Children sought for UQ study

Children sought for UQ study

University of Queensland researchers are seeking young children who have recently sustained head injuries to participate in a study on memory and language.

The study, which aims to improve care for children with head injuries, is being conducted by PhD student Tina Joyce, Dr Ken McFarland and Dr Rod Ashton in the University's School of Psychology.

Ms Joyce said recent international research showed that children with language problems had difficulties in memory for sounds.

"Some researchers suggest that this is a primary reason for language difficulties," she said.

"We are interested in seeing if this is the case for children with head injury who often experience language and learning difficulties on returning to school."

Ms Joyce said the study required the help of children aged four to eight, each of whom had sustained a head injury requiring an overnight stay in hospital or a readmission to hospital.

"We also wish to contact children who have sustained some other form of injury that required a trip to the emergency section of a hospital, for comparison," she said.

"The research aims to determine whether there is a link between children's memory for new sounds and vocabulary (the range of words a child knows). We are especially interested in whether this link is observed for children with head injury.

"We aim to improve the understanding of language problems children with head injury may face. The second phase of the study will be to conduct remediation for children with head injury who are having difficulties (for example, with their speech or reading development)."

Ms Joyce said researchers would supply a report of the child's performance, which could be helpful in assisting the child's return to school, or for other professionals helping the child with any difficulties.

She said children participating in the study would be asked do some tests lasting about one hour.

"They'll be asked to repeat numbers and non-words (words that don't make much sense), to play rhyming games, to name some pictures, and to make some designs out of blocks," she said.

"Children will also be shown a series of designs and then will select a design that completes the series. We aim to make the activities fun for the children, not stressful, and they will be given lots of positive feedback in the form of encouragement and praise.

"If families are interested, their children need to be tested between eight to 12 weeks of their injuries, and again, in one year's time."

People wishing to have their children participate in the study can contact Ms Joyce (telephone (07) 3376 9490).