RESUMEN
The authors describe their recently developed Computer-aided VIsual Communication (C-VIC) system, and report results of single-subject experimental designs probing its use with five chronic, severely impaired aphasic individuals. Studies replicate earlier results obtained with a non-computerized system, demonstrate patient competence with the computer implementation, extend the system's utility, and identify promising areas of application. Results of the single-subject experimental designs clarify patients' learning, generalization, and retention patterns, and highlight areas of performance difficulties. Future directions for the project are indicated.
Asunto(s)
Afasia/rehabilitación , Daño Encefálico Crónico/rehabilitación , Equipos de Comunicación para Personas con Discapacidad , Microcomputadores , Dispositivos de Autoayuda , Afasia/psicología , Daño Encefálico Crónico/psicología , Dominancia Cerebral , Humanos , Programas Informáticos , VocabularioRESUMEN
A globally aphasic patient was trained on a computerized visual communication system. His ability to comprehend reversible locative prepositional phrases after training was studied and compared with the performance of Broca's aphasics on a similar task. This patient's ability to generalize symbols for actions was also investigated. The results demonstrate our patient's capacity to master a formal visual syntax in the absence of natural language and illustrate how this capacity may be used successfully in a visual communication system. A problem in generalizing symbols for actions is demonstrated, suggesting that certain heuristic and cueing capabilities in the approach may be helpful.
Asunto(s)
Afasia de Broca/psicología , Afasia/psicología , Infarto Cerebral/psicología , Semántica , Afasia de Broca/rehabilitación , Aprendizaje Discriminativo , Humanos , Microcomputadores , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pruebas Neuropsicológicas , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos , Programas Informáticos , Medición de la Producción del HablaAsunto(s)
Varicela/complicaciones , Coma/etiología , Exantema/complicaciones , Paperas/complicaciones , Varicela/microbiología , Niño , Preescolar , Pruebas de Fijación del Complemento , Efecto Citopatogénico Viral , Encefalitis/etiología , Femenino , Pruebas de Inhibición de Hemaglutinación , Humanos , Masculino , Paperas/inmunología , Paperas/microbiología , Virus de la Parotiditis/aislamiento & purificaciónRESUMEN
A surgically unresectable, biopsy-proven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developed in a 63-year-old man with cirrhosis. He survived 24 months without treatment. During that time the tumor burden decreased as demonstrated both radiologically and by the normalization of alpha-fetoprotein levels. The patient died of complications secondary to repeated esophageal variceal hemorrhage. Necropsy demonstrated prominent, ulcerated esophageal varices and liver cirrhosis without evidence of neoplasia either grossly or on a subsequent thorough microscopic examination. This case represents the first confirmation of HCC spontaneous regression in which a primary histologic diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical and flow cytometric DNA analysis, and where tumor regression was proven by a thorough necropsy examination.