Evaluating the Significance of Minimal Brain Dysfunction?Results of an Epidemiological Study (original) (raw)
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Minor neurological dysfunction in children aged 5 to 7
Vojnosanitetski pregled, 2016
Background/Aim. Assessment of minor neurological dysfunction (MND) provides information about a child's neurological condition which helps to identify the vulnerability of the child to the development of motor impairment, difficulties in learning or behavioral disorders. The aim of this study was to determine differences in the prevalence of MND in children from the general population with respect to age (5 and 6 years old) and sex. Methods. The examination was carried out in a preschool institution in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. The total sample included 120 children divided into two groups according to age: 60 children aged 5 (group A) and 60 children aged 6 years (group B). The children were recruited at three randomly selected kindergartens and approximately equal sex representation, randomly selected as well. The testing was done by the Touwen's test, modified by Hadders-Algra. The results were classified into three groups: the absence of MND, presence of simple MND (...
Minor neurological dysfunction and IQ in 9-year-old children born at term
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 2011
ABBREVIATIONS cMND Complex minor neurological dysfunction FSIQ Full-scale IQ LCPUFA Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids MND Minor neurological dysfunction PIQ Performance IQ sMND Simple minor neurological dysfunction VIQ Verbal IQ WASI Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence.
International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 2019
Background: Developmental and childhood neuropsychiatric disorders have a large burden throughout the world, including the developing countries. Many children with clinically identifiable developmental problems present late for medical help due to lack of simple measures for their early recognition. These missed opportunities increase the level of dependence and disability of an individual and decrease the productivity of the community at large. So simple measures are needed to determine NDIs at an early age where professional expertise is sparse. Authors objective was to estimate the proportion of children having NDIs in a tertiary care hospital, and to estimate the specific types of NDIs, and their grades of severity, within the study population.Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh and the duration of the study was six months. Children aged 0-2 years who were attend...
Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 2007
To assess the frequency of minor neuromotor dysfunctions (MNDs) at age 5 years according to gestational age, to test their association with behavioral and learning difficulties, and to find determining neonatal factors. Design: Prospective population-based cohort study of children born in 1997 and followed up from birth to age 5 years. Setting: All maternity wards in 9 regions of France. Participants: A total of 1662 children born before 33 completed weeks of gestation and 2 control groups including 245 children born at 33 to 34 weeks and 332 children born at 39 to 40 weeks. Main Exposure: Birth before 33 weeks. Main Outcome Measure: Short version of the Touwen neurological examination classifying children as healthy, having mild MND (MND-1), or having moderate MND (MND-2) depending on the number of abnormal neuromotor signs found. Results: Of children born before 33 weeks, 41.4% had MND-1 and 3.0% had MND-2. These proportions were 30.8% and 0.5%, respectively, for children born at 33 to 34 weeks and 22.0% and 0.7%, respectively, for children born at 39 to 40 weeks. Minor neuromotor dysfunction was independently associated with learning difficulties at age 5 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.2). In very preterm children, factors associated with MND-1 were postnatal corticotherapy (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.6), multiple births (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6-0.9), and, in singletons, breastfeeding (OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.6-0.99). Being a boy (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5-6.4), having had acute fetal distress (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4-5.5) or severe abnormalities on early cranial ultrasonography (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-6.2), and having had postnatal corticotherapy (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-6.1) increased the risk of MND-2. Conclusions: The high rate of MNDs and their association with an increased risk for learning difficulties justify their screening in case of (even moderate) prematurity.
Minor neurological dysfunction and cognition in 9-year-olds born at term
Early Human Development, 2013
Background: In children with developmental disorders, motor problems often co-occur with cognitive difficulties. Associations between specific cognitive deficits underlying learning problems and minor neurological dysfunction (MND) are still unknown. Aims: To assess associations between specific types of MND as clinical markers of non-optimal brain function and performance in specific cognitive domains. Study design: Part of a randomized controlled trial. Subjects: Three hundred and forty one 9-year-old children born at term (177 boys, 164 girls). Outcome measures: Children were neurologically assessed to detect eight types of MND: mild dysfunction in posture and muscle tone, reflexes, coordination, fine manipulative ability, sensory function, cranial nerve function, choreiform dyskinesia and excessive associated movements. Cognitive function in the domains of attention, memory and language was evaluated using the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch), a developmental neuropsychological assessment (NEPSY) and the Children's Memory Scale. Results: Fine manipulative disability and coordination problems were associated with lower scores on attention, memory and learning and language, other types of MND were not. Girls with coordination problems performed significantly worse on attention/executive function than those without this dysfunction; however, in boys, such association was absent. Conclusion: Particularly, fine manipulative disability and coordination problems were associated with worse cognitive function in the domains of attention, learning and memory and language. Previous and present data suggest a minor sex difference in neurocognitive associations: in girls dysfunction of the cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathways may be associated with cognitive deficits, while in boys cognitive impairment may be associated with dysfunction of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical pathways.
Journal of National Institute of Neurosciences Bangladesh, 2017
Background: Neurodevelopmental impairment is an important issue in the context of normal growth of the children. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to find out the magnitude of neurodevelopmental impairments (NDIs) in young children in a tertiary care hospital Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) from January 2010 to June 2010 for a period of six months. All children with the age of 0 to 2 years irrespective of sex attended at the study place were selected as study population. Children getting developmental therapy, physiotherapy and anticonvulsant or muscle relaxant were excluded from this study. Development Screening Questionnaire (DSQ) was administered to mothers of children from birth to less than two years of age to assess their child's neurodevelopment. Then again neurodevelopmental assessment was done using a validated Rapid Neurodevelopmental Assessment (RNDA) method of evaluations of all children with positive screening results. RNDA was administered to identify the type of impairments and grades of severity. Items are arranged under the developmental parameters like gross motor, fine motor, vision, hearing, speech, cognition, behavior, and seizures for all age groups and for the age 0 to 1 month, additional primitive reflexes are examined along with other parameters. Result: Among 234 cases NDIs positive was found in 20(8.5%) cases. Among 20 children 16 (80%) were affected by cognitive impairment, 12 (60%) of each were affected by gross motor and behavioral impairment; 11 (55%) were affected by fine motor, 10(50%) speech, 8(40%) hearing, 7 (35%) visual impairment and 7 (35%) had seizure disorder. Conclusion: In conclusion NDIs are present in the general population of the Bangladesh with a very significant rate of which cognition is the most frequently involved and affected domain.
Journal of Orthopaedic Science and Research, 2023
In the pathology of children, from the orthopedic point of view, there commonly occur problems connected with the Syndrome of Contractures and Deformities described by Professor Hans May from Germany. His observations have been made between 1960 and 1980, additionally, in this subject, there are observations from Lublin (Tomasz Karski and Jacek Karski) from 1995-2023. The second group of causes of pathologies in children which if not properly treated, can also occur in adults leading to problems of locomotor system disorders connected with abnormalities of the Central Nervous System-Minimal Brain Dysfunction (MBD). This article is devoted to the MBD problems.
Assessment of a modified Mini-Mental Scale for cognitive functions in children
Indian pediatrics
This study was conducted to standardize a clinical test to assess cognitive functions in children between 3-14 years and to evaluate its use in patients with encephalopathy. We included 50 children in Group A with non-neurological illness. Another 50 children were included in Group B with encephalopathy due to varied etiologies. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) used in adults was modified, using tests from standardized assessment tools previously used in Indian children. It was administered independently by two observers at admission and after a few days in the two Groups. In Group A, the mean & SD of the score in various age groups were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity of the test in predicting poor outcome with a cutoff score of 10 was calculated at admission and after a mean of 4 days. The average time taken for the test was 6.03 minutes. No significant interobserver variability was found. Cut off abnormal scores calculated as 2 SD below mean in different age groups were 3-5 years-24, 6-8 years-28, 9-11 years-30, 12-14 years-35. In children with encephalopathy a score below 10 predicted poor outcome with a sensitivity of 35% and specificity of 100% at admission. Retest after 4 days had sensitivity and specificity of 68% and 100% respectively. We conclude that the modified Child MMSE may be used as a screening test to assess and monitor cognitive functions in children.
Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis and Treatment, 2018
Early and precise identification of neurodevelopmental disorders together with provision of adequate and timely interventions remain increasingly important tasks for multidisciplinary clinical teams. А central component in this process of comprehensive clinical evaluation is the assessment of children's intellectual functioning. Intelligence test results represent a central component in the decision making process of determining a child's future in terms of: qualification for special education, access to social welfare support, placement in therapeutic programs, etc. Clinical results yielded through the application of standardized intelligence assessment instruments (WISC, K-ABC, RPM), and especially the overall quantitative measure of cognitive ability (IQ) have become a central, and sometimes the only measure taken into consideration when determining a child's level of functioning. Together with some distinct benefits, this practice places many children at risk of being underestimated and calls for revision and modification of standard assessment procedures. In line with these considerations, authors raise for discussion traditional approaches to diagnostics of intellectual functioning, highlighting some challenges, emerging from the constitutive particularities in the cognitive functioning of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. An attempt for identifying areas for further improvement alongside with research-informed recommendations for a contemporary, individualized and sensitive to the specifications of children with neurodevelopmental disorders assessment practice are outlined at the end of this paper. According to the authors' opinion, exploration of the topic provides an important opportunity to advance the understanding of clinicians, primary healthcare professionals, educators and other professionals involved in supporting children with developmental deficits.