Comprehensive Longitudinal Study of the Physical and Psychophysiological Development of Schoolchildren at the Preadolescent, Early Adolescent, and Late Adolescent Ontogenetic Stages

Results are presented of a 10-year comprehensive study of the changes in somatic, psychophysiological, and autonomic parameters of 132 students of an innovative school (a linguistics-oriented gymnasium) by using computer-aided psychophysiological and functional diagnostics. Certain changes were found in the development of the structural and functional psychosomatic complexes of students at different stages of their ontogenesis.     

Rhythmic Acoustic Stimulation as a Method for Regulating the Functional State of the CNS in Young Schoolchildren

The author studied the dynamics of EEG (spectral power density and coherence functions) and autonomic (electrodermal resistance, EDR) indices in young schoolchildren with changes in the functional state of the CNS caused by rhythmic sensory stimulation (acoustic signals with frequencies of 6 and 9 Hz). Both of these signals influenced the CNS and may be used to achieve relaxation. Their comparison demonstrated both similar postrelaxation shifts (increased coherence of distant connections) and frequency-specific phenomena (more numerous significant changes in the respective frequency ranges). Thus, the signal frequency determines the pattern of physiological shifts, influencing the relaxation quality. Low-frequency (6 Hz) stimulation caused more pronounced changes in the CNS, reflected in enhanced EDR, and a stronger increase in the short-term memory volume. The author discusses the frequency-specific neurophysiological mechanisms of the effect of stimulation on the functional state of the brain.     

Climate and Chest Disorders in Schoolchildren

A survey of the respiratory disorders in schoolchildren from rural areas showed no significant differences between the United Kingdom and Australia and New Zealand in loss of time from school owing to chest illness. Contrary to expectations the warmer the region the greater the prevalence of bronchitis, asthma, and hay fever. These results should encourage a critical appraisal of the respiratory benefits of warmer climates, and also suggest that the English climate should prove to be no more than a minor barrier to any future reduction of respiratory mortality in the U.K.     

Characteristics of Authorial Thinking in Young Schoolchildren

One of the relevant problems of educational psychology is the study of conditions ensuring the development of independent thinking in schoolchildren in the course of formal learning. On the one hand, this means that it is necessary to encourage studies in an area traditional to educational psychology, namely, cultivation of techniques of independent problem-solving in schoolchildren. On the other hand, I think it follows from this that new studies are necessary, particularly in the area of teaching children the techniques of independently formulating problems on various topics in their school subjects, i.e., cultivation of techniques of an author's mode of thought.     

Psychophysiological Mechanisms of Writing Difficulties in Schoolchildren

The temporal and qualitative organization of writing movements was studied in six- to seven-year-old and nine- to ten-year-old right-handed and left-handed children with underdeveloped visuomotor coordination. The characteristic features of the temporal and qualitative organization of these movements at different stages of motor skill formation were found. Regarding the temporal structure of the series of writing movements, a pause was observed between individual movements in the series of motor task formation. The duration of this pause may serve as a criterion of the degree and efficiency of writing skill formation. The disturbance of the temporal structure of movements during the formation of handwriting speed at the initial stages of learning deteriorated the temporal organization of movements, drastically decreased the quality, and impeded the formation of the skill. The destructive processes were more pronounced in the case of accelerated handwriting in left-handed children and especially in children with underdeveloped visuomotor coordination.     

The Development of Artistic Perception in Schoolchildren

The elements of the material of a work of art (in literature these are the individual words or individual facts used by the author) make no aesthetic sense outside of a context. In themselves they are understandable in the particular cultural-historical environment and cause no difficulties in perception during the course of reading.¹     

Ways of Investigating Motivation for Learning in Schoolchildren

The tasks of universal education in our country and the cultivation of an active, comprehensively developed personality in the young people of communist society call for further studies of the possibilities of mobilizing the "human factor," the reserves of mental development, in schoolchildren. The new tasks confronting contemporary education (not just to increase pupils' knowledge quantitatively but also to teach them ways to acquire that knowledge independently [1]) and the practical problems of classroom instruction (overburdening of pupils in some subjects, diminished interest in school at certain periods, e.g., at the transition from primary to secondary school) necessitate psychological study of ways to stimulate the activity of schoolchildren and to cultivate in them an active, internalized interest in schoolwork.     

Hypertriglyceridemic Waist and Metabolic Abnormalities in Brazilian Schoolchildren

ObjectiveTo identify the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTW) phenotype and its association with metabolic abnormalities in schoolchildren.MethodsA cross-sectional study, with a sample of 241 students aged 10 to 14 years from public schools (4 schools) and private (2 schools) from Paranavai town, in Parana State, Brazil. Anthropometric variables (weight, height, waist circumference) and levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C, non-HDL and LDL-C were analyzed. In statistical tests of Pearson partial correlation and multivariate logistic regression, considering p<0,05.ResultsThe prevalence of HTW was 20,7% among schoolchildren, 14,1% in males and 6,6% among females with higher proportions aged 10–12 years old. Multivariate analysis indicated that the students who attended private schools were nearly three times more likely (95% CI: 1,2–5,6), to be diagnosed with HTW compared with those who attended public schools (p = 0,006), and LDL-C was the only metabolic variable positively associated with the outcome (p = 0,001), where the students categorized with elevated serum levels had odds 4,2 times (95% CI: 1,6–10,9) having the HTW compared to students in appropriate levels.ConclusionThis study showed higher prevalence of hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype in students when compared to prospective studies in Brazil and worldwide. It also showed that the only metabolic alteration associated with HTW phenotype was LDL-C (low density lipoprotein).     

A Concept of Educational Activity for Schoolchildren

About two years ago, on a cool Southern California day, Vasili Davydov addressed a group of social scientists at the University of California, San Diego. He began his talk with a paradox. He had come, he said, to tell us about educational activity. He promised to exhibit principles that promote educational activity, and applied programs deriving from those principles. Then he laughed. "But you'll never see educational activity in the school," he said, and laughed again.     

Serum Alkaline Phosphatase and Rickets in Urban Schoolchildren

Among 569 schoolchildren (386 boys and 183 girls) aged 14-17 years, 233 had serum alkaline phosphatase values of 30 K.A. units or greater. There was no significant difference in the results in Asian, white, or West Indian children. The mean values were significantly greater in boys than girls and both showed a fall in mean values with increasing age. Radiological rickets occurred in at least 4% of the survey, and was more common in Asians. Low calcium and high hydroxyproline excretion in most of those investigated and the response to vitamin D therapy suggests that most children with alkaline phosphatase levels above 30 K.A. units have rickets.Since the decline of the widespread supplementation of the diet with vitamin D, the demands of the physiological growth spurt for extra vitamin D in adolescents already on a borderline intake may be responsible for the great increase in “biochemical” rickets. Once the growth spurt is over the condition subsides but the results of impaired growth or permanent pelvic deformity will not necessarily be eradicated.     

Decreased response of epinephrine and norepinephrine to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in diabetic autonomic neuropathy

The responses of epinephrine, norepinephrine and other counter-regulatory hormones to insulin-induced hypoglycemia were investigated in 5 diabetics who showed signs of autonomic neuropathy, in 7 age-matched diabetics without autonomic neuropathy and in 7 healthy subjects. The presence of autonomic neuropathy was evaluated by decreased beat-to-beat variation in heat rates during hyperventilation or orthostatic hypotension. Catecholamines were determined by a totally automated plasma catecholamine analyzing system using a two-column system of high performance liquid chromatography. Plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine responses to hypoglycemia in diabetics with autonomic neuropathy were significantly lower than those in diabetics without autonomic neuropathy. Plasma glucagon response in diabetics was apparently attenuated compared to normal controls and there was no significant difference in glucagon response between the two patient groups. Other counter-regulatory hormone responses did not differ among the three groups. The data demonstrate that the responses of plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine to insulin-induced hypoglycemia are impaired in diabetics with autonomic neuropathy.     

Age-Related Changes in Attention and Impulsivity in Young Schoolchildren

Normative values of attention, impulsivity, response time, and response time variability were determined for seven- to ten-year-old children with the continuous performance Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA). An age-related increase in attention and a decrease in impulsivity, response time, and its variability were revealed. Differences in TOVA scores were studied for students of gymnasia and schools providing general education.