Revised Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) - Brazilian version.

Objective: To translate and adapt to Brazilian Portuguese the Revised Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), in both paper-and-pencil and computerized versions. The RMET is a well-accepted instrument for assessment of Theory of Mind (ToM), an important component of social cognition.

Methods: Following a guideline for translation of material for clinical populations, this study had three main phases: 1) formal translation and semantic adaptation to Brazilian Portuguese; 2) an acceptability trial with health professionals as judges evaluating picture-word matching; and 3) a trial using the paper-and-pencil and computerized versions (experiments built in E-Prime 2.

Syntactic processing in bilinguals: an fNIRS study.

The study of the neural basis of syntactic processing has greatly benefited from neuroimaging techniques. Research on syntactic processing in bilinguals has used a variety of techniques, including mainly functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related potentials (ERP). This paper reports on a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study on syntactic processing in highly proficient young adult speakers of Portuguese (mother tongue) (L1) and French (second language) (L2).

Neurofunctional (re)organization underlying narrative discourse processing in aging: evidence from fNIRS.

Relatively few studies have analyzed the mechanisms underlying the cognitive changes that affect language in the elderly, and fewer have done so for narrative discourse. The goal of this study was to explore the neurofunctional changes associated with aging for different components of narrative discourse. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and behavioral data on 10 younger adults and 10 healthy elderly participants were collected.

Episodic memory, concentrated attention and processing speed in aging: A comparative study of Brazilian age groups.

Unlabelled: Neuropsychological studies on the processing of some specific cognitive functions throughout aging are essential for the understanding of human cognitive development from ages 19 to 89.

Objectives: This study aimed to verify the occurrence of differences in the processing of episodic memory, concentrated attention and speed of attentional processing among four age groups of adults.

Methods: A total of 136 neurologically healthy adults, aged 19-89, with 9 or more years of schooling, took part in the study.

Literacy as a determining factor for brain organization: from Lecours' contribution to the present day.

This review aimed to discuss the influence of literacy and formal education on human brain organization, based on evidence drawn from three sources: (1) results and limitations of a project coordinated by André Roch Lecours on the influence of illiteracy on brain organization and of studies on aphasia in illiterate populations;(2) data on the impact of schooling on the neuropsychological assessment of healthy and brain-damaged individuals, and(3) studies on the effect of schooling on dementia. These findings suggest that schooling and literacy processes influence cerebral organization of healthy individuals, as well as of brain-lesion individuals and those with dementia. Concerning illiteracy, the systematic pioneering studies developed by Lecours and the continuity of his investigations were essential to alert the scientific and clinical communities to take into account the role of educational experience on cognitive processing and its brain substrates.