Biomedical subjects

Jennifer R Hiemenz

Publications and source records attributed to Jennifer R Hiemenz.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Hand and eye preference and their association with task approach by preschoolers.

Hand preference, eye preference, and the concordance of hand-eye preference were assessed in 99 healthy preschool-age children (46 boys: Mage= 55.4 mo., SD= 10.5 and 53 girls: Mage=53.6 mo., SD= 11.8). Children were also administered neuropsychological measures requiring attention and reaching to both sides of midline including the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Third Edition, Multiple Boxes Test, Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment Visual Attention, and Imitating Hand Positions. All groups performed in the average range using standard administration and scoring of the neuropsychological tests, and no significant differences were found in performance between those with left- versus right-hand preference, left-versus right-eye preference, or concordant versus discordant hand/eye preference. In contrast, significant differences were noted in task approach to neuropsychological measures depending on hand preference. Rate of left-hand preference in this sample was consistent with that seen for adults; and rate of left-eye preference, and hand/eye concordance remained stable across age groups 3 to 6 years. While the presence of left-hand or -eye preference or discordance in the preschool years appears to be a benign characteristic in relation to standardized test performance, some aspects of test-taking efficiency may be affected.

Child↗

PubMed2005

Gross and fine motor skills of children with Hurler syndrome (MPS-IH) post umbilical cord blood transplantation: a case series report.

PURPOSE: Recent advancements in medical treatment of Hurler syndrome have resulted in longer life expectancies and a greater need for therapeutic services. The purpose of this case series is to provide recommendations for assessing children with Hurler syndrome after umbilical cord blood transplant (UCBT). CLINICAL DESCRIPTIONS: Two children with Hurler syndrome were seen for longitudinal assessments following an UCBT for Hurler syndrome. METHODS: The raw scores and percentage of fine and gross motor items each child completed on the Motor Scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II) were reviewed. RESULTS: Both children gained new motor skills with each successive motor assessment. Both children were able to complete a higher percentage of fine motor skills than gross motor skills in the most advanced item set assessed. DISCUSSION: The children presented in these two case reports both had better fine motor skills than gross motor skills, which inflated their standard scores on the BSID-II. Clinicians assessing children with Hurler syndrome should use standardized assessments that allow for differentiation of fine and gross motor skills to prevent this situation.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2005

Construct validity of the auditory continuous performance test for preschoolers.

Development of diagnostic instruments directed toward neuropsychological assessment of preschoolers lags significantly behind those available for school-age children (DeWolfe, Byrne, & Bawden, 2000). This is particularly true for measures of executive function (EF). The Auditory Continuous Performance Test for Preschoolers (ACPT-P; Mahone, Pillion, & Hiemenz, 2001) is a computerized, Go-No-go test developed to measure selected EF skills in preschoolers. First, to determine whether performance on the ACPT-P is associated with hearing impairment, we compared performance of children with mild hearing loss (MHL) to controls on the ACPT-P, and measures of spatial working memory (SWM) and motor persistence (MP). There were no differences between performance of the MHL group and controls on any of these measures. Second, to examine the construct validity of the ACPT-P, we compared performance of 40 preschoolers with ADHD to 40 age- and sex-matched controls, using the ACPT-P to measure response preparation, sustained attention, and inhibitory control. We also compared these groups on measures of SWM and MP. The group with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) performed significantly worse than controls on the ACPT-P (omissions, mean response time, variability) and MP. The ACPT-P was correlated with the MP, but not with the SWM measure. Both the ACPT-P and the MP measures showed low to moderate correlations with parent ratings of behavior associated with ADHD. These findings support the use of performance-based assessment of executive control skills in preschoolers suspected of having ADHD. In this age group, the ACPT-P may be particularly useful in assessing sustained attention and response preparation and may complement behavior rating scales.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2004

The relationship between perisylvian morphology and verbal short-term memory functioning in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Although children with neurodevelopmental disorders frequently present with reduced short-term memory functioning, the relationship between perisylvian morphology and verbal short-term memory functioning has received limited attention. Thus, examining this relationship in children with neurodevelopmental disorders was the focus of this exploratory study. Results suggested leftward asymmetry in the temporal bank of the planum temporale is related to better coding and storage of semantic material. In contrast, parietal bank morphology is related to coding and storage of phonological material, and presence of an extra gyrus in the parietal region is associated with reduced phonological working memory. Data also supported a relationship between pars triangularis morphology and verbal short-term memory functioning, but this is not material-specific.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2003

Age and task parameters in continuous performance tests for preschoolers.

66 children (M=56.2 mo., SD=10.9), recruited from preschool and daycare centers, were administered two continuous performance tests, one auditory and one visual. Both tests utilized a format with one target and one nontarget. Interstimulus interval was fixed at 1350 msec. for the visual test and 5000 msec. for the auditory test. The visual test produced greater rates of omission and commission errors than the auditory test. Age was significantly related to mean reaction time and response variability for both tests; however, the visual test produced an unexpected pattern of increasing response time across age groups. On both tests omission rates improved significantly with age, while commission rates were consistent across ages 3-6 years. When considering continuous performance test paradigms for preschoolers, 3-yr.-olds may need at least a 4000-msec. interstimulus interval to make a choice for the stimulus cue. Hits following an interstimulus interval shorter than 1400 msec. may reflect younger preschoolers' response to a previous stimulus.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2002

Validity of the behavior rating inventory of executive function in children with ADHD and/or Tourette syndrome.

The dynamic, multidimensional nature of executive function (EF), thought to be characteristically impaired in those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has been challenging to operationalize and assess in a clinical setting [Barkley, R. A. (1997). ADHD and the nature of self-control. New York: Guilford Press.]. Gioia, Isquith, Guy, and Kenworthy [Gioia, G. A., Isquith, P. K., Guy, S. C., & Kenworthy, L. (2000) Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.] developed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to address these concerns. In order to provide concurrent validity information on the BRIEF, parents of 76 children (ADHD=18; Tourette syndrome (TS)=21; TS+ADHD=17; controls=20) completed the BRIEF, additional behavior rating scales and interviews, measures of psychoeducational (PE) competence, and performance-based measures of EF. Both ADHD and TS+ADHD groups were rated as more impaired (P<.0001) than the other groups on the five primary BRIEF indices. BRIEF index scores showed no significant correlation with performance-based EF or PE measures, with the exception of math achievement; however, the BRIEF showed a strong relationship with interviews and other parent rating measures of behaviors seen in ADHD. Future attempts to validate the BRIEF should focus on differences within subtypes of ADHD (e.g., inattentive, combined subtypes), and separating ADHD from other clinical groups in which EF is reported to be a problem.

Journal Article↗