Monthly Archives: August 2010
Variabilidad en la comprensión gramatical en el envejecimiento normal / Variability in grammatical comprehension in normal aging
Descriptive results showed that the number of correct responses in the task decreases as the age increase, and also that the sentences with two propositions were the most difficult ones for the subjects. The regression analysis of age over the variability measures –absolute standarized residuals of the original indexes- showed that: (1) there was an linear increment of diversity in the first three types of sentences as age increases; and (2) the variability increases until 65-66 years in the most difficult sentences (two propositions – noncanonical order), but decreases from that point, fitting to a cuadratic function with an inverted Ushape. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to other studies on sentence comprehension in normal aging.
Bilingüismo y cerebro: mito y realidad / Bilingualism and the brain: myth and reality
Conclusions
The differences are quantitative rather than qualitative, that is, the degree of participation of the different neurofunctional mechanisms involved in the use of language, such as metalinguistic knowledge and implicit linguistic competence.
from Neurología
Neurobiología y neurogenética de la dislexia / Neurobiology and neurogenetics of dyslexia
Conclusions
On the whole, dyslexia seems to be on a continuum with typical reading at different biological levels (genetic, biochemical, physiological, cognitive). Furthermore, certain elements belonging to some of these levels (mainly —some of the— genes linked or associated to the disease, but also —some of the— neuronal structures whose development is regulated by these genes) would simultaneously belong to those of other cognitive abilities, which give rise to diseases of a different nature (i.e. non- dyslexic impairments) when they are impaired.
from Neurología
Panasonic introduces digital hearing instruments in U.S. market
Panasonic Corporation of North America, today announced that Panasonic Hearing instruments have been delivered to the U.S. market. The company is debuting three types of digital hearing instruments, including a new form factor that resembles the style of an MP3 player, a receiver-in-canal and behind-the-ear models. Panasonic is currently establishing a distribution network throughout the U.S.
from News-Medical.net
Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Induces Spaceflight Effects in the Brain
Astronauts returning from space often have trouble keeping their balance and walking for a while. Researchers at the National Space Biomedical Research Institute have now developed a device that can simulate these effects without having to leave our planet’s surface. They created a Galvanic vestibular stimulation system that delivers electrical pulses through electrodes behind the ears, stimulating the vestibular nerve. Although the concept behind this has been known for quite a while, this is the first compact, mobile and comfortable to wear implementation.
from MedGadget.com
Seeking Quality Education For Deaf-Blind Children In Today’s Environment
AER Journal: Research and Practice in Visual Impairment and Blindness presents a special issue , Current Practices with Children Who Are Deaf-Blind, examining education practices and priorities for children who are deaf-blind. Articles in the issue address the history of educational services for this population, current student assessment practices, how teachers view their own capabilities to educate these students, and more. “Improved design and delivery of special education and related services for children who are deaf-blind” is a goal of this cumulative research.
Concordia University researchers boost literacy
Researchers at Concordia’s Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) have developed ABRACADABRA, a free, interactive web-based literacy program for early elementary school-aged students, to help battle the alarmingly high percentage of low ability readers. Recent findings from a three-year study show that children who were exposed to ABRA made significant gains in letter-sound knowledge, phonological awareness and word reading compared to those who did not use the program.
from EurekAlert.org
Healthy Ears Hear the First Sound, Ignoring the Echoes, Barn Owl Study Finds
When a sound reaching the ear is loud enough, auditory neurons simply accept that sound and ignore subsequent reverberations, Takahashi said. “If someone were to call out your name from behind you, that caller’s voice would reach your ears directly from his or her mouth, but those sound waves will also bounce off your computer monitor and arrive at your ears a little later and get mixed in with the direct sound. You aren’t even aware of the echo.”
from ScienceDaily.com
Southampton to conduct UK’s first cochlear implant operation to give sound in both ears
The UK’s first operation to fit a single cochlear implant capable of giving sound in both ears takes place this Friday, thanks to the work of the South of England Cochlear Implant Centre, based at the University of Southampton
from EurekAlert.org
Sign Language Speakers’ Hands, Mouths Operate Separately
When people are communicating in sign languages, they also move their mouths. But scientists have debated whether mouth movements resembling spoken language are part of the sign itself or are connected directly to English. In a new study on British Sign Language, signers made different mistakes in the sign and in the mouthing-which means the hand and lip movements are separate in the signer’s brain, not part of the same sign.
Acoustic effects of lamotrigine in pediatric patients with epilepsy
The aim of this study was to investigate the acoustic effects of lamotrigine in pediatric epileptic patients. Newly diagnosed 52 pediatric epileptic patients were assessed standard speech test through a Computerized Speech Lab applied before the beginning of therapy with lamotrigine and 2 months after dosage had been stabilized. The voice onset times for /t/, /kh/, /p′/ and /t′/ after the therapy and those for /p/, /k/, /ph/, /th/ and /k′/ was not affected. Total durations for all stop consonants did not change significantly except that lenis /p/ and /k/ increased significantly (P < 0.05). No noteworthy alteration was observed for mean pitch and speaking rate of counting 1–10. Vowel formants and precise articulation rate remained the same. In conclusion, no significant effects of lamotrigine on speech were found in this study. Lamotrigine is safe for acoustic function in pediatric patients.
Superior parietal lobule dysfunction in a homogeneous group of dyslexic children with a visual attention span disorder
A visual attention (VA) span disorder has been reported in dyslexic children as potentially responsible for their poor reading outcome. The purpose of the current paper was to identify the cerebral correlates of this VA span disorder. For this purpose, 12 French dyslexic children with severe reading and VA span disorders and 12 age-matched control children were engaged in a categorisation task under fMRI. Two flanked and isolated conditions were designed which both involved multiple-element simultaneous visual processing but taxed visual attention differently. For skilled readers, flanked stimuli processing activated a large bilateral cortical network comprising the superior and inferior parietal cortex, the inferior temporal cortex, the striate and extrastriate visual cortex, the middle frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex while the less attention–demanding task of isolated stimuli only activated the inferior occipito-temporal cortex bilaterally. With respect to controls, the dyslexic children showed significantly reduced activation within bilateral parietal and temporal areas during flanked processing, but no difference during the isolated condition. The neural correlates of the processes involved in attention–demanding multi-element processing tasks were more specifically addressed by contrasting the flanked and the isolated conditions. This contrast elicited activation of the left precuneus/superior parietal lobule in the controls, but not in the dyslexic children. These findings provide new insights on the role of parietal regions, in particular the left superior parietal lobule, in the visual attention span and in developmental dyslexia.
from Brain and Language
Expressive Language Disorder, Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Bilingualism: A Case Presentation
The evaluation of bilingual children is a complicated endeavor because there are various views of how bilingualism affects brain organization and functioning. Added to that is the challenge of determining language development of Hispanic children living in a monolingual Spanish-speaking home in a Spanish-speaking country, but mostly exposed to English language television programming and, in some cases, English language school curriculum. Our case will review the evaluation process of a 14-year-old Puerto Rican boy with previous diagnoses of expressive language disorder and Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The neuropsychological evaluation revealed an IQ within the average range, with significant differences between the perceptual reasoning, verbal comprehension, and processing speed. The case will summarize performance in verbal, executive, and psycho-educational measures with a thorough review of his developmental history and the interpretation of these neuropsychological achievement and behavioral measures in light of other variables influencing his difficulties.
Long-Term Evaluation of Cochlear Implantation in Cogan Syndrome
Purpose: The evaluation of long-term results of cochlear implantation in patients with typical Cogan syndrome. Procedures: The medical records of approximately 3,000 patients who underwent cochlear implantation in a tertiary centre within the period 1992–2007 were retrospectively examined. Results: Four cochlear implant recipients with Cogan syndrome (6 implantations) were identified. One cochlea was found to be partially obliterated; the electrode could, however, be completely inserted. Wound healing disorders and infections in a patient with systemic symptoms were the only postoperative complications. Hearing outcome was favorable, with average HSM and monosyllabic scores of 96.7 and 82.5%, respectively, in an average follow-up time of 9.25 years. Conclusions: Cochlear implantation is the appropriate hearing rehabilitation method in Cogan syndrome patients. Although the basic illness does not affect the long-term hearing outcome, skin-atrophy-related complications in cases with systemic symptoms may occur. Finally, the cochlear implant surgeon should be aware of the possible cochlea obliteration.
A Rare Case of Radiologically Not Distinguishable Coexistent Meningioma and Vestibular Schwannoma in the Cerebellopontine Angle – Case Report and Literature Review
Background: The simultaneous occurrence of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) meningioma and vestibular schwannoma (VS) in the absence of neurofibromatosis type 2 or history of irradiation is very rare. We report a case with coexistent CPA meningioma and VS, which were radiologically not distinguishable in preoperative imaging. Case Description: A 46-year-old female presented with acute hearing loss, tinnitus and gait ataxia. Otorhinolaryngological diagnostic workup and imaging studies showed an intra- and extrameatal homogenous contrast enhancing lesion. The neuroradiological diagnosis was VS. The patient was operated via the retrosigmoid approach. Intraoperatively two distinct tumors were found: a small, mainly intrameatally located VS and a larger meningioma originating from the dura of the petrous bone. Both tumors were completely microsurgically removed. The patient experienced no new neurological deficit after surgery; particularly facial nerve function was completely preserved. Histopathological examination revealed a fibromatous meningioma and a VS, respectively. Conclusions: The coincidental occurrence of CPA meningioma and VS is very rare. Careful interpretation of imaging studies before surgery is crucial. Even such rare cases should be kept in mind when discussing the therapeutic options with the patient. More studies are needed for a better understanding of mechanisms leading to multiple tumor growth.
