Carlos Salavera

Semantics, pragmatics, and formal thought disorders in people with schizophrenia

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze how formal thought disorders (FTD) affect semantics and pragmatics in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The sample comprised subjects with schizophrenia (n = 102) who met the criteria for the disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition Text Revision. In the research process, the following scales were used: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for psychopathology measurements; the Scale for the Assessment of Thought, Language, and Communication (TLC) for FTD, Word Accentuation Test (WAT), System for the Behavioral Evaluation of Social Skills (SECHS), the pragmatics section of the Objective Criteria Language Battery (BLOC-SR) and the verbal sections of the Wechsler Adults Intelligence Scale (WAIS) III, for assessment of semantics and pragmatics. Results: The results in the semantics and pragmatics sections were inferior to the average values obtained in the general population. Our data demonstrated that the more serious the FTD, the worse the performances in the Verbal-WAIS tests (particularly in its vocabulary, similarities, and comprehension sections), SECHS, and BLOC-SR, indicating that FTD affects semantics and pragmatics, although the results of the WAT indicated good premorbid language skills. Conclusion: The principal conclusion we can draw from this study is the evidence that in schizophrenia the superior level of language structure seems to be compromised, and that this level is related to semantics and pragmatics; when there is an alteration in this level, symptoms of FTD appear, with a wide-ranging relationship between both language and FTD. The second conclusion is that the subject’s language is affected by the disorder and rules out the possibility of a previous verbal impairment.

Análisis de la producción científica en la Revista de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología en el último decenio frente a 30 años de publicaciones

Resumen Se revisan algunos parametros de la produccion de la Revista de Logopedia , Foniatria y Audiologia desde el ano 2000, pero con especial incidencia en los 2 ultimos anos. Los datos obtenidos se han analizado en relacion a tipo de publicaciones, universidad de origen del articulo, departamento universitario, procedencia del articulo nacional o internacional, asi como a parametros de calidad definidos por las agencias nacionales y en especial del Social Sciences Citation Index. La progresion de la revista en el ultimo decenio en el ranking de calidad puede explicarse en parte teniendo en cuenta la calidad de las colaboraciones y autores asi como el seguimiento estricto de las normas internacionales.

Comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with personality disorders in homeless people

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that begins in childhood but can continue into adulthood, and may be the cause of many disadaptive behaviors, as in the case of homeless people, who often display a high incidence of personality disorders. The goal of this study is to analyze the comorbidity of ADHD with axis II disorders in a Spanish homeless population.ResultsThe outcomes show high comorbidity between these two kinds of disorders, and that the prevalence of axis II disorders is higher among people with ADHD than among the general population.ConclusionsFrom these results we can draw the conclusion that in homeless people ADHD in childhood continues into adulthood, when it is very often observed together with personality disorders. Finally, the implications of this study both for clinical practice and for future lines of research are discussed.

Personality disorders and treatment drop out in the homeless

The homeless drop out of treatment relatively frequently. Also, prevalence rates of personality disorders are much higher in the homeless group than in the general population. We hypothesize that when both variables coexist — homelessness and personality disorders — the possibility of treatment drop out grows. The aim of this study was to analyze the hypotheses, that is, to study how the existence of personality disorders affects the evolution of and permanence in treatment. One sample of homeless people in a therapeutic community (N = 89) was studied. The structured clinical interview for the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV-TR) was administered and participants were asked to complete the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II). Cluster B personality disorders (antisocial, borderline, and narcissistic) avoided permanence in the treatment process while cluster C disorders, as dependent, favored adhesion to the treatment and improved the prognosis. Knowledge of these personality characteristics should be used to advocate for better services to support homeless people and prevent their dropping out before completing treatment.

Diagnóstico e intervención del lenguaje en un caso de parálisis cerebral infantil

Resumen Se describe el diagnostico y el tratamiento de un caso de paralisis cerebral infantil en un paciente de 3 anos, con un buen nivel evolutivo del lenguaje, pero con dificultades importantes de habla y de voz. El tratamiento se desarrolla durante 2 anos en los que se aplican ejercicios de control de la zona oral, pero de forma mas intensa ejercicios de emision de voz basados en variaciones de melodia, intensidad y ritmo asociados a enunciados y relatos breves. La evolucion es muy positiva y permite la comprension del habla del nino al cabo de 2 anos en diferentes contextos.

Personality disorders and psychosocial problems in a group of participants to therapeutic processes for people with severe social disabilities

BackgroundHomeless people have high dropout rates when they participate in therapeutic processes. The causes of this failure are not always known. This study investigates whether dropping-out is mediated by personality disorders or whether psychosocial problems are more important.MethodEighty-nine homeless people in a socio-laboral integration process were assessed. An initial interview was used, and the MCMI II questionnaire was applied to investigate the presence of psychosocial disorders (DSM-IV-TR axis IV). This was designed as an ex post-facto prospective study.ResultsPersonality disorders were very frequent among the homeless people examined. Moreover, the high index of psychosocial problems (axis IV) in this population supported the proposal that axis IV disorders are influential in failure to complete therapy.ConclusionThe outcomes of the study show that the homeless people examined presented with more psychopathological symptoms, in both axis II and axis IV, than the general population. This supports the need to take into account the comorbidity between these two types of disorder among homeless people, in treatment and in the development of specific intervention programs. In conclusion, the need for more psychosocial treatments addressing the individual problems of homeless people is supported.

Influence of Physical Self-Concept in Drug Use in Adolescent Students Athletes

Drug use in Spain is one of the most serious problems faced by society today, and is particularly relevant in adolescence. Practicing physical sport activity is considered one of the most representative habits of a healthy lifestyle, and can act as a preventive factor in drug use. The physical self-concept of the people who practice sport plays a key role in drug adherence. This study aims to analyze the relation and influence of physical self-concept in drug, tobacco, and cannabis use in a sample of 682 adolescent athletes (M = 15.85; SD = 1.404). The results suggest significant influences on the competition perceived in different drug uses. Some practical implications can be deduced for coaches and instructors to bear in mind for their athletes, who aim to acquire a more adaptive and self-determined behavior away from drug use.

Intervención en un alumno inmigrante con una programación interdisciplinaria de música y lengua para favorecer su desarrollo lingüístico

Resumen Presentamos el caso de un nino de 6 anos de origen bulgaro, con importante retraso de lenguaje, tanto a nivel oral, como lecto-escritor, asi como problemas de interaccion social y de comunicacion derivados de ello. Para la intervencion, se han disenado 9 sesiones de trabajo en un taller interdisciplinario en el que se trabaja de manera simultanea con las areas de lengua y musica de manera complementaria, con todo el grupo clase. El objetivo principal de la intervencion es potenciar la comunicacion, la comprension y la expresion oral y escrita del nino en castellano, para favorecer su desarrollo linguistico.

Música y lenguaje

Resumen Musica y lenguaje poseen unos campos compartidos, tanto en la implicacion de los mismos instrumentos vocales, auditivos, cognitivos, etc., como similares fases de desarrollo. En el ambito educativo de la ensenanza infantil esta complementariedad puede ser favorecedora de experiencias globalizadores significativas para el alumnado. La investigacion llevada a cabo en un aula de educacion infantil muestra los contenidos educativos compartidos por la lengua y la musica que pueden ser trabajados en actividades conjuntas y significativas para ambas areas en estas edades tempranas.

Habilidades de comunicación en jóvenes con esquizofrenia

Resumen Las estrategias de aprendizaje de adquisicion y recuperacion de las habilidades de comunicacion son un aspecto poco estudiado. Conocer como se establecen esas estrategias y como se van incorporando al uso cotidiano esas habilidades de comunicacion, se revela fundamental. El objetivo de esta investigacion era analizar que estrategias de aprendizaje se ponen en marcha cuando se trabaja la recuperacion y la adquisicion de habilidades comunicativas en personas con problemas de comunicacion. La investigacion se diseno como un estudio prospectivo y comparativo, con distribucion aleatoria de los participantes en dos grupos (experimental y control). Como primeras conclusiones, en los participantes del grupo experimental se incremento la adquisicion de estrategias de aprendizaje y ejecucion de estas. Vemos que un programa en el que no solo se entrene a la persona en ejercicios repetitivos de formulacion de pregunta-respuesta, sino que ademas se incentive la busqueda propia de soluciones ante problemas cotidianos, tiene grandes efectos beneficiosos, sobre todo en aspectos de adquisicion de estrategias de aprendizaje y de nuevos aprendizajes o recuerdo de anteriores aprendizajes, que el sujeto ya poseia pero no demostraba o practicaba.