Relationship between linguistic functions and cognitive functions in a clinical study of Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>There has been a long debate among scholars surrounding the relationship between language and cognition. The worldwide study of aphasia is actively exploring the function of language from cognitive point of view. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between linguistic functions and cognitive functions in a clinical study of Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cognitive functions of 63 Chinese patients with aphasia following a stroke were assessed with the Chinese version of the second edition of Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) battery and their linguistic functions were tested with the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) Scale, respectively. The correlation between the results observed on the LOTCA battery and those on the WAB was analyzed. Aphasia quotient, performance quotient, cortical quotient, and linguistic function of the patients were compared. Then, each language function was analyzed by way of dependent adopt multiple regression analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total score of 63 patients as shown on the LOTCA battery was significantly correlated with the aphasia quotient, performance quotient, and cortical quotient observed on the WAB Scale (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). However, the correlation between visuomotor organization under LOTCA and repeat under WAB was not significant (P > 0.05). The attention of LOTCA and WAB's spontaneous speech, repeat, naming, and aphasia quotient was not relevant either (P > 0.05). In addition, correlations between the results observed on the LOTCA battery and the WAB were significant (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Among the significant variables finally entered into the standardized canonical discriminant functions, main factors affected the aphasia. Multiple regression analysis showed that orientation, spatial perception, and visual perception had a notable influence on aphasia quotient and naming. Orientation and thinking operation was found to have a notable influence on spontaneous speech. Spatial perception and visual perception was found to have a notable influence on auditory comprehension. Thinking operation and orientation was found to have an obvious influence on reading. Thinking operation, spatial perception, and attention was found to have a notable effect on writing (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There exists a close relationship between linguistic functions and cognitive orientation, spatial perception, visual perception, and thinking operation in a clinical study of Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia.</p>

[Stem cell characteristics of human fetal articular cartilage-derived cells].

OBJECTIVE: To verify the hypothesis that cells with characteristics similar to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) can be isolated and cultured from human fetal articular cartilage. METHODS: Human fetal articular cartilages were harvested from fetuses aborted between 12 and 20 weeks. Cells were grown in monolayer cultures in IMDM medium containing antibiotics, L-glutamine and fetal calf serum. Cells were induced to differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and neurons. At various time points, parental and passaged cells were subjected to FACS analysis to determine cell phenotype. RESULTS: We successfully isolated and cultured MSCs from human fetal articular cartilage. These cells had the same morphology, phenotype, and ability to differentiate in vitro as MSCs of bone marrow origin. CONCLUSION: This study shows that cells with characteristics of MSCs can be isolated and cultured from human fetal articular cartilage.