Hemiparesis resulting from stroke presents characteristic spatiotemporal gait patterns. This study aimed to clarify the spatiotemporal gait characteristics of hemiparetic patients by comparing them with height-, speed-, and age-matched controls while walking at various speeds. The data on spatiotemporal gait parameters of stroke patients and that of matched controls were extracted from a hospital gait analysis database. In total, 130 pairs of data were selected for analysis. Patients and controls were compared for spatiotemporal gait parameters and the raw value (RSI) and absolute value (ASI) of symmetry index and coefficient of variation (CV) of these parameters. Stroke patients presented with prolonged nonparetic stance (patients vs. controls: 1.01 ± 0.41 vs. 0.83 ± 0.25) and paretic swing time (0.45 ± 0.12 vs. 0.39 ± 0.07), shortened nonparetic swing phase (0.35 ± 0.07 vs. 0.39 ± 0.07), and prolonged paretic and nonparetic double stance phases [0.27 ± 0.13 (paretic)/0.27 ± 0.17 (nonparetic) vs. 0.22 ± 0.10]. These changes are especially seen in low-gait speed groups (<3.4 km/h). High RSIs of stance and swing times were also observed (–9.62 ± 10.32 vs. –0.79 ± 2.93, 24.24 ± 25.75 vs. 1.76 ± 6.43, respectively). High ASIs and CVs were more generally observed, including the groups with gait speed of ≥3.5 km/h. ASI increase of the swing phase (25.79 ± 22.69 vs. 4.83 ± 4.88) and CV of the step length [7.7 ± 4.9 (paretic)/7.6 ± 5.0 (nonparetic) vs. 5.3 ± 3.0] were observed in all gait speed groups. Our data suggest that abnormalities in the spatiotemporal parameters of hemiparetic gait should be interpreted in relation to gait speed. ASIs and CVs could be highly sensitive indices for detecting gait abnormalities.

Parental involvement in children’s education is a critical factor associated with children’s socio-emotional and educational outcomes. However, low parental involvement occurs more often among economically disadvantaged families. It is unclear what mechanisms may explain the association between family economic status and parents’ educational involvement. Using a large low-income sample from northwestern China ( N = 12,724), we examined the influence of two proximal processes in parents – expectation for children’s highest educational attainment and perceived barriers to involve – in linking family economic status and the involvement of parents in children’s education. We also examined whether these relations may vary by parents’ level of education. Results of structural equation modeling suggested that parents’ expectation and perceived barriers mediated the relationship between family economic status and parental involvement. These relations were particularly prominent among highly educated mothers. Findings elucidate proximal processes in parents and highlight the unique effects of economic status and parents’ level of education in understanding the link between family economic status and parental educational involvement in Chinese families.

Deficits in executive function have been associated with internalizing problems in children. Yet little is known about the mechanisms that may explain this association. Using longitudinal data across elementary school years (N ϭ 1,364), this study examined the role of peer difficulty and poor academic performance in understanding longitudinal associations between executive function and internalizing problems. Executive function was measured in first grade with observed tasks and standardized tests. Peer difficulty and academic performance were reported by teachers and/or mothers at three waves. Internalizing problems were reported by mothers at four waves. Using structural equation modeling, results demonstrated that peer difficulty and poor academic performance independently mediated longitudinal relations between executive function and internalizing problems. Findings highlighted the importance of children's functioning in key identity domains in understanding the adverse impact of inferior executive function on internalizing problems in school-age children.

On the basis of longitudinal data across 9 years, this study examined the contribution of sustained attention and executive function to the poor cognitive and socioemotional adjustment of school-age children whose mothers had depressive symptoms during the child's infancy. Mothers (N = 1,364) reported depressive symptoms across their child's infancy and early childhood. Maternal sensitivity was observed during laboratory interactions at 36 months. At school entry children's sustained attention and executive function were measured with computer-generated tasks. In third grade, cognitive and socioemotional adjustment was assessed with standardized tests and the reports of fathers and teachers. Using structural equation modeling, findings showed that (a) exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms during the child's infancy, independent of later exposure, uniquely predicted children's poor sustained attention and executive function at school entry; (b) deficits in children's sustained attention and executive function occurred because of depressed mothers' tendencies to display insensitive parenting behavior; and (c) these deficits explained in part relations between exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms in infancy and children's poor cognitive and socioemotional adjustment in third grade. Findings highlight the potential importance of children's exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms specifically during the child's infancy for disrupting the development of fundamental cognitive processes that may underlie the adjustment problems children of depressed mothers display in middle childhood. (PsycINFO Database Record

This study examined subgroups of depressed mothers who differ on their intrusive and withdrawn behavior. It explored the stability of these differences, why they occur, and their role in children's early developmental risk. With 6- to 24-month data from 1,364 dyads, latent class analysis identified 3 stable patterns of early parenting among mothers consistently above clinical thresholds on depressive symptoms (n = 159): 2 low-functioning patterns (high intrusive, high intrusive/high withdrawn) and 1 high-functioning pattern (low intrusive/low withdrawn). Low-functioning depressed mothers were no more depressed than high-functioning depressed mothers, but lacked personal resources and were in low-support, high-stress contexts. Differences in their children's development over the first 2 years appeared to depend primarily on demographic risk. By 36 months, however, stable differences in depressed mothers' patterns of intrusive and withdrawn parenting-independent of demographic risk-predicted cognitive and language development, the quality of the relationship with the mother (attachment, responsiveness to mothers), and socioemotional competence. Children of high-functioning depressed mothers were not significantly different from children of nondepressed mothers in cognitive and language development and in attachment and responsiveness to the mother, but displayed more behavior problems and less social competence. Findings reveal stable differences in parenting within a sample of depressed mothers, support a stress and coping perspective on why these differences occur, and demonstrate their potential role in determining the risk children of depressed mothers face over the first 3 years.