Persona: Martínez Castilla, Pastora
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Martínez Castilla
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Pastora
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Publicación Temporal-sampling theory and language in Down syndrome: An empirical study(Elsevier, 2024-11) Martínez Castilla, Pastora; López Riobóo, ElenaBackground: Temporal-sampling theory argues that difficulties in the processing of syllable stress auditory markers and in lexical stress discrimination contribute to explaining the language problems of children with developmental language disorder and of those with dyslexia. The theory has not been tested in other developmental disabilities. Aims: This research sought to assess the potential of temporal-sampling theory as a framework to accounting for language difficulties in Down syndrome (DS). Methods and procedures: Thresholds for auditory markers of lexical stress, lexical stress discrimination, and receptive vocabulary were studied in teenagers and young adults with DS and in peers with other intellectual disability (ID) of unknown origin matched on chronological age and non-verbal cognition. Outcomes and results: Frequency and intensity thresholds were higher in participants with DS, and their lexical stress discrimination and receptive vocabulary skills were lower than those of the group with other ID. Lexical stress discrimination was predicted by intensity thresholds and group, while receptive vocabulary was only predicted by lexical stress discrimination. Conclusions and implications: The results suggest that temporal-sampling theory is useful to explain language difficulties in individuals with DS or with other ID. This opens up new window opportunities for the design of language intervention programs in such populations.Publicación Music skills of Spanish-speaking children with developmental language disorder(Elsevier, 2023-09) Martínez Castilla, Pastora; Calet, Nuria; Jiménez Fernández, GraciaBackground: According to temporal sampling theory, deficits in rhythm processing contribute to both language and music difficulties in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Evidence for this proposition is derived mainly from studies conducted in stress-timed languages, but the results may differ in languages with different rhythm features (e.g., syllable-timed languages). Aims: This research aimed to study a previously unexamined topic, namely, the music skills of children with DLD who speak Spanish (a syllable-timed language), and to analyze the possible relationships between the language and music skills of these children. Methods and Procedures: Two groups of 18 Spanish-speaking children with DLD and 19 typically-developing peers matched for chronological age completed a set of language tests. Their rhythm discrimination, melody discrimination and music memory skills were also assessed. Outcomes and Results: Children with DLD exhibited significantly lower performance than their typically-developing peers on all three music subtests. Music and language skills were significantly related in both groups. Conclusions and Implications: The results suggest that similar music difficulties may be found in children with DLD whether they speak stress-timed or syllable-timed languages. The relationships found between music and language skills may pave the way for the design of possible language intervention programs based on music stimuli.Publicación Exploring the Predictive Role of Lexical Stress Discrimination in the Phonological and Grammatical Skills of Teenagers With Down Syndrome(Wiley, 2025-10-02) Lopez-Rioboo Moreno, Elena Alfonsa; Martínez Castilla, PastoraBackground Temporal-sampling theory suggests that lexical stress discrimination plays an important role in language disorders. This study explored whether this is also the case in Down syndrome (DS) and, particularly, whether lexical stress discrimination could contribute to accounting for the phonological and grammatical skills of teenagers with this syndrome. Method Lexical stress discrimination, along with a range of phonological and grammatical skills, was assessed in a group of 27 teenagers with DS. The differential predictive role of lexical stress discrimination in phonology and grammar was studied, taking into account the potential effect of other relevant variables, namely, hearing thresholds, verbal short-term memory, chronological age and non-verbal cognition. Results Regression models revealed that, for the phonological measurements, only verbal short-term memory emerged as a significant predictor. For grammatical integration and sentence repetition, both verbal short-term memory and lexical stress discrimination played a predictive role. For grammar comprehension, lexical stress discrimination was the only significant predictor. Conclusions The results regarding grammar are consistent with a temporal-sampling framework. Given the observed predictive role of lexical stress discrimination in the grammatical skills of teenagers with DS, this prosodic skill could potentially be examined and incorporated as a prospective target in intervention programmes.Publicación PRAUTOCAL corpus: a corpus for the study of Down syndrome prosodic aspects(Springer, 2021-05-27) Escudero-Mancebo, David; Corrales-Astorgano, Mario; Cardeñoso-Payo, Valentín; Aguilar, Lourdes; González-Ferreras, César; Martínez Castilla, Pastora; Flores-Lucas, Valle; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León; BBVA FoundationOral productions of speakers with Down syndrome exhibit special characteristics that have been the target of study for decades. In spite of this attention, the availability of rich resources for its analysis is still scarce. In this paper, we present the definition and compiling procedure of a corpus of semicontrolled oral productions of speakers with Down syndrome that aims to allow the analysis of how these speakers with these speakers produce functional and linguistic aspects of speech. The PRAUTOCAL corpus has been recorded while using a video game for training oral competences. Utterances are related to well defined communicative tasks recorded by both speakers with Down syndrome and typically developing speakers. We present the procedure for human experts to evaluate the recordings and the transcription criteria followed for enriching the utterances of the corpus. PRAUTOCAL permits the analysis of the clear contrast in voice and speech between individuals with Down syndrome and typically developing speakers, taking into account the high heterogeneity of the speech problems characteristic of the syndrome. This material allows the analysis of the speech problems in Down syndrome, with applications to the generation of knowledge that could be used in future works for therapists to prepare specific training or enriching diagnosis regarding possible speech and language disorders.Publicación Let’s make music as we normally do: A systematic review of how early natural musical interactions between infant and caregiver have been studied in research(Elsevier, 2024-02-28) Cavero, Beatriz; Martínez Castilla, Pastora; Campos, RuthMusical interactions between babies and their primary caregivers are very frequent during the early years of life and their impact on dyadic interaction and infants’ development has garnered significant attention in recent literature. However, the difficulties that natural observations entail have meant that research often carries out methodological manipulations that have a significant impact on the phenomenon studied. In order to clarify how to investigate best natural musical interactions and the information that these can provide, we have carried out a systematic review to analyze the proposed scenarios and the variables analyzed in the studies published on such interactions between main caregivers and babies under three years old. We have screened 971 articles and yielded 27. We have found a higher prevalence in the literature of studies on singing interactions, between mothers and babies under 12 months of age. We have also been able to identify two extremes in terms of methodological structuring of natural interactions. Regarding the analysis variables, a few behaviors are repeated throughout the studies, being emotions, rhythmic behaviors and characterizations of the vocal emissions common between parents and babies. Synchrony is the dyadic variable with the most weight and also one of the preferred focuses of interest in the most recent literature that has undergone a shift of focus from characterization of musical interactions to the search for the mechanisms that underlie and make them specific.Publicación Analysis of atypical prosodic patterns in the speech of people with Down syndrome(Elsevier, 2021-07-02) Corrales-Astorgano, Mario; Escudero-Mancebo, David; González-Ferreras, César; Cardeñoso Payo, Valentín; Martínez Castilla, Pastora; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y LeónThe speech of people with Down syndrome (DS) shows prosodic features which are distinct from those observed in the oral productions of typically developing (TD) speakers. Although a different prosodic realization does not necessarily imply wrong expression of prosodic functions, atypical expression may hinder communication skills. The focus of this work is to ascertain whether this can be the case in individuals with DS. To do so, we analyze the acoustic features that better characterize the utterances of speakers with DS when expressing prosodic functions related to emotion, turn-end and phrasal chunking, comparing them with those used by TD speakers. An oral corpus of speech utterances has been recorded using the PEPS-C prosodic competence evaluation tool. We use automatic classifiers to prove that the prosodic features that better predict prosodic functions in TD speakers are less informative in speakers with DS. Although atypical features are observed in speakers with DS when producing prosodic functions, the intended prosodic function can be identified by listeners and, in most cases, the features correctly discriminate the function with analytical methods. However, a greater difference between the minimal pairs presented in the PEPS-C test is found for TD speakers in comparison with DS speakers. The proposed methodological approach provides, on the one hand, an identification of the set of features that distinguish the prosodic productions of DS and TD speakers and, on the other, a set of target features for therapy with speakers with DS.Publicación “Help! I Need Somebody”: Music as a Global Resource for Obtaining Wellbeing Goals in Times of Crisis(Frontiers Media, 2021-04-14) Granot, Roni; Spitz, Daniel H.; Cherki, Boaz R.; Loui, Psyche; Timmers, Renee; Schaefer, Rebecca S.; Vuoskoski, Jonna K.; Cárdenas-Soler, Ruth-Nayibe; Soares-Quadros Jr., João F.; Li, Shen; Lega, Carlotta; Rocca, Stefania La; Martínez, Isabel Cecilia; Tanco, Matías; Marchiano, María; Martínez Castilla, Pastora; Pérez-Acosta, Gabriela; Martínez-Ezquerro, José Darío; Gutiérrez-Blasco, Isabel M.; Jiménez-Dabdoub, Lily; Coers, Marijn; Treider, John Melvin; Greenberg, David M.; Israel, SalomonMusic can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance positive mood, and facilitate social bonding. However, little is known about the role of music and related personal or cultural (individualistic vs. collectivistic) variables in maintaining wellbeing during times of stress and social isolation as imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. In an online questionnaire, administered in 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK, and USA, N = 5,619), participants rated the relevance of wellbeing goals during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of different activities in obtaining these goals. Music was found to be the most effective activity for three out of five wellbeing goals: enjoyment, venting negative emotions, and self-connection. For diversion, music was equally good as entertainment, while it was second best to create a sense of togetherness, after socialization. This result was evident across different countries and gender, with minor effects of age on specific goals, and a clear effect of the importance of music in people's lives. Cultural effects were generally small and surfaced mainly in the use of music to obtain a sense of togetherness. Interestingly, culture moderated the use of negatively valenced and nostalgic music for those higher in distress.Publicación Prosodic skills in Spanish-speaking adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome(Wiley, 2023-12-28) López-Riobóo, Elena; Martínez Castilla, PastoraBackground Down syndrome (DS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder of genetic origin with a cognitive-behavioural profile that distinguishes it from other syndromes. Within this profile, language difficulties are particularly marked, having been more studied in childhood than in adulthood. More generally, there is a paucity of research on the prosodic skills of individuals with DS, despite the relevance of this linguistic component for effective communication. Aims This study aimed to analyse, for the first time, the prosodic profile of Spanish-speaking teenagers and young adults with DS. We hypothesized that participants with DS would show significantly lower skills for the perception and production of prosodic functions and forms when compared to peers with intellectual disability (ID) of unknown origin. We also hypothesized that teenagers and young adults with DS would have better prosody perception than prosody production. Methods & Procedures The final sample included in the study comprised 28 Spanish-speaking teenagers and young adults with DS and 29 teenagers and young adults with other ID matched on chronological age and nonverbal cognition. Their prosodic skills were tested by means of the Profiling Elements of Prosody for Speech and Communication battery. This battery allows for the separate evaluation of the comprehension and expression of the communicative functions of prosody and the discrimination and production of the forms that carry out such functions. Outcomes & Results In the prosody function tasks, which are the most adaptive tasks for the communicative process, we found, as expected, significantly lower scores on the turn-end, chunking, and focus tasks in the group with DS. However, no significant between-group differences were found for the affect tasks. Participants with DS also had significantly lower scores on the prosodic form tasks than participants with other ID. The results of the comparison between prosodic perception and production skills showed that a generalization about a better profile in comprehension versus production is not possible and that there is a dependence on the demands of the prosodic task undertaken. Conclusions & Implications The findings contribute to the ongoing development of the language profile of teenagers and young adults with DS and imply the need to design prosodic intervention programs based on their specific profile.Publicación Prosodic Skills and Reading Acquisition in Spanish Primary School Children: Analysis Using the PEPS-C Test(Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias, 2022-01-01) Calet, Nuria; López-Almazán, Juan; Martínez Castilla, Pastora; Junta de Andalucía; Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y UniversidadesBackground: Although previous studies have considered the relationship between prosody skills and the acquisition of reading skills, few have performed comprehensive, simultaneous assessments of different oral language prosody skills and, to our knowledge, none have been carried out in Spanish. Our study analyses the relationship between prosody and reading skills. Method: Sixty-one second-grade Spanish schoolchildren participated in this study. Prosodic skills were assessed using the Spanish version of the Profi ling Elements of Prosody in Speech-Communication battery, available in different languages. Reading comprehension, word/non-word reading skills, phonological awareness and vocabulary were also evaluated. Results: The results show that prosody was signifi cantly related to word and non-word reading, but phonological awareness was the only signifi cant predictor of these reading outcomes. Prosodic skills contribute to explaining reading comprehension even after controlling for the effect of vocabulary and phonological awareness. Conclusions: The results highlight the role of prosodic skills in reading acquisition in Spanish. Comparison with previous studies in English-language populations demonstrates the existence of cross-linguistic differences.Publicación The Efficacy of Music for Emotional Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Spain: An Analysis of Personal and Context-Related Variables(Frontiers Media, 2021-04-09) Martínez Castilla, Pastora; Gutiérrez-Blasco, Isabel M.; Spitz, Daniel H.; Granot, RoniThe strict lockdown experienced in Spain during March–June 2020 as a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis has led to strong negative emotions. Music can contribute to enhancing wellbeing, but the extent of this effect may be modulated by both personal and context-related variables. This study aimed to analyze the impact of the two types of variables on the perceived efficacy of musical behaviors to fulfill adults’ emotional wellbeing-related goals during the lockdown established in Spain. Personal variables included age, gender, musical training, personality, resilience, and perception of music’s importance. Contextual variables referred to living in a region with a high COVID-19 impact, perception of belonging to a risk group, being alone, having caring responsibilities during confinement, and amount of time of music listening as compared to prior to the crisis. The study was conducted retrospectively during August–December 2020, when the strict lockdown was over in Spain. An online survey was disseminated among the general population and groups of musicians, and the answers of 507 adults (from 18 years on, 73.9% females, 51.3% musically trained adults) were analyzed. Only personal, but not COVID-19 context-related variables, showed an impact on music’s efficacy. The youngest age group of adults and those with musical training reported the highest efficacy of music for wellbeing enhancement, and music’s importance was found to be the main significant predictor of music’s perceived efficacy. Our findings suggest that the people who have been reported to be emotionally more vulnerable during the lockdown, due to either a strong impact on their daily lives or their lower resilience, perceive a higher benefit from musical behaviors. Being musically trained, even for a small number of years, also leads to a perception of higher efficacy of music for the achievement of emotional wellbeing goals. However, this effect is explained by the musically trained individuals’ higher perception of music’s importance. Although musical behaviors can be generally considered as important for wellbeing enhancement, our study highlights who are the potential individuals who could benefit the most from musicrelated activities for obtaining better levels of wellbeing, at least within the current context of the COVID-19 crisis.