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10 results

  • Age-related changes in lexical tones and intonation in Cantonese infant-directed speech: A longitudinal study

  • Luchang Wang, Patrick C. M. Wong
  • Journal:
    Journal of Child Language , First View
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    27 September 2024, pp. 1-24
    • Article
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  • This longitudinal study investigated modifications in lexical tones and intonation in Cantonese infant-directed speech (IDS) to children aged 15 and 23 months. The results showed that to children at both ages, mothers increased intonational pitch height and pitch variability across utterances, and produced lexical tones with generally larger tonal space and greater intra-talker tone variation within categories in IDS compared to adult-directed speech. No significant changes were found in either lexical tones or intonation in IDS between the two ages. In addition, positive correlations were found between the degree of age-related changes in tonal space and intonational exaggerations in IDS as children grow older. The findings were discussed with a focus on the co-occurrence of an increase in tone variation along with tonal space expansion, the age-related changes in lexical tones and intonation, and the associations between the lexical and prosodic pitch modifications.

  • Chapter 8 - Processing Speed and Cognitive Control

  • Klara Marton, City University of New York
  • Book:
    Cognitive Control along the Language Continuum
    Published online:
    09 July 2024
    Print publication:
    27 June 2024, pp 117-132

  • Summary

    Processing speed and cognitive control show a negative correlation. The more automatic a behavior the less cognitive control is needed and the information is processed faster. Faster processing allows the system to integrate more content efficiently. The chapter uncovers how this interaction between processing speed and cognitive control is influenced by age; task type and complexity; targeted cognitive functions; and children’s language skills. Although the analysis of the relationship between processing speed and cognitive control reveals notable individual differences, monolingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD) generally perform slower than their typically developing peers, whereas bilingual children often outperform their monolingual peers in processing speed. Bilingual children with DLD provide an unparalleled opportunity to study the joint effects of bilingualism and DLD on processing speed. The preliminary findings suggest that bilingualism does attenuate the negative effects of DLD but only in simple task conditions.

  • Age-related changes and nutritional regulation of myosin heavy-chain composition in longissimus dorsi of commercial pigs

  • X. M. Men, B. Deng, Z. W. Xu, X. Tao, K. K. Qi
  • Journal:
    animal / Volume 7 / Issue 9 / September 2013
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    14 June 2013, pp. 1486-1492
    Print publication:
    September 2013

  • The objective of this study is to investigate the age-related changes of and the effects of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on muscle-fibre types in commercial pigs. We divided 25 crossbred male pigs into five age groups (7, 30, 60, 100 and 180 days) and 30 finishing pigs into two dietary groups (one fed a CLA-enriched diet and the other fed a control diet for 30 days). We analysed the composition (%) of myosin heavy-chain (MyHC) mRNA according to the absolute copies of each MyHC (I, IIa, IIb and IIx) mRNA, and the activities of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) in the longissimus muscle. From days 7 to 180, the MyHC I mRNA abundance and SDH and MDH activities presented a decreasing trend, the MyHC IIb mRNA abundance presented a steady trend and the MyHC IIa and IIx mRNA abundances presented an increasing trend. On day 30, MyHC I and IIb mRNA abundances were at their lowest (P < 0.05), and the MyHC IIa and IIx mRNA abundances were at their highest (P < 0.05). In the CLA group, the MyHC I mRNA abundance and the activities of SDH and MDH were improved in the longissimus muscle, whereas pressure loss, drip loss and average back fat depth significantly decreased (P < 0.01) and shear force significantly increased (P < 0.01). Loin eye area, feed conversion rate and meat colour showed some tendency to be improved. These results indicated that more oxidative fibres might convert to glycolytic fibres with increasing age or weight, and that the early developmental stage might be a key stage for this conversion. During the finishing stage, the proportion of oxidative fibres might be increased by dietary CLA supplementation, which may contribute to the water-holding capacity of meat. The results would provide an important basis for the application of muscle-fibre types in the improvement of pork quality.

  • Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an investigation of age-related differences in behavioural symptoms, neuropsychological function and co-morbidity

  • J. Bramham, D. G. M. Murphy, K. Xenitidis, P. Asherson, G. Hopkin, S. Young
  • Journal:
    Psychological Medicine / Volume 42 / Issue 10 / October 2012
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    28 February 2012, pp. 2225-2234
  • Background

    The outcomes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been studied extensively in the first decades of life, but less is known about ADHD in adulthood. Hence we investigated cross-sectional age-related differences in behavioural symptoms, neuropsychological function and severity of co-morbid disorders within a clinically referred adult ADHD population.

    Method

    We subdivided 439 referrals of individuals with ADHD (aged 16–50 years) into four groups based on decade of life and matched for childhood ADHD severity. We compared the groups on measures of self- and informant-rated current behavioural ADHD symptoms, neuropsychological performance, and self-rated co-morbid mood and anxiety symptoms.

    Results

    There was a significant age-related reduction in the severity of all ADHD symptoms based on informant-ratings. In contrast, according to self-ratings, inattentive symptoms increased with age. Neuropsychological function improved across age groups on measures of selective attention and response inhibition. There was a mild correlation between the severity of depression symptoms and increasing age.

    Conclusions

    This observational study suggests that, in adulthood, ADHD symptoms as measured using informant-ratings and neuropsychological measures continue to improve with increasing age. However the subjective experience of people with ADHD is that their symptoms worsen. This dichotomy may be partially explained by the presence of co-morbid affective symptoms. The main limitation of the study is that it is cross-sectional rather than longitudinal, and the latter design would provide more conclusive evidence regarding age-related changes in an adult ADHD population.

  • Chapter 26 - Aging, Alzheimer's disease and sleepiness

  • from Section 3 - Medical, Psychiatric and Neurological Causes Of Sleepiness
  • Edited by Michael J. Thorpy, Michel Billiard
  • Book:
    Sleepiness
    Published online:
    04 February 2011
    Print publication:
    27 January 2011, pp 292-300

  • Summary

    This chapter discusses the symptom of sleepiness in two of the most common circadian rhythm sleep disorders: advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD) and delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD). The personality disorders are diagnosed more frequently in those with DSPD compared with other sleep disorder populations, including ASPD. In ASPD, an individual's circadian sleep tendency is advanced relative to the (societally) desired clock time. A number of investigators have recently reported age-related changes in the circadian timing system that may be associated with the sleep patterns often observed in older subjects. The effective use of current interventions in the treatment of DSPD and ASPD, as well as the development of new approaches, depends largely on the findings obtained from this type of analytic approach. This is emphasized by the results of several studies showing successful phase shifts of the circadian system, without any improvement in sleep quality.

  • 25 - Insomnia in the elderly

  • from Part 3 - Sleepdisorders in the elderly
  • Edited by S. R. Pandi-Perumal, Jaime M. Monti, Universidad de la República, Uruguay, Andrew A. Monjan, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
  • Book:
    Principles and Practice of Geriatric Sleep Medicine
    Published online:
    04 August 2010
    Print publication:
    26 November 2009, pp 271-279

  • Summary

    This chapter discusses whether shift work might be particularly harmful to men and women over 55 years of age. The essence of the problem for seniors who are shift workers therefore revolves around three interrelated concepts: age-related changes in the ability of the circadian system to phase adjust; age-related changes in the ability of the individual to stay awake and work in the late evening and overnight hours; and age-related changes in the ability of the individual to sleep at "unusual" times. Conventional wisdom asserts that seniors have flatter circadian rhythms, rendering the difference between day and night in their physiology less different for them than it is for younger adults. In addition to disorders of sleep and wakefulness, there appear to be both physical health and mental health consequences of shift work exposure. Social factors may also serve to render coping with shift work difficult.

  • 11 - Assessment and differential diagnosis of sleep disorders in the elderly

  • from Part 3 - Sleepdisorders in the elderly
  • Edited by S. R. Pandi-Perumal, Jaime M. Monti, Universidad de la República, Uruguay, Andrew A. Monjan, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
  • Book:
    Principles and Practice of Geriatric Sleep Medicine
    Published online:
    04 August 2010
    Print publication:
    26 November 2009, pp 123-130

  • Summary

    This chapter shows that circadian rhythms have a tendency to become less robust with increasing age, i.e. they generally exhibit decreases in amplitude and less stability. Some obvious consequences of such reductions in rhythm amplitude are fragmentation of rhythms, complete loss of temporal order and structure, loss of stability of entrainment, and responsiveness to zeitgebers. Other consequences include changes in clock period and its stability, and inappropriate phase relationships among behavioral and metabolic oscillations. Age-related decreases in the amplitude of circadian rhythms in humans and other mammals have been linked to a deterioration of rhythmic behaviors such as those seen in locomotor activity, feeding and drinking. Anatomical and electrophysiological studies have shown that age-related changes occur within the biological clocks of mammals including humans. There is increasing evidence for age-related changes in the structure and neurochemistry of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), including alterations in cells producing vasopressin.

  • 37 - Self-help treatments for older adults with primary and co-morbid insomnia

  • from Part 4 - Treatment of sleep disorders in the elderly
  • Edited by S. R. Pandi-Perumal, Jaime M. Monti, Universidad de la República, Uruguay, Andrew A. Monjan, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
  • Book:
    Principles and Practice of Geriatric Sleep Medicine
    Published online:
    04 August 2010
    Print publication:
    26 November 2009, pp 394-402

  • Summary

    This chapter addresses the age-related changes in sleep and the nature, assessment, diagnosis, and epidemiology of older adults with insomnia (OAWI) from a behavioral sleep medicine perspective. Complaints of insomnia are categorized into difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, unwanted early morning awakenings, and non-restorative sleep often with daytime consequences such as excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Factors that interfere with the opportunity to obtain sufficient sleep include other sleep disorders, substance use, shift work, or the presence of another psychiatric disorder. As one moves from middle age to the later years of life, the aging process creates changes in sleep architecture and continuity that increase the vulnerability to developing chronic insomnia. Research indicates that some crucial interventions that buffer against chronic insomnia may help the older adult to adopt a regular daily schedule, a healthier lifestyle and sleep behaviors, and increase the quality of social interactions and physical activity.

  • 23 - Sleep apnea in the elderly

  • from Part 3 - Sleepdisorders in the elderly
  • Edited by S. R. Pandi-Perumal, Jaime M. Monti, Universidad de la República, Uruguay, Andrew A. Monjan, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
  • Book:
    Principles and Practice of Geriatric Sleep Medicine
    Published online:
    04 August 2010
    Print publication:
    26 November 2009, pp 248-259

  • Summary

    This chapter reviews the assessment and differential diagnosis of sleep disorders in the elderly. Cognitive deficits and sleep difficulties are normal age-related changes, may explain an elderly patient's complaints about sleep. There are also a variety of other diagnoses that must be considered, including the presence of specific sleep disorders, circadian rhythm disturbances, and medical and psychiatric co-morbidities. There are also several less common presentations of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) that can be found in the elderly, which include complaints of insomnia, nocturnal confusion, and daytime cognitive impairment such as short-term memory loss and poor concentration. As with younger patients, sleep complaints in older patients should be evaluated with a thorough sleep history and often an overnight sleep study. The appropriate diagnosis or identification of specific, often reversible or correctable factors contributing to an elderly patient's sleep complaint can result in significant improvements in quality of life and daytime functioning.

  • 12 - Circadian rhythm dysregulation in the elderly: advanced sleep phase syndrome

  • from Part 3 - Sleepdisorders in the elderly
  • Edited by S. R. Pandi-Perumal, Jaime M. Monti, Universidad de la República, Uruguay, Andrew A. Monjan, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
  • Book:
    Principles and Practice of Geriatric Sleep Medicine
    Published online:
    04 August 2010
    Print publication:
    26 November 2009, pp 131-142

  • Summary

    The current evidence that aging is associated with a significant increase in sleep-wake cycle complaints has individual, social, and economic consequences. These age-related changes occur as early as the middle years of life, with over 35% of the population in their forties to sixties reporting sleep difficulties. Age effects on non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) differ between brain topographical sites in parallel with age-related changes in gray matter density of the brain. A precise interaction between the homeostatic and circadian processes is required for optimal sleep and vigilance. Age-related increase in wakefulness during sleep may be associated with a phase angle change between the signal from the circadian clock and sleep-wake cycles. Age-related changes in the neural correlates of NREM sleep oscillations may also underlie changes in memory and brain plasticity. There is need to determine the consequences of age-dependent changes to the sleep-wake cycle in middle-aged individuals.