NEURO-COGNITIVE EFFECTS OF EARLY UNILATERAL BRAIN DAMAGE

这项拟议的研究调查了早期单侧大脑的影响 损害对随后的神经认知发育的影响。许多研究都有 表明大脑受损时的年龄对 损害的功能后果。然而，在很大程度上，每个人 一项研究调查了损伤对认知功能的影响 仅提供单个时间点，仅提供 脑损伤的后果。在以下情况下，这尤其有问题 大脑损伤叠加在发达的大脑上。 这项拟议的研究考察了从大脑开始经过的时间的影响 先天性偏瘫儿童认知功能损害的研究 损伤。初步的横断面数据表明，从 损伤是预测认知功能的重要因素 这些孩子。具体地说，这些孩子的整体智商 在7-8岁之后，但不是在7-8岁之前，与正常儿童有显著差异。 关于先天性心脏病神经认知后果的纵向信息 单侧损害将通过使用广泛的 对我们已经拥有的两组儿童进行了认知和神经测试 检查：1)儿童先天性单侧脑部病变，经 没有结构性损害，但有结构性损害的儿童进行CT扫描 与大脑受损儿童的年龄、性别、种族、社会经济状况相匹配 初始测试时的状态和智商。纳入这样一个控制组将 允许我们确定是否在模式或级别上有任何变化 随着时间的推移，智力功能是早期单侧大脑特有的 伤害，或者更确切地说，是智商水平特定的。 除了认知和神经测试外，偏瘫儿童还将 接收脑电。这将使我们能够联系脑电和/或癫痫发作 神经认知发育的异常。最后，偏瘫儿童 将接受核磁共振研究，以便将我们对神经的理解- 早期脑损伤对发育中儿童的认知后果 应提供有关功能成熟的时间进程的信息 以及导致更好的长期规划 脑部受损儿童的补救计划。

The proposed research investigates the effects of early unilateral brain lesions on subsequent neuro-cognitive development. Numerous studies have shown that age at the time of the brain damage has significant effects on the functional consequences of the damage. However, for the most part each study has investigated the effects of lesions on cognitive functioning at only a single point in time, providing only a "snapshot" of the consequences of the brain damage. This is particularly problematic when the brain damage is superimposed on a developed brain. The proposed research examines the effects of elapsed time since the brain damage on cognitive functioning in hemiplegic children with congenital lesions. Preliminary cross-sectional data suggest that elapsed time since lesion is an important factor in predicting the cognitive functioning of these children. In particularly, the overall IQ of these children appears to differ significantly from normals after, but not before age 7 - 8. Longitudinal information on the neuro-cognitive consequences of congenital unilateral lesions will be obtained by administering a broad range of cognitive and neurological tests to two groups of children we have already tested: 1) children with congenital unilateral brain lesions confirmed by CT-scans 2) children who do not have structural lesions, but who are matched to the brain damaged children for age, sex, race, socio-economic status and IQ at initial testing. Inclusion of such a control group will allow us to determine whether any changes in pattern or level of intellectual functioning over time are specific to early unilateral brain damage or rather, are IQ-level specific. In addition to cognitive and neurological tests, hemiplegic children will receive EEGs. This will allow us to relate EEG and/or seizure abnormalities to neuro-cognitive development. Finally, hemiplegic children will receive MRI studies in order to relate our understanding of the neuro- cognitive consequences of early brain lesions for the developing child should provide information about the time course of functional maturation of the nervous system as well as leading to better long-term planning of remediation programs for brain damaged children.