Child Neuropsychology
- Retarded development following head injury
- Neuropsychological changes in children with insulin dependent diabetes six years after disease onset
- Neuropsychological and psychosocial outcome in children with temporal lobe epilepsy
- Craniopharyngioma: Child and Family Impact Study. A collaborative study
- Long term outcome following bacterial meningitis
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging of expressive language in normal children
- Intellectual and educational outcome in children with neuronal migration disorders
- The development of cognitive and learning difficulties in children treated for posterior fossa tumours: A prospective study
- Systemic Chemotherapy, Second Look Surgery and involved field radiation for children < 4 years with medulloblastoma and ependymona
- Paediatric head injury: Implications for adjustment into adulthood
- Neuropsychological measurement of memory function in children with temporal lobe pathology
- Neuropsychological and neuropathological correlates of early-treated hydrocephalus in children (proposal)
- Children with learning difficulties. The wellbeing of children and parents.
Retarded Development following head injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is relatively common in young children, with difficulties in cognitive skills, academic ability and behaviour frequently occurring as a consequence. It is likely that children who sustain their TBI young, before they have developed skills and acquired knowledge, may experience particular difficulties after thei rinjuries and into the future. This study aims to investigate this proposition, by following a group of children who sustained TBI during the pre-school period. These children and a control group have previously been assessed up to 30 months post-TBI, and we propose to review both groups again 10 years post-TBI, when recovery from TBI is complete. Language, memory and attentional skills will be evaluated, as well as functional abilities such as adaptive skills, communication, academic progress and behaviour. MRI scans of the TBI children are also collected at 10 years post-injury.
Research Team
- Prof Vicki Anderson, Dept of Psychology, University of Melbourne
- Ms Susan Morse, Dept of Speech Pathology, RCH
- Assoc Prof Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Dept of Neurosurgery, RCH
- Dr Cathy Catroppa, Dept of Psychology, RCH
- Ms Flora Haritou, Dept of Speech Pathology, RCH
Funding Source
- National Health & Medical Research Council
Neuropsychological changes and predictors of initial adjustment and ongoing adaptation in children with insulin dependent diabetes
The main objectives of this research are (i) to study the impact of illness variables on neuropsychological (general intelligence, attention, memory, speed of processing, learning and executive functions) and educational performance in children with IDDM and (ii) to identify specific risk and protective factors influencing psychosocial outcome in children with chronic illness/IDDM. These findings may lead to treatment modifications and educational interventions designed to minimise neuropsychological and psychosocial sequelae in children with IDDM.
Research Team
- Assoc. Prof Elisabeth Northam, Dept. of Psychology, RCH
- Assoc. Prof. Garry Warne, Dept. of Endocrinology & Diabetes
- Prof. George Werther, Dept. of Endocrinology & Diabetes
- Dr Peter Anderson, RCH MHS & Dept. of Psychology, RCH
Funding Source
Neuropsychological and psychosocial outcome in children with temporal lobe epilepsy
Craniopharyngioma: child and family impact study. A collaborative study
Craniopharyngioma are the most common intracranial tumour of nonglial origin in children. While they are histologically benign their location in the brain makes them very difficult to remove and children treated for craniopharyngioma have a wide range of neurological, endocrinological, visual, neuropsychological and psychosocial problems. This current study describes the nature of intellectual, neuropsychological, academic and psychosocial characteristics of a series of children treated for craniopharyngioma at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. It attempts to identify the major protective and risk factors for morbidity in the above areas and describe the role of gender, age at diagnosis, and time since diagnosis in current presentation.
Research Team
- Dept. of Psychology, RCH
- Dept. of Social Work, RCH
- Dept. of Endocrinology, RCH
- Dept. of Neurosurgery, RCH
Long term outcome following bacterial meningitis
The advent of antibiotics and intensive care has reduced the mortality of childhood bacterial meningitis from greater than 90%, to approximately 5%. However, between 5-10% of survivors will demonstrate a severe complication of their illness (eg. deafness, epilepsy, paralysis). There is also evidence that subtle abnormalities of visual coordination, auditory perception, and neuropsychological function may occur, compromising future learning and development. These complications are difficult to detect early in life. The few studies that have addressed these problems have been poorly designed and given conflicting results. Therefore, it is important that a prospective study of the long-term complications of childhood bacterial meningitis be undertaken in a large number of unselected children and the results of their behavioural, audiological and neuropsychological testing be compared with those from controls. It may then be possible to give recommendations about follow-up so that early intervention may be instituted when appropriate.
Research Team
- Prof. Keith Grimwood, Dept. of Paediatrics and Child Health, Wellington School of Medicine, Wellington, New Zealand.
- Assoc Prof Vicki Anderson, Dept. of Psychology, University of Melbourne
- Prof. Terry Nolan, Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Melbourne
- Mr Peter Anderson, RCHMHS & Dept. of Psychology, RCH
- Ms Lesley Tan, Dept. of Audiology, RCH
Funding Source
- National Health & Medical Research Council
- Government Employee's Medical Research Fund
Functional magnetic resonance imaging of expressive language in normal children
Research Team
- Dr Simon Harvey, Dept. of Neurology, RCH
- Assoc Prof Vicki Anderson, Dept. of Psychology, University of Melbourne
- Ms Dianne Anderson, Dept. of Psychology, RCH
Funding Source
National Health & Medical Research Council
Intellectual and educational outcome in children with neuronal migration disorders
Neuronal migration disorders (NMD) occur early during foetal development and arise from an aberration in the migration of neurons that form cerebral cortex. As a consequence, some neurons may not reach their final destination but remain in a heterotopic position. Children with NMD make up a large proportion of the total population of children who present with developmental disabilities and intractable epilepsy. Current research in this area has been restricted to genetic and neurologic outcome. An association between age of onset of seizures, frequency and type of seizures, and intellectual outcome, has been described but there is no research investigating cognitive profiles in this group. The current study is a pilot study investigating the association between seizure variables and neuropsychological outcome in children with NMD.
Research Team
- Ms Rani Jacobs, Dept. of Psychology, RCH
- Assoc Prof Vicki Anderson, Dept. of Psychology, University of Melbourne
Source of funding
Apex Foundation for Research into Intellectual Disability
The development of cognitive and learning difficulties in children treated for posterior fossa tumours: A prospective study.
Children who have brain tumours may develop learning and behaviour problems to some extent further on down the track. At the moment there is information available that describes these difficulties in very broad terms but there is still a lot more to know. This study is examining the underlying cognitive problems that result from the brain tumour and its treatment that cause learning difficulties and other problems with adjustment and behaviour. In addition we are looking at how individual characteristics of the child, their family, and the stress of the illness have an impact on school performance and behaviour.
Research Team
- Ms Robyn Stargatt, Dept. of Psychology, RCH
- Dr Vicki Anderson, Dept. of Psychology, University of Melbourne
- Assoc. Prof. Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Dept. of Neurosurgery, RCH
Funding Source
Bluey Day Foundation
Systemic Chemotherapy, Second Look Surgery and involved field radiation for children <4 years with medulloblastoma and ependymona
Research Team
D. Ashley, L. White, S. Kellie, M. Sexton, J. Rosenfeld, R. Stargatt, P. Carden, & J. Houlihan
Paediatric head injury: Implications for adjustment into adulthood
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of mortality and disability world-wide. However, the long-term consequences of TBI in childhood remain poorly understood, with few studies following these children into adolescence and adulthood. While these studies emphasize the long-term nature of TBI sequelae, they have not been able to establish parameters that may have the potential to influence outcome. This study will investigate risk factors (eg: injury severity, age at injury, pre-morbid child characteristics and psychosocial factors) and the possibility that these risk factors are ameliorated by intervening factors (eg: level of disability, rehabilitation/resources, and environmental factors). The relationship between these factors and their relative impact on a number of domains (physical functioning, cognitive ability, educational/vocational attainment and emotional/social skills) will be investigated.
Research Team
- Dr Vicki Anderson, Dept. of Psychology, University of Melbourne
- Ms. Cathy Catroppa, Dept. of Psychology, RCH
- Ms. Susan Morse, Dept. of Speech Pathology, RCH
- Assoc. Prof. Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Dept. of Neurosurgery, RCH
- Ms Heidi Newitt, Dept. of Psychology, University of Melbourne
Funding Source
Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Neuropsychological measurement of memory function in children with temporal lobe pathology
The broad aim of this project is to improve diagnosis and management of memory problems associated with temporal lobe lesions in children. Many children suffer the combined burden of a memory impairment and seizures, which may require surgical intervention to control. It is essential that the implications of surgery for all aspects of memory are identified in advance, to avoid the possibility of a surgically-induced amnestic disorder. Current neuropsychological assessment tasks provide a reliable and valid means of assessing verbal memory processes, which are mediated by the dominant temporal lobe. There are, however, no measures of non-dominant memory function, suitable for the use with children, that are equivalent either in terms of sensitivity or specificity. Our research group has recently collected pilot data (n=60) for an allocentric memory task, which has been developed from a theoretical basis to be sensitive to non-dominant memory functions. Initial impressions indicate that this measure is sensitive to the development of these skills in healthy children aged between 5-12, with no apparent floor or ceiling effects. The primary aim of this study is to validate this measure in a group of children who have circumscribed unilateral temporal lesions. Validation of this measure has multiple significant implications. Firstly, it provides a means of assessing the development of non-dominant memory functions in healthy children. Secondly, this measure may be used clinically to identify children who have an allocentric memory impairment, reflecting non-dominant temporal dysfunction. This is a significant contribution to the pre-surgical work up of children with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy.
Research Team
- Dr Vicki Anderson, Dept. of Psychology, University of Melbourne
- Dr Simon Harvey, Dept. of Neurology, RCH
- Ms Linda Pentland, Dept. of Psychology, University of Melbourne
- Dr Stephen Wood, Mental Health Research Institute
- Ms Jacquie Wrennall, Dept. of Psychology, RCH
Neuropsychological and neuropathological correlates of early-treated hydrocephalus in children.
It is critical that advances in medical treatment are accompanied by improved understanding of the morbidity associated with handicapping conditions. This information is necessary to guide treatment choices, enable early identification of difficulties and facilitate the provision of appropriate educational and psychosocial services to children and families. Systematic study of conditions such as early-treated hydrocephalus (HC) which affect the brain early in life may also enhance knowledge about normal neurodevelopment. Children with hydrocephalus generally perform within low average to average levels on tests of general intelligence, consistently exhibiting a pattern of relatively preserved verbal abilities and more compromised visuo-perceptual and visuo-motor skills. The extent to which children with hydrocephalus can use basic skills they have acquired to work quickly, independently and in an organised fashion, to maintain and persist until goals are achieved, and to engage in novel and complex problem solving is much less clear. These higher order skills are very important for academic success, for mastery of daily living skills and for adaptive social behaviour. Sampling and design deficiencies have limited previous research into the neuropsychological and neuropathological correlates of HC. In particular, developmental change in the neuropsychological profiles of children with HC is not well documented and the neuropathological correlates of neuropsychological and adaptive deficits in children are still largely based on inference and speculation. In addressing the limitations of previous research, this study aims to :
- define neuropsychological profiles in children with early-treated hydrocephalus
- examine developmental changes in the neuropsychological profiles of children with early-treated hydrocephalus
- describe relationships between brain pathology, treatment variables, co-morbid conditions, neuropsychological profiles and functional outcomes in children with early-treated hydrocephalus
Findings from this study will enable doctors to provide better information to parents about treatment choices and prognosis. It will also facilitate the provision of appropriate educational and psychosocial supports for children and familles.
Research Team
- Dr Elisabeth Northam, Dept. of Psychology, RCH
- Mr Peter Anderson, RCHMHS & Dept. of Psychology, RCH
- Mr Jerome Maller, Dept of Psychology, RCH
- Assoc. Prof. Jeffrey Rosenfeld (Dept. of Neurosurgery, RCH
Children with learning difficulties. The wellbeing of children and parents.
The study will exmine the behavioural and social well being of children with learning difficulties and that of their parent/primary caregiver at the time of presentation for assessment at Learning Difficulties Center (LCD), Royal Childrens Hospital.
Research Team
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Celeste Merrigen Lecturer and honorary SNR clinician psychology
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Bella Saunders, Learning Difficulties Center, RCH
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Anita Saville, Latrobe
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Kanthi Sayers, Latrobe