A multi-group approach to examining language development in at-risk learners.

A battery of standardized language tests and control measures was administered to three groups of at-risk language learners - internationally adopted children, deaf children with cochlear implants, and children with specific language impairment - and to groups of second-language learners and typically developing monolingual children. All children were acquiring French, were matched on age, gender, and socioeconomic status, and were between age 5;0 and 7;3 at the time of testing. Differences between the at-risk and not-at-risk groups were evident in all domains of language testing. The children with SLI or CIs scored significantly lower than the IA children and all three at-risk groups scored lower than the monolingual group; the L2 and IA groups scored similarly. The results suggest that children with limited access to, or ability to process, early language input are at greater risk than children with delayed input to an additional language but otherwise typical or relatively typical early input.

Outbreak of tuberculosis among substance users and homeless people in Greater Montréal, Canada, 2003-2016.

BACKGROUND: In Canada, active tuberculosis (TB) is found mainly among migrants from endemic countries and Indigenous populations. However, cases of active tuberculosis in substance users and homeless persons have been reported in Greater Montréal since 2003. OBJECTIVE: To describe the Montréal TB outbreak in terms of the sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors and clinical characteristics of cases, as well as the intensity of public health interventions, the follow-up and identification of locations of potential transmission. METHODS: All cases of active tuberculosis with the same genotype of interest residing in Quebec and epidemiologically linked cases were included in the analysis. Data were retrospectively extracted from routine public health investigations. Characteristics of cases were summarized using Excel. Spatial analysis of locations frequented during cases' infectiousness periods was performed. RESULTS: Between January 2003 and February 2016 a total of 35 cases were identified. Most (86%) were non-Indigenous people born in Canada. Of these, 28 had several risk factors, including substance use (93%), alcohol abuse (64%), homelessness (46%), comorbidities such as HIV coinfection (36%) and advanced stage of the disease. Seven cases without risk factors were all close contacts of cases. Intensity of case management by public health authorities was high. Locations frequented by cases with risk factors included crack houses, shelters and rehabilitation centers in Montréal's downtown core and a residential setting in a suburban area. CONCLUSION: TB outbreaks can occur in marginalized Canadian-born urban populations, especially those with substance use. Tailored interventions in this population may be needed for screening, and earlier identification of both latent and active TB and better linkage to care.

Language development following brain injury in early childhood: a longitudinal case study.

The present longitudinal case study was designed to investigate the possibility that a traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurring during the second year of life, while significant lexical and grammatical competencies are emerging, could have an impact on subsequent language development. Thus, the language development of a very young girl (BL) who suffered a TBI at the age of 17 months was monitored for 6 months following the injury. Different procedures were used to measure her lexical and grammatical development: monthly parental checklists, free-play sessions and word-learning tasks. BL's results were compared with two control groups (n = 5 and 9) matched for age and gender. Overall, the results are consistent with the classical view of acquired language disorders in children: despite an initial decrease in the use of her premorbid vocabulary, BL showed no durable significant impairment on any measure of lexical or grammatical development.

[Age and type of aphasia]. / Age et type d'aphasie.

According to many studies, Broca's (or non fluent) aphasic patients are younger than Wernicke's (or fluent). Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain this age difference. However, since the studies in which an age difference was observed have not controlled all the variables--such as schooling and handedness--that may have an influence on speech and language impairments following cerebral lesion, it is legitimate to ask whether or not the explanations proposed are of any relevance. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the age difference between Broca's and Wernicke's aphasics while achieving better control over potentially confounding variables. The subjects (9 Broca's and 14 Wernicke's) were selected from a data base according to the following selection criteria: aphasia type, handedness, localization of lesion and etiology (first CVA). The two groups revealed to be equivalent for sex distribution and schooling; post onset time was superior to three weeks for all subjects but one. Results showed that the distribution of age between Broca's and Wernicke's group were significantly different: there was a small representation of Broca's aphasics in older subjects while Wernicke's aphasia occurred at all ages.

A primate model for the study of tonic pain, pain tolerance and diffuse noxious inhibitory controls.

A primate model of cold pressor pain is described in which the animal itself initiates all trials, may terminate painful stimuli at any time, and controls the duration of the experimental session, thus avoiding the inadvertent administration of intolerable pain stimuli. Pain tolerance time varies directly with stimulus intensity and is sensitive to motivational factors. This model will facilitate the study of endogenous pain-modulatory pathways and the assessment of analgesic treatments in animals.