Evaluation and Application of an Adapted Measure of Inspection Time of Children w

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study will examine processing speed in children with cerebral palsy by utilizing inspection time (IT) to measure speed of visualization, a component of PS. PS is associated with development of critical cognitive functions including working memory and fluid intelligence, and is sensitive to brain dysfunction, medication effects, and aging. Traditional PS measures such as Wechsler Coding and Digit Symbol tests have significant motor demands and are not accessible to many children with CP. IT tasks, which measure a component of PS, can be administered using modified response strategies. IT tasks consist of visual stimuli presented on a computer screen for varied, but controlled lengths of time, e.g. 50ms. Examinees are asked to make a simple decision regarding the stimuli's visual properties, with IT measured as the shortest presentation time for which an individual judges correctly 70% of the time. Because IT tasks are commonly offered via computer, they are amenable to assistive technology. Because response time is not a necessary component of IT tasks, the task is, by its nature, more accessible to individuals with impairments of communication and movement than standard graphomotor PS tasks. Targeted medical, psycho-educational, and vocational interventions and planning for this population depend in part upon accurate assessment of cognitive ability. Accessible assessment of a component of PS in children with severe impairments of communication and movement would allow sensitive measurement of cognitive capabilities and changes in function in this population. Specific aims are as follows: Specific Aim 1: To examine psychometric properties, including reliability and validity, of a modified IT task. Hypothesis 1.1: The modified IT procedure will have adequate test-retest reliability with stability coefficients at or above .80. Hypothesis 1.2: The modified IT procedure will show adequate concurrent validity. Hypothesis 1.3: The modified IT procedure will show adequate criterion validity. Specific Aim 2: To compare the IT profiles within and between groups using the traditional and modified IT task procedures. Hypothesis 2.1: Between-group differences in IT profiles will be maintained across instrument type. Hypothesis 2.1: IT performance in children with CP will be independent of level of motor impairment. To accomplish these aims, 60 children with CP and 60 typically developing (TD) children will participate in the study. The 60 children diagnosed with CP will be comprised of two subgroups, each representing different levels of impairment. The first group consists of children who communicate verbally (VCP) and have functional activity levels classified as GMFCS I-III. The second group will consist of children who communicate nonverbally (NVCP) and classified as GMFCS Levels IV and V. TD peers will be matched for age and gender. Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) will be used to describe differences in neuropsychological profiles between CP and TD groups, and between CP subgroups. It is expected that the psychometric foundation laid by the current proposal would set the stage for larger studies that examine neuropsychological outcomes, including neuroanatomic and neurophysiological correlates of IT in children with CP, more accurate assessment of cognitive potential, and medication effects in children with different subtypes of CP and different perinatal and socioenvironmental risk factors. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]