Simone Rocha de Vasconcellos Hage

Desempenho de crianças com desenvolvimento típico de linguagem em prova de vocabulário expressivo

PURPOSE: to obtain the profile of children with typical language development in expressive vocabulary test as well as to verify the types of semantic deviations such children used more frequently. METHODS: the study involved 400 normal children aging from three to six years. A lexical assessment protocol with 100 items was applied. A statistical study comparing age groups by means of nonparametric test was conducted for each age group. RESULTS: in relation to the number of items named, five and six-year-old children showed a performance similar and above the showed by three and four-year-old ones, and the numbers of items named increased at the same time that the age diminished. There was no significant statistical difference just between ages of five and six-year-old in relation to named and non-named items. The total number of semantic deviations in three-year-old children was superior to those submitted by four, five and six-year-old ones. Four-year-old children, on their turn, showed more semantic deviations than did five and six-year-old children. Higher-occurrence Deviations were belongs to super-extension and contiguity standards, and younger children showed a higher number of occurrences as compared to the older ones in both types of deviation. The occurrence of other kinds of deviation - morphologic and phonologic proximity, antonymy, deitic, periphasis and non-verbal designation - were insignificant. CONCLUSION: the higher the age, the higher the number of occurrences of expected vocabulary, and the lower the age, the higher the occurrence of non-named items. Among semantic deviations, the most frequent were super-extension and contiguity.

Analysis of the pragmatic abilities profile in normal preschool children

BACKGROUND: pragmatic abilities in children. AIM: to analyze the pragmatic abilities profile in normal preschool children and to verify if significant differences exist regarding the childrens different socioeconomic levels. METHOD: participants of this study were 30 children, with ages between 36 and 47 months, who attended public and private elementary schools - low and medium/high socioeconomic levels respectively. A thirty minute semi-structured conversation between each child and the evaluator was recorded in VHS. For the analysis of the pragmatic abilities profile 20 minutes of each conversation was transcribed. RESULTS: there is a prevalence of verbal over non-verbal and unintelligible utterances; simple over expansive utterances; coherent over incoherent utterances. There was a low occurrence of utterances used to start a conversation. Regarding the use of communicative functions, the informative function prevailed, even though all the others (instrumental, heuristic, naming, narrative, negative, interactive) were used by all of the children. Comparing the performance of children who attended public schools with that of children who attended private schools, statistically significant differences were observed in the number of simple and expansive verbal utterances, and in the use of the narrative function, indicating a better performance of children from private institutions. CONCLUSION: the analysis of the childrens conversational abilities profile revealed that they respond/maintain the conversation instead of initiating it; their utterances are verbal, mostly coherent and simple. Regarding the communicative functions, the most prevalent was the informative function. Sociolinguistic aspects can interfere in the pragmatic abilities of children of different socioeconomic level.

A new candidate locus for bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria mapped on chromosome Xq27

Polymicrogyria (PMG) is characterized by an excessive number of small and prominent brain gyri, separated by shallow sulci. Bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria (BPP) is the most common form of PMG. Clinical signs include pseudobulbar paresis, mental retardation, and epilepsy. Familial forms of BPP have been described and a candidate locus was previously mapped to chromosome Xq28, distal do marker DXS8103. The objective of this study was to perform linkage analysis in one family segregating BPP. A total of 15 individuals, including 8 affected patients with BPP were evaluated. Family members were examined by a neurologist and subjected to magnetic resonance imaging scans. Individuals were genotyped for 18 microsatellite markers, flanking a 42.3 cM interval on ch Xq27‐q28. Two‐point and multipoint linkage analysis was performed using the LINKAGE package and haplotype reconstruction was performed by GENEHUNTER software. Our results showed a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations in affected individuals with BPP, ranging from normal to mild neurological abnormalities. Two‐point linkage analysis yield a Zmax = 2.06 at θ = 0.00 for markers DXS1205 and DXS1227. Multipoint lod‐scores indicate a candidate interval of 13 cM between markers DSXS1205 and DXS8043, on ch Xq27.2‐Xq27.3. These results point to a new locus for BPP in a more centromeric location than previously reported.

Diagnóstico de crianças com alterações específicas de linguagem por meio de escala de desenvolvimento

Specific language impairment (SLI) should have an early diagnosis, since it can interfere with social and school adaptation of the child. The aim of this study was to verify the performance of children with SLI in comparison with normal children using the Behavior Developmental Scale of Gesell and Amatruda. Twenty-five SLI children, 3 to 6 years of age, were evaluated. This group was compared to 50 normal children of the same age. Children of control group showed better performance in all aspects of the scale. The medium value of the studied group was borderline in adaptative and social aspects, and was slightly below the medium in the language aspect. We conclude that language disorder may impair the assessment of other areas of development. Nevertheless, this scale may be useful in the evaluation of children with SLI.

Processamento temporal auditivo: relação com dislexia do desenvolvimento e malformação cortical

TEMA: processamento temporal auditivo e dislexia do desenvolvimento. OBJETIVO: caracterizar o processamento temporal auditivo em escolares com dislexia do desenvolvimento e correlacionar com malformacao cortical. METODO: foram avaliados 20 escolares, com idade entre 8 e 14 anos, divididos em grupo experimental (GE) composto por 11 escolares (oito do genero masculino) com o diagnostico de dislexia do desenvolvimento e grupo controle (GC) composto por nove escolares (seis do genero masculino) sem alteracoes neuropsicolinguisticas. Apos avaliacoes neurologica, neuropsicologica e fonoaudiologica (avaliacao de linguagem e leitura e escrita) para obtencao do diagnostico, os escolares foram submetidos a avaliacao audiologica periferica e posteriormente aplicou-se o teste Random Gap Detection Test e/ou Random Gap Detection Test Expanded. RESULTADOS: observou-se diferenca estatisticamente significante entre os escolares do GE e GC, com pior desempenho para o GE. A maioria dos escolares do GE apresentou polimicrogiria perisylviana. CONCLUSAO: escolares com dislexia do desenvolvimento podem apresentar alteracoes no processamento temporal auditivo com prejuizo no processamento fonologico. Malformacao do desenvolvimento cortical pode ser o substrato anatomico dos disturbios.BACKGROUND Temporal auditory processing and developmental dyslexia. AIM To characterize the temporal auditory processing in children with developmental dyslexia and to correlate findings with cortical malformations. METHOD Twenty school-aged children, ranging in age from 8 to 14 years were evaluated. These children were divided into two groups: the experimental group (EG) was composed by 11 children (eight were male) with developmental dyslexia and the control group (CG) was composed by nine normal children (six were male). After neurological assessment and verification of the intellectual level, language, reading and writing skills in order to determine the diagnosis, children underwent a peripheral audiological evaluation and Random Gap Detection Test and/or Random Gap Detection Test Expanded. RESULTS A statistically significant difference between children in the EG and CG were observed, with children in the EG presenting worst performances. Most of the children in the EG presented perisylvian polymicrogyria. CONCLUSION Children with developmental dyslexia may present temporal auditory processing disorders with deficits in phonological processing. Cortical malformations may be the anatomical substrate of these disorders.

Memória de trabalho fonológica: estudo comparativo entre diferentes faixas etárias

OBJETIVO: Considerando-se que as habilidades de memoria de trabalho fonologica se estendem ate certa idade e que podem regredir com o envelhecimento, este estudo teve por objetivo verificar o desempenho de individuos de diferentes faixas etarias sem alteracoes de linguagem em provas que avaliam a memoria de trabalho fonologica (nao-palavras e digitos). METODOS: O estudo envolveu 90 sujeitos normais, sendo 30 criancas (entre 6 e 8 anos), 30 adultos (entre 19 e 35 anos) e 30 idosos (idade igual ou superior a 60 anos). Os sujeitos que atenderam aos criterios de inclusao foram submetidos a avaliacao de memoria de trabalho por meio da prova de nao-palavras, que consiste na repeticao de 40 palavras inventadas (de duas a cinco silabas) e prova de digitos (repetidos em ordem direta e ordem inversa). Os resultados foram analisados estatisticamente. RESULTADOS: Na pontuacao total da prova de nao-palavras, houve diferenca entre os grupos de criancas, adultos e idosos (idosos < criancas < adultos). Na prova de digitos, a diferenca ocorreu em todos os grupos em ordem direta, ordem inversa e na pontuacao total (criancas < idosos < adultos). CONCLUSAO: Idosos apresentam pior desempenho em provas de memoria de trabalho fonologica, sugerindo que esta habilidade sofre declinio com o processo de envelhecimento. Ja os adultos apresentam melhor desempenho, evidenciando que eles tem melhor capacidade de armazenagem de material verbal.

Protocolo de Observação Comportamental - PROC: valores de referência para uma análise quantitativa

PURPOSE: to obtain reference values for behavioral observation protocol on the development of communicative and symbolic schemes of children with typical language development. METHOD: it has been evaluated 44 children between 24 and 47 months, both genders, selected from three different primary schools using Denver II development screening methodology and also a questionnaire submitted to the parents. All children were filmed 30 minutes interacting with the researcher and playing with toys. The recordings were analyzed through behavioral observation protocol. The values that compose the statistical analysis are average, median, maximums and minimums. It has been used the T Student test to compare the ages. RESULTS: in regards to communication abilities, children had shown an evolution with age (average of three and two years old respectively 58.12 and 51.44), even though no significant statistical change was found in the range of ages compared (p=0.486). In regards do verbal comprehension, children aged three presented better results than children aged two (averages: 59.41 and 50.70 respectively) with statistical significance variance (p=0.0000020). In cognitive development, three years old children presented better performance compared to two years old children (averages: 44.53 and 31.96 respectively), significant difference between results (p=0.00364) showing that children evolve in the hierarchy of symbolism. CONCLUSION: the values obtained in PROC combined qualitative and quantitative analysis, contributing, besides diagnosis, to a more objective therapeutic process evaluation.

Caracterização das manifestações lingüísticas de uma família com Síndrome Perisylviana

BACKGROUND: perisylvian syndrome refers to a variety of clinical manifestations associated to lesions in the perisylvian or opercular regions. Polymicrogyria is the most common structural malformation found. The syndrome may be inherited and the clinical spectrum includes subtle language disturbances on one end and more severe characteristics such as prominent pseudobulbar signs and refractory epilepsy on the other end. Other studies have already associated perisylvian polymicrogyria with developmental language disorders or specific language impairment. AIM: to describe the language deficits of four members of a family with Perisylvian Syndrome, and to correlate these deficits to neuroimaging data METHOD: the patients underwent neuroimaging investigation, psychological assessment using the Weschler Intelligence Scales, and specific speech-language evaluation. The following tests were used for the assessment of vocabulary, phonology, syntax, pragmatics, reading and writing: Thematical Pictures of Yavas, ABFW - Child Language Test, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), and other specific protocols. RESULTS: magnetic resonance imaging revealed perisylvian polymicrogyria in all of the subjects, with varied locations and extensions. Speech-language assessment indicated significant oral and written language deficits in all of the subjects. CONCLUSION: the obtained data indicate that language impairment can co-exist with reading deficits in members of the same family. Neuroimaging findings reveal cortical alterations that are associated to specific language impairments within the spectrum of the Perisylvian Syndrome. Another important aspect evidenced by this study is the similarities in the language profiles of siblings and mother, suggesting that a variety of linguistic manifestations exist within the spectrum of the syndrome. Perisylvian polymicrogyria can be one of the neurobiological malformations involved in the manifestation of these deficits.

Auditory processing disorder in patients with language-learning impairment and correlation with malformation of cortical development

Malformations of cortical development have been described in children and families with language-learning impairment. The objective of this study was to assess the auditory processing information in children with language-learning impairment in the presence or absence of a malformation of cortical development in the auditory processing areas. We selected 32 children (19 males), aged eight to 15 years, divided into three groups: Group I comprised 11 children with language-learning impairment and bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria, Group II comprised 10 children with language-learning impairment and normal MRI, and Group III comprised 11 normal children. Behavioral auditory tests, such as the Random Gap Detection Test and Digits Dichotic Test were performed. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test, with a level of significance of 0.05. The results revealed a statistically significant difference among the groups. Our data showed abnormalities in auditory processing of children in Groups I and II when compared with the control group, with children in Group I being more affected than children in Group II. Our data showed that the presence of a cortical malformation correlates with a worse performance in some tasks of auditory processing function.

Relações entre processamento fonológico e linguagem escrita nos sujeitos com distúrbio específico de linguagem

PURPOSE: to check the occurrence of alterations in language skills and writing skills of Phonological Processing (PP) in children with SLI, compare the performance between children with SLI and Typical Language Development on the different abilities of PP; check for association between PP and skills of written language in children with SLI. METHOD: 40 subjects, 20 with SLI (EG) and 20 with TLD (CG) aged between 7 and 10 year old for both genders. To assess the abilities of PP we applied the following tests: proof of non word repetitions to assess phonological working memory (PWM), Rapid Automated Naming test (RAN) for evaluating Lexical Access (LA) and Phonological Abilities Profile for assessing phonological awareness (PA). Writing and reading were evaluated using the subtests present in Test for Analising Reading and Writing Skills (dictation and spontaneous writing, reading text and reading comprehension, respectively). For statistical analysis we used the Chi-Square test, with significance level < 0.05. RESULTS: an association between performance on tests of reading and writing and performance on tests of PP was confirmed. CONCLUSION: there is an association between performance in reading and writing tests of PP which suggests that the difficulties in the abilities referring to PF may explain the difficulties of written language regarding these subjects.