Not All Nonverbal Tasks Are Equally Nonverbal: Comparing Two Tasks in Bilingual Kindergartners With and Without Developmental Language Disorder.

Purpose This study investigates the interaction of language ability status, cultural experience, and nonverbal cognitive skill performance in Spanish-English bilinguals with typical development (TD) and developmental language disorder (DLD). Method One hundred sixty-nine Spanish-English bilingual kindergartener's scores on the Symbolic Memory and Cube Design subtests from the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (Bracken & McCallum, 1998) were analyzed by language ability (TD vs. DLD). Results t tests and analysis of variance showed bilingual children with TD and DLD performed comparably to the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test norming sample on the cube design task, while children with DLD had significantly lower performance on the symbolic memory task. Conclusion These results suggest that cultural experience minimally impacted performance for bilingual children with typically developing language. Bilingual children with DLD were differentially impacted on symbolic memory, a task that is verbally mediated despite nonverbal administration and performance. Findings are discussed within the Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory of cognitive abilities.

Modelo predictivo clínico-radiológico para diagnosticar tuberculosis pulmonar activa / Predictive clinical-radiological model for diagnosing active pulmonary tuberculosis

Resumen: Introducción: El objetivo de este estudio fue desarrollar un modelo predictivo sobre la presencia de tuberculosis pulmonar activa utilizando datos clínico-epidemiológicos y hallazgos de radiografía simple (Rx) y tomografía computadorizada (TC) de tórax. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, retrospectivo, descriptivo y analítico, que recopiló 22 variables clínico-epidemiológicas, 11 hallazgos radiológicos en Rx de tórax y 23 en la TC, que se realizaron en pacientes con sospecha clínica de tuberculosis pulmonar durante un período de 10 años. Se aplicó un modelo de regresión logística multivariado a los predictores potenciales de cultivo positivo, obteniendo un modelo predictivo. Resultados: Se recogieron 1.540 pacientes con sospecha clínica de tuberculosis a los que se les realizó Rx y TC torácico. El cultivo fue positivo en 101 casos. Se utilizó un proceso de eliminación hacia atrás para obtener el mejor conjunto de variables predictivas. Se obtuvieron 24 variables que fueron significativas (6 clínicas, 5 de Rx y 13 de TC) y se les asignó una puntuación. A la suma de estas puntuaciones se restó la edad en años multiplicada por 0,03. El modelo sugiere el diagnóstico de tuberculosis pulmonar activa en pacientes con una puntuación superior a 1,845. Obtuvo una sensibilidad de 85,1%, especificidad de 83,6%, valor predictivo positivo de 26,6%, y valor predictivo negativo de 98,7%. El área bajo la curva ROC fue de 0,9163. Conclusión: Este sistema de puntuación basado en criterios clínico-epidemiológicos y hallazgos radiológicos puede ayudar a diagnosticar tuberculosis pulmonar activa en casos de sospecha diagnóstica.

Abstract:Introduction: The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model on the presence of active pulmonary tuberculosis using clinical-epidemiological data and findings of chest radiography and thoracic computed tomography (CT). Material and methods: An observational, retrospective, descriptive and analytical study was conducted, which collected 22 clinical and epidemiological variables, 11 radiological findings on chest x-ray and 23 on CT that were performed in patients with clinical suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis during a period of 10 years. A multivariate logistic regression model was applied to the potential predictors of positive culture, obtaining a predictive model. Results: We collected 1,540 patients with clinical suspicion of tuberculosis who underwent radiography and thoracic CT. The culture was positive in 101 cases. A backward elimination process was used to obtain the best set of predictive variables. We obtained 24 variables that were significant (6 clinical, 5 of chest plain films and 13 of CT) and were assigned a score. The sum of these scores was subtracted from the age in years and multiplied by 0.03. The model suggests the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with a score higher than 1.845. The model obtained a sensitivity of 85.1%, specificity of 83.6%, positive predictive value of 26.6, and negative predictive value of 98.7%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.9163. Conclusion: This scoring system based on clinical-epidemiological criteria and radiological findings can help rule out active pulmonary tuberculosis in cases of diagnostic suspicion.

The effect of demographic variables on the assessment of cognitive ability / El efecto de las variables demográficas en la evaluación de la aptitud cognitiva

Background: This study examines the effect of parental educational levels, sex, and family structure on the WISC-V Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and primary index scores (VCI, VSI, FRI, WMI, and PSI) in a representative sample of children from Spain (N = 1008). Method: Differences between demographic groups were examined using independent-samples t-test, ANOVA and Hochberg post hoc tests. A multiple regression analysis was performed to examine whether demographic variables could predict children's FSIQ score. Results: Results showed that the parents' educational level was a significant predictor of children's FSIQ and significant increases in mean FSIQ and primary index scores were found as the parents' educational level increased. Sex was not a significant predictor of children's FSIQ but slight sex differences were found for PSI. The family structure was a significant predictor of FSIQ but its contribution to the global model was small. Children from two-parent families obtained higher FSIQ, VCI, VSI, and FRI mean scores than children from single parent families. Conclusions: The results support the design of a normative sample stratified by demographic variables. Parental education levels, as a good predictor of children's FSIQ score, must be taken into account as a key stratification variable (AU)

Antecedentes: este estudio examina el efecto del nivel educativo parental, el sexo y la estructura familiar sobre el CI total (CIT) y los índices primarios del WISC-V en una muestra representativa de niños españoles (N = 1008). Método: las diferencias entre grupos demográficos se examinaron mediante pruebas t, ANOVA y tests post hoc de Hochberg. Se realizó un análisis de regresión múltiple para examinar si las variables demográficas podían predecir la puntuación CIT de los niños. Resultados: los resultados mostraron que el nivel educativo parental era un predictor significativo, se observaron incrementos significativos en las puntuaciones del CIT y de los índices conforme se incrementaba el nivel educativo parental. El sexo no fue un predictor significativo, pero se observaron ligeras diferencias en el índice de velocidad de procesamiento. La estructura familiar fue un predictor significativo, pero su contribución al modelo general fue pequeña. Los niños de familias biparentales obtuvieron puntuaciones superiores en el CIT y los índices a las de los niños de familias monoparentales. Conclusiones: los resultados apoyan el diseño de muestras normativas estratificadas por variables demográficas. El nivel educativo parental es un buen predictor del CIT de los niños y debe considerarse una variable de estratificación relevante (AU)

The effect of demographic variables on the assessment of cognitive ability.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the effect of parental educational levels, sex, and family structure on the WISC-V Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and primary index scores (VCI, VSI, FRI, WMI, and PSI) in a representative sample of children from Spain ( N = 1008). METHOD: Differences between demographic groups were examined using independent-samples t-test , ANOVA and Hochberg post hoc tests. A multiple regression analysis was performed to examine whether demographic variables could predict children’s FSIQ score. RESULTS: Results showed that the parents’ educational level was a significant predictor of children’s FSIQ and significant increases in mean FSIQ and primary index scores were found as the parents’ educational level increased. Sex was not a significant predictor of children’s FSIQ but slight sex differences were found for PSI. The family structure was a significant predictor of FSIQ but its contribution to the global model was small. Children from two-parent families obtained higher FSIQ, VCI, VSI, and FRI mean scores than children from single parent families. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the design of a normative sample stratified by demographic variables. Parental education levels, as a good predictor of children’s FSIQ score, must be taken into account as a key stratification variable.