[Emotional components of language in multi-infarct dementia]. / Estudio de los componentes emocionales del lenguaje en la demencia multiinfarto.

BACKGROUND: Prosody is the faculty of language by which different meanings may be referred through variations in the tone, rhythm and accent with independence of the words and grammatical structures. Alteration of this sphere may modify the emotional components and proposals of the language. The aim of this study was to evaluate the existence of aprosody in a series of patients with multiinfartion dementia, quantify the disorder and ascertain the factors to which it is related. METHODS: Fourteen patients with criteria of multiinfarction dementia were included in the study. Aprosody was evaluated according to the Monrad-Krohn criteria. Neuropsychological examination included the MiniMental State Examination, the Blessed scale and the Hachinshi ischemic scale. RESULTS: Changes were seen in the prosody of 13 patients. Upon univariant statistical analysis a significant correlation was observed between the grade of alteration in prosody and the deterioration observed in the MiniMental and Blessed scale. This finding was confirmed following correction of the influence of depressive symptoms, age and time of evolution by multivariant analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The disturbances in prosody are a sensitive indicator of right hemisphere lesion in vascular dementia and are fundamentally related with the degree of neuropsychological deterioration.

[Cognitive functions in agenesis of the corpus callosum]. / Estudio de las funciones superiores en la agenesia del cuerpo calloso.

Four patients with agenesis of the corpus callosum diagnosed through neuroradiologic tests has been studied, from the upper cerebral functions point of view. Three had consulted because of seizure, and the other because of cerebellar hemorrhage. Multiple fields of the cognitive functions were examined and the presence of an interhemispheric disconnection syndrome was investigated. All tests were absolutely normal in the four patients. We discuss clinical and radiologic aspects as well as other associated malformations.