Functional Theory Research Articles

The Study of the Sense of Smell in Children: Development Prospects

Background. Despite the fact that the study of the olfactory system is still difficult, the detection of dysosmia is promising for the diagnosis of a number of diseases. As a screening method, tests for the identification of various odors can be used. However, similar tests are developed and used for adults. In pediatrics, the use of such methods causes difficulty due to the cognitive and linguistic functions of the child, which are in the stage of development. Aim — to study olfactory function in children using an identification test. Methods. A diagnostic prospective study of 30 healthy children with no complaints of decreased olfactory function, living in the middle zone of the Russian Federation, mainly in the Moscow Metropolitan area, aged 11 to 14 y.o. was held. All children underwent a study of olfactory function using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). To control all children, olfactometry was performed using a patented method for assessing the thresholds of olfaction in children, based on the use of various concentrations of aqueous solutions of valerian tincture, ammonia and acetic acid. Results. In the study of sense of smell with the help of an UPSIT test, hyposmia was detected in 30% of children, which was not confirmed later with the help of a threshold test. At the same time, when presenting some odorants, most of the answers were incorrect. Conclusions. The use of olfactory tests developed for adults in children does not reflect the real state of the olfactory system. It is required to create kits for the study of the olfactory function specifically for the children’s category of patients.

Normative Data Study of Verbal Fluency and Naming Tests in Elderly People in Costa Rica

Abstract Objective To generate normative data for the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) and the Boston Naming Test (BNT) in the Costa Rican population. Method The sample consisted of 563 healthy older people (aged 59–90 years). Polynomial multiple regression analyses were run to evaluate the effects of the age, sex, and education variables on VFT and BNT scores. Results The results showed a significant linear effect of education on the four-letter VF scores and an effect of sex on the letter P score, with females performing better than males. The explained variance ranged from 20.9% to 28.3%. A linear effect of age and education was also found for the four semantic VF scores, with scores decreasing with increasing age and lower education. The sex variable was significant for all semantic categories, with females performing better than males except in the animal category. The explained variance ranged from 21.7% to 30.9%. In the BNT, a linear effect of education was found, so that the more education, the better the score. In addition, a sex effect was also found, with males having higher scores than females. The predictors of the model explained 9.6% of the variance. Conclusions This is the first study that generates normative data for the VF and BNT in the Costa Rican population over 59 years of age based on demographic variables. The use of these normative data will help clinicians in Costa Rica to better understand language functioning in the elderly, allowing for better classification and diagnosis in the future.

Differences in Cognitive Trajectories of Dementia: Comparison of Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies in a Korean Patient Cohort

Introduction: Prediction of the dementia progression is important for patient management. We aimed to investigate the cognitive trajectories of Alzheimer’s disease dementia (ADD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) according to the initial structural change measured by comprehensive visual rating scales (CVRS). Methods: We retrospectively included the patients who initially visited the Dementia Clinic of Chonnam National University Hospital between 2010 and 2012. All patients underwent dementia workup including neuropsychological battery (Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery, SNSB). We recruited the participant who underwent SNSB annually for 3 years successively. A total of 136 patients of ADD and 63 patients of DLB were included for analysis. We analyzed the decline pattern of the cognitive profile according to the initial brain structural changes. Results: The general cognitive trajectories between ADD and DLB patients were not different. However, DLB patients showed more rapid decline of cognitive function in language and related function, visual memory function, and frontal executive function. The scores were lower in participants with DLB with the lesser atrophy group in attention, visuospatial function, and frontal executive function. In analysis of the cognitive trajectories, the visual memory domain declined rapidly in the DLB with lesser atrophy group compared with the ADD with lesser atrophy group. Conclusion: We founded that the differences in the visual cognitive profile in ADD and DLB patients in serial follow-up of neuropsychological tests. It is prominent in the mild structural change group of ADD and DLB.

The kitchen assessment: an interactional analysis of assessment and feedback between an occupational therapist and a patient with aphasia post stroke

Purpose After stroke, patients undergo frequent multidisciplinary assessments. Little is known about patients’ experiences of being assessed and the impact of assessment interactions and feedback for ongoing engagement in rehabilitation. This research aims to stimulate reflection on clinical interactions, even during routine clinical assessments, and the provision of assessment feedback. Materials and methods This study involved a detailed analysis of an authentic kitchen assessment interaction between an occupational therapist and a patient with aphasia following stroke. It used a speech function analysis based on systemic functional linguistics resulting in both dynamic and synoptic data, and a consideration of interactive framing, to explore assessment explanation and feedback. Results The analysis revealed the clinician’s interactive dominance in terms of number and type of moves, and misalignment of interactional framing at different points in the exchange. The session appeared to result in patient disengagement related both to the clinician’s misjudged response to the patient’s aphasia, and the context of assessment itself, characterised by reliance on question-and-answer exchanges, and a tendency to highlight deficit. Conclusions Assessment sessions may be emotionally challenging for patients after stroke and feedback may be interpreted as bad news. Sensitive communication is required to support psychological wellbeing and engagement in rehabilitation. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION After stroke, patients are assessed by the multidisciplinary team to inform intervention and discharge planning. Little is known about the feedback patients receive or their views of this feedback, including when it is perceived as bad news. The presence of aphasia can complicate how assessments are conducted and how feedback is delivered and received. Greater awareness is needed of how feedback following assessment might impact patients’ psychological wellbeing and engagement in rehabilitation.

Everyday positivity: An appraisal analysis of online identity in food blogs

This paper analyses a number of “About me” sections of Danish food blogs to the purpose of investigating how bloggers discursively construct online identities. The blogs belong to a hybrid genre, containing both commercial products (recipes) and the personal narratives of bloggers on their everyday lives. Because of the highly subjective character of the narratives, the appraisal framework from systemic functional linguistics was chosen as an analytical tool to uncover patterns in evaluative language. Through the selection of content and the way it is discursively presented, bloggers seek to create a bond with an imagined audience, with whom they form a so-called ambient affiliation. Two such bonds are identified: a positive-thinking bond and a feeling-of-safety bond.

The effects of sensorial and mobility frailty on the overall and domain-specific cognition performance of Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

This study aimed to investigate the different impacts of sensorial and mobility frailty on overall and domain-specific cognitive function. Further, the independent associations between other intricate capacity (IC) dimensions, including vitality and psychological dimensions, and overall and domain-specific cognitive function were investigated. A total of 429 participants (mean age, 72.91 ± 7.014 years; 57.30% female) underwent IC capacity assessment. Other covariates, such as demographics, health-related variables were also assessed. Overall or domain-specific cognitive impairment was used as a dependent variable in logistic regression analyses adjusted for demographic, health-related, and psychosocial confounders. After adjustment for demographic, health-related, and psychosocial confounders, individuals with sensorial frailty (odds ratio [OR] = 0.435; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.236-0.801; P = .008) had a significantly lower risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), marginally low delayed memory impairment (OR = 0.601, 95% CI = 0.347-1.040; P = .069), and language impairment (OR = 0.534, 95% CI = 0.305-0.936; OR = 0.318, P = .029; OR = 0.318,95% CI = 0.173-0.586; P < .001) by Boston naming and animal fluency tests than did those with both sensorial and mobility frailty or mobility frailty only. Depressive symptoms had a significant negative influence on executive function. Cardiovascular disease and non-skin malignancy were independent determinants of MCI, and diabetes mellitus was independently associated with processing speed, attention, and executive function. Sensorial and mobility frailty were independent risk factors for cognitive impairment. Mobility frailty had a greater negative influence on the overall cognitive function and memory and language function than did sensorial frailty. The reserve decline in the psychological dimension of IC and chronic diseases also had a significant adverse influence on overall and domain-specific cognition function.

Association of cord blood vitamin D with child neurodevelopment at 7 years of age.

The role of fetal vitamin D [25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)], one of the nuclear steroid transcription regulators, and brain development is unclear. We previously found a weak but persistent association between cord blood 25(OH)D and child language abilities at 18 months and 4 years of age, but no association with cognition or behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cord blood 25(OH)D and a range of neurodevelopmental outcomes in these same children at 7 years of age. Cord blood samples from 250 Australian mother-child pairs were analysed for 25(OH)D by mass spectroscopy. Children underwent tests of cognition, language, academic abilities and executive functions with a trained assessor at 7 years of age. Caregivers completed questionnaires to rate their child's behaviour and executive functioning in the home environment. Associations between standardised 25(OH)D and outcomes were assessed using regression models, taking into account possible social and demographic confounders. Standardised 25(OH)D in cord blood was not associated with any test or parent-rated scores. Nor was there any association with the risk of having a poor test or parent-rated score. Likewise, cord blood 25(OH)D categorised as <25, 25-50 and >50 nmol/L was not associated with test scores or parent-rated scores. There was no evidence that cord blood vitamin D concentration or deficiency was associated with cognition, language, academic abilities, executive functioning or behaviour at 7 years of age.

Lexical associations in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Two case studies: A patient with spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA-1) and a patient with Parkinson’s disease (PD

This article presents case studies of the relative ability of two subjects (OB1 and OB2) to make lexical associations; they have spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and Parkinson’s disease, respectively. Test method: subjects gave associations (orally, with no time limit) to 63 verbal stimuli presented on a computer screen. Verbal stimuli were selected from Gatkowska’s experimental study (Gatkowska 2017). Responses were recorded on an Olympus 650 digital voice recorder, then analysed linguistically and psychologically. Results: psychological analysis – subjects within intellectual norm (Raven’s Matrices test), dysarthric disorder, difficulty in implementing instructions. Linguistic analysis: OB1 – predominance of paradigmatic relations (hyponymy, meronymy, synonymy) over syntagmatic relations (diffi culty building context), lack of causality. OB2 – richer paradigmatic relations (hyponymy, meronymy, synonymy, antonymy, complementarity), syntagmatic relations diverse. Conclusions: possible complex background of language disorders (executive, emotional), higher level of language functioning of OB2 compared to OB1. The study illustrates the need for an interdisciplinary and holistic approach in diagnostic and therapeutic management.

The Transfer Function Characterization and Linearization using an Inductive Coupling Circuit for System Measurement in Hard-to-reach Location and in Medical Diagnostics

This research paper demonstrates the scope and potential of a circuit design of the differential sensory system, functional theory and relevant derivations on its operation details when characterizing their transfer function for signal gain. The idea is using inductive coils as transducer elements responding to changes in the parameter being sensed. This phenomenon is the result of simple movement of a core position bringing about proportionate changes in the inductance of the circuit, and hence ultimately in the output parameters. The output parameters include frequency, duty cycle, current, voltage, frequency, frequency hysteresis, speed, acceleration, kinematics, pressure, range of oscillation, angulation, Impedance voltage, Magnetic field strength, and Transfer function. The results shown can be used for characterizing the materials and hence sensor with high sensitivity, linearity and responsiveness in harsh environmental condition is obtained and characterized and their corresponding transfer functions are obtained. This help in sensing broken metallic in the body during war and sensed in hard to reach to reach locations as a result of the huge magnetic field generated. This also, verifies the derivations and the simulation in literature.

Rejuvenation of the Arabic Learning Paradigm: Considering Richard Rorty's Idea as an Alternative Education Discourse

The purpose of this study is to show the educational aspects of Richard Rorty's thought that are linked to Arabic language education. This research is a type of document analysis that identifies and selects data in the form of text, then checks, sorts and evaluates the core concepts of Rorty's thinking systematically to be able to understand and interpret it in the context of learning Arabic. The research method used is literature research. Data analysis is carried out through three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawn/verification. The results of the study show that Rorty's Paradigm of Thinking touches on several important aspects about the purpose and method of language teaching. In Rorty's view, the function of language as a means of communication, Rorty emphasizes the role of language as a tool for social interaction and conveying meaning. In language education, Rorty's educational paradigm challenges an approach that focuses on teaching rigid and normative grammar. In addition, he emphasized the importance of education as a social construction process where students not only learn language, but also develop their perspective on the world and the way they interact with others. Thus, Rorty's thinking in relation to language education emphasizes creativity, social and cultural context, as well as a growing understanding of language and meaning.

Basal temporal language area revisited in Japanese language with a language function density map.

We revisited the anatomo-functional characteristics of the basal temporal language area (BTLA), first described by Lüders et al. (1986), using electrical cortical stimulation (ECS) in the context of Japanese language and semantic networks. We recruited 11 patients with focal epilepsy who underwent chronic subdural electrode implantation and ECS mapping with multiple language tasks for presurgical evaluation. A semiquantitative language function density map delineated the anatomo-functional characteristics of the BTLA (66 electrodes, mean 3.8cm from the temporal tip). The ECS-induced impairment probability was higher in the following tasks, listed in a descending order: spoken-word picture matching, picture naming, Kanji word reading, paragraph reading, spoken-verbal command, and Kana word reading. The anterior fusiform gyrus (FG), adjacent anterior inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), and the anterior end where FG and ITG fuse, were characterized by stimulation-induced impairment during visual and auditory tasks requiring verbal output or not, whereas the middle FG was characterized mainly by visual input. The parahippocampal gyrus was the least impaired of the three gyri in the basal temporal area. We propose that the BTLA has a functional gradient, with the anterior part involved in amodal semantic processing and the posterior part, especially the middle FG in unimodal semantic processing.

Change of function and brain activity in patients of right spastic arm paralysis combined with aphasia after contralateral cervical seventh nerve transfer surgery.

Left hemisphere injury can cause right spastic arm paralysis and aphasia, and recovery of both motor and language functions shares similar compensatory mechanisms and processes. Contralateral cervical seventh cross transfer (CC7) surgery can provide motor recovery for spastic arm paralysis by triggering interhemispheric plasticity, and self-reports from patients indicate spontaneous improvement in language function but still need to be verified. To explore the improvements in motor and language function after CC7 surgery, we performed this prospective observational cohort study. The Upper Extremity part of Fugl-Meyer scale (UEFM) and Modified Ashworth Scale were used to evaluate motor function, and Aphasia Quotient calculated by Mandarin version of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB-AQ, larger score indicates better language function) was assessed for language function. In 20 patients included, the average scores of UEFM increased by .40 and 3.70 points from baseline to 1-week and 6-month post-surgery, respectively. The spasticity of the elbow and fingers decreased significantly at 1-week post-surgery, although partially recurred at 6-month follow-up. The average scores of WAB-AQ were increased by 9.14 and 10.69 points at 1-week and 6-month post-surgery (P < .001 for both), respectively. Post-surgical fMRI scans revealed increased activity in the bilateral hemispheres related to language centrals, including the right precentral cortex and right gyrus rectus. These findings suggest that CC7 surgery not only enhances motor function but may also improve the aphasia quotient in patients with right arm paralysis and aphasia due to left hemisphere injuries.

Waẓīfah al-Lugah fī al-Kasyf ‘an Anmāṭ al-Ŝaqāfah fī Nījīriyā

This research aims to describe the main role of language in revealing the cultural patterns of Nigerian-African society. This research is qualitative with a bibliographic type. As literature research, this research uses primary data related to research articles that explain the function of language in intercultural communication in Nigerian-African communities. Data sources were accessed from reputable online e-journals. Data collection techniques are implemented with documentation. Data analysis was carried out using interpretative descriptive techniques. The research results state that language and culture are two of the most important things that determine the personality of individuals and groups and contribute to directing the thinking of the Nigerian-African community, especially in the expansion of cross-cultural speech and communication on the African continent. Language in the socio-cultural context of Nigeria-Africa is one of the impacts of colonialism, which caused Nigeria to have more than 200 regional languages. The Nigerian African community continues to make preventive efforts to preserve regional languages amid continuous disruption and change.

O conceito de área de Broca não existe em gliomas de baixo grau – uma série decasos

Introduction: Broca`s area is a region located in the left inferior frontal gyrus and is classically correlated to language. However, we observe preservation of speech function after tumor resection in this area. Awake surgery with direct brain stimulation is a reliable method to evaluate the functional role in this area. Objective: To evaluate the Broca´s area function. Methods: In a series of 69 patients with tumors in eloquent areas, 7 patients with tumors involving Broca´s area undergoing awake surgery with direct brain stimulation between 2007 and 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. Results: From 7 patients with Broca´s area stimulation, 5 did not show any alteration of speech. One patient, Portuguese native speaker, started to speak in English during the stimulation. The last patient diagnosed with glioblastoma already had a partial speech deficit, and showed a complete interruption of speech during the stimulation of Broca`s area. Conclusions: Broca`s area does not seem to be crucial for language function in patients with gliomas involving this area, particularly in lowgrade gliomas. The direct brain stimulation is a very useful tool to analyze the correlation between anatomy and brain function.

The relationship between changes in functional networks and cognitive changes and PTSD symptoms in maltreated children before and after TF-CBT

Several studies have found that maltreated children show neuropsychological deficits in various cognitive domains such as memory and attention, language, visuospatial skills, emotional regulation, social cognition, and executive functioning. In terms of functional connectivity, abused children show an increased connectivity in the salience network (SN) as opposed to a decreased connectivity within the default (DMN) and executive networks (CEN). Children who suffer maltreatment may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which in turn, can increase psychological and cognitive sequelae. The present study examined the relation between resting state functional connectivity (RSFC), PTSD symptoms and neuropsychological profiles in abused children before and after following a psychological therapy named Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, neuropsychological (attention, memory and executive functions) and clinical evaluations were performed in 13 abused children with PTSD (mean age=8.77 years old, S.D.=1.83) recruited from a non-governmental shelter in Mexico and in a control group of 10 children from the general population (mean age = 9.57 years old, S.D. = 1.91). Both groups were matched according to age and gender. Changes in PTSD symptoms correlated with changes in the left insula node. Additionally, significant correlations were identified between changes in the average connectivity of the DMN, intra-nodal connectivity of lateral parietal and medial prefrontal regions, and performance in attention and memory tasks.

Factors that indicate performance on the MoCA 7.3 in healthy adults over 50 years old

Human aging is a physiological, progressive, heterogeneous global process that causes a decline of all body systems, functions, and organs. Throughout this process, cognitive function suffers an incremental decline with broad interindividual variability.The first objective of this study was to examine the differences in the performance on the MoCA test (v. 7.3) per gender and the relationship between the performance and the variables age, years of schooling, and depressive symptoms .The second objective was to identify factors that may influence the global performance on the MoCA test (v. 7.3) and of the domains orientation, language, memory, attention/calculation, visuospatial and executive function, abstraction, and identification.A cross-sectional study was carried out in which five hundred seventy-three (573) cognitively healthy adults ≥ 50 years old were included in the study. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the GDS-15 questionnaire to assess depression symptoms and the Spanish version of the MoCA Test (v 7.3) were administered. The evaluations were carried out between the months of January and June 2022. Differences in the MoCA test performance per gender was assessed with Student’s t-test for independent samples. The bivariate Pearson correlation was applied to examine the relationship between total scoring of the MoCA test performance and the variables age, years of schooling, and depressive symptoms. Different linear multiple regression analyses were performed to determine variables that could influence the MoCA test performance.We found gender-related MoCA Test performance differences. An association between age, years of schooling, and severity of depressive symptoms was observed. Age, years of schooling, and severity of depressive symptoms influence the MoCA Test performance, while gender does not.

Behaving as a person: professionals’ arts of doing when dealing with dementia in nursing homes

Dementia affects memory, language and motor functions, engenders behavioural and psychological disorders, and progressively weakens the ability of older people to communicate and interact. Simultaneously, maintaining residents in social exchanges and enabling them to behave as a ‘person’, a status to be understood in moral terms, is a main objective of care work in nursing homes. Based on an ethnographic study conducted in a long-term Swiss care facility and by focusing on professionals’ inquiries, this article uncovers two ‘arts of doing’ used by professionals to make contact with residents and maintain them in the fabric of relationships. First, ‘sensitive arts of doing’ are in play when professionals seek to interpret a situation from a resident’s gestures and emotions in order to (re)establish the fine-tuning necessary for continued interaction. Second, ‘hermeneutic arts of doing’ are employed when professionals try to determine how residents perceive their environment and elucidate how to make sense of what they are doing together. Highlighting these two ‘arts of doing’ gives depth and substance to the relational activities undertaken by professionals and proposes concrete methods that can support care, interaction and value-based practice with older people with dementia.

Subgroups of mild cognitive impairment based on cognitive function among Chinese older adults

Abstract Background: Due to the heterogeneity of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the key points for nonpharmaceutical therapies cannot be determined. Examining impairment characteristics among different MCI subgroups would therefore be beneficial to the development of nonpharmaceutical therapies. Objective: To characterize the subgroups of older Chinese with MCI and examine factors associated with the membership of distinct subgroups. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2018 and June 2022 in Fujian, East China, with 1017 older adults with MCI deemed eligible. Exclusion criteria included any diagnosis of other neurological or psychiatric conditions that could affect cognition. Participants underwent a neuropsychological test that assessed memory, language, attention, and executive function(s) and completed a questionnaire collecting their socioeconomic and clinical variables. Neuropsychological test scores were transformed into z-scores, which were then examined using latent class analysis. Associations between socioeconomic and clinical variables, and MCI subgroups were assessed using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: Three MCI subgroups were identified: G1 “Minimally impairment” (56.64%), G2 “Moderate impairment” (36.28%), and G3 “Worst impairment” (7.08%). Age, place of residence, marriage status, living status, and participation in intellectual activities differed significantly across the 3 MCI subgroups (P&lt;0.05). Compared with the minimally impairment group, participants with the worst impairment were less likely to participate in intellectual activity and more likely to live in a nursing home. Conclusion: Cognitive function is a suitable foundation for establishing classifications among individuals with MCI. Nonpharmalogical therapies may target older adults at higher risk of moderate or worst impairment.

LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS AND THEIR APPLICATION IN POETIC TEXT

This article discusses language functions and the representational function of language, as well as their application in poetic text.

Paradigmatic class as an element of the language system

The subject of the research in the article is the paradigmatic class (PC), considering as a set of variants of language units united by an invariant. The purpose of the research is to characterize the structural and functional properties of the PC as a compound unit of language that unit performing cognitive functions (problem formulation and choice of solution alternatives). The formulation of the problem involves the formulation of an invariant, which is a sign unit denoting a set of PC elements. Research methods are general linguistic methods of observation and description, methods of discursive and cognitive analysis, semiotic methods and methods of language modeling. The following results were obtained. The PC elements that are in interchangeability relation form a fuzzy set. The membership function of this fuzzy set is determined by the discourse in which the PC and its component parts function. The results of the study can be used to analyze the content of texts of various subjects when solving a number of communicative tasks (teaching, editing, writing creative works, etc.).The new results of the work are the consideration of the PC as an observable part of the universal set of language units. At the same time, there may be elements in the PC that have a small value of the membership function, and in the unobservable part of the universal set, there may be elements that have a large value of the membership function when they appear in the PC. The formation of a set of PC elements and the creation of an invariant are determined by the discourse of language functioning which is illustrated in the article by the text of A.P. Chekhov's short story "Horse surname". The realization of the discursive situation "difficulty in remembering the desired surname" leads to the creation of a paradigmatic class of "horse surnames", and the choice of the desired surname is non-trivial, creative and requires the involvement of elements of a universal set that at first were not included in the PC.