Paradoxical facilitation of a free recall of nonwords in persons with traumatic brain injury

Exploring the measurement of pediatric cognitive-communication disorders in traumatic brain injury research: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize information about the constructs measured, measurement instruments used, and the timing of assessment of cognitive-communication disorders (CCDs) in pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) research.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Scoping review conducted in alignment with Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage methodological framework and reported per the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews. Inclusion criteria: (a) cohort description, case-control, and treatment studies; (b) participants with TBI aged 5-18 years; (c) communication or psychosocial outcomes; and (d) English full-text journal articles. The first author reviewed all titles, abstracts, and full-text articles; 10% were independently reviewed.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Following screening, a total of 687 articles were included and 919 measurement instruments, measuring 2134 unique constructs, were extracted. The Child Behavior Checklist was the most used measurement instrument and 'Global Outcomes/Recovery' was the construct most frequently measured. The length of longitudinal monitoring ranged between ≤3 months and 16 years.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

We found considerable heterogeneity in the constructs measured, the measurement instruments used, and the timing of CCD assessment in pediatric TBI research. A consistent approach to measurement may support clinical decision-making and the efficient use of data beyond individual studies in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

How Should Culture be Studied?

What should be studied in order to understand culture depends on how culture is defined. Different definitions imply different methods and research questions. Sneddon (2003) suggests that, to understand culture, it is necessary to study cultural activities, tacit and explicit representations. I propose that Sneddon's account is incomplete; there are more than only two kinds of representations that should be differentiated. In addition, there is no way to study representations without studying activities. Thus, it is necessary to understand what kinds of representations can be studied through different activities. I also draw attention to communication, which is not just another cultural activity, but rather a very special social-cultural activity through which limits of sensory-based information processing can be transcended.

Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex interferes with episodic encoding and retrieval for both verbal and non-verbal materials

Neuroimaging studies report that encoding and retrieval processes of episodic memory constantly activate the left and right prefrontal cortex, even in the simplest memory tasks. Conversely, individuals with frontal lesions displayed impaired memory performance mainly in the most complex memory tasks. This discrepancy regarding the involvement of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may be explained by methodological divergences. Our goal was to study the critical role of the DLPFC in episodic encoding and retrieval processes according to the nature of the material (verbal or non-verbal) by using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Eighteen healthy adults performed a recognition task with words or random shapes. Paired-pulse TMS was applied (3-ms inter-pulse interval, at 90% of motor threshold) for inducing transient and safe interferences over the left or right DLPFCs during encoding or retrieval. Data analysis showed a reduced discrimination rate following TMS over the left DLPFC during encoding, as compared to a sham condition. Both hit and discrimination rates were also reduced after TMS over the right DLPFC, compared to TMS over left DLPFC, during retrieval. There was no difference between verbal and non-verbal material. Our results showed that the left and the right DLPFC play a critical role respectively in episodic encoding and retrieval processes for both verbal and non-verbal materials. Our findings are discussed in light of the findings obtained from other complementary approaches.

Relationships between personality structure, structure of word meaning, and cognitive ability: A study of cultural mechanisms of personality

Native-born Estonian men (N=912), 17-68 years old, participated in a study on relationships between personality characteristics, dominant structure of word meaning ("everyday concepts" thinking or "scientific concepts" thinking), and level of cognitive ability. Individuals who primarily used everyday concepts thinking or who possessed relatively low levels of cognitive ability did not reveal a coherent Big Five personality structure, whereas individuals who primarily used scientific concepts thinking or possessed high levels of cognitive ability did. Thus, personality may be shaped by a cultural factor--word meaning structure. Earlier studies, which seem to support the idea that Big Five personality structure is a biologically determined human universal, suffer from serious sampling problems and insufficient data analyses.