Mary K. Morris

Concordance of Self- and Informant Ratings of Adults' Current and Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms

Self-informant rating concordance for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms was assessed in 281 adults at the subscale (Inattention, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity) and individual symptom levels. Potential demographic, diagnostic, and informant identity moderators were also investigated. Concordance levels were similar for current and childhood symptoms. Although moderate positive correlations were found between self- and informant ratings on both subscales, informants endorsed more significant inattentive symptom severity. Kappa coefficients were variable, suggesting low concordance for certain symptoms. Sex and ADHD diagnosis moderated concordance, although effect sizes were small. These results have implications for the use of behavior rating scales in diagnosing ADHD, raise questions about the validity of self- and informant ratings, and support the need to investigate individual-differences variables that may impact concordance.

Cognitive-behavioral remediation of problem solving deficits in children with acquired brain injury

The inability to problem solve can have a deleterious impact on a students academic performance and social adjustment. Children with an acquired brain injury (ABI) are at risk for deficits in problem solving skills. This case study and series of multiple baseline experiments examined the effects of a multi-component cognitive-behavioral training program on the remediation of problem solving deficits in five children with ABI. Results indicated that the training program resulted in a substantial decrease in errors on a computerized problem solving task used to monitor problem solving performance during baseline and treatment. In addition, significant improvements were found on two of four standardized measures of problem solving abilities. Finally, students, parents and teaching staff reported a high degree of satisfaction with and generalization of the training program.

Evaluation of the Double-Deficit Hypothesis in College Students Referred for Learning Difficulties

The present study explored the double-deficit hypothesis (DDH) in a sample of 146 college students with and without reading disabilities (RD). The results indicated that although both phonological awareness (PA) and visual naming speed (VNS) contributed to performance on measures of decoding and comprehension, their relative contribution was influenced both by the nature of the stimulus (word vs. nonword vs. text) and by the conditions of the task (timed vs. untimed). Similar results were obtained using an individual differences approach, or when between-group comparisons were made of individuals with deficits in PA or VNS. The relative representation of DDH subgroups in groups of adults with RD varied based on the classification criteria used to define RD. These results support the DDH, extend its applicability to adults, and have implications for diagnostic decision making.

Cognitive functioning of children with end-stage renal disease before and after successful transplantation

3. Habib R, Bois E: H6t6rogdndit6 des syndromes n~phrotiques ~. d6but prococe du nourrisson. Helv Paediatr Acta 28:91, 1973. 4. Roy S Ill, Pitcock JA: Idiopathic nepbrosis in identical twins. Am J Dis Child 121:428, 1971. 5. Halhnan N, Norio R, Rapola J:Congenital nephrotic syndrome. Nephron 11:101, 1973. 6. Kaplan BS, Bureau MA, Drummond KN: The nephrotic syndrome in the first year of life: ls a pathologic classification possible? J PED[ATR 85:615, 1974. 7. Seelig HP, Seelig R, Sch~irer K: lmmunbistologische Untersuchungen bei der diffusen mesangialen Sklerose mit nephrotischem Syndrome in Sg.uglingsalter. Z Kinderheilk 120:111, 1975. 8. Rumpelt H J, Bachmann H J: Infantile nephrotic syndrome with diffuse mesangial sclerosis: A disturbance of glomerular basement membrane development? Clin Nephrol 13:146, 1980. 9. Churg J, Sobin LH, editors: Renal disease: Classification and atlas of glomerular diseases. Tokyo, 1982, igaku-Shoin. 10. Noonan JA: Hypertelorism with Turner phenotype: A new syndrome with associated congenital heart disease. Am J Dis Child 116:373, t968.

Risk Factors Associated with Long-Term Social and Behavioral Problems Among Children with Brain Tumors

Abstract This study investigated long-term social and behavioral outcomes in 40 children with brain tumors. Demographic, medical, cognitive, and psychosocial predictors at short-term follow-up at Time 1 (one to two years postdiagnosis) were used to predict long-term social and behavioral outcomes three to four years after diagnosis (Time 2). Below-average social competence and average overall behavioral ratings were reported at Time 2. Multiple medical treatments and lower social competence scores at Time 1 were significant predictors of long-term difficulties concerning social competence, whereas lower socioeconomic status and higher total scores regarding behavior problems at Time 1 were the best predictors of long-term behavioral problems. The results of the study have implications for mental health screening and intervention during the early years after diagnosis.

Neuropsychological concomitants of calculation skills in college students referred for learning difficulties.

The contributions of 3 conceptual domains from a theoretical model of math skill (Geary, 1993) were examined in a large sample of college students referred for assessment of possible learning disorders. Measures were chosen from a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, to represent each of the 3 domains (semantic retrieval, executive-procedural, and visuospatial). The proposed model was examined using structural equation modeling (LISREL), and factors representing the 3 latent domains were derived. The domains of semantic retrieval and executive-procedural skills together accounted for approximately 17% of the variance in calculation skills. The domain of visuospatial skills failed to account for significant incremental variance.

Social problem solving in children with acquired brain injuries.

Objectives: To assess the performance of children with acquired brain injuries (ABIs) on a measure of social problem solving and to examine the relationships between participant characteristics and performance on the Social Knowledge Interview (SKI) and between parent-reported child behavior and performance on the SKI. Design: Between-group comparisons using correlational analyses, matched pairs t-tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Participants: Thirty-one children 6–12 years old with ABI and 31 control participants, matched on age and sex. Main outcome measure: The SKI, a measure of social problem-solving skills. Results: Using matched pairs t-tests and ANCOVA, groups were compared on several SKI measures, including the number of unique responses generated for each problem scenario, the quality of those responses, and the ability to select the best response from a set of alternatives. When equated for socioeconomic status (SES), ABI and control participants performed similarly on the SKI; however, a trend for children with ABI to generate more assertive responses was observed. Performance on the SKI was positively correlated with IQ and related to parent-reported adaptive behavior. In children with ABI, performance was also related to primary lesion location and treatment regimen. Conclusions: Children with ABI are as capable of judging the appropriateness of behavior and generating response options on an analog measure of social problem solving as were their typically developing peers. However, those individual children with ABI who are more likely to have social problems may be identified by the qualitative aspects of their responses on analog tasks. These findings have implications for the identification of children with social skills deficits following ABI and for the development ofeffective rehabilitation strategies.

Attention mediates radiation's impact on daily living skills in children treated for brain tumors.

Radiotherapy is associated with an increased survival rate in children with brain tumors, but also with cognitive decline. This study examined the time‐dependent effects of radiation treatment on adaptive functioning in children with brain tumors. The potentially mediating effects of attention span (Trial 1 of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test [RAVLT]) assessed within 7 years of diagnosis were explored.

Depressive and conduct disorder symptoms in youth living with HIV: The independent and interactive roles of coping and neuropsychological functioning

Abstract Emerging research suggests the importance of psychosocial characteristics (e.g., coping and social support) for positive adaptation among youth with behaviorally acquired HIV. However, little is known about how these traits interact with cognitive abilities to impact emotional and behavioral adjustment. This study examined whether coping skills and executive functioning interact in their association with psychological adjustment in HIV-positive youth. Data from Project Adolescents Living with HIV/AIDS (ALPHA), a study to examine psychosocial, behavioral and neuropsychological functioning of youth with behaviorally acquired HIV, were used. Fifty-nine participants, aged 14–23, diagnosed with HIV prior to age 20 and receiving care in one of two HIV clinics in Atlanta or New York City, were recruited, consented and enrolled. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), conduct disorder (Adolescent Symptom Index), and use of positive and negative coping strategies (Kidcope). The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) assessed abstract reasoning (categories completed) and cognitive inflexibility (perseverative errors). In this sample of HIV-positive youth, depressive symptoms were best predicted by an interactive combination of negative coping skills and poor neuropsychological functioning. Neuropsychological functioning (cognitive inflexibility) and negative coping skills were directly associated with conduct disorder symptoms. Results highlight the importance of including neuropsychological assessment in the evaluation of HIV-positive youth, particularly those with emotional or behavioral problems.

A neuropsychologically based assessment model of the structure of attention in children

Traditional attentional assessment paradigms have often failed to separate factors relevant to components of attention from factors related to other cognitive‐related processes or task‐specific variance. This study attempted to evaluate various multidimensional assessment models of childrens attentional functioning using a neuropsychological framework addressing multiple components of attention. A series of increasingly complex measurement models were proposed to explain 2nd graders’ (n = 107) patterns of performance across multiple measures of hemispheric activation, verbal and nonverbal selective and sustained attention, and general ability. Evaluation of the latent structure produced by these measurement models using confirmatory factor analysis suggested that a multidimensional factor structure that incorporated components of attention involving levels of processing provided a better resolution of the latent structure of the data than those based on lateralized processes or a unidimensional attention...