated 4 times in 2012/2013 assessment and was re-evaluated one more time in 2015 using computerized n-back test (3-back d′ as main outcome). Linear mixed effects models were used to test the association between TRAPs and 3-back d′, adding child and school as random effects to account for the multilevel nature of the data, and school air pollutants levels (one at a time) as predictor. ResultsWe found detrimental associations between all TRAPs and annual change in 3-back d′ (working memory) (i.e. slower development of working memory in children attending schools with higher levels of air pollution). The associations (per one interquartile range increase in exposure) were strongest for outdoor NO2 (Coefficient (Coef) = − 4.22, 95% confidence interval (CI), − 6.22, − 2.22) and indoor UFP (Coef = − 4.12, 95%CI, − 5.68, − 1.83). These reductions were equivalent to − 20% (95%CI, − 30.1, − 10.7) and − 19.9% (95%CI, − 31.5, − 8.4) change in annual working memory development associated with one interquartile range increase in outdoor NO2 and indoor UFP, respectively. ConclusionOur findings suggest the persistence of the negative association between TRAPs exposure at school and cognitive trajectory measured by n-back test over a period of 3.5 years.

The quality-quantity trade-off among Australian children

There is a lack of consistent empirical evidence to support an adverse effect on child outcomes with increasing family size, popularly known as the quality-quantity trade-off. The finding of a negative ‘average’ effect of family size indicates that the dilution of parental inputs and resources leads to worsening child quality. We investigate the effect of additional children across the distribution of child outcomes using quantile treatment effects, as parental investment could arguably be heterogeneous. Identification is achieved through two well-known instruments; we obtain upper bounds using multiple birth status of the child, as well as more conservative estimates using a sex composition instrument. We find that the trade-off exists for four different measures of cognitive development and health among Australian children, and affects all children irrespective of their position in the outcome distribution. Our findings are of particular relevance in light of the Australian government’s policy focus on boosting fertility.

Effects of sanitation on cognitive development and school absence: A systematic review.

We undertook this systematic review to explore the relationship between sanitation and learning outcomes, specifically cognitive development and absence. We searched leading databases to identify experimental and observational studies that address the effect of sanitation on our outcomes of interest. We identified 17 studies that met the review's eligibility criteria, four reporting on measures of cognitive development, 12 on school absence (with two studies reporting on school and work absence), and one study that reported on both outcomes. We assessed the risk of bias of individual studies as well as the overall strength of evidence for each outcome. Because of fundamental differences among the studies in terms of sanitation exposure and outcome measurement, pooling results via meta-analysis was deemed inappropriate so a descriptive review is presented. Studies reported that access to household sanitation was associated with measures of improved cognitive ability in children. However, collectively these studies were rated by GRADE as poor methodological quality with significant potential for confounding and bias, including publication bias. Studies on the association between household, community or school sanitation and school absence yielded mixed results. Some sanitation studies reported lower absence while others reported higher absence. Only the two randomized controlled trials reported no overall effects on absence even when combining sanitation with water supply improvements and hygiene promotion. Study quality as assessed by GRADE was again generally poor. While studies to date provide some support for positive effects from sanitation on cognitive development, the effects on school absence are uncertain. Differences in effects may be due to differences in study settings, type of sanitation exposure and most notably in outcome definitions. Further research in multiple settings using rigorous study designs and measuring intermediate outcomes such as exposure can help determine the effects of sanitation on these important learning outcomes.

Developmental profiles of infants with an FMR1 premutation.

BackgroundEmerging evidence suggests that a subset of FMR1 premutation carriers is at an increased risk for cognitive, emotional, and medical conditions. However, because the premutation is rarely diagnosed at birth, the early developmental trajectories of children with a premutation are not known.MethodsThis exploratory study examined the cognitive, communication, and social-behavioral profiles of 26 infants with a premutation who were identified through participation in a newborn screening for fragile X syndrome pilot study. In this study, families whose newborn screened positive for an FMR1 premutation were invited to participate in a longitudinal study of early development. Twenty-six infants with the premutation and 21 matched, screen-negative comparison babies were assessed using validated standardized measures at 6-month intervals starting as young as 3 months of age. The babies were assessed up to seven times over a 4-year period.ResultsThe premutation group was not statistically different from the comparison group on measures of cognitive development, adaptive behavior, temperament, or overall communication. However, the babies with the premutation had a significantly different developmental trajectory on measures of nonverbal communication and hyperresponsivity to sensory experiences. They also were significantly more hyporesponsive at all ages than the comparison group. Cytosine-guanine-guanine repeat length was linearly associated with overall cognitive development.ConclusionsThese results suggest that infants with a premutation may present with subtle developmental differences as young as 12 months of age that may be early markers of later anxiety, social deficits, or other challenges thought to be experienced by a subset of carriers.

Mother-child interaction and cognitive development in children prenatally exposed to methadone or buprenorphine

ObjectiveTo assess the influence of mother-child interaction on children's cognitive development in a group of children prenatally exposed to methadone or buprenorphine. Study designThe study is part of a prospective longitudinal project investigating the development of children born to women in opioid maintenance therapy (OMT). The sample includes 67 children born between 2005 and 2007, 35 of which prenatally exposed to either methadone or buprenorphine and 32 non-exposed comparison children. ResultsBoth groups scored within the normal range of development. However, the OMT group scored significantly lower on measures of cognitive development and mother-child interaction compared to the comparison group. Cognitive development was found to be affected by both group status, F(1,54)=5.65, p=0.02, η2=0.10 and mother-child interaction F(1,54)=5.26, p=0.03, η2=0.09. Behavioral inhibition (statue), sensorimotor function (imitating hand positions), and short-term memory (sentences) was influenced by group status while narrative memory and vocabulary were found to be more influenced by mother-child interaction. ConclusionsDifferent risk factors may influence different cognitive functions in children of women in OMT. Specifically, language-related cognitive skills may be more related to mother-child interaction while performance in higher cognitive functions requiring precise control over sensorimotor responses may be more sensitive to other factors such as prenatal OMT exposure, genetics, and/or prenatal exposure to other substances.

Wealth gradients in early childhood cognitive development in five Latin American countries.

Research from the United States shows that gaps in early cognitive and non-cognitive ability appear early in the life cycle. Little is known about this important question for developing countries. This paper provides new evidence of sharp differences in cognitive development by socioeconomic status in early childhood for five Latin American countries. To help with comparability, we use the same measure of receptive language ability for all five countries. We find important differences in development in early childhood across countries, and steep socioeconomic gradients within every country. For the three countries where we can follow children over time, there are few substantive changes in scores once children enter school. Our results are robust to different ways of defining socioeconomic status, to different ways of standardizing outcomes, and to selective non-response on our measure of cognitive development.

How clear and organized classroom instruction and deep approaches to learning affect growth in critical thinking and need for cognition

In this study the authors analyze longitudinal student survey data from the 17-institution Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education (WNS) to determine the extent that the influence of overall exposure to clear and organized instruction on four-year growth in two measures of cognitive development is mediated by student use of deep approaches to learning. The findings suggest that for one cognitive outcome, need for cognition, a substantial part of the effect of clear and organized instruction is significantly transmitted by all three dimensions of deep learning: higher-order learning, reflective learning, and integrative learning. This overall trend was not statistically significant for critical thinking, although the impact of clear and organized instruction on growth in critical thinking skills was significantly mediated through one dimension of deep approaches to learning – reflective learning.

Wealth Gradients in Early Childhood Cognitive Development in Five Latin American Countries

Research from the United States shows that gaps in early cognitive and non-cognitive ability appear early in the life cycle. Little is known about this important question for developing countries. This paper provides new evidence of sharp differences in cognitive development by socioeconomic status in early childhood for five Latin American countries. To help with comparability, we use the same measure of receptive language ability for all five countries. We find important differences in development in early childhood across countries, and steep socioeconomic gradients within every country. For the three countries where we can follow children over time, there are few substantive changes in scores once children enter school. Our results are robust to different ways of defining socioeconomic status, to different ways of standardizing outcomes, and to selective non-response on our measure of cognitive development.

Dimensional Characteristics of Children and Adolescents with Mood Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Objective: We sought to identify clinical discriminators between predominantly mood disordered and predominantly autism spectrum disordered research subjects that may reflect phenotypic state and treatment response characteristics. Method: Participants were 26 boys and 4 girls aged 2 to 18 years (Mean Age = 7.70). Subjects with DSM-IV diagnoses of Major depression (N = 2), Bipolar Disorder (N = 4) and Mood Disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) (N = 11) represented the mood disorder group (MD) (N = 17, Mean Age = 8.2) and those with diagnoses of Autistic Disorder (N = 1), Asperger’s Disorder (7) or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (NOS) (N = 3) comprised the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) group (N = 9, Mean Age = 6.8). Primary outcome measurements were continuous actigraphic measurements collected over one to three week periods. Secondary outcomes included personality and observational measurements. Personality characteristics reflected significant cross-group impairments related to self-control and self-discipline and differed relative to intellectual measures. Observational measurements reflected greater general impairments among the ASD group. Results: Predominantly mood disordered children demonstrated greater impairments related to sleep (P = 0.000) and sleep onset latency (P = 0.000) and were more active than ASD children during evening periods (P = 0.000). ASD children had lower verbal functioning and greater deviations from the norm on measures of cognitive development (P = 0.003) and psychosis (P = 0.047). Conclusions: Sleep disturbances, evening activity levels and phase delayed sleep appear to differentiate predominant mood and autism spectrum disordered children suggesting future areas for further exploration of neurological and phenotypic treatment response characteristics.

Supplementing Formula with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Does Not Enhance Infant Cognition

Studies show that breast-fed infants score a few points higher on measures of cognitive development than formula-fed infants. As a result, long-chain

Correlations between early stress experiences and later behavior regulation in premature born toddlers with low and very low birth weight at the age of two years

Introduction: In a period of rapide brain development, preterm born children have to deal with a great amount of stressful and painful experiences after birth. Studies using animal models have demonstrated the association between adverse experiences and later behavioral problems. By now there is only few evidence showing a direct link between early stressful experiences of the premature baby and the well known developmental and behavioral problems in childhood. The present study examines the correlation between early stress experiences and later behavioral regulation in preterm born children at the age of two, controlling for medical risk and cognitive development. Methods: Data of N=80 preterm born children at the age of two years (birth weight >1500g: N=50; birth weight <1500g: N=30) were collected. The amount of stressful (e.g. stimulation after bradycardia) and painful (e.g. veine puncture) procedures and medical risk were assessed by analyzing charts of the hospital stay following birth. In a laboratory session of 90 minutes, four tasks of inhibitory control (adapted by Kochanska et al., 2000) and the Bayley II (mental scale, MDI), as a measure of cognitive development, were administered. Results and conclusion: Data collection is already finished; data analysis is in progress. It is hypothesized that a greater amount of early stress experiences is linked with lower abilities in behavioral regulation at the age of two years, even when controlling for medical risk and cognitive development. Concerning early stress experiences (qualified for duration of hospital stay), preliminary analysis (N=25) reveals a moderate positive relationship with the two medical risk scores (SNAP II PE: ρ=0.42, p=0.03 and NNBRS: ρ=0.43, p=0.02), as well as a marginally significant negative relationship with the MDI (ρ=–0.37, p=0.07). Results of the whole data set are discussed with regard to the heightened vulnerability of low birth weight preterm born children and the meaning of behavioral control as a basis of successful learning.

First-Year Maternal Employment and Child Development in the First Seven Years.

First-Year Maternal Employment and Child Development in the First Seven Years.

Long-Term Developmental Outcome of Children of Women with Epilepsy, Unexposed or Exposed Prenatally to Antiepileptic Drugs

Results of studies investigating the long-term effects of intra-uterine exposure to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on cognitive functioning are limited and conflicting. To estimate intellectual development of children prenatally exposed or unexposed to AEDs by assessing IQ scores in a systematic review and meta-analysis. A literature search using Pubmed, EMBASE and Google Scholar from inception to 30 April 2009 was performed to identify all original cohort studies that investigated cognitive functioning after in utero exposure to AEDs. Studies had to include at least one group exposed to an AED and one unexposed group. Data from drug exposed and unexposed controls were combined using a random effects model. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Eight studies (three for valproic acid and five for carbamazepine) evaluated IQ as a measure of cognitive development. IQ was assessed by the Wechsler, Bayley or McCarthy intelligence scales, depending on age. One study investigated phenytoin and one study investigated phenobarbital (phenobarbitone). Because one study was reported in two different publications, seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. In total, the seven selected studies included 67 children exposed in utero to valproic acid and 151 exposed to carbamazepine, and 494 unexposed controls born to healthy women or to women with untreated epilepsy. The mean full-scale IQ (FSIQ), verbal IQ (VIQ) and performance IQ (PIQ) scores in children exposed to valproic acid in utero were 83.9 (95% CI 64.2, 103.6), 93.7 (95% CI 72.6, 114.7) and 88.3 (95% CI 69.9, 106.9), respectively. The mean FSIQ, VIQ and PIQ scores in the control group were 102 (95% CI 90, 116), 101 (95% CI 87, 114) and 99 (95% CI 90, 117), respectively. The mean FSIQ, VIQ and PIQ were all significantly lower in the valproic acid group compared with the unexposed group. The FSIQ and VIQ of children exposed to carbamazepine were not statistically different from those of the unexposed control group. In a sub-analysis of carbamazepine exposure in three studies using the Wechsler intelligence scale, PIQ was significantly lower in children exposed to carbamazepine than in unexposed children. Although our analysis revealed no evidence that untreated maternal epilepsy was associated with a lower IQ in the child, there may have been confounding factors, such as milder epilepsy, in this group. Exposure to valproic acid in pregnancy is associated with significantly reduced intelligence in children whose mothers were treated for epilepsy. Exposure to carbamazepine in pregnancy does not appear to be associated with reduced FSIQ and VIQ in children, although PIQ was lower in the sub-analysis. Clinicians should inform families of the potential cognitive adverse effects of valproic acid. More studies are needed to corroborate these findings.

A Time Lag Analysis of Temporal Relations Between Motivation, Academic Achievement, and Two Cognitive Abilities

Research Findings: The present study employed a time lag design to assess temporal relationships between motivation, academic achievement, and cognitive development. Eighty-one children from 2 preschool programs were measured twice, with an 11-week time lag, on 2 measures of motivation (marble drop task, bean bag toss task), 2 measures of cognitive development (seriation task, oddity principle task), and 2 measures of academic achievement from the Woodcock–Johnson III (Letter–Word Identification Scale, Applied Problems Scale). There were significant correlations between all of these variables. One clear-cut temporal relationship was found: Prior motivation predicted later academic achievement, but not vice versa. There was also some evidence of temporal relations between motivation and cognitive development, and between cognitive development and academic achievement, but the evidence for these relations was not as conclusive. Practice or Policy: It appears that at the preschool level, maintaining children's motivation is paramount. Curricula should be shaped with that primary goal as a high priority, as it appears that it will be followed by academic progress.

Cognitive Effects of Greek Affiliation in College: Additional Evidence

Previous research published in this journal found broadbased negative effects of Greek affiliation on standardized measures of cognitive development after 1 year of college. Following the same sample, and employing essentially the same research design and analytic model, the present study found that the negative effects of Greek affiliation were much less pronounced during the second or third years of college.