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Biomedical subjects

T Vik

Publications and source records attributed to T Vik.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Cerebral cortex thickness in 15-year-old adolescents with low birth weight measured by an automated MRI-based method.

Infants with low birth weight are at increased risk of perinatal brain injury. Disruption of normal cortical development may have consequences for later motor, behavioural and cognitive development. The aim of this study was to measure cerebral cortical thickness, area and volume with an automated MRI technique in 15-year-old adolescents who had low birth weight. Cerebral MRI for morphometric analysis was performed on 50 very low birth weight (VLBW, birth weight </=1500 g), 49 term small for gestational age births (SGA, birth weight <10th percentile at term) and 58 control adolescents. A novel method of cortical surface models yielded measurements of cortical thickness and area for each subject's entire brain and computed cross-subject statistics based on cortical anatomy. The cortical surface models demonstrated regional thinning of the parietal, temporal and occipital lobes in the VLBW group, whereas regional thickening was demonstrated in the frontal and occipital lobes. The areas of change were greatest in those with the shortest gestational age at birth and lowest birth weight. Cortical surface area and cortical volume were lower in the VLBW than in the Control group. Within the VLBW group, there was an association between surface area and estimation of the intelligence quotient IQ (IQ(est)) and between cortical volume and IQ(est). Furthermore, cortical grey matter as a proportion of brain volume was significantly lower in the VLBW, but not in the SGA group compared with Controls. This observed reorganization of the developing brain offers a unique opportunity to investigate any relationship between changes in cortical anatomy and cognitive and social impairments, and the increase in psychiatric disorders that have been found in VLBW children and adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Value of professional collaboration in the care of children with cancer and their families.

The aim of this study is to describe professionals' perception of collaboration and their evaluation of a professional collaborative model for children with cancer in mid-Norway. Health and non-health professionals from the families' home communities were invited to participate in the study. The selection was based upon professionals working with children treated for cancer at the Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital in Trondheim between 1990 and 1996. Ninety-one of 142 eligible professionals (64%) responded to a questionnaire. Both health and non-health professionals agreed that collaboration takes care of the family's situation (76%) as well as broadening their own knowledge (77%). Two-thirds considered they had received enough information necessary for follow-up care, however, only 28% believed that families were confident that professionals had this knowledge. More than 80% of professionals considered collaborative meetings and support groups, essential elements of the model, as being effective methods for follow-up care. However, only 39% of professionals had participated in collaborative meetings and 46% in support groups. In addition, only 26% received systematic supervision. Health and non-health professionals regard collaboration as being valuable in follow-up care for children, their families and professionals themselves. However, our results suggest areas of potential improvement in the existing model.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Motor skills in adolescents with low birth weight.

BACKGROUND: Minor motor problems have been reported in low birthweight children, but few studies have assessed motor skills in adolescents. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of motor problems in adolescents with low birth weight. METHOD: Fifty four very low birthweight (VLBW: birth weight < or = 1500 g), 59 term small for gestational age (SGA: birth weight < 10th centile), and 83 control (birth weight > or = 10th centile at term) children were assessed with the Movement assessment battery for children (Movement ABC) at the age of 14 in a population based study. RESULTS: One in four VLBW children (odds ratio (OR) 9.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5 to 34.5) and one in six SGA children (OR 4.7, 95%CI 1.2 to 18.4) had motor problems compared with controls (3.7%). There were no sex differences in motor problems in the VLBW group, and the increased risk was consistent across the continuum of the Movement ABC. For SGA children, the increased risk of motor problems was particularly in manual dexterity in boys. CONCLUSION: VLBW and SGA adolescents have increased risk of motor problems compared with control children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Psychiatric symptoms and disorders in adolescents with low birth weight.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and disorders associated with low birth weight.Design/study groups: A population based follow up study of 56 very low birthweight (VLBW: birth weight < or = 1500 g), 60 term small for gestational age (SGA: birth weight < 10th centile), and 83 term control (birth weight > or = 10th centile) children at 14 years of age. OUTCOME MEASURES: Schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school aged children, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rating scale IV, autism spectrum screening questionnaire, and children's global assessment scale. RESULTS: VLBW adolescents had a higher prevalence of psychiatric symptoms (46%) than controls (13%) (odds ratio (OR) 5.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5 to 13.0) and more psychiatric disorders (25%) than controls (7%) (OR 4.3, 95%CI 1.5 to 12.0), especially anxiety disorders. Although 25% of the VLBW adolescents had attention problems, ADHD was diagnosed in only 7%. Four VLBW adolescents had symptoms of Asperger's disorder, and the VLBW group had a higher sum score than controls on the autism spectrum screening questionnaire. Although more SGA adolescents had psychiatric symptoms than controls (23% v 13%), the difference was not statistically significant. Results remained essentially the same when adolescents with low estimated intelligence quotient were excluded, and persisted after possible psychosocial confounders had been controlled for. CONCLUSION: VLBW, but not SGA adolescents, have a high risk of developing psychiatric symptoms and disorders by the age of 14, especially attention deficit, anxiety symptoms, and relational problems.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Long term cognitive development in children with prolonged crying.

BACKGROUND: Long term studies of cognitive development and colic have not differentiated between typical colic and prolonged crying. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether colic and excessive crying that persists beyond 3 months is associated with adverse cognitive development. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. A sample of 561 women was enrolled in the second trimester of pregnancy. Colic and prolonged crying were based on crying behaviour assessed at 6 and 13 weeks. Children's intelligence, motor abilities, and behaviour were measured at 5 years (n = 327). Known risk factors for cognitive impairment were ascertained prenatally, after birth, at 6 and 13 weeks, at 6, 9, and 13 months, and at 5 years of age. RESULTS: Children with prolonged crying (but not those with colic only) had an adjusted mean IQ that was 9 points lower than the control group. Their performance and verbal IQ scores were 9.2 and 6.7 points lower than the control group, respectively. The prolonged crying group also had significantly poorer fine motor abilities compared with the control group. Colic had no effect on cognitive development. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive, uncontrolled crying that persists beyond 3 months of age in infants without other signs of neurological damage may be a marker for cognitive deficits during childhood. Such infants need to be examined and followed up more intensively.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2002

Effect of breastfeeding on cognitive development of infants born small for gestational age.

UNLABELLED: Breastfeeding during infancy appears to result in enhanced cognitive development during childhood, but it is not known whether breastfeeding should be encouraged for infants born small for gestational age (SGA) whose growth might otherwise benefit from nutritional supplementation. To address this issue, duration of exclusive breastfeeding and cognitive development were evaluated prospectively for 220 term children born SGA and 299 term children born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Cognitive development was assessed using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development at 13 mo and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence at 5 y of age. Infants born SGA were given supplemental foods significantly earlier than those born AGA. Growth of infants born SGA was not related to early nutritional supplementation. The salutary effect of exclusive breastfeeding on cognitive development was greater for children born SGA than for those born AGA. Based on a linear association between duration of exclusive breastfeeding and intelligence quotient (IQ), children born SGA and exclusively breastfed for 24 wk were predicted to have an 11-point IQ advantage over those breastfed for 12 wk, as opposed to a 3-point advantage for children born AGA with similar durations of breastfeeding. The IQ distribution of children born SGA and exclusively breastfed for more than 12 wk was not different from that of all children born AGA. CONCLUSION: Duration of exclusive breastfeeding has a significant impact on cognitive development without compromising growth among children born SGA. These data suggest that mothers should breastfeed exclusively for 24 wk to enhance cognitive development.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed2001

[Drug treatment of school children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder].

BACKGROUND: The use of stimulants in the treatment of AD/HD has increased dramatically over the last twenty years. We wanted to assess the prevalence of students treated with stimulants in the elementary schools in the city of Trondheim, Norway. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty of 53 schools (94%), representing 16,141 students, answered two questionnaires. Mentally retarded, autistic and otherwise severely handicapped students attending special groups or schools, were excluded. RESULTS: In all, 57 students (3.5 per 1,000) were treated with either methylphenidate or racemic amphetamine. Multivariate analysis suggested that the structure of the classroom was an essential risk factor for being treated with stimulants. The risk was higher in so-called "open schools" (no fixed walls between groups of students) than in schools with traditional classrooms (< 30 students in rooms separated by fixed walls). (Odds ratio: 5.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.1-26.4.) More detailed information was obtained from 47 of the 57 students; only one of whom was female. Teaching resources required for optimal pedagogical treatment were available for about one out of two of these 47 students. INTERPRETATION: Our results do not suggest that an inappropriately high proportion of students in the region are taking stimulants for AD/HD. On the contrary, AD/HD may be underdiagnosed and inadequately treated in girls. It seems likely that students with AD/HD are less likely to be treated with stimulants in schools with traditional classrooms, and our results also suggest a lack of teaching resources for these students.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Feeding problems and growth disorders among children with cerebral palsy in south and north Trondelag].

BACKGROUND: Growth retardation is common in children with cerebral palsy. This may in part be due to the cerebral injury, but insufficient nutrition may also play a role. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of feeding problems, growth retardation, underweight and overweight in children with cerebral palsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Population-based study of children with cerebral palsy in two Norwegian counties. Information was obtained both from parents and from medical records. 154 children born between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1996 were included in the study. RESULTS: 30% of the children had height below the 2.5th centile, 10% had weight for height below the 2.5th centile, and 7% were obese (weight above the 97.5th centile). 26% of the children had oral motor dysfunction and 33% were unable to self-feed. Although these problems were more prominent in children with severe forms of cerebral palsy, the results of the multivariate analyses suggested that lack of ability to self-feed was a significant independent risk factor for height growth retardation and underweight. Parents of 24 (15%) children reported that the family's quality of life was significantly impaired by the feeding problems of the child. INTERPRETATION: Our results are consistent with previous hospital-based studies and suggest that assessment of nutrition and growth should receive particular attention in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy, in particular if the child is unable to self-feed.

Body Height↗
PubMed2001

Breast feeding and cognitive development at age 1 and 5 years.

AIM: To examine whether duration of breast feeding has any effect on a child's cognitive or motor development in a population with favourable environmental conditions and a high prevalence of breast feeding. METHODS: In 345 Scandinavian children, data on breast feeding were prospectively recorded during the first year of life, and neuromotor development was assessed at 1 and 5 years of age. Main outcome measures were Bayley's Scales of Infant Development at age 13 months (Mental Index, MDI; Psychomotor Index, PDI), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence (WPPSI-R), and Peabody Developmental Scales at age 5. RESULTS: Children breast fed for less than 3 months had an increased risk, compared to children breast fed for at least 6 months, of a test score below the median value of MDI at 13 months and of WPPSI-R at 5 years. Maternal age, maternal intelligence (Raven score), maternal education, and smoking in pregnancy were significant confounders, but the increased risk of lower MDI and total IQ scores persisted after adjustment for each of these factors. We found no clear association between duration of breast feeding and motor development at 13 months or 5 years of age. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that a longer duration of breast feeding benefits cognitive development.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed2000

[The problem-based medical curriculum in Trondheim--did it turn out as planned?].

BACKGROUND: A problem-based (PBL) medical curriculum was implemented in 1993 at the Medical School of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The objective of this study was to examine how the planned reduction in scheduled activities, the emphasis on student-centred learning, and the integration of disciplines have been implemented. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The schedules in the old and new programmes were the main sources of data. Each scheduled activity was coded according to discipline taught and chosen learning method. RESULTS: The number of hours spent on scheduled activities was much higher in the new programme (n = 4,009) than in the intended (n = 2,974), and it was even slightly higher than in the old programme (n = 3,785). In contrast to plans there was less student-centered learning, and basic science was mainly taught during the two first years. INTERPRETATION: Contrary to plans, the new curriculum in Trondheim has not become a pure PBL curriculum. It is a hybrid model involving a number of learning methods. A high degree of autonomy of the individual faculty members in the planning, and resistance to change among faculty members may have caused less radical changes. This is not necessarily negative; the new model may be a pragmatic synthesis between new and traditional medical education.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1999

[Children and adolescents with Down syndrome in Sør-Trøndelag 1978-97].

Ultrasound examination offered to nearly all pregnant women in Norway may lead to the identification of fetuses with Down's syndrome. This may lead to termination of pregnancies and to a reduction in the prevalence of live-borns with Down's syndrome. In a retrospective study of hospital records we have examined the prevalence of Down's syndrome, associated malformations and diseases during the last 20 years. 68 children and adolescents with Down's syndrome were identified. 43 were born 1988-97 (1.16 per 1,000 births) and 25 1978-87 (0.8 per 1,000 births; p = 0.13). Congenital heart defects were diagnosed in 33 children (49%). Five children (7.4%) had died by the end of 1997, four with a cardiovascular defect. Four children had moved out of the region. Among 59 persons alive at the time of study, 11 (19%) were treated for hypothyroidism, 26 (44%) had been hospitalised because of infections, and 14 (20%) suffered from problems with sleep obstruction. 23 (39%) had impairments in hearing and 30 (51%) in vision. Ten children (18%) had a weight-for-height above the 97.5 percentile of standard growth charts for Norwegian children. Serum concentration of zink was below reference values in 15 children. We conclude that the prevalence of livebirths with Down's syndrome was not reduced in 1988-97 compared to 1978-87. Children with Down's syndrome have a wide range of somatic disorders and need close and systematic medical follow-up.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Smoking in pregnancy and children's mental and motor development at age 1 and 5 years.

We used data from a Scandinavian prospective multicenter study to investigate if smoking in pregnancy may have an adverse effect on the child's mental and motor abilities. Eligible for enrolment were para I and 2 women with a singleton pregnancy, who resided in one of the study areas and could be registered before the 20th gestational week. Women were classified as 'smokers' or 'non-smokers' at study start. At 13 months, 376 children (124 children of smokers) were evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. At this age, children of smokers and non-smokers performed equally well. At 5 years, 369 children (132 children of smokers) were tested with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence Revised (WPPSI-R), and 362 children with the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS). Children of smokers had an increased risk of getting a WPPSI-R score below the median value of the population (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2-3.3), but the risk was reduced when we adjusted for maternal education (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 0.9-3.7). Children of smokers had an increased risk of getting a test score below the median population value on the subscale 'balance' from PDMS (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2-2.8). Thus, we found that smoking in pregnancy was associated with a small, but demonstrable adverse effect on the child's balance at 5 years, whereas the negative effect on cognitive function did not reach statistical significance, when we adjusted for the mother's level of education.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Alexander Borodin--physician, chemist, scientist, teacher and composer].

Concert programmes and CD covers suggest that the Russian composer Alexander Borodin (1833-87) was also a great scientist. In this article we examine this proposition. Borodin was born in St. Petersburg as the illegitimate son of a Russian nobleman. As a boy his talents ranged from music to chemistry and languages. Borodin studied medicine at the Medico-Surgical Academy in St. Petersburg from 1850 to 1855 and defended his doctoral thesis on the similarity between arsenic and phosphoric acid in 1858. He did not, however, feel comfortable in his role as a doctor, and soon started to work as a chemist. In 1864 he was appointed professor of chemistry at the Medico-Surgical Academy. In 1861, Borodin attended the first international congress of chemistry in Karlsruhe, and he was among the founders of the Russian Chemical Society in 1868. He published 42 articles and was a friend of Dmitri Mendeleev, the scientist who described the periodic system. In 1872, Borodin started the first medical courses for women in Russia. It seems warranted to conclude that Alexander Borodin was indeed a great scientist and university teacher, though his immortality was earned by his leisure time activities.

Chemistry↗
PubMed1998

Quantitative EEG during controlled hypoglycaemia in diabetic and non-diabetic children.

We investigated quantitative EEG in 19 diabetic children (mean age 14.2 (SD 1.4) years, mean HbA1c 9.8 (SD 1.2)% and 17 non-diabetic children (14.3 (1.1) years) during and after a gradual reduction in plasma glucose with the glucose clamp technique. The amplitudes of the EEG frequency bands at each glucose level were compared to the registration prior to hypoglycaemia. At plasma glucose approximately 4 mmol l(-1), a small increase in delta (p < 0.05) and theta (p < 0.01) amplitude appeared in the combined diabetic and control group. At approximately 3 mmol l(-1), and at glucose nadir, a further and widespread increase in low-frequency EEG activity was observed. In diabetic and non-diabetic subgroups with similar glucose nadirs, the diabetic children had more delta (p < 0.01) and theta (p < 0.01) activity, and more epileptiform activity (p < 0.05), than the non-diabetic children. In the non-diabetic subjects, but not in the diabetic subjects, the increase in delta and theta activity correlated with a hypoglycaemic symptom score (r = 0.75, p = 0.001 and r = 0.77, p < 0.0005, respectively). In conclusion, EEG changes are detectable already at plasma glucose approximately 4 mmol l(-1) in children. EEG deterioration during hypoglycaemia is more pronounced in diabetic than in non-diabetic children. The increase in cerebral disturbances is not accompanied by an increment in hypoglycaemic symptoms in diabetic children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Cerebral MRI of very low birth weight children at 6 years of age compared with the findings at 1 year.

BACKGROUND: We have previously reported the results of cerebral MRI examinations in an unselected year cohort of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants at one year of corrected age. Twenty-one (78 %) of 27 infants had abnormal myelination, mainly in the central occipital white matter (COWM) and in the centrum semiovale (CS), seen on T2-weighted images. Twelve infants had irregular and dilated lateral ventricles. We speculated whether these findings indicated perinatal periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Only two infants had completely normal MRI at age 1 year. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the abnormal myelination seen at 1 year of age, was still present, either as delayed myelination or as gliosis caused by perinatal PVL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, we report the results of follow-up cerebral MRI in 20 of these infants at 6 years of age. RESULTS: Most of the children with MRI deviations at 1 year still had abnormalities at 6 years. Abnormal myelination in the central occipital white matter combined with abnormalities in the CS or with ventricular dilatation at age 1 year, presented as gliosis in 12 of 13 children at 6 years of age. Abnormalities solely in the COWM at age 1 year had normalised in two of five children and persisted as delayed myelination in three at age 6 years. Gliotic changes in periventricular white matter were found in 12 of 20 children (60 %). Areas most affected were the CS (11 children) and the COWM (9 children). Delayed myelination in COWM was found in six children (30 %), combined with gliosis in CS in three children. Twelve infants had ventricular dilatation both at 1 and 6 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The MRI correlates of PVL, i. e. gliosis and ventricular dilatation, are common findings on cerebral MRI at 6 years of age in VLBW infants.

Brain↗
PubMed1998

Urinary excretion of catecholamines in hospitalized and non-hospitalized healthy children and adolescents.

Non-conjugated catecholamines were measured in morning urine samples from 111 healthy, non-hospitalized subjects aged 8-18 y and in 16 hospitalized, healthy subjects aged 12 16 y. The catecholamines were extracted by cation exchange columns and alumina adsorption and quantitated with HPLC with electrochemical detection. The concentration of catecholamines was related both to the urinary creatinine concentration and to the collecting period and body surface area. Linear regression analysis was used to estimate continuous age-related reference centiles based upon the measurements from the 111 non-hospitalized subjects. The upper limits for the adrenaline/creatinine and noradrenaline/creatinine ratios were lower than in previous studies. The excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline per hour and m2 body surface area was higher in the 16 hospitalized than in the 74 age-matched non-hospitalized subjects. The excretion of the catecholamines expressed per hour and m2 body surface area and expressed relative to creatinine excretion, decreased with increasing age, and the excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline per hour and m2 body surface area was higher in boys than in girls. In conclusion, standardization of urine sampling leads to more narrow ranges for urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion in healthy children and adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Can cerebral MRI at age 1 year predict motor and intellectual outcomes in very-low-birthweight children?

This follow-up study reports on cerebral MRI findings in 20 very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants without disabilities at age 1 year in relation to motor, intellectual, and perceptual function at age 6 years. MRI findings, anthropometrics, and Bayley Scales of Infant Development scores at age 1 year as predictors of psychomotor status at age 6 years are also evaluated and compared. Outcome parameters were the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. The results show that infants with myelin hyperintensities including the centrum semiovale or with occipital hyperintensities with associated ventricular dilatation at age 1 scored lower on the Peabody Gross Motor Locomotion Scale at age 6 than infants with normal myelination or with isolated occipital hyperintensities. This may indicate damage to motor fibers caused by perinatal periventricular leukomalacia. No relation was found between abnormal MRI findings at age 1 and later fine motor, intellectual, and perceptual function. Comparing different age 1-year predictors, an abnormality score defined by MRI was used as an independent predictor of gross motor locomotion function at age 6 years. However, the Bayley Mental Development Index scores and weight at age 1 were more important predictors of later motor and intellectual outcome, respectively, than MRI findings. It is recommended that cerebral MRI should not be used routinely to examine VLBW infants without disabilities at 1 year of age.

Age Factors↗