早产儿语言发展及其脑机制

早产儿语言发展存在特殊规律.行为研究发现,早产儿在词汇、句法、语义言语流畅性等方面存在发展滞后的现象.早产对语言发展的影响可能持续到成年早期,但具体的滞后程度受到生物因素和社会因素的影响.随着脑成像技术的发展,有研究开始考察早产儿的脑发育情况.研究者发现,青少年时期的早产儿在大脑白质、皮层下灰质和小脑结构等方面发生了改变,但关于早产儿语言发展的脑机制还有待进一步的研究来确证.简述了早产儿语言发展的行为研究和脑神经研究方面的最新进展,以揭示早产儿这一特殊群体在语言发展和认知神经方面的规律.研究认为,应结合行为研究与脑神经研究的优势,进一步深化对早产儿语言发展机制的探讨,也为考察正常儿童语言获得规律提供特殊的科学依据.     

抑郁症患者的脑CT灌注成像特征与认知功能的相关性

摘要 目的：探讨抑郁症患者的脑CT灌注成像特征与认知功能的相关性。方法：选取我院2020年1月到2023年1月收治的90例抑郁症患者作为研究对象,将其分为观察组,另选取同期来我院体检的90名健康志愿者作为对照组。收集所有受检者脑CT灌注成像检查数据,分析抑郁症患者的脑CT灌注成像特征,并建立受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析脑CT灌注成像对抑郁症的诊断效能。随后对观察组和对照组受检者均进行认知功能评估,其中包括连线检测（TMT）、视觉再生测验（VRT）、言语流畅性测验（VF）、数字广度测验（DST）以及数字符号测验（SDMT）,并分析脑CT灌注成像与抑郁症认知功能的相关性。结果：观察组与对照组受检者rCBV、rCBF、MTT、TIP、右枕叶、左枕叶、右颞叶、左颞叶、右顶叶、左顶叶CT值对比无明显差异（P＞0.05）,观察组与对照组受检者右额叶、左额叶CT值对比差异显著,观察组明显低于对照组（P＜0.05）;90例抑郁症患者经过汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD）评估后分数均＞20分,确定存在抑郁症状,脑CT灌注成像与HAMD评分诊断抑郁症的准确性、灵敏度、特异性、阳性预测值和阴性预测值对比无明显差异（P＞0.05）,脑CT灌注成像的曲线下面积为83.89,最佳诊断着色界限值为82.53%,HAMD评分的曲线下面积为84.26,最佳诊断着色界限值为87.57%;观察组与对照组受检者连线提笔数、连线错误数、视觉再生检测结果对比无明显差异（P＞0.05）,观察组与对照组受检者连线、言语流畅性、数字广度、数字符号检测结果对比差异显著（P＜0.05）;Spearman相关分析结果表明：连线提笔数、连线错误数、视觉再生与脑CT灌注参数均无明显相关性（P＞0.05）,连线、言语流畅性、数字广度、数字符号与rCBV、rCBF、MTT、TIP、右枕叶、左枕叶、右颞叶、左颞叶、右顶叶、左顶叶CT值无明显相关性（P＞0.05）,连线与右额叶、左额叶CT值呈负相关（P＜0.05）,言语流畅性、数字广度、数字符号与右额叶、左额叶CT值呈正相关（P＜0.05）。结论：抑郁症患者的脑CT灌注成像与健康群体呈现差异,其中右额叶、左额叶差异情况最为显著,提示抑郁症患者可能存在大脑额叶功能改变,另外,抑郁症患者的大脑额叶功能与认知功能变化具有明显相关性。     

维-汉双语语义认知的事件相关电位特征研究

为了研究维-汉双语者维吾尔语和汉语双语语义认知特点,本实验使用事件相关电位(event-related potentials,ERP)技术,以"图片-词语"语义启动范式研究了维-汉双语者的维吾尔语和汉语N400波的特点及差异波脑电地形图分布特点。结果显示:双语均有明显的语义启动效应,双语者两种语言的N400波的平均波幅没有语言间的差异,仅在汉语中存在语言与电极位置的交互作用,F3、F4、PZ三点波幅比其余电极波幅显著偏负;差异波脑电地形图显示,维吾尔语激活了几乎所有脑区(除了枕叶激活较弱),汉语的激活较维吾尔语弱,但也有大部分脑区激活,左右额叶和顶叶的激活明显。以上结果表明,维-汉双语者的两种语言均对语义启动敏感,额叶、顶叶参与两种语言间的转换,不熟练的维-汉晚双语者的双语语义加工过程均为大脑两半球共同协作的结果,没有明显的偏侧化。     

利用经典文献优化《遗传学》双语教学

双语教学在融合专业学习和外语学习中的重要性中已日益明显, 越来越多的高校期望通过双语教学促进高等教育改革, 提高人才培养的质量。《遗传学》是生命科学领域相关本科专业最重要的课程之一, 但遗传学双语教学的模式尚有待于更多的教学实践加以探索。遗传学经典文献是非常值得利用的双语教学资源。文章分析了遗传学经典文献在双语教学中的应用价值, 同时对《遗传学》双语教学方法的优化进行了探讨。     

“植物堂”于双语教学的实践与思考

双语教学是在现代教学经济国际化的影响下所形成的一种新兴教育形式。结合曲靖师范学院的植物学教学实践,总结和分析了植物学双语教学过程中的经验及其实施过程中遇到的主要困难。提出了引进并完善外文原版教材、加强教师队伍建设、提高学生综合素质、培养学生学习兴趣、实施多样化教学方式等完善植物学双语教学的相应对策。最后提出了“保持-过渡-双语思维”的双语教学改革模式,这对于双语教学理论系统化的形成有一定的参考价值。     

生物化学双语教学实践与思考

全球化进程给高等教育带来了前所未有的挑战,如何通过双语教学提高教学质量并与国际接轨,成为当前高校教学改革的热点问题。本文阐述了开展生物化学双语教学的必要性,介绍开展双语教学前的准备工作,双语教学实施过程中使用的教学方法及考核方式,以及最后对双语教学中遇到的问题进行分析思考,以希望能为双语教学顺利实施提供有益的参考。     

"植物学"双语教学的实践与思考

双语教学是在现代教学经济国际化的影响下所形成的一种新兴教育形式.结合曲靖师范学院的植物学教学实践,总结和分析了植物学双语教学过程中的经验及其实施过程中遇到的主要困难.提出了引进并完善外文原版教材、加强教师队伍建设、提高学生综合素质、培养学生学习兴趣、实施多样化教学方式等完善植物学双语教学的相应对策.最后提出了"保持-过渡-双语思维"的双语教学改革模式,这对于双语教学理论系统化的形成有一定的参考价值.     

普通高校提高“食品微生物学”双语教学效果的探讨

针对普通高校在进行双语教学中遇到的困难, 为提高“食品微生物学”双语教学效果, 从允许学生选择双语教学、充分利用教材设计、多种措施减轻学生学习压力等5个方面, 讨论了所采取的措施以及取得的教学效果。     

语码转换在微生物学双语教学中的应用

改革传统的双语教学,探索高校新型的双语教学方式已经成为教育教学改革的必然趋势.语码转换是指在一个语段或语篇中使用两种或两种以上语言的现象.为了保证双语教学效果,提高教学质量,在微生物学授课过程中应用语码转换的方式进行渗透式双语授课,适时适量地向学生渗透专业英语语汇、语句、语段或语篇,激发了学生的学习热情,增强了学生英语表达的自信心.     

妇产科学双语教学在长学制医学生理论教学中的应用

我国目前推广应用的双语教学是指除汉语外,用英语作为课堂的主要用语进行学科教学的活动.近年来,我校在长学制医学生妇产科学理论教学中开展双语教学,在教学方式上积累了一定的经验.我们认为,如能在正确理解双语教学模式、明确教学目的的基础上,保证有资质的师资和合适的教材,并掌握合理的教学方法,就能充分发挥双语教学的优势,使教学质量更上一层楼.     

Polymorphism of the serotonin receptor (5-HTR2A) gene and verbal fluency in normalcy and schizophrenia

To study the effect of the serotonergic brain system on verbal fluency (i.e., the ability to rapidly extract necessary words from the vocabulary), the T102C polymorphism of the serotonin receptor type 2A (5-HTR2A) gene was tested for association with verbal fluency in 108 patients with schizophrenia or schizotypic disorders and 97 mentally healthy individuals. A significant association was observed only in male schizophrenics (N = 67), with homozygotes A2A2 having lower verbal fluency. The results did not support the association between the 5-HTR2A polymorphism and verbal fluency in normalcy, and agree with the assumed contribution of genotype A2A2 to the severity of schizophrenia.     

Polymorphism of the Serotonin Receptor Type 2A (5-HTR2A) Gene and Verbal Fluency in Normalcy and in Schizophrenia

To study the effect of the serotonergic brain system on verbal fluency (i.e., the ability to rapidly extract necessary words from the internal vocabulary), the T102C polymorphism of the serotonin receptor type 2A (5-HTR2A) gene was tested for association with verbal fluency in 108 patients with schizophrenia or disorders of the schizophrenic spectrum and 97 mentally healthy individuals. A significant association was observed only in male schizophrenics (n = 67), with homozygotes A2A2 having lower verbal fluency. The results do not support the association between the 5-HTR2A polymorphism and verbal fluency in normalcy, and agree with the assumed contribution of genotype A2A2 to the severity of schizophrenia.     

Verbal fluency in adults diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood

It has been increasingly believed that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder with lifelong course associated with cognitive difficulties including among others, language production, verbal learning, and verbal fluency. However, research is limited to children and adolescents, and very few researchers have examined the impact of ADHD in adulthood on the cognitive domain. The aim of the present study is to examine the performance of adults, diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, on semantic and phonemic verbal fluency tasks. It is hypothesized that adults with ADHD will perform worse on both tasks than matched controls. Sixty university students (30 diagnosed with ADHD in childhood and 30 matched controls) of mean age 20.5 participated in the study. They all completed two verbal fluency tasks. The ADHD group had statistically significant lower scores than the non-ADHD group on the phonemic, but not the semantic task. The study provides some evidence that ADHD in childhood has a negative impact on adults’ phonemic verbal fluency. This finding could be probably explained by the fact that phonemic fluency is considered more cognitively demanding and impacting more on the frontal lobe functions, known to be impaired in ADHD, than semantic fluency.     

Endogenous estradiol and testosterone levels are associated with cognitive performance in older women and men

Relatively few studies have investigated the relationship between endogenous sex steroid levels and cognition in older people and the reported results have been inconsistent. A number of experimental hormone replacement studies have suggested that estrogen replacement in older women enhances cognition, especially verbal memory. In contrast, little research has been done focusing on men. In the current study the association between endogenous sex steroids (estradiol and testosterone) and cognition was investigated in 38 healthy older women (mean age 68 years) and 30 healthy older men (mean age 69 years). Five cognitive tests measuring verbal memory, spatial memory, verbal fluency, mental rotation, and susceptibility to interference were administered. Results revealed that in women higher estradiol levels as well as testosterone levels were associated with better verbal memory (paired associates and estradiol; r =.38, P < 0.05; paired associates and testosterone; r =.33, P < 0.05;). Moreover estradiol, but not testosterone was associated with less susceptibility to interference (Stroop color word test; r = -0.34, P < 0.05). In men the only significant association was a negative correlation between testosterone and verbal fluency (r = -0.38, P < 0.05). The associations observed in this small study support the notion that estradiol is protecting verbal memory and possibly also frontal lobe mediated functions in older women. In contrast to the positive findings in women endogenous sex steroids do not appear to be closely linked to better cognition in older men.     

Correlation of cognitive functions with some aspects of illness, treatment and social functioning in recurrently hospitalized schizophrenic patients

Cognitive deficits are found to be contributors to poorer psychosocial functioning, rehabilitation outcome and lack of treatment success in schizophrenia. Aim of the study was to examine correlation of cognitive functions with some aspects of illness, treatment and social functioning in a group of recurrently hospitalized schizophrenic patients (N=60). Deficient results on psychomotor processing speed, verbal fluency and verbal learning correlated with the longer duration of illness, higher number of hospitalizations and shorter duration of regular antipsychotic treatment. Deficient results on verbal fluency correlated with the younger age of onset, poor functional autonomy and organizational skills, whereas deficient results on psychomotor processing and verbal learning correlated with poor organizational skills alone. Score on verbal fluency was predictive of social skills impairment, whereas score on psychomotor processing was predictive of functional autonomy and organizational skills impairment. Functioning of different cognitive domains could be predictive of functioning in different social domains. Interplay of specific cognitive deficit and social functioning could be responsible for recurrent hospitalizations and unfavorable treatment choices.     

Effects of the pharmacologic manipulation of testosterone on cognitive functioning in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized, placebo-controlled treatment study

In a previous study, we found that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine disorder characterized by chronic hyperandrogenism, performed more poorly than healthy, matched controls on a number of neuropsychological tests, in particular tests of verbal fluency, verbal memory, manual dexterity, and visuospatial working memory. This randomized, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken to investigate whether pharmacologic manipulation of free testosterone (free T) levels in women with PCOS might affect their performance on cognitive tests. Nineteen women with PCOS completed a battery of neuropsychological tests before and after 3 months of treatment with either an anti-androgen (cyproterone acetate) plus estrogen or with a placebo. Hormone treatment of women with PCOS caused a significant reduction in their free T levels but did not affect performance on tests visuospatial ability, verbal memory, manual dexterity, or perceptual speed. Women treated with hormone therapy did, however, demonstrate an improvement in their performance on a test of verbal fluency compared to their pre-treatment scores. These findings suggest that changes in free T levels do not have a significant impact on cognitive performance in women with PCOS, although reductions in free T may be beneficial for verbal fluency.     

Reduced Verbal Fluency following Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation: A Frontal-Related Cognitive Deficit?

Objective

The decrease in verbal fluency in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) undergoing subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) is usually assumed to reflect a frontal lobe-related cognitive dysfunction, although evidence for this is lacking.

Methods

To explore its underlying mechanisms, we combined neuropsychological, psychiatric and motor assessments with an examination of brain metabolism using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, in 26 patients with PD, 3 months before and after surgery. We divided these patients into two groups, depending on whether or not they exhibited a postoperative deterioration in either phonemic (10 patients) or semantic (8 patients) fluency. We then compared the STN-DBS groups with and without verbal deterioration on changes in clinical measures and brain metabolism.

Results

We did not find any neuropsychological change supporting the presence of an executive dysfunction in patients with a deficit in either phonemic or semantic fluency. Similarly, a comparison of patients with or without impaired fluency on brain metabolism failed to highlight any frontal areas involved in cognitive functions. However, greater changes in cognitive slowdown and apathy were observed in patients with a postoperative decrease in verbal fluency.

Conclusions

These results suggest that frontal lobe-related cognitive dysfunction could play only a minor role in the postoperative impairment of phonemic or semantic fluency, and that cognitive slowdown and apathy could have a more decisive influence. Furthermore, the phonemic and semantic impairments appeared to result from the disturbance of distinct mechanisms.     

Investigation of brain functional connectivity in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study

This study examines brain functional connectivity in both cognitively normal seniors and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to elucidate prospective markers of MCI. A homemade four‐channel functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system was employed to measure hemodynamic responses in the subjects' prefrontal cortex during a resting state, an oddball task, a 1‐back task, and a verbal fluency task. Brain functional connectivity was calculated as the Pearson correlation coefficients between fNIRS channels. The results show that during the verbal fluency task, while the healthy control (HC) group presents a significantly stronger inter‐hemispheric connectivity compared to intra‐hemispheric connectivity, there is no difference between the inter‐ and intra‐hemispheric connectivity in the MCI group. In addition, a comparison between the MCI and HC connectivity reveals that the MCI group has a statistically higher right and inter‐hemispheric connectivity during the resting state, but a significantly lower left and inter‐hemispheric connectivity during the verbal fluency test. These findings demonstrate the potential of fNIRS to study brain functional connectivity in neurodegenerative diseases.     

Sex differences and autism: brain function during verbal fluency and mental rotation

Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) affect more males than females. This suggests that the neurobiology of autism: 1) may overlap with mechanisms underlying typical sex-differentiation or 2) alternately reflect sex-specificity in how autism is expressed in males and females. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test these alternate hypotheses. Fifteen men and fourteen women with Asperger syndrome (AS), and sixteen typically developing men and sixteen typically developing women underwent fMRI during performance of mental rotation and verbal fluency tasks. All groups performed the tasks equally well. On the verbal fluency task, despite equivalent task-performance, both males and females with AS showed enhanced activation of left occipitoparietal and inferior prefrontal activity compared to controls. During mental rotation, there was a significant diagnosis-by-sex interaction across occipital, temporal, parietal, middle frontal regions, with greater activation in AS males and typical females compared to AS females and typical males. These findings suggest a complex relationship between autism and sex that is differentially expressed in verbal and visuospatial domains.