Background Clinical symptoms and neuropsychological deficits are longitudinally associated with functional outcome in chronic psychiatric cohorts. The current study extended these findings to young early-course outpatients, the aim of identifying cognitive markers that predict later socio-occupational functioning. Methods At baseline, 183 outpatients were assessed. Ninety-three returned for follow-up (M = 21.6 years old; SD 4.5) an average re-assessment interval months (SD 7.0), primary...

Cognitive remediation (CR) is an effective treatment for several psychiatric disorders. To date, there have been no published studies examining solely first-episode cohorts, despite the merits demonstrated by early intervention CR studies. The current study aimed to assess effectiveness of in patients with a either major depression or psychosis. Method Fifty-five (mean age = 22.8 years, s.d. 4.3) were randomly assigned (n 28) as usual (TAU; n 27). involved once-weekly 2-h sessions total 10...

Abstract This study used the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-Revised to investigate a wide range cognitive abilities in people with Williams syndrome (WS). It involved comparatively large sample 31 WS, but took case-series approach. The addressed widespread claims characteristic "WS profile" by looking for heterogeneity rather than homogeneity. People WS showed variety preserved (significantly above mental age [MA]), expected (at MA), and significantly impaired below MA) levels...

The developmental course of cognitive deficits in individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is unclear. objectives this study were to determine the natural history function and MRI T2-hyperintesities (T2H) from childhood adulthood examine whether presence discrete T2H can predict performance adulthood. We present structural neuroimaging data 18 patients NF1 five sibling controls assessed prospectively across an 18-year period. Longitudinal analyses revealed a significant increase...

A limited number of longitudinal studies have investigated long-term neuropsychological development in the pediatric stroke population. This study retrospectively examines cognitive outcomes 41 children with a history stroke, reference to age at laterality, region and mechanism stroke. In course recovery, measures intellectual functioning memory were administered two time points, whilst executive functioning, attention academic skills one point. As predicted, performed significantly worse...

Global and local processing was studied in Williams Syndrome (WS), autism (AS), Down (DS) using perception, attention, construction tasks. Past research has suggested an abnormal bias toward global DS and, contrast, both WS AS. Until now, no study investigated whether the AS a different or similar underlying cause. Findings here suggest common mechanism, namely attention processing. Results also indicate DS. This finds evidence to support predictions of hierarchical deficit theory (Mottron &...

This study aimed to investigate face scanpaths and emotion recognition in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) whether: (1) the eyes capture attention of WBS individuals faster than typically developing mental age-matched controls; (2) patients spend abnormally prolonged periods time viewing eye region; (3) skills or gaze patterns change depending on emotional valance face.Visual were recorded while 16 controls passively viewed happy, angry, fearful, neutral faces. Emotion was subsequently...

Observations of behaviour and research using eyetracking technology have shown that individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) pay an unusual amount attention to other people's faces. The present examines whether this faces is moderated by the valence emotional expression.Sixteen participants WS aged between 13 29 years (mean = 19 9 months) completed a dot-probe task in which pairs displaying happy, angry, neutral expressions were presented. performance group was compared two groups typically...

Executive functions are amongst the most heritable cognitive traits with twin studies indicating a strong genetic origin. However genes associated this domain unknown. Our research into neurodevelopmental disorder Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) has identified gene within causative recurrent 1.5/1.6 Mb heterozygous microdeletion on chromosome 7q11.23, which may be involved in executive functioning. Comparative genome array screening of 55 WBS patients revealed larger ∼1.8 18% cases, results...

Although prenatal alcohol and nicotine exposure are associated with reduced cognition in children, associations between consumption of during lactation have not been examined. We aimed to examine whether drinking or smoking while breastfeeding lowers children's cognitive scores. hypothesized that increased would be dose-dependent reductions.Data were sourced from Growing Up Australia: The Longitudinal Study Australian Children. Participants 5107 infants recruited 2004 assessed every 2 years....

Neurofibromatosis Type I (NF1) is a single gene disorder associated with cognitive and behavioral deficits. While there clear evidence for poorer social outcomes in NF1, the factors underlying reduced function are not well understood. This study examined theory of mind (ToM) children NF1 unaffected controls.ToM was assessed (n = 26) controls 36) aged 4-12 years using nonverbal picture sequencing task. The task understanding ToM (unrealized goals, false belief, pretence, intention), while...

This research aimed to comprehensively explore psychopathology in Williams syndrome (WS) across the life span and evaluate relationship between age category (child or adult), gender, cognitive ability. The parents of 50 participants with WS, ages 6–50 years, were interviewed using Schedule for Affective Disorders Schizophrenia School-Age Children. prevalence a wide range Axis I Diagnostic Statistical Manual Mental (DSM-IV; CitationAmerican Psychiatric Association, 1994) disorders was...

As survival rates for pediatric liver transplant continue to increase, research attention is turning toward long-term functional consequences, with particular interest in whether medical and transplant-related factors are implicated neurocognitive outcomes. The relative importance of different unclear, due a lack methodological uniformity, inclusion differing primary diagnoses, varying policies, organ availability jurisdictions. This cross-sectional, single-site study sought address various...

Indiscriminate social approach behaviour is a salient aspect of the Williams syndrome (WS) behavioural phenotype. The present study examines in pre-schoolers with WS and evaluates role face behaviour.Ten (aged 3-6 years) two groups typically developing children, matched to group on chronological or mental age, participated an observed play session. session incorporated non-social components including that assessed towards strangers; one which stranger's could be seen was covered.In response...

Although people with Williams syndrome (WS) are often characterized as friendly and sociable relatively good general language abilities, there is emerging evidence of pragmatic difficulties trouble comprehending aspects non-literal language.The main aim was to investigate the comprehension sarcasm, metaphor simile in WS relative typically developing controls. A secondary examine association between a range other cognitive both population.Twenty-six participants were compared 26 chronological...