Case report: a unique presentation of memantine overdose causing echolalia and hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Since 2003 when memantine was first approved for use in the management of moderate-severe Alzheimer's dementia, its use has become more widespread and is being explored in other diseases like neuropathic pain, epilepsy, and mood disorders. Our case uniquely highlights two important adverse effects in a patient who overdosed on memantine. One is hypertension, which is easy to overlook as a medication side effect. The other is echolalia which is the repetition of words and phrases spoken by another person. It is commonly seen in children with autism spectrum disorder and has been reported in older adults with head injuries, delirium, and neurocognitive disorders. The aim of this patient story is to highlight the importance of medication reconciliation with caregivers and knowledge of adverse drug reactions in patient management. This case report has been presented previously in the form of an abstract at the American Geriatrics Society Presidential poster session in May 2023. CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient is an 86-year-old man with mild dementia and hypertension, who was brought to the emergency department (ED) due to abrupt onset of altered mental status and auditory hallucinations. Investigations including blood work, CT head and an electroencephalogram (EEG) did not reveal an etiology for this change in his condition. Due to elevated blood pressure on presentation, a nicardipine drip was started, and he was given IV midazolam to assist with obtaining imaging. While reviewing medications with his daughter, it was noted that sixty memantine pills were missing from the bottle. Poison control was contacted and they confirmed association of these features with memantine. With supportive care, his symptoms resolved in less than 100 h, consistent with the half-life of memantine. Notably, our patient was started on Memantine one month prior to this presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertensive urgency and echolalia were the most striking symptoms of our patient's presentation. Though hypertension is a known sign of memantine overdose, it can easily be contributed to medication non-compliance in patients with dementia, being treated for hypertension. According to our literature review, this the first case of memantine overdose presenting with echolalia, a sign that is not commonly associated with adverse reactions to medications. This highlights the importance of an early medication review, especially with caregivers of people with dementia.

Subjective position sliding in utterances perceived as echolalic in a child with Language Disorder: a case study. / Deslizamentos de posição subjetiva em enunciados tidos como ecolálicos de uma criança com Distúrbio de Linguagem: um estudo de caso.

Within a linguistic-discursive framework, subject markers in a chain of utterances considered to be echolalia based on the recurring linguistic structure does X want Y? were investigated. This chain was produced during a speech therapy session by J., a female child, 10-years-old at the time of data collection, and with a speech-language pathology diagnosis of language disorder and a medical diagnosis of early psychosis. A set of linguistic fluctuations indicated a sliding of the subject position in the analyzed chain. Such fluctuations involved syntactic, lexical, semantic, morphological and prosodic elements. Discursively, the fluctuations left traces of a sliding of the subject position in the chain formed by these utterances, from a spoken subject (do you want Y?) to a speaking/desiring one (I want Y.). In this way, utterances considered echolalia can provide clues, via their linguistic fluctuations and discursive slippages, about the subject's desire in their relationship with the O/other. Given this, although they do not emerge in a conventional way, such utterances can demonstrate possibilities for changes in subject position. A contribution of the present research for clinical practice involving language in therapeutic settings therefore, was to highlight a listening to utterances, which could be seen as connected/grounded in the speech of the other. In clinical practice involving language, it is possible to create space for new/other senses for utterances, to allow the constitution of the subject of/in language, based on utterances often interpreted as being devoid of subjectivity.

Sob ótica linguístico-discursiva de orientação francesa, foram investigadas marcas de subjetividade numa cadeia de enunciados tidos como ecolálicos, ancorados na estrutura linguística recorrente X quer Y?. No interior de uma sessão de fonoterapia, essa cadeia foi produzida por J., uma criança do sexo feminino, com 10 anos de idade à época da coleta dos dados, com diagnóstico fonoaudiológico de distúrbio de linguagem e diagnóstico médico de psicose precoce. Um conjunto de flutuações linguísticas indiciaram um deslizamento de posição subjetiva na cadeia analisada. Tais flutuações envolveram elementos sintáticos, lexicais, semânticos, morfológicos e prosódicos. Discursivamente, as flutuações deixaram rastros de um deslizamento de posição subjetiva, ou seja, de sujeito falado (cê quer Y?) para falante/desejante (eu quero Y.) na cadeia formada por esses enunciados. Desse modo, enunciados tidos como ecolálicos podem dar pistas do desejo do sujeito em sua relação com o O/outro, por meio de suas flutuações linguísticas e de seus deslizamentos discursivos. Portanto, embora não irrompam de forma convencional, tais enunciados podem mostrar possibilidades de mudanças de posição subjetiva. Por conseguinte, uma contribuição da investigação relatada à clínica de linguagem é a de que, no setting terapêutico, pode haver escuta para enunciados que, em primeira instância, poderiam ser tidos como colados/enraizados no dizer do outro. Na clínica de linguagem é possível, então, dar lugar a novos/outros sentidos a tais enunciados, de maneira a favorecer a constituição do sujeito da/na linguagem a partir de enunciados frequentemente interpretados como esvaziados de subjetividade.

O que é a ecolalia para o autismo segundo a literatura? / What is echolalia for autism according to the literature?

Objetivo: Descrever, segundo a literatura, a relação entre o Transtorno do Espectro Autista e a ecolalia. Método: Realizou-se uma revisão integrativa da literatura científica na BVS, PubMed e Scielo, utilizando os descritores DECS/MESH "Transtorno do Espectro Autista AND ecolalia" e "Autism Spectrum Disorder AND Echolalia" combinados pelo operador booleano "AND". Resultados: Predominaram estudos qualitativos (35,7%) com baixo nível de evidência (92,8%). A maioria das pesquisas (78,6%) foi conduzida nos Estados Unidos da América em 2021, com participantes de 1 a 40 anos, sendo a ecolalia frequentemente observada em crianças de 2 anos (28,6%). A abordagem ao tratamento da ecolalia foi mencionada em apenas 21,4% dos estudos, destacando métodos comportamentais. Conclusão: A ecolalia, fenômeno persistente no TEA, é uma notável peculiaridade na comunicação verbal, apresentando variações imediatas, tardias e mitigadas. Suas implicações continuam a desafiar o desenvolvimento e as intervenções clínicas.(AU)

Objective: To describe, based on the literature, the relationship between Autism Spectrum Disorder and echolalia. Method: An integrative review of scientific literature was conducted using BVS, PubMed, and Scielo databases, employing the DECS/MESH descriptors "Autism Spectrum Disorder AND echolalia" and "Autism Spectrum Disorder AND Echolalia" combined with the Boolean operator "AND." Results: Qualitative studies predominated (35.7%) with low levels of evidence (92.8%). The majority of research (78.6%) was conducted in the United States in 2021, involving participants aged 1 to 40, with echolalia frequently observed in 2-year-old children (28.6%). The approach to echolalia treatment was mentioned in only 21.4% of the studies, emphasizing behavioral methods. Conclusion: Echolalia, a persistent phenomenon in Autism Spectrum Disorder, represents a notable peculiarity in verbal communication, exhibiting immediate, delayed, and mitigated variations. Its implications continue to challenge development and clinical interventions.(AU)

Objetivo: Describir, según la literatura, la relación entre el Trastorno del Espectro Autista y la ecolalia. Método: Se realizó una revisión integrativa de la literatura científica en las bases de datos BVS, PubMed y Scielo, utilizando los descriptores DECS/MESH "Trastorno del Espectro Autista AND ecolalia" y "Autism Spectrum Disorder AND Echolalia" combinados con el operador booleano "AND". Resultados: Predominaron los estudios cualitativos (35,7%) con un bajo nivel de evidencia (92,8%). La mayoría de las investigaciones (78,6%) se llevaron a cabo en Estados Unidos en 2021, con participantes de 1 a 40 años, siendo la ecolalia observada con frecuencia en niños de 2 años (28,6%). El enfoque para el tratamiento de la ecolalia se mencionó solo en el 21,4% de los estudios, destacando métodos conductuales. Conclusión: La ecolalia, un fenómeno persistente en el Trastorno del Espectro Autista, representa una notable peculiaridad en la comunicación verbal, mostrando variaciones inmediatas, tardías y mitigadas. Sus implicaciones siguen desafiando el desarrollo y las intervenciones clínicas.(AU)

Repeat After Me? Both Children With and Without Autism Commonly Align Their Language With That of Their Caregivers.

Linguistic repetitions in children are conceptualized as negative in children with autism - echolalia, without communicative purpose - and positive in typically developing (TD) children - linguistic alignment involved in shared engagement, common ground and language acquisition. To investigate this apparent contradiction we analyzed spontaneous speech in 67 parent-child dyads from a longitudinal corpus (30 minutes of play activities at 6 visits over 2 years). We included 32 children with autism and 35 linguistically matched TD children (mean age at recruitment 32.76 and 20.27 months). We found a small number of exact repetitions in both groups (roughly 1% of utterances across visits), which increased over time in children with autism and decreased in the TD group. Partial repetitions were much more frequent: children reused caregivers' words at high rates regardless of diagnostic group (24% of utterances at first visit), and this increased in frequency (but not level) over time, faster for TD children (at final visit: 33% for autism, 40% for TD). The same happened for partial repetition of syntax and semantic alignment. However, chance alignment (as measured by surrogate pairs) also increased and findings for developmental changes were reliable only for syntactic and semantic alignment. Children with richer linguistic abilities also displayed a higher tendency to partially re-use their caregivers' language (alignment rates and semantic alignment). This highlights that all children commonly re-used the words, syntax, and topics of their caregivers, albeit with some quantitative differences, and that most repetition was at least potentially productive, with repeated language being re-contextualized and integrated with non-repeated language. The salience of echolalia in ASD might be partially explained by slight differences in frequency, amplified by lower semantic alignment, persistence over time, and expectations of echolalia. More in-depth qualitative and quantitative analyses of how repetitions are used and received in context are needed.

A systematic review of interventions for echolalia in autistic children.

INTRODUCTION: Echolalia, the repetition of others' speech, is a common observation in autistic people. Research has established that echolalia is functional and meaningful for many; however, some clinicians and researchers continue to characterise it as pathological and in need of reduction. The aim of this systematic review was to understand the range and impact of interventions for echolalia in autistic children. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 15 studies met predetermined inclusion criteria. Screening, data extraction and quality rating using the Scientific Merit Rating Scale (SMRS) were performed in duplicate. RESULTS: Ten interventions across 15 papers were found. Results indicated that interventions generally decreased levels of echolalia. However, there were considerable inconsistencies in the definitions and conceptualisations of echolalia, administration, generalisation techniques and the measures used. The quality of the studies was very low. CONCLUSION: Interventions for echolalia vary widely in terms of administration and measurement. There is limited consensus on the definition of echolalia among the reviewed studies, and no evidence that echolalia is recognised as functional or meaningful to the autistic children. Further, the lack of methodological rigour makes it difficult to draw clinical conclusions about the interventions. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known Echolalia is the immediate or delayed repetition of others' speech and is a common observation in autistic children and in some older autistic people. While research and practice has established that echolalia is a functional and meaningful form of communication, particularly for those first developing spoken communication, some clinicians and researchers continue to characterise it as problematic and suggest that echolalia should be reduced or eliminated. What this study adds We systematically searched the literature about echolalia interventions to try to find out about the types of interventions that aim to reduce or eliminate echolalia. We found 15 studies on this topic. The way they defined echolalia was varied, and there was a range of interventions researched. None of the research papers recognised echolalia as functional or meaningful and the quality of the research was very low. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Clinicians, families and researchers should think carefully and critically about suggesting any programs or supports that aim to reduce echolalia as no recommendations can be drawn from the research we studied. Echolalia should be considered functional, and efforts made to understand the meaning and purpose of echolalic speech.

Transdiagnostic investigation into the relationship between mirror neuron system activity, echo-phenomena, and theory of mind in major psychoses.

The association between social cognition and putative mirror neuron system (MNS)-activity in major psychoses might be contingent upon frontal dysregulation. We used a transdiagnostic ecological approach to enrich a specific behavioral phenotype (echophenomena or hyper-imitative states) across clinical diagnoses (mania and schizophrenia) to compare behavioral and physiological markers of social cognition and frontal disinhibition. We examined 114 participants with schizophrenia (N = 53) and mania (N = 61) for the presence and severity of echo-phenomena (echopraxia, incidental, and induced echolalia) using an ecological paradigm to simulate real-life social communication. Symptom severity, frontal release reflexes, and theory of mind performance were also assessed. In a proportion of these participants with (N = 20) and without (N = 20) echo-phenomena, we compared motor resonance (motor evoked potential facilitation during action observation compared to static image viewing) and cortical silent period (CSP) as putative markers of MNS-activity and frontal disinhibition, respectively, using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. While the prevalence of echo-phenomena was similar between mania and schizophrenia, incidental echolalia was more severe in mania. Participants with echo-phenomena (compared to those without) had significantly greater motor resonance with singlepulse (not with paired-pulse) stimuli, poorer theory of mind scores, higher frontal release reflexes but similar CSP, and greater symptom severity. None of these parameters significantly differed between participants with mania and schizophrenia. We observed relatively better phenotypic and neurophysiological characterization of major psychoses by categorizing participants based on the presence of echophenomena than clinical diagnoses. Higher putative MNS-activity was associated with poorer theory of mind in a hyper-imitative behavioral state.

Percepções de familiares sobre uma rede de cuidados de saúde mental infantojuvenil / Family perceptions about a children's mental health network / Percepciones familiares sobre una red de atención de salud mental infantojuvenil

Este artigo pretende conhecer como a rede de cuidados em saúde tem se operacionalizado a partir da percepção de familiares de crianças com demanda de cuidado em saúde mental (SM). Foram realizados dois grupos focais, um com familiares da Atenção Básica (AB) e outro com familiares do Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSij), totalizando 15 participantes. Seguiu-se com a análise lexical do tipo classificação hierárquica descendente, com o auxílio do software R Interface, a fim de análises multidimensionais de textos e questionários (IRaMuTeQ), resultando em cinco classes: A Pílula Mágica; Forças e Fraquezas dos serviços; Procurando por ajuda; Aceitando o diagnóstico da criança e Onde procurei ajuda. Os resultados apontam para dificuldades presentes na AB em identificar e manejar situações de Saúde Mental Infantojuvenil (SMIJ), por meio de uma lógica ainda medicalizante. Ressalta-se que a escola é apresentada como lugar de destaque na produção da demanda por cuidado e a família ainda é pouco convocada à construção das ações. Conclui-se, então, que avanços ainda são necessários para operacionalização de um cuidado pautado nas diretrizes da política de SMIJ.(AU)

This article aims to know how the healthcare network has been operationalized from the perception of family members of children with demand for mental health care (MH). Two focus groups were held, one with family members from Primary Care (PC) and the other with family members from the Child Psychosocial Care Center (CAPSij), totaling 15 participants. A lexical analysis of the descending hierarchical classification type was performed with the help of the software R Interface for multidimensional analyzes of texts and questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ), resulting in five classes: The Magic Pill; Strengths and Weaknesses of services; Looking for help; Accepting the child's diagnosis; and Where did I look for help. The results point to difficulties present in PC in identifying and managing situations of mental health in children and adolescents (MHCA), with a medicalization logic. Note that the school is presented as a prominent place in producing the demand for care, and the family is still not very much involved in the actions. It is, thus, concluded that advances are still needed for operationalization of care guided by MHCA policy guidelines.(AU)

Este artículo tuvo por objetivo conocer cómo opera una red asistencial a partir de la percepción de familiares de niños con demanda de atención en salud mental (SM). Se realizaron dos grupos focales, uno con familiares de Atención Primaria (AP) y otro con familiares del Centro de Atención Psicosocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSij), totalizando 15 participantes. Se realizó análisis léxico del tipo clasificación jerárquica descendente con la ayuda del software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ), lo que resultó en cinco clases: "La píldora mágica"; "Fortalezas y debilidades de los servicios"; "En busca de ayuda"; "Aceptar el diagnóstico del niño" y "¿Dónde busqué ayuda?". Los resultados apuntan las dificultades presentes en AP para identificar y manejar situaciones de salud mental infantojuvenil (SMIJ) mediante una lógica aún medicalizante. La escuela tiene un lugar destacado en la producción de la demanda de cuidados y la familia aún no está muy involucrada en la construcción de acciones. Se concluye que se necesitan avances para ofertar una atención guiada por lineamientos de la política del SMIJ.(AU)

Formação em análise do comportamento no contexto da educação especial: variáveis pessoais e atitudinais relacionadas à inclusão / Training in behavior analysis in the context of special education: personal and attitudinal variables related to inclusion / Formación en análisis de conducta en el contexto de la educación especial: variables personales y actitudinales relacionadas con la inclusión

A inclusão educacional de estudantes com autismo e/ou deficiência intelectual no ensino regular, em classe comum, evidencia a urgência de programas de formação docente em práticas educacionais baseadas em evidências. O objetivo foi avaliar a estrutura de um processo formativo remoto para elaboração, aplicação e avaliação de uma intervenção comportamental na perspectiva educacional inclusiva e, mais especificamente, caracterizar as atitudes sociais de agentes educacionais participantes da formação. A formação ocorreu em dois formatos. No primeiro, todo o material foi disponibilizado em uma pasta virtual compartilhada e, no segundo, em um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA). Nos dois formatos, a estrutura contou com parte teórica e prática, por meio de leitura de textos, realização de exercícios e discussões. Na parte prática, participantes tiveram a oportunidade de trabalhar com famílias e estudantes (crianças e jovens) com autismo e/ou deficiência intelectual visando identificar as necessidades e prioridades da família para elaboração colaborativa de um plano de intervenção (sistematização de práticas), implementação e análise das práticas. Para a caracterização da amostra foram levantadas informações pessoais, experiências prévias, familiaridade com ferramentas tecnológicas, conhecimento sobre os conceitos teóricos da Análise do Comportamento. Foi feita uma caracterização das atitudes sociais em relação à inclusão e analisada a validade social de participantes sobre a formação. Os resultados da formação identificaram correlações entre o nível de atitudes sociais e o engajamento nas atividades práticas entregues, além da relação entre o número de participantes que concluíram a formação, o cumprimento de tarefas e dificuldades de contato com a família. O estudo discutiu sobre estratégias que tenham em vista possibilidades de escalabilidade da formação docente de maneira sistemática e científica nesta área de atuação profissional.(AU)

The educational inclusion of students with autism and/or intellectual disabilities in regular education has highlighted the urgency of initial and continuing education programs with evidence-based educational practices. The objective was to evaluate the structure of a remote training process for the elaboration, application and evaluation of a behavioral intervention in the inclusive educational perspective and, complementarily, a specific objective was to characterize the social attitudes of educational agents participating in the training. The training took place in two formats. In the first, all material was made available in a shared folder and in the second, in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). In both formats, the structure had a theoretical and practical part, by reading and carrying out exercises and discussions. In the practical part, participants had the opportunity to work with families and students with autism and/or intellectual disability to identify the needs and priorities of the family for the collaborative elaboration of an intervention plan (systematization of practices), implementation and analysis of practices. For the characterization of the sample, personal information, previous experiences, familiarity with technological tools, and knowledge about the theoretical concepts of Behavior Analysis were collected. A characterization of social attitudes towards inclusion was carried out and the social validity of participants regarding training was analyzed. The results of the training identified correlations between the level of social attitudes and engagement in the practical activities delivered, in addition to the relationship between the drop in the number of participants, the fulfillment of tasks and difficulties in contacting the family. The study discussed strategies that aim at possibilities of scaling continuing education in a systematic and scientific way in this area of professional activity.(AU)

La inclusión educativa de estudiantes con autismo y/o discapacidad intelectual en la educación regular, en aulas regulares, ha puesto de relieve la urgencia de programas de educación inicial y continua en prácticas educativas basadas en evidencia. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la estructura de un proceso de formación a distancia para la elaboración, aplicación y evaluación de una intervención conductual en la perspectiva educativa inclusiva y, de forma complementaria, el objetivo específico fue caracterizar las actitudes sociales de los agentes educativos participantes en la formación. La capacitación se llevó a cabo en dos formatos. En el primer, todo el material estaba disponible en una carpeta compartida y, en el segundo, en un entorno virtual de aprendizaje (EVA). En los dos formatos, la estructura tuvo una parte teórica y práctica, mediante la lectura de textos, la realización de ejercicios y discusiones. En la parte práctica, los participantes tuvieron la oportunidad de trabajar con las familias y los alumnos con autismo y/o discapacidad intelectual con el fin de identificar las necesidades y prioridades de la familia para la elaboración colaborativa de un plan de intervención (sistematización de prácticas), su implementación y el análisis de prácticas. Para la caracterización de la muestra, se planteó información personal, experiencias previas, familiaridad con herramientas tecnológicas, conocimiento sobre los conceptos teóricos del análisis de comportamiento. Se realizó una caracterización de las actitudes sociales hacia la inclusión y se analizó la validez social de los participantes respecto a la formación. Los resultados de la capacitación identificaron correlaciones entre el nivel de actitudes sociales y el compromiso en las actividades prácticas impartidas, además de la relación entre la disminución del número de participantes, el cumplimiento de las tareas y las dificultades de contacto con la familia. Este estudio discutió estrategias que apuntan a posibilidades de escalar la formación docente de forma sistemática y científica en esta área de actuación profesional.(AU)

Estudo de propriedades psicométricas do M-chat no Brasil / Study of M-chat psychometric proprieties in Brazil / Estudio de las propiedades psicométricas de M-chat en Brasil

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as propriedades psicométricas do Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-Chat) em crianças de 24 a 36 meses de idade com (Grupo 1/n = 88) e sem (Grupo 2/n = 1116) o transtorno do espectro do autismo (TEA). Avaliou-se a consistência interna e estimou-se a sensibilidade, especificidade, valor preditivo positivo (VPP), valor preditivo negativo (VPN). Além disso, construiu-se a curva Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC). Para avaliar a validade discriminante, comparou-se a proporção de falhas entre as crianças com e sem o TEA, utilizando o teste qui-quadrado ou teste Exato de Fisher. Comparou-se ainda o número de falhas segundo sexo, faixa etária e grupo do participante por meio do teste de Mann-Whitney. O M-Chat apresentou consistência interna elevada (0,78 e 0,86), reprodutibilidade satisfatória (Kappa de 0,6 a 0,79 e CCI = 0,87 e 0,89), alta sensibilidade (0,807 e 0,932), especificidade (0,927 e 0,706) e VPN (0,984 e 0,992), porém as estimativas do VPP (0,467 e 0,250) não foram satisfatórias. Quanto à validade discriminante, observou-se que a proporção de falhas foi significativamente maior no grupo de crianças com TEA. Observou-se também que o número de falhas foi maior entre as crianças do sexo masculino, com faixa etária de 25-36 meses e no grupo com TEA. A versão brasileira do M-Chat tem propriedades psicométricas adequadas no que se refere à confiabilidade, sensibilidade, especificidade, VPN e validade discriminante, o que torna recomendável sua aplicação para rastrear crianças com sinais do TEA.(AU)

This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the instrument Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) in children from 24 to 36 months old with (Group 1/n = 88) and without (Group 2/n = 1116) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Internal consistency was evaluated and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were estimated. Also, the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was generated. To evaluate the discriminant validity, the proportion of flaws among children with and without ASD was assessed by applying the Chi-square test or by the Exact Fisher test. The number of flaws based on sex, age group, and participant's group was also compared with the Mann-Whitney Test. The M-CHAT showed high internal consistency (0.78 and 0.86), satisfactory reproductivity (Kappa 0.60 and 0.79 and ICC = 0.87 and 0.89), high sensibility (0.807 and 0.932), specificity (0.927 and 0.706), and NPV (0.984 and 0.992); however, PPV estimates (0.467 and 0.250) were not satisfactory. Regarding the discriminant validity, the proportion of flaws was significantly higher in the group of children with ASD. Moreover, the number of flaws was larger among boys, in the age group 25-36 months, and in the group with ASD. The Brazilian version of M-CHAT has adequate psychometric properties concerning reliability, sensitivity, specificity, NPV and discriminant validity, which makes its application recommendable to track children with ASD signs.(AU)

Ese estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar las propiedades psicométricas del Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) en niños de 24 a los 36 meses de edad con (grupo 1/n=88) y sin (grupo 2/n=1116) el trastorno del espectro autista (TEA). Fueron evaluadas la consistencia interna y estimadas la sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo (VPP), valor predictivo negativo (VPN). Además, se construyó la curva Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC). Para evaluar la validad discriminante se comparó la proporción de los fracasos entre los niños con y sin TEA, utilizando el examen chi-cuadrado o la prueba exacta de Fisher. Se compararon también el número de fracasos según el sexo, edad y grupo de participantes por medio del teste Mann-Whitney. El M-CHAT presentó consistencia interna elevada (0,78 y 0,86), reproductividad satisfactoria (Kappa de 0,60 a 0,79 e CCI = 0,87 e 0,89), alta sensibilidad (0,807 e 0,932), especificidad (0,927 e 0,706) y VPN (0,984 e 0,992), pero las estimativas del VPP (0,467 e 0,250) no fueron satisfactorias. Acerca de la validad discriminante, se observó que la proporción de fallas fue significativamente mayor en el grupo de niños con TEA. El número de fracasos fue mayor entre los niños varones, de 25 a 36 meses de edad y no en el grupo con TEA. La versión brasileña del M-CHAT tiene propiedades psicométricas adecuadas en lo que concierne a la confiabilidad, sensibilidad, especificidad, VPN y validad discriminante, lo que hace que su aplicación sea recomendada para rastrear los niños con señales de TEA.(AU)

La neurología en Las aventuras de Tintín / Neurology in The Adventures of Tintin

Introducción: La presencia de la enfermedad es un hecho recurrente en la famosa saga del autor Hergé, Las aventuras de Tintín, que se ha reflejado en algunos trabajos publicados. No obstante, la aparición de la enfermedad neurológica en la obra ha sido un hecho poco analizado. Desarrollo:Revisión de los síntomas neurológicos en los álbumes publicados desde 1930 a 1976 y su interpretación desde un punto de vista neurológico. Se han analizado los posibles síntomas neurológicos en los principales personajes de la serie. El trauma craneal, las secuelas neurológicas del alcohol y la demencia podrían explicar algunos comportamientos de los personajes. En este trabajo se exponen éstos y su probable interpretación desde un punto de vista neurológico. Conclusión: La presencia de la enfermedad neurológica en la serie Las aventuras de Tintín ha sido poco analizada e interpretada. La obra puede usarse como ejemplo divulgativo de la enfermedad neurológica.(AU)

Introduction: The presence of disease is a recurring theme in Hergé’s famous saga, The Adventures of Tintin, and has been reflected in a number of publications. However, the appearance of neurological disease in the work has received little attention from scholars. Development: A review was conducted of the neurological symptoms that appear in the work published from 1930 to 1976 and their interpretation from a neurological point of view. The possible neurological symptoms in the main characters of the series have been analysed. Head trauma, the neurological sequelae of alcohol and dementia could explain some of the characters’ behaviour. This study outlines these cases and their probable interpretation from a neurological perspective. Conclusion: Hardly any analyses and interpretations have been carried out on the presence of neurological disease in The Adventures of Tintin series. The work can be used as an informative example of neurological disease.(AU)

[Neurology in The Adventures of Tintin]. / La neurología en Las aventuras de Tintín.

INTRODUCTION: The presence of disease is a recurring theme in Herge's famous saga, The Adventures of Tintin, and has been reflected in a number of publications. However, the appearance of neurological disease in the work has received little attention from scholars. DEVELOPMENT: A review was conducted of the neurological symptoms that appear in the work published from 1930 to 1976 and their interpretation from a neurological point of view. The possible neurological symptoms in the main characters of the series have been analysed. Head trauma, the neurological sequelae of alcohol and dementia could explain some of the characters' behaviour. This study outlines these cases and their probable interpretation from a neurological perspective. CONCLUSION: Hardly any analyses and interpretations have been carried out on the presence of neurological disease in The Adventures of Tintin series. The work can be used as an informative example of neurological disease.

TITLE: La neurología en Las aventuras de Tintín.Introducción. La presencia de la enfermedad es un hecho recurrente en la famosa saga del autor Hergé, Las aventuras de Tintín, que se ha reflejado en algunos trabajos publicados. No obstante, la aparición de la enfermedad neurológica en la obra ha sido un hecho poco analizado. Desarrollo. Revisión de los síntomas neurológicos en los álbumes publicados desde 1930 a 1976 y su interpretación desde un punto de vista neurológico. Se han analizado los posibles síntomas neurológicos en los principales personajes de la serie. El trauma craneal, las secuelas neurológicas del alcohol y la demencia podrían explicar algunos comportamientos de los personajes. En este trabajo se exponen éstos y su probable interpretación desde un punto de vista neurológico. Conclusión. La presencia de la enfermedad neurológica en la serie Las aventuras de Tintín ha sido poco analizada e interpretada. La obra puede usarse como ejemplo divulgativo de la enfermedad neurológica.

Echolalia in patients with primary progressive aphasia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine echolalia and its related symptoms and brain lesions in primary progressive aphasia (PPA). METHODS: Forty-five patients with PPA were included: 19 nonfluent/agrammatic variant PPA (nfvPPA), 5 semantic variant PPA, 7 logopenic variant PPA, and 14 unclassified PPA patients. We detected echolalia in unstructured conversations. An evaluation of language function and the presence of parkinsonism, grasp reflex, imitation behaviour, and disinhibition were assessed. We also measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using single-photon emission computed tomography. RESULTS: Echolalia was observed in 12 nfvPPA and 2 unclassified PPA patients. All patients showed mitigated echolalia. We compared nfvPPA patients with echolalia (echolalia group) to those without echolalia (non-echolalia group). The median age of the echolalia group was significantly lower than that of the non-echolalia group, and the echolalia group showed a significantly worse auditory comprehension performance than the non-echolalia group. In contrast, the performance of repetition tasks was not different between the two groups. The prevalence of imitation behaviour in the echolalia group was significantly higher than that in the non-echolalia group. The rCBFs in the bilateral pre-supplementary motor area and bilateral middle cingulate cortex in the echolalia group were significantly lower than those in the non-echolalia group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that echolalia is characteristic of nfvPPA patients with impaired comprehension. Reduced inhibition of the medial frontal cortex with release activity of the anterior perisylvian area account for the emergence of echolalia.

The Influence of Language Context on Repetitive Speech Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.

3 Things You Should Know About Echolalia

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) use echolalia, which means they repeat others’ words or sentences.

Improvement of Post Stroke Echolalia after Using Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

No abstract available.

A voz no autismo: uma análise baseada em autobiografias / Voice in autism: an analysis based on autobiographies / La voz en el autismo: un análisis basado en autobiografías

Neste artigo, abordamos a voz no autismo a partir da análise de autobiografias de autistas e de seus pais. Para esta finalidade, enfocamos manifestações como o mutismo, o grito gutural, o monólogo, a expressão irruptiva de palavras esporádicas, a ecolalia, uma língua privada não compartilhada, o recurso a intermediários como o gravador, a mimetização de voz de animais, o recurso a scripts de personagens Disney ou livros. Após descrevermos e sinalizarmos alguns aspectos importantes evidenciados nessa maneira singular de se relacionar com a voz, apontaremos algumas nuanças do funcionamento psíquico do autista.

In this paper, we analyse voice in autism based on the analysis of autobiographies written by autistics and their parents. For this purpose, we focus on manifestations such as mutism, guttural scream, monologue, the irruptive expression of sporadic words, echolalia, a private non-shared language, the use of intermediaries such as tape recorders, animal voice mimicry, Disney characters or books. After describing and signaling some importante aspects evidencied in this unique way of relating to the voice, we will point out some nuances of the psychic functioning of the autistic.

En este artículo trataremos de la voz en el autismo a partir del análisis de autobiografías de autistas y de sus padres. Para tal finalidad, abordamos manifestaciones como el mutismo, el grito gutural, el monólogo, la irrupción de palabras esporádicas, la ecolalia, una lengua privada no compartida, el recurso a intermediarios como el grabador, la mimetización de la voz de animales, el recurso a guiones de personajes de Disney o a libros. Tras describir e indicar algunos aspectos importantes puestos de manifiesto en esta manera singular de relacionarse con la voz, señalaremos algunos matices del funcionamiento psíquico del autista.