Greyce Kelly da Silva

Communicative and psycholinguistic abilities in children with phenylketonuria and congenital hypothyroidism

ABSTRACT The Neonatal Screening for Inborn Errors of Metabolism of the Association of Parents and Friends of Special Needs Individuals (APAE) - Bauru, Brazil, was implanted and accredited by the Brazilian Ministry of Health in 1998. It covers about 286 cities of the Bauru region and 420 collection spots. Their activities include screening, diagnosis, treatment and assistance to congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and phenylketonuria (PKU), among others. In 2005, a partnership was established with the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, seeking to characterize and to follow, by means of research studies, the development of the communicative abilities of children with CH and PKU. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe communicative and psycholinguistic abilities in children with CH and PKU. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight children (25 children aged 1 to 120 months with PKU and 43 children aged 1 to 60 months with CH) participated in the study. The handbooks were analyzed and different instruments were applied (Observation of Communication Behavior, Early Language Milestone Scale, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Gesell & Amatrudas Behavioral Development Scale, Portage Operation Inventory, Language Development Evaluation Scale, Denver Developmental Screening Test, ABFW Child Language Test-phonology and Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities), according to the childrens age group and developmental level. Results: It was observed that the children with PKU and CH at risk for alterations in their developmental abilities (motor, cognitive, linguistic, adaptive and personal-social), mainly in the first years of life. Alterations in the psycholinguistic abilities were also found, mainly after the preschool age. Attention deficits, language and cognitive alterations were more often observed in children with CH, while attention deficits with hyperactivity and alterations in the personal-social, language and motor adaptive abilities were more frequent in children with PKU. Conclusion: CH and PKU can cause communicative and psycholinguistic alterations that compromise the communication and affect the social integration and learning of these individuals, proving the need of having these abilities assisted by a speech and language pathologist.

Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome, Pro136His TWIST Mutation, Hearing Loss, and External and Middle Ear Structural Anomalies: Report on a Brazilian Family

Objective To describe the clinical, speech, hearing, and imaging findings in three members of a Brazilian family with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome (SCS) who presented some unusual characteristics within the spectrum of the syndrome. Design Clinical evaluation was performed by a multidisciplinary team. Direct sequencing of the polymerase chain reaction–amplified coding region of the TWIST1 gene, routine and electrophysiological hearing evaluation, speech evaluation, and imaging studies through computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed. Results TWIST1 gene analysis revealed a Pro136His mutation in all patients. Hearing evaluation showed peripherial and mixed hearing loss in two of the patients, one of them with severe unilateral microtia. Computed tomography scan showed structural middle ear anomalies, and MRI showed distortion of the skull contour as well as some of the brain structures. Conclusions We report a previously undescribed TWIST1 gene mutation in patients with SCS. There is evidence that indicates hearing loss (conductive and mixed) can be related both with middle ear (microtia, high jugular bulb, and enlarged vestibules) as well as with brain stem anomalies. Here we discuss the relationship between the gene mutation and the clinical, imaging, speech, and hearing findings.

Possible new syndrome: Left ventricular noncompaction, partial agenesis of the corpus callosum, and developmental delay in a Brazilian child.

We report on the clinical, neuropsychological and language characteristics of a boy with left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC), agenesis of the splenium of the corpus callosum, minor anomalies of face and limbs, mild mental retardation, and speech and language disabilities. The occurrence of pilomatricoma (calcifying epithelioma) may be part of the clinical spectrum or a fortuitous finding. Compared to other related conditions with LVNC suggests that this is a “new” unique pattern MCA/MR syndrome.

Desenvolvimento infantil na fenilcetonúria: atuação fonoaudiológica

BACKGROUND: phenylketonuria is manifested by partial or total deficiency of the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase that, in excess, has a toxic effect on the central nervous system functions, reflecting in the individuals global development. PURPOSE: to submit the alterations in the development verified in scientific studies with individuals with phenylketonuria, and to contemplate the abilities related to language development. CONCLUSION: individuals with phenylketonuria are risky for alterations in the cognitive, linguistics, motor and social-behavior functions. Deficits in the executive functions and neuropsychological abilities are common and imply in discrepancies as for language abilities development. The findings justify the proposal forwarding to the Ministry of Health with views to contracting a Speech and Language Pathologist in the accredited Neonatal Screening Programs.

Características clínicas, comportamentais, cognitivas e comunicativa na síndrome Smith-Magenis

BACKGROUND: this study aimed to describe the clinical, behavioral, cognitive and communicative features of subjects with Smith-Magenis Syndrome genetic diagnosis. PROCEDURES: the subjects were two males, 09 and 19 year old. We performed a clinical and laboratory genetic evaluation (FISH assay using probes for the region 17p11.2). The psychological evaluation consisted of behavioral observation and application of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Speech evaluation was performed by means of formal and informal procedures and peripheral hearing evaluation. RESULTS: the clinical genetic analysis showed the phenotypic characteristics of Smith-Magenis syndrome, confirmed by laboratory evaluation. The psychological evaluation revealed the peculiar phenotype behavioral of Smith-Magenis syndrome and confirmed the moderate intellectual disabilities in two subjects. Speech evaluation showed changes in language performance, with changes in phonological, semantic, syntactic and pragmatic levels and psycholinguistic skills, interfering with communication and learning skills. The hearing test showed peripheral hearing within normal parameters. CONCLUSION: the multidisciplinary approach made easier the description of clinical, behavioral, cognitive aspects, belonging to the behavioral phenotype of Smith-Magenis syndrome and showed that these changes have severe oral language alterations in skills and psycholinguistic processing of visual and auditory information with remarkable consequences on the development of communicative skills and learning processes.

Habilidades psicolinguísticas e escolares em crianças com mielomeningocele

PURPOSE: To describe the performance of individuals with myelomeningocele regarding psycholinguistic and scholastic abilities. METHODS: Participants were five individuals with myelomeningocele and lumbar sacral abnormalities, and chronological age between 9 years and 10 months and 11 years and 7 months (Group 1 - G1); five subjects with typical development (Group 2 - G2), matched to G1 for age, gender, and educational level. The evaluation consisted of interview with parents/caregivers, and application of the following tests: Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA); School Performance Test; Speed Reading Test; and Rapid Automatized Naming Test. RESULTS: The between-groups comparison in the ITPA subtests showed that the maximum values obtained by G1 corresponded approximately to the minimum values obtained by G2, confirming the difference between the groups, except for the auditory closure subtest. In the Scholastic Performance Test, significant alterations were observed on the performance of G1 in all tasks. In the Speed Reading and Rapid Automatized Naming tests, individuals in G1 also presented considerable deficits, making more mistakes and spending more time than G2 to perform the same tasks. CONCLUSION: Individuals with myelomeningocele present deficits in psycholinguistic abilities, school performance, reading speed, and rapid automatized naming.