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Neuropsychologia Jul 2011It is commonly assumed that number reading can be intact in patients with pure alexia, and that this dissociation between letter/word recognition and number reading... (Review)
Review
It is commonly assumed that number reading can be intact in patients with pure alexia, and that this dissociation between letter/word recognition and number reading strongly constrains theories of visual word processing. A truly selective deficit in letter/word processing would strongly support the hypothesis that there is a specialized system or area dedicated to the processing of written words. To date, however, there has not been a systematic review of studies investigating number reading in pure alexia and so the status of this assumed dissociation is unclear. We review the literature on pure alexia from 1892 to 2010, and find no well-documented classical dissociation between intact number reading and impaired letter identification in a patient with pure alexia. A few studies report strong dissociations, with number reading less impaired than letter reading, but when we apply rigorous statistical criteria to evaluate these dissociations, the difference in performance across domains is not statistically significant. There is a trend in many cases of pure alexia, however, for number reading to be less affected than letter identification and word reading. We shed new light on this asymmetry by showing that, under conditions of brief exposure, normal participants are also better at identifying digits than letters. We suggest that the difference observed in some pure alexic patients may possibly reflect an amplification of this normal difference in the processing of letters and digits, and we relate this asymmetry to intrinsic differences between the two types of symbols.
Topics: Alexia, Pure; Comprehension; Discrimination, Psychological; Form Perception; Humans; Language; Mathematical Concepts; Mental Processes; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Reading; Recognition, Psychology
PubMed: 21554892
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.04.028 -
Brain Sciences Apr 2022The current study was conducted to examine the percentages of cognitive skills deficits among Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. Via a systematic review, we... (Review)
Review
The current study was conducted to examine the percentages of cognitive skills deficits among Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. Via a systematic review, we collated twenty-two available studies on the proportion of cognitive skills deficits, including phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, morphological awareness, orthographic knowledge, short-term memory and working memory, and visual and motor skills deficits, among Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. The results of a meta-analysis showed that the rapid automatized naming deficits are the core deficit of developmental dyslexia among Chinese children, with a pooled percentage of 44%. This is followed by orthographic knowledge deficits (43%), phonological awareness deficits (41%), morphological awareness deficits (40%), visual and motor skills deficits (33%), and short-term memory and working memory deficits (25%). At the same time, we compared the proportions of different locations, ages, standards and control groups.
PubMed: 35624935
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050548 -
European Journal of Physical and... Jun 2018Exergames represent a way to perform physical activity through active video games, serving as potentially useful tool in the field of neurorehabilitation. However,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
Exergames represent a way to perform physical activity through active video games, serving as potentially useful tool in the field of neurorehabilitation. However, little is known regarding the possible role of exergames in improving cognitive functions in persons suffering from neurological disabilities.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
A search for relevant articles was carried out on PubMed/Medline, Scopus, PEDro, and Google Scholar. Only randomized controlled studies and non-randomized but controlled studies were retained. The following additional inclusion criteria were applied: studies focused on physical activity interventions carried out by means of exergames; populations targeted were affected by neurological disabilities; and reported results were related to cognitive outcomes. We calculated standardized mean differences (SMD) and pooled results using a random effects meta-analysis.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Of 520 abstracts screened, thirteen studies met the criteria to be included yielding a total of 465 participants, 233 randomized to exergames, and 232 allocated to the alternative or no intervention. The included studies varied in terms of studied populations (e.g., multiple sclerosis, post-stroke hemiparesis, Parkinson's disease, dementia, dyslexia, Down syndrome), type and duration of interventions, and cognitive outcome measures. Exergames significantly improved executive functions (SMD=0.53, P=0.005; 8 studies, N.=380) and visuo-spatial perception (SMD=0.65, P<0.0001; 5 studies, N.=209) when compared to the alternative or no intervention. There were no significant differences for attention (SMD=0.57, P=0.07; 7 studies, N.=250) and global cognition (SMD=0.05, P=0.80; 6 studies, N.=161).
CONCLUSIONS
Exergames are a highly-flexible tool for rehabilitation of both cognitive and motor functions in adult populations suffering from various neurological disabilities and developmental neurological disorders. Additional high-quality clinical trials with larger samples and more specific cognitive outcomes are needed to corroborate these preliminary findings.
CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT
Exergames could be considered either as a supplemental treatment to conventional rehabilitation, or as strategy to extend benefits of conventional programs at home.
Topics: Cognition; Disability Evaluation; Evidence-Based Medicine; Executive Function; Exercise Therapy; Female; Humans; Male; Nervous System Diseases; Neurological Rehabilitation; Physical Therapy Modalities; Prognosis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome; Video Games
PubMed: 29072042
DOI: 10.23736/S1973-9087.17.04680-9 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2022The visual word N1 (N170w) is an early brain ERP component that has been found to be a neurophysiological marker for print expertise, which is a prelexical requirement...
UNLABELLED
The visual word N1 (N170w) is an early brain ERP component that has been found to be a neurophysiological marker for print expertise, which is a prelexical requirement associated with reading development. To date, no other review has assimilated existing research on reading difficulties and atypical development of processes reflected in the N170w response. Hence, this systematic review synthesized results and evaluated neurophysiological and experimental procedures across different studies about visual print expertise in reading development. Literature databases were examined for relevant studies from 1995 to 2020 investigating the N170w response in individuals with or without reading disorders. To capture the development of the N170w related to reading, results were compared between three different age groups: pre-literate children, school-aged children, and young adults. The majority of available N170w studies ( = 69) investigated adults ( = 31) followed by children (school-aged: = 21; pre-literate: = 4) and adolescents ( = 1) while some studies investigated a combination of these age groups ( = 12). Most studies were conducted with German-speaking populations ( = 17), followed by English ( = 15) and Chinese ( = 14) speaking participants. The N170w was primarily investigated using a combination of words, pseudowords, and symbols ( = 20) and mostly used repetition-detection ( = 16) or lexical-decision tasks ( = 16). Different studies posed huge variability in selecting electrode sites for analysis; however, most focused on P7, P8, and O1 sites of the international 10-20 system. Most of the studies in adults have found a more negative N170w in controls than poor readers, whereas in children, the results have been mixed. In typical readers, N170w ranged from having a bilateral distribution to a left-hemispheric dominance throughout development, whereas in young, poor readers, the response was mainly right-lateralized and then remained in a bilateral distribution. Moreover, the N170w latency has varied according to age group, with adults having an earlier onset yet with shorter latency than school-aged and pre-literate children. This systematic review provides a comprehensive picture of the development of print expertise as indexed by the N170w across age groups and reading abilities and discusses theoretical and methodological differences and challenges in the field, aiming to guide future research.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021228444.
PubMed: 35844207
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.898800 -
Journal of Learning Disabilities 2013A review of research that uses behavioral, electroencephalographic, and/or magnetoencephalographic methods to investigate auditory processing deficits in individuals... (Review)
Review
A review of research that uses behavioral, electroencephalographic, and/or magnetoencephalographic methods to investigate auditory processing deficits in individuals with dyslexia is presented. Findings show that measures of frequency, rise time, and duration discrimination as well as amplitude modulation and frequency modulation detection were most often impaired in individuals with dyslexia. Less consistent findings were found for intensity and gap perception. Additional factors that mediate auditory processing deficits in individuals with dyslexia and their implications are discussed.
Topics: Brain; Dyslexia; Evoked Potentials, Auditory; Hearing; Hearing Disorders; Humans
PubMed: 22323280
DOI: 10.1177/0022219411436213 -
The European Respiratory Journal Nov 2021Understanding the psychometric properties of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires can help inform selection in clinical trials. Our objective was to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
Understanding the psychometric properties of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires can help inform selection in clinical trials. Our objective was to assess the psychometric properties of HRQoL questionnaires in bronchiectasis using a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted. HRQoL questionnaires were assessed for psychometric properties (reliability, validity, minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and floor/ceiling effects). Meta-analyses assessed the associations of HRQoL with clinical measures and responsiveness of HRQoL in clinical trials.
RESULTS
166 studies and 12 HRQoL questionnaires were included. The Bronchiectasis Health Questionnaire (BHQ), Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) had good internal consistency in all domains reported (Cronbach's α≥0.7) across all studies, and the Quality of Life-Bronchiectasis (QOL-B), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRDQ) and Seattle Obstructive Lung Disease Questionnaire (SOLQ) had good internal consistency in all domains in the majority of (but not all) studies. BHQ, SGRQ, LCQ and CAT had good test-retest reliability in all domains reported (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.7) across all studies, and QOL-B, CRDQ and SOLQ had good test-retest reliability in all domains in the majority of (but not all) studies. HRQoL questionnaires were able to discriminate between demographics, important markers of clinical status, disease severity, exacerbations and bacteriology. For HRQoL responsiveness, there was a difference between the treatment and placebo effect.
CONCLUSIONS
SGRQ was the most widely used HRQoL questionnaire in bronchiectasis studies and it had good psychometric properties; however, good psychometric data are emerging on the bronchiectasis-specific HRQoL questionnaires QOL-B and BHQ. Future studies should focus on the medium- to long-term test-retest reliability, responsiveness and MCID in these HRQoL questionnaires which show potential in bronchiectasis.
Topics: Bronchiectasis; Humans; Psychometrics; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 33888521
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00025-2021 -
Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology.... Aug 2015To understand how reading can be disrupted in patients with good acuity, it is important to realize the complexities that underlie this task, which normally seems so... (Review)
Review
To understand how reading can be disrupted in patients with good acuity, it is important to realize the complexities that underlie this task, which normally seems so effortless. The process of reading is an interplay among vision, eye movements, attention, and linguistic processing, and impairments in any of these functions can result in reduced reading efficiency. The goal of this review is to provide a systematic review of these functions that can help clinicians generate a logical and useful differential diagnosis of impaired reading in the patient with 20/20 vision.
Topics: Attention; Dyslexia, Acquired; Eye Movements; Humans; Linguistics; Reading; Vision, Ocular; Visual Acuity; Visual Fields
PubMed: 26257217
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjo.2015.05.013 -
Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics Nov 2021Toxocariasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati in humans. Various types of T. canis are important.
BACKGROUND
Toxocariasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati in humans. Various types of T. canis are important.
PURPOSE
The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Toxocara spp. in pediatrics in the context of a systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS
The MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Sciences, Embase, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies published between January 2000 and December 2019 that report the prevalence of Toxocara spp. in pediatrics. The evaluation of articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria was performed by 2 researchers individually.
RESULTS
The results of 31 relevant studies indicated that the prevalence of Toxocara spp. was 3%-79% in 10,676 cases. The pooled estimate of global prevalence of Toxocara spp. in pediatrics was 30 (95% confidence interval, 22%-37%; I2=99.11%; P=0.00). The prevalence was higher in Asian populations than in European, American, and African populations.
CONCLUSION
Health policymakers should be more attentive to future research and approaches to Toxocara spp. and other zoonotic diseases to improve culture and identify socioeconomically important factors.
PubMed: 33561339
DOI: 10.3345/cep.2020.01039 -
European Psychiatry : the Journal of... Nov 2020Good reading skills are important for appropriate functioning in everyday life, scholastic performance, and acquiring a higher socioeconomic status. We conducted the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Good reading skills are important for appropriate functioning in everyday life, scholastic performance, and acquiring a higher socioeconomic status. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify possible deficits in specific reading skills in people with a variety of mental illnesses, including personality disorders (PDs).
METHODS
We performed a systematic search of multiple databases from inception until February 2020 and conducted random-effects meta-analyses.
RESULTS
The search yielded 34 studies with standardized assessments of reading skills in people with one or more mental illnesses. Of these, 19 studies provided data for the meta-analysis. Most studies (k = 27; meta-analysis, k = 17) were in people with schizophrenia and revealed large deficits in phonological processing (Hedge's g = -0.88, p < 0.00001), comprehension (Hedge's g = -0.96, p < 0.00001) and reading rate (Hedge's g = -1.22, p = 0.002), relative to healthy controls; the single-word reading was less affected (Hedge's g = -0.70, p < 0.00001). A few studies in affective disorders and nonforensic PDs suggested weaker deficits (for all, Hedge's g < -0.60). In forensic populations with PDs, there was evidence of marked phonological processing (Hedge's g = -0.85, p < 0.0001) and comprehension deficits (Hedge's g = -0.95, p = 0.0003).
CONCLUSIONS
People with schizophrenia, and possibly forensic PD populations, demonstrate a range of reading skills deficits. Future studies are needed to establish how these deficits directly compare to those seen in developmental or acquired dyslexia and to explore the potential of dyslexia interventions to improve reading skills in these populations.
Topics: Dyslexia; Humans; Mental Disorders; Reading; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 33138882
DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.98 -
Behavior Research Methods Oct 2021Poor response to treatment is a defining characteristic of reading disorder. In the present systematic review and meta-analysis, we found that the overall average effect... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Poor response to treatment is a defining characteristic of reading disorder. In the present systematic review and meta-analysis, we found that the overall average effect size for treatment efficacy was modest, with a mean standardized difference of 0.38. Small true effects, combined with the difficulty to recruit large samples, seriously challenge researchers planning to test treatment efficacy in dyslexia and potentially in other learning disorders. Nonetheless, most published studies claim effectiveness, generally based on liberal use of multiple testing. This inflates the risk that most statistically significant results are associated with overestimated effect sizes. To enhance power, we propose the strategic use of repeated measurements with mixed-effects modelling. This novel approach would enable us to estimate both individual parameters and population-level effects more reliably. We suggest assessing a reading outcome not once, but three times, at pre-treatment and three times at post-treatment. Such design would require only modest additional efforts compared to current practices. Based on this, we performed ad hoc a priori design analyses via simulation studies. Results showed that using the novel design may allow one to reach adequate power even with low sample sizes of 30-40 participants (i.e., 15-20 participants per group) for a typical effect size of d = 0.38. Nonetheless, more conservative assumptions are warranted for various reasons, including a high risk of publication bias in the extant literature. Our considerations can be extended to intervention studies of other types of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Topics: Dyslexia; Humans; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33694077
DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01549-x