Communication Disturbance Research Articles

Decrease of Mutual Information in Brain Electrical Activity of Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

The disturbance of cortical communication has been hypothesized as an important factor in the appearance of cognitive impairment in (MS). Cortical communication is quantified here in control subjects and patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) on the basis of mean coherence in theδ,θ,α,βandγbands and using mutual information computed between pairs of bipolar EEG signals recorded during resting condition. Each patient received also a cognitive assessment using a battery of neuropsychological tests specific to cognitive deficits in MS.No difference was observed for the coherence indices whereas inter-hemispheric and right hemisphere mutual information is significantly lower in patients with MS than in control subjects. Moreover, inter-hemispheric mutual information decrease significantly with illness duration and right mutual information differentiate cognitively deficient and non-deficient patients.Mutual information allows to quantify the cortical communication in patients with RRMS and is related to clinical characteristics.Cortical communication quantified in a resting state might be a potential marker for the neurological damage induced by RRMS.

The social brain

The term social brain was introduced into neuropsychology by Gazzaniga (1985) in his studies of emotional and social communication disturbances after right- hemisphere damages.Later this term was used to show how the human brain processes social infor- mation and regulates the mind as a whole (Brothers, 1990; Brune, Ribbert, & Schiefenhovel, 2003; Dunbar, Gamble, & Gowlett, 2010; Insel & Fernald, 2004).Two theories are used to explain the organization of social cognition; the first is theory of mind (Weed, McGregor, Nielsen, Roepstorff, & Frith, 2010). In this theory, social cognition is understood as a typical module, separated from any other processes, that operates with specific knowledge. People have a definite theory about inner, nonobservable mental states that generate observable behaviors. Theory of mind is closely related to, or even dependent on, communication and language. All acts of communication, such as using metaphors, humor, irony, and sarcastic phrases and having the conversational ability to make issues under- standable to others, require constant awareness of the participants' states of mind (their knowledge, intentions, and beliefs). This theory also postulates that activat- ing the theory of mind requires mobilization of some executive subsystems, such as cognitive plasticity, working memory, the inhibition of selected stimuli for the benefit of others, and the ability to use representations and metarepresentations (Aboulafia-Brakha, Christe, Martory, & Annoni, 2011).Disturbances of social cognition, an inability to understand the feelings of others, which is a manifestation of a lack of theory of mind, is one of the ex- planations for the behavioral disturbances in autism (Brownell, Griffin, Winner, Friedman, & Happe, 2000; Nikolskaya et al., 2005). Neurovisualization techniques reveal in these patients an aborted development of the dendritic structure of the limbic system and an increase in the number of abnormal cells in the cerebellum (Joseph, 1999).The second model for the organization of social cognition is simulation theory (Adolphs, Damasio, Tranel, Cooper, & Damasio, 2000), which proposes that although mental states of others are not directly observable, it is possible to use our imagination and our mental states as a model for simulating the mental states of others. Simulation theory is connected to the discovery of neurons, which are localized in the premotor ventral cortex and partly in the parietal lobe (Rizzolatti, Fadiga, Gallese, & Fogassi, 1996); mirror neurons are activated by the subject's own movement but also by observation of another person's movement. Mirror neu- rons are a kind of translator of observable behavior to inner, mental states.Social cognition has the following main functions:* integration of a complex situation into a meaningful whole, emotionally and socially;* evaluation of the situation on the basis of moral behavior;* self-regulation.The relationship between social cognition and social behavior is still largely unknown or is very complex and involved in connections with other regulatory processes. It is highly probable that there is no simple translation of social cogni- tion into social behavior. But pathology in those two components leads to the in- terpersonal maladjustment of patients with brain injury. Five aspects of the functioning of social cognition and five groups of evidence can be analyzed in studies of social cognition and the social brain:1. the negative consequences of brain damage on social behavior and social cognition;2. the social features of early-childhood development;3. the double interaction between brain maturation and the formation of mental functions;4. the negative consequences of social neglect on brain development;5. the social and cultural specificity of neuropsychological assessment methods.Negative consequences of Brain Damage on social Behavior and social cognitionNeuropsychological studies focusing on the location of brain structures whose failure specifically interferes with social functioning have emphasized the regulative role of the brain's frontal lobes and right hemisphere (Borod, Koff, & Caron, 1983; Eslinger & Geder, 2000; Herzyk, 2000; Lezak, 1986; Malloy, Bihrle, & Duffy, 1993; Stuss & Benson, 1984; Tompkins, 1997). …

Compensation of Time Delay in a Network-based Gait Rehabilitation System with a Discrete-time Communication Disturbance Observer

In this paper, a network-based gait rehabilitation system is proposed for enhanced mobility and tele-rehabilitation. In the proposed rehabilitation system, a compact rotary elastic actuator (cRSEA) is employed to provide assistive torque to the patients and it is controlled over a local wireless network. However, time delay exists in both sensor-controller and controller-actuator channels, which leads to performance degradation and even destabilization. Moreover, the amount of time delay is time-varying and it is difficult to measure accurately. In order to compensate the time delay and guarantee stability of the system, a communication disturbance observer (CDOB) is designed in the discrete-time domain. Parameters are tuned based on the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) design technique and compared to other parameter choices in the frequency domain in terms of closed-loop stability, tracking performance, disturbance attenuation, and noise cancellation. Simulation and experimental results are shown to validate the performance of the proposed controller.

Improvement in Steady-State Accuracy of Time-Delayed Control Systems with Communication Disturbance Observer by Low-Frequency Model Error Feedback

This paper proposes a method to improve the steady-state accuracy of time-delayed control systems with a communication disturbance observer (CDOB) by low-frequency model error feedback. The advantageous feature of time delay compensation by the CDOB is that it can be utilized without a delay time model. However, the CDOB needs a model of controlled system, and the model error occurs as the steady-state error. To solve this problem, this paper proposes model error feedback only in the low-frequency area. The proposed method achieves both high robust stability and steady state accuracy.

Affective reactivity of speech in patients with schizophrenia and their non-schizophrenic relatives

Background: Studies about cognitive functioning of patients with schizophrenia (language problems in particular) are very limited in Iran. This study aims at evaluating the affective reactivity of speech in Turkish-speaking schizophrenic patients and their non-schizophrenic relatives. Methods: In a cross-sectional setting, 30 outpatients with schizophrenia were compared with 30 first-degree non-schizophrenic family members and 30 non-clinical controls. The audio-taped speech samples (10 min each) were analyzed blindly for frequencies of referential communication failure. Levels of referential communication disturbance in speech samples (Communication Disturbance Index, CDI) during two separate sessions were compared in affectively positive versus affectively negative conditions. Results: All three groups showed significantly higher frequencies of communication disturbances in the affectively negative condition. The affective reactivity of speech was significant in patients with schizophrenia compared with the controls but not the unaffected relatives. The severity of positive or negative symptoms was not correlated with CDI or level of affective reactivity. Conclusion: This study was carried out in a Turkish-speaking sample and supports the idea that referential communication disturbances may be linked to vulnerability to schizophrenia while affective reactivity is associated with manifest illness. Language differences may affect the observed impact of symptom severity on communication failures.

Verhaltenssymptome bei Kindern im Vorschul- und Schulalter mit Prader-Willi-Syndrom – eine explorative Studie zu ritualisierten Verhaltensformen

Parents of 64 children and youths with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) describe their children's behaviour on the "Temperament and Atypical Behavior Scale" (TABS) and the German version of the "Developmental Behavior Checklist" (VFE). In the younger age group, there are no specific behavioural abnormalities which characterize a behavioral phenotype. In the older age group the data reveal elevated levels of abnormal behaviors (communication disturbance, social relations and disruptive behaviors). Parents stress ritualistic behaviors as especially challenging. The results concerning form and age-dependency of abnormal behaviors are discussed in the context of prevention and treatment options.

Neuropsychological differentiation of adaptive creativity and schizotypal cognition

Both creativity and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders have been associated with activation of remote semantic concepts, but this activation results in innovative output in one case and communication disturbances in the other. The present study examined the relationship between monitoring semantic information (which relies on executive brain function), creativity, and characteristics of schizotypy in an undergraduate population. Results indicate that executive function differentiates the use of semantic information in creativity and schizotypy. Specification of the balance between executive monitoring and activation of semantic information is important for determining how communication disturbances manifest, and for the measurement of creativity and schizotypy in the general population.

Cognition and communication dysfunctions in early-onset schizophrenia: Effect of risperidone

Cognitive impairment and formal thought disorder, also referred to as communication disturbances, are considered the core symptoms of schizophrenia, strongly affecting social functioning and long-term outcome. Several studies in adult patients suggest improvement of both functions after the treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs. Such medications are also used as first line treatment in early-onset schizophrenia, however their efficacy in cognitive and communication domains in this population have not been systematically assessed. Evaluation of risperidone efficacy at psychopathological symptoms, cognitive impairment and formal thought disorder in adolescents with schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis. Psychopathological symptoms, cognitive functioning and formal thought disorder were evaluated in 32 hospitalized adolescent patients with schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis at the beginning of risperidone treatment and after clinical improvement and compared to the results of matched healthy control group. Risperidone treatment was associated with reduction of symptom severity and moderate improvement of formal thought disorder and some aspects of executive functions. Working memory and verbal fluency were not improved. There were few correlations between psychopathological symptoms and results of cognitive tests, mainly between negative symptoms and executive functions. In early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders atypical antipsychotic treatment is associated with alleviation of symptoms and only selective and moderate cognitive and communication improvement.

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis—genetics and syndromes

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) is a common condition in neonates that is characterized by an acquired narrowing of the pylorus. The aetiology of isolated IHPS is still largely unknown. Classic genetic studies have demonstrated an increased risk in families of affected infants. Several genetic studies in groups of individuals with isolated IHPS have identified chromosomal regions linked to the condition; however, these associations could usually not be confirmed in subsequent cohorts, suggesting considerable genetic heterogeneity. IHPS is associated with many clinical syndromes that have known causative mutations. Patients with syndromes associated with IHPS can be considered as having an extreme phenotype of IHPS and studying these patients will be instrumental in finding causes of isolated IHPS. Possible pathways in syndromic IHPS include: (neuro)muscular disorders; connective tissue disorders; metabolic disorders; intracellular signalling pathway disturbances; intercellular communication disturbances; ciliopathies; DNA-repair disturbances; transcription regulation disorders; MAPK-pathway disturbances; lymphatic abnormalities; and environmental factors. Future research should focus on linkage analysis and next-generation molecular techniques in well-defined families with multiple affected members. Studies will have an increased chance of success if detailed phenotyping is applied and if knowledge about the various possible causative pathways is used in evaluating results.

Cognitive Impairment and Formal Thought Disorders in Parents of Early-Onset Schizophrenia Patients

Background: Both cognitive impairment and formal thought disorder (communication disturbances) found in patients with schizophrenia are also commonly observed in their relatives. Recently, the role of such deficits as putative endophenotypes of schizophrenia has been proposed. However, in a majority of studies, the families of adult patients were assessed whereas the relatives of early-onset psychotic subjects were rarely studied. The aim of our study was to evaluate the presence of cognitive impairment and formal thought disorders in parents of adolescents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) and in matched healthy controls. Method: Thirty-eight parents of 29 SSD adolescents and 38 healthy controls were assessed with a battery of neurocognitive tests and the Thought, Language and Communication Scale. Results: Parents of schizophrenia patients showed an increased tendency for perseverative thinking when compared to matched healthy controls. No statistically significant differences in cognitive functioning were observed between the groups. Conclusion: These results may suggest the need for further exploration of communication disturbances as a potential endophenotypic marker of early-onset schizophrenia.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF WIDE BAND ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE ABSORBER PANEL AS BUILDING OUTER WALL FOR PRACTICAL USE

Two types of wide-band electromagnetic wave absorber panel were developed for multipath interference reduction in urban communication systems. The characteristics were measured using mock-ups of the absorber panel with the time domain method. In this paper, an application of the developed absorber panel to digital television broadcasting and the influence of the difference between an actual absorber panel and mock-up on its performance are discussed. It is estimated that the area of communication disturbance is eliminated by applying the developed absorber panel. By experiments, it became clear that the several factors reduce the frequency range in which the reflection is suppressed below -14dB.

Study of Modulation Effect in Integrated Interface Under Controlling Switching Light-Emitting Diode Lighting Module

This study was carried out to solve problems such as radio frequency band depletion, confusion risk, and security loss in existing visible wireless communication systems, and to determine the applicability of next-generation networks. A light-emitting diode (LED) light communication system was implemented with a controlling switching light module using the ATmega16 micro-controller. To solve the existing modulation effect and disturbance in visible light communication, an integrated interface was evaluated with a driving light module and analyzes its reception property. A transmitter/receiver using the ATmel's micro-controller, high-intensity white LED-6 modules, and infrared sensor KSM60WLM and visible sensor TSL250RD were designed. An experiment from the initial value of distance to 2.5 m showed 0.46 V of the voltage loss, and if in long distance, external light interference occurred and light intensity was lost by external impact and thus data had to be modified or reset repeatedly. Additionally, when we used 6 modules through the remote controller's lighting dimming, data could be transmitted up to 1.76 m without any errors during the day and up to 2.29 m at night with around 2~3% communication error. If a special optical filter can reduce as much external light as possible in the integrated interface, the LED for lighting communication systems may be applied in next generation networks.

Motor proficiency and emotional/behavioural disturbance in autism and Asperger’s disorder: another piece of the neurological puzzle?

The relationship of motor proficiency with emotional/behavioural disturbance, autistic symptoms and communication disturbance was investigated in children diagnosed with autism and Asperger's disorder (AD). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children was used as a measure of motor impairment, and the Developmental Behavioural Checklist was used as a measure of emotional/behavioural disturbance in the following groups: AD (n = 22), high functioning autism (HFA) (n = 23), LFA (n = 8) and typically developing children (n = 20). The HFA group had more difficulty with motor items, such as ball skills and balance, than did the AD group. There were significant positive correlations between impairments in motor proficiency (in particular ball skills and balance) and emotional/behavioural disturbance, autistic symptoms and communication disturbance. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that there are qualitative and quantitative differences in the motor profile between autism and AD. In addition, the association between motor proficiency impairment and emotional/behavioural disturbance in autism and AD emphasizes the importance for screening of co-occurring emotional/behavioural symptoms in individuals with motor difficulties. These findings have implications for the potential use of adjunct motor measures in the diagnosis and definition of autism spectrum disorders.

A difficult denture case concerning a patient with schizophrenia due to severe disturbance of communication

A difficult denture case concerning a patient with schizophrenia due to severe disturbance of communication

Thought Disorder and Communication Deviance as Predictors of Outcome in Youth at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis

Given the fundamental role of thought disorder in schizophrenia, subtle communication disturbance may be a valuable predictor of subsequent development of psychosis. Here we examined the contribution of thought and communication disturbance to the prediction of outcome in adolescents identified as putatively prodromal for psychosis. Transcribed speech samples were elicited from 105 adolescents (54 identified as being at clinical high risk for a first episode of psychosis [CHR], and 51 demographically comparable comparison subjects) and coded for formal thought disorder (FTD) and linguistic cohesion. We then examined the association of baseline FTD/cohesion with conversion to psychosis and social and role outcome at follow-up, approximately 1 year later. At baseline, CHR patients who subsequently converted to psychosis (CHR+) showed an elevated rate of illogical thinking and poverty of content (POC) in their speech, relative to both typically developing controls and CHR patients who did not convert to psychosis (CHR-). CHR+ youth also used significantly less referential cohesion at baseline, indicating that they provide fewer references to persons, objects, or events mentioned in preceding utterances. Multiple regression models indicated that, among measures of FTD/cohesion, illogical thinking was uniquely predictive of subsequent conversion to psychosis, whereas POC and referential cohesion were significant predictors of social and role functioning, respectively. Despite the absence of fully psychotic symptoms, putatively prodromal individuals evidence signs of communication disturbance that are qualitatively similar to those seen in schizophrenia and are predictive of both conversion to psychosis and psychosocial outcome. These findings suggest that FTD measures have prognostic significance for at-risk youth.

Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen im Erwachsenenalter: klinische und neuropsychologische Befunde spätdiagnostizierter Asperger-Syndrome

High-functioning autism (HFA) and Aspergers syndrome (AS) are autism spectrum disorders (ASD) characterised by disturbances in social interaction, both verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive and/or restrictive behaviour since early childhood. Symptoms appear generally during early childhood and adolescence. The increasing need to clarify diagnostic queries in advanced age led to the constitution of specialised outpatient clinics for adults involving a growing amount of HFA/AS subjects diagnosed late in life. However, thus far neuropsychological data about this group are scarce. We present a subgroup of 39 patients with HFA/AS (mean age at diagnosis 31.1 ± 8.9 years) who were consecutively diagnosed at the autism outpatient clinic at the Department of Psychiatry at the University Hospital Cologne. Autistic symptoms (autism spectrum quotient; AQ), depressive symptoms (Beck depression inventory; BDI), general intelligence (HAWIE-R), social cognition ("theory of mind", ToM) and executive functioning (COWAT) were systematically studied in comparison to a control group matched for age, education, gender and intelligence (n = 39). HFA/AS subjects presented higher AQ scores (40.4 ± 5.2) as opposed to the healthy controls (13.5 ± 4.8). Neuropsychologically, patients showed deficits in social cognition, executive functions and in subtests of HAWIE-R related to verbal comprehension and perceptual organisation as opposed to the healthy control group. The diagnosis of autistic disorders in adulthood basically relies on the clinical assessment of autistic core symptoms which were corroborated by high AQ values. The self-rating instrument AQ was found to be highly discriminative between the HFA/AS group and the healthy control group. The neuropsychological profile of adult HFA/AS patients diagnosed late in life is compatible with that of previously investigated HFA/AS populations. These findings show that such basic autism-associated deficits persist until adulthood, although patients are able to learn social rules.

Role of Ethnicity in Family Functioning, Personality, and Depression in an Iranian Sample

The purpose of this research study was to examine the effect of ethnicity on the family functioning, personality, and depression in an Iranian sample. Participants were 600 couples of Shushtarian, Dezfulian, Bakhtiarian, and Arabic ethnics from the Khuzestan province. A demographic questionnaire, the Family Assessment Device (FAD), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised-Abbreviated (EPQ-R-A), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) used in this study. Findings indicated that ethnicity has significant role in family functioning in both spouses and wives. There were significant differences between genders in problem solving, affective communication, and sexual behavior pattern disturbance. Extroversion has a positive relationship with family functioning, and a negative relationship with sexual behavior pattern disturbance. Neuroticism has a significant negative relationship with family functioning, and a positive relationship with sexual behavior pattern disturbance. Finally, depression has significant negative and positive correlations with family functioning and sexual behavior pattern disturbance respectively.

Distributed robust adaptive control for a class of dynamical complex networks against imperfect communications

In this article, a robust tracking control problem of a class of dynamical complex networks is presented through a distributed adaptive approach. Uncertain network topology with unknown coupling strength, delayed and perturbed communications and external disturbances are considered, while the bounds of channel noises and coupling delays and disturbances are assumed to be unknown. Adaptation laws are proposed to estimate the network coupling strength and the upper and lower bounds of communication state errors and disturbances on-line. Based on the information from adaptive schemes, a class of distributed robust adaptive controllers is constructed to automatically compensate for the imperfect network and disturbance effects. Then, according to the Lyapunov stability theory, it is shown that the achievement of tracking for complex networks is effective on imperfect communications and disturbances. The effectiveness of the proposed design is illustrated via a decoupled longitudinal model of an F-18 aircraft.

通信外乱オブザーバを用いた通信遅延下におけるバイラテラル遠隔操作の適応的性能調整手法

通信外乱オブザーバを用いた通信遅延下におけるバイラテラル遠隔操作の適応的性能調整手法

Prevalence of speech and communication disorders in children with CP

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical impairment in children. The physical disabilities have been the hallmark of CP for a long period of time. Fortunately, over the last few years more attention has been deservedly focused on the associated impairments of CP. This is not only reflected by the revised definition of CP in 2007, or by using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework to provide a functional approach for daily activity and participation of the child with CP, but also by more studies reporting on associated impairments of CP. The severity of the motor impairment, as well as the associated impairments, such as disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behavior, are different for each child with CP resulting in a large variability in functioning in all domains. The widely used and adapted classification systems (Gross Motor Function Classification System and Manual Ability Classification System) provide a more detailed and straightforward description of the level of the gross and fine motor skills of children with CP. In contrast, a classification system for communication is currently being developed and implemented. In addition, clinical studies reporting on level of communication skills or speech and language abilities of children with CP are still limited or dated. The study of Sigurdardottir and Vik is to be commended for the effort to report on speech, expressive language, and verbal cognition of preschool children with CP in Iceland. This study is a valuable contribution to the trend of increasing interest in communication abilities in children with CP. As the study highlights too, it is important to distinguish between communication, speech, (expressive) language, and verbal cognition. Because of the multiple aspects that accompany communication and language, it is necessary to use a detailed description of both elements in order to establish more detailed comparison of results between different (future) studies. The study by Sigurdardottir and Vik reports that 84% of the children communicated verbally. However, in this study, children using sentences (or phrases of at least three words) or producing one-word utterances were considered verbal communicators. This is effective in making a clear distinction between a verbal and non-verbal group, but doesn’t yield the impaired language skills that still exist when 5-year-old children only communicate with one-word utterances, phrases, or three-word sentences. Sixteen percent of the children were non-verbal while in a similar study of Andersen et al. (not referred to by the authors), 28% of the children had severely impaired or no speech. A distinction between normal, impaired but understandable, and severely impaired or no speech (as used in Andersen et al.) would enhance clarity and insights of prevalence of speech and communication disorders in children with CP. Another matter of concern is that of the 21 children using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods, none used technology with speech output and no children used AAC methods to express phrases. Similar findings are reported in the study of Andersen et al. where only 28 (34%) of 82 children with severely or no speech communicated with the help of pictures or pictograms. There is a compelling need in the interests of the child with severe CP to investigate why this is the case. Furthermore, it is a challenge to achieve early introduction and continued use of AAC devices for children with difficulties in communication abilities. More reports and detailed studies of the communication, speech, and language skills of children with CP can contribute to the importance of these topics and underline the need of early interventions and adequate assessment tools (intellectual and language assessment of severely affected children with unintelligible or no speech is difficult) to investigate, improve, and optimize the communication, speech and language skills of children with CP. The authors of the present study are encouraged to continue with their research and conduct follow-up studies with more in-depth analyses in this matter.