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PubMed1999

Prediction of Boston Naming Test performance from vocabulary scores: preliminary guidelines for interpretation.

Patients with limited education or underdeveloped vocabulary skills may perform below the normal range on the Boston Naming Test when compared to the original published norms, even in the absence of brain damage. To reduce the frequency of false positive dysnomic classifications of patients with limited vocabulary skills, we developed a score adjustment to account for the significant shared variance between scores on this test and the WAIS-R Vocabulary subtest. Vocabulary significantly predicted performance on the Boston Naming Test (r = .65, p < .0001) in a sample of 62 outpatients who had no objective evidence of brain damage. Linear regression was used to derive expected performance on the Boston Naming Test from Vocabulary scaled scores. Relative to the original published norms, scores based on the Vocabulary subtest cut-offs produced fewer false positives and more accurately classified group membership for patients with and without objectively verified brain damage. These performance predictions are offered as tentative guidelines to assist clinicians in evaluating the presence of naming deficits by controlling for the variance associated with knowledge of vocabulary.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Decrease of folic acid and cognitive alterations in patients with epilepsy treated with phenytoin or carbamazepine, pilot study].

INTRODUCTION: Phenytoin and carbamazepine were the antiepileptic drugs most frequently used in Mexico and throughout the world. Epileptic patients who take these drugs have a variety of collateral effects including the decrease of folates plasmatic level. Low seric folic acid concentration has been associated with a decline in cognitive functions. The administration of a combined treatment with folic acid could ameliorate these difficulties. OBJECTIVE: To describe the effect of the folic acid in the cognitive function in epileptic patients who take phenytoin and carbamazepine. METHODS: We chose patient who have epilepsy and that are being treated with phenytoin, carbamazepine or both and formed two groups. The study group was treated with a daily dose of 5 mg of folic acid and the control group was administered placebo for a period of six months, with nine patients in each group of same age, sex, education level, epilepsy's evolution, frequency of seizures, EEG abnormalities and antiepileptic drugs plasma levels. We registered data at the beginning (basal) and at the end of the study. RESULTS: Measurements of basal folic acid plasma levels in both groups were under the referential value. The neuropsychological assessment at the beginning (Mini-Barcelona test) showed a deficit in the verbal memory skills in both groups. After six months of treatment with folic acid (study group), the folic acid plasma level was 12.2 mg/mL (p < 0.01) higher than the basal value. Verbal memory test has improved with respect to the basal value (p < 0.05). The numbers of seizures and the plasma levels of the antiepileptic drugs remained unchanged. On the other hand, the group treated with placebo did not improve. CONCLUSION: Treatment with folic acid is safe and without side effects, it improved the cognitive function in patients with epilepsy treated with phenytoin and carbamazepine.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Otitis media and learning disabilities: the case for a causal relationship.

Despite an extensive literature suggesting a relationship between otitis media in early childhood and later learning disabilities, controversy still exists as to whether this link is causal. The hallmarks of otitis media, including decreased hearing and delayed language acquisition, and the characteristics of learning disabilities are reviewed. Further analysis of the studies that support a relationship between otitis media and learning disabilities strongly suggests that the relationship is causal in spite of methodologic limitations of some individual studies. If a causal relationship is accepted, then otitis media in early childhood is a disease with significant long-term morbidity that deserves careful follow-up and, when indicated, preventive interventions.

Achievement↗

PubMed2001

Reexposure breeds recall: effects of experience on 9-month-olds' ordered recall.

On the basis of three experiences, 9-month-olds recall specific events after one month. We tested whether multiple experiences are necessary, or merely facilitative, of 9-month-olds' long-term recall. In two experiments, using deferred imitation, infants were exposed to multi-step sequences either one time, two times, or three times prior to a one-month delay. In Experiment 1, regardless of the number of experiences, infants did not demonstrate recall. In Experiment 2, infants were tested on and reexposed to the events after one week; recall was tested again one month later. Performance after 1 week in Experiment 2 was greater than performance after one month in Experiment 1. Moreover, presumably as a function of reexposure after one week, infants recalled the individual actions of the events one month later. Infants in the three-experience condition also evidenced ordered recall after one month. Implications for the developmental status of the neural substrate supporting long-term recall are discussed.

Female↗

PubMed2006

Facilitation and practice in verb acquisition.

This paper presents a model of syntax acquisition, whose main points are as follows: Syntax is acquired in an item-based manner; early learning facilitates subsequent learning--as evidenced by the accelerating rate of new verbs entering a given structure; and mastery of syntactic knowledge is typically achieved through practice--as evidenced by intensive use and common word order errors--and this slows down learning during the early stages of acquiring a structure. The facilitation and practice hypotheses were tested on naturalistic production samples of six Hebrew-acquiring children ranging from ages 1;1 to 2;7 (average ages 1;6 to 2;4 months). Results show that most structures did in fact accelerate; the notion of 'practice' is supported by the inverse correlation found between number of verbs and number of errors in the earliest productions in a given structure; and the absence of acceleration in a minority of the structures is due to the fact that they involve relatively less practice.

Child Language↗

PubMed1994

Semantic vs. syntactic subject: a comprehension test based on control constructions.

The test presented here is made of 32 + 32 complex sentences that are submitted with two different tasks: one to prove comprehension of the event denoted by their embedded clause and the other to prove the corret interpretation of this clause, whose null subject is syntactically controlled. The tasks have been administered to four stabilized aphasic patients of medium severity to see whether their comprehension could be considered asyntactic with respect to the specific Control module of Universal Grammar (Chomsky, 1981).

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Cortisol secretion and Alzheimer's disease progression: a preliminary report.

We report preliminary findings in a study of the relationship of plasma cortisol concentration (CORT) to the clinical progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), testing the hypotheses that CORT predicts AD progression and that CORT increases as the disease advances. In 12 subjects with NINCDS/ADRDA probable AD, we performed cognitive testing and plasma cortisol determinations at baseline and again in 12 months. A modified Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-COG) measured disease progression. Plasma cortisol concentration CORT was determined at 12 AM and 1 PM, and an Afternoon Cortisol Test (ACT) was used to estimate average 24-hr CORT. Baseline 12 AM CORT correlated with the change in ADAS-COG from start of study to 12 months. No cortisol measure increased over the study period; estimated average 24-hr CORT and 12 AM CORT remained constant, whereas while 1 PM CORT declined. There was no relationship between age or duration of illness and any of the cortisol measures at baseline.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Detecting simulated memory impairment: further validation of the Word Completion Memory Test (WCMT).

The Word Completion Memory Test (WCMT) was developed to detect sophisticated attempts at simulating memory impairment. The primary purpose of the present study was to provide additional validity and reliability information about the WCMT. Seventy-one participants were recruited for this study: 30 normal volunteers and 11 memory-disordered patients instructed to perform their best, and 30 normal volunteers instructed to fake memory impairment. Normal volunteers were administered five tests of neuropsychological functioning and five tests of simulation to explore the convergent and divergent validity of the WCMT. Two weeks later, these participants completed all 10 measures a second time. Memory-disordered patients were administered the WCMT and two additional simulation measures as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. The WCMT successfully discriminated simulators from nonsimulators with an overall classification accuracy of 97% and demonstrated good psychometric properties. In conclusion, the WCMT continues to show promise as a measure of simulated memory impairment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Rapid automatized naming in children referred for evaluation of heterogeneous learning problems: how specific are naming speed deficits to reading disability?

Because the Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) test reliably predicts reading skill, it is typically viewed as a diagnostic indicator of risk for reading disability (RD). Since most of the work on naming speed has been undertaken within the framework of reading research, however, the extent to which poor RAN is specifically associated with RD or with learning impairment (LI) in general is uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that slow naming speed is specific to RD. Participants were 188 children (ages 7 to 11) referred for evaluation of learning problems. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the utility of the RAN task for classifying children in diagnostic groups. RAN was an excellent tool for detecting risk for learning problems in general, but it was much less effective at distinguishing LI children with and without RD from each other.

Achievement↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Dominant functions of right versus the left hemisphere.

The aim of this work was to study the function of the left and right cerebral hemispheres concerning linguistic, musical and cognitive abilities, through the evaluation of the deterioration of these domains following lesions of either hemisphere. The study was carried out on 80 subjects (60 males, 20 females) with a mean age of 48 years. Subjects were categorized into four groups, 20 in each. Group I had left brain lesion with dysphasia; group II, left brain lesion without dysphasia; group III, right brain lesion without dysphasia; group IV, control. Patient's evaluation included a dysphasia test, psychometric battery, tests for musical abilities, brain CT scanning and EEG. Group I showed deterioration in the linguistic abilities, while groups II and III had intact abilities. Deterioration in musical abilities was noticed in group III, with normal scores in groups I and II. There was deterioration of the intellectual abilities in all patients' groups, to varying degrees. The significance of the results is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Aging and performance on implicit memory tasks: a brief review.

Older adults exhibit poorer performance than younger adults on tests of recall and recognition. Recall and recognition are labeled explicit memory tasks; they require conscious recollection of a previous learning experience. This paper deals with the performance of elderly people on tasks that do not require intentional recollection--so-called implicit memory tasks. It appears that older subjects perform normally on perceptual implicit tasks, but show somewhat reduced priming in conceptual implicit tasks. This finding is in accordance with the neuroanatomical changes in old age. Implications for theories of implicit memory are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

[Equivalence analysis of disyllabic Mandarin speech test materials].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the equivalence of difficulty of disyllabic Mandarin Speech Test Materials (MSTM) in order to facilitate wider use of speech audiometry in Chinese audiology clinics. METHOD: The Mandarin disyllabic materials, including 10 lists with 50 words in each, have been recorded and converted digitally into CD format. Sixty-five subjects (the age-range 18-25 years) with normal hearing who speak Mandarin well in their daily lives participated in this study. Five of them joined the pilot study, which aimed to identify a presentation level which would be used into the formal test. The other sixty subjects participated in the formal speech perception test. The results were analyzed statistically with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Software Version 11.0 (SPSS 11.0). RESULT: Nine of the 10 lists were found to have equal difficulty with application of the ANOVA and SNK-Q statistical methods. CONCLUSION: Nine lists of 50 words of these Mandarin disyllabic materials can be considered to have equal difficulty and could be used in a clinical setting.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

The effects of visual-spatial and verbal skills on written and mental arithmetic.

The relative influences of visual-spatial and verbal factors on the performance of written and mental arithmetic by normally achieving fourth and fifth grade children are compared. The independent perceptual and verbal measures were correlated with the Arithmetic Subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) and the Arithmetic Subtest of the WISC-R using both bivariate and multivariate analysis. In the performance of the written arithmetic, spatial factors yield a statistically significant higher positive correlation than verbal skills. On the other hand, verbal skills appear to render a higher positive, but not statistically significant, correlation with mental arithmetic than spatial skills. Optometrists should be aware of the potential for treatment of visual and perceptual dysfunctions present in children who are experiencing problems in written and mental arithmetic.

Child↗

PubMed1993

Cognitive development of preterm low birth weight children at 5 to 8 years old.

Prematurity and low birth weight have been considered to be important risk factors for cognitive development during early childhood; however, it has been suggested that the developmental delays disappear with age. Eighty-one preterm (< 38 weeks) low birth weight (< 2500 g) children between 5 and 8 years old from the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth were compared with individually matched full-term normal birth weight children to investigate the catch-up delays in cognitive functioning including language and mathematics skills. Preterm children showed a significant delay in cognitive functioning only until 6 years old. Regression analyses showed that environmental factors accounted for more variation in cognitive development than did perinatal factors. In support of a transactional model, preterm children exhibited a self-righting tendency during their early childhood so that eventually environmental influences overshadowed biological influences.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed1995

Disorders of auditory identification in dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Fifteen patients with probable DAT and 18 matched controls were given tests that required the identification of verbal (phonemes and words) and non verbal (sounds and melodies) stimuli. In all tests, DAT patients made significantly more errors than controls. Errors predominated in non verbal tests in both groups. DAT patients (and, to a lesser degree, control subjects) made almost exclusively acoustic errors in word-identification, while errors in the identification of sounds and melodies could be either semantic or acoustic. Some categories of errors were observed predominantly in DAT patients. These results suggest that, in addition to their cognitive impairment, DAT patients have a specific deficiency of central auditory perception.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Implicit learning is intact in adult developmental dyslexic readers: evidence from the serial reaction time task and artificial grammar learning.

Previous research yielded equivocal results concerning implicit learning abilities of developmental dyslexic readers. These studies employed a sequence learning task that requires a motor response to each stimulus. However, implicit learning has been often studied using non-motor tasks. Thus, we investigated implicit learning capabilities of adult developmental dyslexic readers in two standard implicit learning paradigms differing in the involvement of the motor system, namely the serial response time task (SRTT) and artificial grammar learning (AGL).Twelve adult developmental dyslexic and twelve age- and sex- matched normal readers were tested. In the serial response time task (SRTT), participants are exposed to a structured display. Learning is measured by comparing response time (RT) to the structured sequence with RT to a random display. In the artificial grammar learning task (AGL), letter strings following a markovian finite state grammar are presented. In a subsequent test phase subjects have to judge new letter strings according to their grammaticality. Learning of the stimulus regularities was found in both tasks and for both groups of subjects. Furthermore, participants were unaware of the underlying stimulus construction principles. Dyslexic readers were unimpaired in SRTT as well as artificial grammar learning relative to normal readers. These findings show that implicit learning is intact in dyslexia. Intact implicit learning capabilities should be taken into account when designing training programs for developmental dyslexic readers.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

The understanding of medical terminology used in printed health education materials.

Self-administered, multiple-choice questionnaires were completed by 120 patients and students in order to assess their medical vocabulary knowledge. The fifteen test words were taken from printed health education materials. It was apparent that many respondents had problems with the words, in particular, those of low social status or low educational achievement. The scores of students, however, were not significantly higher than those of the patients. It is suggested that all health education materials be carefully screened for medical words, although they may have high readability scores. Even seemingly simple medical words should be explained in simple terms, or should be included in a glossary. This practice should increase understanding and recall.

Language Tests↗

PubMed1989

Verbal and spatial processing efficiency in 32 children with sex chromosome abnormalities.

Spatial and linguistic processing efficiency was evaluated in sixty 8- to 18-yr-old children, including thirteen 47,XXY boys, eleven 47,XXX girls, six girls with 45,X, two girls with 46,X,Xq-, and 28 chromosomally normal controls. Results indicated that the 47,XXX girls performed significantly below controls on all four cognitive tests. Scores of the X monosomy group were reduced on both spatial tests, one requiring rapid information processing and one without time requirements, which is consistent with previous reports of spatial thinking deficits in these propositae. The X monosomy girls also had difficulty completing the high efficiency but not the low efficiency verbal tests. Scores in the 47,XXY group did not differ from controls on either spatial test or on the low efficiency verbal task. When required to rapidly access verbal information from memory, however, the performance of these boys was significantly impaired. This finding confirms earlier reports of impeded verbal fluency in these propositi. Alteration in capacity to rapidly process information appears to distinguish 47,XXY boys and X monosomy girls from their chromosomally normal peers, and suggests that adaptations in their educational setting should be introduced to allow additional time to learn and complete work.

Adolescent↗