ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze prosodic elements of speech segments of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and compare with the control group, using an acoustic analysis. METHODS: Speech recordings were performed with a sample of individuals with ASD (n = 19) and with typical development (n = 19) of the male gender, age range: 8-33 years. The prosody questionnaire ALIB (Brazilian Linguistic Atlas) was used as script, which contains interrogative, affirmative and imperative sentences. Data were analyzed using the PRAAT software and forwarded to statistical analysis in order to verify possible significant differences between the two groups studied in each prosodic parameter evaluated (fundamental frequency, intensity and duration) and its respective variables. RESULTS: There were significant differences for the variables tessitura, melodic amplitude of tonic vowel, melodic amplitude of pretonic vowel, maximum intensity, minimum intensity, tonic vowel duration, pretonic vowel duration and phrase duration. CONCLUSION: Individuals with ASD present significant differences in prosody compared to those with typical development. It is noteworthy, however, the necessity of additional studies on the characterization of prosodic aspects of speech of individuals with ASD with a larger sample and a more restricted age group.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology , Speech Production Measurement , Adolescent , Adult , Autism Spectrum Disorder/complications , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child Language , Humans , Male , Phonation , Speech Acoustics , Speech Disorders/etiology , Voice Quality , Young AdultABSTRACT
The prevalence of juvenile offenders in Brazil, mainly among young females, is on the increase. The literature on this issue indicates an increased incidence of mental disorders among young offenders in several countries, though studies in Brazil are lacking. The aim of this article is to study the prevalence of mental disorders in adolescents from a socio-educational standpoint, taking as a hypothesis the gender difference and the type of offense committed. The instrument used was the K-SADS-PL. As results, we found a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among juvenile offenders, the most common being: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (33.3%); behavioral disorder (77%); oppositional defiant disorder (50%), anxiety disorders (70%), depressive disorder (50%), illicit drug abuse/dependence (70%), and alcohol abuse/dependence (52%). Alcohol abuse/dependence caused a 2.4-fold increase in the probability of adolescents committing a violent offence. Public health authorities should concentrate on early diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders in childhood to reduce future violations. It is also suggested that mental health treatment of detained juveniles should be a fundamental part of the recuperation and reintegration of young offenders into society.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Adolescent , Brazil/epidemiology , Child , Female , Humans , Juvenile Delinquency , Prevalence , Socioeconomic Factors , Urban Health , Young AdultSubject(s)
Epilepsy/psychology , Quality of Life , Surveys and Questionnaires , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child, Preschool , Chronic Disease , Female , Humans , Male , Parents , Self-AssessmentABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Rett syndrome (RS) is recognized as a pan-ethnic condition. Since the identification of mutations in the MECP2 gene, more patients have been diagnosed, and a broad spectrum of phenotypes has been reported. There is a lack of phenotype-genotype studies. OBJECTIVE: To describe two cases of Brazilian patients with identified MECP2 mutations. METHOD: We present two female Brazilian patients with RS. RESULTS: Both patients presented with regression at 2-3 years of age, when stereotypic hand movements, social withdrawal and postnatal deceleration of head growth rate were observed. Both patients presented verbal communication impairment. Case 1 had loss of purposeful hand movements, and severe seizure episodes. Case 2 had milder impairment of purposeful hand movements, and no seizures. They had different mutations, D97Y and R294X, found in exons 3 and 4 of MECP2 gene, respectively. CONCLUSION: Testing for MECP2 mutations is important to confirm diagnosis and to establish genotype/phenotype correlations, and improve genetic counseling.
Subject(s)
Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2/genetics , Mutation , Phenotype , Rett Syndrome/genetics , Adult , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Rett Syndrome/diagnosisABSTRACT
We describe a 5-year-old girl with pervasive developmental disorder associated to chromosome 1-4 translocation, an association that has not been described in specialized literature until this moment.
Subject(s)
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/genetics , Translocation, Genetic/genetics , Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/diagnosis , Child, Preschool , Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1/genetics , Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4/genetics , Electroencephalography , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance ImagingABSTRACT
AIM: To evaluate smell recognition in pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). METHOD: Twenty-one PDD (experimental group) and 21 matched controls (control group) male adolescents were submitted to a standardized, 12-stimuli, smell battery in three moments: with no identification suggestion; associated to four linguistic alternatives for each stimulus, and submitted again, 25 days after, with no linguistic alternatives. Data was analyzed by t test and variance analysis (p=0,05). RESULTS: The experimental group scored worse than control group. Both groups scored better after stimuli and, after 25 days, scores lowered, but stayed higher than initially, without any stimuli (p<0,001). The gap was higher after 25 days, when the experimental group showed poorer smell memory from initial presentation (p<0,001). CONCLUSION: The experimental group showed lower recognition scores, unrelated to clues previously offered, which suggests a difficulty in phenomena and semantic meaning association. Even after matching odors nomination, the gap of recognition scores remains between groups, not only in a deficitary pattern, but also qualitatively disturbed.
Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/complications , Odorants , Olfaction Disorders/etiology , Adolescent , Analysis of Variance , Case-Control Studies , Child , Humans , Male , Olfaction Disorders/diagnosisABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the index quality of life (QL) in bearers of including upset of the development. METHOD: 20 autistic children, between 4 and 12 years, submitted to the diagnostic evaluation by autistic traces scale-ATA and for the Vineland adaptive behavior scales, needing to obtain in this a quotient of superior development over 70. The data about QL were obtained by the scale of quality of life-AUQEI and compared from the application of Vineland and of AUQEI in a population of normal children, resembling in the sex and in the age. RESULTS: In the evaluation of the ATA, average was 33.75 with 4.95 standard deviation. The indexes of Vineland suggest that normal children have larger probability to present level of appropriated adaptative behavior than autistic children (p=0.0196). Concerning QL, the general indexes are the same for both groups, indicating positive QL (p=0.744). In the sub domain autonomy, autistic children present higher index (p=0.0048). CONCLUSION: Autistic children present similar indexes of QL than normal children.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological/physiology , Autistic Disorder/psychology , Quality of Life/psychology , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child, Preschool , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Physicians have become aware of the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders (PDs) in children and adolescents with epilepsy; however, there are many controversies as to which factors may have an important role in the different types of PD. This study was designed to assess the main PD; verify the age of onset compared with the age of diagnosis of the PD; and determine which factors may be correlated with the type of PD described. For this purpose, a multidisciplinary team evaluated children and adolescents (4-18 years) with epilepsy and analyzed patient-related factors such as age (grouped according to Piaget's cognitive scale: <6 years, 7-13 years, >13 years), sex, family history of PDs, and cognitive status. With respect to epilepsy features, we considered age of onset, duration, seizure control at the time of psychiatric evaluation, refractoriness, antiepileptic drugs (mono- vs polytherapy), seizure type (generalized vs focal), and epilepsy type (idiopathic vs symptomatic/probably symptomatic). Depression occurred in 36.4% and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 29.1%, these being the most frequent PDs in this series. Focal epilepsy was significantly more frequent in children and adolescents with PDs. As to the type of PD, age was an important factor, with a predominance of ADHD in children and depression in adolescents (P<0.0001). Family history was contributory for depression, but not for others PDs (P<0.0001). Depression remained underdiagnosed and untreated for a longer period. Impact of early diagnosis and treatment remains unknown.
Subject(s)
Epilepsy/complications , Mental Disorders/etiology , Risk Factors , Adolescent , Age Factors , Chi-Square Distribution , Child , Child, Preschool , Demography , Diagnosis, Differential , Electroencephalography/methods , Epilepsy/classification , Epilepsy/diagnosis , Family , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Male , Mental Disorders/classification , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Neuropsychological Tests , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Sex Factors , Statistics, NonparametricABSTRACT
Some neurological disorders may present psychiatric signs and symptoms, therefore the search for an etiological diagnosis is crucial. The aim of this study is to report the case of a patient with a neurological disorder, diagnosed during a psychiatric admission. A boy with normal neuropsychomotor development until the age of 3 years, started presenting epileptic seizures, followed by behavioral disorder and language deterioration. During neurologic follow-up, the patient was referred to the Psychiatry Department with a diagnosis of autism, in this case an autistic regression (AR). During his admission, diagnosis of Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) was established on clinical and EEG grounds. LKS is characterized by acquired aphasia, epilepsy, EEG abnormalities and behavioral changes, including autistic traits. Language regression is observed LKS and AR. We stress the main differences between these two entities because misdiagnosis may postpone early intervention and consequent benefits, as observed in our case.
Subject(s)
Landau-Kleffner Syndrome/diagnosis , Anticonvulsants/therapeutic use , Autistic Disorder/diagnosis , Child, Preschool , Diagnosis, Differential , Electroencephalography , Haloperidol/therapeutic use , Humans , Landau-Kleffner Syndrome/drug therapy , Male , Promethazine/therapeutic use , Valproic Acid/therapeutic useABSTRACT
A formaçäo da noçäo de tempo é constituída no decorrer do desenvolvimento do indivíduo e em sua interaçäo com o mundo. O tempo, por sua vez, é permeadoo por aspectos objetivos e pessoais, pois independentemente de ser concebido como um parâmetro predeterminado, a ele säo atribuídos significados a partir de impressöes que toda experiência temporal pode suscitar. A análise da noçäo de tempo em uma adolescente portadora de autismo, que é considerado um transtorno abrangente do desenvolvimento, evidenciou alteraçöes de vivência de tempo. Apesar da presença de inteligência global dentro da normalidade, porém com déficits no âmbito social, nesta foram averiguados graves prejuízos. Constatou-se uma compreensäo da vivência temporal associada principalmente às variáveis espaciais.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Adolescent , Autistic Disorder , Developmental Disabilities , Psychology , TimeABSTRACT
We describe an autistic male adolescent with congenital rubella who has developed bipolar disorder, discussing possible diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/etiology , Bipolar Disorder/etiology , Rubella Syndrome, Congenital/complications , Adolescent , Bipolar Disorder/diagnosis , Humans , Intellectual Disability/complications , MaleABSTRACT
It should take into account the psychopatologic context and the child's development moment to evaluate the baby alarm distress from a standardized instrument. We present the BADS questionnaire validation by its application in 90 children, from 0 to 2 years-old, obtaining a K=0.783 to p<0.01, with a Spearman coefficient of 0.866 and factorial analysis to 4 factors to 63.5% of the population studied. With these psychometrical qualities, the scale shows its importance as a screening but is important its study in others populations.
Subject(s)
Infant Behavior , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Child Development , Child, Preschool , Humans , Infant , Infant Behavior/physiology , Infant Behavior/psychology , Infant, Newborn , Physical Stimulation , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The evaluation of the withdrawal reaction in small children using a standardized instrument should take into account the child's psychopatologic context and its child's development moment. We present the BADS questionnaire validation by its application in 35 children aged 0 to 2 years-old with pediatric diseases, coming from Santa Casa de São Paulo. The results were compared with those of 90 normal children who were evaluated in a previous study of the same author. The test used was the independent t test, with mean scores of 5.90 +/- 2.57 for normal children and 6.37 +/- 4.83 for sick children, with p= 0,651 and significance level of 5%. Thus, it was observed that the withdrawal reaction in sick children is not significantly different for that for normal children. With these results, the scale shows its importance as a screening instrument.
Subject(s)
Child Behavior Disorders/diagnosis , Child Development , Infant Behavior , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Mass Screening/methods , Psychomotor Performance , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Estudos longitudinais de famílias com elementos portadores de doenças crônicas mostram que elas auxiliam na recuperaçao do indivíduo doente, na integraçao social e aderência ao tratamento. Os autores, neste trabalho, abordam algumas questoes das relaçoes familiares quando nasce uma criança deficiente mental, que causa alteraçoes substanciais no papel dos demais elementos do grupo familiar, evidenciando-se a necessidade de um ajustamento que favorecerá o sistema a cumprir adequadamente o desenvolvimento e a maturaçao das potencialidades da família.
Subject(s)
Humans , Intellectual Disability/psychology , Family RelationsABSTRACT
El autor analiza 22 casos de niños diagnosticados con ezquizofrenia infantil en el Centro de Rehabilitación de la APAE-SP. De su muestra, 11 casos habían iniciado la enfermedad entre 1 y 3 años y 11 casos entre 3 a 12 años. Observamos una variación de la patoplastia del cuadro en función de la edad de inicio, indicando que la estructuración cognitiva y afectiva del individuo afectado es básica para la forma de presentación del cuadro
