Herminio, sempre amigo

[Resumo] Herminio Barreiro tiña a difícil virtude de buscar os puntos de consenso e o que unía, máis que as discrepancia. Probablemente porque tiña esa ollada de futuro, que facía que non se arredara dos obxectivos últimos

Prevalence of language delay among healthy preterm children, language outcomes and predictive factors

Language delay (LD) and its relationship with later language impairment in preterm children is a topic of major concern. Previous studies comparing LD in preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) children were mainly carried out with samples of extremely preterm and very preterm children (sometimes with additional medical problems). Very few of them were longitudinal studies, which is essential to understand developmental relationships between LD and later language impairment. In this study, we compare the prevalence of LD in low-risk preterm children to that of FT children in a longitudinal design ranging from 10 to 60 months of age. We also analyze which variables are related to a higher risk of LD at 22, 30 and 60 months of age. Different language tests were administered to three groups of preterm children of different gestational ages and to one group of full-term children from the ages of 10 to 60 months. ANOVA comparisons between groups and logistic regression analyses to identify possible predictors of language delay at 22, 30 and 60 months of age were performed. The results found indicate that there were practically no differences between gestational age groups. Healthy PT children, therefore, do not have, in general terms, a higher risk of language delay than FT children. Previous language delay and cognitive delay are the strongest and longest-lasting predictors of later language impairment. Other factors, such as a scarce use of gestures at 10 months or male gender, affect early LD at 22 months of age, although their effect disappears as children grow older. Low maternal education appears to have a late effect. Gestational age does not have any significant effect on the appearance of LDThis research was funded by the Ministerio Economía Industria y Competitividad of the Spanish Government (Grants PSI2008-03905, PSI2011-23210 and PSI2015-66697-R to the author). Founds for open access publication fees were received from the Consellería de Educación, Universidade e Formación Profesional-Xunta de Galicia ED431C 2018/02S

¿Los niños prematuros saludables tienen problemas de conducta?

Background/Objective. In this study, the behavior problems of healthy preterm and full-term children will be compared. The effect of environmental and neonatal conditions on the rate of behavior problems, with special attention to maternal depression and parental stress, will also be studied.  Previous studies found significantly higher prevalence rates of total problems in preterm children.  Most of these studies were carried out with preterm children under 32 weeks of gestational age. In contrast, some studies carried out with moderately preterm children found no significant difference.  Method. We assessed 108 low risk preterm children and 33 full-term children through the Child Behavior Checklist when they were 5 years-old. Their mothers` stress and depression were also assessed. Results. No significant difference was found between the preterm and the full-term groups for overall, internalizing or externalizing behavior problems, or for more fine-grained behavior problems such as anxiety, attention or aggression problems. No effect of gestational age on the rate of behavior problems was found. In contrast maternal stress, but not maternal depression, was a strong predictor of behavior problems.  Conclusions. These results indicate that behavior problems are not characteristic of preterm children as a group, but only of very or extremely preterm children.Objetivo: En este estudio, se compararán los problemas de comportamiento de los niños prematuros sanos y a término. También se estudiará el efecto de las condiciones ambientales y neonatales en la tasa de problemas de comportamiento, prestando especial atención a la depresión materna y al estrés de los padres. Estudios anteriores encontraron tasas de prevalencia significativamente mayores de problemas totales en niños prematuros. La mayoría de estos estudios se llevaron a cabo con niños prematuros menores de 32 semanas de edad gestacional. En contraste, algunos estudios realizados con niños moderadamente prematuros no encontraron diferencias significativas. Método: Evaluamos 108 niños prematuros de bajo riesgo y 33 niños de término completo a través del Child Behavior Checklist cuando tenían 5 años de edad. El estrés y la depresión de sus madres también fueron evaluados. Resultados: No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos prematuros y los de término completo en cuanto a la internalización o la externalización general de los problemas de conducta, ni a los problemas de conducta más específicos, como la ansiedad, la atención o la agresión. No se encontró ningún efecto de la edad gestacional en la tasa de problemas de conducta. En contraste, el estrés materno, pero no la depresión materna, fue un fuerte predictor de problemas de conducta. Conclusiones: Estos resultados indican que los problemas de conducta no son característicos de los niños prematuros como grupo, sino solo de los niños muy o extremadamente prematuros

Communicative and linguistic factors influencing language development at 30 months of age in preterm and full-term children: a longitudinal study using the CDI

Introduction: Previous studies showed that very preterm children have a delay in communicative (gestures) and linguistic development as compared to fullterm children. Earlier use of gestures, as well as of word comprehension and production, have been found to be predictive of subsequent word production and/or language delay in both very preterm and full-term children. Not many studies on communicative antecedents of language, however, have been carried out with low-risk preterm children in comparison to full-term children. Methods: In the present study a sample (N = 142) of low-risk preterm children has been followed using the Galician version of the Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) at the ages of 10, 22, and 30 months of age and their results were compared to the results from a sample (N = 49) of full-term children at the same ages. The determinants of language measures (vocabulary and grammar) at 30 months of age have been studied through linear regression analyses. Results: ANOVA results indicate that there were no significant differences between the groups in any of the measures obtained with the CDI at any time, nor were there any differences in lexical or grammatical developmental trajectories between both groups (repeated measures ANOVA). Linear regression analyses showed that the predictors of language at 30 months of age are somewhat different for the full-term than for the preterm group. Discussion: While the use of first communicative gestures at 10 months is a predictor of word production at 30 months of age for the full-term group, participation in games and routines seems to play a significant predictive role for preterm children. Word production at 22 months is the factor with a major incidence on word production at the age of 30 months for both groups. Previous specific measures of grammatical development have a clear determinant role in grammar measures at 30 months of age for the full-term children, while in the case of preterm children previous lexical development seems to be more relevantThis research was funded by the Ministerio Economía Industria y Competitividad of the Spanish Government (Grants PSI2008-03905, PSI2011-23210, and PSI2015-66697-R to MP-P). Funds for open access publication fees were received from the Consellería de Educación, Universidade e Formación Profesional -Xunta de GaliciaS

Diferencias individuales en el desarrollo gramatical inicial: aportaciones del estudio de los niños ciegos

Previous studies suggested that blind children tend to use a Gestalt or holistic style, instead of an analytic one, in their acquisition of language. The present paper compares the first grammatical constructions produced by three children with dlfferent degrees of vision. The three children were studied longitudinally from the age of 22 to 25 months. The firstchild was a totally blind girl, the second was a visually deficient boy, and the third was a girl with normal vision. The children lived in similar bilingual Spanish-Galician contexts, and all of them were bilingual. In order to analyse the children's productions, every multi-word utterance was classifiedas either a) frozen phrase, b) intermediate utterance, or c) constructed utterance, following the category system proposed by Pine and Lieven (Pine and Lieven, 1993; Lieven, Pine and Baldwin, 1997). The results show that the blind girl used a greater number offr-ozen phrases and fewerconstructed utterances than the other two children. The different developmental patterns found in the three children are considered as evidence of the existence of different styles of language learning. The features found are related to later grammar development.En anteriores estudios (Pérez-Pereira, 1994, Peters, 1994) se hasugerido que 10s niños ciegos tienden a usar un estilo gestáltico u holistico en la adquisición del lenguaje, en vez del estilo analitico. En el presente trabajo se comparan las primeras construcciones gramaticales de tres niños con diferentes grados de visión, que fueron seguidos longitudinalmente desde los 22 hasta los 25 meses. La primera niña era totalmente ciega, el segundo tenia deficiencia visual, pero una visión residual funcional, y la tercera tenia visión normal. Todos los niños vivian en contextos bilingües español-gallego y utilizaban ambas lenguas en un cierto grado. Para analizar las producciones de los niños, todas las emisiones constituidas por varias palabras fueron clasificadas como (a) frases congeladas (,b ) emisiones intermedias, o (c) emisiones construidas, siguiendo a Pine y Lieven (1993; Lieven, Pine y Baldwin, 1997). Los resultados muestran que la niña ciega utilizaba más frases congeladas y menos frases construidas que 10s otros dos niños. Estos diferentes patrones evolutivos manifestados por los niños son considerados una evidencia de los diferentes estilos en la adquisición del lenguaje. Se relacionan las caracteristicashalladas con el posterior desarrollo de la gramática

Longitudinal Relationships Between Reading Abilities, Phonological Awareness, Language Abilities and Executive Functions: Comparison of Low Risk Preterm and Full-Term Children

Different investigations have found that very or extremely (high risk) preterm children show global or specific difficulties in phonological awareness (PA) and reading abilities. Do low risk preterm children, however, exhibit this pattern? Phonological awareness has been considered an important predictor of literacy. Certain executive functions (EFs), and language abilities in turn, have been found to predict PA. The aims of this study are (1) to compare reading abilities of low risk preterm children of different gestational age (GA) groups to those of full-term children, (2) to compare the performance of low risk preterm children of different GA groups to that of full-term children in different EFs, language measures and PA, and (3) to perform a path analysis in order to test a longitudinal model of the relationships between EFs, language abilities, PA and reading. The participants were 108 low risk 4- year-old preterm children, classified into 3 groups of different GAs, and 34 full-term children. The children’s EFs (rapid automatized naming task (RAN), working memory, and inhibition) were assessed at 4 and 5 years of age. Vocabulary comprehension, morphosyntactic production and grammar reception were assessed when the children were 5 years of age, as well as phonemic awareness and syllabic awareness. Finally, reading abilities were assessed when the children were 9 years old. No significant difference between gestational age groups was found on any of the measures taken on EFs, language abilities, phonological awareness, or reading abilities. The path analysis model demonstrates the direct effect of working memory, certain linguistic skills governed by rules (grammar, morphology) and phonological awareness on reading abilities at 9 years of age. The model also shows the mediating role that PA has on the relationship between EFs and language abilities with reading abilitiesThis research was funded by the Ministerio Economía Industria y Competitividad of the Spanish Government (Grants PSI2011- 23210 and PSI2015-66697-R to the MP-P). Founds for open access publication fees were received from the Consellería de Educación, Universidade e Formación Profesional -Xunta de Galicia ED431C 2018/02S

Comunicación referencial y conocimiento social: ¿independientes o conectados?

This study aims to examine the relationship between preschool children's ability to infer the mental states of others (referred to as Theory of Mind) and the type of communicative interactions they develop in referential commumications contexts. Specifically, the present investigation involved74 Spanish-speaking children aged between 3; 4 and 5;9. These children participated in two Theorly of Mind tasks: The Attribution of knowledge-ignorance task (Pillow, 1989; adapted by Welch-Ross, 1997) and the Understanding of False-belief task (Baron Cohen, Leslie & Frith, 1985; Núñez's version, 1993). In addition, the participants were pairedaccording to age and level of peijformance on the two tasks in order to participate in a referential communication task specifically designed for the present study. Communicative interactions between participants were videorecorded, transcribed and analysed using a coding system involvingthree dimensions: pragmatic functions, descriptive adequacy and message ambiguity. Results revealed significant differences in the types of communicative resources used by the children with different levels of Theoiy of Mind. In particular, the False-belief task was found to be strongly correlated with communicative skill. It is proposed that children who have different levels of social understanding with respect to mental life are likely to have different representations of the communicative process and thusmay utilise different strategies to guide social-communicative interactions in referential communication settings.El presente trabajo pretende analizar la relación existente entre la capacidad para atribuir e inferir estados mentales en otros (conocida como Teoria de la Mente) y el tipo de interacciones comunicativas producidas por niños preescolares en una situación de comunicaczov referencial. Para ello, se ha realizado un estudio transversal con 74 niños castellanohablantes entre 3;4 y 5;9 años de edad. En primer lugar se evaluó a la totalidad de la muestra en dos tareas que suponen niveles crehientes de complejidad en Teoria de la Mente: Atribución de conocimiento-ignorancia(Pillow, 1989; adaptación de Welch-Ross, 1997) y Comprensión de la falsa creencia (Baron Cohen, Leslie y Frith, 1985; en versión 4e N.úñ ez, 1993). En segundo lugar, los sujetos fueron reunidos en palrejas, de acuerdo a su edad y a su nivel de desempeño en las pruebas ahteriores, para participar en una tarea de comunicación referencial especialmente diseñada para el presente estudio. La interacción comunicativa fue transcrita y analizada en base a un sistema de categorias de tres dimtnsiones: funciones pragmáticas, precisión descriptiva y ambigiiedad del mensaje.Los resultados indicaron diferencias significativas en el tip0 de recursos comunicativos utiliiados por los sujetos con distintos niveles de conocimiento social, resultando la superación de la tarea de la falsacreencia el indicador más poderoso. Nuestra hipótesis es que sujetos con diferentes niveles de comprensión acerca de la vida mental podrían tener diferentes representaciones acerca del proceso comunicativo y, por ende, aplicar diferentes estrategias para dirigir el curso de la interacció

Upper Barremian−lower Aptian charophyte biostratigraphy from Arrifes section (Algarve Basin, Southern Portugal): correlation with dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy

The Arrifes section (Algarve Basin, Southern Portugal) has been studied from the viewpoint of charophyte biostratigraphy. The previous sedimentological studies in this section showed that it is built of the interbedding of continental and marine facies that contain both marine and continental palynomorphs (pollen, spores, and dinoflagellates), providing an excellent sedimentary context to perform direct correlations between marine and continental domains. In the present work, the identified charophyte biozones have been correlated with dinoflagellate biozones previously recognized in the Arrifes section, being the first time that these two biochronologies can be directly correlated. From the charophyte biostratigraphy viewpoint, two assemblages are distinguished. The older one is found between 65 and 135 m of the stratigraphic section, and it is composed of the species Echinochara lazarii, Atopochara trivolvis var. triquetra, A. trivolvis var. trivolvis, Clavator grovesii var. jiuquanensis, Clavator harrisii var. harrisii, C. harrisii var. reyi, and C. harrisii var. zavialensis. This assemblage belongs to the upper Barremian-lower Aptian Clavator grovesii var. jiuquanensis Eurasian biozone and also to the Ascidiella cruciata-Pseudoglobator paucibracteatus European biozone and it is described in beds with the dinoflagellate cyst Subtilisphaera scabrata (lower to lowermost upper Barremian) and Odontochitina operculata (from upper Barremian upwards). The younger charophyte assemblage is found between 135 and 155 m of the stratigraphic section, and it is composed of the species A. trivolvis var. trivolvis, Clavator grovesii var. corrugatus, Clavator harrisii var. harrisii, C. harrisii var. reyi, and C. harrisii var. zavialensis. This assemblage belongs to Clavator grovesii var. corrugatus biozone, previously assigned to upper Aptian (Clavator grovesii var. lusitanicus biozone). However, in the Arrifes section, this assemblage is found in beds assigned to the dinoflagellate cyst Odontochitina operculata (from upper Barremian-lower Aptian). The direct correlation of the base of the C. grovesii var. corrugatus biozone with the dinoflagellate cyst O. operculata, indicates that the base of the Clavator grovesii var. corrugatus biozone is in the upper lower Aptian, which is slightly older than was previously suggested, and it is extended until the middle Albian