The diving reflex in healthy infants in the first year of life.

A cohort study was conducted with a random sample of 33 healthy infants evaluated at birth and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 months to determine the frequency of respiratory rate changes in response to air blown over the face (diving reflex) in the first year of life, and to standardize the description of diving reflex occurrence. All 33 infants remained neurologically normal throughout follow-up. Diving reflex was observed in 95.

Habituation of the blink reflex in the neonatal period and development of auditory processing.

Objective: To check the existence of an association between the presence/absence of the blink reflex habituation in the neonatal period and auditory processing development.

Methods: The occurrence of blink reflex habituation was studied in 33 neurologically normal neonates, aged between 9 and 25 months, who had their behavioral responses analyzed and classified according to Azevedo (1993). Habituation of the blink reflex was verified using 90-dB sound stimulus.

P300 auditory evoked potential latency in elderly.

Unlabelled: Auditory cortical disorders in the elderly can be assessed by the P300. The lack of contemporary reference values of P300 latency in healthy elderly motivated this study.

Aim: To estimate the effect of age on P300 latency in a group of elderly.

Language and focal brain lesion in childhood.

Childhood ischemic strokes can lead to problems like hemiplegias, epilepsies, cognitive changes (memory and mathematical solutions), and language ability (reading, writing, and aphasias). The purpose of this study was to evaluate language and its aspects in children with unilateral ischemic stroke and associate them with the age during the event, injured side, and occurrence of epilepsy. Thirty-two children between 8 months and 19 years of age were evaluated.

Auditory hypersensitivity in the autistic spectrum disorder.

Background: auditory hypersensitivity in the autistic spectrum disorder has been described in the literature since the very first reports. However, this symptom has not been sufficiently explored, especially regarding possible causes, diagnosis and consequences.

Aim: to study sensory-perceptual abnormalities in the autistic spectrum disorder, emphasizing auditory hypersensitivity and to discuss their effects in speech therapy based on the literature found until September 2007 in the following database: Scielo, Lilacs, Web of Science, and Medline.

Evolution of anterior fontanel size in normal infants in the first year of life.

To analyze cranial growth and size of anterior fontanel during the first year of life, we undertook a cohort study with a sample of 33 infants assessed at birth and reexamined at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 months. Examination included assessment of head circumference, anterior fontanel size, anteroposterior distance, biauricular distance, and cephalic index. All infants were neurologically normal.

Association between dynamic asymmetry of the newborn's head and intrauterine factors.

A non-comparable, individual, observational and contemporary cross-sectional study in newborns was made to determine the dynamic lateralization in the head turning after release from the midline and its relationship with obstetric variables. From October to December of 2005, 320 newborns were admitted to the Adjacent Lodgings of the University Hospital of Santa Maria. From those, 89 were selected for assessment of the vestibular function since they have had previously fetal static control through ultrasound.

Babkin reflex and other motor responses to appendicular compression stimulus of the newborn.

This cross-sectional study evaluated 106 normal newborns with the aim of determining the prevalence of mouth opening, neck rotation, and limb flexion or extension responses triggered by pressure stimuli applied to the hand, forearm, arm, foot, leg, or thigh. Mouth opening, neck rotation, and lower limb flexion responses were found in the three segments of the lower limb, with mouth opening obtained in 100% of newborns, neck rotation in 88.7%, and flexion of lower limbs in 67.

Auditory hypersensitivity in children and teenagers with autistic spectrum disorder.

Objective: To verify if the clinical behavior of auditory hypersensitivity, reported in interviews with parents/caregivers and therapists/teachers of 46 children and teenagers suffering from autistic spectrum disorder, correspond to audiological findings.

Method: The clinical diagnosis for auditory hypersensitivity was investigated by means of an interview. Subsequently, a test of the acoustic stapedial reflex was conducted, and responses to intense acoustic stimulus in open field were observed.

Neurological examination in the healthy term newborn.

We carried out a cross-sectional study with a sample of 106 normal full-term newborns examined within 24 to 72 hours of birth. The following findings were evaluated: head and chest measurements, muscle strength, tone, tendon reflexes, superficial reflexes, primitive reflexes, and cranial nerves. All 106 newborns were considered neurologically normal.