Basale Wahrnehmungsfähigkeiten von erwachsenen funktionalen Analphabeten und Analphabetinnen

Die vorliegende Untersuchung geht der Frage nach, inwieweit grundlegende Wahrnehmungsfunktionen bei erwachsenen funktionalen Analphabeten und Analphabetinnen in ähnlicher Weise beeinträchtigt sind, wie dies für lese-rechtschreib-schwache Kinder gezeigt werden konnte. 60 erwachsene funktionale Analphabetinnen und Analphabeten, 60 normal lesende Erwachsene, die entweder bezüglich Alter und IQ (n=30) oder nur bezüglich des Alters (n=30) vergleichbar sind, sowie 30 Kinder mit Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche nahmen an der Studie teil. Acht grundlegende Wahrnehmungsfunktionen wurden mit dem Brain-Boy Universal Professional (BUP-System) erfasst. Die funktionalen Analphabeten und Analphabetinnen und die Kinder mit Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche schnitten in allen acht grundlegenden Wahrnehmungsfunktionen deutlich schlechter ab als die normalen Leserinnen und Leser. Funktionale Analphabetinnen und Analphabeten und Kinder mit Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche unterschieden sich nicht voneinander. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass erwachsene funktionale Analphabetinnen und Analphabeten in ihren grundlegenden Wahrnehmungsfähigkeiten beeinträchtigt sind. Dies könnte, wie für lese-rechtschreib-schwache Personen beschrieben, zu Problemen bei der Ausbildung von Phonemrepräsentationen führen, die ihrerseits den beim Schriftspracherwerb zentralen Prozess der Graphem-Phonem-Zuordnung massiv erschweren. Weiterhin deuten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass es sinnvoll sein könnte, in der Alphabetisierung Trainingsprogramme einzusetzen, die die grundlegenden Wahrnehmungsfähigkeiten verbessern können. Einige derartige Programme sind bereits mit Erfolg bei lese-rechtschreib-schwachen Kindern eingesetzt worden. (DIPF/Orig.

Evaluation of a new training program to improve the reading and writing skills of functional illiterates

In diesem Artikel wird das Trainingsprogramm Alpha plus, das speziell für funktionale Analphabeten entwickelt wurde, evaluiert. Das Programm wurde in zwei neunmonatigen Kursen mit je 18 Teilnehmenden erprobt. Die Lese- und Rechtschreibkompetenzen der erwachsenen funktionalen Analphabeten verbesserten sich durch die Kursteilnahme deutlich. Insbesondere die Leseleistung verbesserte sich vom Stand eines durchschnittlichen Schülers der ersten Klasse auf den Stand eines durchschnittlichen Schülers der zweiten Klasse. Eine nach Alter und IQ angepasste Kontrollgruppe 10 funktionaler Analphabeten, die konventionellen Alphabetisierungsunterricht erhielt, zeigte keine Veränderungen in den Lese- und Rechtschreibfähigkeiten. Die vorliegende Studie zeigt, dass die Lese- und Rechtschreibkompetenzen von erwachsenen funktionalen Analphabeten durch die Teilnahme an einem intensiven und systematischen Trainingsprogramm gefördert werden können. (DIPF/Orig.)In this study, the training program Alpha plus, which was specially developed for functionally illiterate adults, is evaluated. The program has been piloted in two nine-month courses with 18 participants each. The reading and spelling skills of adult illiterates improved significantly. In particular, the reading ability improved from the level of an average first-grade student to the level of the average student of second grade. A group of 10 functionally illiterate adults matched by age and IQ, who attended regular literacy courses, showed no changes in their reading and spelling skills. The present study shows that the reading and writing skills of functionally illiterate adults can be improved by participation in an intensive and systematic training program. (DIPF/Orig.

Impact of Thyroid Hormone Levels on Functional Outcome in Neurological and Neurosurgical Early Rehabilitation Patients

Background. Neurological and neurosurgical early rehabilitation (NNER) is a specialized treatment option for patients with severe neurological disorders. The present study investigated whether thyroid hormone levels on admission have an impact on the outcome of NNER patients. Method. The study included 500 NNER patients who were admitted to the BDH-Clinic Hessisch Oldendorf between 2009 and 2010. Data such as age, sex, diagnoses, comorbidities, Glasgow Coma Scale score, length of stay, and thyroid hormone levels (obtained as part of clinical routine care) were analyzed retrospectively. Improvement in the Early Rehabilitation Barthel Index (ERBI) at the end of the NNER treatment was defined as outcome parameter. Results. Most patients made functional progress during treatment, as reflected in significant enhancements of the ERBI. Approximately half of the patients were transferred to further rehabilitation treatment. Young age, early onset of NNER treatment, low functional impairment on admission, and, in particular, low total T3 levels were independently associated with a good outcome. Conclusion. Age, severity of disease, and time between injury and admission are known to predict outcome. The present study confirms the influence of these general factors. In addition, an association between thyroid hormones and functional outcome was demonstrated for NNER patients

Prevalence of serum IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among clinic staff

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic threatens health care providers and society. For planning of treatment capacities, it is of major importance to obtain reliable information on infection and fatality rates of the novel coronavirus. A German community study, the so-called Heinsberg study, found a 5-fold higher infection rate (and thus a remarkably lower fatality rate) than the officially reported cases suggest. We were interested to examine the SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibody status among clinic staff of a large neurological center in Northern Germany. Blood samples and questionnaires (demographic data, medical history) were collected pseudonymously. In total, 406 out of 525 (77.3%) of our employees participated in the study. The infection rate among the staff was as high as 2.7%. Including drop-outs (missing questionnaire but test result available), the infection rate was even higher (2.9%). Only 36% of the positively tested employees did suffer from flu-like symptoms in 2020. None of the nurses–having closest and longest contact to patients—were found to be positive. Despite the fact that the infection rate among clinic staff may not be directly compared to the situation in the surrounding county (due to different testing procedures), one might hypothesize that the infection rate could be more than 30-fold higher than the number of officially reported cases for the county of Hameln-Pyrmont. The high rate of IgG-positive, asymptomatic healthcare workers might help to overcome fears in daily work

Structural changes in functionally illiterate adults after intensive training

About 7.5million adults in Germany cannot read and write properly despite attending school for several years. They are considered to be functional illiterates. Since the ability to read and write is crucial for being employed and socially accepted, we developed a literacy training to overcome these deficits. In this study, we investigate the structural changes induced by the training. A group of 20 functional illiterates and 20 adult normal readers participated in the study. Group differences as well as intervention-related changes in gray (voxel-based morphometry, VBM) and white matter (Tract-Based Spatial Statistics, TBSS, applied to fractional anisotropy, FA, obtained with diffusion tensor imaging, DTI) were assessed in functional illiterates and normal reading controls. VBM analyses revealed decreased gray matter intensities in functional illiterates compared to normal readers before training in several reading-related brain regions such as the superior temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and angular gyrus. Using TBSS, functional illiterates showed reduced FA values in the genu of the corpus callosum. After training, both the gray matter intensities and FA values increased in functional illiterates and were no longer statistically different from controls' pre-test data. Moreover, the increase was positively correlated with reading and writing skills. The findings suggest that poor literacy skills are associated with several structural abnormalities in reading-related brain areas. In addition, we showed that while literacy skills of functional illiterates improved after training, the structural differences to controls disappeared

Learning to read in adulthood: an evaluation of a literacy program for functionally illiterate adults in germany

It is estimated that 759 million individuals worldwide are illiterate, i.e. they cannot read or write properly. With 95%, the majority of the illiterate population lives in developing countries. In most cases, these individuals did not attend school and, therefore, did not have the chance to acquire any skills in reading and writing. They are referred to as primary illiterates. However, illiteracy is not restricted to developing countries: In developed countries there are individuals who have great difficulties with reading and writing despite attending school for several years; they are termed as functional illiterates. For most individuals, the ability to read and write is crucial for being employed and socially accepted. Thus, education is an essential prerequisite for personal growth and satisfaction with life. The present research presents an innovative approach to overcome deficits in reading and writing in adults. The effectiveness of the program was investigated in two courses, each comprising 18 German functionally illiterate adults. Results show that participation in the program was accompanied by improved literacy skills and neuronal changes measured with fMRI