Biomedical subjects

A Valls-Santasusana

Publications and source records attributed to A Valls-Santasusana.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

[A comparative study of pragmatic language disorders and autism spectrum disorders using magnetoencephalography].

INTRODUCTION: Pragmatics refers to the social use of language; its precursors are already present during the process of maturing, during the preverbal stage, and become manifest when the child starts to point and to share his or her attention with another person. In cases of specific language impairment (SLI) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) it can be altered to varying degrees. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Due to the difficulties involved in diagnosis from a clinical point of view, we carried out a study by means of magnetoencephalography (MEG) on a series of 11 patients who had SLI and another series of 9 patients with ASD, in order to determine whether MEG is capable of distinguishing these diagnoses. RESULTS: Patients with SLI displayed pathological activity in the frontal and middle temporal regions of both hemispheres. Patients with ASD showed pathological activity in the perisylvian area. Expressive-receptive SLI with pragmatic language disorder showed pathological activity that was similar to that seen in autism. CONCLUSION: MEG can be used to distinguish between SLI and ASD by studying the epileptiform activity that occurs in pervasive developmental disorders. MEG helps us to understand the continuum that exists between SLI or expressive-receptive SLI and autism.

Autistic Disorder↗

PubMed2005

[Functional neuroanatomical correlations of the perisylvian area in autism spectrum disorders].

INTRODUCTION: Autism spectrum disorders cover a continuum of disorders ranging from severe autism to mild autism and Asperger's syndrome. They are considered to be a subgroup of the pervasive development disorders and are characterised by the alteration of three basic areas of behaviour, qualitative alterations in reciprocal social interaction, qualitative alterations in communication and patterns of behaviour, and stereotyped, repetitive and restrictive activities and interests. These alterations are expressed to a greater or lesser degree depending on the level of severity of the disorder and can be detected and quantified by clinical instruments such as the ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) and the CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale). AIMS. Our aim was to establish a relationship between the specific behavioural characteristics of autism (evaluated by ADI-R and CARS) and brain structures and functions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample was made up of 10 subjects (9 boys and 1 girl) diagnosed with pervasive development disorder. RESULTS: We obtained statistically significant Spearman correlations between the ADI-R item restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behaviour patterns and the area of the right inferior precentral gyrus. A positive correlation was also found between the item for abnormality or apparent deviation in development before the age of 36 months and the right supramarginal gyrus area, while the correlation was negative between the former and the left postcentral gyrus. There was also a significant correlation between the number of perisylvian areas and epileptiform activity and qualitative incapacity in communication on the ADI-R, and some items on the CARS with areas of the perisylvian zone. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the relation between functional alterations of the different areas that make up the perisylvian region and the distinct behavioural features that define and characterise autism.

Autistic Disorder↗

PubMed2005

[Specific language disorders: their diagnosis, classification and study using magnetoencephalography].

INTRODUCTION: Specific language disorder (SLD) is defined as a disorder in which language is slow and retarded with respect to the patient's chronological age, and which is not related to a sensory-auditory or motor deficit or to a pervasive development disorder; in other words, structural and functional neurological developmental disorders must be excluded. After many studies and attempts to reach an agreement, specific language disorders have been broadly classified into two groups: specific expressive language disorder and specific receptive-expressive language disorder. AIMS: Our objective was to study SLD using magnetoencephalography (MEG) in order to look for epileptiform manifestations in precise language areas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied a sample made up of 11 patients with SLD, one of whom had Landau-Kleffner syndrome and one with cryptogenic-type SLD. The criteria used were age-dependent autism exclusion tests and specific language tests for SLD. The MSI technique was carried out on all the patients, by magnetic resonance and MEG. RESULTS: A characteristic pattern is obtained for SLD in the form of irregular spike and polyspike-wave discharges in bilateral frontal channels. The dipoles were situated mainly in the left perisylvian areas. CONCLUSIONS: The study of specific language disorders using MEG enables us to identify the SLD included in a proposed classification as primary-type specific language disorder, cryptogenic-type specific language disorder and secondary-type type specific language disorder, like Landau-Kleffner syndrome.

Language Disorders↗

PubMed1999

[Stereotypes, developmental disorders and neuroimaging studies].

INTRODUCTION: We believe that it is of great interest, in neuropediatric clinic, to value the molar behavior disorders and to accomplish the corresponding molecular alterations in the central nervous system. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 26 patients diagnosed of serious disorders of the development, that were presenting a typical clinic with manual stereotypes. We choose at random 5 children to practice them a study of metabolic neuroimaging through the Positron Emission Tomography with 18Fluoro-Deoxi-Glucose (PET-FDG). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion, more meaningful, is that the children with serious disorders of the development present a mature failure in the neuro-function circuits of the thalamus, as well as the cortical connection and association areas. This clinical situation is reinforced by the results of the PET-FDG, that presents a characteristic metabolic image of the autism children, with a bilateral decrease of the capitation of FDG, mainly in regions as thalamus, frontal and temporary lobes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

[Disorders associated with the Gilles de la Tourette syndrome].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Diagnostic criteria of the Gilles de la Tourette syndrome hasn't changed in many years. Lately, associated symptoms have became very important. In this study, we want to stress the relationship between precocious diagnostic criteria, proposed by us, and the associated symptomatology, specially the obsessive-compulsive disorder. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We have studied 30 patients with the diagnosis of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome with associated obsessive-compulsive disorder by means of our criteria, evaluating their fiability when confronted to the Shapiro et al and DSM III-R criteria. CONCLUSIONS: New criteria, that we have named Muñoz-Gómez, were useful for the precocious diagnosis of this syndrome and for evaluation of the associated symptomatology.

Adolescent↗