Abuse and Neglect of Children With Specific Learning Disorders in Türkiye: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Although it is often stated that children with special needs are at risk of being abused and neglected, research conducted on the abuse of children with specific learning disorders (SLDs) is limited. METHODS: This case-control study aims to compare exposure to neglect and abuse among children diagnosed with SLDs (case group) and children with typical development (control group). The study included children aged 6 to 12 years who were referred to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and Pediatric Clinic of a hospital in Türkiye. The data collection process included 196 participants and lasted for 7 months in 2020. RESULTS: Based on the analysis of the data collected with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Turkish Version (K-SADS-PL-T) and the Abuse Assessment Questionnaire, we determined that children with SLDs were physically and emotionally abused more than the children of the control group. In addition, they witnessed violence between their parents more than the control group. Physical abuse, emotional abuse and witnessing family violence were identified as significant predictors for SLD. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of SLDs is a significant risk factor for children to be exposed to abuse even in the absence of ADHD as a comorbidity.

Subtipos de Dislexia do Desenvolvimento Descritos no Português Brasileiro: Uma Revisão Integrativa / Developmental Dyslexia Subtypes Described in Brazilian Portuguese: An Integrative Review / Subtipos de Dislexia del Desarrollo Descritos en Portugués Brasileño: Una Revisión Integradora

A heterogeneidade na dislexia do desenvolvimento pode ser compreendida por meio dos subtipos de dislexia do desenvolvimento (SDD), porém não foram encontrados estudos que avaliassem a literatura brasileira sobre SDD. A presente revisão buscou responder quais SDD foram identificados no português brasileiro. Foram incluídos estudos empíricos, em inglês ou português, que descrevessem ao menos um SDD, bem como critérios diagnósticos, com participantes brasileiros. As buscas foram realizadas nas bases Scielo, Pubmed e Google Scholar. Como resultado, foram encontrados 11 estudos referentes a seis SDD, sendo as dislexias fonológicas e de superfície as mais presentes, e foram descritas as definições, critérios de identificação e instrumentos de avaliação utilizados em cada estudo. Foi discutida a heterogeneidade de definições, critérios de identificação e instrumentos de avaliação encontrados. Destacam-se o pequeno número de relatos em comparação com a literatura internacional e a necessidade de tarefas padronizadas, validadas e sensíveis aos SDD no português brasileiro.(AU)

The present review aimed to explore the subtypes of developmental dyslexia (SDD), identified in the Brazilian literature, considering the heterogeneity in developmental dyslexia. This review included empirical studies in English or Portuguese, involving Brazilian students, and describing at least one SDD, along with diagnostic criteria. Searches were conducted in the Scielo, Pubmed and Google Scholar databases. The review identified 11 studies, which covered six different SDD. Phonological and surface dyslexia were the most commonly reported subtypes. The review discussed the variations in definitions, identification criteria, and evaluation instruments used in these studies. It also highlighted the limited number of reports in the Brazilian literature compared to international sources and emphasized the need for standardized, validated tasks in Brazilian Portuguese that are SDD-sensitive.(AU)

La heterogeneidad en la dislexia del desarrollo puede comprenderse a través de los subtipos de dislexia del desarrollo (SDD), pero no se encontraron estudios que evalúen la literatura brasileña sobre SDD. Esta revisión buscó responder cuáles los SDD se han identificado en el portugués brasileño. Se incluyeron estudios empíricos con participantes brasileños en inglés o portugués que describieran al menos un SDD y sus criterios de diagnósticos. Las búsquedas se realizaron en las bases de datos Scielo, Pubmed y Google Scholar. Como resultado, se encontraron 11 estudios relacionados con seis SDD, siendo las dislexias fonológicas y de superficie las más comunes, y se describieron las definiciones, criterios de identificación e instrumentos de evaluación utilizados en cada estudio. Se discutió la heterogeneidad de definiciones, criterios de identificación y herramientas de evaluación encontradas. Se destaca el escaso número de informes en comparación con la literatura internacional y la necesidad de tareas estandarizadas, validadas y sensibles a SDD en el portugués brasileño.(AU)

Evaluation of p300 and spectral resolution in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and specific learning disorder.

This study aims to examine auditory processing, P300 values and functional impairment levels among children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), ADHD+SLD and healthy controls. Children with ADHD (n = 17), SLD (n = 15), ADHD+SLD (n = 15), and healthy controls (n = 15) between the ages of 7-12 were evaluated with K-SADS, Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale, Turgay DSM-IV Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale, The Mathematics, Reading, Writing Assessment Scale and Children's Auditory Performance Scale (CHAPS). Auditory P300 event-related potentials and Spectral-Temporally Modulated Ripple Test (SMRT) were applied. Three patient groups were found to be riskier than healthy controls according to the CHAPS. There was no significant difference between the groups in the SMRT. In post-hoc analyses of P300 parietal amplitudes, ADHD, SLD, and ADHD+SLD were found to be significantly lower than the control group. The amplitudes of the ADHD+SLD were by far the lowest. It has been shown that auditory performance skills and p300 amplitudes are lower in children diagnosed with only ADHD or SLD compared to the control group, with the lowest values observed in ADHD+SLD. This study suggests that the difficulties with attention and cognitive functions in the ADHD+SLD are more severe than ADHD and/or SLD without comorbidity.

Investigation of the forkhead box protein P2 gene by the next-generation sequence analysis method in children diagnosed with specific learning disorder.

OBJECTIVE: It was aimed to investigate the role of the forkhead box protein P2 (FOXP2) gene in the cause of specific learning disorder (SLD) with the next-generation sequencing method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 52 children diagnosed with SLD and 46 children as control between the ages of 6-12 years. Interview Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Present and Lifelong Version in Turkish, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)-Based Screening and Evaluation Scale for Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Specific Learning Disability Test Battery were applied to all participants. The FOXP2 gene was screened by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) method in all participants. RESULTS: A total of 17 variations were detected in the FOXP2 gene in participants. The number and diversity of variations were higher in the patient group. In the patient group, c.1914 + 8A>T heterozygous variation and three different types of heterozygous variation (13insT, 13delT and 4dup) in the c.1770 region were detected. It was found that the detected variations showed significant relationships with the reading phenotypes determined by the test battery. CONCLUSION: It was found that FOXP2 variations were seen more frequently in the patient group. Some of the detected variations might be related to the clinical phenotype of SLD and variations found in previous studies from different countries were not seen in Turkish population. Our study is the first to evaluate the role of FOXP2 gene variations in children with SLD in Turkish population, and novel variations in the related gene were detected.

SIRT1, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels in children with specific learning disorder.

BACKGROUND: Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a common developmental and neurobiological disorder of childhood characterized by impairment of functionality in one or more areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, listening, speaking, and reasoning. The etiology of SLD is still not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate children with SLD to investigate the potential role of MMP-9, TIMP-1 and SIRT-1, which have important roles in synaptic plasticity, cognitive functions, learning and memory, and are known to be associated with various psychiatric disorders. METHODS: The study was conducted with 44 outpatients aged 8-14 years who were diagnosed with SLD according to DSM-5 in the outpatient clinic and a control group of 44 age, gender and education level-matched healthy children. The groups were compared in respect of serum levels of MMP-9, TIMP-1 and SIRT-1, evaluated using the ELISA method. RESULTS: Serum MMP-9 levels were significantly lower in children in the SLD group than in the control group, while TIMP-1 was higher. No difference was determined between the groups in respect of the SIRT1 levels. SLD severity was negatively correlated with MMP-9 levels and positively correlated with TIMP-1 levels. CONCLUSIONS: MMP-9 appear to contribute to hippocampal-dependent memory and learning by modulating long-term synaptic plasticity. The findings of this study also reinforce the idea that deregulation of the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio may impact learning and play a role in SLD. These findings will help to elucidate the etiology of SLD. Furthermore, understanding molecular pathways can contribute to the discovery of certain biomarkers in SLD pathogenesis and the development of new treatment possibilities.

Specific Learning Disorders and Eating Disorders: an Italian retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Although Anorexia Nervosa (AN) patients show dysfunctional behaviour in information processing, visual and verbal memory performance, and different cognitive fields, regardless of their BMI, the literature on the correlations between Eating Disorders (ED) and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) does not provide conclusive data. Rather than a consequence of the mental disorder, cognitive dysfunctions may be a risk factor for AN. METHODS: Our retrospective study investigates the prevalence of Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) among patients with ED. We considered 262 patients being treated at the Emilia Romagna Feeding and Eating Disorders Outpatient Service in Bologna, Italy. We compared the results with the Italian reference values, according to the most recent data provided by the Italian Ministry of Education. RESULTS: We found that 25 patients out of 262 (9.54%) presented a comorbid diagnosis of SLD. This SLD prevalence is higher than the Italian reference values (4.9% in the school year 2018/19, p < 0.001). Comorbidity with SLD was significantly more frequent in males. A diagnosis of SLD was not associated with a higher frequency of any specific ED diagnosis or with psychiatric comorbidity in general. Positive family history for SLD was not significantly associated with either a positive family history for ED or a diagnosis of SLD. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first Italian study to investigate the prevalence of SLD in ED patients during childhood and adolescence. Our data support previous research documenting that neuropsychological deficit could lead to the development of ED.

Teachers' beliefs in inclusive education and the attributional responses toward students with and without specific learning difficulties.

Teachers' beliefs in inclusive education can be influential toward the success of inclusive practices and also students' successes and failures within the classroom. Having a clear understanding and high expectations toward students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) is important if these students are to reach their potential. This study examined 276 British primary and secondary teachers' perceptions toward inclusive education for all, and their causal attributions toward students with and without SpLD. The results show that teachers who believe that inclusive education is an effective way to teach all students, provide greater positive feedback, feel less frustrated, and hold lower expectations for future failure, in comparison to their colleagues with more negative inclusive educational beliefs. Teachers need to believe that inclusive education is an effective way to teach all students, and that they, as teachers are capable of managing this. However, they need to be provided with relevant systemic support.

Cuidados Gerais com Saúde Mental vol.4

Cuidados Gerais com Saúde Mental vol.4

The prevalence and comorbidity rates of specific learning disorder among primary school children in Turkey.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of specific learning disorder (SLD), comorbid disorders, and risk factors in primary school children for the first time in two-stage design in Turkey.Materials and methods: Participants were 1041 pupils in 28 primary schools and aged from 7 to 11. The Mathematics, Reading, Writing Assessment Scale (MOYA) teacher and parent forms were used in the screening stage and parents and teachers of each child completed MOYA. Ninety-five children were screen positive and eighty-three of these children participated in the interview. SLD diagnoses were based on DSM V criteria. Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) was used for the comorbid psychiatric disorders.Results and conclusions: The prevalence rate of the SLD was 6.6%, impairment in reading was 4%, in mathematics was 3.6%, and in written expression was 1.8%. About 62.75% of children with SLD had one or more comorbid diagnoses. ADHD was the most common comorbid mental disorder in SLD (54.9%). SLD prevalence was higher among males. The prevalence of SLD in primary school children in Turkey is consistent with previous studies.

Rumination and Emotional Profile in Children with Specific Learning Disorders and Their Parents.

Rumination, namely a cognitive process characterized by a repetitive thinking focused on negative feelings and thoughts, is a significant predictor for the onset of internalizing symptoms and has also been found to run in families. Rumination has never been studied in children with specific learning disorders (SLD), a population that, due to its condition, might encounter more difficulties in daily life and is at risk of increased psychological distress, compared to typically developing (TD) peers. The present study covers this gap by examining whether children with SLD, and their parents, tend to use rumination more than TD peers and their parents. The study also explores associations between rumination and both children's and parents' emotional profile. Results on 25 children with SLD and 25 TD peers and their parents (n = 150), showed higher levels of rumination in children with SLD when referring to a negative social situation, as well as higher levels of rumination in both mothers and fathers of children with SLD. Modest correlations between parents' and children's rumination traits were also found. This study offers evidence on rumination as a possible risk factor for children with SLD, particularly considering when they deal with social contexts.

The role of ADHD symptoms in the relationship between academic achievement and psychopathological symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Previous research results suggest that ADHD symptoms explain the relationship between specific learning disability and externalising psychopathology and between math disability and anxiety, but not between reading disability and anxiety. For depression, previous results are mixed. AIMS: The current study aims to clarify this role of ADHD symptoms in the relationship between various areas of academic achievement (reading, writing, and math skills) and psychopathological symptoms (anxiety, depression, and conduct disorder). METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We used linear regressions based on data from a general population sample (N = 3014) collected using online assessment of 3rd and 4th grade students in Germany, which included measures of academic achievement and parent-reported psychopathological symptoms. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: ADHD symptoms completely account for the relationship between reading/writing achievement and anxiety and between writing/math achievement and conduct problems. The negative relationship between academic achievement and depression was strongest for children with average or high ADHD symptom scores. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: ADHD symptoms play an important role in explaining the relationship between academic achievement and psychopathological symptoms in elementary school children. The nature and size of this role depend on the exact constructs under study. We discuss implications for the support of children with learning problems, ADHD, and/or psychopathological problems.

Neuroprotective effects and improvement of learning and memory elicited by erythravine and 11α-hydroxy-erythravine against the pilocarpine model of epilepsy.

Deficits in cognitive functions are often observed in epileptic patients, particularly in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Evidence suggests that this cognitive decline can be associated with the occurrence of focal brain lesions, especially on hippocampus and cortex regions. We previously demonstrated that the erythrinian alkaloids, (+)-erythravine and (+)-11α-hydroxy-erythravine, inhibit seizures evoked in rats by different chemoconvulsants. AIMS: The current study evaluated if these alkaloids would be acting in a neuroprotective way, reducing hippocampal sclerosis, and consequently, improving learning/memory performance. MAIN METHODS: Here we confirmed the anticonvulsant effect of both alkaloids by means of the pilocarpine seizure-induced model and also showed that they enhanced spatial learning of rats submitted to the Morris Water Maze test reverting the cognition deficit. Additionally, immunohistochemistry assays showed that neuronal death and glial activation were prevented by the alkaloids in the hippocampus CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus regions at both hemispheres indistinctly 15 days after status epilepticus induction. KEY FINDINGS: Our results show, for the first-time, the improvement on memory/learning elicited by these erythrinian alkaloids. Furthermore, data presented herein explain, at least partially, the cellular mechanism of action of these alkaloids. Together, (+)-erythravine and (+)-11α-hydroxy-erythravine seem to be a promising protective strategy against TLE, comprising three main aspects: neuroprotection, control of epileptic seizures and cognitive improvement. SIGNIFICANCE: Moreover, our findings on neuroprotection corroborate the view that seizure frequency and severity, hippocampal lesions and memory deficits are interconnected events.

Are specific learning disorders truly specific, and are they disorders?

Specific learning disorders, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, are frequently studied to inform our understanding of cognitive development, genetic mechanisms and brain function. In this Opinion Paper, we discuss limitations of this research approach, including the use of arbitrary criteria to select groups of children, heterogeneity within groups and overlap between domains of learning. By drawing on evidence from cognitive science, neuroscience and genetics, we propose an alternative, dimensional framework. We argue that we need to overcome the problems associated with a categorical approach by taking into account interacting factors at multiple levels of analysis that are associated with overlapping rather than entirely distinct domains of learning. We conclude that this research strategy will allow for a richer understanding of learning and development.

[Executive function deficits and neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and adolescence]. / Déficits ejecutivos y trastornos del neurodesarrollo en la infancia y en la adolescencia.

INTRODUCTION: Currently, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has new criteria that include a diagnostic reference to neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurodevelopmental disorders are diverse, and even though they are independent diagnostic entities they share common manifestations in people with brain damage or dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex; that is, neurodevelopmental disorders present different alterations in executive functions. DEVELOPMENT: The aim of the present study was to offer an overview of the recent findings on executive functioning in children, adolescents and young adults with different neurodevelopmental disorders: autistic spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and specific learning disorder. Hence, with this objective, 27 studies from the literature were reviewed. The results indicate a statistically significant association between the dimension of flexibility and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (W of Wilcoxon = 123.0; p = 0.011), and flexibility with autistic spectrum disorder (W of Wilcoxon = 101.5; p = 0.003); and absence of a statistically significant association between the different assessed dimensions and specific learning disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The dimensions of executive functioning are affected to a variable degree in different neurodevelopmental disorders. We can hypothesis that the dimensions that are affected in the different neurodevelopmental disorders can be characterized in terms of the existence of a continuum, and occasionally those dimensions are too complex to establish categorical limits when comparing different neurodevelopmental disorders.

TITLE: Déficits ejecutivos y trastornos del neurodesarrollo en la infancia y en la adolescencia.Introducción. Actualmente, en el Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales (DSM-5) se incluye una nueva categoría diagnóstica referida a trastornos del neurodesarrollo. Son diversos los trastornos del neurodesarrollo que, aun siendo entidades diagnósticas independientes, comparten manifestaciones comunes a las que presentan personas con daño cerebral o disfunción en la corteza prefrontal, es decir, presentan diferentes alteraciones de las funciones ejecutivas. Desarrollo. El propósito de este estudio es ofrecer una visión de los hallazgos actuales sobre el funcionamiento ejecutivo en niños y jóvenes con diferentes trastornos del neurodesarrollo: trastorno del espectro autista, trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad y trastorno específico del aprendizaje. Con este objetivo se revisaron 27 artículos. Los resultados de los análisis indican una asociación estadísticamente significativa entre dimensión de flexibilidad y trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad (W de Wilcoxon = 123; p = 0,011) y dimensión de flexibilidad y trastorno del espectro autista (W de Wilcoxon = 101,5; p = 0,003), y ausencia de asociación estadísticamente significativa entre las diferentes dimensiones evaluadas y trastorno específico del aprendizaje. Conclusiones. Las dimensiones ejecutivas se encuentran afectadas en los diferentes trastornos del neurodesarrollo en grado variable. Podemos hipotetizar la existencia de un continuo en las dimensiones que se encuentran afectadas en los diferentes trastornos del neurodesarrollo; en ocasiones, es complejo establecer límites categoriales cuando se comparan distintos trastornos.

Intellectual functioning and executive functions in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD).

Several studies have shown neuropsychological deficits across multiple domains in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD), but differences and similarities between these disorders have been little considered. We were interested in analyzing the intellectual and executive profiles in a sample of children and adolescents, divided according to the diagnosis into the ADHD group and the SLD group, and in identifying the differences and similarities between these disorders. The sample included two clinical groups: the first included 36 children and adolescents with a diagnosis of ADHD (5-15 years; mean = 9.42; SD = 2.22) while the second included 36 children and adolescents with a diagnosis of SLD (7-15 years; mean = 9.43; SD = 2.25). The WISC-IV was used to measure intellectual ability and the NEPSY-II was employed to measure executive functions. The results showed that the SLD group had significantly higher scores than the ADHD group on the NEPSY-II in the inhibition, cognitive flexibility, short-term verbal memory and verbal working memory domains. The ANCOVA showed differences regarding the FSIQ of WISC-IV, in that the SLD group obtaining higher scores than ADHD group. Findings showed that ADHD children are more impaired than SLD children, in particular in cognitive inhibition, cognitive flexibility, verbal memory, working memory and intellectual functioning. The recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of children and adolescents with ADHD and SLD allows to outline an educational and clinical intervention focused on their specific executive and intellectual functioning.

Health-related quality of life and psychological wellbeing of children with Specific Learning Disorders and their mothers.

BACKGROUND: Literature suggests that Specific Learning Disorders (SpLD) can cause impairment of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and psychological well-being of children, and that this condition potentially affects parents' quality of life and well-being too. AIMS: This study aims first to explore HRQoL and psychological well-being among children with SpLD and second among mothers of children with SpLD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Thirty children aged 8-14 years diagnosed as having SpLD and their mothers completed a battery of scales to assess children's HRQoL and psychological well-being. Mothers also completed a battery of instruments to explore their personal HRQoL and psychological well-being. RESULTS: Compared with the general population, children with SpLD reported significantly lower level of psychosocial health, and mothers had a higher probability of being anxious and/or depressed. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This study supports previous research about impaired HRQoL, symptoms of generalized anxiety, school-related anxiety and depressed mood in children with SpLD. Moreover, it provides evidence that mothers of children with SpLD may experience stress in coping with their child's disability and develop socio-emotional symptoms such as anxiety. Implications concern the need to implement effective supportive services among children with SpLD and their parents.

Place-value computation in children with mathematics difficulties.

Recent research has provided initial evidence that children with math difficulties (MD) experience problems in processing place-value information in basic numerical tasks. However, it remains unclear whether these problems generalize to basic arithmetic operations. For instance, multi-digit addition problems with carryover specifically require the computation of place-value information. Yet little is known about the carry effect in children with MD. Therefore, the current study investigated whether problems in processing place-value information among third-grade children with MD (n = 29 9-year-olds) compared with an age-matched control group (n = 50) generalize to two-digit addition. The results indicate an increased carry effect for response latencies and error rates in children with MD. These findings suggest that deficits in processing place-value information among children with MD generalize to place-value computations in multi-digit arithmetic. Potential contributions of strategy use and working memory for difficulties in processing place-value information are discussed.

Math anxiety, a hierarchical construct: Development and validation of the Scale for Assessing Math Anxiety in Secondary education / Ansiedad matemática, un constructo jerárquico: desarrollo y validación de la Scale for Assessing Math Anxiety in Secondary education

Secondary students' low achievement and engagement in mathematics is known to relate closely to their math anxiety. Despite the international body of research, the theoretical conceptualization of the construct math anxiety is still debated, showing strong discrepancies regarding its factor structure. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to develop and validate a new instrument, called Scale for Assessing Math Anxiety in Secondary education (SAMAS), by testing several models through confirmatory factor analysis. Data were collected from 563 secondary students, with an average age of 13.96 (SD = 1.09) years. Several models for the construct were tested through confirmatory factor analysis. The results largely confirmed that the hierarquical structure showed the best fit to the data (χ2 (166, N = 563) = 61.22; RMSEA = .046; SRMR = .045; NNFI = .94; CFI = .95), resulting in the psychometrically sound 20-item SAMAS, wherein math anxiety comprises three underlying factors

El bajo rendimiento y dedicación de los estudiantes de secundaria a las matemáticas está estrechamente relacionado con la ansiedad matemática. A pesar de la investigación internacional, la conceptualización teórica del constructo ansiedad matemática es todavía debatida, mostrando fuertes discrepancias relativas a su estructura factorial. Por tanto, el objetivo de este estudio es desarrollar y validar un nuevo instrumento, denominado Scale for Assessing Math Anxiety in Secondary Education (SAMAS), para el que se analizan diferentes modelos mediante Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 563 estudiantes, con una edad media de 13.96 (DE=1.09) años. Los resultados ampliamente confirmaron que la estructura jerárquica fue la que arrojó el mejor ajuste del modelo (χ2[166, N = 563] =361.22; RMSEA = .046; SRMR = .045; NNFI = .94; CFI = .95), resultando en un instrumento psicométricamente robusto de 20 items, compuesto por 3 factores subyacentes (AU)

Weaknesses in Lexical-Semantic Knowledge Among College Students With Specific Learning Disabilities: Evidence From a Semantic Fluency Task.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether deficits in executive function and lexical-semantic memory compromise the linguistic performance of young adults with specific learning disabilities (LD) enrolled in postsecondary studies. Method: One hundred eighty-five students with LD (n = 53) or normal language development (ND, n = 132) named items in the categories animals and food for 1 minute for each category and completed tests of lexical-semantic knowledge and executive control of memory. Groups were compared on total names, mean cluster size, frequency of embedded clusters, frequency of cluster switches, and change in fluency over time. Secondary analyses of variability within the LD group were also conducted. Results: The LD group was less fluent than the ND group. Within the LD group, lexical-semantic knowledge predicted semantic fluency and cluster size; executive control of memory predicted semantic fluency and cluster switches. The LD group produced smaller clusters and fewer embedded clusters than the ND group. Groups did not differ in switching or change over time. Conclusions: Deficits in the lexical-semantic system associated with LD may persist into young adulthood, even among those who have managed their disability well enough to attend college. Lexical-semantic deficits are associated with compromised semantic fluency, and the two problems are more likely among students with more severe disabilities.

The association of minor and major depression with health problem-solving and diabetes self-care activities in a clinic-based population of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: We examined whether problem-solving and diabetes self-management behaviors differ by depression diagnosis - major depressive disorder (MDD) and minor depressive disorder (MinDD) - in adults with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: We screened a clinical sample of 702 adults with T2DM for depression, identified 52 positive and a sample of 51 negative individuals, and performed a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview. MDD (n=24), MinDD (n=17), and no depression (n=62) were diagnosed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) Text Revised criteria. Health Problem-Solving Scale (HPSS) and Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) questionnaires determined problem-solving and T2DM self-management skills, respectively. We compared HPSS and SDSCA scores by depression diagnosis, adjusting for age, sex, race, and diabetes duration, using linear regression. RESULTS: Total HPSS scores for MDD (ß=-4.38; p<0.001) and MinDD (ß=-2.77; p<0.01) were lower than no depression. Total SDSCA score for MDD (ß=-10.1; p<0.01) was lower than for no depression, and was partially explained by total HPSS. CONCLUSION: MinDD and MDD individuals with T2DM have impaired problem-solving ability. MDD individuals had impaired diabetes self-management, partially explained by impaired problem-solving. Future studies should assess problem-solving therapy to treat T2DM and MinDD and integrated problem-solving with diabetes self-management for those with T2DM and MDD.