Adaptive, behavioral, and emotional outcomes following postoperative pediatric cerebellar mutism syndrome in survivors treated for medulloblastoma.

Objective: Patients who experience postoperative pediatric cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) during treatment for medulloblastoma have long-term deficits in neurocognitive functioning; however, the consequences on functional or adaptive outcomes are unknown. The purpose of the present study was to compare adaptive, behavioral, and emotional functioning between survivors with and those without a history of CMS.

Methods: The authors examined outcomes in 45 survivors (15 with CMS and 30 without CMS).

Predicting neuropsychological late effects in pediatric brain tumor survivors using the Neurological Predictor Scale and the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Rating of Treatment Intensity.

Objective: The Neurological Predictor Scale (NPS) quantifies cumulative exposure to tumor- and treatment-related neurological risks. The Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Rating of Treatment Intensity (PNORTI) measures the intensity of different treatment modalities, but research is needed to establish whether it is associated with late effects. This study evaluated the predictive validity of the NPS and PNORTI for neuropsychological outcomes in pediatric brain tumor survivors.

Predicting neurocognitive function in pediatric brain tumor early survivorship: The neurological predictor scale and the incremental validity of tumor size.

Background: The Neurological Predictor Scale (NPS) quantifies cumulative exposure to conventional treatment-related neurological risks but does not capture potential risks posed by tumors themselves. This study evaluated the predictive validity of the NPS, and the incremental value of tumor location and size, for neurocognitive outcomes in early survivorship following contemporary therapies for pediatric brain tumors.

Procedure: Survivors (N = 69) diagnosed from 2010 to 2016 were administered age-appropriate versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales.

Executive function "drives" differences in simulated driving performance between young adults with and without autism spectrum disorder.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience greater difficulty learning to drive than peers who do not have ASD, but reasons for those differences are unclear. This study examined how diagnostic symptoms of ASD and commonly co-morbid executive dysfunction relate to differences in simulated driving performance between young, inexperienced drivers with and without ASD. Participants included 98 young adults, ages 16-26 years, half of which were diagnosed with ASD.

Driving Comparisons Between Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development.

Objective: Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are reluctant to pursue driving because of concerns about their ability to drive safely. This study aimed to assess differences in simulated driving performance in young adults with ASD and typical development, examining relationships between driving performance and the level of experience (none, driver's permit, licensed) across increasingly difficult driving environments.

Method: Participants included 50 English-speaking young adults (16-26 years old) with ASD matched for sex, age, and licensure with 50 typically-developing (TD) peers.

Discrepancies among Measures of Executive Functioning in a Subsample of Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumor: Associations with Treatment Intensity.

Objectives: Treatments for childhood brain tumors (BT) confer substantial risks to neurological development and contribute to neuropsychological deficits in young adulthood. Evidence suggests that individuals who experience more significant neurological insult may lack insight into their neurocognitive limitations. The present study compared survivor, mother, and performance-based estimates of executive functioning (EF), and their associations with treatment intensity history in a subsample of young adult survivors of childhood BTs.

Health-related quality of life in parents of pediatric brain tumor survivors at the end of tumor-directed therapy.

Objective: This study examines theoretical covariates of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in parents of pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) following completion of tumor-directed therapy.

Methods: Fifty PBTS (ages 6-16) completed measures of neurocognitive functioning and their parents completed measures of family, survivor, and parent functioning.

Results: Caregiving demand, caregiver competence, and coping/supportive factors were associated with parental physical and psychosocial HRQL, when controlling for significant background and child characteristics.

Associations among treatment-related neurological risk factors and neuropsychological functioning in survivors of childhood brain tumor.

Adverse neurological side effects associated with childhood brain tumors and their treatments contribute to long-term neurocognitive morbidity. Measures designed to quantify tumor-related risk factors are lacking. The neurological predictor scale (NPS) is designed to assess treatment-related neurological risks.

Clinical utility of the Colorado Learning Difficulties Questionnaire.

Background And Objective: Behavioral disorders are highly comorbid with childhood learning disabilities (LDs), and accurate identification of LDs is vital for guiding appropriate interventions. However, it is difficult to conduct comprehensive assessment of academic skills within the context of primary care visits, lending utility to screening of academic skills via informant reports. The current study evaluated the clinical utility of a parent-reported screening measure in identifying children with learning difficulties.

Classification of intellectual disability using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children: Full Scale IQ or General Abilities Index?

Aim: We examined the implications of using the Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) versus the General Abilities Index (GAI) for determination of intellectual disability using the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, fourth edition (WISC-IV).

Method: Children referred for neuropsychological assessment (543 males, 290 females; mean age 10y 5mo, SD 2y 9mo, range 6-16y) were administered the WISC-IV and the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, second edition (ABAS-II).

Results: GAI and FSIQ were highly correlated; however, fewer children were identified as having intellectual disability using GAI (n=159) than when using FSIQ (n=196).

The Kennedy Krieger Independence Scales-Spina Bifida Version: a measure of executive components of self-management.

Purpose/objective: Successful implementation of functional self-care skills depends upon adequate executive functioning; however, many scales assessing adaptive skills do not address the inherent executive burden of these tasks. This omission is especially relevant for individuals with spina bifida, for whom medical self-care tasks impose a significant burden requiring initiation and prospective memory. The Kennedy Krieger Independence Scales-Spina Bifida Version (KKIS-SB) is a caregiver-reported measure designed to address this gap; it assesses skills for managing both typical and spina bifida-related daily self-care demands, with a focus on the timely and independent initiation of adaptive skills.