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Autism & Developmental Language... 2022Echolalia, the repetition of one's or others' utterances, is a behavior present in typical development, autism spectrum disorder, aphasias, Tourette's, and other... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND & AIMS
Echolalia, the repetition of one's or others' utterances, is a behavior present in typical development, autism spectrum disorder, aphasias, Tourette's, and other clinical groups. Despite the broad range of conditions in which echolalia can occur, it is considered primarily through a disorder-specific lens, which limits a full understanding of the behavior.
METHOD
Empirical and review papers on echolalia across disciplines and etiologies were considered for this narrative review. Literatures were condensed into three primary sections, including echolalia presentations, neural mechanisms, and treatment approaches.
MAIN CONTRIBUTION
Echolalia, commonly observed in autism and other developmental conditions, is assessed, observed, and treated in a siloed fashion, which reduces our collective knowledge of this communication difference. Echolalia should be considered as a developmental, transdiagnostic, and communicative phenomenon. Echolalia is commonly considered as a communicative behavior, but little is known about its neural etiologies or efficacious treatments.
CONCLUSIONS
This review is the first to synthesize echolalia from a transdiagnostic perspective, which allows for the direct comparisons across and within clinical groups to inform assessment, treatment, conceptualization, and research recommendations.
IMPLICATIONS
Considering echolalia transdiagnostically highlights the lack of consensus on operationalization and measurement across and within disorders. Clinical and research future directions need to prioritize consistent definitions of echolalia, which can be used to derive accurate prevalence estimates. Echolalia should be considered as a communication strategy, used similarly across developmental and clinical groups, with recommended strategies of shaping to increase its effectiveness.
PubMed: 36451974
DOI: 10.1177/23969415221140464 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine Aug 2021Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 2% of children in the United States. Biochemical abnormalities associated with ASD... (Review)
Review
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 2% of children in the United States. Biochemical abnormalities associated with ASD include impaired methylation and sulphation capacities along with low glutathione (GSH) redox capacity. Potential treatments for these abnormalities include cobalamin (B12). This systematic review collates the studies using B12 as a treatment in ASD. A total of 17 studies were identified; 4 were double-blind, placebo-controlled studies (2 examined B12 injections alone and 2 used B12 in an oral multivitamin); 1 was a prospective controlled study; 6 were prospective, uncontrolled studies, and 6 were retrospective (case series and reports). Most studies (83%) used oral or injected methylcobalamin (mB12), while the remaining studies did not specify the type of B12 used. Studies using subcutaneous mB12 injections (including 2 placebo-controlled studies) used a 64.5-75 µg/kg/dose. One study reported anemia in 2 ASD children with injected cyanocobalamin that resolved with switching to injected mB12. Two studies reported improvements in markers of mitochondrial metabolism. A meta-analysis of methylation metabolites demonstrated decreased S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and increased methionine, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), SAM/SAH ratio, and homocysteine (with small effect sizes) with mB12. Meta-analysis of the transsulfuration and redox metabolism metabolites demonstrated significant improvements with mB12 in oxidized glutathione (GSSG), cysteine, total glutathione (GSH), and total GSH/GSSG redox ratio with medium to large effect sizes. Improvements in methylation capacity and GSH redox ratio were significantly associated with clinical improvements (with a mean moderate effect size of 0.59) in core and associated ASD symptoms, including expressive communication, personal and domestic daily living skills, and interpersonal, play-leisure, and coping social skills, suggesting these biomarkers may predict response to B12. Other clinical improvements observed with B12 included sleep, gastrointestinal symptoms, hyperactivity, tantrums, nonverbal intellectual quotient, vision, eye contact, echolalia, stereotypy, anemia, and nocturnal enuresis. Adverse events identified by meta-analysis included hyperactivity (11.9%), irritability (3.4%), trouble sleeping (7.6%), aggression (1.8%), and worsening behaviors (7.7%) but were generally few, mild, not serious, and not significantly different compared to placebo. In one study, 78% of parents desired to continue mB12 injections after the study conclusion. Preliminary clinical evidence suggests that B12, particularly subcutaneously injected mB12, improves metabolic abnormalities in ASD along with clinical symptoms. Further large multicenter placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm these data. B12 is a promising treatment for ASD.
PubMed: 34442428
DOI: 10.3390/jpm11080784 -
Brain Sciences Jun 2021The , fifth edition (DSM-5) defines echolalia as a pathological, parrotlike, and apparently senseless repetition (echoing) of a word or phrase just uttered by another... (Review)
Review
The , fifth edition (DSM-5) defines echolalia as a pathological, parrotlike, and apparently senseless repetition (echoing) of a word or phrase just uttered by another person and classifies this condition among the "restrictive and repetitive behaviours" of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The authors reviewed the existing literature on echolalia and its role in the development of children with ASD. Current conceptualizations include echolalia among repetitive behaviors and stereotypies and thus interpret this symptom as lacking any communicative significance, with negative effects on learning and sensory processing. Echoic behaviors, however, have been described in neurotypical infants and children as having a substantial effect on the consequent development of language and communication. Relevant research has documented a functional role of echolalia in ASD children as well since it facilitates the acquisition of verbal competencies and affords a higher degree of semantic generalization. This developmental function could be restricted to specific contexts. Considering echolalia as stereotypy and treating it as a disturbing symptom could impair the development of ASD-specific learning and communication processes. In light of this evidence, the authors propose a different conceptualization of echolalia and suggest that this symptom be considered among atypical communication patterns in children with ASD, with implications for treatment and prognosis.
PubMed: 34209516
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070862 -
Canadian Family Physician Medecin de... Feb 1982Tourette syndrome (Gilles de la Tourette disease) is a disorder of involuntary muscular tics, vocalizations and compulsive behavior. The tics and muscle movements vary...
Tourette syndrome (Gilles de la Tourette disease) is a disorder of involuntary muscular tics, vocalizations and compulsive behavior. The tics and muscle movements vary in form and course; the complex repetitive patterns are eventually replaced by other patterns. The vocalization may be in the form of sounds, words or profanities and sometimes echolalia, echopraxia and palilalia. The onset may be from age two to 15 but is usually between ages eight and 12. Recent studies suggest that there is a hypersensitivity of dopamine receptors. Most patients respond well to haloperidol, but other drugs that may be of value include clonidine, pimozide, fluphenazine and trifluoroperazine.
PubMed: 21286050
DOI: No ID Found -
Psychosomatics 2018Few publications deal with non-neurogenic language disorders (NNLDs), distinct from psychogenic speech disorders such as psychogenic dysphonia or stuttering. NNLDs are... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Few publications deal with non-neurogenic language disorders (NNLDs), distinct from psychogenic speech disorders such as psychogenic dysphonia or stuttering. NNLDs are alterations in language owing to psychosomatic preoccupations, conversion disorder, psychiatric disorders, or other psychological reasons.
OBJECTIVE
To identify and classify the range of NNLDs and their characteristics.
METHODS
This review summarizes the literature on disturbances in language, broadly defined as the use of symbols for communication, which may have a psychogenic or psychiatric etiology.
RESULTS
The literature suggests a classification for NNLDs that includes psychogenic aphasia with dysgrammatism; psychogenic "lalias" including oxylalia and agitolalia, palilalia and echolalia, xenolalia, glossolalia, and coprolalia; psychologically-mediated word usage; psychotic language; and psychogenic forms of the foreign accent syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians and researchers have insufficiently emphasized the presence of NNLDs, their characteristics, and their identification. Yet, these disorders may be the first or predominant manifestation of a psychologically-mediated illness. There are 2 steps to recognition. The first is to know how to distinguish NNLDs from the manifestations of neurogenic language impairments after a neurological evaluation. The second step is awareness of specific associated and examination features that suggest the presence of a NNLD.
Topics: Humans; Language Disorders; Mental Disorders; Psychophysiologic Disorders
PubMed: 28911819
DOI: 10.1016/j.psym.2017.08.006 -
Autism & Developmental Language... 2023Echolalia, the repetition of previous speech, is highly prevalent in Autism. Research into echolalia has historically assumed a clinical standpoint, with two opposing...
BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS
Echolalia, the repetition of previous speech, is highly prevalent in Autism. Research into echolalia has historically assumed a clinical standpoint, with two opposing paradigms, behaviourism and developmentalism, offering differing support and intervention programs. These paradigms offer a multitude of clinical operationalised definitions; despite attempts, there continue to be challenges regarding how echolalia is to be defined. Stepping out of the dichotomous clinically orientated literature, we examined how parents summarise and formalise their understanding of echolalia as a communication partner. The objectives of this study were three-fold: (1) to investigate how echolalia is described and defined by parents; (2) to examine if existing clinical definitions align with those of parents; and (3) to begin to consider the implications of such findings for a collaborative approach between clinical perspectives and the parent experience. We bring to the fore the voices of parents, who have historically remained absent from echolalia literature. That is to say, we step outside of the clinical realm and listen to parents: something which has been previously unconsidered but represents a new vital addition to the echolalia literature.
METHODS
We employed a Grounded Theory approach to document the definitions of 133 parents.
RESULTS
We found that parents reported a multiplicity of important elements that are key to their understanding of echolalia.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
Additionally, we found that clinical definitions do not resonate within the parent experience; parents experience echolalia in a different way to that of clinicians and parents can offer insight into our understanding of the phenomena. Our findings show that while some parents might align themselves with either a behavioural or developmental positionality, sometimes there is an overlap depending upon the context in which their child repeats and some parents advance interpretations that are not readily aligned with either of the traditional clinical schools of thought. We present implications for both clinicians and parents in ways that point towards a collaborative approach to support the person with echolalia.
PubMed: 36726967
DOI: 10.1177/23969415231151846 -
Revista de Neurologia Aug 2021The presence of disease is a recurring theme in Herge's famous saga, The Adventures of Tintin, and has been reflected in a number of publications. However, the... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
The presence of disease is a recurring theme in Herge's famous saga, The Adventures of Tintin, and has been reflected in a number of publications. However, the appearance of neurological disease in the work has received little attention from scholars.
DEVELOPMENT
A review was conducted of the neurological symptoms that appear in the work published from 1930 to 1976 and their interpretation from a neurological point of view. The possible neurological symptoms in the main characters of the series have been analysed. Head trauma, the neurological sequelae of alcohol and dementia could explain some of the characters' behaviour. This study outlines these cases and their probable interpretation from a neurological perspective.
CONCLUSION
Hardly any analyses and interpretations have been carried out on the presence of neurological disease in The Adventures of Tintin series. The work can be used as an informative example of neurological disease.
Topics: Alcoholism; Craniocerebral Trauma; Dementia; Echolalia; Fictional Works as Topic; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Literature, Modern; Medicine in Literature; Mental Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Neurology
PubMed: 34308547
DOI: 10.33588/rn.7304.2020666