Development Of Executive Functions In Children With Frontal Lobe Lesions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,379.00
Summary
Executive functions (EF), refer to the ability to problem solve, think flexibly and in abstract terms and pay attention. EFs are essential for managing daily life activities. The frontal lobes of the brain are believed be important in coordinating EFs. In childhood, frontal areas are developing rapidly and damage may affect ongoing development due to impairments in a child's capacity to function normally within their environment, interfering with adaptive functions such as new learning and reaso ....Executive functions (EF), refer to the ability to problem solve, think flexibly and in abstract terms and pay attention. EFs are essential for managing daily life activities. The frontal lobes of the brain are believed be important in coordinating EFs. In childhood, frontal areas are developing rapidly and damage may affect ongoing development due to impairments in a child's capacity to function normally within their environment, interfering with adaptive functions such as new learning and reasoning. Executive dysfunction in children manifests as disorganisation, impulsivity, inattention and inappropriate behaviour. Such problems are often masked in early chilhood, due to highly structured environments and support of parents and care-givers in day-to-day activities. However, as children mature, expectations of indepence increase and executive deficits become more apparent (ie. child 'grows into' these problems). Appropriate treatment and management is dependent on (i) improvement in early identification of patients at risk for such sequelae; (ii) establishing long-term consequences of executive deficits to ongoing development. This research aims to advance our understanding of EFs and their development through childhood, both in healthy children and children with cerebral lesions to regions believed to subsume EFs(ie the frontal lobes). While anecdotal case data is available, to our knowledge, no other study has attempted to do this using a longitudinal group design. Specific predictions include; (i) Children with frontal lobe damage will perform more poorly on EF measures, in comparison to children with damage to other cerebral areas and healthy children; (ii) Children with frontal lobe damage will show increasing deficits on EF tasks over time, reflecting an inability to acquire executive skills in the expected time frame, when compared with children with localised damage to cerebral areas excluding the frontal lobes, and healthy children.Read moreRead less
Development And Evaluation Of A Novel Early Language Assessment Tool To Identify Vulnerable Children Who Would Benefit From Referral To Allied Health Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$554,388.00
Summary
Language disorder or delay are best addressed via allied health pathways. However, referral to such services requires a child's carers being able to differentiate typical and atypical development, causing high levels of over- and under-referral. We will develop an early Language and Communication tool that can be used by a child's carers to generate high-quality pre-diagnostic information, enabling appropriate and timely referral, and reducing current burdens on allied health services.
Preventing Early Language Delay In Primary Care Setting:cluster Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,133.00
Summary
The trial aims to lower the numbers of children with poor expressive language skills at ages 2 and 3 years, through a sustainable early language promotion program linked to the universal Victorian Maternal and Child Health (M and CH) service, attended by more than 75% of Victorian children at 12 months of age. The trial targets the 20% of toddlers most at risk of expressive language delay, by virtue of having limited or no spoken vocabulary at 18 months of age. It also aims to lower the numbers ....The trial aims to lower the numbers of children with poor expressive language skills at ages 2 and 3 years, through a sustainable early language promotion program linked to the universal Victorian Maternal and Child Health (M and CH) service, attended by more than 75% of Victorian children at 12 months of age. The trial targets the 20% of toddlers most at risk of expressive language delay, by virtue of having limited or no spoken vocabulary at 18 months of age. It also aims to lower the numbers of children with behaviour problems (strongly linked to language delay), to determine the acceptability and cost-effectiveness of the approach, and to determine whether it differentially benefits disadvantaged children.Read moreRead less
Predicting Language Skills From Early Auditory Speech Discrimination In Infants With Hearing Loss: Implications For Early Management And Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$706,113.00
Summary
Now that newborn hearing checks are available, hearing loss can be picked up soon after birth and hearing aids are fitted shortly after. Although procedures exist for checking that the devices make sounds audible, there is no way to evaluate their effectiveness for supporting a child’s auditory discrimination. This study aims to 1) develop new clinical tools for assessing infants’ auditory discrimination, and 2) determine whether early discrimination predicts spoken language at 3 years of age.
The Epidemiology And Characterisation Of Childhood Communication Disorders And Literacy Problems
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$514,013.00
Summary
I am a practising speech pathologist. My research program focuses on the epidemiology and characterisation of childhood communication disorders and literacy problems.
How Language Develops, What Goes Wrong, And Why It Matters: Following The Early Language In Victoria Study To Age 13
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$857,242.00
Summary
One in five children start school with low language. Little is known about the long term effects on developmental, educational attainment and other outcomes later in life. In this landmark study we will track the children's language, literacy and wellbeing from ages 8 to 12 years. We will capture the children's ability as they finish their primary school education and prior to the crucial transfer to high school.
Should Very Premature Babies Receive A Placental Transfusion At Birth? A Randomised Controlled Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,875,774.00
Summary
Premature babies under 30 weeks gestation are up to a hundred times more likely than full term babies to die or survive with major disability, often from brain damage due to poor blood flow after birth. This randomised study will find out if giving them more placental blood at birth, by means of a delay in clamping the umbilical cord, then milking it, reduces anemia, blood transfusions, brain damage, infection, death and disability. The results may benefit millions of premature babies worldwide.
Improving Outcomes Of Preschool Language Delay In The Community: Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$927,327.00
Summary
7-15% of preschool children have language delay, so are vulnerable to poor lifelong academic, social and economic outcomes. Small trials suggest that intervention helps. This randomized trial aims to find out the population costs and benefits of optimized intervention for 4 year olds following systematic identification of language delay. Because we have studied the 1500 participants since infancy, the trial could also shed light on why some children respond better than others to treatment.
Case-control Study Of Reasons For Presentation Of Nonmelanocytic Skin Cancers At An Advanced Stage.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,614.00
Summary
There are about four times as many skin cancers treated in Australia each year as all other cancers combined and the vast majority of these are the nonmelanocytic skin cancers (NMSC). While most of these cancers are easily treatable, a proportion of these cancers are not given potentially effective treatment until the cancer has reached an advanced stage. Preliminary results from our pilot studies indicate that at least 50% of patients with NMSC who are treated with radiotherapy and 92% of NMSC ....There are about four times as many skin cancers treated in Australia each year as all other cancers combined and the vast majority of these are the nonmelanocytic skin cancers (NMSC). While most of these cancers are easily treatable, a proportion of these cancers are not given potentially effective treatment until the cancer has reached an advanced stage. Preliminary results from our pilot studies indicate that at least 50% of patients with NMSC who are treated with radiotherapy and 92% of NMSC patients treated with a graft or flap surgical procedure by the dermatologists in Newcastle are so treated because of the extent of disease at the primary site. These advanced stage cancers make an important contribution to the 70,000 admissions to hospital for the treatment of NMSC each year in Australia. The total direct health services cost of treatment of these skin cancers was estimated to be $232,000,000 in 1993-94, which was more than for any other type of cancer. Some 379 people died from nonmelanocytic skin cancer in Australia in 1993 and these were all potentially preventable deaths. The study aims are therefore to: 1. Measure the contributions of delay in seeking treatment and inadequate inital treatment to the need for treatment of skin cancer at an advanced stage. 2. Ascertain the factors that are associated with delay in seeking treatment for skin cancer until it has reached an advanced stage. This study will be the first substantial and population-based study of advanced skin cancer and the factors that underlie it. It will give the first empirical guidance to the design of initiatives to prevent the development of advanced skin cancer, a major area of cost to Australian health services. The study will increase understanding of why some skin cancers are not treated definitively until they reach an advanced stage and guide the development of interventions to reduce the frequency of patients who present with advanced stage skin cancer.Read moreRead less