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Corwin DJ, Myers SR, Arbogast KB, Lim MM, Elliott JE, Metzger KB, LeRoux P, Elkind J, Metheny H, Berg J, Pettijohn K, Master CL, Kirschen MP, Cohen AS. Head Injury Treatment With Healthy and Advanced Dietary Supplements: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Tolerability, Safety, and Efficacy of Branched Chain Amino Acids in the Treatment of Concussion in Adolescents and Young Adults. J Neurotrauma 2024. [PMID: 38468511 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2023.0433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Concussion is a common injury in the adolescent and young adult populations. Although branched chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation has shown improvements in neurocognitive and sleep function in pre-clinical animal models of mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI), to date, no studies have been performed evaluating the efficacy of BCAAs in concussed adolescents and young adults. The goal of this pilot trial was to determine the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of varied doses of oral BCAA supplementation in a group of concussed adolescents and young adults. The study was conducted as a pilot, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of participants ages 11-34 presenting with concussion to outpatient clinics (sports medicine and primary care), urgent care, and emergency departments of a tertiary care pediatric children's hospital and an urban tertiary care adult hospital, between June 24, 2014 and December 5, 2020. Participants were randomized to one of five study arms (placebo and 15 g, 30 g, 45 g, and 54 g BCAA treatment daily) and followed for 21 days after enrollment. Outcome measures included daily computerized neurocognitive tests (processing speed, the a priori primary outcome; and attention, visual learning, and working memory), symptom score, physical and cognitive activity, sleep/wake alterations, treatment compliance, and adverse events. In total, 42 participants were randomized, 38 of whom provided analyzable data. We found no difference in our primary outcome of processing speed between the arms; however, there was a significant reduction in total symptom score (decrease of 4.4 points on a 0-54 scale for every 500 g of study drug consumed, p value for trend = 0.0036, [uncorrected]) and return to physical activity (increase of 0.503 points on a 0-5 scale for every 500 g of study drug consumed, p value for trend = 0.005 [uncorrected]). There were no serious adverse events. Eight of 38 participants reported a mild (not interfering with daily activity) or moderate (limitation of daily activity) adverse event; there were no differences in adverse events by arm, with only two reported mild adverse events (both gastrointestinal) in the highest (45 g and 54 g) BCAA arms. Although limited by slow enrollment, small sample size, and missing data, this study provides the first demonstration of efficacy, as well as safety and tolerability, of BCAAs in concussed adolescents and young adults; specifically, a dose-response effect in reducing concussion symptoms and a return to baseline physical activity in those treated with higher total doses of BCAAs. These findings provide important preliminary data to inform a larger trial of BCAA therapy to expedite concussion recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Corwin
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Sage R Myers
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Kristy B Arbogast
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Miranda M Lim
- Oregon Alzheimer's Disease Research Center & Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
- Research Service and VA RR&D VISN20 Northwest Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Jonathan E Elliott
- Oregon Alzheimer's Disease Research Center & Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Kristina B Metzger
- Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Peter LeRoux
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester Medical Center and Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, New York, USA
| | - Jaclynn Elkind
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hannah Metheny
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jeffrey Berg
- Department of Family Medicine, Suburban Community Hospital, East Norriton, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kevin Pettijohn
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christina L Master
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Sports Medicine and Performance Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Matthew P Kirschen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Akiva S Cohen
- Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Regier PS, Teitelman AM, Jagannathan K, Monge ZA, McCondochie C, Elkind J, Childress AR. Women at Greater Sexual Risk for STIs/HIV Have a Lower Mesolimbic and Affective Bias Response to Sexual Stimuli. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 13:279. [PMID: 31998091 PMCID: PMC6965060 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Young adult women in the United States have high rates of sexually transmitted infections, increasing the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The underlying neurobiology of behaviors that increase the probability of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases (STIs) and HIV is just beginning to be explored. The current study assessed the link between sexual risk and the brain and behavioral response to sexual cues in emerging adult women. Our hypothesis was that women with more activity in reward/motivational circuitry would report higher sexual risk behaviors and would evidence higher positive affective bias to visual sexual stimuli. Women (n = 52; age = 18–24 years) who had protected sex 100% of the time (n = 17) vs. those who did not (n = 35), in the past 3 months, were compared on their brain response to 500 ms evocative (sex, aversive, food) vs. neutral cues in a blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) fast event-related design. Based on existing literature, an a priori anatomical “cue-reactive” mask was used to constrain the analyses. Self-reported sexual activity and the affective bias scores to sexual cues were examined as correlates with the brain response to cues. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, the higher sexual risk (Unprotected) group had significantly less activation in mesolimbic brain regions and lower (less positive) affective bias scores to sexual cues compared to the lower risk (Protected) group. As predicted, the brain response was positively correlated with sexual bias. Follow-up analyses showed an effect of partner “risk” (e.g., more vs. less knowledge of partner’s STIs/HIV status). This evidence suggests that women who have protected sex may view sexual-related stimuli more positively, reflected by a neural response in reward/motivational regions and more positive sexual bias scores. In contrast, young women at increased risk for STIs/HIV may feel more negatively about sexual-related stimuli, evidenced by a lower mesolimbic response and a less positive affective bias to sexual cues. These data may help identify young women who are at greatest risk for acquiring STIs and/or HIV, which carries added importance with the availability of new medications that can prevent HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Regier
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Anne M Teitelman
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kanchana Jagannathan
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Zachary A Monge
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Calumina McCondochie
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jaclynn Elkind
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Anna Rose Childress
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Abstract
Chemical signals arising from body secretions and excretions communicate information about health status as have been reported in a range of animal models of disease. A potential common pathway for diseases to alter chemical signals is via activation of immune function-which is known to be intimately involved in modulation of chemical signals in several species. Based on our prior findings that both immunization and inflammation alter volatile body odors, we hypothesized that injury accompanied by inflammation might correspondingly modify the volatile metabolome to create a signature endophenotype. In particular, we investigated alteration of the volatile metabolome as a result of traumatic brain injury. Here, we demonstrate that mice could be trained in a behavioral assay to discriminate mouse models subjected to lateral fluid percussion injury from appropriate surgical sham controls on the basis of volatile urinary metabolites. Chemical analyses of the urine samples similarly demonstrated that brain injury altered urine volatile profiles. Behavioral and chemical analyses further indicated that alteration of the volatile metabolome induced by brain injury and alteration resulting from lipopolysaccharide-associated inflammation were not synonymous. Monitoring of alterations in the volatile metabolome may be a useful tool for rapid brain trauma diagnosis and for monitoring recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A Kimball
- USDA-APHIS-WS-NWRC, Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,
| | - Akiva S Cohen
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Amy R Gordon
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels vag 9, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maryanne Opiekun
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA and
| | - Talia Martin
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA and
| | - Jaclynn Elkind
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Johan N Lundström
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels vag 9, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gary K Beauchamp
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA and
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Abstract
Cognitive impairment caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to devastating consequences for both patients and their families. The underlying neurological basis for TBI-induced cognitive dysfunction remains unknown. However, many lines of research have implicated the hippocampus in the pathophysiology of TBI. In particular, past research has found that theta oscillations, long thought to be the electrophysiological basis of learning and memory, are decreased in the hippocampus post-TBI. Here, we recorded in vivo electrophysiological activity in the hippocampi of 16 mice, 8 of which had previously undergone a TBI. Consistent with previous data, we found that theta power in the hippocampus was decreased in TBI animals compared to sham controls; however, this effect was driven by changes in broadband power and not theta oscillations. This result suggests that broadband fluctuations in the hippocampal local field potential can be used as an electrophysiological surrogate of abnormal neurological activity post-TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalia Paterno
- 1 Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Hannah Metheny
- 2 Joseph Stoke's Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Department of Anesthesiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Guoxiang Xiong
- 2 Joseph Stoke's Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Department of Anesthesiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jaclynn Elkind
- 2 Joseph Stoke's Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Department of Anesthesiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Akiva S Cohen
- 2 Joseph Stoke's Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Department of Anesthesiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,3 Department of Anesthesiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Lim MM, Elkind J, Xiong G, Galante R, Zhu J, Zhang L, Lian J, Rodin J, Kuzma NN, Pack AI, Cohen AS. Dietary therapy mitigates persistent wake deficits caused by mild traumatic brain injury. Sci Transl Med 2014; 5:215ra173. [PMID: 24337480 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3007092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Sleep disorders are highly prevalent in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can significantly impair cognitive rehabilitation. No proven therapies exist to mitigate the neurocognitive consequences of TBI. We show that mild brain injury in mice causes a persistent inability to maintain wakefulness and decreases orexin neuron activation during wakefulness. We gave mice a dietary supplement of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), precursors for de novo glutamate synthesis in the brain. BCAA therapy reinstated activation of orexin neurons and improved wake deficits in mice with mild brain injury. Our data suggest that dietary BCAA intervention, acting in part through orexin, can ameliorate injury-induced sleep disturbances and may facilitate cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda M Lim
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Xiong G, Zhang L, Mojsilovic-Petrovic J, Arroyo E, Elkind J, Kundu S, Johnson B, Smith CJ, Cohen NA, Grady SM, Cohen AS. GABA and glutamate are not colocalized in mossy fiber terminals of developing rodent hippocampus. Brain Res 2012; 1474:40-9. [PMID: 22842523 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2012] [Revised: 06/27/2012] [Accepted: 07/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that, in the developing rodent hippocampus, mossy fiber terminals release GABA together with glutamate. Here, we used transgenic glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 (GAD67)-GFP expressing mice and multi-label immunohistochemistry to address whether glutamatergic and GABAergic markers are colocalized. We demonstrate that in the dentate gyrus, interneurons positive for GABA/GAD are sparsely distributed along the edge of the hilus, in a different pattern from that of the densely packed granule cells. Co-staining for synaptophysin and vesicular glutamate transporter1 (VGLUT1) in postnatal day 14 brain sections from both mice and rats showed mossy fiber terminals as a group of large (2-5 μm in diameter) VGLUT1-positive excitatory presynaptic terminals in the stratum lucidum of area CA3a/b. Furthermore, co-staining for synaptophysin and vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) revealed a group of small-sized (∼0.5 μm in diameter) inhibitory presynaptic terminals in the same area where identified mossy fiber terminals were present. The two types of terminals appeared to be mutually exclusive, and showed no colocalization. Thus, our results do not support the hypothesis that GABA is released as a neurotransmitter from mossy fiber terminals during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoxiang Xiong
- Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Kukanskis K, Elkind J, Melendez J, Murphy T, Miller G, Garner H. Detection of DNA hybridization using the TISPR-1 surface plasmon resonance biosensor. Anal Biochem 1999; 274:7-17. [PMID: 10527491 DOI: 10.1006/abio.1999.4241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Biotinylated oligonucleotide probes were immobilized to the gold sensor surface of the TISPR-1 miniature integrated surface plasmon resonance liquid sensor system for the purpose of detecting specific DNA hybridization. The immobilization of the oligonucleotide capture probes was carried out through streptavidin-biotin binding technology. The sensor detected the immobilization of unlabeled DNA through shifts in index of refraction as the molecules entered and remained selectively bound to the surface in the vicinity of the exponentially decaying surface plasmon resonance wave. The surface immobilization chemistry was proven to be stable for long periods of time, reproducible, and practical for detecting DNA hybridization with the TISPR-1. DNA hybridization was detected as a slow, positive, and small (when compared to protein-protein or antibody-antigen binding experiments) increase in the measured index of refraction under passive hybridization conditions by the TISPR-1 sensor. The DNA hybridization signal was significant (index of refraction change of 0.001) when large fragment PCR-amplified DNA products were hybridized to the oligonucleotide probes (S/N = 6-10). The DNA hybridization techniques were demonstrated using DNA sequences from the HIV genome which encode the Tat and Rev genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Kukanskis
- Joint Program of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
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Woodbury RG, Wendin C, Clendenning J, Melendez J, Elkind J, Bartholomew D, Brown S, Furlong CE. Construction of biosensors using a gold-binding polypeptide and a miniature integrated surface plasmon resonance sensor. Biosens Bioelectron 1998; 13:1117-26. [PMID: 9842707 DOI: 10.1016/s0956-5663(98)00060-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors were constructed on miniature integrated sensors. Recognition elements were attached to the sensor surface using a gold-binding repeating polypeptide. Biosensors with fluorescyl groups attached to their surfaces were functional for at least 1 month of daily use with little decrease in response to the binding of an anti-fluorescyl monoclonal antibody. The coupling of protein A to the gold-binding polypeptide on the sensor surface enabled the biosensor to detect the binding of antibodies to the protein A and provided a sensor with convertible specificity. The system described herein provides a simple and rapid approach for the fabrication of highly specific, durable, portable and low cost SPR-based biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- R G Woodbury
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA
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Abstract
We studied the use of computer readers, and especially their speech synthesis component, as a compensatory tool for adults with dyslexia. We first explored the enhancement of reading skills in a group of college students and working adults. Their unaided reading was very slow, and most participants in the study could sustain reading for only short periods. Although their timed comprehension was poor, their untimed comprehension was above average. The computer reader enhanced the reading rate and comprehension of most participants and enabled them to sustain reading longer. The difference between aided and unaided reading rate was inversely proportional to the unaided rate. Slower readers experienced greater enhancement than faster ones. The enhancement of comprehension was also inversely proportional to unaided scores, and good predictions of the enhancement were obtained from multiple regression models that included scores from specific standard tests of auditory and visual cognitive abilities. We also explored the use of computer readers in the workplace and show through case studies that their use can have important positive effects on individual careers and self-confidence when specific conditions exist. Finally, we investigated the use of computer readers to supplement an adult remediation program. The readers allowed and motivated the students to read more and, as a result, to progress more rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Elkind
- The Lexia Institute and Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Palo Alto, California,
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Elkind J, Cohen K, Murray C. Using computer-based readers to improve reading comprehension of students with dyslexia. Ann Dyslexia 1993; 43:238-259. [PMID: 24233995 DOI: 10.1007/bf02928184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Twenty-eight middle school students, diagnosed as dyslexic and attending a school using the Slingerland approach to remediation of dyslexia, used a computer-based reading system for reading literature for about one-half hour a day for a semester. The system proved to be a strong compensatory aid, enabling 70 percent of the students to read with greater comprehension, approximately one grade level or more improvement, as measured by the Gray Oral Reading Test. For 40 percent of the students, the gains were large, from two to as much as five grade levels. However, not all students benefited. Fourteen percent showed lower comprehension scores when using the system, and there is some indication that this degradation is associated with kinesthetic-motor weakness. Some students reported gains in reading speed and exhibited increased span of attention for and endurance in reading when using the system. We did not find evidence that the computer-reader technology provided a positive remediation benefit incremental to that obtained from the school's intensive Slingerland remediation program. Our results indicate that computer-readers are important compensatory aids that can enable many people with dyslexia to perform more effectively in reading-related tasks associated with school and work.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Elkind
- The Lexia Institute and Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Palo Alto, California
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