The nonverbal affect lexicon: Theoretical perspectives from neuropsychological studies of affect perception.

Reviews evidence from neuropsychological studies of affect perception, which suggest that the right hemisphere contains a vocabulary of nonverbal affective signals (facial expressions, prosody, and gestures). This vocabulary is referred to as the nonverbal affect lexicon, and evidence is reviewed suggesting that it is modular in organization, with independent lexicons for faces and prosody. The authors feel that affect lexicon represents one component of a cortically based affect-processing network that is dedicated to reading the nonverbal social displays of other members of the species. Discordances between this cortical affect system and other components of the emotion enterprise are discussed, as well as the relationship of the nonverbal affect lexicon to valence-related asymmetries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Socioemotional disturbances of learning disabled children.

A review of research on the relation between socioemotional functioning/disturbance and learning disabilities in children suggests that (a) although some learning disabled (LD) children suffer from socioemotional disturbance (SED), most do not; (b) there is no single, unitary pattern of emotional disturbance or social incompetence displayed by LD children; (c) the types of SED exhibited by LD children may be more frequent in such children than in their normally achieving age mates; (d) one pattern of central processing abilities and deficits appears to lead both to a particular configuration of academic achievement and to a particular form of SED, whereas other patterns do not; (e) psychopathology worsens in children with nonverbal learning disabilities; and (f) the methodologies and model developments designed to illuminate the relation between learning disabilities and SED must encompass the heterogeneity of the subtypal presentations evident in each. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional organization of the right nondominant cortex: Evidence from electrical stimulation.

Studied discrete functional localization for visuo-perceptual, spatial, and nonverbal memory tasks in conjunction with focal electrical stimulation of the exposed right-dominant cortex during awake craniotomies in 22 patients. Results provide evidence for discrete functional localization in the right, nondominant hemisphere. Performance on each task was significantly impaired in association with stimulation of some, but not all, sites in comparison with performance on nonstimulation control trials. There was, generally, a strong dissociation of sites involved in separate functions across individual Ss. Contrary to the notion of diffuse functional organization in the nondominant hemisphere, visuospatial functions in the right hemisphere appear to be as discretely localized as verbal functions in the left hemisphere. Language and language-related functions of naming, reading, short-term verbal memory, nonverbal oral-facial movement, and phonemic identification were assessed in a subgroup of 10 Ss in conjunction with right nondominant cortical stimulation. In right-handed Ss, no disruptions of these tasks were seen with stimulation of sites outside the right face motor cortex itself. In 2 case studies, there was evidence for right cortical involvement in the mediation of 2 nonphonetic symbol-based language systems: Japanese Kanji and Fortran. (French abstract) (72 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional outcome assessment of adults with right hemisphere brain damage

This article addresses functional outcome assessment of adults with cognitive-communicative disorders due to relatively focal right hemisphere brain damage (RBD). Our discussion observes the World Health Organization's orientation on the multidimensional consequences of health conditions. The WHO framework distinguishes specific deficits (impairments) from their functional consequences: disabilities, or restrictions in daily life activities and handicaps, or broader changes in life role participation. Although there is little evidence about the functional aftermath of RBD, especially in relation to cognitive-communicative disorders, we summarize the data and observations that are available and hypothesize about relationships among outcomes at different levels. We also describe some tools and procedures that may be useful for measuring functional outcomes after RBD, along with relevant caveats, and end with a discussion of research needs and future directions, emphasizing gaps that span the range from basic investigation to treatment research to instrument and procedure development.     

Left and right hemisphere contributions to physiognomic and verbal discrimination.

The relative contributions of the right- and left-temporal lobes in rapid recognition of faces and letters were studied in patients with anterior right- or left-temporal lobe excisions and a matched control group. On the basis of findings in patients with unilateral and bilateral brain damage, it was hypothesized that left hemisphere damage would not change the reaction time of letters analyzed by the right hemisphere and that right hemisphere damage would not change the reaction time of faces analyzed by the left hemisphere. The hypothesis was supported for letters but not for faces. Patients in the right-temporal group, particularly those with large hippocampal removals, were slow to recognize faces in both visual fields. Two possible explanations for the findings with faces are explored: One holds that right hemisphere mechanisms are involved even when a face is presented to the left hemisphere for rapid recognition; the other holds that specialized encoding is carried out by the right hemisphere during learning, with the encoded template then being used by each hemisphere independently. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Identification, accommodation, and success of students with learning disabilities in nursing education programs

Few studies have addressed the issue of nursing students with learning disabilities, although students with both identified and undiagnosed learning disabilities are pursuing nursing education. Legal mandates concerning these students impact nursing programs and faculty. To reduce the risk of discrimination litigation, nursing education programs need to establish educational strategies to promote these students' success. The purpose of this research was to discover the extent to which Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Associate Degree of Nursing programs in one southeastern state admit, identify, and graduate nursing students with learning disabilities, and to identify accommodations provided by these programs to promote success among this student population. Of the 54 programs surveyed, 45 responded. Almost 50% indicated that their program had admitted nursing students with learning disabilities and one-third reported graduating students with learning disabilities. Enrolled students with undiagnosed learning disabilities were identified during their course of studies by both faculty members and by students themselves. The most frequently reported accommodations for students were counselors, tutors, tape-recorded lectures, and computer access. As the number of students with learning disabilities seeking post-secondary education increases, nursing programs and nurse educators will be involved with greater numbers of students needing educational accommodations.     

Hemispheric contributions to nonverbal abstract reasoning and problem solving.

Hemispheric involvement in reasoning abilities has been debated for some time, and it remains unclear whether the right hemisphere's involvement in problem solving is modality specific or dependent on the type of spatial reasoning required. In the current study, 2 types of nonverbal reasoning abilities were examined, spatial reasoning and proportional reasoning, in 109 patients with cerebrovascular disease that was confined to either the right or the left hemisphere or was diffuse in nature. Results indicated that no lateralizing effects were present based on type of spatial reasoning. Findings are consistent with the suggestion that higher order cognitive processes involved in nonverbal abstraction and problem solving are not strongly lateralized to the right hemisphere but rather are more generally distributed throughout the cortex. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Right hemisphere, white-matter learning disabilities associated with depression in an adolescent and young adult psychiatric population

Four hundred and eighty-four adolescents and young adults at an inpatient psychiatric facility were diagnosed as nonverbal learning disabled, verbal learning disabled, general learning disabled, or normal psychiatric controls. The nonverbal learning disabled group had the highest incidence of depression and was clearly different from the reading disabled group (66.3% vs. 33.3%). Nondisabled subjects were significantly more likely than the other subjects to be diagnosed with adjustment problems. Depressed subjects were significantly younger and more likely to be female. This study supports the contention that right-hemisphere, white-matter, arithmetic-disabled adolescents and young adults in a psychiatric population are at greater risk for depression than are psychiatric patients not showing this pattern.     

Generalist Genes and Learning Disabilities.

The authors reviewed recent quantitative genetic research on learning disabilities that led to the conclusion that genetic diagnoses differ from traditional diagnoses in that the effects of relevant genes are largely general rather than specific. This research suggests that most genes associated with common learning disabilities--language impairment, reading disability, and mathematics disability--are generalists in 3 ways. First, genes that affect common learning disabilities are largely the same genes responsible for normal variation in learning abilities. Second, genes that affect any aspect of a learning disability affect other aspects of the disability. Third, genes that affect one learning disability are also likely to affect other learning disabilities. These quantitative genetic findings have far-reaching implications for molecular genetics and neuroscience as well as psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coexisting psoriatic arthritis, gout, and chondrocalcinosis

BACKGROUND: Constructional impairment following left vs. right hemisphere damage has been extensively studied drawing tasks. A confounding factor in these studies is that right-handed patients with left hemisphere damage (LHD) are often forced by weakness to use their non-dominant (left) hand or hemiparetic dominant hand. Qualitative differences in the drawing characteristics of left and right hand drawings by normal subjects have not previously been characterized. The present study was undertaken to determine the qualitative differences between left and right hand drawings of normal subjects. METHODS: Thirty right-handed, elderly subjects without a history of neurological disease were asked to draw, from memory, seven objects using the right and left hand. Half of the subjects were randomly assigned to draw with the left hand first, and half the right hand first. Right and left hand drawings were compared using a standardized scoring system utilized in several previous studies of drawing in focal and diffuse neurological disease. Each drawing was scored on eighteen criteria. Right and left hand drawing scores were then compared using the t-test for paired samples or the Wilcoxon matched-pairs test. RESULTS: Drawings made using the left hand were found to be significantly simpler, more tremulous and of poorer overall quality than drawings made by the same subjects using the right hand. CONCLUSIONS: The deficits found in left versus right hand drawings of normals are similar to those found in patients with LHD, suggesting that much of the drawing impairment seen following LDH is due to an elementary motor disturbance related to use of the non-dominant hand.     

Homework for students with learning disabilities: the implications of research for policy and practice

The literature on homework for students with learning disabilities is reviewed. First, a summary of Cooper's (1989a) synthesis of research on homework for students without disabilities is presented, including (a) a definition of homework, (b) a model of the homework process, (c) the results of a meta-analysis of homework studies, and (d) generic policy guidelines. Next, special education research on homework conducted after 1985 is described. The literature is divided into studies that manipulated homework conditions and homework-related surveys of teachers and parents. The results of the literature review suggest that homework policies and practices for students with learning disabilities should emphasize (a) simple, short assignments; (b) careful monitoring by and prominent rewards from teachers; and (c) parental involvement, especially to provide structure, conducive environments, and immediate rewards.     

Correspondences among parent, teacher, and student perceptions of adolescents' learning disabilities

A group of 26 adolescents with learning disabilities (Grades 9 through 12), their parents, and their special education teachers were asked to rate the students' skills in each of 21 specific areas covering general ability, oral language, reading, written language, math, study skills, motivation, social skills, attention, and nonverbal skills. Correspondences in the absolute and relative ratings of parents, teachers, and students across the 21 skill areas were examined. The parents' ratings were consistent with those of the teachers in 16 areas and significantly lower than the teachers in 5 areas. The students' ratings were generally higher than those of their parents and teachers. The student-teacher differences were significant in 6 areas, whereas the student-parent differences were significant in 11 areas. Although generally lower in absolute terms than the ratings of their children, the parents' relative ratings were strikingly parallel to their children's ratings across skill areas (r = 80). Differences in the reference groups used for the ratings did not seem to account for the discrepant ratings. Possible implications of the differing perceptions of students' learning disabilities for students' self-esteem and academic progress are discussed.     

Nonverbal involvement and social control.

Reviews research on the role of nonverbal involvement (e.g., distance, gaze, touch, lean, orientation, paralinguistic cues, and facial expression) in the interactive function of social control (SC). The SC function describes a general goal of exercising influence to change the behavior of others. Specifically, that process is designed to produce reactions not likely in the absence of such influence. Patterns of nonverbal involvement in the service of the SC function are reviewed in the areas of status, power, and dominance; persuasion; feedback/reinforcement; deception; and impression management. The role of these patterns in the employment interview and counseling situation is addressed. In contrast to the common assumption that nonverbal behavior usually reflects a spontaneous and consistent affective reaction, this research strongly suggests that in many instances nonverbal behavior may be managed to influence the behavior of others. (127 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Daily variations in pineal melatonin concentrations in inbred and outbred mice

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were successively recorded in a 3-year-old girl with the acute hemiplegia syndrome. She was admitted to our hospital with complaints of fever, loss of consciousness and right side dominant clonic convulsions evolving into status epilepticus, and then recovered with sequelae of aphasia and right hemiparesis. Electroencephalography showed a generalized slow rhythm at the onset, and very low activities on the left hemisphere in the follow-up records. Brain CT and MRI revealed edema of the left hemisphere initially, followed by left side dominant brain atrophy. No cerebral vascular lesion was detected by magnetic resonance angiography. N-Isopropyl-[123I]-iodoamphetamine SPECT showed marked hypoperfusion of the left hemisphere accompanied by crossed cerebellar diaschisis. MRS at the initial stage detected decreased N-acetyl-aspartic acid and increased lactic acid signals in the bilateral hemisphere, which subsequently normalized only on the right side. These findings suggested brain damage and neural cell death in the left cerebral hemisphere, caused by acute encephalopathy. SPECT and MRS are useful new techniques to study the pathophysiology of the acute hemiplegia syndrome.     

Choosing sides: The left and right of the normal brain.

One view of brain organization holds that the left cerebral hemisphere controls language processes, while the right hemisphere deals with various nonverbal activities such as visuospatial tasks. It is argued that a substantial proportion of the population deviates from this modal model, and that the investigation of individual differences in brain organization through careful studies of neurologically intact Ss is critical to the understanding of cerebral function. Deviations from the modal model are seen as normal and genetically determined, rather than pathological in origin. It is suggested that different functions, such as handedness, language, and visuospatial ability, are lateralized by relatively independent mechanisms, and therefore can be dissociated. Evidence for a positive relation between brain lateralization and cognitive ability is presented. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Asymmetric effects of ovarian hormones on hemispheric activity: Evidence from dichotic and tachistoscopic tests.

Previous studies have suggested a role of endogenously cycling ovarian hormones in the modulation of perceptual asymmetries. In the present investigation, participants were given perceptual asymmetry tests including verbal and nonverbal tachistoscopic and dichotic listening tasks during the menstrual and midluteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Salivary levels of estrogen and progesterone were also measured. Analyses of performance on the tachistoscopic tests revealed that left visual field, but not right visual field, accuracy was significantly lower for both verbal and nonverbal tasks at the midluteal phase than at the menstrual phase. Right ear performance on the nonverbal dichotic test was significantly reduced at the midluteal phase. Results suggest suppression of right hemisphere processing areas and possible reduction in callosal transfer efficiency at higher levels of ovarian steroids. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decision making in CPR: attitudes of hospital patients and healthcare professionals

The medical records of 478 SLE patients were reviewed. Ninety-five patients (19.9%) with a history of seizures were identified. EEG reports were available on 62. EEGs were interpreted as normal in 8 (12.9%) and abnormal in 54 (87.1%). Abnormal EEGs were reviewed for the presence of unilateral and bilateral abnormalities. Left hemisphere abnormalities were identified in 43 (79.6%), right hemisphere abnormalities in 4 (7.4%), and bilateral abnormalities in 7 (13.0%) patients with SLE. Abnormalities included theta and delta slowing and sharp wave activity. In 32 of the 43 (74.4%) patients with left hemisphere abnormalities, the abnormalities were localized to the left temporal leads. These findings suggest selective damage to the left temporolimbic region in patients with SLE.     

Brain-behavior relationships in children with learning disabilities.

Reports on studies emphasizing a neuropsychological approach to the investigation of learning disabilities in children. Areas reviewed include the level of performance approach, attentional deficits, EEG abnormalities, comparisons of performance on the 2 sides of the body, differential score approaches, and the investigation of particular learning disabilities. These studies indicate that cerebral impairment is at least one crucial factor limiting the satisfactory adaptation of children with learning disabilities. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learning disabilities: Policy issues and promising approaches.

The current status of knowledge concerning learning disabilities is reviewed with respect to areas of consensus and areas of disagreement about this phenomenon. The adequacy of the knowledge base is evaluated, and implications for social policies regarding the definition, diagnosis, treatment, and education of learning disabled children are drawn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Learning About Learning Disabilities, Third Edition.

This article reviews the book, "Learning about Learning Disabilities, Third Edition" (see record 2004-21912-000), edited by Bernice Wong. This book is comprised of a selection of chapters authored by well-known authors in the field of learning disabilities. The book was developed for use with advanced undergraduate and graduate students with the intent to provide current information soundly based in research in the field. The chapters in the book are organized into three thematic sections. The first section deals with conceptual, historical, and research aspects of learning disabilities. The second section comprises chapters on reading comprehension, writing, math, social competence, strategy instruction, working with adolescents, issues in service delivery, and developing communities of practice. The third section focuses on a life span approach to learning disabilities. This book does what it purports to do. This is a well put together selection of readings. It may not be appropriate for advanced undergraduate students with no previous background knowledge or experience with learning disabilities due to the level of the book. The information provided in each chapter is current and soundly based in research. In addition to the research presented, the majority of the chapters also include practical implications of the research to teaching settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)