Behavioural Neurology - Volume 26, issue 3

Authors: Ptak, Radek | Vingerhoets, Guy

Article Type: Other

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129001

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 165-165, 2013

Authors: Starrfelt, R. | Gerlach, C. | Habekost, T. | Leff, A.P.

Article Type: Research Article

Keywords: Pure alexia, word reading, visual field defect

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129002

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 167-169, 2013

Authors: Auclair-Ouellet, Noémie | Fossard, Marion | St-Pierre, Marie-Catherine | Macoir, Joël

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Phonological dyslexia is a written language disorder characterized by poor reading of nonwords when compared with relatively preserved ability in reading real words. In this study, we report the case of FG, a 74-year-old man with phonological dyslexia. The nature and origin of his reading impairment were assessed using tasks involving activation and explicit manipulation of phonological representations as well as reading of words and nonwords in which the nature and complexity of grapheme-to-phoneme conversion rules …(GPC rules) were manipulated. FG also underwent an extensive neuropsychological assessment battery in which he showed impaired performance in tests exploring verbal working memory and executive functions. FG showed no phonological impairment, and his performance was also largely unimpaired for reading words, with no effect of concreteness, grammatical class, morphological complexity, length or nature and complexity of the GPC rules. However, he showed substantial difficulties when asked to read nonwords with contextual GPC rules. The contribution of FG's executive deficits to his performance in reading is discussed. Show more

Keywords: Acquired dyslexia, phonological dyslexia, executive functions, grapheme-to-phoneme conversion rules

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129003

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 171-173, 2013

Authors: van der Ham, Ineke J.M. | van Zandvoort, Martine J.E. | Postma, Albert

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Spatial relations between objects can be represented in a categorical and in a coordinate manner. Categorical representations reflect abstract relations, like 'left of' or 'under', whereas coordinate representations concern exact metric distances between objects. These two types of spatial relations are thought to be linked to a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere advantage, respectively. This lateralization pattern was examined in a visual search task, making use of natural scenes, in patients with unilateral …brain damage and healthy controls. In addition, all participants performed a low-level spatial relation processing task. The results suggest that the lateralization pattern commonly found for spatial relation processing in low-level perceptual tasks is also applicable to the processing of complex visual scenes. Show more

Keywords: Spatial relations, lateralization, scene perception

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129004

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 175-177, 2013

Authors: Bonato, M. | Priftis, K. | Umiltà, C. | Zorzi, M.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: We tested a group of ten post-acute right-hemisphere damaged patients. Patients had no neglect according to paper-and-pencil cancellation tasks. They were administered computer-based single- and dual-tasks, requiring to orally name the position of appearance (e.g. left vs. right) of briefly-presented lateralized targets. Patients omitted a consistent number of contralesional targets (� 40%) under the single-task condition. When required to perform a concurrent task which recruited additional attentional resources (dual-tasks), patients' awareness for …contralesional hemispace was severely affected, with less than one third of contralesional targets detected (� 70% of omissions). In contrast, performance for ipsilesional (right-sided) targets was close to ceiling, showing that the deficit unveiled by computer-based testing selectively affected the contralesional hemispace. We conclude that computer-based, attention-demanding tasks are strikingly more sensitive than cancellation tasks in detecting neglect, because they are relatively immune to compensatory strategies that are often deployed by post-acute patients. Show more

Keywords: Neglect, dual-task, spatial awareness, attentional resources, cognitive load, right hemisphere damage, neuropsychological assessment

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129005

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 179-181, 2013

Authors: Sedda, A. | Borghese, N.A. | Ronchetti, M. | Mainetti, R. | Pasotti, F. | Beretta, G. | Bottini, G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Purpose: Virtual Reality (VR) platforms gained a lot of attention in the rehabilitation field due to their ability to engage patients and the opportunity they offer to use real world scenarios. As neglect is characterized by an impairment in exploring space that greatly affects daily living, VR could be a powerful tool compared to classical paper and pencil tasks and computer training. Nevertheless, available platforms are costly and obstructive. Here we describe a low cost platform …for neglect rehabilitation, that using consumer equipments allows the patient to train at home in an intensive fashion. Method: We tested the platform on IB, a chronic neglect patient, who did not benefit from classical rehabilitation. Results: Our results show that IB improved both in terms of neglect and attention. Importantly, these ameliorations lasted at a follow up evaluation 5 months after the last treatment session and generalized to everyday life activities. Conclusions: VR platforms built using equipment technology and following theoretical principles on brain functioning may induce greater ameliorations in visuo-spatial deficits than classical paradigms possibly thanks to the real world scenarios in association with the "visual feedback" of the patient's own body operating in the virtual environment. Show more

Keywords: Virtual reality, neglect rehabilitation, neuropsychological rehabilitation, neural plasticity, grasping

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129006

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 183-185, 2013

Authors: Dubovik, Sviatlana | Ptak, Radek | Aboulafia, Tatiana | Magnin, Cécile | Gillabert, Nicole | Allet, Lara | Pignat, Jean-Michel | Schnider, Armin | Guggisberg, Adrian G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Functional brain networks are known to be affected by focal brain lesions. However, the clinical relevance of these changes remains unclear. This study assesses resting-state functional connectivity (FC) with electroencephalography (EEG) and relates observed topography of FC to cognitive and motor deficits in patients three months after ischemic stroke. Twenty patients (mean age 61.3 years, range 37–80, 9 females) and nineteen age-matched healthy participants (mean age 66.7 years, range 36–88, 13 females) …underwent a ten-minute EEG-resting state examination. The neural oscillations at each grey matter voxel were reconstructed using an adaptive spatial filter and imaginary component of coherence (IC) was calculated as an index of FC. Maps representing mean connectivity value at each voxel were correlated with the clinical data. Compared to healthy controls, alpha band IC of stroke patients was locally reduced in brain regions critical to observed behavioral deficits. A voxel-wise Pearson correlation of clinical performances with FC yielded maps of the neural structures implicated in motor, language, and executive function. This correlation was again specific to alpha band coherence. Ischemic lesions decrease the synchrony of alpha band oscillations between affected brain regions and the rest of the brain. This decrease is linearly related to cognitive and motor deficits observed in the patients. Show more

Keywords: Electroencephalography, stroke, functional networks, alpha band, plasticity

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129007

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 187-189, 2013

Authors: Iglesias, B. Gutiérrez | Escarceller, C. Jacas | Robles, I. Bardés | Masip, R. Cambrodi | Santo-Tomás, O. Romero | Navinés, F. Pujadas | Rovira, M. Boada

Article Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129008

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 191-194, 2013

Authors: Duits, A. | Temel, Y. | Ackermans, L. | Visser-Vandewalle, V.

Article Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129009

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 195-197, 2013

Authors: van Geldorp, Bonnie | Kessels, Roy P.C. | Hendriks, Marc P.H.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In this study, we examined working memory performance of stroke patients. A previous study assessing amnesia patients found deficits on an associative working memory task, although standard neuropsychological working memory tests did not detect any deficits. We now examine whether this may be the case for stoke patients as well. The current task contained three conditions: one spatial condition, one object condition and one binding condition in which both object and location had to be remembered. …In addition, subsequent long-term memory was assessed. The results indicate that our sample of stroke patients shows a working memory deficit, but only on the single-feature conditions. The binding condition was more difficult than both single-feature conditions, but patients performed equally well as compared to matched healthy controls. No deficits were found on the subsequent long-term memory task. These results suggest that associative working memory may be mediated by structures of the medial temporal lobe. Show more

Keywords: Binding, relational memory, stroke, working memory

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129010

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 199-201, 2013

Authors: Marques, J. Frederico

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Data from neuropsychological research suggest that categorizing objects at different levels of specificity requires different cognitive and neural processes. This short paper presents and discusses a theoretical hypothesis for this organization in terms of feature sharedness. It is proposed that superordinate concepts involve a larger absolute number of exemplars that share a particular feature, thus making them more resistant to damage than basic level concepts (i.e. superordinate advantage). Simultaneously, in relative terms, …features are less shared overall by superordinate members than by basic level members, which imply higher executive requirements and can conversely lead to superordinate deficits. This hypothesis is discussed in relation to behavioral data from semantic dementia and stroke aphasia patients and fMRI data from healthy subjects that support the role of feature sharedness in the hierarchical organization of semantic knowledge. Show more

Keywords: Semantic memory, feature sharedness, superordinate concepts, semantic dementia, stroke aphasia

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129011

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 203-205, 2013

Authors: Barban, Francesco | Carlesimo, Giovanni Augusto | Macaluso, Emiliano | Caltagirone, Carlo | Costa, Alberto

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In this study we tested the gateway hypothesis of Broadmann area 10 (BA10). With a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol we manipulated the saliency – stimulus-oriented (SO) attending – and the memory load – stimulus-independent (SI) attending – during a prospective memory (PM) task. We found a significant main effect of the SO manipulation within the medial BA10 and a significant interaction between SI attending and PM task within the left lateral BA10. Our results …give experimental support to the gateway hypothesis. Show more

Keywords: Prospective memory, BA10, Gateway hypothesis

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129012

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 207-209, 2013

Authors: Jonin, Pierre-Yves | Noel, Audrey | Trebon, Pascale | Vichard, Hélène | Merck, Catherine | Belliard, Serge

Article Type: Research Article

Keywords: Medial temporal lobe, associative learning, lateralization

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129013

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 211-213, 2013

Authors: El Haj, Mohamad | Postal, Virginie | Le Gall, Didier | Allain, Philippe

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In order to assess their destination memory, sixteen patients with probable mild Alzheimer Disease (AD), sixteen older adults and 16 young adults were asked to tell facts to pictures. On a subsequent task, they were asked to remember whether they had previously told that fact to that face or not. AD patients showed poorer destination recall than the older adults, and the older adults showed poorer destination recall than the young adults. Our results suggest that …destination memory is highly impaired in AD. Show more

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, destination memory, inhibition

DOI: 10.3233/BEN-2012-129014

Citation: Behavioural Neurology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 215-216, 2013