Dimitrios Kandylis

Hemispheric laterality assessment with dichotic digits testing in dyslexia and auditory processing disorder

Abstract One of the widely used tests to evaluate functional asymmetry of cerebral hemispheres is the dichotic listening test with the usually prevailing right ear advantage. The current study aims at assessing hemispheric laterality in an adult sample of individuals with dyslexia, with auditory processing disorder (APD), and adults experiencing comorbidity of the two mentioned disorders against a control group with normal hearing and absence of learning disabilities. Results exhibit a right hemispheric dominance for the control and APD group, a left hemispheric dominance for the group diagnosed with both dyslexia and APD, and absence of dominance for the dyslexia group. Assessment of laterality was repeatable and produced stable results, indicating a true deficit. A component of auditory processing, specifically the auditory performance in competing acoustic signals, seems to be deficient in all three groups, and laterality of hemispheric functions influenced at least for auditory-language stimuli in the two of the three groups, one being adults with dyslexia and the other being adults with comorbidity of dyslexia and APD. Sumario Una de las pruebas más ampliamente utilizadas para evaluar la asimetría funcional de los hemisferios cerebrales es la prueba de escucha dicótica, generalmente con la resultante ventaja del oído derecho. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la lateralidad hemisférica en una muestra de adultos con dislexia, con desórdenes del procesamiento auditivo (APD) y adultos con ambos problemas vs un grupo control de normoyentes sin alteraciones del aprendizaje. Los resultados muestran una dominancia del hemisferio derecho para el grupo control y el grupo con APD y una dominancia del hemisferio izquierdo para el grupo diagnosticado con ambas condiciones, y ninguna dominancia del grupo de dislexia. La evaluación de la lateralidad fue repetible y produjo resultados estables, indicando un déficit verdadero. Un componente del procesamiento auditivo, específicamente el desempeño auditivo bajo señales acústicas competitivas, parece ser deficiente en los tres grupos y las funciones de lateralidad hemisférica se vieron influidas al menos por los estímulos auditivos lingüísticos en dos de los tres grupos; el de adultos con dislexia y el de adultos con ambas condiciones, dislexia y APD.

Body shape – self esteem: relationships with sex and body mass index

Results A strong negative correlation between perceived concern on body shape and perceived self esteem was identified, Spearmans rs(190) = 0.63, p < 0.001, with high levels of perceived concern on body shape associated with lower levels of perceived self esteem. A Mann Whitney statistical test was conducted to investigate if there is a significant difference between body shape and self esteem scores of males and females. There was no statistically significant difference in body shape scores of males and females, but there was a statistically significant difference in self esteem scores between men and women (p < 0.001), with lower scores on self esteem occurring at women. To investigate if there is a significant difference in body shape and self esteem scores within the five Body Mass Index categories that we had divided our sample in, according to WHOs criteria (1995) for the definition of obesity, Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted. Results indicate a significant difference in body shape (p < 0.001) and self esteem scores (p < 0.001) across the different BMI groups. Subsequent Mann Whitney tests have demonstrated a significant statistical difference in Body Shape scores between all of the BMI categories except from categories 3 and 4, 3 and 5, and 4 and 5. Results were reproduced for self esteem scores across the same categories.

Phonemic and grapheme perception in dyslexia and (Central) Auditory Processing Disorder

Results The positive APD and dyslexia group had significant lower results (standard scores) than the group without APD and dyslexia in both tasks (grapheme discrimination task, auditory discrimination task) for children aged 8 and 9 years old. On the other hand, for older children, aged 10 years old and up, the results did not have important differences in both groups (control and positive APD and dyslexia).

Comparative Laterality in (central) auditory processing disorders and dyslexia

Results Percentages of correct identification of digits were calculated separately for each ear and the scores were organized and analyzed according to the four subject groups. Group 1: normal children, Group 2: children diagnosed with dyslexia, Group 3: children diagnosed with (C)APD and Group 4: children diagnosed with both dyslexia and (C)APD. Mean scores for the right ear were 90.25, 86.88, 76.50 and 70.83 for groups 1,2,3 and 4 respectively and for the left ear 88, 84.58, 70.83, 70.83.

The ability of residual schizophrenics to perceive and recognize objects from a different viewpoint

Results Spearman rank correlation was conducted. Significant association was found between sex and education [r = 0.282; n = 63; p < 0.05], age and negative scale of PANSS [r = 0.402; n = 60; p < 0.01], education and correct answers in BORB [r = 0.594; n = 63; p < 0.01], education and wrong answers in BORB [r = -0.594; n = 63; p < 0.01], education and MMSE [r = 0.749; n = 63; p < 0.01], education and GAF [r = 0.337; n = 63; p < 0.01], education and negative scale of PANNS [r = -0.298; n = 63; p < 0.05], education and TLC [r = -0.441 ; n = 60; p < 0.01], correct answers in BORB and MMSE [r = 0.688; n = 63; p < 0.01], correct answers in BORB and GAF [r = -0.572; n = 63; p < 0.01], correct answers in BORB and negative scale of PANSS [r = -0.419; n = 60; p < 0.01], correct answers in BORB and TLC [r = -0.422; n = 60; p < 0.01], total wrongs in BORB and MMSE [r = -0.688; n = 63; p < 0.01], total errors in BORB and GAF [r = -0.572; n = 63; p < 0.01], total errors in BORB and negative scale of PANSS [r = 0.419 ; n = 60; p < 0.01], total errors in BORB and TLC [r = 0.422 ; n = 60; p < 0.01], MMSE and GAF [r = 0.441 ; n = 63; p < 0.01], MMSE and negative PANSS [r = -0.304; n = 60; p < 0.05], MMSE and TLC scale [r = -0.503; n = 60; p < 0.01], GAF and negative PANSS [r = -0.398; n = 60; p < 0.01], GAF and general psychopathology of PANSS [r = -0.308; n = 60; p < 0.05], and finally, significant correlation was found between GAF scale and TLC [r = -0.609 ; n = 60; p < 0.01].

Comparative assesment of alexithymic and general psychopathological manifestations between diabetics and end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis

Background The expressions of alexithymia have been positively correlated with chronic pain patients and patients of psychosomatic diseases as well as patients with protracted health problems. The purpose of this study is to explore possible differences between aspects of the alexithymia construct and general psychopathological indices comparing two groups of patients with chronic, diffuse symptomatology, diabetics and end-stage renal patients on dialysis.

Place of residence-lexical ambiguity: is there any relation between them in schizophrenia?

first group performed better in all the above tasks; there was also statistic significance in the quality of wrong answers. The first group scored fewer semantic [(F = 1.36) = 0.023, p < 0.05) and phonological total wrong answers [(F = 0.040), p < 0.05]. The two groups showed statistical difference in the total semantic wrong answers for adjectives [(F = 1.36) = 0.023, p < 0.05] b) The scale of positive syndrome correlated in a positive way with the total score of semantically wrong answers in adjectives (r = 0.334, p < 0.05). The negative scale correlated in a negative way with the total correct answers for nouns (r = -0.362, p < 0.05), total correct answers for verbs (r = -0.407, p < 0.05) and total correct answers for words (r = -0.441, p < 0.001). The general psychopathology correlated in a negative way with the total correct answers for verbs, (r = -0.327, p < 0.05) and the total correct answers for words (r = -0.400, p < 0.05), while it correlated positively with the total score of phonologically wrong answers in nouns (r = 0.441, p < 0.001).

Comparative elements of the quality of life in psychotic vs. neurotic patients

Material and Methods We investigated two groups of patients (43 psychotics, 45 neurotics). The 39 of them were women and the 27 men. Their mean age was 41.04 years, the mean age at which the disorder/ illness was first manifested 30.28 years and the mean of hospitalizations was 3.26. The above patients were evaluated with the scales WHOQOL and MMSE. The diagnosis of disorders/illnesses was made according to the ICD-10. Patients with a) neurodegenerative diseases, b) severe cognitive dysfunction and c) dependence from alcohol or other prohibited substances, were excluded from the study.

Perceived satisfaction from everyday life: are there any predictors in chronic schizophrenics?

Material and Methods One hundred-two patients (56 men and 46 women), aged 27–70 years, who fulfilled the criteria a) of schizophrenia according to ICD-10 and b) those of chronicity, were examined. The mean age of their education was 88.9 years. The patients were evaluated with the following scales: Satisfaction with Life Domain scale (SLDS), PANSS, GAF, BPRS and MMSE. Patients with neurodegenerative diseases and severe cognitive dysfunction, as well as alcohol and substance abusers were excluded from the study.

Perceived satisfaction from everyday life among chronic schizophrenics: influences of demographic and clinical factors

Material and Methods 102 patients (56 men, 46 women) aged 27–70 years old, who live in alternative residences (50 people) or with their family (52 people) and fulfilled the criteria a) of schizophrenia according to ICD-10 and b) of chronicity, were examined. The average time of their education was 8.99 years. The patients were evaluated with the following scales: Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale (SLDS), GAF and MMSE. Patients with neuro-degenerative diseases and severe cognitive dysfunction, as well as alcohol and substance abusers were excluded from the study.