Correlation between PEAK relational training system and one-word picture vocabulary tests

The past few decades of research in autism spectrum disorders have been successful in developing effective behavioral treatments; however, the psychometrics of these strategies has not been documented well in applied settings. The current experiment evaluated the relationship between established measures of language skills (receptive and expressive one-word picture vocabulary test; ROWPVT-4 and EOWPVT-4, respectively) and a recently released assessment and curriculum tool designed to teach instructional skills using a behavior analytic approach (promoting the emergence of advanced knowledge relational training system; PEAK). Each participant was administered three assessments: The PEAK direct training module assessment, the ROWPVT-4 assessment, and the EOWPVT-4 assessment. Scores from all three assessments were compared to assess the relationship between each assessment. The results indicated both a strong correlation between the PEAK direct training module and commonly used language assessments (ROWPVT-4 and EOWPVT-4), as well as strong reliability in the administration of the assessments.     

Normative sample of the PEAK relational training system: Direct training module and subsequent comparisons to individuals with autism

The present data provide a normative sample of the PEAK: direct training module assessment and a subsequent comparison to individuals with autism. Altogether, 206 typically developing participants and 94 participants with autism took part in the study. For the normative sample, there was a strong relationship between PEAK total score and age (r = .659, p < .01), and a cubic regression provided a strong fit for the data (R² = .821, t = 18.51, p < .01). The results from the autism sample suggest that there was no significant correlation between PEAK total score and age (r = .021, p = .861), and that PEAK total scores for the autism group were significantly lower than the normative sample (t(275) = 10.63, p < .001). The data suggest that PEAK may be especially useful as an assessment and curriculum guide for individuals with autism, and future research should be conducted on the increasingly complex topographies of human language and cognition that PEAK affords clinicians.     

精神分裂症患者自知力与智力的关系

目的：了解精神分裂症患者自知力与智力的关系。方法：对７５例精神分裂症患者出院前１周内做智力测验并测定症状及自知力恢复情况,在背景材料一致下比较自知力与智力的关系。结果：患者自知力恢复越完全,其言语ＩＱ、操作ＩＱ及总ＩＱ显著高;右力差者中４５．９％属智力障碍。结论：自知力恢复受智力水平的影响。     

有无凶杀行为的精神分裂症患者智测结果比较

目的 探讨有凶杀行为与无凶杀行为的精神分裂症患者之间的认知差异.方法 对有凶杀行为的精神分裂症组(39例)、无凶杀行为的精神分裂症组(32例)及正常对照组(38例)进行韦氏成人智力测验,并比较三组间测验分数的差异.结果 除相似性分量表评分外,有凶杀行为的精神分裂症组与无凶杀行为的精神分裂症组其它各分量表评分和智商均显著低于正常对照组;有凶杀行为的精神分裂症组相似性分量表评分和言语智商均显著低于无凶杀行为的精神分裂症组.结论 精神分裂症患者存在认知缺损,且有凶杀行为和无凶杀行为的精神分裂症患者之间亦存在某种程度的认知差异.     

Estimating verbal intelligence in unipolar depression: Comparison of word definition and word recognition

Depression is known to be associated with deficits in effortful processing and word fluency. Automatic processes, instead, appear largely intact in depressed patients. It was investigated whether active word definition could be a less appropriate method than passive word recognition as a measure of verbal intelligence in depression. The valid assessment of premorbid IQ is important for correct comparison with current cognitive efficiency of depressed individuals, since premorbid IQ serves as baseline or control parameter to estimate the extent and severity of acquired cognitive impairments, both in the clinical and the research context. Two vocabulary tests were administered to 90 patients (31 women) with unipolar depression and 30 control subjects (15 women): a word definition task [the vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R)] and a word recognition task [the Multiple choice vocabulary test (MWT)]. In the depressed sample, scores of the MWT tended to be higher than WAIS-R scores. For depressed women, the MWT score was significantly higher than the WAIS-R score. In the control sample, no differences between MWT and WAIS-R scores were observed. Our findings indicate that word definition tasks could underestimate verbal intelligence especially in depressed women. For depressed women, it could be more appropriate to administer word recognition than word definition as an estimate of premorbid or verbal intelligence.     

小学生学习困难和智力水平与父母素质的关系分析

目的 本文试图对儿童学习困难和智力水平及结构与父母素质的关系进行了分析。方法 采用中国韦氏儿童智力量表对学习困难组、中等组、优秀组对照研究。结果 发现儿童学习困难与智力水平及结构有关;与父母素质的讷氏有关。结论 儿童智力水平低和结构不合理与父母素质差是导致儿童学习困难的原因。     

精神分裂症患者攻击行为与临床症状、记忆及智力的相关性

目的探讨精神分裂症患者攻击行为与临床症状、记忆及智力的相关性,分析临床症状、记忆及智力能否作为精神分裂症患者攻击行为的预测因子。方法以2014年5月-2016年5月在中山市第三人民医院早期干预科住院的符合《国际疾病分类(第10版)》(ICD-10)精神分裂症诊断标准的患者为研究对象,所有患者均处于急性发作期。依据既往暴力史和修订版外显攻击行为量表(MOAS)加权总分为5分区分攻击组和非攻击组,其中攻击组69例,非攻击组39例。采用阳性和阴性症状量表(PANSS)评估临床症状,采用韦氏记忆量表修订版(WMS-R)、韦氏成人智力量表中国修订版(WAIS-RC)评估记忆和智力,并对MOAS与PANSS、WMS-R和WAIS-RC评分进行相关分析。结果攻击组MOAS加权总分、言语攻击、对财产的攻击和体力攻击的评分均高于非攻击组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05或0.01)。攻击组PANSS总评分和阳性症状评分均高于非攻击组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05或0.01)。两组WMS-R和WAIS-RC评分比较差异均无统计学意义(P均0.05)。MOAS加权总分、体力攻击评分与PANSS总评分、阳性症状评分和一般精神病理评分呈正相关(r=0.203~0.535,P0.05或0.01),体力攻击评分与心智评分呈负相关(r=-0.343,P0.05)。结论与非攻击组相比,攻击组的攻击行为体现在言语攻击、对财产的攻击与体力攻击方面。PANSS总评分与阳性症状可能与精神分裂症患者的攻击行为相关。记忆和智力与精神分裂症患者的攻击行为不相关,不能作为攻击行为的预测因子。     

A further evaluation of the effects of listener training on derived categorization and speaker behavior in children with autism

Previous research has shown that children with autism may accurately categorize visual stimuli after learning to both tact (i.e., speaker behavior) and receptively discriminate (i.e., listener behavior) them using common category names. The purpose of the current study was to further evaluate the effects of category listener training alone on the development of Visual Categorization and Category Tacts with four children diagnosed with autism. We administered standardized language assessments to evaluate participants’ skills prior to beginning the study and used a non-concurrent multiple-baseline design across participants. Two of the participants whose language assessments identified both speaker and listener scores greater than 36 months, passed Visual Categorization and Category Tact testing with previously unfamiliar stimuli following Category Listener training. The two participants whose language assessments identified a deficit in either speaker or listener scores failed Visual Categorization and Category Tact testing following Category Listener training. These results suggest that both speaker and listener behavior may be required for the emergence of untrained categorization and tacting following listener training.     

Processing speed mediates the relationship between verbal memory, verbal fluency, and functional outcome in chronic schizophrenia

Verbal fluency and verbal memory have been reported to be diminished in patients with schizophrenia. These deficits could partially predict functional disability in this pathology. However, processing speed often mediates the relationship among cognitive processes in the disorder. Our goal was to analyse the influence of processing speed as mediator of the relation between verbal fluency–verbal memory and functional disability in chronic schizophrenia. We examined 90 hospitalized patients and 30 healthy controls (matched for gender, age and years of education). The neuropsychological battery included tests for verbal fluency, verbal memory, motor speed and processing speed. Outcome measures included Disability Assessment Schedule (DAS-WHO) and number of hospitalizations (NH). Results confirmed chronicity on clinical symptoms (PANSS total X = 48.94 + 14.97 PANSS negative X = 27.81 + 10.18, PANSS positive X = 23.51 + 10.81) and impairment on functional disability (DAS-WHO X = 13.62 +4.28). As expected, verbal fluency was severely impaired in patients and significantly predicted functional outcome. Immediate and Delayed Verbal Memory were also severely impaired and predicted functional outcome. However, when processing speed was entered in the regression analyses the significance of verbal fluency and verbal memory decreased significantly. Sobel's equation was significant, suggesting full mediation. Our findings suggest that processing speed may be a central factor in the relation between cognitive symptoms and functional outcome in chronic schizophrenia.     

Association of COMT and PRODH gene variants with intelligence quotient (IQ) and executive functions in 22q11.2DS subjects

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) carries the highest genetic risk factor for the development of schizophrenia. We investigated the association of genetic variants in two schizophrenia candidate genes with executive function (EF) and IQ in 22q11.2DS individuals.Ninety two individuals with 22q11.2 deletion were studied for the genetic association between COMT and PRODH variants and EF and IQ. Subjects were divided into children (under 12 years old), adolescents (between 12 and 18 years old) and adults (older than 18 years), and genotyped for the COMT Val158Met (rs4680) and PRODH Arg185Trp (rs4819756) polymorphisms. The participants underwent psychiatric evaluation and EF assessment. Our main finding is a significant influence of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on both IQ and EF performance. Specifically, 22q11.2DS subjects with Met allele displayed higher IQ scores in all age groups compared to Val carriers, reaching significance in both adolescents and adults. The Met allele carriers performed better than Val carriers in EF tasks, being statistically significant in the adult group. PRODH Arg185Trp variant did not affect IQ or EF in our 22q11.2DS cohort. In conclusion, functional COMT variant, but not PRODH, affects IQ and EF in 22q11.2DS subjects during neurodevelopment with a maximal effect at adulthood. Future studies should monitor the cognitive performance of the same individuals from childhood to old age.     

脑梗死早期智能障碍与脑影像学改变关系分析

目的　探讨脑梗死患者智能障碍与脑影像学及其它因素之间的关系。方法　应用韦氏智力量表对经CT证实的 16 6例脑梗死患者进行神经心理学检查。对比分析其智能障碍的发生与性别、年龄、文化程度、脑梗死灶的部位、体积、是否伴发皮层萎缩或皮层下变性影像学结果的关系。结果　92例出现智能障碍 ,其中轻度 46例 ,中度 2 1例 ,重度 2 5例。智能障碍与其梗死体积呈明显正相关 ,与各皮层及皮层下萎缩因子呈明显负相关 ,与文化程度呈明显负相关。结论　智能障碍的发生与梗死体积 ,慢性脑循环障碍所致皮层及皮层下病理改变 ,以及文化程度的差异等多种因素有     

Assessing progress and outcome of early intensive behavioral intervention for toddlers with autism

Intensive behavioral intervention for young children diagnosed with autism can produce large gains in social, cognitive, and language development. Although several studies have identified behaviors that are possible indicators of best outcome, changes in performance are typically measured using norm-referenced standardized scores referencing overall functioning level rather than via repeated observational measures of autism-specific deficits (i.e., social behavior). In the current study, 83 children with autism (CWA), aged 1, 2 and 3 years, and 58 same-aged typically developing children (TDC) were directly observed in the areas of cognitive skills, joint attention (JA), play, and stereotypic behavior using a measure called the Early Skills Assessment Tool (ESAT; MacDonald et al., 2006). CWA were assessed at entry into an EIBI program and again after 1 year of treatment. Changes in performance were compared pre- and post-treatment as well as to the normative data by age. Results indicate significant gains on the ESAT across all age groups with the greatest gains seen in the children who entered treatment prior to their second birthday. Increases were seen on direct measures of JA, play, imitation and language while decreases were seen in stereotypy regardless of level of performance at entry into EIBI. The ESAT, a direct measurement tool, served as a sensitive tool to measure changes in autism symptomatology following EIBI treatment.     

Assessing the relationship between rumination and cortisol: a review

Objective and methodsFor individuals who ruminate, or mentally rehearse past stressful events, the physiological effects of a stressor may be longer lasting. This is well-supported within the cardiovascular domain. In the context of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and cortisol, the results are inconsistent. This review summarizes key theoretical and methodological issues that contribute to these mixed findings among the 15 studies to date that have examined the association between rumination and cortisol.ResultsState measures of rumination were consistently linked to increased cortisol concentrations. Stress-related rumination questionnaires were often positively associated with cortisol, whereas depression-related rumination scales predicted lower cortisol concentrations or were unrelated to cortisol. Rumination manipulations in the laboratory (e.g., ruminative self-focused writing tasks compared to distraction writing tasks) influenced cortisol concentrations, but often did not increase cortisol relative to baseline values. Studies that utilized social-evaluative stressor tasks to examine the relationship between rumination and cortisol levels generally showed that rumination predicted greater cortisol reactivity or delayed recovery. Results from studies examining rumination and basal cortisol or the cortisol awakening response were inconsistent.ConclusionThe ways in which researchers conceptualize and assess rumination and the associated cortisol response influences the association between rumination and cortisol. Suggestions for future studies in this area of research are provided.     

The relations between social anxiety and social intelligence: a latent variable analysis

Social anxiety has been associated with biases in cognitive processing and deficits in social performances. Yet, it remains unclear if these variations may be partly attributable to deficits in fundamental social abilities: for example, social intelligence (SI). Using the Magdeburg Test of Social Intelligence (MTSI) as an objective and performance based SI measure, we examined the relationship between social anxiety and SI in a general population sample (N = 110) using Structural Equation Modeling. Dimensions of social anxiety as postulated by Clark and Wells (1995) and facets of SI (social understanding, social memory, and social perception), were negatively correlated. Use of safety-behavior in particular was related to deficits in social understanding (r = −0.25; p < 0.05) and social perception and memory (r = −0.24; p < 0.05). Results suggest small to medium sized relationships between specific facets of social anxiety and certain domains of SI. Therapeutic implications for socially anxious individuals concerning SI are discussed.     

Longitudinal studies of semantic dementia: the relationship between structural and functional changes over time

The pattern of brain atrophy in semantic dementia and its associated cognitive effects have attracted a considerable body of research, but the nature of core impairments remains disputed. A key issue is whether the disease encompasses one neurocognitive network (semantics) or two (language and semantics). In order to address these conflicting perspectives, we conducted a longitudinal investigation of two semantic dementia patients, in which behavioural performance across a range of measures of language and semantic performance was assessed and interpreted in the context of annually acquired MRI scans. Our results indicated a core semantic impairment in early stages of the disease, associated with atrophy of the inferior, anterior temporal cortex. Linguistic impairments emerged later, and were contingent on atrophy having spread into areas widely believed to subserve core language processes (left posterior perisylvian, inferior frontal and insular cortex). We claim, therefore, that phonological, syntactic and morphological processing deficits in semantic dementia reflect damage to core language areas. Further, we propose that much of the current controversy over the nature of deficits in semantic dementia reflect a tendency in the literature to adopt a static perspective on what is a progressive disease. An approach in which the relationship between progressive neural changes and behavioural change over time is carefully mapped, offers a more constraining data-set from which to draw inferences about the relationship between language, semantics and the brain.     

Emotion recognition support system: Where physicians and psychiatrists meet linguists and data engineers

An important factor in the course of daily medical diagnosis and treatment is understanding patients’ emotional states by the caregiver physicians. However, patients usually avoid speaking out their emotions when expressing their somatic symptoms and complaints to their non-psychiatrist doctor. On the other hand, clinicians usually lack the required expertise(or time) and have a deficit in mining various verbal and non-verbal emotional signals of the patients. As a result, in many cases, there i...     

Inverse association between 18-carbon trans fatty acids and intelligence quotients in smoking schizophrenia patients

This study aimed to investigate polyunsaturated (PUFA) and trans isomeric fatty acid status in schizophrenia patients. Fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids (PL) and triacylglycerols (TG) was analyzed by gas chromatography in 29 schizophrenia patients and 15 healthy controls. We found no difference in PL n-3 fatty acid status between the two groups, while the values of 22:5n-6 were significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia than in controls. In TG, values of docosatrienoic acid (20:3n-3) and docosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) were significantly higher in schizophrenia patients than in controls. We found no difference in the trans fatty acid status between patients and controls. In smoking schizophrenia patients significant negative correlations were detected between Wechsler adult full-scale intelligence quotients and values of total trans fatty acids in PL lipids, whereas no such correlation was seen either in non-smoking schizophrenia patients, or in healthy controls. While data obtained in the present study fail to furnish evidence for n-3 PUFA supplementation to the diet of patients with schizophrenia, they indicate that in smoking schizophrenia patients high dietary exposure to trans fatty acids is associated with lower intelligence quotients.     

Hierarchical functional connectivity between the core language system and the working memory system

Language processing inevitably involves working memory (WM) operations, especially for sentences with complex syntactic structures. Evidence has been provided for a neuroanatomical segregation between core syntactic processes and WM, but the dynamic relation between these systems still has to be explored. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we investigated the network dynamics of regions involved in WM operations which support sentence processing during reading, comparing a set of dynamic causal models (DCM) with different assumptions about the underlying connectional architecture. The DCMs incorporated the core language processing regions (pars opercularis and middle temporal gyrus), WM related regions (inferior frontal sulcus and intraparietal sulcus), and visual word form area (fusiform gyrus). The results indicate a processing hierarchy from the visual to WM to core language systems, and moreover, a clear increase of connectivity between WM regions and language regions as the processing load increases for syntactically complex sentences.