title: Does timing of brain lesion have an impact on children's attention?
abstract: This study examined developmental timing of brain lesion effects on children's attention skills. The sample of 138 children, 10-16 years at assessment, were grouped based on developmental timing of brain lesion: (1) Congenital; (2) Perinatal; (3) Infancy; (4) Preschool; (5) Middle Childhood; (6) Late Childhood. Children with lesions in infancy or earlier demonstrated global attention problems, while children with lesions in middle childhood performed closer to normal expectations. This pattern of results was particularly evident for encoding and shifting attention. Findings highlight vulnerability of the immature brain to lesions and identify critical periods in development for attention skills.
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. megan.spencer-smith@mcri.edu.au
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spencer-Smith
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Rani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000209:etiology*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003423:Critical Period, Psychological; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012016:Reference Values