Background. The assessment of auditory-verbal functions in children is important for understanding the general patterns of their development. It is also necessary for identifying children with weaknesses in this area and providing them with appropriate correction and development. Despite the existence of numerous diagnostic methods for evaluating these functions, the develop- ment of novel tools and the estimation of their sensitivity persist as significant and pertinent endeavours. Objective. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a developed procedure for reproducing pseudo-words (PW) in evaluating the state of auditory-verbal functions in primary school children. Study Participants. The study involved 129 elementary school students, including 54 second graders and 32 third graders without learning disabilities (LD) and 23 second graders and 20 third graders with LD. Methods. All children completed the “Pseudowords” methodology developed by the authors. This method included two sets of PW with varying degrees of similarity to real words, varying in length (two- and three-syllable PW) and number (presented individually or in pairs). The auditory stimuli were presented to the subjects, who were instructed to reproduce them with the maxi- mum degree of accuracy. The responses of the subjects were recorded and subsequently analysed. The children also underwent a neuropsychological assessment including evaluation of their auditory-verbal information processing and executive functions. Results. An analysis of the data demonstrated that, in general, children with learning disabilities tend to reproduce PW less accurately. In addition, the success of reproduction decreased with increasing length of the stimuli and their number in both groups. However, this effect was more pronounced in the LD group. A comparison of the two types of PW — those similar to real words and those dissimilar to real words — revealed that PW close to real words are reproduced better than those far from real words. Furthermore, the effects of PW length and number are more pronounced when reproducing PW that are dissimilar to real words. The expected correlations between the results of the method and neuropsychological indicators of auditory-verbal information processing and executive functions were also identified. Conclusion. The proposed method demonstrates sensitivity to the evaluation of auditory-verbal information processing func- tions in children with developmental disorders. Due to the variety of stimuli (pseudowords of different types and lengths), it can be utilized to study the patterns of development and conduct a detailed assessment of the state of auditory-verbal information processing functions in primary school children with normal and abnormal development.
Relevance. Human albumin (HA) accounts for 60% of all plasma proteins and is an important component of extracellular fluids, including lymph, interstitial and cerebrospinal fluid. This protein has multifunctional properties — it supports oncotic blood pressure, regulates the immune system, stabilizes the endothelium and affects key pathophysiological mechanisms. The aim of the review is to determine the features of the structure, properties and use of HA in acute medicine with a primary focus on brain damage of hypoxic-traumatic origin. Literature was searched in the databases PubMed, Google Academic, Web of Science, RSCI by keywords: human albumin, critical conditions, brain hypoxia, reactive oxygen species and nitrogen, search depth of 10 years. An analysis of data on the structure and modifications of HA in hypoxia/ischemia under conditions of increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) is presented. The informative value of HA modifications (“ischemia–modified albumin” — IMA and albumin oxidized by RNS from tyrosine — 3-nitrotyrosine — 3-HT residues) in the diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases is considered. One of the limitations of the use of HA in critical condition medicine is the lack of knowledge of the mechanisms of action of HA and modifications of endogenous and exogenous (injected) HA during infusion therapy. In the reduced state, HA has antioxidant activity and can neutralize the action of ROS and RNS formed during hypoxia. However, under conditions of hypoxia/ischemia and oxidative/nitrosative stress, HA is susceptible to oxidation and modification, which leads to the loss of its protective properties.
Introduction. Multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE) is a disease that progresses as a child grows, which leads to severe deformities of the skeleton. In 30–60% of MHE cases, the bones of the forearms are affected with the development of radius deformity. In addition to resection of bone and cartilage formations, surgical treatment may include various types of osteotomies using submersible metal fixators and external fixation devices. The development of guided-growth technology dictates the need to expand the scope of minimally invasive surgery. The possibilities of using this technology for deformities of the upper extremities have not yet been sufficiently studied. Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of the method of controlled bone growth in the surgical treatment of ulnar deformity against the background of multiple hereditary exostoses. Materials and methods. In the period from 2021–2024, thirty three 5 to 17 years children (55 segments/forearms) were hospitalized at the National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health. The study group consisted of 13 children (15 segments) diagnosed with: Distal radius deformiry on the background of multiple hereditary exostoses. A control group of 20 (40 segments) children were diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Patients from the study group underwent surgical treatment of radius deformity using temporary arrest of the growth zone (hemiepiphysiodesis) of the radius. All the studied patients were assessed the angle of the ulnar tilt (UT) and of the lunate subsidence (LS) on X-rays of the forearm in direct projection, patients from the study group were radiographed in the preoperative period and 12–20 months after surgery. The statistical analysis of the studied parameters is based on the search for statistical differences in groups and was performed in the Stattech program. Results. The preoperative value of the elbow angle UT was 35° (33.40), after surgical treatment, UT was 27° (24.32) at p = 0.0002. The value of the LS before surgery was 8.73 ± 3.33 mm, after surgical correction LS was 7.48 ± 3.36 mm at p = 0.005. The achieved level of correction of UT and LS in the study group did not statistically differ from that of the control group, which indicates that the target values were achieved. The average angle of correction of the UT parameter was 8°/year, the trend in postoperative LS values was 1.25 mm/year. Conclusion. The technology of guided-growth effectively corrects the axis of the radius deformity in MHE children during growth. The timely application of this technology makes it possible to prevent the development of severe deformity of the radius and to abandon the performance of corrective osteotomies in the future
Background: Spastic and pain syndromes are detected in 60-78% of patients after spinal cord injury (SCI) above the lumbar enlargement. Spasticity and pain worsen the rehabilitation prognosis and hinder an adequate care of such patients. The applied surgical techniques initially give good results, but in the long term they have many complications. Epidural stimulation of the spinal cord at the level of the lumbar enlargement significantly reduces spastic and pain syndromes in 61.8% of adult patients, and can be a method of choice for the correction of spastic and pain syndromes in children with SCI consequences.
Introduction. Multifunctional glutamic acid (glutamate, Glu) is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). By providing excitatory neurotransmission, Glu activates glutamate receptors (GluRc) associated with the intake of calcium (Ca2+). Acute and chronic Glu excitotoxicity and nitric oxide (NO) play a leading role in the mechanisms of neuron death during brain hypoxia, which accompanies cerebral circulatory disorders (CCD), strokes, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of the study was to determine changes in the content of glutamic acid in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the functional activity of GluRc receptors in children with various forms of hypoxic brain damage. Materials and methods. Seventy nine CCD newborns, 36 children with congenital hydrocephalus, 58 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia complicated by neuroleukemia, 42 children with epilepsy and paroxysmal conditions, and 159 children with TBI were examined. The content of Glu, glutamine (Gln), ammonia and biochemical markers of hypoxia (glucose, lactate) were determined in CSF and blood in CCD newborns using enzyme methods. The content of autoantibodies to NMDA and AMP GluRc was determined by enzyme immunoassay methods. The content of NO and its transformation products was estimated by the total content of nitrites and nitrates using the Griss method. Results. As the severity of hypoxic brain damage increased, glucose levels decreased in the CSF of newborns, the content of lactate, protein, ammonia, and Glu increased, and the permeability of the brain-blood barrier increased. At the same time, the more pronounced brain damage was observed in children with various hypoxic CNS injuries, the higher the levels of Glu, total protein, and CA were observed in CSF. Conclusion. The established patterns allowed determining the importance of NO and its conversion products in the functional activity of GluRc and showing the involvement of NO in protective and damaging processes in brain tissue.
