View clinical trials related to Executive Functioning.
Filter by:- Background: Recent studies have linked exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) to neurodevelopmental outcomes but the findings are mixed and mechanisms are unclear. We aim to determine the impact of PM on the developing brain of schoolchildren in Poland, a European country characterized by very high levels of air pollution. The investigators aim to determine the impact of PM on the developing brain of schoolchildren in Poland, a European country characterized by very high levels of air pollution. - Study area: 19 towns in three voivodeships (Lesser Poland, Silesian, Opole) in the southern Poland. To reduce confounding by urbanicity and at the same time, to achieve sufficient contrasts in PM levels without too high logistic costs, towns were selected by size (big and small) and by PM levels (high, medium and low). - Design: Case-control study with 800 children recruited over two school years, with two population controls per one ADHD case. Suspected cases will be recruited in specialized facilities and presumably ADHD-free children will be recruited in primary schools. - Exposure assessment: Poland-wide PM and other air pollutants' grids will be created for the years 2006 to 2021 using statistical models to incorporate land use data, estimates from transport models, satellite observations and air pollution measurements from Polish monitoring network. Prenatal, early-life, lifelong and concurrent exposures will be calculated. - Psychological testing: Every child and their parents will complete a series of psychological tests and interviews that will be conducted during their three visits to the recruitment facility. - Neuroimaging: Each participant will undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning session that will be performed accordingly to the Human Connectome Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development project recommendations. Scanning will be performed on a single scanner in Krakow.
The purpose of this study is to better understand the genetic and environmental etiology of early infant effortful control and infant feeding behaviors, and preschool executive functioning and eating behaviors. An additional purpose is to establish whether these four constructs (infant effortful control; infant feeding behaviors; preschool executive functioning; and preschool eating behaviors) have shared genetic and / or environment etiologies. Study objectives: (1) Evaluate the extent to which genetic influences on infants' effortful control of behavior are modified by prenatal diet, exercise and stress (2) Estimate the extent to which infant effortful control of behavior predicts and shares genetic influences with preschool executive functioning, and preschool eating behaviors. (3) Identify which genes are associated with infant effortful control behavior, preschool executive functioning, and preschool eating behaviors. (4) Examine whether there is a pattern of bacteria in the gut microbiome which associates with infant effortful control of behavior, preschool executive functioning, and preschool eating behaviors.
EEG Neurofeedback is a noninvasive way that allows the central nervous system to self regulate and the frontal cortex to be accessed through quieting of the limbic system at the subcortical level. Currently there is limited research in regards to the implications of EEG Neurofeedback, however, the investigators of this study have been using EEG Neurofeedback as a passive modality in the treatment of various pediatric clients with a variety of diagnoses and disorders. The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not EEG neurofeedback is effective in improving executive functioning skills in pediatric, school aged children as a modality in traditional occupational therapy services. The investigators hypothesize that EEG neurofeedback will assist with improved sensory gating abilities, therefore allowing for higher levels of cognition and awareness due to increased opportunities for the brain to regulate itself.
The current study utilized a randomized controlled trial, conducted in a real-life setting, to determine whether, how, under which conditions, and for whom, infusing various levels of human-animal interaction (HAI) in a 4-week, university-based stress prevention program provides an effective approach to prevent negative ramifications of university students stress, promote student executive functioning and learning, while safeguarding animal welfare. This study will examine effects of sole exposure to evidence-based stress prevention content, hands-on HAI with registered PET Partner teams, or combinations thereof on students' moment-to-moment well-being and longer-term functioning in socioemotional, cognitive and physiological domains.This study will also develop a comprehensive coding system and measure the dynamic nature of behavior of participants, handlers and animals during university- based animal assisted activities, as well as the HAI environment. The data and analyses will then be utilized to inform the development of a quantitative measure to capture of the quality of human animal interaction in various settings to experimentally determine causal pathways underlying program effects on humans and animals.