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Tanne JH. Smart toilets, bored students, why crowds gather, and tasty rocks-it's the 2023 Ig Nobel Awards. BMJ 2023; 382:2116. [PMID: 37714533 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.p2116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
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Miranda M, Campo CG, Birba A, Neely A, Hernandez FDT, Faure E, Costa GR, Ibáñez A, García A. An action-concept processing advantage in a patient with a double motor cortex. Brain Cogn 2022; 156:105831. [PMID: 34922210 PMCID: PMC9944406 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Patients with atrophy in motor brain regions exhibit selective deficits in processing action-related meanings, suggesting a link between movement conceptualization and the amount of regional tissue. Here we examine such a relation in a unique opposite model: a rare patient with a double cortex (due to subcortical band heterotopia) in primary/supplementary motor regions, and no double cortex in multimodal semantic regions. We measured behavioral performance in action- and object-concept processing as well and resting-state functional connectivity. Both dimensions involved comparisons with healthy controls. Results revealed preserved accuracy in action and object categories for the patient. However, unlike controls, the patient exhibited faster performance for action than object concepts, a difference that was uninfluenced by general cognitive abilities. Moreover, this pattern was accompanied by heightened functional connectivity between the bilateral primary motor cortices. This suggests that a functionally active double motor cortex may entail action-processing advantages. Our findings offer new constraints for models of action semantics and motor-region function at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Miranda
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (INCyT), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Gonzalez Campo
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Birba
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Latin American Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandra Neely
- Latin American Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Evelyng Faure
- Department of Radiology, Clínica las Condes, Santiago, Chile,Advanced Epilepsy Center, Clínica las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Rojas Costa
- Department of Radiology, Clínica las Condes, Santiago, Chile,Advanced Epilepsy Center, Clínica las Condes, Santiago, Chile,Health Innovation Center, Clínica las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Latin American Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile,Global Brain Health Institute, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Adolfo García
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Shojaeilangari S, Radman N, Taghizadeh ME, Soltanian-Zadeh H. rsfMRI based evidence for functional connectivity alterations in adults with developmental stuttering. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07855. [PMID: 34504967 PMCID: PMC8414185 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent developmental stuttering (PDS) is defined as a speech disorder mainly characterized by intermittent involuntary disruption in normal fluency, time patterning, and rhythm of speech. Although extensive functional neuroimaging studies have explored brain activation alterations in stuttering, the main affected brain regions/networks in PDS still remain unclear. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated resting-state whole-brain functional connectivity of 15 adults who stutter (PDS group) and 15 age-matched control individuals to reveal the connectivity abnormalities associated with stuttering. We were also interested in exploring how the severity of stuttering varies across individuals to understand the compensatory mechanism of connectivity pattern in patients showing less symptoms. Our results revealed decreased connectivity of left frontal pole and left middle frontal gyrus (MidFG) with right precentral/postcentral gyrus in stuttering individuals compared with control participants, while less symptomatic PDS individuals showed greater functional connectivity between left MidFG and left caudate. Additionally, our finding indicated reduced connectivity in the PDS group between the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) and several brain regions including the right limbic lobe, right fusiform, and right cerebellum, as well as the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG). We also observed that PDS individuals with less severe symptoms had stronger connectivity between right MTG and several left hemispheric regions including inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and STG. The connectivity between right fronto-orbital and right MTG was also negatively correlated with stuttering severity. These findings may suggest the involvement of right MTG and left MidFG in successful compensatory mechanisms in more fluent stutterers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyedehsamaneh Shojaeilangari
- School of Cognitive Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 1954851167, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narges Radman
- School of Cognitive Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 1954851167, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Psychiatry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Hamid Soltanian-Zadeh
- School of Cognitive Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 1954851167, Tehran, Iran
- CIPCE, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
- Departments of Radiology and Research Administration, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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4
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Duran-Aniotz C, Orellana P, Leon Rodriguez T, Henriquez F, Cabello V, Aguirre-Pinto MF, Escobedo T, Takada LT, Pina-Escudero SD, Lopez O, Yokoyama JS, Ibanez A, Parra MA, Slachevsky A. Systematic Review: Genetic, Neuroimaging, and Fluids Biomarkers for Frontotemporal Dementia Across Latin America Countries. Front Neurol 2021; 12:663407. [PMID: 34248820 PMCID: PMC8263937 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.663407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) includes a group of clinically, genetically, and pathologically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders, affecting the fronto-insular-temporal regions of the brain. Clinically, FTD is characterized by progressive deficits in behavior, executive function, and language and its diagnosis relies mainly on the clinical expertise of the physician/consensus group and the use of neuropsychological tests and/or structural/functional neuroimaging, depending on local availability. The modest correlation between clinical findings and FTD neuropathology makes the diagnosis difficult using clinical criteria and often leads to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis, primarily due to lack of recognition or awareness of FTD as a disease and symptom overlap with psychiatric disorders. Despite advances in understanding the underlying neuropathology of FTD, accurate and sensitive diagnosis for this disease is still lacking. One of the major challenges is to improve diagnosis in FTD patients as early as possible. In this context, biomarkers have emerged as useful methods to provide and/or complement clinical diagnosis for this complex syndrome, although more evidence is needed to incorporate most of them into clinical practice. However, most biomarker studies have been performed using North American or European populations, with little representation of the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region. In the LAC region, there are additional challenges, particularly the lack of awareness and knowledge about FTD, even in specialists. Also, LAC genetic heritage and cultures are complex, and both likely influence clinical presentations and may modify baseline biomarker levels. Even more, due to diagnostic delay, the clinical presentation might be further complicated by both neurological and psychiatric comorbidity, such as vascular brain damage, substance abuse, mood disorders, among others. This systematic review provides a brief update and an overview of the current knowledge on genetic, neuroimaging, and fluid biomarkers for FTD in LAC countries. Our review highlights the need for extensive research on biomarkers in FTD in LAC to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the disease and its associated biomarkers. Dementia research is certainly reduced in the LAC region, highlighting an urgent need for harmonized, innovative, and cross-regional studies with a global perspective across multiple areas of dementia knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Duran-Aniotz
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina Orellana
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tomas Leon Rodriguez
- Trinity College, Global Brain Health Institute, Dublin, Ireland
- Memory and Neuropsychiatric Clinic (CMYN) Neurology Department, Hospital del Salvador and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Henriquez
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (LANNEC), Physiopathology Department - Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Neuroscience and East Neuroscience Departments, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile
| | - Victoria Cabello
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (LANNEC), Physiopathology Department - Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Neuroscience and East Neuroscience Departments, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Tamara Escobedo
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Leonel T. Takada
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit - Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Stefanie D. Pina-Escudero
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
- UCSF Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Oscar Lopez
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer S. Yokoyama
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
- UCSF Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Agustin Ibanez
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Trinity College, Global Brain Health Institute, Dublin, Ireland
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, & National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mario A. Parra
- School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Slachevsky
- Memory and Neuropsychiatric Clinic (CMYN) Neurology Department, Hospital del Salvador and Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (LANNEC), Physiopathology Department - Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Neuroscience and East Neuroscience Departments, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit - Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
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5
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Ibanez A, Yokoyama JS, Possin KL, Matallana D, Lopera F, Nitrini R, Takada LT, Custodio N, Sosa Ortiz AL, Avila-Funes JA, Behrens MI, Slachevsky A, Myers RM, Cochran JN, Brusco LI, Bruno MA, Brucki SMD, Pina-Escudero SD, Okada de Oliveira M, Donnelly Kehoe P, Garcia AM, Cardona JF, Santamaria-Garcia H, Moguilner S, Duran-Aniotz C, Tagliazucchi E, Maito M, Longoria Ibarrola EM, Pintado-Caipa M, Godoy ME, Bakman V, Javandel S, Kosik KS, Valcour V, Miller BL. The Multi-Partner Consortium to Expand Dementia Research in Latin America (ReDLat): Driving Multicentric Research and Implementation Science. Front Neurol 2021; 12:631722. [PMID: 33776890 PMCID: PMC7992978 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.631722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dementia is becoming increasingly prevalent in Latin America, contrasting with stable or declining rates in North America and Europe. This scenario places unprecedented clinical, social, and economic burden upon patients, families, and health systems. The challenges prove particularly pressing for conditions with highly specific diagnostic and management demands, such as frontotemporal dementia. Here we introduce a research and networking initiative designed to tackle these ensuing hurdles, the Multi-partner consortium to expand dementia research in Latin America (ReDLat). First, we present ReDLat's regional research framework, aimed at identifying the unique genetic, social, and economic factors driving the presentation of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease in Latin America relative to the US. We describe ongoing ReDLat studies in various fields and ongoing research extensions. Then, we introduce actions coordinated by ReDLat and the Latin America and Caribbean Consortium on Dementia (LAC-CD) to develop culturally appropriate diagnostic tools, regional visibility and capacity building, diplomatic coordination in local priority areas, and a knowledge-to-action framework toward a regional action plan. Together, these research and networking initiatives will help to establish strong cross-national bonds, support the implementation of regional dementia plans, enhance health systems' infrastructure, and increase translational research collaborations across the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Ibanez
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Adolfo Ibanez University, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jennifer S. Yokoyama
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Katherine L. Possin
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Diana Matallana
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, Aging Institute, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
- Memory and Cognition Clinic, Intellectus, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia
- Mental Health Unit, Hospital Universitario Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Francisco Lopera
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Ricardo Nitrini
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leonel T. Takada
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nilton Custodio
- Unit Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Prevention, Cognitive Neurology Center, Peruvian Institute of Neurosciences, Lima, Perú
| | - Ana Luisa Sosa Ortiz
- Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia MVS, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, Mexico
| | - José Alberto Avila-Funes
- Department of Geriatrics, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico, Mexico
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Maria Isabel Behrens
- Centro de Investigación Clínica Avanzada, Hospital Clínico, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Clínica Alemana Santiago, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Andrea Slachevsky
- Clínica Alemana Santiago, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
- Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory, Physiopathology Department, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience and East Neuroscience, Santiago, Chile
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Memory and Neuropsychiatric Clinic (CMYN) Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Hospital del Salvador, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Richard M. Myers
- Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, United States
| | | | - Luis Ignacio Brusco
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- ALZAR – Alzheimer, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martin A. Bruno
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad Ciencias Médicas, Instituto Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Católica de Cuyo, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Sonia M. D. Brucki
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Hospital Santa Marcelina, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Stefanie Danielle Pina-Escudero
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Maira Okada de Oliveira
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Hospital Santa Marcelina, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patricio Donnelly Kehoe
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Multimedia Signal Processing Group - Neuroimage Division, French-Argentine International Center for Information and Systems Sciences, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Adolfo M. Garcia
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | | | - Hernando Santamaria-Garcia
- Memory and Cognition Clinic, Intellectus, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia
- Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Physiology, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Sebastian Moguilner
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Claudia Duran-Aniotz
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Adolfo Ibanez University, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enzo Tagliazucchi
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Maito
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Maritza Pintado-Caipa
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Unit Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Prevention, Cognitive Neurology Center, Peruvian Institute of Neurosciences, Lima, Perú
| | - Maria Eugenia Godoy
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Vera Bakman
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Shireen Javandel
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kenneth S. Kosik
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Victor Valcour
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Bruce L. Miller
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Dávila G, Moyano MP, Edelkraut L, Moreno-Campos L, Berthier ML, Torres-Prioris MJ, López-Barroso D. Pharmacotherapy of Traumatic Childhood Aphasia: Beneficial Effects of Donepezil Alone and Combined With Intensive Naming Therapy. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1144. [PMID: 32848757 PMCID: PMC7411310 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
At present, language therapy is the only available treatment for childhood aphasia (CA). Studying new interventions to augment and hasten the benefits provided by language therapy in children is strongly needed. CA frequently emerges as a consequence of traumatic brain injury and, as in the case of adults, it may be associated with dysfunctional activity of neurotransmitter systems. The use of cognitive-enhancing drugs, alone or combined with aphasia therapy, promotes improvement of language deficits in aphasic adults. In this study we report the case of a 9-year-old right-handed girl, subject P, who had chronic anomic aphasia associated with traumatic lesions in the left temporal-parietal cortex. We performed a single-subject, open-label study encompassing administration of the cholinergic agent donepezil (DP) alone during 12 weeks, followed by a combination of DP and intensive naming therapy (INT) for 2 weeks and thereafter by a continued treatment of DP alone during 12 weeks, a 4-week washout period, and another 2 weeks of INT. Four comprehensive language and neuropsychological evaluations were performed at different timepoints along the study, and multiple naming evaluations were performed after each INT in order to assess performance in treated and untreated words. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at baseline. MRI revealed two focal lesions in the left hemisphere, one large involving the posterior inferior and middle temporal gyri and another comprising the angular gyrus. Overall, baseline evaluation disclosed marked impairment in naming with mild-to-moderate compromise of spontaneous speech, repetition, and auditory comprehension. Executive and attention functions were also affected, but memory, visuoconstructive, and visuoperceptive functions were preserved. Treatment with DP alone significantly improved spontaneous speech, auditory comprehension, repetition, and picture naming, in addition to processing speed, selective, and sustained attention. Combined DP-INT further improved naming. After washout of both interventions, most of these beneficial changes remained. Importantly, DP produced no side effects and subject P attained the necessary level of language competence to return to regular schooling. In conclusion, the use of DP alone and in combination with INT improved language function and related cognitive posttraumatic deficits in a child with acquired aphasia. Further studies in larger samples are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Dávila
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Málaga, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - María Pilar Moyano
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Lisa Edelkraut
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Málaga, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Lorena Moreno-Campos
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Marcelo L Berthier
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Málaga, Spain.,Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - María José Torres-Prioris
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Málaga, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Diana López-Barroso
- Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga - IBIMA, Málaga, Spain.,Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Language Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
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