Kindergarten screening tools filled out by parents and teachers targeting dyslexia. Predictions and developmental trajectories from age 5 to age 15 years

The concept of early ‘efforts’ has led to discussions for and against introducing language assessment for all kindergarten children. Evidence-based kindergarten screening tools completed by close caregivers could solve this controversy as the children themselves would only be indirectly involved. The aim of this study was to see whether the scores of such early screening tools aiming at developmental dyslexia could predict school marks of literacy competence 10 years later, and to see whether these screening tools would reveal different dyslexia trajectories. The study is part of the Bergen Longitudinal Dyslexia Study, and the results from individual testing are reported elsewhere. Here, the caregivers' views isolated from the rest of the study are focused. Three tools were used: the RI-5, a questionnaire assessing the risk of dyslexia; the TRAS, a non-standardized observation tool of children's communication skills; and the CCC-2, a questionnaire assessing Developmental Language Disorders. Screening was performed at age 5 (TP1), age 11, (TP2) and age 15 (TP3). At TP2, when dyslexia was identified, 13 children formed the dyslexia group, and the rest formed the control group. At TP3, the RI-5 and CCC-2 turned out to be predictive of literacy competence as measured by school marks. Developmental trajectories were seen through the regroupings and scorings into a persistent group, a late onset group and a resolving group. Evidence-based preschool screening tools filled out by close caregivers offer valid information on later literacy developmental trajectories.publishedVersio

Self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression in chronic stroke patients with and without aphasia

Background: About half of the stroke population suffers from emotional difficulties, such as anxiety and depression post-stroke. Acquiring aphasia is seen to increase the risk of developing symptoms of emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression. Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate self-reported emotional difficulties in chronic stroke patients with and without aphasia 1 year post-stroke. Further, we aimed to investigate the relationship between aphasia severity and self-reported symptoms of post-stroke depression and anxiety. We expected to find that patients with aphasia reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression than patients without aphasia. Furthermore, we expected to find that aphasia severity was associated with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Methods & Procedures: The Norwegian Basic Aphasia Assessment (NBAA) was used to assess aphasia severity. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was administered to all patients to assess self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. To investigate group differences we used the patients’ scores on the subscales communication, ability to carry out daily activities, and ability to participate in social/leisure activities from the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Outcomes & Results: There were no significant differences between the groups regarding self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. We found a significant correlation between aphasia severity and symptoms of depression, indicating that patients with more aphasic difficulties reported more symptoms of depression. Specifically, the subscale repetition and reading comprehension from the NBAA correlated with the HADS total score. Furthermore, we found significant correlations between the patients’ performance on reading comprehension, repetition, and reading out loud and the HADS depression subscale. There was a significant difference between the groups on the SIS communication scores and the patients’ scores on the MMSE, whereas the aphasia group had more self-reported communication difficulties and a lower level of cognitive functioning 1 year post-stroke. However, on the SIS daily activities the non-aphasia group scored significantly lower. Finally, the groups did not differ on functional disability as measured by the mRS at admission to the hospital. Conclusions: Although there were no significant differences between the aphasic and non-aphasic groups as to the degree of self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, patients with aphasia reported symptoms of anxiety and depression that seemed to be associated with specific language problems, as the ability to repeat, and to read and comprehend words and sentences.acceptedVersio

Disentangling dyslexia from typical L2-learning in emergent literacy

The present paper assessed how dyslexia can be identified in school children with another language than their first language. Participants were school children with Norwegian as their second language (L2), and two groups of children with Norwegian as their first language (L1): a control group (L1-Con), and a dyslexia group (L1-Dys). All were 2nd and 3rd graders who had attended Norwegian schools from 1st grade on. None of the individuals in L1-Con or the L2 group were identified with any learning disability. However, slow literacy progress was seen in some L2-children. The children were tested individually within the symptomatic and cognitive levels. Results were analysed in two steps: (1) group comparisons; (2) L2 individual profiles and tentative L2 subgrouping. An unexpected L2 profile showed language scores below norm, coupled with some scores within and some scores above norm within the cognitive domain. Case assessment of the L2 group resulted in three subgroups: one comparable to L1-Con, one comparable to L1-Dys, and one with a result in between these two groups. Low linguistic scores cannot be considered valid markers of dyslexia in L2. Within the cognitive domain, a variety of low scores can indicate dyslexia, while high scores can be compensatory.publishedVersio

Associations between lesion size, lesion location and aphasia in acute stroke

Background: The localization and organization of language has been an ongoing research interest ever since the early findings of Paul Broca. The emergence of neuroimaging the past 20 years has given us new insights on the anatomical and structural organization of the brain. Lesion studies on patients with aphasia can provide knowledge on where and how specific language functions are organized in the brain. Aims: The primary objective of the study was to investigate the relationships between aphasia severity, aphasic symptoms, lesion location and lesion volume in patients with left hemispheric stroke in the acute phase (within one week post-stroke). Using a voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping method (VLSM), we hypothesized that lesions associated with speech comprehension deficits mainly would involve regions within the posterior superior and middle temporal lobe, and lesions associated with speech production deficits would mainly be associated to the inferior frontal areas of the left hemisphere. Methods & procedures: Findings from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI-MRI) and patients’ scores from the Norwegian Basic Aphasia Assessment (NBAA) were used to investigate our research questions. We did a whole group analysis of descriptive statistics, lesion localization and lesion volume. We thereafter divided the patients into two groups based on their median scores on the NBAA, one high comprehension group and one low comprehension group. We used VLSM to investigate the associations between the patients’ lesions and the results from the NBAA. Outcomes & Results: Lesion volume was significantly associated with all subtest from the NBAA. Our initial analysis of the whole group showed that difficulties in naming was associated with lesions within the rolandic operculum. We also found that difficulties in repetition was associated with lesions within the rolandic operculum, and in addition, the superior temporal gyrus. In the group of patients with high comprehension scores lesions within Broca’s area, insula, the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and Heschl’s gyrus were found to be associated with difficulties with overall aphasia severity, repetition, naming, and reading out loud from the NBAA. Conclusions: Lesion volume is strongly associated with aphasia severity in the acute stages of stroke. Further, lesions within Broca’s area, the insula, the STG and Heschl’s gyrus were found to be crucial areas in language comprehension and production. This confirms current views that speech and language processes depend on the integrity of the entire network comprising both cortical structures and their interconnected fibre tracts

Estudio de factibilidad de un nuevo rastro municipal en Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala

Establece la factibilidad de un nuevo rastro en el municipio de Santa Catarina Pinula, detallando los aspectos legales, económicos, financieros, medioambientales y técnicos, así como el rol que juega la municipalidad en la administración del mism

Trends in Dyslexia Research during the Period 1950 to 2020—Theories, Definitions, and Publications

Introduction. The focus of the present paper is on (1) how dyslexia research and hence definitions have developed during the period 1950–2020 and includes (2) a database search of scientific publications on dyslexia during the same period. The focus is on the definitions of dyslexia and the organization of the network search based on the causal four-level model by Morton and Frith. Method. (1) The definitions are presented in accordance with a historic review of dyslexia research from 1950 to 2020 and based on (2) Google Scholar counts of publications on dyslexia, on defining dyslexia, on dyslexia at the four levels (symptomatic, cognitive, biological, environmental), and by areas (sensorimotor, comorbidity). Finally, a percentage calculation shows the relative development within each level and area by decennium (1950–1960, 1960–1970, 1970–1980, 1990–2000, 2002–2010, 2010–2020). Results. (1) Of the seven definitions presented, only the definition by the BDA 2007 included the four levels of the causal model. (2) The number of publications increased substantially over the period. However, relatively few publications have defined dyslexia. An increase in publications from 1950 to 2020 was seen across the four levels and two areas—however, with an alteration in the thematic focus over this time span. Summary. Defining dyslexia has still not reached a consensus. This uncertainty may explain why only one of the seven definitions proved satisfactory according to the four-level model. Along with the general increase in research, publications on dyslexia have increased accordingly during the period 1950 to 2020. Although the symptomatic level has played a dominant role over the whole period, thematic shifts have been seen over these 70 years. In particular, a substantial thematic shift was seen by the turn of the millennium. There has been a relative increase in the focus on literacy at the symptomatic level, on phonological awareness at the cognitive level, in gender at the biological level, and second language learning as comorbidities. However, increases in counts are not alone a valid indication of scientific progress. In particular, the lack of definitional criteria as a basis for participant and method selection should attract much more focus in future studies. The present study underlines the multifactorial nature of dyslexia, as evidenced by a substantial increase in the number of publications on the subject. It is a challenge for future research to continuously use and possibly redefine dyslexia definitions in line with such standards

Self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression in chronic stroke patients with and without aphasia

Background: About half of the stroke population suffers from emotional difficulties, such as anxiety and depression post-stroke. Acquiring aphasia is seen to increase the risk of developing symptoms of emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression. Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate self-reported emotional difficulties in chronic stroke patients with and without aphasia 1 year post-stroke. Further, we aimed to investigate the relationship between aphasia severity and self-reported symptoms of post-stroke depression and anxiety. We expected to find that patients with aphasia reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression than patients without aphasia. Furthermore, we expected to find that aphasia severity was associated with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Methods & Procedures: The Norwegian Basic Aphasia Assessment (NBAA) was used to assess aphasia severity. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was administered to all patients to assess self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. To investigate group differences we used the patients’ scores on the subscales communication, ability to carry out daily activities, and ability to participate in social/leisure activities from the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Outcomes & Results: There were no significant differences between the groups regarding self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. We found a significant correlation between aphasia severity and symptoms of depression, indicating that patients with more aphasic difficulties reported more symptoms of depression. Specifically, the subscale repetition and reading comprehension from the NBAA correlated with the HADS total score. Furthermore, we found significant correlations between the patients’ performance on reading comprehension, repetition, and reading out loud and the HADS depression subscale. There was a significant difference between the groups on the SIS communication scores and the patients’ scores on the MMSE, whereas the aphasia group had more self-reported communication difficulties and a lower level of cognitive functioning 1 year post-stroke. However, on the SIS daily activities the non-aphasia group scored significantly lower. Finally, the groups did not differ on functional disability as measured by the mRS at admission to the hospital. Conclusions: Although there were no significant differences between the aphasic and non-aphasic groups as to the degree of self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, patients with aphasia reported symptoms of anxiety and depression that seemed to be associated with specific language problems, as the ability to repeat, and to read and comprehend words and sentences

Sammenligning av engelskkunnskaper hos to grupper 6. – 7. klassinger undervist etter henholdsvis L97 og K06

I denne artikkelen sammenlignes muntlige og skriftlige engelskferdigheter hos en gruppe 6.-7.klassinger i 2001, i hovedsak undervist etter L97, og en gruppe 6.klassinger i 2009, i hovedsak undervist etter Kunnskapsløftet 2006 (K06). Siden elevene undervist etter K06 i sum har hatt flere år og flere undervisningstimer i engelsk, forventet vi at de skulle gjøre det bedre enn elevene undervist etter L97. Dataene våre signaliserer at dette ikke er tilfelle. Elevene ble testet individuelt, og deres språkforståelse og produksjon ble kartlagt. Gruppen undervist etter K06 viste svakere resultat på grammatisk kompetanse og metakunnskap om språket enn gruppen undervist etter L97, mens de var noe bedre til å snakke fritt. Resultatene blir diskutert på bakgrunn av de aktuelle læreplanene, elevenes kognitive utvikling, lærerkompetanse, nasjonal og internasjonal forskning på språklæring

Kindergarten screening tools filled out by parents and teachers targeting dyslexia. Predictions and developmental trajectories from age 5 to age 15 years

The concept of early ‘efforts’ has led to discussions for and against introducing language assessment for all kindergarten children. Evidence-based kindergarten screening tools completed by close caregivers could solve this controversy as the children themselves would only be indirectly involved. The aim of this study was to see whether the scores of such early screening tools aiming at developmental dyslexia could predict school marks of literacy competence 10 years later, and to see whether these screening tools would reveal different dyslexia trajectories. The study is part of the Bergen Longitudinal Dyslexia Study, and the results from individual testing are reported elsewhere. Here, the caregivers' views isolated from the rest of the study are focused. Three tools were used: the RI-5, a questionnaire assessing the risk of dyslexia; the TRAS, a non-standardized observation tool of children's communication skills; and the CCC-2, a questionnaire assessing Developmental Language Disorders. Screening was performed at age 5 (TP1), age 11, (TP2) and age 15 (TP3). At TP2, when dyslexia was identified, 13 children formed the dyslexia group, and the rest formed the control group. At TP3, the RI-5 and CCC-2 turned out to be predictive of literacy competence as measured by school marks. Developmental trajectories were seen through the regroupings and scorings into a persistent group, a late onset group and a resolving group. Evidence-based preschool screening tools filled out by close caregivers offer valid information on later literacy developmental trajectories