ABSTRACT
TEMA: relação entre o Distúrbio Específico de Linguagem (DEL) e a memória de curto-prazo visual. OBJETIVO: comparar o desempenho de crianças com DEL e de crianças em desenvolvimento normal de linguagem em tarefas envolvendo a memória de curto-prazo visual. MÉTODO: foram avaliadas 20 crianças com DEL (faixa etária de 3:0 a 5:11), e 29 crianças em desenvolvimento normal (faixa etária 2:0 a 4:11) por meio de tarefas de memória de curto-prazo visual envolvendo a identificação através de fotos e a evocação da localização de objetos previamente manipulados pelo examinador. Como o diagnóstico de DEL implica em idade lingüística pelo menos um ano inferior ao esperado para a idade cronológica, o grupo controle foi constituído por crianças em desenvolvimento normal de linguagem também mais novas. RESULTADOS: as crianças com DEL apresentaram desempenho inferior quando comparadas a seus pares de mesma idade, semelhante ao de crianças mais novas ou ainda inferior ao do grupo mais jovem. Conclusão: as crianças com DEL apresentaram déficits em tarefas envolvendo memória de curto-prazo visual, os quais devem ser discutidos tanto para a compreensão da natureza do quadro, como para os processos de intervenção fonoaudiológica.
BACKGROUND: relationship between Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and visual short-term memory. AIM: to compare the performance of children with SLI to a control group of children with normal language development in tasks involving visual short-term memory. METHOD: subjects were 20 SLI children (ages 3;0 to 5;11), and 29 children with normal language development (ages 2;0 to 4;11), assessed in tasks of visual short-term memory involving picture recognition and localization recall of objects previously manipulated by the examiner. As the diagnosis of SLI implies in the linguistic age being at least one year below the expected for the chronological age, the control group was also constituted by younger children with normal language development. RESULTS: SLI children presented an inferior performance when compared to their pairs of the same age, similar to the younger children or below the younger age group. CONCLUSION: SLI children presented deficits in tasks involving visual short-term memory, which must be discussed in order to understand the nature of the disorder and also in terms of speech-language intervention.
Subject(s)
Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Language Development , Language Development Disorders/diagnosis , Memory Disorders/diagnosis , Memory, Short-Term/physiology , Visual Perception/physiology , Analysis of Variance , Case-Control StudiesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a novel, noninvasive method of brain stimulation. Since conventional rTMS does not cause seizure, marked advantage over electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), rTMS can be used easily and widely. Once the effects of rTMS on cognitive function are elucidated, its application will be further extended. However, the effects of rTMS on cognitive function have not been well examined. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of low frequency rTMS on visual short term memory. METHODS: Forty normal healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to rTMS (n=20) or sham (n=20) groups. The rTMS group were again randomly divided into left prefrontal (n=10) and right prefrontal (n=10) groups. For each group rTMS was given at 1 Hz for 20 minutes with 100% of motor threshold. As a cognitive task, Corsi Block Tapping Test (CORSI) in the computerized Vienna Test System, which can assess visual short term memory, was performed before, during, and after the rTMS. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the visual short term memories between the rTMS and the sham groups before, during, or after 1 Hz rTMS, nor between the left and right prefrontal rTMS groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that rTMS, contrary to ECT, has no adverse visual short term memory effect when used as the standard treatment paradigm. Therefore, rTMS could be a new and safe treatment method in various neuropsychiatric fields without any interference of cognitive function.
Subject(s)
Brain , Cognition , Electroconvulsive Therapy , Healthy Volunteers , Memory , Seizures , Transcranial Magnetic StimulationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a novel, noninvasive method of brain stimulation. Since conventional rTMS does not cause seizure, marked advantage over electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), rTMS can be used easily and widely. Once the effects of rTMS on cognitive function are elucidated, its application will be further extended. However, the effects of rTMS on cognitive function have not been well examined. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of low frequency rTMS on visual short term memory. METHODS: Forty normal healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to rTMS (n=20) or sham (n=20) groups. The rTMS group were again randomly divided into left prefrontal (n=10) and right prefrontal (n=10) groups. For each group rTMS was given at 1 Hz for 20 minutes with 100% of motor threshold. As a cognitive task, Corsi Block Tapping Test (CORSI) in the computerized Vienna Test System, which can assess visual short term memory, was performed before, during, and after the rTMS. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the visual short term memories between the rTMS and the sham groups before, during, or after 1 Hz rTMS, nor between the left and right prefrontal rTMS groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that rTMS, contrary to ECT, has no adverse visual short term memory effect when used as the standard treatment paradigm. Therefore, rTMS could be a new and safe treatment method in various neuropsychiatric fields without any interference of cognitive function.