Biomedical subjects

Joseph P Pillion

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph P Pillion.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Characteristics of auditory agnosia in a child with severe traumatic brain injury: a case report.

We present a case that is unusual in many respects from other documented incidences of auditory agnosia, including the mechanism of injury, age of the individual, and location of neurological insult. The clinical presentation is one of disturbance in the perception of spoken language, music, pitch, emotional prosody, and temporal auditory processing in the absence of significant deficits in the comprehension of written language, expressive language production, or peripheral auditory function. Furthermore, the patient demonstrates relatively preserved function in other aspects of audition such as sound localization, voice recognition, and perception of animal noises and environmental sounds. This case study demonstrates that auditory agnosia is possible following traumatic brain injury in a child, and illustrates the necessity of assessment with a wide variety of auditory stimuli to fully characterize auditory agnosia in a single individual.

Agnosia↗

PubMed2005

Construct validity of the auditory continuous performance test for preschoolers.

Development of diagnostic instruments directed toward neuropsychological assessment of preschoolers lags significantly behind those available for school-age children (DeWolfe, Byrne, & Bawden, 2000). This is particularly true for measures of executive function (EF). The Auditory Continuous Performance Test for Preschoolers (ACPT-P; Mahone, Pillion, & Hiemenz, 2001) is a computerized, Go-No-go test developed to measure selected EF skills in preschoolers. First, to determine whether performance on the ACPT-P is associated with hearing impairment, we compared performance of children with mild hearing loss (MHL) to controls on the ACPT-P, and measures of spatial working memory (SWM) and motor persistence (MP). There were no differences between performance of the MHL group and controls on any of these measures. Second, to examine the construct validity of the ACPT-P, we compared performance of 40 preschoolers with ADHD to 40 age- and sex-matched controls, using the ACPT-P to measure response preparation, sustained attention, and inhibitory control. We also compared these groups on measures of SWM and MP. The group with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) performed significantly worse than controls on the ACPT-P (omissions, mean response time, variability) and MP. The ACPT-P was correlated with the MP, but not with the SWM measure. Both the ACPT-P and the MP measures showed low to moderate correlations with parent ratings of behavior associated with ADHD. These findings support the use of performance-based assessment of executive control skills in preschoolers suspected of having ADHD. In this age group, the ACPT-P may be particularly useful in assessing sustained attention and response preparation and may complement behavior rating scales.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2003

Prevalence of hearing loss in Rett syndrome.

This study examined the auditory status of females with Rett syndrome (RS) using auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing and measures of acoustic admittance. Prevalence of hearing impairment in 81 female patients (age range 1 year 3 months to 39 years 8 months; mean age 8 years 7 months, SD 6 years 4 months) was evaluated with ABR measurements. If the ABR latencies at 20dB nHL exceeded those of the normative group, a slight hearing loss was diagnosed. For ABR thresholds in the range 30 to 40dB nHL, a mild hearing loss was determined; moderate hearing loss was diagnosed for ABR thresholds in the range 50 to 60dB nHL. Bilateral hearing loss was found in 16 (19.3%) patients and unilateral hearing loss in 13 (16%) patients. Bilateral hearing loss of moderate degree was found in one patient. No patient was found with severe hearing loss (ABR threshold of 70dB nHL and above) in either ear. Slight hearing loss was found in 10.5% of ears (17 of 162), mild hearing loss in 14.2% of ears(23 of 162), and moderate hearing loss in 3.1% of ears (5 of 162). In 72.2% of ears (117 of 162), findings indicated the presence of normal peripheral auditory sensitivity. Prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss was 17.3% (28 of 162). Evidence of conductive involvement (conductive and mixed hearing loss) was observed in 9.9% of ears (16 of 162). In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence of hearing loss was increased in older RS participants and in those with seizures requiring the use of anticonvulsants. Neither the type of hearing loss nor the presence of preserved speech seemed to be correlated with the type of mutation in methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene that is associated with RS.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗

PubMed2003

Age and task parameters in continuous performance tests for preschoolers.

66 children (M=56.2 mo., SD=10.9), recruited from preschool and daycare centers, were administered two continuous performance tests, one auditory and one visual. Both tests utilized a format with one target and one nontarget. Interstimulus interval was fixed at 1350 msec. for the visual test and 5000 msec. for the auditory test. The visual test produced greater rates of omission and commission errors than the auditory test. Age was significantly related to mean reaction time and response variability for both tests; however, the visual test produced an unexpected pattern of increasing response time across age groups. On both tests omission rates improved significantly with age, while commission rates were consistent across ages 3-6 years. When considering continuous performance test paradigms for preschoolers, 3-yr.-olds may need at least a 4000-msec. interstimulus interval to make a choice for the stimulus cue. Hits following an interstimulus interval shorter than 1400 msec. may reflect younger preschoolers' response to a previous stimulus.

Age Factors↗