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American Academy of Pediatrics Publications

Princeton University McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience explores the ways in which the brain acquires, modifies and stores information during cognitive processes, efforts that are of critical importance to Princeton scientists as they advance knowledge of neural coding and dynamics.Neural coding refers to the ways in which information is represented in the electrical and biochemical signals in neurons (perception and short-term memory) and the patterns of synaptic connections (long-term memory). Neural dynamics refers to the patterns of nerve cell electrical and chemical activity in which information is created, manipulated, and stored. Neural dynamics are involved in decision-making, planning, and executing sequences of behavior.

Patients with epilepsy undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) have electroencephalograms (EEGs) recorded before and during their stimulation treatment. Subsequently we will be using computer-assisted analysis of the digitally-recorded EEG signals to assess the effects of DBS on the brain-wave frequency content and any abnormal seizure-like patterns that may be present.

PubMed Study Abstract: Growth and health in children with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy. Study proposed to describe observed growth patterns and their relationship to health and social paricipation in a respresentative sample of children with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy.

2010 Study - Increased morbidity in severe early intrauterine growth restriction.CONCLUSIONS: Infants born prematurely who are also severely IUGR have higher neonatal morbidity and mortality when compared to infants of similar gestational age. The surviving IUGR infants had less intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia than less mature infants of comparable birth weight, but a similar incidence of ROP and length of stay. They had a higher incidence of NEC, direct hyperbilirubinemia and chronic lung disease, probably due to end-organ damage in utero from chronic placental insufficiency. These findings highlight the unique pattern of mortality and morbidity seen in infants with severe early IUGR.

Idiopathic juvenile thoracic scoliosis is a tridimensional deformation of the spine which may impact on the intrathoracic organs. Bracing is one of the oldest treatments of spinal deformities. It relies on the indirect manipulation of spinal curvatures in order to prevent curve progression, which may affect respiratory function.The acoustic reflection method is based on the analysis of the reflection of a single transient planar wave giving the longitudinal cross-sectional area profile of the examined cavity. It is noninvasive and harmless.The EOS™ device allows a double incidence, full body, and low-dose X-ray acquisition with thoracic 3D reconstruction.The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of bracing on the upper airways patency (by means of the acoustic method), on the breathing pattern (noninvasive respiratory muscles assessment), and on the thoracic penetration index (by means of the EOS™)

Shriners Hospitals for Children study proposes to determine if injections of BTX-A to the hamstring muscles result in measurable physiologic changes not observed with normal saline injections in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy who walk with a flexed-knee gait pattern.

Canadian study to examine the roles of clinical risk scoring, electronic fetal heart monitoring and fetal blood gas and acid-base assessement in the prediction of intrapartum fetal asphyxia in term pregnancies. The study concluded that although fetal heart rate patterns will not discriminate all asphyxial exposures, continuous fetal heart rate monitoring supplemented by fetal blood gas and acid-base assessment can be a useful fetal assessment paradigm for intrapartum fetal asphyxia

NIH PubMed Abstract of study assessing sucking behavior of preterm neonates as a predictor of developmental outcomes.The relationship between the pattern of sucking behavior of preterm infants during the early weeks of life and neurodevelopmental outcomes during the first year of life was evaluated

ies National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance study to analyze and utilize existing data collected by the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies to provide a national description of identification patters across time and comparisons of the ooutcome for children and youth with disabilities with outcomes of samples including their nondisabled peers.

Study being conducted to identify specific motor signatures of different forms of dystonia. Study will examine abnormal co-activation in distal and proximal muscles to evaluate the characteristics of the loss of selectivity of the motor command in mobile vs. fixed dystonia. We will also study possible cognitive and limbic components of the disease, examining the influence of cognitive and emotional loads on movement production.

Abnormal Executive function (EF) profile was considered a major characteristic of Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, and is frequently implicated in Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) children as well. This study is to characterize the profile of executive functions and eye movements in several populations of children with developmental disabilities.

The relation between eye movement and brain function is a subject of interest to the National Eye Institute. By comparing eye movement in healthy volunteers to research conducted on patients who have difficulty moving their eyes, the National Eye Institute hopes to develop and improve diagnostic procedures for people with eye diseases. Objectives: To study eye movement in 100 healthy adult and child volunteers. To understand how individuals see visual patterns and how eye movement affects the ability to see.