Object and action naming: a study on Persian-speaking children

Nouns and verbs are the central conceptual linguistic units of language acquisition in all human languages. While the noun-bias hypothesis claims that nouns have a privilege in children's lexical development across languages, studies on Mandarin and Korean and other languages have challenged this view. More recent cross-linguistic naming studies on children in German, Turkish, English and Korean demonstrate that all languages, including Korean show a noun advantage; however the degree of this discrepancy differs between languages. The aim of this study was to look at object and action naming in normal Persian children as a measure of conceptual development in preschool children and its possible use for screening and therapeutic procedures. In this analytical study, noun bias and processing dissociation of object and action naming in 64 three to six year old healthy monolingual Persian-speaking children was investigated. A black and white picture naming task, consisting of 36 nouns [natural and man-made], and 36 verbs [transitive and intransitive] was designed using DMDX software to measure response accuracy and reaction time of the subjects. The results indicate a significant noun advantage with regard to accuracy and naming latencies. The results also reveal that transitive verbs are named more accurately than intransitive ones in Persian speaking children. Also, the data indicate that accuracy of object and action naming improve with age [p=0.000]. Based on the results we recommended that a standardized Persian object and action naming battery be used. Such a tool would have the potential of screening lexical development delay and possible noun-verb performance gap in preschool children

rey auditory verbal learning test: alternate forms equivalency and reliability for the Iranian adult population [Persian version]

Increasing demand for memory assessment in clinical settings in Iran, as well as the absence of a comprehensive and standardized task based upon the Persian culture and language, requires an appropriate culture- and language-specific version of the commonly used neuropsychological measure of verbal learning and memory, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test [RAVLT]. The Persian adapted version of the original RAVLT and two other alternate word lists were generated based upon criteria previously set for developing new word lists. A total of 90 subjects [three groups of 30 persons], aged 29.7 +/- 7.10 years, volunteered to participate in our study and were tested using the original word list. The practice effect was assessed by retesting the first and second groups using the same list after 30 and 60 days, respectively. The test-retest reliability was evaluated by retesting the third group of participants twice using two new alternate word lists with an interval of 30 days. The re-administration of the same list after one or even two months led to significant practice effects. However, the use of alternate forms after a one-month delay yielded no significant difference across the forms. The first and second trials, as well as the total, immediate, and delayed recall scores showed the best reliability in retesting by the alternate list. The difference between the generated forms was minor, and it seems that the Persian version of the RAVLT is a reliable instrument for repeated neuropsychological testing as long as alternate forms are used and scores are carefully chosen

Cortical representation of Persian word production: an fMRI study

Neural correlates of single word reading with the use of a functional MRI [fMRI] scan have been widely studied in different languages. These study patterns of cortical activation differ in different languages. In this report we used a similar technique to study cortical activation when reading single Persian words. The subjects were comprised of nine healthy right-handed bilingual individuals who performed three consecutive fMRI paradigms. Our study showed activation of the inferior frontal gyrus [IFG] when single Persian words were read. These results revealed that the pattern of brain activation during word production in Persian has a similar topography to that of English equivalents. The paradigms selectively activate word production areas and are useful in neurological assessment of the Persian population

comparison between morphological and syntactic features of 4 to 5 years old in education severe to profound hearing impaired and normal children

Learning Language is a skill which is acquired in early childhood. So, language gradually developed and new words and new structures slowly added to language knowledge. Hearing sense is the most important acquisition for of language and hearing disorder is a barrier for natural language acquiring .The purpose of this study is comparison between morphological and syntactic features of 4 to 5 years old severe to profound hearing impaired and normal children. This cross-sectional study performed on 10 normal-hearing children with mean age of 4-5, from Gazvin kindergartens and 10 hearing impaired children with similar 10 and age from Nioosha Rehabilitation Center. The language and non language information was received by spontaneous and descriptive speech, and questionnaire, respectively and for comparing syntax comprehension, Specific language impairment test was used. Then these results were compared between two groups. Difference between spontaneous speech and descriptive speech in hearing impaired child is just like normal child. These differences are that the number of utterance, the mean of lexical morpheme, functional morpheme in spontaneous speech is greater than descriptive speech but the mean length of utterance and richness of vocabulary in descriptive speech is greater than spontaneous speech. Mean of lexical morpheme, functional morpheme and richness of vocabulary related to morphological part and the number of utterance, the mean length of utterance and syntax comprehension related to syntax, in spontaneous and descriptive speech of normal children speech is greater than hearing impaireds. According to recent researches, compared with normal child, the hearing impaired child nearly never to reach equal level, and for this reason, training for this group is necessary. It isconcluded that although these children have severe to profound hearing loss they are developing their language by auditory training, hearing aid, language therapy and educational assistance and they only have delay in period of language learning. In the other words, language growth of a 4-5 year old hearing impaired child is almost similar to a 3 year old normal child

[Differential impairment of noun and verb consequent to LH lesions in Persian aphasic patients]

The major focus of this research is on the differential disruption of language abilities subsequent to brain damages as they relate to site and size of lesion, especially left hemisphere lesions which disrupt the production and processing of "Nouns" vs. "Verbs" as two functionally different lexical categories. Several clinical as well as experimental studies reported on different language have shown that nouns and verbs can be independently disrupted due to brain damage. A prevalent impairment in naming actions [Producing verbs] is reported in non-fluent aphasic patients, with lesions involving left frontal lobe, whereas a selective in naming objects [Producing nouns] has been observed in amnesic patients, with lesions involving the temporal lobe and the temporal lobe and the posterior association aresas. This research is a theoretical and fundamental based on descriptive and analytical method. The aphasic data in this research were obtained by assessing each patient and aposs aphasic symptoms using a standard Persian aphasia test [Paradis, Nilipoure, Paribakht, 1989] as well as post-test analysis of each patient and apos connected descriptive speech. The subjects were selected form among aphasics who referred to speech therapy centers in Tehran during a pe5iod of one year since autumn 1999. The subjects selected in the study were a homogenous group with left hemisphere lesions due to CVA. They were educated adult right handed. Speakers of Persian without any risk factor such as nicotine, alcohol or any addiction and diabetes with no gross depression or anxiety problems or face and oral paralysis and hemiaopsia. The subjects in this study comprised to adults ranging between 33 and 76 years of age. The results indicated that there are significant correlation between: 1] The production of nouns and left hemisphere lesion. 2] The production of verbs and left hemisphere lesion. 3] Brain lesion and language deficits. 4] The site of lesion and language abilities. Although the data are limited and the generalization of the study has certain restrictions, the present data indicate some specific and reliable evidence on the selective impairment of nouns and verbs due to different lesions in the left hemisphere