Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test Research Articles

Study of computerized cognitive training technique for treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A new treatment modality experience

Background Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood that can profoundly affect the academic achievement, well-being, and social interactions of children. Different treatment modalities are used for the management of ADHD.Aim To determine the value of computerized cognitive training (CCT) programs in improving cognitive functions and core symptoms in ADHD childrenPatients and methods In this study, 60 school-aged children with ADHD were included for the purpose of establishing the effect of cognitive training sessions on the core symptoms of ADHD. Patients’ data were collected as follows: the age and sex of the patients, residence, parental consanguinity, family history, prenatal/perinatal history and data of general examination, and psychometric studies: ‘The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder (DSM-V),’ ‘Conner’s Parent Rating Scale CPRS-93’ revised for assessment of the ADHD and associated comorbid disorders, and The Arabic version of ‘Stanford Binet intelligence test – 5th edition’ for assessment of intelligence quotient.Results A total number of 60 cases with ADHD who attended the Outpatient ADHD Clinic at AUCH were enrolled in the study. Among these, 66% were males, and the age variation was between 6 and 12 years among the three studied groups. All the children had an average intelligent quotient (IQ) more than or equal to 80. The mean intelligent quotient for the 60 studied children was 92.85±11.33. Pre-CCT assessment showed that there was no significant difference according to attention, concentration, hyperactivity, impulsivity, memory, and self-confidence between ADHD children of the three studied groups. There was significant improvement in comparison between the pre-CCT and post-CCT assessment among the three studied groups in regard to the core symptoms of ADHD, including attention and concentration (duration of attention and concentration, order of thinking, and learning from mistakes), hyperactivity (movement within chair, talking, and flight of ideas), topological memory (method of memorizing, recall), and reaction behavior (impulsivity and confidence).Conclusion From the present study, it was concluded that CCT training sessions are effective in improvement of ADHD core symptoms, including inattention hyperactivity, impulsivity, and memory deficits either with or without medical therapy. It results in improvement of confidence, duration and order of thinking, learning from mistakes, excessive movement, flight of ideas, and recall.

Prenatal phthalate exposures and executive function in preschool children

BackgroundPrenatal phthalate exposure has been linked with altered neurodevelopment, including externalizing behaviors and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the implicated metabolite, neurobehavioral endpoint, and child sex have not always been consistent across studies, possibly due to heterogeneity in neurodevelopmental instruments. The complex set of findings may be synthesized using executive function (EF), a construct of complex cognitive processes that facilitate ongoing goal-directed behaviors. Impaired EF can be presented with various phenotypes of poor neurodevelopment, differently across structured conditions, home/community, or preschool/school. We evaluated the relationship between prenatal phthalate exposure and comprehensive assessment of preschool EF. MethodsOur study comprised 262 children with clinically significant/subthreshold ADHD symptoms and 78 typically developing children who were born between 2003 and 2008 and participated in the Preschool ADHD Substudy, which is nested within a population-based prospective cohort study, the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort (MoBa). Twelve phthalate metabolites were measured from urine samples that their mothers had provided during pregnancy, at 17 weeks’ gestation. All children, at approximately 3.5-years, took part in a detailed clinical assessment that included parent-and teacher-rated inventories and administered tests. We used instruments that measured constructs related to EF, which include a parent-and teacher-reported Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P) and three performance-based tests: A Developmental NEuroPSYchological Assessment (NEPSY), Stanford-Binet intelligence test V (SB5), and the cookie delay task (CDT). The standard deviation change in test score per interquartile range (IQR) increase in phthalate metabolite was estimated with multivariable linear regression. We applied weighting in all models to account for the oversampling of children with clinically significant or subthreshold symptoms of ADHD. Additionally, we assessed modification by child sex and potential co-pollutant confounding. ResultsElevated exposure to mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) during pregnancy was associated with poorer EF, across all domains and instruments, in both sex. For example, an IQR increase in MBzP was associated with poorer working memory rated by parent (1.23 [95% CI: 0.20, 2.26]) and teacher (1.13 [0.14, 2.13]) using BRIEF-P, and administered tests such as SB5 (no-verbal: 0.19 [0.09, 0.28]; verbal: 0.13 [0.01, 0.25]). Adverse associations were also observed for mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP), although results varied by instruments. EF domains reported by parents using BRIEF-P were most apparently implicated, with stronger associations among boys (e.g., MnBP and inhibition: 2.74 [1.77, 3.72]; MiBP and inhibition: 1.88 [0.84, 2.92]) than among girls (e.g., MnBP and inhibition: −0.63 [−2.08, 0.83], interaction p-value: 0.04; MiBP and inhibition: −0.15 [−1.04, 0.74], interaction p-value: 0.3). Differences by sex, however, were not found for the teacher-rated BRIEF-P or administered tests including NEPSY, SB5, and CDT. Conclusion and relevanceElevated mid-pregnancy MBzP, MiBP, and MnBP were associated with more adverse profiles of EF among preschool-aged children across a range of instruments and raters, with some associations found only among boys. Given our findings and accumulating evidence of the prenatal period as a critical window for phthalate exposure, there is a timely need to expand the current phthalate regulations focused on baby products to include pregnancy exposures.

Examining the Speech and Articulation Rates of Turkish Speaking University Students

Objectives: One of the main prosodic components of language is the rate. Speaking and articulation rates are two different measurements that reflect various aspects of each other. This study mainly aimed to present preliminary normative data related to speaking rate, reading rate, articulation rate and articulation rate in reading for Turkish-speaking adults and also aimed to compare these four measurements in terms of gender. Methods: The present study included 84 university students (42 males and 42 females) aged between 19-24 years old whose native language was Turkish. Power analysis was calculated based on the articulation rate. Speech and articulation rates were measured by taking 400-syllable conversational speech samples from each participant. A text was used from the Adult II section of the Turkish version of the Stanford Binet Intelligence Test to measure their reading rates. The speaking and reading samples obtained were recorded with a voice recorder and analyzed with the PRAAT software. Results: There was a statistically significant difference both between their speaking and reading rates, and between articulation rate and articulation rate in reading. Male participants had significantly higher articulation rates in speaking and reading than females. Conclusion: The present study provided evidence that the speech rate is low and articulation rate is high in Turkish. It concluded that the significant difference between articulation rates by gender in many languages is also valid for Turkish.

فعالیة برنامج تدریبی لتحسین وتنمیة نطق المفردات اللغویة لدى الأطفال ذوی الاعاقة العقلیة بالمرحلة الابتدائیة The Effectiveness of a Training Program to Improve and Develop Vocabulary Utterance among Mentally Retarded Primary School Children

هدفت هذه الدراسة الي التعرف على تحسين وتنمية نطق المفردات اللغوية لدى الأطفال ذوي الاعاقة العقلية والکشف عن مدى فعالية البرنامج وطبقت علي عينة(10) اطفال من ذوى الاعاقة العقلية القابلين للتعلم من مدرسة التربية الفکرية بمدينة منيا القمح بمحافظة الشرقية، تراوحت أعمارهم بين(7-10) عاما وقد تم استخدام مقياس ستانفورد بينيه لقياس الذکاء (الصورة الرابعة) إعداد وترجمة: لويس مليکه (1998) مقياس اختبار اللغة إعداد: نهلة الرفاعى (2006) البرنامج التدريبى لتحسين وتنمية نطق المفردات اللغوية للأطفال ذوى الاعاقة العقلية إعداد: الباحث0 وأسفرت النتائج عن ارتفاع تحسين وتنمية أداء ونطق المفردات اللغوية لدي المجموعة التجريبية بعد تطبيق البرنامج مقارنة بالمجموعة الضابطة، واستمرار الأثر الايجابي للبرنامج على المجموعة التجريبية خلال فترة المتابعة. This research aims at recognizing the improvement and development of vocabulary utterance among mentally retarded children, as well as the effectiveness of a training program that has been applied to a sample of 10 mentally retarded educable children in Menya Alkamh Special Needs School, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. The children's ages ranged between 7-10 years old. The researcher used the fourth edition of Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, translated by Luis Melekah (1998), as well as the Language Test Scale prepared by Nahla Alrefai (2006), along with the training program for improving and developing vocabulary utterance among mentally retarded children, which has been prepared by the researcher. The results reveal an increase in the level of vocabulary utterance and performance among the experimental group after applying the training program, compared to the control group. The positive effect of the program on the experimental group continued through the follow-up period.

Cognitive Function and Heat Shock Protein 70 in Children With Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

We conducted the present study to examine cognitive function and serum heat shock protein 70 levels among children with temporal lobe epilepsy. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test was carried out to examine cognitive function in 30 children with temporal lobe epilepsy and 30 controls. Serum heat shock protein 70 levels were determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The epilepsy group had significantly lower cognitive function testing scores and significantly higher serum heat shock protein 70 levels than the control group; there were significant negative correlations between serum heat shock protein 70 levels and short-term memory and composite scores. Children with uncontrolled seizures had significantly lower verbal reasoning scores and significantly higher serum heat shock protein 70 levels than children with controlled seizures. Children with temporal lobe epilepsy have cognitive dysfunction and elevated levels of serum heat shock protein 70, which may be considered a stress biomarker.

Impact of organic mercury exposure and home delivery on neurodevelopment of Amazonian children.

In the transitioning Amazon, we addressed birth environment (home vs hospital) and associated perinatal organic-Hg exposures: methylmercury (MeHg) from maternal fish consumption and ethylmercury (EtHg) from pediatric Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) taken systematically during hospital delivery. We studied 365 children in relation to linear growth at 60 months and neurodevelopment (milestone achievements, Bayley Scale of Infant Development/BSID at 24 months, and Stanford-Binet intelligence tests at 60 months). Mothers delivered in hospitals vs those gave birth at home had significantly (p<0.0001) lower hair-Hg (HHg) concentrations (12.2 vs 23.9μg/g respectively) and shorter length of breastfeeding (8.5 vs 9.7 months respectively). Home-born children had significantly (p<0.0001) higher HHg (7.1μg/g) than hospital-born children (4.6μg/g). Hospital-born children also had significantly earlier (p<0.0001) hepatitis B vaccine than home-born children (1.5 vs 24.1days respectively) and higher (p<0.0001) exposures to total TCV-EtHg (75.8 vs 49.3μg respectively). Neither anthropometric indices nor neurodevelopment (except for fluid reasoning) were directly affected by birth environment. The percentage of hospital-born children with BSID (MDI or PDI) scores <80 was not significantly different from those born at home. In spite of the differences in HHg and EtHg levels between hospital-born and home-born children, no impact on neurodevelopment was observed.

Evaluation of Neurodevelopment and Factors Affecting it in Children With Acyanotic Congenital Cardiac Disease.

Background:The rate of congenital heart disease is 0.8% in all live births. The majority of this, however, is acyanotic congenital heart disease. The survival rate of children with cardiac disease has increased with the developments provided in recent years and their lifetime is extended.Objectives:This study aims to evaluate neurodevelopment of children with uncomplicated acyanotic congenital heart disease in preschool period and determine the factors affecting their neurodevelopmental process.Patients and Methods:132 children with acyanotic congenital heart disease aged 6 - 72 months were involved in the study. Mental development and intelligence levels of patients under 2 years old were assessed by using Bayley Development Scale-III, and Stanford Binet Intelligence test was employed for patients over 2 years old. Denver Developmental Screening Test II was applied to all patients for their personal-social, fine motor, gross motor and language development.Results:The average age of patients (67 girls, 65 boys) included in the study was 35.2 ± 19.6 months. It was determined that there were subnormal mental level in 13 (10%) patients and at least one specific developmental disorder in 33 (25%) patients. Bayley Mental Development Scale score of patients who had received incubator care in perinatal period was found significantly low (88 ± 4.2) compared to those with no incubator care (93.17 ± 8.5) (P = 0.028). Low educational level of father was established to be linked with low mental development scores at the age of 2 and following that age (P < 0.05). Iron deficiency anemia was discovered to be related to low psychometric test scores at every age (P < 0.05).Conclusions:Neurodevelopmental problems in children with acyanotic congenital heart disease were found higher compared to those in society. Mental development and intelligence levels of patients were determined to be closely associated with receiving incubator care, father’s educational level and iron deficiency anemia.

Cortisol and its effects on cognitive function in a sample of Egyptian school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Background Several studies have suggested that cortisol level influences the development and functioning of the brain in children and that it is implicated in a variety of processes including memory and attention. Objective This study was conducted to investigate the relation between cortisol level in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their cognitive function profile. Methods The participants of the study, held in Suez Canal University Hospital in Ismailia, were recruited from among those attending the childhood and adolescent psychiatry clinic. They were divided into two groups, the ADHD group [diagnosis based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., text revision (DSM-IV-TR) through a structured clinical interview], composed of 43 children (pure ADHD children with no comorbid conditions), and the control group, composed of 31 typically developing children. All of them participated voluntarily in this study. The participants' ages ranged from 6 to 12 years; both sexes were included. Early morning awakening salivary cortisol levels were collected on two different days 2 months apart. The Stanford-Binet intelligence test 4th edition, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Conner's test, and the child behavioral checklist were administered on all participants. Results Early morning salivary cortisol levels in both groups showed a statistically significant difference. Comparison shows that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean total score and the mean subdomain score of Stanford-Binet intelligence test 4th edition and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (total number of errors, perseverative errors) between ADHD children and the comparison group. These results were positively correlated with decrease in mean cortisol awakening response. Conclusion There are significant associations between salivary cortisol levels and cognitive and executive function impairment in children with ADHD.

Perceived parental differential treatment, cognition, behaviour and family cohesiveness among siblings of children with cerebral palsy? A family-mediated intervention to understand “displaced” children

AbstractThe present study adopts a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the impact of perceived parental differential treatment towards 30 non-disabled siblings of children with cerebral palsy 7–10 years of age. Standardised inventories such as, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test (SBIT), the Connors Parent Rating Scale-Revised (CPRS) and the Draw-a-Family test were used pre and post intervention. Scheduled interviews were used for parents and children to obtain information regarding family cohesiveness. A special program was designed to structure the home environment and to maximise parental involvement that catered to the “needy child” and this was implemented for 6 months after which the children were reassessed. Prior to the intervention, we observed deficits in cognitive skills and siblings had concerns in hyperactivity and oppositional behaviour. Scheduled interviews with siblings elicited responses that represented neglect, perceived differential treatment and negative emotional well-being. Projective tests revealed that family dynamics were disturbed and chaotic. Post intervention, we observed significant differences in the cognitive orientation, behavioural engagement and also in the interpersonal relationship within the family. We may conclude therefore, that parental involvement significantly predicts academic and psychosocial adjustment of siblings and this is an important implication for practitioners in developing early intervention programs.

The ‘Mozart Effect’: A Sociological Reappraisal

This article examines the ‘scientific legend’ of the ‘Mozart Effect’, which grew to become a large-scale cultural phenomenon with political ramifications, focused on early childhood education, during the 1990s and early 2000s in the United States. The search for the ‘Mozart Effect’ and its commercial exploitation followed the finding by Rauscher et al. (1993) that listening to Mozart’s music could improve performance on specific tasks of the Stanford-Binet intelligence test for a short duration of time. The ‘Mozart Effect’, this paper argues, was a particularly successful sociocultural phenomenon because its different components at the time of its emergence were propitiously situated to find particular resonance in late-20th-century America. Those components are identified as the emphasis on neuroscience and early childhood education in the 1990s ‘Decade of the Brain’; the American interest in intelligence-testing and intelligence-enhancing methods, especially in children; the increasingly blurry distinction in musical preferences across socioeconomic classes; and the changed status of classical music in the era of easily-reproducible and arranged listening. The legendary figure of Mozart, at the core of the ‘effect’ that bears its name, is also analysed in depth, as it ensured the neat cohesion of those elements, and contributed to a shift in this phenomenon towards early childhood education in popular and political understandings of the ‘Mozart Effect’. Beyond its value as a retrospective examination of a particularly successful ‘scientific legend’, this article aspires to present a case study in the diverse elements which can, under favourable circumstances, catalyse into popular phenomena of significant magnitude.

Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Outcomes of Classical Homocystinuria: Experience from Qatar.

Classical homocystinuria due to cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) deficiency (OMIM 236200) is a recessively inherited condition caused by mutations in the CBS gene. The founder mutation p.R336C accounts for almost all CBS deficiency in Qatar, affecting approximately 1 in 1,800 births, making it the most prevalent monogenic disease among the Qatari population. Untreated patients can have severe intellectual disability (ID), devastating multisystem complications and premature death. Current treatment is based on pharmacology therapy and life-long methionine-restricted diet, which is difficult to maintain particularly in late diagnosed individuals. Data on the neurodevelopmental and psychological impact of the disease on outcomes among Qatari patients are generally lacking and have not been studied. To examine the cognitive, educational and psychological outcomes of classical homocystinuria on Qatari patients. Thirty-two cases with classical homocystinuria and 25 sibling controls were recruited to evaluate the neurodevelopmental and cognitive outcomes. We reviewed the subjects' medical record and collected pertinent clinical and educational data from parents. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test (Arabic translation - 4th ed.) was used for cognitive (IQ) testing. The mean age for the subjects was 11.2 years (range 0.6-29) with 56% males. The majority of cases (93%) carried the mutation (p.R336C), and parental consanguinity was 84%. There were no differences between the two groups in the fine motor, expressive language, behavioural and visual skills. However, cases have much lower total IQ particularly in the domains of short memory, quantitative reasoning and visual-spatial domains. A significant number of adolescents and adult cases had medical co-morbidities as well as behavioural and emotional problems. Individuals with classical homocystinuria have many developmental and cognitive difficulties with significant number of cases having learning disability and lower IQs (cf. sibling controls) with adolescents and adults more affected. Those diagnosed by newborn screening have better developmental and cognitive outcomes compared to late diagnosed cases. Psychological and psychiatric referrals should be part of the standard of care for those cases.

Neurodevelopmental profile of children of a high-risk neonatal program: A follow-up study from Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Preterm infants are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental deficits. These deficits may be alleviated with early intervention. There has been no study to assess neurodevelopment of high risk neonates in Saudi Arabia. Objective: To assess the neurodevelopmental features of preterm (≤29 weeks or ≤1.25 kg) infants who were admitted over a two-year period following birth at a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This study used a pool of standardized psychometric scales: Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test. Follow-up assessments were applied to examine 168 infants at 18 months; 96 of them were re-evaluated at 3 years. Results: Major neurodevelopmental abnormalities were present in 26 (15.50%) and 11 (11.46%) children, at 18 months and 3 years, respectively. The two scales: Bayley vs. Vineland at 18 months, and the two scales: Stanford-Binet vs. Vineland at 3 years were correlated significantly: χ 2 (1, N = 168) = 58.07, P < 0.001; and χ 2 (1, N = 96) = 49.45, P < 0.001, respectively. Nevertheless, Bayley scale and Stanford-Binet test were more likely to detect neurodevelopmental impairment among children at 18 months and 3 years, respectively. Conclusions: Infants born at the NICU at King Fahd Medical Center (KFMC), have rates of neurodevelopmental outcomes that are similar to those reported in other studies. This study confirms the need for early developmental screening to detect preterm infants with special needs. Neurodevelopmental outcomes for the cohort managed at KFMC were similar to previously published data on preterm infants elsewhere.

A Descriptive Analysis of Test Session Observation Checklist Ratings From the Woodcock Johnson III Standardization Sample

Modern scale construction techniques have been used to develop scales measuring examiner ratings of examinees’ test session behavior (TSB) on Wechsler and Stanford-Binet intelligence tests. This study analyzes data from the Test Session Observation Checklist (TSOC), a measure developed by post hoc rational analysis, from a portion of the Woodcock Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Third Edition standardization sample ( N = 5,769). Results indicate (a) most participants are rated as displaying minimal negative test session behaviors, (b) the seven TSOC items are organized into two components (General Impressions and Attention To Task) that explain roughly 54% of the variance in TSOC scores, and (c) race, sex, and age differences in component scores examined with and without covariates are consistent with results from prior TSB research.

SES and CHAOS as environmental mediators of cognitive ability: A longitudinal genetic analysis

This study examined shared environmental influences on the longitudinal stability of general cognitive ability, as mediated by socioeconomic status and chaos in the home, using 287 pairs of elementary school-age twins drawn from the Western Reserve Reading Project (WRRP). General cognitive ability was evaluated at two annual assessments using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test. SES was examined using the highest level of education achieved by the mother of the twins, and chaos by a 6-item parent-report questionnaire. Results suggest that SES and CHAOS not only account for independent sources of shared environmental influences related to general cognitive ability at a given measurement occasion, but these effects also account for a portion of the longitudinal stability of general cognitive ability in early childhood.

Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Cognitive Status of Children at Age 10

The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on measures of intelligence have been well documented in children with fetal alcohol syndrome. However, deficits in general intellectual ability in children with low to moderate PAE are less well understood. The objective of this study was to assess the association between moderate PAE and cognitive ability in children at age 10 controlling for other prenatal and birth factors, maternal and child psychosocial factors, and environmental characteristics. Data were collected as part of the Maternal Health Practices and Child Development Project, a prospective study of prenatal substance use with 636 mother-child pairs. Women were assessed during each trimester of pregnancy and with their children at birth; 8 and 18 months; and 3, 6, and 10 years. Each phase included an evaluation of growth, development, cognitive, and psychological functioning. At age 10, cognitive ability was assessed using the composite score and verbal, abstract/visual, quantitative, and short-term memory area scores of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, fourth edition. Maternal intellectual ability, maternal prenatal and current drug use, maternal and child psychosocial characteristics, demographics, and home environment were included in the analysis. A significant relation was found between alcohol exposure during the first and second trimesters and the composite score of the Stanford-Binet for African American children at age 10. Significant relations were also found for the verbal, abstract/visual, and quantitative subscales. Additional predictors of IQ at age 10 included mother's IQ, home environment, and child's report of depression. There is a significant association between PAE and cognitive ability at age 10 among African American offspring. There was no relation between PAE and scores on the Stanford-Binet scales among the Caucasian offspring.

THE EFFECT OF EATING IODIZED SALT FORTIFIED BREAKFAST ON THE INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENTS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED DOUBLE BLIND CONTROLLED TRIAL

Objective: To determine the effect of iodized salt fortified breakfast on the IQ scores of primary school children. Setting: A private, semi urban school. Study Design: Randomized double blind controlled trial. Participants: All 230 children, Grades 1 to 3, ages 6 to 9 years old of the private elementary school were screened. 120 students met the inclusion criteria, 8 were dropped out. 58 children were randomly assigned to receive iodized salt and 54 to receive non iodized salt. Outcome Measures: Improvement in IQ was considered if there was a noted difference of at least 5 points between pre test and post test. The participants scholastic performances were also compared. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was performed using SPSSPS+ and Epi- Info (version 6.0) software. Characteristics of patients upon entry to the study were compared using paired t test. Improvements in IQ and scholastic performances were assessed by using a 2×2 table chi square test. Risk ratio at 95% confidence interval was also calculated. Linear regression and logistic regression were done in cases of significantly different variables at baseline. Results: All 4 components of Stanford Binet Intelligence test were noted to have significantly improved after iodized salt was incorporated to the breakfasts of school aged children for 2 months. Overall IQ scores also improved significantly. Significant improvement was noted on academic grades on the following subjects: English, Filipino, Math, Civics and MAPE. On the other hand, there was no noted improvement of grades in CBA and science. Academic average significantly improved after the intervention period. Conclusion: Children given iodized salt fortified food, resulting to increased urinary iodine concentrations, have a significant improvement on the IQ scores and scholastic grades than did the group with no iodized salt food fortification.

0026 Systems: The school-years screening test for the evaluation of mental status

This paper introduces the School-Years Screening Test for Evaluation of Mental Status (SYSTEMS). It was designed to be used by neurologists, pediatricians, and other health professionals assessing children with suspected cognitive problems or changes. SYSTEMS was initially based on the adult Mini-Mental State Examination developed by Folstein, Folstein, and McHugh in 1975. SYSTEMS is a 7- to 12-minute, one-on-one interview test containing 46 items for use in children between 5 and 12 years of age. Although a full diagnosis cannot be made, the results do provide an indication of whether to send a child for further detailed cognitive assessment. The development of SYSTEMS comprised seven studies with a total of 1207 children involved from Sydney primary schools and neurology clinics of the New Children's Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia. All children were administered the SYSTEMS. Some of the children also were administered the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, 4th edition, or the Differential Ability Scales. Results showed that the SYSTEMS was internally consistent, unbiased by sex, socioeconomic indicators, or language groups; discriminated well by age; and strongly correlated (r = 0.88) with mental age. No significant differences in results obtained by two trained administrators were evident and no indication of apparent practice effect was found. The SYSTEMS was found to have desirable levels of sensitivity (83% and 92%), specificity (76% and 95%), and likelihood ratio for cognitive impairment (3.63 and 17.5) when compared with neurologic judgments and the Differential Ability Scales, respectively. This paper presents and evaluates the School-Years Screening Test for the Evaluation of Mental Status (SYSTEMS). The test was designed to assess the cognitive state of a child when he or she first presents to a neurologist or pediatrician. Low scores on the SYSTEMS would suggest cognitive impairment or cognitive deterioration and would indicate the need for a more detailed cognitive assessment.

SYSTEMS: School-Years Screening Test for the Evaluation of Mental Status.

This paper introduces the School-Years Screening Test for Evaluation of Mental Status (SYSTEMS). It was designed to be used by neurologists, pediatricians, and other health professionals assessing children with suspected cognitive problems or changes. SYSTEMS was initially based on the adult Mini-Mental State Examination developed by Folstein, Folstein, and McHugh in 1975. SYSTEMS is a 7- to 12-minute, one-on-one interview test containing 46 items for use in children between 5 and 12 years of age. Although a full diagnosis cannot be made, the results do provide an indication of whether to send a child for further detailed cognitive assessment. The development of SYSTEMS comprised seven studies with a total of 1207 children involved from Sydney primary schools and neurology clinics of the New Children's Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia. All children were administered the SYSTEMS. Some of the children also were administered the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, 4th edition, or the Differential Ability Scales. Results showed that the SYSTEMS was internally consistent, unbiased by sex, socioeconomic indicators, or language groups; discriminated well by age; and strongly correlated (r = 0.88) with mental age. No significant differences in results obtained by two trained administrators were evident and no indication of apparent practice effect was found. The SYSTEMS was found to have desirable levels of sensitivity (83% and 92%), specificity (76% and 95%), and likelihood ratio for cognitive impairment (3.63 and 17.5) when compared with neurologic judgments and the Differential Ability Scales, respectively.

Discordant views on the ‘Mozart effect’

Research reported by Rauscher et al. in 1993 suggested that listening to music by Mozart improved performance on an intelligence test1xMusic and spatial task performance. Rauscher, F.H., Shaw, G.L., and Ky, K.N. Nature. 1993; 365: 611Crossref | PubMedSee all References. That is, after listening to Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for 10 minutes, university undergraduates demonstrated a temporary increase of 9 IQ points on a spatial subtest of the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Test). The research was motivated by a theory of higher-level brain function which proposed that exposure to complex music could activate or prime neural firing patterns similar to those used in spatial–temporal reasoning. This surprising result became known as the ‘Mozart effect’.However, two recent studies suggest that the Mozart effect falls flat. In a meta-analysis of 17 studies, Chabris2xPrelude or requiem for the ‘Mozart effect’?. Chabris, C.F. Nature. 1999; 400: 826–827Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (119)See all References showed that the effect was less than would have arisen by chance, though it may exert a small positive effect on some ‘spatial’ tasks, such as the Paper Folding and Cutting subtest used in the original study. In the same issue as Chabris’ report, there is combined report from three independent research groups who each tried, without success, to replicate the Mozart effect under comparable conditions3xPrelude or requiem for the ‘Mozart effect’?. Steele, K.M. et al. Nature. 1999; 400: 827Crossref | PubMedSee all References. In none of the studies was there any statistically reliable evidence for the Mozart effect; that is, subjects performed as well on spatial-reasoning tasks whether they listened to Mozart, silence, minimalist music, ‘relaxation’ music or had relaxation instructions.In a reply to these reports, though, Rauscher addresses some misconceptions that she suggests have surrounded attempts to replicate the Mozart effect, and acknowledges that the original effect cannot be found under all laboratory conditions4xPrelude or requiem for the ‘Mozart effect’? Reply. Rauscher, F.H. Nature. 1999; 400: 827–828Crossref | PubMedSee all References. She also points to other studies that have found a Mozart effect for spatial-reasoning tasks, and one in which an effect was found in the EEG of comatose epileptic patients. Although the recent results reported by Chabris and by Steele et al. suggest that a requiem for the Mozart effect may be in order, it appears that the final movement has not yet been written…

An Empirically-Based Proposal for Screening in the Early Identification of Intellectually Gifted Students

The lack of instruments to identify intellectually gifted children at an early age may be a contributing factor towards the limited availability of research studies on these children within the field of developmental psychology. The goal of this research, therefore, was to create a simple, reliable, and inexpensive screening method for identifying gifted children from 4 to 6 years of age. A sample of 138 children from ages 6 to 8 were presented for assessment at the Huerta del Rey Center in Valladolid, Spain. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire documenting the age at which their child acquired specific developmental and learning skills/behaviors. Concurrently, these children were tested by professionals on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test (Terman-Merrill, L-M Form). Using logistical regression techniques, the study identified which behaviors predicted giftedness as judged by an IQ of 130 or above. This screening method is now in the validation phase and is being applied in 12 countries. It has been translated from Spanish into the Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Russian, and English languages. The results from this project were published by the Spanish Ministry of Education, and it was developed and coordinated under the aegis of the General Sub-director of Special Education. The recent results obtained in Spain seem to verify the reliability of this screening method.