Babbel

Babbel: Help Me, Help You Learn A New Language


babbel_logo.pngForeign languages are hard. There’s no shortage of expensive books and systems claiming to teach you how to gab like a native in only a few short lessons. But traditional methods don’t work for most people as well real world experience and continuous practice.

A young German startup is helping language students get that practice and experience through their new language learning community called Babbel. Babbel is an Adobe Flex application that combines a social network with a series of language learning tools for English, German, Spanish, Italian, and French. The language learning tools are currently fairly basic and come in the form of vocabulary quizzes that test you on words by matching a word’s sounds and spelling with pictures. The site tracks your progress and reminds you to continue training on new sets. Babbel leverages the social network by letting users message each other and work on forming lessons together. In the future you’ll be able to chat with each other as well. xLingo and LiveMocha are other language learning communities focused on matching up foreign language students...............

Conceptualizing Functional Cognition in Stroke

Background. Up to 65% of individuals demonstrate poststroke cognitive impairments, which may increase hospital stay and caregiver burden. Randomized stroke clinical trials have emphasized physical recovery over cognition. Neuropsychological assessments have had limited utility in randomized clinical trials. These issues accentuate the need for a measure of functional cognition (the ability to accomplish everyday activities that rely on cognitive abilities, such as locating keys, conveying information, or planning activities). Objective. The aim of the study was to present the process used to establish domains of functional cognition for development of computer adaptive measure of functional cognition for stroke. Methods. Functional cognitive domains involved in identifying relevant neuropsychological constructs from the literature were conceptualized and finalized after advisory panel feedback from experts in neurology, neuropsychology, aphasiology, clinical trials

Alexia and agraphia

Contrasting perspectives of J.-M. Charcot and J. Hughlings Jackson

Victor W. Henderson, MD, MS

From the Departments of Health Research and Policy (Epidemiology) and Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, CA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Victor Henderson, Stanford University, 259 Campus Drive, mc 5405, Stanford, CA 94305-5405 vhenderson@stanford.edu.

Objective: To evaluate 19th-century concepts of cerebral localization for complex mental activities, focusing on alexia and agraphia in published writings of Jean-Martin Charcot (1825–1893) and John Hughlings Jackson (1835–1911).

Brain Tumor (Primary

--An expanding, intracranial lesion that may be either benign or malignant. However, since both types can be lethal if inaccessible or left untreated, and since malignant tumors rarely metastasize beyond the central nervous system, the distinction serves mainly to describe the rate of growth and invasiveness. Tumors are divided into six classes, according to their origin: (1) skull, (2) meninges, (3) cranial nerves, (4) neuroglia, (5) pituitary/pineal body, and (6) congenital.

Right hemisphere activation in recovery from aphasia

Lesion effect or function recruitment?

G. Raboyeau, PhD, X. De Boissezon, MD, PhD, N. Marie, MD, S. Balduyck, MD, M. Puel, MD, C. Bézy, BA, J. F. Démonet, MD, PhD and D. Cardebat, PhD

From Pôle Neurosciences CHU Toulouse (G.R., X.D.B., N.M., M.P., C.B., J.F.D., D.C.), Inserm UMR S825, IFR 96, Universités de Toulouse; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (G.R.), Canada; and PET Center (S.B.), Purpan Hospital, Toulouse, France.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. G. Raboyeau, 4545 Chemin, Queen Mary Montréal (Québec) H3W 1W5, Canada gaelle.raboyeau@criugm.rtss.qc.ca

Background: Some neuroimaging studies have suggested that specific right hemispheric regions can compensate deficits induced by left hemispheric lesions in vascular aphasia. In particular, the right inferior frontal cortex might take part in lexical retrieval in patients presenting left-sided lesions involving the homologous area.

Objective: To address whether the involvement of the right inferior frontal cortex is either unique to recovering aphasic patients or present also in other circumstances of enrichment of lexical abilities, i.e., in non–brain-damaged subjects over learning of new vocabulary.

Long-Term Care

The number of older Americans is expected to rise from nearly 36 million in 2003 to an estimated 71.5 million in 2030, according to the Administration on Aging. One in four of us will need long-term care support some time in our lives. Therefore, the need for speech-language pathologists in the long-term care industry is expected to continue to grow.

Speech-language pathology in the long-term care setting has evolved considerably over the years. While nursing homes once were the only choice for the elderly, a variety of options now is available, such as subacute care, long-term care, assisted living and home health.

Furthermore, with the implementation of the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA), the level of services in long-term care facilities has expanded dramatically. The regulations mandate that residents be maintained at their highest functional level and quality of life.

The speech-language pathologist is a vital part of the interdisciplinary team that determines the appropriate plan of care for each resident in long-term care. Other team members may include the resident and family, physicians, nurses, dietitians, physical and occupational therapists, and social service and recreational personnel.

Speech-language pathologists consult with team members and make recommendations regarding a resident's ability to communicate, including expressive and receptive language skills, cognitive-linguistic skills, voice and fluency.

More frequently, though, they are a critical part of the care planning process regarding the person's nutritional status, especially when dysphagia is present. Their recommendations focus not only on enhancing the communication and nutritional status of a resident but on the individual's quality of life.

Intervention begins with screening, a hands-off process that does not require a physician's order. A screen, which determines whether an assessment is warranted, includes a thorough review of the medical chart; interviews with staff, resident and family; and observation of the resident. If further assessment is needed, physician's orders should be obtained for a complete evaluation.

Evaluations should be comprehensive to ensure that all aspects of a resident's abilities and impairments are considered when developing a plan of care. The care plan should focus on what the resident wishes to achieve and be designed with success in mind.

Speech therapy and feeding...geriatrics...occupational therapy...

We recently had a speech therapist who works at a local rehab hospital come in to talk to us about speech therapy and geriatrics. She talked about (and all the following is just my own, possibly wrong, understanding) how there are three major domains - cognition, communication, and dysphagia.

Cognition - a lot of overlap with OT
Communication - verbal expression, comprehension, voice, etc
Dysphagia - swallowing issues

Some of the cool things we learned about..next..........