Gates,States, Rhythms,and Resonance:

No abstract available for this article.     

Review: Single-subject clinical-outcome research: designs,data, effect sizes,and analyses

In the last 20 years, single-subject research designs have become important forms of aphasia-treatment research for assessing the effectiveness of treatment on a subject-by-subject (or patient-by-patient) basis. In that time, several important developments in the statistical literature centring on the reliability and validity of single-subject research have occurred. This work assesses the state of aphasia-treatment single-subject research in the context of that scholarship and proposes recommendations for future applications through a tutorial-like presentation. This paper details the analysis of published single subject results and proposes recommendations concerning future applications of single-subject designs. The work focuses on four domains: designs, data, effect sizes, and analyses. The findings indicate that aphasia-treatment singlesubject studies, which are well designed for the most part, yield a short series of autocorrelated data manifesting generally large treatment effects. However, only one analysis satisfactorily controlled Type I and Type II errors under typical clinical-aphasiology applications. That procedure, ITSACORR, is easily accomplished and it expresses outcome in familiar terms. To facilitate understanding, the review promotes a hands-on understanding of the various analysis options through worked examples and clarifies the (in)appropriateness of each procedure for clinical applications. Although the focus of the work is treatment for aphasia, the central thesis has general application across disorder categories.     

Whiplash: pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis

We have reviewed the literature relevant to pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) since 1995 and provided a brief summary of literature pertaining to forces action on the head and neck during a motor vehicle accident. The scope of the current review is confined to the Quebec guidelines for WAD grades 1-3 but excludes grade 4 (neck complaints and fracture or dislocation). After excluding papers without scientific data and single case reports or case series with fewer than 20 patients, articles were reviewed for methodological quality. The diagnosis remains clinical. No imaging, physiological, or psychological study provides specific diagnostic criteria. In the acute period up to 2 weeks, soft collars or rest and work-leave do not shorten the duration of neck pain. Sick leave is reduced by high-dose methylprednisolone given within 8 h of injury, but confirmatory studies examining the cost-benefit relationship are needed. In the first 6 months, active as opposed to passive treatment results in improved outcomes. Specific exercise strategies have not been studied. For those with symptoms lasting more than 6 months, percutaneous radio-frequency neurotomy can provide pain relief for many months in those responding to blind local anesthetic facet blocks. Intra-articular corticosteroids are ineffective. Uncontrolled trials suggest that multimodal rehabilitation programs result in improved overall function. The overall prognosis for recovery has varied considerably across studies. Such variability is likely due to differences in case identification methods and whether outcome is assessed in terms of symptoms or the receipt of financial compensation for injury. The impact on prognosis of both collision- and patient-related factors is also reviewed.     

Child neurology: past, present, and future: part 3: the future

This is the last of a 3-part series exploring the past, present, and future of the field of child neurology. This article addresses the 2 fundamental challenges facing child neurology. The most important challenge is our inadequate workforce; based on current numbers, recruitment patterns, and projected retirement, the child neurology clinical and research workforce shortage will likely worsen. The second challenge involves adapting our training to prepare child neurologists for changes ahead. We propose that these 2 issues are related, and that solutions need to include consideration of career options in research, education, and patient care.     

Editors' Introduction: Abstract Concepts: Structure,Processing, and Modeling

Our ability to deal with abstract concepts is one of the most intriguing faculties of human cognition. Still, we know little about how such concepts are formed, processed, and represented in mind. For example, because abstract concepts do not designate referents that can be experienced through our body, the role of perceptual experiences in shaping their content remains controversial. Current theories suggest a variety of alternative explanations to the question of “how abstract concepts are represented in the human mind.” These views pinpoint specific streams of semantic information that would play a prominent role in shaping the content of abstract concepts, such as situation-based information (e.g., Barsalou & Wiemer-Hastings, 2005 ), affective information (Kousta, Vigliocco, Vinson, Andrews, & Del Campo, 2011 ), and linguistic information (Louwerse, 2011 ). Rarely, these theoretical views are directly compared. In this special issue, current views are presented in their most recent and advanced form, and directly compared and discussed in a debate, which is reported at the end of each article. As a result, new exciting questions and challenges arise. These questions and challenges, reported in this introductory article, can arguably pave the way to new empirical studies and theoretical developments on the nature of abstract concepts.     

Phil Bryden: Husband,father, colleague,friend

ABSTRACT

This article describes some of the personal life of M. Philip Bryden, and how it interacted with his professional and scholarly achievements.     

Tinnitus: Characteristics, Causes, Mechanisms, and Treatments

Tinnitus-the perception of sound in the absence of an actual external sound-represents a symptom of an underlying condition rather than a single disease. Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms underlying tinnitus. Tinnitus generators are theoretically located in the auditory pathway, and such generators and various mechanisms occurring in the peripheral auditory system have been explained in terms of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions, edge theory, and discordant theory. Those present in the central auditory system have been explained in terms of the dorsal cochlear nucleus, the auditory plasticity theory, the crosstalk theory, the somatosensory system, and the limbic and autonomic nervous systems. Treatments for tinnitus include pharmacotherapy, cognitive and behavioral therapy, sound therapy, music therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy, massage and stretching, and electrical suppression. This paper reviews the characteristics, causes, mechanisms, and treatments of tinnitus.