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"What about us?"- the drawbacks of current bruxism assessment criteria in evaluating vulnerable groups

Jenny Helen Kingsley Downs Leonard Wong BApplSci (physio) MSc PhD MBChB MPH MBBS, MPH, MMedStat Head, Child Disability Principal Research Fellow

Psychometric evaluation of clinician- and caregiver-reported clinical severity assessments for individuals with CDKL5 deficiency disorder

The CDKL5 Clinical Severity Assessment is a comprehensive, content-validated measurement tool capturing the diverse challenges of cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 deficiency disorder, a genetically caused developmental epileptic encephalopathy. The CCSA is divided into clinician-reported and caregiver-reported assessments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure of these measures through confirmatory factor analysis and evaluate their validity and reliability.

Caregiver Perspective of Benefits and Side Effects of Anti-Seizure Medications in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder from an International Database

CDKL5 deficiency disorder presents as a challenging condition with early-onset refractory seizures, severe developmental delays, and a range of other neurological symptoms. Our study aimed to explore the benefits and side effects of anti-seizure medications in managing seizures among individuals with CDKL5 deficiency disorder, drawing on data from the International CDKL5 Disorder Database.  

Behavioural and neuropsychological outcomes in children exposed in utero to maternal labour epidural analgesia

Recent studies report conflicting results regarding the relationship between labour epidural analgesia (LEA) in mothers and neurodevelopmental disorders in their offspring. We evaluated behavioural and neuropsychological test scores in children of mothers who used LEA.

Psychosocial wellbeing, parental concerns, and familial impact of children with developmental coordination disorder

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition impacting motor skill acquisition and competence. While previous studies have identified adverse psychosocial outcomes in DCD, they are limited by small or population-screened, community-based samples.

FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development Guidances: Considerations for Trial Readiness in Rare Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) are rare, often monogenic neurodevelopmental conditions. Most affected individuals have refractory seizures. All have multiple severe impairments which can be as life-limiting as or more limiting than the seizures themselves. Mechanism- and gene-targeted therapies for these individually rare, genetic conditions hold hope for treatment, amelioration of disease expression, and even cure. 

How Well Does the EQ-5D-Y-5L Describe Children With Intellectual Disability?: “There's a Lot More to My Child Than That She Can't Wash or Dress Herself.”

The EQ-5D-5L is a generic health utility instrument for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL), with self-report and proxy report versions for children (EQ-5D-Y-5L). Children with intellectual disability (ID) are a heterogeneous population whose impairments and comorbidities place them at risk of poor HRQoL. This study aimed to describe the content validity and suitability for children with ID of a proxy report version of the EQ-5D-Y-5L as seen by their caregivers.

What does better look like in individuals with severe neurodevelopmental impairments? A qualitative descriptive study on SCN2A-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathy

There are limited psychometric data on outcome measures for children with Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs), beyond measuring seizures, and no data to describe meaningful change. This study aimed to explore parent perceptions of important differences in functional abilities that would guide their participation in clinical trials.

People with Cerebral Palsy and Their Family's Preferences about Genomics Research

The goal of this study was to understand individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and their family's attitudes and preferences to genomic research, including international data sharing and biobanking.

Building the Future Therapies for Down Syndrome: The Third International Conference of the T21 Research Society

Research focused on Down syndrome has increased in the last several years to advance understanding of the consequences of trisomy 21 (T21) on molecular and cellular processes and, ultimately, on individuals with Down syndrome. The Trisomy 21 Research Society (T21RS) is the premier scientific organization for researchers and clinicians studying Down syndrome.