[Catalan version of Barcelona Test's verbal subtests]. / Versión catalana de los subtests verbales del Test Barcelona.

UNLABELLED: Test Barcelona. Bilingüismo catalán-castellano. Adaptación lingüística de instrumentos neuropsicológicos. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The present paper develops the Catalan version of the language subtests of the Barcelona Test (Peña-Casanova,1986) the original version of which was published in Spanish. METHODS: To reach the Catalan version of the test it has been necessary to analyse the psycholinguistic variables of every item to then establish linguistically equivalent correlations. RESULTS: There are some subtests for which no modifications have been needed. Nevertheless, and because of some psycholinguistic features of Catalan (Catalan's spelling is not completely free of ambiguity) some subtests have suffered substantial modifications. The following paper presents the justification of every modification based on the features of the Catalan language and also based on the original goals of the test. An appendix contains the final version of the Catalan adaptation for the language subtests of the Barcelona Test. CONCLUSION: The present paper represents an advance in the assessment of neurological patients with language disfunctions. It will permit an appropiate assessment for the Spanish-Catalan bilingual patients.

Versión catalana de los subtests verbales del Test Barcelona / Catalan version of Barcelona Test's verbal subtests

FUNDAMENTO Y OBJETIVOS: En este trabajo se desarrolla la versión catalana de los subtests de lenguaje del Test Barcelona (Peña-Casanova, 1986) cuya versión original se publicó en castellano.MÉTODOS: Para la adaptación catalana se han analizado las variables psicolingüísticas de todos los estímulos del test original y se han buscado correlaciones lingüísticamente equivalentes. RESULTADOS: Hay subtests para los que no ha sido precisa ninguna modificación. Las características psicolingüísticas del catalán, que no es una lengua ortográficamente transparente, han obligado a modificar de forma sustancial algunos subtests. Este trabajo presenta la justificación de cada una de estas modificaciones, basándose en las características de la lengua y en los objetivos del test original. Un apéndice recoge la versión final de la adaptación al catalán de los subtests de lenguaje del Test Barcelona.CONCLUSION: Este trabajo representa un avance en la exploración de los pacientes neurológicos con alteración del lenguaje y permitirá una adecuada exploración de los pacientes bilingües castellanocatalán. (AU)

Cortical blood flow and +Gz acceleration in conscious rabbits.

We examined whether superficial cortical blood flow (CBF) of nonanesthetized rabbits (n = 11) is affected by gravitational (G) stress. Blood flow was measured by laser-Doppler flowmetry through a chronic Plexiglas window implanted over the parietal cortex. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was recorded via an aortic catheter with the pressure transducer situated at the level of the head. The electrocorticogram (ECoG) was also studied in seven rabbits. The animals were exposed to tail-to-head acceleration [6, 10, 15, and 20 G acceleration (Gz) for 1 min]. MABP fell with increasing acceleration (regression line equation: MABP = -7.0 Gz + 129.1; P < 0.001, r = 0.85), whereas CBF was statistically either not different from or greater than control. In one rabbit exposed to 20 Gz, high voltage and slow waves were observed on the ECoG and these changes were preceded by a decrease in CBF to 66% of control. We conclude that the stress and the siphon effect may account for the maintenance of elevated CBF despite low or negative MABP until the occurrence of vascular collapse that induces loss of consciousness.