A case of crossed aphasia with apraxia of speech

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a rare, but well-defined motor speech disorder. It is characterized by irregular articulatory errors, attempts of self-correction and persistent prosodic abnormalities. Similar to aphasia, AOS is also localized to the dominant cerebral hemisphere. We report a case of Crossed Aphasia with AOS in a 48-year-old right-handed man due to an ischemic infarct in right cerebral hemisphere.     

Stroke and aphasia quality of life scale in Kannada-evaluation of reliability,validity and internal consistency

Background:

Quality of life (QoL) dwells in a person''s overall well-being. Recently, QoL measures have become critical and relevant in stroke survivors. Instruments measuring QoL of individuals with aphasia are apparently rare in the Indian context. The present study aimed to develop a Kannada instrument to measure the QoL of people with aphasia. Study objectives were to validate Stroke and aphasia quality of life-39 (SAQOL-39) into Kannada, to measure test–retest reliability and internal consistency.

Materials and Methods:

The original English instrument was modified considering socio-cultural differences among native English and Kannada speakers. Cross-linguistic adaptation of SAQOL-39 into Kannada was carried out through forward–backward translation scheme. The scale was administered on 32 people from Karnataka (a state in India) having aphasia. For a direct understanding of the subject''s QoL, scores were categorized into QoL severity levels. Item reliability of the Kannada version was examined by measuring Cronbach''s alpha. Test–retest reliability was examined by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results:

Kannada SAQOL-39 showed good acceptability with minimum missing data and excellent test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.8). Value of Cronbach''s α observed for four items modified in the original version was 0.9 each and the mean α of all Kannada items was 0.9, demonstrating high internal consistency.

Conclusions:

The present study offers a valid, reliable tool to measure QoL in Kannada-speaking individuals with aphasia. This tool is useful in a cross-center, cross-national comparison of QoL data from people with aphasia. This instrument also permits direct translation into other Indian languages as the items are culturally validated to the Indian population. This study promotes future research using the Kannada SAQOL-39.     

Childhood polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposure and executive function in children in the HOME Study

Prenatal exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been reported to impair executive function in children, but little is known whether childhood PBDE exposures play a role. Using the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a prospective birth cohort in the greater Cincinnati area, we investigated the association between repeated measures of PBDEs during childhood and executive function at 8 years in 208 children and whether effect modification by child sex was present. We used child serum collected at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 years to measure PBDEs. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function was completed by parents to assess executive function at 8 years. We used multiple informant models to examine childhood PBDEs during several exposure windows. Null associations were observed between early childhood PBDEs and executive function. However, we observed significant adverse associations between a 10-fold increase in concurrent concentrations of BDE-28 (β = 4.6, 95% CI 0.5, 8.7) and BDE-153 (β = 4.8, 95% CI 0.8, 8.8) with behavioral regulation. In addition, PBDEs at 8 years were significantly associated with poorer emotional and impulse control. No associations were noted between childhood PBDEs and metacognition or global executive function. However, child sex significantly modified the associations, with significantly poorer executive function among males with higher concurrent BDE-153, and null associations in females. Our study findings suggest that concurrent PBDE exposures during childhood may be associated with poorer executive function, specifically behavior regulation. Males may also be more sensitive to adverse associations of concurrent PBDEs on executive function.     

医学院校护理本科生逆商四维度培养路径的探索

如何提高医学院校护理本科生在应对公共卫生突发事件时逆转困境的能力,是亟待深入研究的问题。通过培养学生的逆商,提高学生逆商水平,是培养这种能力的一种有效的途径。本文阐明了逆商构成的4个维度,分析了护理专业大学生四维逆商形成的因素;提出了将四维逆商培养融入护理专业教育体系中,建立四维逆商水平评价体系和机制的路径;介绍了在护理专业实践教学中,通过倾听和沟通交流培养逆商的方法。     

执行功能训练在脑卒中后失语症康复中的应用研究

目的：探讨执行功能训练对脑卒中后失语症患者语言功能的影响。方法：选取60 例脑卒中后失语症患者,随机分为对照组和干预组,对照组实施常规言语训练,干预组在对照组训练的基础上给予执行功能训练。采用西方失语症成套测验（WAB）、简易智力状况检查（MMSE）及执行功能测试对2组患者进行干预前后的评定。结果：训练4周后,对照组患者训练后WAB中的谈话、复述评分较训练前有明显提高（P＜0.05）,理解、命名及失语商（AQ）评分差异无统计学意义;干预组患者训练后WAB中的谈话、理解、复述评分较训练前提高显著（P＜0.01）,命名评分及AQ值较训练前明显提高（P＜0.05）。训练后干预组患者理解、复述、命名、谈话评分及AQ值明显高于对照组（P＜0.05,0.01）。训练后,对照组患者 MMSE 评分较训练前差异无统计学意义,干预组患者 MMSE 评分较训练前及对照组有明显提高（P＜0.05）。训练后,对照组患者执行功能评定中的Stroop测试分值、词语流畅性测试（动物）（VFTa）较训练前有明显提高（P＜0.05）;而伦敦塔测试分值、谚语测试分值、连线测验A（TMT-A）分值、连线测验B（TMT-B）分值、词语流畅性测试(果蔬)（VFTv）分值,较训练前相比,差异无统计学意义;而干预组患者执行功能各项评定较训练前均有显著提高（P＜0.05）。干预组患者语言康复治疗的总有效率显著高于对照组（P＜0.05）。结论：执行功能训练可以改善脑卒中失语症患者的执行功能和语言功能。     

Persistent verbal and behavioral deficits after resection of the left supplementary motor area in epilepsy surgery

An 8-year-old boy underwent a resection for focal cortical dysplasia at the left supplementary motor area (SMA) for the treatment of intractable epilepsy. The manifestations of SMA syndrome, such as transient mutism and right hemiparesis, resolved within a few weeks. Verbal disfluency and impaired executive function, accompanied by impulsivity and distractibility, persisted for more than 12 months. The verbal and behavioral problems caused serious difficulties in the school life of the patient, until they became less evident at 18 months after surgery. Tractography performed 18 months after surgery revealed a defect in the subportion of fronto-parietal association fibers within the left superior longitudinal fascicles. Verbal influency can persist with unusually long duration after resection of SMA during childhood. Although not discernible on the routine neuroimaging, white matter damage beneath the SMA region could result in serious disabilities in executive function. These complications should be recognized for the prediction and assessment of deficits in children after surgical intervention involving this region.     

低频重复经颅磁刺激联合高压氧治疗卒中后非流利性失语的疗效观察

目的 观察低频重复经颅磁刺激（rTMS）联合高压氧（HBO）治疗卒中后非流利性失语患者的疗效。 方法 采用随机数字表法将48例脑卒中后非流利性失语患者分为对照组、HBO组及观察组。3组患者均给予常规康复干预（包括药物治疗、语言训练及肢体康复训练等）,HBO组患者在此基础上辅以HBO治疗,观察组患者则辅以HBO及低频rTMS联合治疗,磁刺激部位为右侧大脑半球Broca镜像区,磁刺激频率为1 Hz。于治疗前、治疗4周后分别使用中文版西方失语症成套检验（WAB）评估患者语言功能情况,采用改良Barthel指数（MBI）评价患者日常生活活动能力改善情况。 结果 治疗前3组患者WAB各项指标评分及MBI评分组间差异均无统计学意义（P>0.05）;经4周治疗后,发现HBO组、观察组WAB各项指标评分及MBI评分均较治疗前明显改善;并且观察组WAB自发言语评分［（9.13±3.01）分］、听理解评分［（150.19±34.36）分］、复述评分［（83.94±18.20）分］、命名评分［（75.63±21.71）分］、AQ评分［（65.18±16.22）分］及MBI评分［（67.38±16.15）分］均显著优于HBO组及对照组（P<0.05）,HBO组上述指标评分亦显著优于对照组（P<0.05）。 结论 低频rTMS联合HBO治疗可有效改善卒中后非流利性失语患者早期语言功能,提高其日常生活活动能力及生活质量,该联合疗法值得在卒中后失语患者中推广、应用。     

全民食盐加碘对沿海城区儿童智力发育的影响

目的了解沿海地区实施有效全民食盐加碘对补碘后出生的儿童智力发育的影响。方法用联合型瑞文测验测定全民食盐加碘出生的儿童智商(IQ)，同时分析社会-经济-文化因素对智力发育影响。结果沿海地区补碘后出生的儿童智力低下的发生率明显低于补碘前出生的儿童。将社会-经济-文化因素与儿童的智商进行多元逐步回归分析，R^2=0．232，结论全民食盐加碘可有效改善儿童智力发育，后天的环境因素对儿童智力发育的影响是有限的。     

Congruent validity and inter-day reliability of two breath by breath metabolic carts to measure resting metabolic rate in young adults

Background & aims

Achieving high inter-day reliability is a key factor to analyze the magnitude of change in RMR, for instance after an intervention. The aims of this study were: i) to determine the congruent validity of RMR and respiratory quotient (RQ) with two breath by breath commercially available metabolic carts [CCM Express (CCM) and Ultima CardiO2 (MGU)]; and ii) to analyze the inter-day reliability of RMR and RQ measurements.