Effects of an adapted cognitive-behavioral intervention on emotional regulation, behavior, and adaptive functioning in colpocephaly: a case study with longitudinal follow up
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20453/rph.v18i2.7602Keywords:
colpocephaly, cognitive behavioral therapy, emotional regulation, adaptive functioning, single-case studyAbstract
Colpocephaly is a rare congenital brain malformation characterized by disproportionate enlargement of the occipital horns of the lateral ventricles and was associated with neurodevelopmental alterations affecting cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Evidence on sustained psychological interventions in this condition remained limited, particularly from an applied and longitudinal perspective. The objective of this study was to describe the effects of an adapted cognitive-behavioral intervention on emotional regulation, behavior and adaptive functioning in a child diagnosed with colpocephaly, using a single-case design with eight years of longitudinal follow-up. An applied single-case research design was implemented based on structured clinical observation, longitudinal behavioral records, and caregiver and teacher reports. The intervention was delivered intensively from ages 3 to 11, with an approximate frequency of 40 hours per month, prioritizing co-regulation strategies, environmental structuring, functional repetitive learning, and systematic caregiver training. Results showed a progressive and sustained reduction in emotional dysregulation, along with improvements in adaptive behavior, functional autonomy, instruction-following, academic self-regulation, tolerance to mistakes, and social participation, with gains generalized to school and broader social contexts with higher demands. It was concluded that early, intensive, and sustained adapted cognitive-behavioral intervention promoted emotional and adaptive development in a child with colpocephaly, and that longitudinal single-case design constituted a relevant approach for generating applied clinical evidence in low-prevalence neurological conditions.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Elisa Tarazona Marañon
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