The contribution of school climate, socioeconomic status, ethnocultural affiliation, and school level to language arts scores: A multilevel moderated mediation model.

Evidence suggests that schools can promote academic success and higher grades by reducing the negative effect of socioeconomic disadvantage through the mediation of a positive climate. However, a critical question largely remains unanswered: Does the mediation of positive school climate on the link between socioeconomic background and academic achievement remain similar for all schools in all cultures and among all ethnic groups? Using a nationally representative database with school climate and language arts test scores of primary and secondary Hebrew and Arabic language schools in Israel (N = 1188), we examined the contribution of both internal (i.e., school climate and grade level) and external (i.e., ethnocultural and socioeconomic backgrounds) influences on schools' language arts test scores. Using multilevel analyses, findings indicated that the magnitude of the mediation of positive school climate, as manifested by a greater sense of security and decreased school violence, in the link between socioeconomic status and test scores was significant only for elementary schools educating Arabic language minority populations and not for nonminority elementary Hebrew language schools. However, this was not the case for secondary schools, where evidence of higher test scores in schools with positive school climate did not emerge. Despite the many socioeconomic obstacles that ethnocultural minority students face, these results indicate that schools prioritizing a positive climate can increase academic opportunities and level the playing field for students from vulnerable cultures and backgrounds. School professionals are encouraged to invest resources that improve school climate to support underprivileged students' prosperity, especially in schools educating students from minoritized backgrounds, where more significant contributions likely exist. Implications for educational policy and future research are discussed.

Cortical auditory evoked potentials (P1 latency) in children with cochlear implants in relation to clinical language tests.

Objective - To study the correlation between P1 latency and the results of clinical language tests (Reynell III and TROG-2), the latter were used as they are recommended for follow-up assessments of children with cochlear implants (Cis) by the Swedish National Quality Register for children with hearing impairment.Design - A clinical cohort study.Study sample - Cross-sectional and consecutive sampling of 49 children with CIs coming for clinical follow-up assessment from March 2017 - December 2019.Results - For all children tested, there was a significant negative correlation (Spearman's rho= -0.403, p = 0.011) between hearing age and P1 latency. A significant correlation between P1 latency and the Reynell III result (Spearman's rho = -0.810, p = 0.015) was found. In the TROG-2 group, there was no significant correlation between their P1 latency and their language test results (Spearman's rho -0.239, p = 0.196).Conclusion - This method seems to be feasible and easily accepted. The study was conducted in a heterogeneous group of children that we meet daily in our clinic. The results indicated that P1 latency has a negative correlation with language development among our youngest patients fitted with CIs and might be a clinical tool to assess the maturation of central auditory pathways.

A critical race analysis of structural and institutional racism: Rethinking overseas registered nurses' recruitment to and working conditions in the United Kingdom.

Language tests for overseas registered nurses (ORN) working outside their home country are essential for patient safety, as communication competency needs to be established in any workforce. We argue that the current employment of existing language tests is structurally and institutionally racist and disadvantages ORNs from non-European Union (EU) and non-White countries seeking to work in the United Kingdom. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT), we argue that existing English language tests for ORNs seeking registration in the United Kingdom are discriminatory due to the UK's racist migration policies and a regulatory body for nursing and midwifery that fails to acknowledge and understand its own institutionally racist practices.

Dutch Diagnostic Instrument for Mild Aphasia (DIMA): standardisation and a first clinical application in two brain tumour patients.

Brain tumour patients with mild language disturbances are typically underdiagnosed due to lack of sensitive tests leading to negative effects in daily communicative and social life. We aim to develop a Dutch standardised test-battery, the Diagnostic Instrument for Mild Aphasia (DIMA) to detect characteristics of mild aphasia at the main linguistic levels phonology, semantics and (morpho-)syntax in production and comprehension. We designed 4 DIMA subtests: 1) repetition (words, non-words, compounds and sentences), 2) semantic odd-picture-out (objects and actions), 3) sentence completion and 4) sentence judgment (accuracy and reaction time). A normative study was carried out in a healthy Dutch-speaking population (N = 211) divided into groups of gender, age and education. Clinical application of DIMA was demonstrated in two brain tumour patients (glioma and meningioma). Standard language tests were also administered: object naming, verbal fluency (category and letter), and Token Test. Performance was at ceiling on all sub-tests, except semantic odd-picture-out actions, with an effect of age and education on most subtests. Clinical application DIMA: repetition was impaired in both cases. Reaction time in the sentence judgment test (phonology and syntax) was impaired (not accuracy) in one patient. Standard language tests: category fluency was impaired in both cases and object naming in one patient. The Token Test was not able to detect language disturbances in both cases. DIMA seems to be sensitive to capture mild aphasic deficits. DIMA is expected to be of great potential for standard assessment of language functions in patients with also other neurological diseases than brain tumours.

Aphasia testing (auditory comprehension domain) using a new eye-tracking system in healthy participants.

Sakai R, Koike Y, Saito K, Matsunaga T, Shimada Y, Miyakoshi N. Aphasia testing (auditory comprehension domain) using a new eye-tracking system in healthy participants. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2022; 13: 31-35. Objective: We administered a conventional pointing-method test with eye-tracking to evaluate items associated with auditory comprehension and examined the concordance between the obtained results. Methods: The enrolled participants were 10 healthy volunteers. We performed tests after extracting auditory comprehension items from the SLTA, the WAB, and the Supplementary tests for the SLTA using the eye-tracking system and the pointing method. Results: The mean test duration was 9 min 51 s ± 1 min 41 s (mean ± SD), and the percentage of correct answers was 100% and in perfect agreement for the pointing method and the eye-tracking system. The mean response time was 0.96 ± 0.36 s for the pointing method and -0.39 ± 0.21 s for the eye-tracking system. Hence, the latter was faster than the former, and examinees completed their responses before listening to the end of the questions. Conclusion: The new eye-tracking system makes it possible to perform aphasia tests (auditory comprehension items) comparable to the conventional pointing method.

The Effect of Vocabulary Depth and Breadth on English Listening Comprehension Can Depend on How Comprehension Is Measured.

This study examines the relative contribution of vocabulary breadth (VB) and vocabulary depth (VD) to three different listening comprehension measures. One hundred and thirteen English majors were given VB and VD tests, and three listening comprehension tests. Based on three pairs of hierarchical multiple regression analyses, we found that the relative contribution of VB and VD varied across the three listening comprehension tests. Specifically, for the listening test with an expository text dictation to assess integrative skills, both VB and VD made a unique positive contribution to comprehension, but this was greater in the case of depth. For the listening test involving narrative conversations to assess literal comprehension, neither VB nor VD (after controlling for each other) could independently predict comprehension, whereas for the listening test that comprises expository passages to assess inferential comprehension, VD could separately predict comprehension but VB could not. These findings suggest that the relative contribution of VD and VB to listening comprehension may depend on how a listening test is constructed. Therefore, the findings will contribute to listening comprehension and vocabulary knowledge research, and vocabulary teaching and learning.

Impacto de la hipoacusia unilateral en el desarrollo del lenguaje / Impact of unilateral hearing loss on language development

Antecedentes y objetivo: Aunque aparentemente la hipoacusia unilateral (HU) pase desapercibida, desde hace 40 años sabemos que su presencia puede ocasionar problemas académicos y comportamentales. Dada la escasez de trabajos publicados y la variabilidad de resultados, nos proponemos conocer su impacto realizando un estudio formal del lenguaje en niños con HU, analizando los posibles factores predisponentes y complementando los resultados con la opinión de sus padres. Material y métodos: Seleccionamos 16 niños de 3 a 15 años, diagnosticados precozmente de HU prelocutiva, de tipo y grado variables, aplicándoles las pruebas de lenguaje: «EMLE», «EDAF», «PLON-R/BLOC-SR» y «Evaluación fonológica del habla infantil de Laura Bosch». Así mismo, obtuvimos la opinión de los padres sobre las repercusiones observadas en el desarrollo lingüístico de sus hijos con HU, a través de un cuestionario específico. Resultados: Con independencia del oído afecto y del grado y tipo de pérdida auditiva, el desarrollo global del lenguaje muestra un rango normal, mejorando con la edad y en posible dependencia con el nivel socioeducativo de la familia. Las alteraciones se producen en morfosintaxis. En la HU profunda, las puntuaciones en fonología y en lecto-escritura son inferiores al resto. Las respuestas al cuestionario parental indican una mayor necesidad de apoyos educativos y logopédicos y la presencia de cambios en el comportamiento escolar. Conclusiones: Solo hemos detectado algunas alteraciones en el lenguaje de estos niños con HU, comprobando la escasa importancia que dan los padres a esta deficiencia. Aunque los resultados no nos permiten determinar el impacto que la HU tendrá en el desarrollo evolutivo de un niño en concreto, consideramos fundamental para su prevención, ofrecer información sobre las posibles consecuencias y procurar detectar precozmente cualquier alteración a través de un seguimiento cercano, logopédico y auditivo.(AU)

Background and objective: Even if apparently unilateral hearing loss (UHL) goes unnoticed, it has been known for 40 years that its presence leads to academic and behavioural problems. Due to the shortage of published studies and the variability of the results, our purpose is to evaluate the impact of this condition by making a formal study of language in children with UHL, analysing predisposing factors and including the parents’ point of view. Methods: A group of 16 children between 3 to 15 years old were selected; all had an early diagnosis of prelingual UHL, with a variability in grade and type. Several language tests have been applied: “EMLE”, “EDAF”, “PLON-R/BLOC-SR” and “Evaluación Fonológica del habla infantil” (Laura Bosch). In addition, we obtained the parents’ opinion about the impact on their children's language development with UHL, through an ad hoc questionnaire. Results: Regardless of the impaired ear, the grade and type of UHL, the global development of language showed a normal range, which improved with age and possibly depends on the socio-educational level of the family. The main alterations were found in morphosyntax. In profound UHL, the outcome in the phonological registry and in reading and writing are lower than in the other categories. According to the parental questionnaire responses, more educational and speech language support is required and some behavioural changes were also detected, mostly at school. Conclusions: Only a few language alterations were detected; we realize that parents do not attach much importance to this deficit. Although the impact of UHL on the development of a specific child cannot be determined, for prevention information is essential on possible consequences, as well as early detection of any variation through close monitoring, speech and hearing therapy.(AU)

Longitudinal study of primary progressive aphasia in a patient with pathologically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease involving the deposition of pathologic amyloid-ß and tau protein in the cerebral cortex. Alzheimer's disease is commonly characterized by progressive impairment of recent memory. Primary progressive aphasia is also often observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, language-associated symptoms, such as primary progressive aphasia, are diverse and varied in Alzheimer's disease. However, nonfluent/agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia is not generally considered a symptom of Alzheimer's disease. To date, there has been no longitudinal study of primary progressive aphasia in Japanese-speaking patients or in patients speaking other languages with pathologically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease. Here we present a longitudinal study of primary progressive aphasia in a Japanese patient pathologically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. CASE PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old Japanese man, whose wife reported that his memory was impaired, also suffered from suspected aphasia. He was pathologically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease using 11C-Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography and 18F-THK5351 positron emission tomography. Based on clinical observation and the results of the Japanese standard language test of aphasia, he was also diagnosed with nonfluent/agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia. During the subsequent 2 years, his cognitive impairment, aphasia, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia progressed. Furthermore, progression of pathologic amyloid-ß and tau protein deposition was revealed through 11C-Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography and 18F-THK5351 positron emission tomography. Although the results of [123I] iodoamphetamine single-photon emission computed tomography suggested corticobasal degeneration, this was not observed on the [123I] FP-CIT single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) (DaTscan). A previous study had reported that Alzheimer's disease with a nonfluent/agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia was accompanied by corticobasal degeneration; however, this was not true in our case. CONCLUSIONS: This is possibly the first longitudinal study of nonfluent/agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia in a Japanese-speaking patient with pathologically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease, but without corticobasal degeneration.

A Brief Executive Language Screen for Frontal Aphasia.

Aphasia assessment tools have primarily focused on classical aphasia type and severity, with minimal incorporation of recent findings that suggest a significant role of executive control operations in language generation. Assessment of the interface between language and executive functions is needed to improve detection of spontaneous speech difficulties. In this study we develop a new Brief Executive Language Screen (BELS), a brief tool specifically designed to assess core language and executive functions shown to be involved in spontaneous generation of language. Similar to other measures of aphasia, the BELS assesses articulation and core language skills (repetition, naming and comprehension). Unique additions to the BELS include assessments of spontaneous connected speech, word fluency (phonemic/semantic) and sentence completion (verbal initiation, inhibition and selection). One-hundred and eight healthy controls and 136 stroke patients were recruited. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine construct validity and logistic regression was used to evaluate the discriminative validity, informing the final version of the BELS. The results showed that the BELS is sensitive for articulation and nominal language deficits, and it measures executive aspects of spontaneous language generation, which is a hallmark of frontal dynamic aphasia. The results have encouraging theoretical and practical implications.

The Clinical Features of Preschool Children With Speech and Language Disorder and the Role of Maternal Language.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively review the characteristics of preschool children with speech and language disorders to determine their clinical features and compares the average degrees of language delay based on hospital visit purposes, language developmental delay causes, and maternal language. METHODS: One thousand one hundred two children (832 males, 270 females) with the chief complaint of language or speech problems who underwent language assessment for the first time were included. Their medical records, including demographic data, language environments, and family history of language problems and other developmental problems, were collected. Furthermore, the results of language and developmental assessments and hearing tests were collected. RESULTS: Among the children enrolled in this study, 24% had parental problems and 9% were nurtured by their grandparents. The average degree of language delay did not differ regarding purposes of hospital visits. The average degree of language delay was greatest in children with autism spectrum disorders and least in children with mixed receptive-expressive language disorders. In children with mothers who do not speak Korean as their native language, social quotients in the social maturity scale were less than 70. CONCLUSION: Language environment is an essential factor that may cause speech and language disorders. Moreover, maternal language seems to affect the social quotient of the social maturity scale.

Methodology for creating and validating object naming and semantic tests used by Verst-Maldaun Language Assessment during awake craniotomies.

Verst-Maldaun Language Assessment (VMLA) is a new intraoperative neuropsychological test (NT) within our local culture, e.g., native Portuguese speaking Brazilians. It aims to fill the specific need of an objective and dynamic approach for assessing the language network during awake craniotomies. The test includes object naming (ON) and semantic functions. This paper describes the process of validation, allowing for other centers to create their own language assessment. The validation process included 248 volunteers and the results were associated with age, gender and educational level (EL). The factor with the greatest impact was EL, followed by age. Intraoperative image learning by repetition is unlikely, since it is composed of 388 items and 70 combinations. The test will be available for free use under http://www.vemotests.com/ (beginning in February 2021).

Developmental eye movement assessment in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To analyze the relationship between the developmental eye movement (DEM) test results and the vocabulary size in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted.A total of 1 243 fifth grade students from 10 primary schools were enrolled from September to December 2019 in Tianjin, among which there were 664 males and 579 females, with the average age of (10.68+ 0.53) years old.The Chinese vocabulary test and intelligence test were carried out.Eighty-five dyslexic children with subaverage vocabulary size were selected as the experimental group and 54 normal children were selected as the control group.The DEM test was conducted in the two groups, and the vertical time, the horizontal adjustment time, the ratio of horizontal to vertical time and the total number of errors were recorded and analyzed.The differences in positive rate of dyslexia, various DEM test indicators between different genders and different groups were analyzed.The correlations between vocabulary size and vertical time, horizontal adjustment time, the ratio of horizontal to vertical time and the total number of errors were analyzed.This study protocol adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by an Ethics Committee of School of Optometry, Tianjin Vocational Institute (No.ysgxyll001). Written informed consent was obtained from the guardian of each subject.Results:The total positive rate of dyslexia was 6.83%(85/1 243), and the positive rate of 9.33%(62/664) in boys was higher than 3.97%(23/579) in girls, with a significant difference between them( χ2=13.974, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in age, vocabulary size, vertical time, horizontal adjustment time, and the ratio of horizontal to vertical time between different genders in the control group (all at P>0.05). The vocabulary size of girls in the experimental group was larger than that of boys, showing a statistically significant difference ( t=-2.259, P=0.027). There was no significant difference in age, vertical time, horizontal adjustment time, and the ratio of horizontal to vertical time (all at P>0.05). The vertical time and horizontal adjustment time of the experimental group were longer than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-4.848, -4.297; both at P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the ratio of horizontal to vertical time between the two groups ( t=0.126, P=0.900). The total number of errors was 0(0, 1) in the experimental group, which was higher than the control group 0(0, 0), with a significant difference between them ( H=1.979, P=0.001). The vocabulary size of students in the two groups was negatively correlated with the vertical time, horizontal adjustment time and the total number of errors ( r=-0.397, P<0.001; r=-0.355, P<0.001; r s=-0.180, P=0.034), and was not obviously correlated with the ratio of horizontal to vertical time ( r=0.038, P=0.656). Conclusions:The DEM test scores of Chinese children with developmental dyslexia are higher than those of normal children, and there is no difference between different genders.The lower the scores of vocabulary size test, the higher the scores of DEM test.

The Landscape Montage Technique for diagnosing frontotemporal dementia starting as primary progressive aphasia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The Landscape Montage Technique was originally developed by Hisao Nakai, a Japanese psychiatrist, to pursue the possibility and application of a psychotherapeutic approach using drawing for patients with schizophrenia. Drawing was initially adopted to evaluate patients with an impaired ability for verbal expression, particularly for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with schizophrenia. Since its development, the Landscape Montage Technique has been utilized in various clinical settings throughout Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the psychiatric conditions of a patient diagnosed as having primary progressive aphasia using the Landscape Montage Technique at a 3-year follow-up. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 64-year-old, right-handed Japanese woman initially diagnosed as having logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia or logopenic aphasia. At a 3-year follow-up, logopenic aphasia progressed to behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia or frontotemporal dementia. According to her husband, she began to have speech difficulties approximately 5 years before her first visit. The results of neurocognitive tests suggested mild cognitive impairment or early stages of dementia. Her clinical dementia rating score was 0.5, suggesting a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. She had a Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices score of 31 out of 36, which indicated a nonverbal cognitive ability that was greater than the 90th percentile for her age. The Japanese Standard Language Test of Aphasia, which was performed at two points during the follow-up, indicated the possibility for a diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia given the progression of her aphasia. Based on her clinical symptoms and Japanese Standard Language Test of Aphasia results, a diagnosis of logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia was established. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed severe predominant left frontal and anterior temporal atrophy, as well as bilateral parietal atrophy. Amyloid beta deposition was negative. At the 3-year follow-up, logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia had progressed to behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. However, the Landscape Montage Technique allowed for the diagnosis of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia only 2 years after baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that the Landscape Montage Technique can be useful for diagnosing behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia that starts as logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia at earlier stages.

Language-Related White-Matter-Tract Deficits in Children with Benign Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is one of the most common pediatric epilepsies, and it generally has a good prognosis. However, recent research has indicated that the epileptic activity of BECTS can cause cognitive defects such as language, visuospatial, and auditory verbal memory deficits. This study assessed language-delivery deficits in BECTS patients using diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI). METHODS: T1-weighted MRI, DTI, and language tests were conducted in 16 BECTS patients and 16 age-matched controls. DTI data were analyzed using the TRActs Constrained by Underlying Anatomy tool in FreeSurfer 5.3, and 18 major white-matter tracts were extracted, which included 4 language-related tracts: the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus-parietal terminations, superior longitudinal fasciculus-temporal terminations, and uncinate fasciculus (UNC). Language tests included the Korean version of the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test, Test of Problem-Solving Abilities (TOPS), and the mean length of utterance in words. RESULTS: The BECTS group exhibited decreased mean fractional anisotropy and increased mean radial diffusivity, with significant differences in both the superior longitudinal fasciculus and the left UNC (p<0.05), which are the language-related white-matter tracts in the dual-loop model. The TOPS language test scores were significantly lower in the BECTS group than in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It appears that BECTS patients can exhibit language deficits. Seizure activities of BECTS could alter DTI scalar values in the language-related white-matter tracts.

A valid alternative for in-person language assessments in brain tumor patients: feasibility and validity measures of the new TeleLanguage test.

BACKGROUND: Although language deficits after awake brain surgery are usually milder than post-stroke, postoperative language assessments are needed to identify these. Follow-up of brain tumor patients in certain geographical regions can be difficult when most patients are not local and come from afar. We developed a short telephone-based test for pre- and postoperative language assessments. METHODS: The development of the TeleLanguage Test was based on the Dutch Linguistic Intraoperative Protocol and existing standardized English batteries. Two parallel versions were composed and tested in healthy native English speakers. Subsequently, the TeleLanguage Test was administered in a group of 14 tumor patients before surgery and at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery. The test includes auditory comprehension, repetition, semantic selection, sentence or story completion, verbal naming, and fluency tests. It takes less than 20 minutes to administer. RESULTS: Healthy participants had no difficulty performing any of the language tests via the phone, attesting to the feasibility of a phone assessment. In the patient group, all TeleLanguage test scores significantly declined shortly after surgery with a recovery to preoperative levels at 3 months postsurgery for naming and fluency tasks and a recovery to normal levels for the other language tasks. Analysis of the in-person language assessments (until 1 month) revealed a similar profile. CONCLUSION: The use of the TeleLanguage battery to conduct language assessments from afar can provide convenience, might optimize patient care, and enables longitudinal clinical research. The TeleLanguage is a valid tool for various clinical and scientific purposes.

Selection of neuropsychological tasks from a language test battery that optimally related to the function of each cortical area: Toward making a cognitive cortical map.

We developed a cortical language map from performance data on a language test battery in patients with brain lesions. The research problem was how to select the subtest that was most related to the function of each cortical area from the battery. When studied by voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM), patients were divided into two groups: those with and without a lesion at each particular region. We considered the task that optimally discriminated between the two groups to be the task most related to the function of a given region. One hundred and fifty left-lesioned patients were examined using the Japanese Standard Language Test of Aphasia (SLTA), which is composed of 26 subtests. Using logistic discriminant analysis, we selected the subtest that optimally discriminated the lesioned and non-lesioned groups for each cortical region. Patients with left middle frontal gyrus (area 46) lesions were optimally discriminated from patients without lesions in that area by the speech sound-kana letter choice matching subtest. Patients with lesions in the inferior postcentral gyrus were optimally distinguished by the disturbance of word repetition. Patients with lesions in the anterior cingulate gyrus were characterized by impaired performance on the category fluency subtest. Voxel-based discriminant analysis can thus select the subtest that can be regarded as most related to the function of each cortical area.

Performance discrepancies on the Boston Naming Test in African-American and non-Hispanic White American young adults.

The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is one of the most commonly used naming measures in neuropsychology. Although research in the older adult population has shown that African-American (AA) adults perform more poorly on the BNT than non-Hispanic White American (WA) adults, these findings have yet to be replicated in younger adults. The BNT and measures of word reading (WJ-Letter Word ID) and vocabulary (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Vocabulary) were administered to 50 WA and 33 AA young adults. Performance was age-normed based on published norms and transformed into z-scores. Despite being matched on age, gender, SES, and level of education, the AA group performed more poorly on the BNT (z = - 1.01(1.09)) than the WA group (z = - .28(.92)), t(104) = 3.44, p < .01, d = 0.73. AAs (18%) were more likely to perform in the impaired range than WAs (4%) when impairment cutoff was z-score≤ - 2. Healthy AA young adults are more likely to perform poorly on the BNT despite vocabulary and word reading being well within normal limits. Average BNT performance in both groups were at least one z-score lower than average vocabulary z-scores. Clinicians should interpret poor scores on the BNT with caution, and within the context of individual vocabulary or word reading performance.

Language-Related White-Matter-Tract Deficits in Children with Benign Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is one of the most common pediatric epilepsies, and it generally has a good prognosis. However, recent research has indicated that the epileptic activity of BECTS can cause cognitive defects such as language, visuospatial, and auditory verbal memory deficits. This study assessed language-delivery deficits in BECTS patients using diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI). METHODS: T1-weighted MRI, DTI, and language tests were conducted in 16 BECTS patients and 16 age-matched controls. DTI data were analyzed using the TRActs Constrained by Underlying Anatomy tool in FreeSurfer 5.3, and 18 major white-matter tracts were extracted, which included 4 language-related tracts: the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus-parietal terminations, superior longitudinal fasciculus-temporal terminations, and uncinate fasciculus (UNC). Language tests included the Korean version of the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test, Test of Problem-Solving Abilities (TOPS), and the mean length of utterance in words. RESULTS: The BECTS group exhibited decreased mean fractional anisotropy and increased mean radial diffusivity, with significant differences in both the superior longitudinal fasciculus and the left UNC (p<0.05), which are the language-related white-matter tracts in the dual-loop model. The TOPS language test scores were significantly lower in the BECTS group than in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It appears that BECTS patients can exhibit language deficits. Seizure activities of BECTS could alter DTI scalar values in the language-related white-matter tracts.

Development, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Psychometric Characteristics of the Persian Progressive Aphasia Language Scale in Patients With Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a neurological condition characterized by progressive dissolution of language capabilities. The Progressive Aphasia Language Scale (PALS) is an easy-to-apply bedside clinical scale capable of capturing and grading the key language features essential for the classification of PPA. The objective of the present study was to develop and validate the Persian version of the PALS (PALS-P) as a clinical language assessment test. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, PALS was translated and adapted into Persian according to the international guidelines. A total of 30 subjects (10 subjects with PPA and 20 control subjects without dementia) were recruited to evaluate the intra-rater reliability and discriminant validity of PALS-P. RESULTS: The intra-rater reliability of the PALS-P within a 14-day interval was excellent for each subtest (ICC agreement range=0.81-1.0). PALS-P results were statistically significant among groups, suggesting its discriminative validity. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study indicates that PALS-P was successfully developed and translated. It seems to be a valid and reliable screening tool to assess language skills in Persian-speaking subjects with progressive aphasia.

English proficiency level in Colombian undergraduate students of medical programs / Nivel de inglés de los futuros egresados de los programas de pregrado de medicina en Colombia

Abstract Introduction: The government intends to position Colombia as a health and welfare tourism destination. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to increase the levels of English proficiency in health professionals, which is in line with the goal set by the Colombian Ministry of National Education for 2014: 20% of medical graduates should score at intermediate or advanced English proficiency levels. Objectives: To determine if the bilingualism goal set for 2014 was achieved by students of undergraduate medical programs in Colombia. Materials and methods: Descriptive and statistical approach (parametric and nonparametric tests) based on data from the Saber Pro test (2011-2015) for medical programs offered in universities of academic nature. Results: The overall percentage of students who met the goal countrywide (28.6%) was satisfactory; however, only 16 medical programs out of 43 (37.2%) achieved the goal. Conclusions: In general, the English proficiency level of potential medical graduates is aligned with the government's goal. However, there is much to be improved considering that about 70% of future medical graduates do not have an intermediate or advanced level in this skill.

Resumen Introducción. El gobierno propuso posicionar a Colombia como un destino turístico de salud y bienestar, siendo uno de los objetivos aumentar los niveles de competencia del inglés en los profesionales de la salud. Esto se relaciona con la meta, para 2014, del Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN) de que 20% de los graduados deberían clasificar en nivel intermedio o superior en inglés. Objetivos. Analizar el cumplimiento de la meta establecida por el MEN para los graduandos de los programas de medicina. Materiales y métodos. Aproximación descriptiva y estadística (pruebas de proporciones paramétricas y no paramétricas) que empleó datos de la prueba Saber Pro (2011-2015) para los programas de medicina de las instituciones de educación superior de carácter académico universitario. Resultados. El porcentaje global de estudiantes que cumplió la meta (28.6%) fue satisfactorio; sin embargo, solo 18 de 43 (37.2%) programas de medicina la cumplieron. Conclusiones. El nivel de inglés de los potenciales graduados de los programas de medicina está alineado con la meta del gobierno. No obstante, hay mucho por mejorar si se tiene en cuenta que cerca del 70% de los futuros graduados de los programas de medicina no alcanza un nivel intermedio o superior en esta competencia.