Medical Journal, Health Articles

A dual-route perspective on poor reading in a regular orthography: evidence from phonological and orthographic lexical decisions.

Cogn Neuropsychol. 2008 Jul;25(5):653-76

Authors: Bergmann J, Wimmer H

Impairments of the lexical and the nonlexical reading route were examined for German-speaking dyslexic readers by measuring accuracy and speed of phonological and orthographic lexical decisions. Different from English-based findings, we found little difficulty with the phonological distinction between pseudohomophones and nonwords, but a major difficulty with the orthographic distinction between words and pseudohomophones. Subtyping identified pure surface dyslexia cases but no case of pure phonological dyslexia. Dyslexic speed impairments were traced to three loci in the dual-route model: an impoverished orthographic lexicon, and slow access from orthographic to phonological lexicon entries (lexical route) and from graphemes to phonemes (nonlexical route). A review of distal cognitive deficits suggested that the orthographic lexicon is affected by phonological deficits and that the slow functioning of the lexical and the nonlexical route reflects a general visual-verbal speed impairment and not a purely visual-attentional deficit.

PMID: 18642138 [PubMed - in process]

(Source: Cognitive Neuropsychology)

Original post by Cognitive Neuropsychology

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Different letter-processing strategies in diagnostic subgroups of developmental dyslexia.

Cogn Neuropsychol. 2008 Jul;25(5):730-44

Authors: Lachmann T, van Leeuwen C

Normally reading adults (N = 15) and primary school children (N = 24) and two diagnostic subgroups of children with developmental dyslexia (N = 21)-all native German speakers-performed a successive same-different task with pairs of letters and nonletters (pseudoletters or geometrical shapes). The first item of a pair was always presented on its own, and the second either on its own or surrounded by a congruent or incongruent nontarget shape. Adults showed congruence effects with nonletters but not with letters, and children with both types of stimuli. Frequent-word reading-impaired dyslexics (N = 11) in addition showed dramatically slower overall reaction times. Nonword reading-impaired dyslexics (N = 10) showed congruence effects with nonletters but negative congruence effects with letters. The results support the notion that normal readers have established a special visual processing strategy for letters. Processing speed rather than reading expertise seems crucial for this strategy to emerge. The contrasting effects between subgroups of dyslexics reveal specific underlying deficits.

PMID: 18671156 [PubMed - in process]

(Source: Cognitive Neuropsychology)

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Original post by Cognitive Neuropsychology

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Background:
Music perception and performance are comprehensive human cognitive functions and thus provide an excellent model system for studying human behaviour and brain function. However, the molecules involved in mediating music perception and performance are so far uncharacterised.

Objective:
To unravel the biological background of music perception, using molecular and statistical genetic approaches.
Methods: 15 Finnish multigenerational families (with a total of 234 family members) were recruited via a nationwide search. The phenotype of all family members was determined using three tests used in defining musical aptitude: a test for auditory structuring ability (Karma Music test; KMT) commonly used in Finland, and the Seashore pitch and time discrimination subtests (SP and ST respectively) used internationally. We calculated heritabilities and performed a genome-wide variance components-based linkage scan using genotype data for 1113 microsatellite markers.

Results:
The heritability estimates were 42% for KMT, 57% for SP, 21% for ST and 48% for the combined music test scores. Significant evidence of linkage was obtained on chromosome 4q22 (LOD 3.33) and suggestive evidence of linkage at 8q13-21 (LOD 2.29) with the combined music test scores, using variance component linkage analyses. The major contribution of the 4q22 locus was obtained for the KMT (LOD 2.91). Interestingly, a positive LOD score of 1.69 was shown at 18q, a region previously linked to dyslexia (DYX6) using combined music test scores.

Conclusion:
Our results show that there is a genetic contribution to musical aptitude that is likely to be regulated by several predisposing genes or variants. (Source: Journal of Medical Genetics)

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Original post by Journal of Medical Genetics

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Greer, a leading developer and provider of allergy immunotherapy products and services, has completed enrollment for its pivotal Phase III clinical trial designed to study the efficacy of sublingual-oral immunotherapy (SLIT) as a treatment for adults with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis caused by short ragweed pollen. It is estimated that 30 million Americans are allergic to short ragweed pollen, making it one of the most common allergens.

Original post by Allergy News From Medical News Today

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Orexo AB (OMX: ORX), the Swedish pharmaceutical company, announces that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has issued a positive opinion recommending approval of Rapinyl, for breakthrough cancer pain. ProStrakan Group plc, the international speciality pharmaceutical is Orexo´s exclusive partner for sales and marketing of Abstral/Rapinyl in Europe.

Original post by Allergy News From Medical News Today

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This is your brain on Facebook. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine used concepts borrowed from the popular social networking site to analyze the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. They found that patients’ brains were less well-connected than the brains of people without the disorder.

Original post by Allergy News From Medical News Today

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Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ: CLN) announced that the interim results from its second Phase I liver cancer confirmation study of ThermoDox in combination with Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) treating patients with primary and metastatic liver cancer were presented at both Oral and Poster presentation at the WCIO 2008 and Best of ASCO® conference.

Original post by Allergy News From Medical News Today

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Inadequate funding to the annual budget for the Indian Health Service’s Contract Health Service program is restricting access to essential health care services for American Indian patients, lawmakers and witnesses said on Thursday at a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing, CQ HealthBeat reports.

Original post by Happy Nutritionist’s Nuggets

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“Moving Away From Employer-Based Coverage: Don’t Forget Public Opinion,”

Original post by Happy Nutritionist’s Nuggets

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While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics.

Original post by Happy Nutritionist’s Nuggets

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