Cyclic alternating pattern in infants with congenital hypothyroidism.

Congenital hypothyroidism is defined as thyroid hormone deficiency present at birth which is crucial for brain development. Recently, the cyclic alternating pattern, a rhythm present in electroencephalography recordings in non-Rapid eye movement sleep, has been related to brain development and cognition in different pediatric conditions. Therefore, we evaluated the cyclic alternating pattern rate in infants with congenital hypothyroidism, thyroxine supplementation, and healthy controls. The parameters of the cyclic alternating pattern were evaluated in 19 healthy infants (10 female, mean age 25.5 ±â€¯15.5 months) and 21 infants diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism (19 female, mean age 24.3 ±â€¯19.0 months). We considered the transient electro-cortical activations (phase A of the cycle) in non-Rapid eye movement sleep and the subdivisions of the A phase in: A1, A2 and A3, based on their frequency content. All subjects were subjected to polysomnography recording in a standard laboratory setting. Sleep data were stored computer following the International 10-20 System. Data showed that congenital hypothyroidism infants exhibited higher frequency of central apnea, hypopnea, and arousals in comparison to controls. Particularly, central apnea index decreased with age in the control group but not in congenital hypothyroidism group. Regarding to cyclic alternating pattern measurements, congenital hypothyroidism infants exhibit a higher frequency in the percentage of A3 subtype (electroencephalographic desynchrony) and conversely a lower percentage of A1 subtype (electroencephalographic synchrony), than healthy infants. An important finding of this study is the positive correlation between A1 mean duration and age, which is bigger in control group than in congenital hypothyroidism group (time duration in control group (0.52 s/month) versus congenital hypothyroidism group (0.1 s/month). Infants with congenital hypothyroidism showed an increase of A3 subtype, of central apnea, and of arousals. The reduction of percentage and mean duration of A1 subtype could be a valuable indicator of sleep development in patients with congenital hypothyroidism and healthy infants.

Psychoacoustics and Neurophysiological Alterations after 30-36 Hours of Sleep Deprivation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Sleep deprivation (SD) may result in perceptual and cognitive alterations in healthy subjects. Our objective was to compare whether psychoacoustics and neurophysiological variables in healthy subjects were altered after SD of 30-36 h. METHOD: We examined 22 subjects by means of several psychoacoustics tests, P300 and mismatch negativity (MMN) recordings, and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) before and after 30-36 h of SD. RESULTS: In the psychoacoustics tests, we found that after SD, difficulties were experienced by the left ear in the discrimination of words in noise and by the right ear in music discrimination. In the neurophysiological tests, we found delayed latencies of P300 and MMN wave; there was a delay of wave I in both ears, and wave V in the right ear in BAEP. We found significant correlations with positive direction between P300 latency and words in noise and music discrimination in the right ear. CONCLUSIONS: SD results in alterations of central auditory processing perception and delays of brain neurophysiological responses, with some correlations between the psychoacoustics and neurophysiological tests. These alterations may relate to other cognitive alterations that deserve more research in future studies.

Phonological awareness and sinusoidal amplitude modulation in phonological dislexia.

OBJECTIVE: Dyslexia is the difficulty of children in learning to read and write as results of neurological deficiencies. The objective was to test the Phonological awareness (PA) and Sinusoidal amplitude modulation (SAM) threshold in children with Phonological dyslexia (PD). METHODS: We performed a case-control, analytic, cross sectional study. We studied 14 children with PD and 14 control children from 7 to 11 years of age, by means of PA measurement and by SAM test. The mean age of dyslexic children was 8.39 years and in the control group was 8.15. RESULTS: Children with PD exhibited inadequate skills in PA, and SAM. We found significant correlations between PA and SAM at 4 Hertz frequency, and calculated regression equations that predicts between one-fourth and one-third of variance of measurements. CONCLUSION: Alterations in PA and SAM found can help to explain basis of deficient language processing exhibited by children with PD.

Phonological awareness and sinusoidal amplitude modulation in phonological dislexia / Conciencia fonológica y la modulación sinusoidal de la amplitud en la dislexia fonológica

ABSTRACT Objective Dyslexia is the difficulty of children in learning to read and write as results of neurological deficiencies. The objective was to test the Phonological awareness (PA) and Sinusoidal amplitude modulation (SAM) threshold in children with Phonological dyslexia (PD). Methods We performed a case-control, analytic, cross sectional study. We studied 14 children with PD and 14 control children from 7 to 11 years of age, by means of PA measurement and by SAM test. The mean age of dyslexic children was 8.39 years and in the control group was 8.15. Results Children with PD exhibited inadequate skills in PA, and SAM. We found significant correlations between PA and SAM at 4 Hertz frequency, and calculated regression equations that predicts between one-fourth and one-third of variance of measurements. Conclusion Alterations in PA and SAM found can help to explain basis of deficient language processing exhibited by children with PD.

RESUMEN Objetivo La Dislexia es la dificultad en niños de aprender a leer y escribir como resultado de una deficiencia neurológica. Nuestro objetivo fue probar la Conciencia fonológica (CF) y la Modulación sinusoidal de la amplitud (MSA) en niños con Dislexia fonológica (DF). Métodos Realizamos un estudio analítico, transversal, de casos y controles. Estudiamos la CF y la MSA en 14 niños con DF y 14 controles de 7–11 años. La edad media de los niños con DF fue de 8.39 años y de los controles fue 8.15. Resultados Los niños con DF presentaron deficiencias en CF y en MSA. Encontramos correlaciones entre CF y MSA en la frecuencia de 4 Hertzios (Hz), calculamos ecuaciones de regresión que predijeron de un cuarto a un tercio de la varianza de las mediciones. Conclusión Las deficiencias en CF y en MSA pueden ayudar a comprender las alteraciones en el procesamiento del lenguaje presentadas por los niños con DF.

Sound localization and word discrimination in reverberant environment in children with developmental dyslexia.

OBJECTIVE: Compare if localization of sounds and words discrimination in reverberant environment is different between children with dyslexia and controls. METHOD: We studied 30 children with dyslexia and 30 controls. Sound and word localization and discrimination was studied in five angles from left to right auditory fields (-90o, -45o, 0o, +45o, +90o), under reverberant and no-reverberant conditions; correct answers were compared. RESULTS: Spatial location of words in no-reverberant test was deficient in children with dyslexia at 0º and +90o. Spatial location for reverberant test was altered in children with dyslexia at all angles, except –-90o. Word discrimination in no-reverberant test in children with dyslexia had a poor performance at left angles. In reverberant test, children with dyslexia exhibited deficiencies at -45o, -90o, and +45o angles. CONCLUSION: Children with dyslexia could had problems when have to locate sound, and discriminate words in extreme locations of the horizontal plane in classrooms with reverberation.

Sound localization and word discrimination in reverberant environment in children with developmental dyslexia / Localización sonora y discriminación de palabras en ambientes reverberantes en niños con dislexia del desarrollo

Objective Compare if localization of sounds and words discrimination in reverberant environment is different between children with dyslexia and controls. Method We studied 30 children with dyslexia and 30 controls. Sound and word localization and discrimination was studied in five angles from left to right auditory fields (-90o, -45o, 0o, +45o, +90o), under reverberant and no-reverberant conditions; correct answers were compared. Results Spatial location of words in no-reverberant test was deficient in children with dyslexia at 0º and +90o. Spatial location for reverberant test was altered in children with dyslexia at all angles, except –-90o. Word discrimination in no-reverberant test in children with dyslexia had a poor performance at left angles. In reverberant test, children with dyslexia exhibited deficiencies at -45o, -90o, and +45o angles. Conclusion Children with dyslexia could had problems when have to locate sound, and discriminate words in extreme locations of the horizontal plane in classrooms with reverberation. .

Objetivo Comparar localización de sonidos y localización-discriminación de palabras bajo reverberación y sin reverberación en niños disléxicos y controles. Método Estudiamos 30 niños disléxicos y 30 controles, pareados por edad. La localización sonora y discriminación a palabras fue estudiada en cinco ángulos horizontales en los campos izquierdo y derecho (-90o, -45o, 0o, +45o, +90o), bajo reverberación y sin reverberación; las respuestas correctas fueron comparadas Resultados: La localización sonora sin reverberación fue deficiente en niños disléxicos a 0º y +90º. La localización bajo reverberación falló en niños disléxicos en todos los ángulos, excepto –-90o. Durante la discriminación a palabras, sin reverberación, los niños disléxicos fallaron en ángulos izquierdos. En la prueba reverberante, los niños disléxicos fallaron a -–45o, -90o y +45o. Conclusion Los niños con dislexia pueden tener problemas cuando tienen que localizar sonidos y discriminar palabras en las localizaciones extremas del plano horizontal en salones de clases típicos con reverberación. .

[Effects of Cisplatin on Auditory Function in Children with cancer. Otoacoustic Emission Evaluation]. / Efectos del cisplatino en la función auditiva en niños con cáncer. Evaluación por emisiones otoacústicas.

This study was done to ascertain prospectively whether distortion product-evoked otoacoustic emissions (DP-EOAE) might detect changes in specific frequencies damaged in inner ear function earlier, before they become permanent after cisplatinum exposure for cancer treatment in children. Sixteen children treated with cisplatinum for various types of cancer were repeatedly evaluated after each chemotherapy session; results were compared to 44 controls. We observed a progressive damage in auditory function. In second assessment 50% of DP-EOAE studies were abnormal; in the third study, 66% were abnormal, and in the fourth test 71% were abnormal. Our results suggest that DP-EOAE are useful tests for earlier auditory changes induced by cisplatinum therapy; higher frequencies are the most affected, and we propose that DP-EOAE be a mandatory test before treatment and during cisplatinum therapy to detect or diagnose early hearing loss.