Is Executive Function Intact After Pediatric Intracranial Hemorrhage? A Sample of Mexican Children With Hemophilia

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine executive functioning outcomes in children with hemophilia who have suffered intracranial hemorrhage. We assessed 10 boys with hemophilia with intracranial hemorrhage; 6 boys with hemophilia without intracranial hemorrhage; and 10 healthy boys as controls. Intellectual functioning was assessed with subscales from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Mexican Revision. Concept formation and reasoning, cognitive flexibility, and planning and organization domains from a neuropsychological assessment battery for Spanish-speaking children were employed for our analysis. Results indicated that children with intracranial hemorrhage demonstrated significant impairment on some measures of executive function compared with the control groups. All differences reflected poorer performance by the intracranial hemorrhage group. These results may reflect the impact of disruption to immature brain circuits and the deficiency of functional specificity within the immature brain. This is the only known study examining neuropsychological functioning in Mexican youth with hemophilia.

Intracranial haemorrhage in children with inherited bleeding disorders in the UK 2003‐2015: A national cohort study

“…Historically, mortality following ICH was extremely high and even in more recent studies occurs in 20%‐25%, with neurological sequelae commonly reported …”

“…Historically, mortality following ICH was extremely high and even in more recent studies occurs in 20%-25%, with neurological sequelae commonly reported. 4,5,[15][16][17] Improvements in diagnosis, management and the widespread use of prophylaxis, particularly in severe haemophilia, might be expected to have influenced both the occurrence and the outcomes of ICH in children with IBDs. The aim of this study was to define the incidence, clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of ICH in a national cohort of children with IBDs attending UK haemophilia centres from 2003 to 2015, where prophylaxis is the standard care for severe phenotype IBD.…”

Autism spectrum disorders in boys at a major UK hemophilia center: prevalence and risk factors

“…A review paper on neuropsychological functioning in boys with hemophilia suggested a higher prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning difficulties than in the general population [ 12 ]. Another study reported that boys with hemophilia aged 6 to 16 years and no history of ICH, brain injury or intellectual disability had impaired behavior regulation and executive function (EF) compared with controls, resulting in a lack of focus, inability to control emotions, follow instructions, and problem solve [ [13] , [14] , [15] ] (attributes common in ASD) [ 16 ]. Furthermore, boys with hemophilia and a history of ICH have also been identified as having impaired EF compared with controls [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Automated respiratory sinus arrhythmia measurement: Demonstration using executive function assessment

“…EFs represent one mechanism through which poverty negatively impacts children’s performance in school (Buckner, Mezzacappa, & Beardslee, 2009; Crook & Evans, 2014; Nesbitt, Baker-Ward, & Willoughby, 2013). Moreover, deficits in EFs are implicated in multiple developmental disabilities (Sinzig, Vinzelberg, Evers, & Lehmkuhl, 2014; Willcutt, Doyle, Nigg, Faraone, & Pennington, 2005), as well as numerous pediatric diseases and physical health conditions (Mendley et al, 2015; Morales et al, 2013; Winter et al, 2014). As a result, there is widespread interest among educators, clinicians, and policy-makers in developing and deploying individualized and classroom-based programs that enhance EF abilities, and improved measurement of EF is essential for these program evaluation activities.…”