Child Research Net - Resources - Brown University Newsletter

HOME

Resources

Archive of Brown Newsletter

Vol. 18, No. 11, November 2002
1. Keep Your Eye On...television-viewing
2. Mild head injury tied to psychosocial problems

Keep Your Eye On...television-viewing
The amount of time a child spends watching television may be associated with problem behavior, according to new findings. Researchers found that television-viewing time was positively associated with social problems, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, externalization and total problem scores on the Child Behavior Check list (CBCL). Television viewing had a negative correction with social and school achievement. Older age, male gender decreasing social subscale and increasing attention problem subscale scores on the CBCL were associated with watching more than two hours of television daily, the researchers reported. Researchers sent the parents of 888 second- and third-grade students the CBCL and a questionnaire on how much time their children spent watching television and engaging in other activities. The students were from two different grade schools, one in a high-income area and the other in a low-income district. [Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156:910-914]

Keep Your Eye On...television-viewing

The amount of time a child spends watching television may be associated with problem behavior, according to new findings. Researchers found that television-viewing time was positively associated with social problems, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, externalization and total problem scores on the Child Behavior Check list (CBCL). Television viewing had a negative correction with social and school achievement. Older age, male gender decreasing social subscale and increasing attention problem subscale scores on the CBCL were associated with watching more than two hours of television daily, the researchers reported. Researchers sent the parents of 888 second- and third-grade students the CBCL and a questionnaire on how much time their children spent watching television and engaging in other activities. The students were from two different grade schools, one in a high-income area and the other in a low-income district. [Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156:910-914]

Mild head injury tied to psychosocial problems
Most cases of mild head injury in young children do not produce any adverse effects, but long-term problems in psychosocial functioning can result from the more severe mild injuries, new findings show. Audrey McKinlay, of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and colleagues conducted a prospctive, longitudinal birth cohort study of 132 children who sustained a mild head injury before the age of 10. Children were divided into two groups on the basis of whether they required impatient (N=36) or outpatient care ( N=96) and compared with a reference group of children without head injury (N=613-807) that varied in size depending on variables and missing data. Assessments included a combined version of the Rutter and Connors maternal report questionnaires, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R), Burt Word Reading Test and the Progressive Achievement Test (PAT). "Our study was unique in that it divided the mild head injury group according to level of severity, giving us an inpatient and outpatient group," Mckinlay said in an interview with The Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter. "The division of the group in this way enabled us to provide an answer to the conflicting views on the effects of mild head injury by showing that adverse outcomes were associated with more severe mild head injury (inpatient cases), whereas less severe mild head injury (outpatient cases) resulted in no detectable deficits." McKinlay's team found that after controlling for potential confounds, the inpatient but not the outpatient group showed an increased number of behaviors associated with hyperactivity/inattention and conduct disorder between the ages of 10 and 13 years, as rated by both mothers and teachers (both p<0.001). In addition they found that these deficits were more prevalent in the inpatient subgroup who had been injured before age five relative to controls, based on mother (p<0.001) and teacher ratings (p<0.01) of hyperactivity/inattention and on combined conduct ratings (all p<0.001). There were no clear effects evident for any of the cognitive/academic measures, irrespective of injury severity or age at injury. McKinlay explained that mild head injury is a common event in childhood, but noted that until now it has generally been considered to be a relatively benign event. "The findings of this study alert clinicians to the fact that some instances of mild head injury in childhood may result in psychosocial problems later in life, McKinlay said. "It also provides some information that may be used in clinical settings, regarding the identification of children who are more likely to have ongoing problems." She added, "More importantly, this study indicates a need for greater awareness of early injuries and adds to growing evidence that brain injury during early life, even mild brain injury, does not necessarily have less adverse outcomes." McKinlay A, Dalrymple-Alford JC, Horwood LJ, et al.: Long-term psychosocial outcomes after mild head injury in early childhood. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psyshiatry 2002; 73:281-288. Correspondence to: Audrey McKinlay, Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, and Christchurch Movement Disorders and Brain Research Group, Christchurch, NewZealand. aco24@student.canterbury.ac.nz

Mild head injury tied to psychosocial problems

Most cases of mild head injury in young children do not produce any adverse effects, but long-term problems in psychosocial functioning can result from the more severe mild injuries, new findings show.

Audrey McKinlay, of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and colleagues conducted a prospctive, longitudinal birth cohort study of 132 children who sustained a mild head injury before the age of 10. Children were divided into two groups on the basis of whether they required impatient (N=36) or outpatient care ( N=96) and compared with a reference group of children without head injury (N=613-807) that varied in size depending on variables and missing data.

Assessments included a combined version of the Rutter and Connors maternal report questionnaires, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R), Burt Word Reading Test and the Progressive Achievement Test (PAT).

"Our study was unique in that it divided the mild head injury group according to level of severity, giving us an inpatient and outpatient group," Mckinlay said in an interview with The Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter. "The division of the group in this way enabled us to provide an answer to the conflicting views on the effects of mild head injury by showing that adverse outcomes were associated with more severe mild head injury (inpatient cases), whereas less severe mild head injury (outpatient cases) resulted in no detectable deficits."

McKinlay's team found that after controlling for potential confounds, the inpatient but not the outpatient group showed an increased number of behaviors associated with hyperactivity/inattention and conduct disorder between the ages of 10 and 13 years, as rated by both mothers and teachers (both p<0.001). In addition they found that these deficits were more prevalent in the inpatient subgroup who had been injured before age five relative to controls, based on mother (p<0.001) and teacher ratings (p<0.01) of hyperactivity/inattention and on combined conduct ratings (all p<0.001).

There were no clear effects evident for any of the cognitive/academic measures, irrespective of injury severity or age at injury.
McKinlay explained that mild head injury is a common event in childhood, but noted that until now it has generally been considered to be a relatively benign event.

"The findings of this study alert clinicians to the fact that some instances of mild head injury in childhood may result in psychosocial problems later in life, McKinlay said.

"It also provides some information that may be used in clinical settings, regarding the identification of children who are more likely to have ongoing problems."

She added, "More importantly, this study indicates a need for greater awareness of early injuries and adds to growing evidence that brain injury during early life, even mild brain injury, does not necessarily have less adverse outcomes."

McKinlay A, Dalrymple-Alford JC, Horwood LJ, et al.: Long-term psychosocial outcomes after mild head injury in early childhood. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psyshiatry 2002; 73:281-288. Correspondence to: Audrey McKinlay, Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, and Christchurch Movement Disorders and Brain Research Group, Christchurch, NewZealand. aco24@student.canterbury.ac.nz

The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter November 2002
Reproduced with permission of Manisses Communications Group, Inc
For subscription information contact Manisses at:
208 Governor St. Providence, RI02906 USA
Phone 1-401-861-6020
Fax 1-401-861-6370

email: ManissesCS@bdol.com