RESUMEN
The main aim of this study was to characterize neural correlates of analogizing as a cognitive contributor to fluid and crystallized intelligence. In a previous fMRI study which employed fluid analogy letter strings as criteria in a multiple plausibility design (Geake and Hansen, 2005), two frontal ROIs associated with working memory (WM) load (within BA 9 and BA 45/46) were identified as regions in which BOLD increase correlated positively with a crystallized measure of (verbal) IQ. In this fMRI study we used fluid letter, number and polygon strings to further investigate the role of analogizing in fluid (transformation string completion) and non fluid or crystallized (unique symbol counting) cognitive tasks. The multi stimulus type (letter, number, polygon) design of the analogy strings enabled investigation of a secondary research question concerning the generalizability of fluid analogizing at a neural level. A selective psychometric battery, including the Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), measured individual cognitive abilities. Neural activations for the effect of task-fluid analogizing (string transformation plausibility) vs. crystallized analogizing (unique symbol counting)-included bilateral frontal and parietal areas associated with WM load and fronto parietal models of general intelligence. Neural activations for stimulus type differences were mainly confined to visually specific posterior regions. ROI covariate analyses of the psychometric measures failed to find consistent co-relationships between fluid analogizing and the RPM and other subtests, except for the WAIS Digit Symbol subtest in a group of bilateral frontal cortical regions associated with the maintenance of WM load. Together, these results support claims for separate developmental trajectories for fluid cognition and general intelligence as assessed by these psychometric subtests.
Asunto(s)
Corteza Cerebral/fisiología , Cognición/fisiología , Inteligencia , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
For several years, investigators have been examining the relationship between learning difficulties and a variety of immunological disorders. Two recent studies by Hansen and colleagues reported a negative association between Type 1 diabetes and reading disabilities (dyslexia): subjects with Type 1 diabetes had a lower prevalence of dyslexia than their nondiabetic relatives. In order to control for the impact of environmental variables on learning, we investigated the relationship between Type 1 diabetes and learning problems in 27 sibling pairs, ranging in age from 6 to 20 years. One child in each pair had Type 1 diabetes, and the other child was the unaffected sibling closest in age. Children were assessed for cognitive skills, academic achievement in reading, mathematics, and written language, as well as for speech articulation and motor coordination. Other variables that were examined included handedness, behavioural variables, medical history, and pregnancy and birth complications. We found no significant differences between the 27 children with Type 1 diabetes and their unaffected siblings on any of the cognitive, academic achievement, or speech articulation measures. There were also no significant differences on handedness, behavioural variables, or health history.
Asunto(s)
Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1/genética , Inteligencia , Discapacidades para el Aprendizaje/genética , Niño , Desarrollo Infantil , Humanos , Pruebas de Inteligencia , Análisis Multivariante , Núcleo FamiliarRESUMEN
A psychosocial study was conducted on 25 randomly selected leprosy patients undergoing corrective surgical procedures for their deformities. High anxiety and depression levels found preoperatively, reduced significantly after operation. Psychiatric assistance is needed for these patients in order to clear their psychic aberrations, create awareness, boost morale and to give self-confidence. Only 50-75% of preoperative expectations were satisfied but that was only in 40% of patients. This calls for a preoperative counselling session with the patients to help them reach the realistic goals that they can achieve. They should be told what benefits surgery can offer them and be made aware of the problems which will persist after operation, such as anaesthesia and analgesia.