The Role of Emergent Literacy Assessment in Brazilian Portuguese Literacy Acquisition during COVID-19.

The contributions of emergent literacy skills to reading and writing development have been evidenced in different linguistic contexts. The worsening of the Brazil literacy scenario during the pandemic denoted the importance of a better understanding of these contributions' specificities in Brazilian Portuguese to support evidence-based mitigation strategies. This study aimed to analyze the associations between emergent literacy components (emergent writing, alphabet knowledge, vocabulary, and phonological awareness) and word/pseudoword reading and spelling performance in first grade students during COVID-19. A total of 42 children (Mage = 6.29 years, SD = 0.45, 52.4% female) participated remotely in this study. Correlations and multilinear regression analyses were conducted. The results show significant associations between emergent literacy components and reading and spelling performance. Stronger associations were found with specific emergent skills such as letter writing, spontaneous writing, letter-sound production, and alliteration. Regression models indicated that children's performance in early literacy skills explained 49% of the variance in reading and 55% of the variance in spelling. This study highlighted the role of emergent writing and alphabet knowledge as reading and spelling predictors during literacy acquisition in Brazilian Portuguese. Implications for educational context and directions for remediating the negative impact of the pandemic on learning were discussed.

Word Reading and Spelling Processing and Acquired Dyslexia post Unilateral Stroke.

This study investigates the performance of adults with cerebrovascular lesion in the right hemisphere (RHL) or left hemisphere (LHL) in word reading (TLPP) and spelling (TEPP) tasks based on the dual-route models. A total of 85 adults were assessed, divided into three groups: 10 with RHL, 15 with LHL, and 60 neurologically healthy ones. The performance of the three groups was compared in terms of the characteristics of the words (regularity, frequency, and length) and pseudowords (length), error types, and psycholinguistic effects. A cluster analysis was performed to investigate the profiles of the reading. The LHL group showed lower scores in reading and spelling tasks of words and pseudowords, as well as a higher frequency of errors. Four LHL cases were found to have an acquired dyslexia profile. This study highlights that the tasks developed in Brazil are in accordance with theoretical models of written language, and the results point to the heterogeneous performance of the cases with acquired dyslexia.

MAOA-LPR polymorphism and math anxiety: A marker of genetic susceptibility to social influences in girls?

Math anxiety (MA) seems to result from an interaction of genetic vulnerability with negative experiences learning mathematics. Although mathematics achievement does not substantially differ between the sexes, MA levels are usually higher in girls. Molecular genetic markers of MA vulnerability have been seldom explored. This article examines the contribution of the monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) to MA and to sex differences in MA. Five hundred and sixty-eight third to fifth graders were genotyped for the MAOA-LPR polymorphism (a repetitive element in MAOA promoter that has been associated with MAOA enzymatic activity), and assessed on general cognitive ability, mathematics achievement, and the cognitive and affective dimensions of MA. MAOA-LPR genotypes were classified as high (MAOA-H) or low (MAOA-L) according to their predicted enzymatic activity. Mixed models controlling for effects of school, sex, general cognitive ability, and mathematics achievement were evaluated. The best fitting model included school, math achievement, sex, MAOA-LPR, and the MAOA-LPR by sex interaction. This indicated that under the MAOA-H dominant model, anxiety toward mathematics interacted with the MAOA genotype: girls with an MAOA-L genotype exhibited higher levels of MA, with a small but significant effect. The association between MAOA-L genotype and MA in girls may represent an example of developmental plasticity.

Do boys with MAOA_LPR*2R allele present cognitive and learning impairments?

Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) polymorphisms have been associated with antisocial disorders. Less attention has been paid to the cognitive functioning of individuals with different MAOA alleles. No study has described the cognitive phenotype associated with the less frequent, low enzyme activity allele, MAOA_LPR*2R. Objective: We describe the cognitive correlates of boys having MAOA_LPR*2R allele, ascertained in a sample of school children with normal intelligence, not referred for behavioral disorders. Methods: Participants were eight boys, attending from the second to fifth grades in state-run schools. They were identified among 712 children with typical general cognitive ability, genotyped for MAOA_LPR polymorphism. Participants were assessed with general intelligence, mathematics and spelling achievement, and verbal and visuospatial working memory tests. Neuropsychological performance was compared to published standards, using 1 SD below the mean as a cutoff value for low performance. Results: Intelligence of boys with MAOA_LPR*2R allele varied from above average (N=2) to low average in the other children. Five out of eight boys with the MAOA_LPR*2R allele had low mathematics achievement, and three presented additional difficulties with spelling. Four out of eight children had low short-term and working memory performance. Discussion: This is the first study describing cognitive correlates and school performance in boys having the MAOA_LPR*2R allele. Having this allele, and therefore, probably low MAO-A activity, does not necessarily imply low intelligence or low school performance. However, learning difficulties, particularly in math, and low working memory performance were observed in boys having this allele. This suggests a role of MAOA in learning difficulties.

Polimorfismos da monoaminoxidase A (MAOA) são associados a transtornos antissociais. Menos atenção tem sido dada ao funcionamento cognitivo de indivíduos com diferentes alelos de MAOA. Nenhum estudo descreveu o fenótipo cognitivo associado ao alelo menos frequente, de baixa atividade enzimática, MAOA_LPR*2R. Objetivo: Descrevemos os correlatos cognitivos de meninos com o alelo MAOA_LPR*2R, identificados em uma amostra de escolares com inteligência normal, não encaminhados por transtornos de comportamento. Métodos: Oito meninos com o alelo MAOA_LPR*2R foram identificados entre 712 crianças genotipadas, com inteligência típica, que cursavam do 2º ao 5º ano em escolas públicas. Foram avaliados: inteligência, desempenho em matemática e ortografia, memória de trabalho verbal e visuoespacial. O desempenho foi comparado a normas publicadas, utilizando-se 1 desvio padrão (DP) abaixo da média como ponto de corte para desempenho rebaixado. Resultados: A inteligência dos meninos com alelo MAOA_LPR*2R variou de acima da média (N=2) a médio-inferior nas demais crianças. Cinco dos oito meninos com alelo MAOA_LPR*2R apresentaram desempenho rebaixado em matemática e três apresentaram dificuldades adicionais em ortografia. Quatro dos oito meninos apresentaram baixo desempenho de memória de curto prazo e de trabalho. Discussão: Este é o primeiro estudo a descrever os correlatos cognitivos e o desempenho escolar em meninos com alelo MAOA_LPR*2R. Ter esse alelo não significa necessariamente baixa inteligência ou baixo desempenho escolar. No entanto, dificuldades de aprendizagem, principalmente em matemática, e desempenho rebaixado da memória de trabalho foram observados em mais da metade dos meninos com esse alelo. Isso sugere um papel do MAOA nas dificuldades de aprendizagem.

Age, Education and Intellectual Quotient Influences: Structural Equation Modeling on the study of Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT).

This study searched for sociodemographic influences on visual memory and visuoconstructive ability in healthy and clinical samples evaluated with Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) in two studies. In Study 1, we searched for changes related to age in children, adolescents, adults and elderly on the performance of the BVRT. In Study 2, we investigated the relations among age, years of education and intellectual quotient (IQ) on the performance of the BVRT using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Participants were 624 individuals aged between six and 89 years old (M = 25.40; SD = 22.34) from the normatization and evidence validity studies at Brazil. We used a sociodemographic questionnaire, BVRT and IQ measure was estimated. Study 1 has shown a performance similar to the developmental graphics with a U-inverted pattern in relation to age: An increase of the visual memory ability in the children and adolescent groups as age increases, a tendency of a decrease in the performance in the adult group that intensifies in the elderly group. Study 2 found that the model for the BVRT performance tested by SEM denoted satisfactory goodness-of-fit indexes, χ2/gl = 2.67, p < .001; CFI = .92; TLI = .93; RMSEA = .004, 90% CI = [.03, .05];WLSMV = 1.79, and corroborated the theoretical assumption. The SEM model confirmed in this study highlight the strong role of years of education in the prediction of BVRT scores.

Intragroup differences and similarities in performance on rapid automatized naming tasks in children with ADHD symptoms, children with reading disabilities, and controls.

Introduction Rapid automatized naming (RAN) is the ability to name, as fast as possible, symbols such as letters, digits and figures. The present study aimed to investigate intragroup performance patterns on RAN tasks in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms alone, children with reading disability (RD) alone and controls with typical development. Methods A total of 216 Brazilian children between 8 to 11 years old were selected from public schools located in two Brazilian capitals, namely Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte, to participate in the study. Mixed 3 (participant group: ADHD symptoms, RD or control group) × 3 (type of stimulus: letters, numbers or figures) ANOVAs were performed using response time and number of errors as dependent variables. Only intragroup comparisons are described in this paper. Results The groups with ADHD symptoms and RD showed similar performance results on naming speed. There were no differences between letters and numbers within each group, but we found slower responses in figure naming compared to the other tasks for both groups. Concerning accuracy, children with ADHD symptoms showed a similar number of errors in all three tasks. These patterns were distinct from the performance of the control group. Conclusion Results suggest a shared deficit in naming speed of alphanumeric stimuli in children with ADHD symptoms and those with RD, and impairments in naming digits correctly in children with ADHD symptoms.

Intragroup differences and similarities in performance on rapid automatized naming tasks in children with ADHD symptoms, children with reading disabilities, and controls

Abstract Introduction Rapid automatized naming (RAN) is the ability to name, as fast as possible, symbols such as letters, digits and figures. The present study aimed to investigate intragroup performance patterns on RAN tasks in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms alone, children with reading disability (RD) alone and controls with typical development. Methods A total of 216 Brazilian children between 8 to 11 years old were selected from public schools located in two Brazilian capitals, namely Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte, to participate in the study. Mixed 3 (participant group: ADHD symptoms, RD or control group) × 3 (type of stimulus: letters, numbers or figures) ANOVAs were performed using response time and number of errors as dependent variables. Only intragroup comparisons are described in this paper. Results The groups with ADHD symptoms and RD showed similar performance results on naming speed. There were no differences between letters and numbers within each group, but we found slower responses in figure naming compared to the other tasks for both groups. Concerning accuracy, children with ADHD symptoms showed a similar number of errors in all three tasks. These patterns were distinct from the performance of the control group. Conclusion Results suggest a shared deficit in naming speed of alphanumeric stimuli in children with ADHD symptoms and those with RD, and impairments in naming digits correctly in children with ADHD symptoms.

Are "cool" executive function impairments more salient in ADHD symptoms than in reading disability?

INTRODUCTION: Reading disability (RD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms often co-occur in school-age children. METHODS: The present study evaluated the performance of 216 Brazilian children from 3rd and 4th grades on "cool" executive function (EF) abilities and phonological processing. The children were divided into three groups: those with ADHD symptoms only, those with RD only, and controls. RESULTS: MANOVA analyses, controlling for age and nonverbal intelligence, showed worse performance for the RD group, compared to the ADHD symptoms group, on measures of phonological processing (phonemic awareness, phonological short-term memory, and lexical access) and "cool" EF components (orthographic verbal fluency and processing speed). The ADHD symptoms group did not differ from the control group on the majority of the "cool" EF tasks. Compared to the control group, the ADHD symptoms group and the RD group both showed significantly more errors in rapid automatized naming of figures, which evaluates the inhibition component of EF; performance on this task was similar for these groups. CONCLUSION: We conclude that children with RD have greater impairment in phonological processing and "cool" EF compared to those with ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, deficits in inhibitory control may be shared among children with both conditions.

INTRODUÇÃO: Dificuldades de leitura (DL) e sintomas do Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH) frequentemente coocorrem em crianças escolares. MÉTODOS: O presente estudo comparou o desempenho em FE "frias" e processamento fonológico de 216 crianças brasileiras de 3ª e 4ª anos, que foram divididas em três grupos: apenas com sintomas de TDAH, apenas em DL e controles. RESULTADOS: As análises de MANOVA, controlando para idade e inteligência não-verbal, indicaram que o grupo com DL apresentou desempenho significativamente inferior ao grupo com sintomas de TDAH nas medidas de processamento fonológico (consciência fonológica, memória verbal de curto prazo e acesso lexical) e em componentes das FE "frias" (fluência verbal ortográfica e velocidade de processamento). O grupo com sintomas de TDAH não se diferiram do grupo controle na maior parte das tarefas de FE "frias". Ambos os grupos com sintomas de TDAH e DL apresentaram desempenhos significativamente menores (mais erros) em comparação às crianças de desenvolvimento típico na tarefa de Nomeação Seriada Rápida de figuras que avalia o componente de controle inibitório, e o desempenho foi semelhante entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: Conclui-se que crianças com DL apresentam maior comprometimento em processamento fonológico e FE "frias" em comparação àquelas com sintomas de TDAH e que déficits no controle inibitório podem ser compartilhados entre crianças com ambas as condições.

Efeitos da atenção dividida no priming de repetição / Effects of divided attention in repetition priming

O presente artigo tem por objetivo investigar possíveis efeitos da atenção dividida no priming de repetição a partir de uma revisão seletiva da literatura. Foram selecionados estudos realizados com testes de priming perceptual e/ou conceitual, nos quais a divisão da atenção foi realizada na fase de codificação ou de recuperação. Em geral, as evidências indicaram que o priming, tanto o perceptual quanto o conceitual, foi afetado pela atenção dividida na codificação quando a tarefa secundária (ou distratora) foi mais demandante de atenção, exigindo resposta frequente e apresentada sincrônica ao estímulo alvo. Poucos estudos foram realizados na recuperação e eles indicaram imunidade do priming perceptual e conceitual à atenção dividida. Conclui-se que os processos de memória implícita podem exigir recursos atencionais na codificação. Implicações teóricas dos resultados são discutidas.

This article aims to investigate possible effects of divided attention on repetition priming from a selective review of the literature. Studies were included if they utilized perceptual and/or conceptual priming tasks, in which the division of attention was performed during encoding or retrieval. In general, the results suggested that perceptual and conceptual priming were affected by divided attention during encoding. This effect occurred when the secondary task (or distractor task) demanded higher levels of attention, requiring frequent task responses and it was presented simultaneously to the memory target stimulus. The few studies investigating retrieval showed that perceptual and conceptual priming are not sensitive to divided attention. Therefore, implicit memory processes may require attentional resources in the encoding. Theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

Psychometric properties of cognitive screening for patients with cerebrovascular diseases A systematic review.

Screening instruments are ideal for acute clinical settings because they are easy to apply, fast, inexpensive and sensitive for specific samples. However, there is a need to verify the psychometric properties of screening in stroke patients. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the psychometric properties (methodological procedures) of cognitive screening for patients with cerebrovascular diseases. METHODS: A systematic review of papers published on PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, PubMed and Science Direct (2005 to 2016) was performed. RESULTS: A total of 55 articles remained after applying exclusion criteria. The samples ranged from 20 to 657 patients. Most articles evaluated elderly individuals with four to 13 years of education who had experienced ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. There was a tendency to find evidence of validity for criteria and to analyze the sensitivity/specificity of the instruments. Although the studies frequently used the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to seek evidence of validity and reliability, the use of these instruments among stroke patients has been criticized due to their psychometric properties and the neuropsychological functions evaluated. CONCLUSION: Although there is no gold standard screen for assessing adults post-stroke, instruments devised specifically for this population have shown promise. This review helps both researchers and clinicians to select the most appropriate screen for identifying cognitive impairment in adults post-stroke.

Instrumentos de triagem são ideias no contexto clínico hospitalar, uma vez que são fáceis de administrar, rápidos, tem baixo custo e são sensíveis para amostras específicas. Portanto, há a necessidade de se verificar as propriedades psicométricas de instrumentos de triagem para pacientes pós acidente vascular cerebral. OBJETIVO: Este estudo investigou as propriedades psicométricas (procedimentos metodológicos) de triagens cognitivas para pacientes com doenças cerebrovasculares. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática de artigos publicados em PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, PubMed e Science Direct (2005 a 2016). Apenas 55 artigos permaneceram após a aplicação dos critérios de exclusão. RESULTADOS: As amostras variaram de 20 a 657 pacientes; a maioria dos artigos avaliou indivíduos idosos, com quatro a 13 anos de educação, que sofreram AVC isquêmico e hemorrágico. Houve uma tendência para encontrar evidências de validade relacionadas ao critério e analisar a sensibilidade/especificidade dos instrumentos. Embora os estudos frequentemente apliquem o Mini Exame do Estado Mental (MMSE) e o Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) para buscar evidências de validade e de fidedignidade, o uso desses instrumentos em pacientes com AVC é criticado por razões relacionadas às suas propriedades psicométricas e funções neuropsicológicas avaliadas. CONCLUSÃO: Embora não exista uma triagem padrão-ouro para avaliação de adultos pós-AVC, os instrumentos construídos especificamente para esta população mostraram-se promissores. Este estudo de revisão contribui tanto aos pesquisadores quanto aos clínicos que desejam selecionar o rastreio mais apropriado para identificar comprometimento cognitivo em adultos pós-AVC.

Memory monitoring and memory control in chronic stroke patients Dissociated processes.

Memory problems are common in stroke patients, although little is known about how accurately chronic stroke patients can monitor and control memory processes. OBJECTIVE: The performance of memory and metamemory in stroke patients and healthy controls were investigated, as well as dissociation between performances. METHODS: 10 adults with right hemisphere lesion (mean [M] age=53.2 [SD=9.7]), 10 with left hemisphere lesion (M age=60.4 [SD=6.6]) and 20 healthy participants (M age=56.5 [SD=9.3] with no neurological disease, matched for sex, age and years of education participated in a multiple-case design study. Participants completed a metamemory experimental paradigm, as well as immediate and delayed word recall and recognition tasks. RESULTS: Data indicated that 10 out of the 20 patients presented significantly lower scores compared to controls, two of which had global deficits (functional association). Functional dissociations between memory monitoring (judgments of learning, JOL), control (allocation of study time) and capacity (cued-recall task) among patients were found for eight cases, suggesting these processes are independent. CONCLUSION: These findings reveal stroke patients may have specific metamemory impairment and can contribute to the understanding of cognitive models of metamemory processing.

Problemas de memória são comuns em pacientes com AVC, embora pouco se saiba sobre a precisão com que pacientes com AVC podem monitorar e controlar processos de memória. OBJETIVO: O desempenho da memória e metamemória em pacientes com AVC e controles saudáveis ​​foram investigados, bem como a dissociação entre os desempenhos. MÉTODOS: 10 adultos com lesão do hemisfério direito (média [M] idade=53,2 [DP=9,7]), 10 com lesão no hemisfério esquerdo (M=60,4 [DP=6,6]) e 20 participantes saudáveis ​​(M=56,5 [DP=9,3 sem doença neurológica, pareados por sexo, idade e anos de estudo, participaram de um projeto de múltiplos casos, completaram um paradigma experimental de metamemória, bem como palavras de recordação imediata e demorada. RESULTADOS: Os dados indicam 10 dos 20 pacientes apresentados. Escores significativamente inferiores aos controles, dois deles com déficits globais (associação funcional), sendo encontradas dissociações funcionais entre monitoramento da memória (julgamentos de aprendizado, JOL), controle (alocação do tempo de estudo) e capacidade (tarefa de recordação) entre pacientes para oito casos, sugerindo que esses processos são independentes. CONCLUSÃO: Esses achados revelam que os pacientes com AVC podem ter comprometimento específico da metamemória, o que contribui para a compreensão dos modelos cognitivos do processamento de metamemória.

Associations among environmental exposure to manganese, neuropsychological performance, oxidative damage and kidney biomarkers in children.

Environmental exposure to manganese (Mn) results in several toxic effects, mainly neurotoxicity. This study investigated associations among Mn exposure, neuropsychological performance, biomarkers of oxidative damage and early kidney dysfunction in children aged 6-12 years old. Sixty-three children were enrolled in this study, being 43 from a rural area and 20 from an urban area. Manganese was quantified in blood (B-Mn), hair (H-Mn) and drinking water using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The neuropsychological functions assessed were attention, perception, working memory, phonological awareness and executive functions - inhibition. The Intelligence quotient (IQ) was also evaluated. The biomarkers malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PCO), δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALA-D), reactivation indexes with dithiothreitol (ALA-RE/DTT) and ZnCl2 (ALA-RE/ZnCl2), non-protein thiol groups, as well as microalbuminuria (mALB) level and N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity were assessed. The results demonstrated that Mn levels in blood, hair and drinking water were higher in rural children than in urban children (p<0.01). Adjusted for potential confounding factors, IQ, age, gender and parents' education, significant associations were observed mainly between B-Mn and visual attention (ß=0.649; p<0.001). Moreover, B-Mn was negatively associated with visual perception and phonological awareness. H-Mn was inversely associated with working memory, and Mn levels from drinking water with written language and executive functions - inhibition. Rural children showed a significant increase in oxidative damage to proteins and lipids, as well as alteration in kidney function biomarkers (p<0.05). Moreover, significant associations were found between B-Mn, H-Mn and Mn levels in drinking water and biomarkers of oxidative damage and kidney function, besides between some oxidative stress biomarkers and neuropsychological tasks (p<0.05). The findings of this study suggest an important association between environmental exposure to Mn and toxic effects on neuropsychological function, oxidative damage and kidney function in children.

Heterogeneity in semantic priming effect with a lexical decision task in patients after left hemisphere stroke.

Investigations on the semantic priming effect (SPE) in patients after left hemisphere (LH) lesions have shown disparities that may be explained by the variability in performance found among patients. The aim of the present study was to verify the existence of subgroups of patients after LH stroke by searching for dissociations between performance on the lexical decision task based on the semantic priming paradigm and performance on direct memory, semantic association and language tasks. All 17 patients with LH lesions after stroke (ten non-fluent aphasics and seven non aphasics) were analyzed individually. Results indicated the presence of three groups of patients according to SPE: one exhibiting SPE at both stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs), one with SPE only at long SOA, and another, larger group with no SPE.

As investigações sobre o efeito de priming semântico (SPE) em pacientes após lesões cerebrais no hemisfério esquerdo (LH) têm mostrado divergências que podem ser explicadas pela variabilidade no desempenho encontrado entre os pacientes. O objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar a existência de subgrupos de pacientes pós-AVC no hemisfério esquerdo do cérebro, buscando associações e dissociações entre o desempenho na tarefa de decisão lexical no paradigma de priming semântico e o desempenho em tarefas diretas de memória, tarefas de associação semântica e de linguagem. Todos os 17 pacientes com lesão no LH após acidente vascular cerebral (dez afásicos não-fluentes e sete não afásicos) foram analisados individualmente. Os resultados indicaram a presença de três grupos de pacientes de acordo com o efeito de priming semântico. Um grupo de participantes que mostrou SPE em ambos os SOAs, um dos participantes com SPE apenas no SOA longo e um grande grupo sem SPE.

Phonemic verbal fluency is associated with pediatric anxiety disorders: evidence from a community study.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders typically begin in childhood and adolescence and predict risk for many problems throughout life. Although some neuropsychological correlates have been described, more research is needed, particularly in adolescents. This study compares neurocognitive characteristics of anxious adolescents with and without comorbidity to externalizing disorders to those of typically developing comparison (TDC) adolescents and adolescents with externalizing disorders alone. METHODS: The study included 57 adolescents 12-18 years of age (TDC, n=23; anxiety, n=16; externalizing, n=11; comorbid, n=7). We used a neuropsychological battery to assess eight domains: Orientation, attention, visual perception, memory, arithmetic, language, praxis, and executive function. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of variance revealed a main effect of group in the neurocognitive domains evaluated (F8,48=2.32, p=0.034, ηp(2)=0.279). Post-hoc analysis revealed that executive functions score differed among groups, specifically in the task of verbal fluency (F[df=3]=5.01, p=0.004, ηp(2)=0.221), with both the anxious groups (anxiety and comorbid) presenting a lower score than the TDC and externalizing groups. This effect was independent of age, intelligence, and levels of education. CONCLUSIONS: Verbal fluency is specifically impaired in adolescents with anxiety disorders. This extends results from neuroimaging research implicating prefrontal areas in pediatric anxiety disorder neurobiology, and has potential implications to new therapeutics.

Acquired dysgraphia in adults following right or left-hemisphere stroke.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the strengths and difficulties in word and pseudoword writing in adults with left- and right-hemisphere strokes, and discuss the profiles of acquired dysgraphia in these individuals. METHODS: The profiles of six adults with acquired dysgraphia in left- or right-hemisphere strokes were investigated by comparing their performance on word and pseudoword writing tasks against that of neurologically healthy adults. A case series analysis was performed on the patients whose impairments on the task were indicative of acquired dysgraphia. RESULTS: Two patients were diagnosed with lexical dysgraphia (one with left hemisphere damage, and the other with right hemisphere damage), one with phonological dysgraphia, another patient with peripheral dysgraphia, one patient with mixed dysgraphia and the last with dysgraphia due to damage to the graphemic buffer. The latter patients all had left-hemisphere damage (LHD). The patterns of impairment observed in each patient were discussed based on the dual-route model of writing. CONCLUSION: The fact that most patients had LHD rather than right-hemisphere damage (RHD) highlights the importance of the former structure for word processing. However, the fact that lexical dysgraphia was also diagnosed in a patient with RHD suggests that these individuals may develop writing impairments due to damage to the lexical route, leading to heavier reliance on phonological processing. Our results are of significant importance to the planning of writing interventions in neuropsychology.

OBJETIVO: Investigar aspectos preservados e dificuldades na escrita de palavras e pseudopalavras em adultos que sofreram acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) à esquerda e à direita e discutir os perfis de disgrafia adquirida nesses indivíduos. MÉTODOS: Investigaram-se perfis de disgrafia adquirida a partir da avaliação das habilidades e dificuldades na escrita de palavras e pseudopalavras de seis adultos que sofreram AVC no hemisfério direito (LHD) e no hemisfério esquerdo (LHE), comparados a adultos neurologicamente saudáveis. Realizou-se análise de séries de casos com os pacientes que apresentaram desempenho deficitário na escrita de palavras, que indicavam a presença de uma disgrafia adquirida. RESULTADOS: Foram identificados dois casos com disgrafia lexical (sendo um com LHE e outro com LHD), um caso com disgrafia fonológica, um com disgrafia periférica, um com disgrafia mista e um com disgrafia por déficit no buffer grafêmico, todos estes com LHE. Destacou-se nesse estudo a heterogeneidade das habilidades linguísticas dos casos clínicos, discutidas de acordo com o modelo cognitivo de dupla-rota de escrita. CONCLUSÃO: O maior prejuízo encontrado nos pacientes com LHE ressalta a importância desse hemisfério cerebral para o processamento da escrita de palavras. A presença de um caso com LHD com perfil de disgrafia lexical destaca a necessidade de melhor estudar o papel do hemisfério direito no processamento de palavras. Espera-se que esse estudo contribua para o planejamento de estratégias de intervenção neuropsicológica direcionadas à escrita de palavras.

Studies on semantic priming effects in right hemisphere stroke: A systematic review.

The role of the right cerebral hemisphere (RH) associated with semantic priming effects (SPEs) must be better understood, since the consequences of RH damage on SPE are not yet well established. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article was to investigate studies analyzing SPEs in patients affected by stroke in the RH through a systematic review, verifying whether there are deficits in SPEs, and whether performance varies depending on the type of semantic processing evaluated or stimulus in the task. METHODS: A search was conducted on the LILACS, PUBMED and PSYCINFO databases. RESULTS: Out of the initial 27 studies identified, 11 remained in the review. Difficulties in SPEs were shown in five studies. Performance does not seem to vary depending on the type of processing, but on the type of stimulus used. CONCLUSION: This ability should be evaluated in individuals that have suffered a stroke in the RH in order to provide treatments that will contribute to their recovery.

O papel do hemisfério cerebral direito (HD) associado aos efeitos de priming semântico (EPS) deve ser mais bem compreendido, pois as consequências de uma lesão no HD nos EPS ainda não são bem estabelecidas. OBJETIVO: Esse artigo tem como objetivo investigar estudos que analisaram EPS em pacientes acometidos por acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) no HD através de uma revisão sistemática da literatura, verificando-se se há déficits nos EPS e se o desempenho varia dependendo do tipo de processamento semântico avaliado ou dos estímulos utilizados na tarefa. MÉTODOS: Pesquisa nas bases de dados LILACS, PUBMED e PSYCINFO foram conduzidas. RESULTADOS: Vinte e sete estudos foram identificados, dos quais 11 permaneceram na revisão. Dificuldades nos EPS foram encontradas em cinco estudos. O desempenho não parece variar dependendo do tipo de processamento, mas do tipo de estímulo utilizado. CONCLUSÃO: Essa habilidade deve ser avaliada em indivíduos que sofreram um AVC no HD, fornecendo tratamentos que contribuirão a sua recuperação.

Comparison of neuropsychological performance between students from public and private Brazilian schools.

Neuropsychological assessment reveals that certain cognitive changes that take place during the neural development process may be associated with biopsychosocial issues. A substantial body of research has focused on cognitive development in children and adults, but few such studies have been carried out on adolescents. Therefore, research into the processing of neuropsychological functions in adolescents, taking into account the role of major socio-cultural factors such as school type (public vs. private), is highly relevant. The present study sought to assess whether differences in neuropsychological development exist between adolescent students of public (government-funded) and private schools. A total of 373 grade-matched students between the ages of 12 and 18, 190 from public schools and 183 from private schools, took part in the study. All subjects had no self-reported neurologic or psychiatric conditions and sensory disorders. The NEUPSILIN Brazilian Brief Neuropsychological Assessment Battery was administered to this sample. Comparison of mean scores (one-way ANCOVA with socioeconomic score and age as covariates) showed that adolescents attending private schools generally outperformed their public-school peers in tasks involving sustained attention, memory (working and visual), dictated writing, and constructional and reflective abilities. We conclude that school type should be taken into account during standardization of neuropsychological assessment instruments for adolescent and, probably, child populations.

Rehabilitation of language in expressive aphasias: a literature review.

OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews the methodological characteristics of studies on rehabilitation of expressive aphasia, describing the techniques of rehabilitation used. METHODS: The databases Medline, Science Direct and PubMed were searched for relevant articles (January 1999 to December 2011) using the keywords Expressive / Broca / Nonfluent Aphasia, combined with Language or Speech Rehabilitation / Therapy / Intervention. RESULTS: A total of 56 articles were retrieved describing rehabilitation techniques, including 22 with a focus on lexical processing, 18 on syntax stimulation, seven with the aim of developing speech and nine with multiple foci. CONCLUSION: A variety of techniques and theoretical approaches are available, highlighting the heterogeneity of research in this area. This diversity can be justified by the uniqueness of patients' language deficits, making it difficult to generalize. In addition, there is a need to combine the formal measures of tests with measures of pragmatic and social skills of communication to determine the effect of rehabilitation on the patient's daily life.

OBJETIVO: Revisar as características metodológicas dos estudos sobre a reabilitação da afasia expressiva, descrevendo as técnicas de reabilitação utilizadas. MÉTODOS: Foram pesquisados artigos nas bases de dados Medline, Science Direct e PubMed (Janeiro de 1999 a Dezembro de 2011), utilizando as palavras-chave Expressive / Broca / Nonfluent Aphasia, combinado com Language or Speech Rehabilitation / Therapy / Intervention. RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados 56 artigos descrevendo técnicas de reabilitação, incluindo 22 com foco no processamento lexical, 18 na estimulação da sintaxe, sete com objetivo de desenvolver a fala e nove com múltiplos focos. CONCLUSÃO: Há variedade de técnicas e abordagens teóricas, destacando a heterogeneidade da investigação nesta área, que pode justificar-se pela singularidade dos deficits linguísticos dos pacientes, tornando-se difícil a generalização. Existe também necessidade de combinar as medidas formais de testes com medidas de habilidades pragmáticas e sociais da comunicação, para determinar o efeito da reabilitação na vida diária do paciente.

Semantic priming effects in a lexical decision task: comparing third graders and college students in two different stimulus onset asynchronies.

Differences in the semantic priming effect comparing child and adult performance have been found by some studies. However, these differences are not well established, mostly because of the variety of methods used by researchers around the world. One of the main issues concerns the absence of semantic priming effects on children at stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) smaller than 300ms. The aim of this study was to compare the semantic priming effect between third graders and college students at two different SOAs: 250ms and 500ms. Participants performed lexical decisions to targets which were preceded by semantic related or unrelated primes. Semantic priming effects were found at both SOAs in the third graders' group and in college students. Despite the fact that there was no difference between groups in the magnitude of semantic priming effects when SOA was 250ms, at the 500ms SOA their magnitude was bigger in children, corroborating previous studies. Hypotheses which could explain the presence of semantic priming effects in children's performance when SOA was 250ms are discussed, as well as hypotheses for the larger magnitude of semantic priming effects in children when SOA was 500ms.