“Transition” to Schizophrenia or Fluctuations within the Same Disorder?

<b><i>Background:</i></b> To prevent or delay the onset of psychotic disorders or ameliorate their course, prodromal research has strived to identify and treat individuals at risk of developing psychosis. While this approach is laudable, it is, however, not entirely unproblematic from clinical and conceptual perspectives. For example, it remains unclear how we are to understand the development from a nonpsychotic, distressing condition such as schizotypal disorder to a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia? The current terminology on the subject implies either a nonlinear jump (“conversion”) or a more linear progression (“transition”) from one disorder to another. To enrich our understanding of such diagnostic shifts, we examined the psychopathological pictures of patients who “transitioned” from schizotypal disorder to schizophrenia. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> From a larger study on psychopathology, we examined 40 patients who were diagnosed with schizotypal disorder at baseline. At 5-year follow-up, 30 patients maintained the diagnosis of schizotypal disorder, while 10 were re-diagnosed with schizophrenia. We examined detailed descriptions of the 10 patients who progressed to schizophrenia, comparing psychopathology and level of functioning. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The level of functioning decreased slightly from baseline to follow-up in 9 out of 10 patients. Eight patients had previously had micro-psychotic or psychotic experiences. All patients had self-disorders at baseline, and several patients had perceptual disorders. Nine patients had formal thought disorders at baseline. The progression is illustrated by 2 cases. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> In this small study, we did not find any striking changes in any of the patients, neither in terms of psychopathological manifestations nor in terms of their level of functioning. Thus, rather than witnessing a genuine “conversion” or “transition” from schizotypal disorder to schizophrenia, we observed dimensional fluctuations within the same condition.

Mental imagery: pulling the plug on perceptualism

What is the relationship between perception and mental imagery? I aim to eliminate an answer that I call perceptualism about mental imagery. Strong perceptualism, defended by Bence Nanay, predictive processing theorists, and several others, claims that imagery is a kind of perceptual state. Weak perceptualism, defended by M. G. F. Martin and Matthew Soteriou, claims that mental imagery is a representation of a perceptual state, a view sometimes called The Dependency Thesis. Strong perceptualism is to be rejected since it misclassifies imagery disorders and abnormalities as perceptual disorders and abnormalities. Weak Perceptualism is to be rejected since it gets wrong the aim and accuracy conditions of a whole class of mental imagery–projected mental imagery–and relies on an impoverished concept of perceptual states, ignoring certain of their structural features. Whatever the relationship between perception and imagery, the perceptualist has it wrong.

Performing an olfactory-gustatory test to identify perceptual disorders related to Covid-19

One of the characteristic symptoms caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a totally or partially altered sense of smell; which may or may not be combined with an altered sense of taste. This alteration appears to last anywhere from ten days to several weeks. It’s not always easy, in our daily routines, to self-assess and notice a decline or change in the acuity of our sense of smell or taste. Yet, performing an effective olfactory-gustatory test is quite straightforward.

Tratamiento fisioterapéutico de la heminegligencia secundaria a un accidente cerebrovascular

Introducción: la heminegligencia es un síndrome, ocasionado por un déficit atencional, en el que el paciente ignora o no presta atención a la región del espacio contralateral a la lesión cerebral. Es una de las alteraciones más comunes tras un accidente cerebro vascular (ACV) y se relaciona con mayores dificultades en la recuperación funcional, conduciendo a un mayor grado de dependencia en las AVD, por lo que requiere estrategias de rehabilitación concretas. Se llevará a cabo una revisión bibliográfica con el objetivo de ahondar en los distintos tratamientos de fisioterapia empleados de cara a reducir los síntomas de la heminegligencia en pacientes con ACV. Material y métodos: se llevó a cabo una búsqueda durante marzo del 2017 en las bases de datos Medline, Scopus, WOS y PEDro y en el buscador PubMed; empleando los descriptores “Perceptual Disorders”, “Stroke” y “Physical Therapy Modalities” y los términos “Neglect” y “Physiotherapy”. Se obtuvo un total de 13 resultados válidos tras aplicar los criterios de inclusión y exclusión. Resultados: los artículos analizados realizan diferentes intervenciones; como son el empleo de dispositivos estimuladores de MS, la terapia en espejo, la EGV, los ejercicios de rehabilitación vestibular, el entrenamiento con SPT, el entrenamiento con VST y técnicas de rehabilitación virtual. Conclusión: varias de las técnicas analizadas muestran resultados positivos, si se aplican en determinadas condiciones. Son necesarios estudios con un mayor tamaño muestral, mejores estrategias diagnósticas y ampliar los conocimientos sobre este síndrome de cara al desarrollo de técnicas más efectivas.

Cognition and behaviour

This chapter provides a general overview of cognition, and relevant models of information processing to facilitate decision-making and acting with regard to rehabilitation medicine. Perceptual disorders are discussed, and factors that may cause them to arise are covered. Attention is also described, including key terminology, and memory structure and forms are covered. High-level cognitive processes are described, and then applied to rehabilitation approaches (both remedial and compensatory). General background to behaviour, learning theory, management, and treatment approaches are all discussed, including cognitive behavioural therapy. Finally, pharmaceutical management to modify behaviour is covered.

Non-motor disorders in cervical dystonia

Botulinum toxin injection therapy is the mainstay for managing patients with motor manifestations of dystonia. It is important to identify possible cognitive and mental disorders, sleep and perceptual disorders (non-motor disorders) in these patients. Correction of these disorders will be able to optimize treatment and to improve quality of life of patients.

Processamento auditivo central e desnutrição infantil: revisão sistemática / Central auditory processing and child undernutrition: a systematic review

O objetivo deste estudo é analisar as prováveis inter-relações entre a desnutrição e as alterações do processamento auditivo central. Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática de literatura, na qual foram encontrados 2543 estudos. Três trabalhos atenderam a todos os critérios e foram selecionados. Os resultados encontrados na avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo central em sujeitos desnutridos ou com histórico de desnutrição demonstraram alterações na escuta competitiva, habilidade de sequencialização sonora verbal e não verbal, fechamento auditivo e figura fundo. Além disso, na avaliação do processamento por meio de medidas eletrofisiológicas, foram identificadas latências aumentadas nos componentes P1, N1 e P300. Existem prováveis evidências de alteração no processamento auditivo central em crianças com histórico de desnutrição. No entanto, tais inter-relações ainda precisam ser aprofundadas e esclarecidas em outros estudos. Em decorrência da complexidade deste assunto, destaca-se a importância da atuação e pesquisa transdisciplinar nas interfaces da Fonoaudiologia e da Nutrição.Palavras-Chave: Desenvolvimento infantil; Desnutrição; Audição; Perda auditiva; Transtornos da percepção auditiva; Doenças auditivas centraisABSTRACTThe aim of this study is to analyze the possible interrelationships between malnutrition and auditory processing disorders. It is a systematic review of the literature. The search found 2543 studies. The three that met all the study criteria were selected. The results in behavioral auditory processing evaluation in undernourished subjects or subjects with malnutrition history have shown changes in the competitive listening, verbal sound sequencing skills and non-verbal, auditory closure and figure background. Moreover, the evaluation processing through electrophysiological measurements were latencies identified in increased P1, N1 and P300. There is possible evidence of change in auditory processing in children with malnutrition history. However, these interrelationships have yet to be deepened and clarified in other studies. Due to the complexity of this subject, the importance of transdisciplinary research and performance in the speech-language and nutritional interfaces is highlighted.Keywords: Child development; Malnutrition; Hearing; Hearing loss; Auditory perceptual disorders; Central auditory diseases