Verbal forward digit span in Spanish population / Amplitud verbal de dígitos en orden directo en población española

BACKGROUND: Older people complain of difficulties in recalling telephone numbers and being able to dial them in the correct order. This study examined the developmental trend of verbal forward digit span across adulthood and aging in a Spanish population, as an index of one of the components of Baddeley's working memory model- the phonological loop-, which illustrates these two aspects. METHOD: A verbal digit span was administered to an incidental sample of 987 participants ranging from 35 to 90 years old. The maximum length was defined that participants could recall of at least two out of three series in the same order as presented with no errors. Demographic variables of gender and educational level were also examined. RESULTS: The ANOVA showed that the three main factors (age group, gender and educational level) were significant, but none of the interactions was. Verbal forward digit span decreases during the lifespan, but gender and educational level affect it slightly. CONCLUSION: Phonological loop is affected by age. The verbal forward digit span in this study is generally lower than the one reported in other studies

ANTECEDENTES: Las personas mayores se quejan con frecuencia de las dificultades que tienen para recordar números de teléfono o para marcarlos en el orden correcto. Este estudio investiga el desarrollo de la amplitud verbal de dígitos en orden directo en adultos y personas mayores en población española, como índice de uno de los componentes del modelo de memoria operativa de Baddeley: el lazo fonológico, que precisamente ilustra estos dos aspectos. MÉTODO: la tarea verbal de amplitud de dígitos en orden directo se administró a una muestra incidental de 987 participantes, entre 35 y 90 años. Se definió como la longitud mayor de series de dígitos repetidas correctamente en, al menos, dos de las tres series. Variables demográficas, género y nivel educativo también se examinaron. RESULTADOS: el ANOVA mostró que los tres factores principales (grupo de edad, género y nivel educativo) fueron significativos, pero ninguna de las interacciones alcanzó la significación. La amplitud verbal de dígitos en orden directo desciende durante el ciclo vital, pero tanto género como nivel educativo afectaron ligeramente. CONCLUSIONES: el lazo fonológico está afectado por la edad. La amplitud verbal de dígitos en orden directo fue, en general, menor que la encontrada en otros estudios

Verbal interaction patterns in the clinical context: A model of how people change in therapy / Patrones de interacción verbal en el contexto clínico: un modelo de cómo la gente cambia en terapia

BACKGROUND: The paper 'Why do people change in therapy? A preliminary study' (2006), published in this journal, led to the beginning of a line of research based on observational methodology and aimed at the clarification of the therapeutic process. Throughout these years, significant progress has been made towards an explanation of clinical change. In this paper, a synthesis of this line of research is presented, along with a series of conclusions that can, to some extent, provide an answer to the questions we posed in the aforementioned first paper. METHOD: Verbal behavior both of therapist and client was coded for 92 clinical sessions using the Verbal Behavior Interaction Category System (SISC-INTER-CVT). Descriptive and sequential analyses of the observations were then performed. RESULTS: The data show the existence of certain patterns of verbal interaction that are related to the clinically relevant activities undertaken by the therapist, from which a model for verbal interaction in the clinical context was developed. CONCLUSIONS: The functional analysis of the therapist-client verbal interaction is essential for the comprehension of the processes that explain clinical change as well as for the improvement of the quality of psychological therapy

ANTECEDENTES: el artículo publicado en esta revista '¿Por qué la gente cambia en terapia? Un estudio preliminar' (2006) supuso el inicio de una línea de investigación basada en metodología observacional, dirigida a clarificar el proceso terapéutico. A lo largo de estos años han sido grandes los avances en la explicación del cambio clínico. En este artículo se presenta una síntesis de esta línea de investigación, aportando una serie de conclusiones que, en cierta medida, dan respuesta a muchos de los interrogantes que presentábamos en ese primer trabajo al que hacíamos referencia. MÉTODO: se registró la conducta verbal de terapeutas y clientes en 92 sesiones clínicas, mediante el sistema de categorización de la interacción de la conducta verbal en terapia (SISC- INTER- CVT). A continuación, se realizó un análisis descriptivo y secuencial de las observaciones. RESULTADOS: los datos mostraron la existencia de ciertos patrones de interacción verbal, relacionados con las actividades clínicamente relevantes desempeñadas por el terapeuta, a partir de los cuales se desarrolló un modelo de interacción verbal en el contexto clínico. CONCLUSIONES: el análisis funcional de la interacción verbal terapeuta-cliente resulta imprescindible para comprender los procesos que explican el cambio clínico y aumentar la calidad de la terapia psicológica

La habilidad visuo-espacial en el síndrome de Down: ¿es realmente un punto fuerte? Resumen de un meta-análisis / No disponible

El síndrome de Down muestra serios problemas en las habilidades verbales y relativamente mejores habilidades visuo-espaciales. A menudo se considera a la habilidad visuo-espacial como un punto fuerte o fortaleza en el síndrome de Down. Sin embargo, no está claro si se trata de una fortaleza sólo en comparación con sus habilidades verbales, o, lo que sería más impactante, en relación con su capacidad cognitiva en general. Para responder a esta cuestión, hemos realizado una extensa revisión de los estudios sobre habilidades visuoespaciales en las personas con síndrome de Down, desde enero de 1987 a marzo de 2013. Basándonos en la taxonomía general de las habilidades espaciales y en los estudios existentes sobre el síndrome de Down, hemos incluido cinco dominios diferentes de habilidades espaciales: la memoria visuo-espacial, la construcción visuoespacial, la rotación mental, el cierre gestáltico y la selección de un camino o senda. Hemos evaluado un total de 49 trabajos que han incluido 127 estudios diferentes comparaciones. La mayoría de ellas utilizaban un grupo con síndrome de Down vs. un grupo con desarrollo normal pero de la misma edad mental, enfrentados los dos a una misma tarea que medía una de las cinco habilidades visuo-espaciales. Aunque se necesita realizar más estudios para llegar a conclusiones firmes sobre algunas de estas habilidades, no se apreció evidencia alguna de que la habilidad visuo-espacial constituya un punto fuerte en el síndrome de Down cuando se la compara con la habilidad cognitiva general. Más bien, la revisión sugiere un perfil variable de habilidades visuo-espaciales en el síndrome de Down, en la que algunas de ellas guardan correspondencia con a las del nivel cognitivo, mientras que otras se Encuentra por debajo de dicho nivel

Down syndrome (DS) is associated with extreme difficulty in verbal skills and relatively better visuo-spatial skills. Indeed, visuospatial ability is often considered strength in DS. However, it is not clear whether this strength is only relative to the poor verbal skills, or, more impressively, relative to cognitive ability in general. To answer this question, we conducted an extensive literature review of studies on visuo-spatial Abilities in people with Down syndrome from January 1987 to May 2013. Based on a general taxonomy of spatial abilities and existing studies of DS, we included five different domains of spatial abilities - visuo-spatial memory, visuo-spatial construction, mental rotation, closure, and wayfinding. We evaluated a total of 49 studies including 127 different comparisons. Most comparisons involved a group with DS vs. a group with typical development matched on mental age and compared on a task measuring one of the five visuo-spatial abilities. Although further research is needed for firm conclusions on some visuo-spatial abilities, there was no evidence that visuo-spatial ability is a strength in DS relative to general cognitive ability. Rather, the review suggests an uneven profile of visuo-spatial abilities in DS in which some abilities are commensurate with general cognitive ability level, and others are below

Cluster subtypes of the Spanish version of the California Verbal Learning Test in a sample of adults with subjective memory complaints.

We examined subtypes of learning and memory by administering the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) to a sample of adults with memory complaints that included a subsample of healthy controls and another of participants with amnesic mild cognitive impairment. We performed two-stage cluster analyses for CVLT variables representing three main factors-General Verbal Learning, Inaccurate Memory, and Serial Effect. Four, three, and two reliable subtypes were differentiated in the total sample and in the two subsamples, respectively. Gender, age, education, reading habits, vocabulary, memory complaints, and general cognitive performance were meaningfully related to variability in the performance of the subtypes.

Fluidez verbal según tipo de tarea, intervalo de tiempo y estrato socioeconómico, en niños escolarizados / Verbal Fluency according to task type, time interval and socioeco-nomic status in school-aged children

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar la fluidez verbal (FV) según tipo de tarea (semántica vs. fonológica), intervalo de tiempo (1-15seg. vs. 16-30seg. vs. 31-45seg. vs. 46-60seg.) y estrato socioeconómico (medio vs. bajo) en niños escolarizados. Se trabajó con una muestra de 248 niños de 8 a 12 años de edad de diferentes estratos socioeconómicos (ESE). Se administraron el test de FV semántica (FVS) y fonológica (FVF) y otras pruebas cognitivas para evaluar posibles asociaciones. Los resultados indicaron diferencias significativas según el ESE en el número total de palabras generadas en ambos tipos de FV y en función del tiempo. Los niños de estrato socioeconómico bajo presentaron más dificultades para generar palabras en la FVF y a partir de los 16 segundos en don-de se ponen en juego los procesos controlados. Se analizó además la relación entre diferentes variables socioeconómicas y la FV y se encontró que el nivel de instrucción de la madre fue el único predictor significativo. Finalmente, los resultados revelaron que el lenguaje, la inteligencia y otras funciones ejecutivas predicen la FV aunque con diferencias según el tipo de tarea semántica o fonológica. Se discuten los resultados en función de la utilidad de la tarea como medida del procesamiento cognitivo y del impacto que tiene el ESE sobre el procesamiento controlado y el funcionamiento ejecutivo (AU)

The aim of this study was to analyze verbal fluency (VF) according to task type (semantic vs. phonologic), time interval (1-15seg. vs. 16-30seg. vs. 31-45seg. vs. 46-60seg.) and socioeconomic status (medium vs. low) in school-aged children. The sample included 248 children aged between 8 and 12 years from different socioeconomic status (SES). Semantic and phonological VF tests and other cognitive tasks were administered in order to evaluate possible associations. The results indicated significant differences according to SES as regards the total number of words generated in both VF tasks and as a function of time. Children from lower socioeconomic status had demonstrated more difficulty in generating words in the phonological task, and since the 16 seconds where con-trolled processes are at stake. In addition, the relationship between different socioeconomic variables and VF was analyzed, and it was found that the level of instruction of the mother was the only significant predictor. Finally, the results revealed that language, intelligence and other executive functions predict VF performance, despite differences in terms of semantic or phonologic tasks. The results are discussed considering the usefulness of the task as a measure of cognitive processing and the impact that SES has on controlled processing and executive functioning (AU)

Mixed-handedness advantages in episodic memory obtained under conditions of intentional learning extend to incidental learning.

The existence of handedness differences in the retrieval of episodic memories is well-documented, but virtually all have been obtained under conditions of intentional learning. Two experiments are reported that extend the presence of such handedness differences to memory retrieval under conditions of incidental learning. Experiment 1 used Craik and Tulving's (1975) classic levels-of-processing paradigm and obtained handedness differences under incidental and intentional conditions of deep processing, but not under conditions of shallow incidental processing. Experiment 2 looked at incidental memory for distracter items from a recognition memory task and again found a mixed-handed advantage. Results are discussed in terms of the relation between interhemispheric interaction, levels of processing, and episodic memory retrieval.

The improvement of reading skills of L1 and ESL children using a Response to Intervention (RtI) Model / La mejora de la habilidad lectora en niños monolingües y aprendices del idioma inglés como segunda lengua mediante el Modelo de Repuesta a la Intervención (RtI)

This study examined the development of literacy skills in children in a district that used a Response to Intervention (RTI) model. The district included children whose first language was English and children who were learning English as a second language (ESL). Tasks measuring phonological awareness, lexical access, and syntactic awareness were administered when the children entered school in kindergarten at age 5. Reading, phonological processing, syntactic awareness, memory, and spelling were administered in grade 7. When the children entered school, significant numbers of them were at risk for literacy difficulties. After systematic instruction and annual monitoring of skills, their reading abilities improved to the extent that only a very small percentage had reading difficulties. The results demonstrated that early identification and intervention and frequent monitoring of basic skills can significantly reduce the incidence of reading problems in both the ESL and language majority children (AU)

Este estudio examinó el desarrollo de la habilidad lectora en una población escolar del distrito norte de Vancouver, en Canadá, donde se utilizó el modelo de Respuesta a la Intervención (RTI). Este distrito incluía niños cuya lengua materna era el inglés y niños que aprendían el inglés como segunda lengua (ESL). Se administraron tares para medir la conciencia fonológica, el acceso léxico y la conciencia sintáctica en el momento en que los niños iniciaban la escolarización en el jardín de infancia a la edad de 5 años. Cuando se encontraban en 7º grado se administraron tareas para medir la habilidad lectora, la conciencia fonológica, la conciencia sintáctica, la memoria y las habilidades ortográficas. Cuando los niños se encontraban en jardín de infancia se identificó un número significativo en situación de riesgo de presentar dificultades específicas de aprendizaje. Después de una instrucción sistemática y supervisión anual de habilidades, sus capacidades de lectura mejoraron hasta tal punto que solamente un porcentaje muy pequeño continuaba presentando dificultades específicas de aprendizaje. Los resultados demostraron que la identificación e intervención temprana y la supervisión continua de habilidades básicas puede reducir de forma considerable la incidencia de problemas en la lectura tanto en población ESL como en población monolingüe(AU)

Subtypes of learning and memory on the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II) in the standardization sample.

The purpose of this study was to determine representative, core profile subtypes of learning and memory, based on four variables representing different latent constructs, in the standardization sample of the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II; Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, & Ober, 2000). Two-stage cluster analysis identified six reliable subtypes. Variability in both level and pattern of performance contributed to the differentiation of these subtypes. Level of education was meaningfully related to variability in overall performance of the subtypes. Implications for the interpretation of CVLT-II findings obtained in clinical practice are discussed.

Investigating the neuropsychological and neuroanatomical changes that occur over the first 2-3 years of illness in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the concurrent courses of the neuroanatomical and neuropsychological changes that occurred over the first 2-3 years of illness in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES). METHODS: Fifty-two patients with FES underwent neuropsychological testing and a structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) scan within three months of their first presentation to mental health services with psychotic symptoms (time1). Patients' cognitive performance was evaluated via an extensive neuropsychological test battery, which assessed 9 cognitive domains. Of the 52 patients at time1, 32 returned 2-3 years later (time2) for follow-up neuropsychological testing, and 20 of these also underwent follow-up sMRI. MR images were preprocessed in SPM99. Grey matter volumes of patients' whole-brain, frontal lobes and temporal lobes were calculated by convolving the preprocessed images with manually-drawn binary masks. RESULTS: Patients exhibited longitudinal improvements in full-scale IQ, performance IQ and visual memory. In contrast, concurrent reductions in grey matter were observed for the whole-brain (3% reduction) and the frontal lobe (3.65% reduction). Furthermore, the extent of patients' whole-brain and frontal-lobe grey matter changes were positively correlated with longitudinal changes in verbal learning and memory. DISCUSSION: The results of this study suggest that while the early stages of schizophrenia are associated with a mild improvement in patients' overall cognitive functioning, they are also associated with progressive grey matter atrophy.

Are numbers special? Comparing the generation of verbal materials from ordered categories (months) to numbers and other categories (animals) in an fMRI study.

Months, days of the week, and numbers differ from other verbal concepts because they are ordered in a sequence, whereas no order is imposed on members of other categories, such as animals or tools. Recent studies suggest that numbers activate a representation of their quantity within the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) automatically, that is, in tasks that do not require the processing of quantity. It is unclear, however, whether ordered verbal materials in general and not only numbers activate the IPS in such tasks. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging study word generation of months, numbers, and animals were compared. Word generation of numbers and nonnumerical materials from an ordered category (months) activated the IPS more strongly than generating items from a not-ordered category such as animals or the verbal control conditions. An ROI analysis of three subregions within the anterior IPS revealed that the most anterior and lateral of these regions, human intraparietal area hIP2, shows a greater sensitivity to ordered materials than the other two areas, hIP1 and hIP3. Interestingly, no difference in activation was observed within the IPS between numbers and months suggesting that the activation of the IPS might not be modulated by the additional quantity information carried by numbers.

Escala breve para evaluar el deterioro cognitivo en pacientes psiquiátricos / A brief scale to assess cognitive impairment in psychiatric patients

La Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) es una herramienta breve diseñada para evaluar el deterioro cognitivo que presentan los pacientes con patologías psiquiátricas, entre ellas la esquizofrenia. En este estudio se presentan los primeros resultados hallados con la versión española del SCIP en sus tres formas paralelas en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios, y éstos se comparan con los obtenidos en la versión inglesa. Se concluye que no hay efectos de forma, por lo que pueden utilizarse indistintamente, pero sí ciertos efectos de práctica en alguna de las subescalas que componen el instrumento; se encuentra un efecto producido por el idioma que podría deberse a características muestrales o culturales. Finalmente, en ambas versiones los coeficientes de correlación intraclase y la estructura factorial son muy similares

The Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry(SCIP) is a brief instrument designed to assess cognitive deterioration in patients with psychiatric disorders, for example, schizophrenia. This study presents the first results obtained with the Spanish version of the SCIP in its three parallel forms with a sample of university students, these results being compared with those obtained with the English version. It is concluded that although there are no form effects, and that therefore the different forms can be used without distinction, there are certain practice effects on some of the instrument’s sub-scales. There is also a language effect that may be due to sample and/or cultural characteristics. Finally, in both versions intra-class correlation coefficients and factorial structure are very similar

Executive control and learning pattern on the CVLT.

We evaluated a 23 year-old man after recovery from encephalitis. In contrast to the expected pattern of increasingly better acquisition across the 5 learning trials of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-2), he produced a "J-shaped" curve (Trials 1-5: 8,6,6,9,11). Because he also demonstrated excessive levels of proactive interference as well as poor divided attention, we hypothesized that his atypical learning pattern was due to a build-up of proactive interference secondary to executive dyscontrol. Using a large sample of 4462 healthy adult men, we identified four groups exhibiting various learning patterns. We found that a learning pattern similar to this patient (i.e., a drop after trial 1 followed by recovery) was rare (1.1% of the sample). Individuals with this learning pattern demonstrated increased perseverative responses, as well as greater difficulty maintaining cognitive set on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, decreased attentional control on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, and greater levels of proactive interference on the CVLT. Taken together, the results of the study suggest that an early drop, followed by a recovery in learning trial performance, is associated with executive dyscontrol.

Intersentential syntactic context effects on comprehension: the role of working memory.

The study investigated the influence of a syntactically biasing context sentence on the processing of syntactically complex object-first relative clauses and even more complex object-first complement clauses in readers with individual differences in working memory. Behavioral as well as brain responses (event-related potentials, ERPs) were recorded from two groups of participants with either a high or a low working memory span. The behavioral data taken from a post-sentence comprehension question task indicate an intersentential syntactic contextual influence on the comprehension of object-first relative clauses for low span readers, but not for high span readers. The on-line ERP measures taken at the disambiguating item revealed for the high span readers a main effect of structure (subject- versus object-first) i.e., a P600, independent of context. Low span readers, in contrast, did not show any P600 structure effect. Thus, the combined data indicate a differential context effect on sentence comprehension in low and high span readers. High span readers parse the incoming information independent of intersentential context, whereas low span readers use the intersentential context off-line.

Contextual influence on the language production of children with speech/language impairment.

To investigate the possible contextual variability of language and interaction, data from 10 children with speech/language impairment and three different types of conversational partners (a parent, a peer and a clinician) were collected. The dialogues were analyzed with respect to the characteristics of the dialogues as whole, to the dominance and the productivity of the three types of conversational partners, and to the productivity, fluency and grammatical structure of the language production of the children with speech/language impairment. Productivity was measured as mean length of utterance (MLU) in words, number of utterances, number of different words and proportion of complete and intelligible utterances. Fluency was measured as the proportion of utterances containing a maze. Grammatical structure was analysed with respect to the use of grammatical morphemes, word order patterns, the occurrence of expansions and the complexity of verb forms. Significant differences, in particular between child-child and adult-child dialogues were found. The adult-child dialogues were asymmetrical, where the adults dominated through asking many questions and talking much. The peer dialogues were more dynamic and equal. In these dialogues the children with speech/language impairment took a more active role as a conversational partner. The children produced more utterances and different words with the adult partners, but variables related to fluency and grammatical structure did not vary as a function of the conversational partner. The results imply that children with speech/language impairment practise different aspects of their communicative ability with different types of conversational partners. In particular, it is important to provide them with opportunities to interact with peers, in order for them to develop their skills as independent conversational partners.

On the discovery of novel wordlike units from utterances: an artificial-language study with implications for native-language acquisition.

In 4 experiments, adults were familiarized with utterances from an artificial language. Short utterances occurred both in isolation and as part of a longer utterance, either at the edge or in the middle of the longer utterance. After familiarization, participants' recognition memory for fragments of the long utterance was tested. Recognition was greatest for the remainder of the longer utterance after extraction of the short utterance, but only when the short utterance was located at the edge of the long utterance. These results support the incremental distributional regularity optimization (INCDROP) model of speech segmentation and word discovery, which asserts that people segment utterances into familiar and new wordlike units in such a way as to minimize the burden of processing new units. INCDROP suggests that segmentation and word discovery during native-language acquisition may be driven by recognition of familiar units from the start, with no need for transient bootstrapping mechanisms.

Context effects in lexical access: a meta-analysis.

The modularity hypothesis was evaluated in this review of 25 studies that investigated context effects in early lexical processing. Selection criteria restricted the review to priming studies and to studies that presented the target word before or at the end of the prime word. Meta-analysis was used to provide summary information about the 17 studies in the review for which effect sizes could be calculated. Overall, the analysis revealed a small effect of context on lexical access. Results provide a disconfirmation of the modularity hypothesis; although multiple interpretations of a word were sometimes accessed, the contextually appropriate interpretation was consistently more strongly activated. The lack of significant heterogeneity of variance suggests that the variability observed across studies was due to sampling error; however, task, timing of target presentation, meaning frequency, type of target, and type of context were identified as potential moderator variables.

Verbal working memory and sentence comprehension.

This target article discusses the verbal working memory system used in sentence comprehension. We review the concept of working memory as a short-duration system in which small amounts of information are simultaneously stored and manipulated in the service of accomplishing a task. We summarize the argument that syntactic processing in sentence comprehension requires such a storage and computational system. We then ask whether the working memory system used in syntactic processing is the same as that used in verbally mediated tasks that involve conscious controlled processing. Evidence is brought to bear from various sources: the relationship between individual differences in working memory and individual differences in the efficiency of syntactic processing; the effect of concurrent verbal memory load on syntactic processing; and syntactic processing in patients with poor short-term memory, patients with poor working memory, and patients with aphasia. Experimental results from these normal subjects and patients with various brain lesions converge on the conclusion that there is a specialization in the verbal working memory system for assigning the syntactic structure of a sentence and using that structure in determining sentence meaning that is separate from the working memory system underlying the use of sentence meaning to accomplish other functions. We present a theory of the divisions of the verbal working memory system and suggestions regarding its neural basis.

[Selective use of the Eight-Word subtest in psychogeriatrics]. / Selectief gebruik van de Acht-Woordentest in de psychogeriatrie.

Performance on the Amsterdam Dementia Screening Test (ADS) and the Expanded Mental Control Test (EMCT) was examined in a consecutive sample of 204 attendants of a psychogeriatric day care department. The ADS has six subtests: picture recognition, orientation, drawing alternating sequences, category fluency, copying geometric figures, and free recall with immediate yes-no recognition of eight words. As was determined by logistic regression analysis, attentional control (EMCT), category fluency and picture recognition scores were significant predictors of verbal free recall. Recognition memory for pictures and a short orientation questionnaire (month, year, place) predicted word recognition performance. In 97% of the subjects with poor scores on EMCT and category fluency, an equally poor free recall performance was found. In those cases the incremental diagnostic value of the free recall test is doubtful. Since word recall and word recognition were conceptually related to working memory and episodic memory respectively, the two components of the verbal learning test allow detection of differential impairments of these memory systems.