Ontogeny of infantile oral reflexes and emerging chewing

The ontogeny of rooting, lip, lateral tongue, mouth opening, biting, and Babkin reflexes and emerging chewing behaviors were observed in 2 normal infants from 1 week to 35 weeks of age. These behaviors were videotaped at 9 monthly test sessions, and their movement patterns analyzed during slow-motion playback. The reflex responses were elicited in both infants through 35 weeks of age. They consisted of those characteristic movements described in the literature plus additional movements that elaborated the characteristic pattern. The complexity of the reflexes and the quality of movement changed with age. Components of chewing, which emerged sequentially from 1 week of age, were cyclical mandibular elevation and depression, lateral tongue movements, transport of the bolus from lateral to medial oral position, mandible retrusion, lateralization and protrusion movements in association with mandibular elevation and depression, increase in speed of rhythmical chewing movements to the mature speed of 1 cycle per second, and mastication. Chewing and oral reflexes contained similar movements but differed in the relative frequency of certain characteristic movements and in the stimulus response relationship.     

Radial localization of odors by human newborns.

To study sensitivity to radial location of an odor source, 20 human newborns, ranging from 16 to 130 hours of age, were presented with a small amount of ammonium hydroxide. The odor source was placed near the nose slightly to the left or right of midline, with its position randomized over repeated trails. Direction of headturn with respect to the odor location and diffuse motor activity were scored from the videotape recordings of the newborns' behavior. It was found that as a group, the newborns turned away from the odor source more frequently than they turned toward it. The tendency to turn away from the odor was stronger in infants who displayed less motor activity after the response. Newborns also exhibited a right bias in the direction of the head movements. It is concluded that a spatially appropriate avoidance response is present in the neonate and that the newborn is innately sensitive to the radial location of an odor.     

Development of the Stretch Reflex in the Newborn: Reciprocal Excitation and Reflex Irradiation

The stretch reflex is a spinal cord pathway between a muscle's stretch receptors and its own motor units. This reflex is thought to play an important role in normal motor function, because it is unique as a monosynaptic pathway, and because its hyperactivity is a hallmark of many motor disorders. We previously reported a difference in the stretch reflexes in healthy newborn infants and nonambulatory individuals with cerebral palsy (CP): these reflexes are characterized by responses from the stretched muscle and from the reciprocal or antagonist muscle. We proposed the existence of a functional spinal cord pathway that connects both agonist and antagonist muscles at a single joint. We hypothesized that this "reciprocal excitation" is a functional pathway of all newborn infants, which during the normal course of development of motor skills in infants is eliminated. If the CNS is damaged at birth, as in CP, the pathway of reciprocal excitation endures and is reinforced. In the current study of newborns, we recorded stretch reflex responses from all major muscle groups of the lower limb. This "irradiation of reflexes" is a normal phenomenon of the newborn CNS. This pathway becomes suppressed during normal maturation and control of coordinated limb movements.     

Hemispheric specialization and the language abilities of autistic children

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between patterns of hemispheric specialization for speech processing and language ability in autistic children. 17 male autistic children, 6-18 years of age, and 17 normal children, matched for chronological age and gender, were tested. Measures of hemispheric asymmetry were differences in the averaged cortical evoked responses taken from right and left hemisphere scalp locations to linguistic and nonlinguistic auditory stimuli. A comprehensive battery of language tests was administered to autistic subjects. Autistic children's direction of hemispheric asymmetry in response to linguistic stimuli differed significantly from that of normal subjects. The majority of autistic subjects showed reversed (right hemisphere dominant), but not necessarily reduced, patterns of hemispheric asymmetry. Autistic children with more advanced language abilities were more likely to exhibit a normal direction of hemispheric asymmetry. The possibility that a shift from right to left hemisphere processing of speech occurs as the autistic child acquires spoken language is discussed.     

Smooth-pursuit eye movements in the newborn infant.

The capacity of newborn infants to smooth-pursuit eye movements in single-target tracking and in optokinetic nystagmus to a moving striped field was examined utilizing DC electrooculography. Smooth-pursuit movements were observed in all infants who were alert during testing, but they occupied less than 15% of viewing time during single-target tracking. The velocity of smooth-pursuit segments in single-target tracking increased linearly to a target velocity of 19 degrees/sec and deteriorated rapidly at faster speeds. No smooth pursuit occurred above 32 degrees/sec in single-target tracking. By contrast, optokinetic nystagmus was observed at all field velocities to 40 degrees/sec, but the speed of the mean slow component increased linearly to 25 degrees/sec and diminished above that field velocity. Infant optokinetic nystagmus differed strikingly from that of adults in that tonic ocular deviation was in the direction of field movement rather than away from it. This feature of neonatal optokinetic nystagmus is consistent with deficient foveal function and suggests that the relatively poor smooth-pursuit performance of newborns may be related to foveal immaturity.     

Chinese Children’s Statistical Learning of Orthographic Regularities: Positional Constraints and Character Structure

This study examined how Chinese children acquire the untaught positional constraints of stroke patterns that are embedded in left–right structured and top–bottom structured characters. Using an orthographic regularity pattern elicitation paradigm, 536 Hong Kong Chinese children at different levels of reading (kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th grades) were asked to produce invented characters with left–right and top–bottom stroke pattern pairs. Even kindergartners were aware of the positional constraints of stroke patterns and were able to produce orthographically legal pseudocharacters with different stroke pattern pairs. This ability improved across grade level. Moreover, there was a production asymmetry in which children produced more top–bottom structured pseudocharacters than left–right structured pseudocharacters. The error pattern analysis further revealed that more positional errors were observed in producing left–right structured noncharacters than in the top–bottom structured noncharacters. This production asymmetry seemed to reflect children’s experience with a distribution asymmetry observed between left–right (59.19%) and top–bottom structured characters (23.46%) in a corpus of school Chinese. These results are discussed within the framework of statistical learning of orthographic regularity in Chinese.     

Temporal coordination of arm movements in early infancy: do infants move in synchrony with adult speech?

The purpose of the present study was to measure the degree of interdependence in timing (a) between infants' right and left arm movements, and (b) between movements of both arms and the onsets of stressed vowels in tape-recorded infant-appropriate speech. Based on previous work concerning closely related phenomena, we hypothesized that both forms of interdependence should be present to a high degree, even very early in infancy. Movements of 2 male and 4 female infants were analyzed at 2 and 10 weeks of age. Videotaping was conducted under 3 conditions: (a) quiet, (b) mother-infant interaction, and (c) presentation of a repeating tape loop containing natural sounding, infant-appropriate speech. Movement events were analyzed using a method of computer-aided 3-dimensional cinematography. A computer algorithm located change-in-direction movement events based on the 3-D coordinates. Lag sequential analysis was used to test for temporal interdependence. No evidence was found for interdependence between right and left arm movements, or between speech events and arm movements. The present findings have important implications for our understanding of early coordination and the regulation of mother-infant interaction. The utility of the movement-scoring methodology is also discussed in terms of its potential application to the study of early coordination development.     

Mechanisms for turn alternation in woodlice (Porcellio scaber): The role of bilaterally asymmetrical leg movements

Angles of free turn were observed in woodlice (Porcellio scaber) after they had been forced to turn left or right in runways. Alternation angles were increased by greater forced-turn angles and number of successive forced turns in one direction. Removal of one or both antennae had no effect on alternation. It was also repeatedly observed that the closer a woodlouse remained to the far wall while traveling along the exit alley of a runway, the greater was its angle of alternation. However, orientation toward this far wall bore no relation to alternation. When given three successive left or right forced turns followed by a fourth in the opposite direction, woodlice moved further away from the exit-alley far wall and repeated the last forced turn at the choice area. Along with results of the other experiments, this result in particular supported an explanation for woodlouse alternation based on bilaterally asymmetrical leg movements (BALM) arising from the negotiation of forced turns. Such asymmetry is seen as biasing an animal to turn in the opposite direction to a preceding forced turn.     

Hemispheres’ Modes of Cognitive Functions in a Finnish School: grades and behaviour

This research investigated the relationship between cognitive mode of functions, school grades, behaviour problems, untidiness and impulsiveness. Right ear dominance was not significant compared to the left ear dominance in music. Music was significant when subjects were left ear (right hemisphere) dominants (REAHD) and right eye (left hemisphere) dominants (LEYHD) had better grades compared to all left eye (right hemisphere) dominants at the 0.016<0.05 level. But also (REAHD)‐(LEYHD) had even better grades when compared to left eye and left ear dominance (right hemisphere) T‐test 0.001, and also with left ear hemisphere and right eye dominance 0.024 < 0.05. Mathematics and language were not statistically significant with SOLAT and conjugated lateral eye‐movement. The OKKIE questionnaire (untidiness, impulsiveness and behaviour problems) on the whole was not statistically significant, but the right hemisphere dominants were the only ones who scored the highest in many questions from the OKKIE questionnaire in behaviour problems and impulsiv‐ity either with SOLAT or lateral eye‐movement test from the 0.0569 to 0.0900 level, and thinking loud was significant to the 0.05 level. When the subjects were regrouped — left with SOLAT and right with conjugated lateral eye‐movement, and right with SOLAT and integrated with conjugated lateral eye‐movement — the mean scores were meaningful in religion and music. In technical/manual work, they had the worst mean scores compared to other combinations.     

Newborns’ Perception of Left–Right Spatial Relations

Five experiments examined 79 newborns’ ability to discriminate and categorize a spatial relation, defined by the left–right spatial position of a blinking object‐target with respect to a vertical landmark‐bar. Three‐day‐old infants discriminated the up versus low position of an object located on the same side of the landmark‐bar (Experiment 1) and recognized a basic left–right spatial invariance of the object‐target and the landmark‐bar in conditions of low (Experiment 2) and high (Experiment 3) perceptual variability of the object’s positions. Additional evidence ruled out the possibility that newborns were unable to discriminate the within‐category left–right spatial positions of the object‐target (Experiment 4) or made a categorical distinction based on spatial distance rather than on categorical spatial relations of left of and right of (Experiment 5).     

正常新生儿颅脑多排螺旋CT测量

目录:应用MSCT(多排螺旋CT,multi-slice computed tomography)测量正常新生儿的脑室结构和脑容积,为新生儿脑发育状况评价及颅脑疾病诊断提供CT解剖数据.方法:从进行颅脑CT扫描的新生儿中选取43例无异常发现者的CT图像进行测量,首先在CT机上选择测量距离值示标,分别测量侧脑室前角最大距离等7项指标,每个指标均测量三次,取其均值,并计算脑室指数;利用容积测量软件,用等灰度法均匀涂布所选区域,测量脑容积等9项指标.结果:获得正常新生儿脑室结构CT测量指标平均值和新生儿脑容积9项指标的平均值,且左右小脑半球容积及左右侧脑室容积差异无显著性(P均>0.05).结论:MSCT可准确可靠地测量正常活体新生儿脑室结构和脑容积,从影像学角度认识正常新生儿颅脑的CT解剖.     

论彝文书法章法中行款的发展转变及其标准

彝文书写的行款,在古代就已经形成了从上到下、从左到右的格式.近代以后由于受到巨大的历史变革的影响,偶尔有从上到下、从右到左的形式,但不是主流.近年来,多次比较大型的彝文书法展览和出版的彝文书法选集,绝大多数作品都采取了从上到下、从右到左的形式,背离了传统彝文书法的行款格式,应该从加强传统彝文的学习教育、坚持彝文书法传统的左书标准模式等方面给予及时纠正.     

Newborn auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABRs): prenatal and contemporary correlates

A literature review and new data on correlates of newborn auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABRs) are presented. Although there has been documentation of the importance of maturation, pathology, postnatal complications, and sex as determinants of the ABR, few investigators have adopted a multivariate approach, resulting in a confounding of maturation with pathological and other factors. In the present study, the ABR was recorded and the I-V interwave latency at 80 dB was computed for 88 newborns (60 neonatal intensive care unit survivors and 28 low-risk babies). 29 variables describing background characteristics, age, pregnancy and delivery complications, and postnatal illnesses were factor analyzed, and the obtained factors were entered into a stepwise regression. Conceptual age was the strongest predictor of the I-V interwave latency, followed by sex and prenatal obstetric complications, although the correlations obtained were low. We concluded that disorders of the central components of the ABR may be more of prenatal than of postnatal origin. In addition, the I-V interval had low but reliable correlations with 4 of 11 Brazelton scale variables. These data show the usefulness of the ABR for monitoring neurologic function in high-risk neonates and foreshadow its potential usefulness as a predictor of developmental outcome.     

Behavioral Organization in Newborns and Its Relation to Adrenocortical and Cardiac Activity

Spangler, Gottfried, and Scheubeck, Roswitha. Behavioral Organization in Newborns and Its Relation to Adrenocortical and Cardiac Activity. Child Development, 1993, 64 , 622–633. The aim of this study was to assess relations between behavioral organization and adrenocortical and cardiac activity in newborns. Twice during the neonatal period, the behavioral organization of 42 newborns, in terms of orientation and irritability, was assessed by the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), and the newborns' cortisol response to the NBAS procedure was determined. In addition, cardiac activity was assessed during 1 of the NBAS. Whereas there were only inconsistent correlations between newborn irritability and the adrenocortical response during NBAS, low orientation was associated with a higher increase in cortisol in both of the assessments. In addition, orientation was predicted by basal cortisol level. High heart rates were associated with high irritability and low regulation of state, and, in addition, negative relations were indicated between orientation and heart rate variability. The findings support a coping model of biobehavioral relations in newborns.     

肝素治疗胎儿生长受限临床应用探讨

目的:探讨肝素用于治疗胎儿生长受限(FGR)的临床疗效及安全性。方法:将74例胎儿生长受限患者随机分为3组,分别使用低分子右旋糖酐加复方丹参(对照组)、普通肝素(UFH)、低分子肝素(LMWH)治疗。治疗前、治疗后1周及终止妊娠前,行彩色超声检查,监测胎儿生长情况和脐血流变化,同时监测各项凝血指标,记录新生儿情况并进行随访。结果:(1)UFH组、LMWH组治疗后宫高、胎儿股骨长、头围、腹围增长值均高于对照组,差异有显著性(P<0.05),LMWH组胎儿双顶径增长显著高于对照组(P=0.031)。(2)两肝素组治疗后脐动脉收缩期最大血流速度(S)与舒张末期血流速度(D)的比值(S/D比值)、搏动指数(PI)、阻力指数(RI)与对照组比较均明显降低,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),而两肝素组间比较无统计学差异(P>0.05)。(3)UFH组、LMWH组治疗后新生儿胎龄、出生体重、身长、胎盘重量均较对照组明显增加(P<0.05),而两肝素组间无显著差异(P>0.05);新生儿窒息、胎死宫内、新生儿死亡发生率、早产发生率和新生儿畸形发生情况各组间无统计学差异(P>0.05);对照组足月小样儿发生率明显高于两肝素组(P=0.005),而肝素组之间则无显著差异(P>0.05)。对照组与LMWH相比,新生儿转重症监护病房(NICU)几率明显升高(P=0.003)。(4)各组孕妇治疗前后各项凝血功能检测值比较,差异均无显著性(P>0.05),产后出血量及产后出血发生率相比差异亦无统计学意义。结论:肝素可改善胎盘血流,使胎儿体重增加,减少足月小样儿的发生率,且不增加产后出血发生机会,对母亲及胎儿都较安全。LWMH治疗FGR,新生儿转NICU几率明显低于对照组,效果优于普通肝素,且使用方便,产妇易于接受,更适于推广。     

新生儿窒息后头颅CT检查的结果分析

目的:通过CT检查,对新生儿窒息的预后进行更好的评价。方法:选择114例窒息新生儿,其中26例早产儿、88例足月儿进行研究,选择48例无窒息新生儿,其中20例早产儿、28例足月儿进行对照分析。将其分为轻度窒息、重度窒息;根据CT表现,将新生儿缺血缺氧性脑病(HIE)分为轻、中、重度。按照Apgar评分标准进行评分。结果:114例窒息新生儿中,轻度窒息78例,重度窒息36例,颅内出血48例,治愈109例,死亡5例。结论:轻度窒息新生儿发生HIE后,轻、中度较多,而重度窒息后发生HIE的新生儿重度者较多。轻度HIE新生儿,经积极治疗后,预后较好,重度HIE特别是合并颅内出血者预后较差。早产儿的额叶、枕叶低密度改变不能作为新生儿缺血缺氧性脑病的依据,应根据有无窒息史及临床症状和体征来判断。     

K-ABC content bias: Comparisons between Mexican American and White children

Content (item) bias on the Mental Processing Scales and the Achievement Scale of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) was investigated with 100 Mexican American and 100 White fifth- and sixth-grade boys and girls. All children were English-speaking and from similar socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. An item-group (partial correlation) method that controlled for age, sex, and ability was used to examine bias. On the Mental Processing Scales, 17 (14%) of 120 items were found to be biased—the strong majority against the Mexican American children. On the Achievement Scale, it was observed that 58 (63%) of 92 K-ABC items were biased—all against the Mexican American sample. This latter finding is discussed in the context of possible differences in learning opportunities (language based, SES based, and school segregation) experienced by the two ethnic groups.     

“V+上/下”结构中对称、不对称及其对动词的选择性考察

"V+上/下"结构是现代汉语动趋式中很有特色的一对。运用描写和归纳法分析了"V+上"与"V+下"表现出的对称和不对称的情况。发现了绝对、相对两种对称情况并作出扩展性考察,基于"上/下"的词汇意义和语法意义的区别归纳出6种不对称情况,进而从语音、语法意义、语义等角度出发,考察了该结构中"上/下"搭配动词的限制性特征,具体归纳出音节重音位置的前后、音节数的多少,意义的实在与虚化、动词性质的不同等方面是其制约因素。     

艺术作品中面部表情不对称与情绪的脑半球偏侧化

情绪脑半球功能偏侧化研究领域中有一个较为有趣的方面——面部表情的不对称.面部不对称的相关研究揭示,面部左侧与右侧在情绪表达方面会显示出差异.有关面部表情的不对称,研究者专门做了有意表情和无意表情的区分,相应的研究结果也分别与情绪脑半球功能偏侧化的理论模型相关联.最后,结合以上研究,对艺术作品中人物肖像“左侧偏好”的原因进行了分析和总结.     

Prenatal Antecedents of Newborn Neurological Maturation

Fetal neurobehavioral development was modeled longitudinally using data collected at weekly intervals from 24 to 38 weeks gestation in a sample of 112 healthy pregnancies. Predictive associations between 3 measures of fetal neurobehavioral functioning and their developmental trajectories to neurological maturation in the first weeks after birth were examined. Prenatal measures included fetal heart rate (FHR) variability, fetal movement, and coupling between fetal motor activity and heart rate patterning; neonatal outcomes include a standard neurologic examination ( n  =   97) and brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP; n  =   47). Optimality in newborn motor activity and reflexes was predicted by fetal motor activity, FHR variability, and somatic–cardiac coupling predicted BAEP parameters. Maternal pregnancy-specific psychological stress was associated with accelerated neurologic maturation.