Congratulations to Jhanahan Sriranjan & Ann Mary Wilfred for winning the 2020 McMaster Child Health Conference Poster Competition! Please find below the winning abstract(s) and poster(s)!
Jhanahan Sriranjan's Abstract & Poster
Title: Anterior EEG Cross-Frequency Correlation in Preoperative Anxiety: Associations with Shyness and Sociability
Abstract: The prospect of surgery can be a stressful affair for children, causing them to experience preoperative anxiety in anticipation of surgery. Preoperative anxiety dramatically affects a child’s surgery experience, causing disturbances in sleep patterns, greater analgesic administration, and increased recovery times. These adverse outcomes demonstrate a need for a greater understanding of contributing factors in the development of preoperative anxiety. The current study examines associations between child temperament and anterior cortical electrical activity (EEG) using Delta-Beta cross-frequency correlation in children anticipating outpatient elective surgery during their preoperative clinic visit (T1), and immediately prior to surgery (T2). Children aged 8-13 years old and their parents (n=62) were recruited at T1, where they completed assessments of child temperament including the CCTI, CBSS, and EATQ. EEG activity was recorded in 4 cortical sites (TP9, AF7, AF8, & TP10) via a Muse EEG headband at both time points. Analysis included comparison of Delta-Beta correlations to group differences in temperament. Significant Delta-Beta correlation was found in right frontal sites at T2 for children with high parental ratings of sociability (r = 0.0.437, p=0.011) and low ratings of shyness (r=0.410, p=0.034). These differences were supported by child reports of high sociability (r=0.488, p=0.004), low shyness (r=0.487, p=0.005), and high inhibitory control (r=0.362, p=0.038). These findings may suggest a difference in children’s ability to self-regulate in novel contexts based on temperament, such that highly sociable children are unable to rely on their typical coping mechanisms. Individual temperament may be a useful tool in postoperative management in children.
Abstract: The prospect of surgery can be a stressful affair for children, causing them to experience preoperative anxiety in anticipation of surgery. Preoperative anxiety dramatically affects a child’s surgery experience, causing disturbances in sleep patterns, greater analgesic administration, and increased recovery times. These adverse outcomes demonstrate a need for a greater understanding of contributing factors in the development of preoperative anxiety. The current study examines associations between child temperament and anterior cortical electrical activity (EEG) using Delta-Beta cross-frequency correlation in children anticipating outpatient elective surgery during their preoperative clinic visit (T1), and immediately prior to surgery (T2). Children aged 8-13 years old and their parents (n=62) were recruited at T1, where they completed assessments of child temperament including the CCTI, CBSS, and EATQ. EEG activity was recorded in 4 cortical sites (TP9, AF7, AF8, & TP10) via a Muse EEG headband at both time points. Analysis included comparison of Delta-Beta correlations to group differences in temperament. Significant Delta-Beta correlation was found in right frontal sites at T2 for children with high parental ratings of sociability (r = 0.0.437, p=0.011) and low ratings of shyness (r=0.410, p=0.034). These differences were supported by child reports of high sociability (r=0.488, p=0.004), low shyness (r=0.487, p=0.005), and high inhibitory control (r=0.362, p=0.038). These findings may suggest a difference in children’s ability to self-regulate in novel contexts based on temperament, such that highly sociable children are unable to rely on their typical coping mechanisms. Individual temperament may be a useful tool in postoperative management in children.
Ann Mary Wilfred's Abstract & Poster
Title: Self-management in youth with epilepsy: How can they adopt a healthy and active lifestyle?
Introduction: There is a need for individually-developed interventions that address child- and youth-identified challenges in self-managing their life with epilepsy. We aim to identify the experience, facilitators and barriers to increasing and/or maintaining physical activity (PA).
Methods: We recruited youth with epilepsy (YWE) who participated in our previous RCT, and their caregivers. The RCT investigated the effectiveness of a personalized coaching intervention in increasing physical activity. Participants were invited to join one-hour virtual (via Zoom) focus group sessions, separate for girls, boys, mothers, and fathers. These sessions were facilitated by child life specialists, and thematically analyzed.
Results: We have conducted 4 successful focus group sessions: one for older females, two for mothers, and one for fathers. The major themes that emerged from the thematic analysis include the following factors: developmental, personal, environmental, the impacts of epilepsy on PA, and the role of technology and PA, familial role, and motivators for PA.
Discussion: This qualitative study provided valuable insight into the impacts of epilepsy on PA, both from a child and caregiver perspective. Epilepsy affects many areas of a youth’s life, including family dynamics, social interactions, and individual development, which together play an important part in participation in PA. By understanding these lived experiences, healthcare providers and researchers can better support YWE and their caregivers and create tailored interventions to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion: Going ‘to the source’ identified strategies either used, or proposed, to help YWE adopt and sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Introduction: There is a need for individually-developed interventions that address child- and youth-identified challenges in self-managing their life with epilepsy. We aim to identify the experience, facilitators and barriers to increasing and/or maintaining physical activity (PA).
Methods: We recruited youth with epilepsy (YWE) who participated in our previous RCT, and their caregivers. The RCT investigated the effectiveness of a personalized coaching intervention in increasing physical activity. Participants were invited to join one-hour virtual (via Zoom) focus group sessions, separate for girls, boys, mothers, and fathers. These sessions were facilitated by child life specialists, and thematically analyzed.
Results: We have conducted 4 successful focus group sessions: one for older females, two for mothers, and one for fathers. The major themes that emerged from the thematic analysis include the following factors: developmental, personal, environmental, the impacts of epilepsy on PA, and the role of technology and PA, familial role, and motivators for PA.
Discussion: This qualitative study provided valuable insight into the impacts of epilepsy on PA, both from a child and caregiver perspective. Epilepsy affects many areas of a youth’s life, including family dynamics, social interactions, and individual development, which together play an important part in participation in PA. By understanding these lived experiences, healthcare providers and researchers can better support YWE and their caregivers and create tailored interventions to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion: Going ‘to the source’ identified strategies either used, or proposed, to help YWE adopt and sustain a healthy lifestyle.
