bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolving Applications in the Use of Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids
Authors: Spitzer Jaclyn B. , Ghossaini Soha N. , Wazen Jack J.
Published: April 2006

The bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) is an effective means of intervention, its use being well documented in persons with chronic conductive pathology and congenital aural anomalies. This article describes the standard guidelines (both auditory and extraauditory aspects) for patient selection and expands the criteria to include bilateral BAHA implantation, unilateral conductive hearing loss, and unilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. The BAHA’s development, design features, and patient outcomes are also reviewed. Suggestions are presented for fitting, counseling, and following BAHA users.
An Auditory Brainstem Implant System
Authors: Jackson Kim B. , Mark Gerhard , Helms Jan , Mueller Joachim , Behr Robert
Published: April 2006

Neurofibromastosis type II (NF2) is a condition that may result in bilateral acoustic neuromas. The tumors and their removal may cause profound bilateral deafness. Because the auditory nerve is compromised, people with NF2 are unable to receive a cochlear implant to restore a sensation of hearing. Electrical stimulation of the auditory pathway can provide hearing in such people. This is possible by means of an auditory brainstem implant (ABI). This article focuses on the MED-EL highrate multichannel ABI system. The system consists of the implanted and external components. Appropriate placement of the ABI is dependent on electrical auditory brainstem response testing performed intra-operatively. Data on a group of European patients implanted with the MED-EL ABI are presented. Results are promising and include some open-set speech ability.
Preschool Hearing Screening
Authors: Allen Rose L. , Stuart Andrew , Everett Deborah , Elangovan Saravanan
Published: April 2006

This 4-year project investigated the pass/refer rates of preschool children in a hearing screening program. Three- and 4-year-old children who attended Head Start centers in rural, traditionally medically underserved, eastern North Carolina participated (n= 1,462). Screening procedures and pass/refer criteria were based on theGuidelines for Audiologic Screening(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA], Panel on Audiologic Assessment, 1997). Only 54% (n= 787) of children passed the initial screening (i.e., passed all three of the screening components, which included pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, and otoscopy), and an additional 22% (n= 323) passed the rescreening, for an overall pass rate of 76%. The initial pass rate was 90%, 71%, and 71% for otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure-tone audiometry, respectively. After the initial screening, 675 children were referred (i.e., 83%, 2%, and 15% for audiologic rescreening, medical evaluation, or both, respectively). About 71% (n= 478) received the recommended evaluation. Follow-up assessment compliance after the rescreening was poor. Slightly more than 10% of children were evaluated. The hearing status of 267 (i.e., 18.3%) children was never determined. Six (i.e., 0.5%) of the 1,195 children who completed the audiologic screening and/or received diagnostic audiologic assessment were confirmed to have hearing loss. Methodological factors that may have contributed to this high refer rate include the use of all screening techniques (pure tones, tympanometry, and otoscopy), procedural considerations in testing protocol and pass/refer criteria, and the demographic characteristics of the children screened.
Continuous Versus Pulsed Tones in Audiometry
Authors: Burk Matthew H. , Wiley Terry L.
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this study was to compare auditory thresholds obtained for continuous and pulsed tones in listeners with normal hearing. Auditory thresholds, test—retest reliability, falsepositive responses, and listener preference were compared for both signals. Hearing thresholds and test—retest reliability were comparable for the 2 signals, and there were no significant differences in the number of false positives or the number of presentations required to reach threshold. Listener preference, however, indicated that pulsed tones were preferred over continuous tones by 67% of the listeners when listening to low-level or high-frequency tones. These findings, coupled with previous reports demonstrating the benefits of using automatically pulsed tones in threshold assessment for listeners with tinnitus, support the general use of pulsed tones in clinical audiometry.
Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials
Authors: Zhou Guangwei , Cox L. Clarke
Published: April 2006

Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing is a relatively new diagnostic tool that is in the process of being investigated in patients with specific vestibular disorders. In this review, we will outline the history and provide a current review of VEMP research. Briefly, the VEMP is a biphasic response elicited by loud clicks or tone bursts recorded from the tonically contracted sternocleidomastoid muscle. Current data suggest that the VEMP is a vestibulo-collic reflex whose afferent limb arises from acoustically sensitive cells in the saccule, with signals conducted via the inferior vestibular nerve. We will review the history of the response and detail the anatomy and physiology associated with the test. We will discuss specific VEMP applications in the diagnosis of Meniere's disease, vestibular schwannoma, vestibular hypersensitivity disorders, vestibular neuritis, multiple sclerosis, and other brainstem lesions.
Trade-Offs Between Better Hearing and Better Cosmetics
Authors: Tyler Richard S. , Witt Shelley A. , Dunn Camille C.
Published: April 2006

A case study is reported of an adult bilateral cochlear implant patient who owns both a pair of ear-level and body-worn speech processors and chooses to wear them in unique configurations, knowingly compromising his auditory performance. The aim was to determine if differences in hearing could be quantified between these devices and to examine the size of these effects that would lend themselves to trading between performance and cosmetics. The patient reported wearing bilateral ear-level speech processors (programmed with the Cochlear Corporation spectral PEAK [SPEAK] coding strategy) 75% of the time for cosmetic and convenience reasons even though he "heard the best" with bilateral body-worn speech processors (programmed with the Cochlear Corporation advanced combination encoder strategy [ACE]). Speech perception and localization tests confirmed that this patient performed significantly better on monosyllabic phonemes in quiet (a difference from 60% to 75%) and localization (a total root-meansquared- error difference from 22° to 12°) with bilateral body-worn speech processors and consistently rated various speech sounds as more clear than with bilateral ear-level units. There was a 2-dB difference in sentence reception threshold in noise, which was not statistically significant. These results suggest that clinicians should consider and provide options to patients when there are trade-offs to be made regarding understanding performance and cosmetics. Some individuals may choose better speech perception over cosmetics, and the ability to choose might result in greater compliance. The observations made here are relevant to hearing aid users as well.
The Use of Tympanometry and Pneumatic Otoscopy for Predicting Middle Ear Disease
Authors: Harris Paula K. , Hutchinson Kathleen M. , Moravec Joseph
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
Otitis media is the most common condition diagnosed by pediatricians and is estimated to affect approximately 70% of the pediatric population. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of otoscopy and multifrequency tympanometry (MFT) for diagnosis of otitis media in children.

Method:
Twenty-one children, age 1 to 10 years, who were seeking medical treatment for suspected middle ear disease were selected to participate. Data were collected prior to myringotomy to determine the sensitivity and specificity rates of the following otologic and audiologic measures: (a) pneumatic otoscopy, (b) conventional tympanometry, and (c) MFT. For this study, the "gold standard," myringotomy, was used along with pneumatic otoscopy to determine the effectiveness, sensitivity, and specificity of conventional 226-Hz tympanometry, 678-Hz tympanometry, and 1000-Hz tympanometry to predict middle ear disease.

Results:
The diagnoses provided with pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry were both similar, agreeing in diagnosis 80%–100% of the time. The diagnoses from 678-Hz and 1000-Hz tympanometry were nearly equal and proved to detect abnormality at a higher rate.

Conclusions:
MFT is recommended on a routine basis with children having a history of otitis media, or else abnormal or notched 226-Hz tympanograms. Further research with a larger sample size will illuminate the possible predictive potential of MFT in otitis media.
Recognition of Hearing Aid Orientation Content by First-Time Users
Authors: Reese Judith L. , Hnath-Chisolm Theresa
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
To examine how well hearing aid orientation (HAO) content is remembered immediately and 1 month after the HAO, and whether the ability to remember this information differs as a function of the audiologist providing the information, patient’s age, degree of hearing loss, and prior knowledge of hearing aids.

Method:
A convenience sample of 100 older adults completed a multiple-choice test of hearing aid knowledge immediately following the HAO and 1 month later. Covariate and regression analyses were used to address the study purpose.

Results:
On average, participants recognized 74% of the information immediately following HAO and 78% at 1 month. Hearing loss was associated with declining recognition for hearing aid use and care information immediately following HAO, whereas prior knowledge was associated with successful recognition. Participants who recognized more HAO content immediately also remembered more at 1 month. A difference in recognition of hearing aid information based on audiologist was suggested immediately following HAO, but there were no differences at 1 month. Ability to recognize HAO content was not related to age of participants.

Conclusions:
On average, participants recognized approximately 75% of the HAO content, which is encouraging from a clinical standpoint, providing support for the efficacy of the HAO and the time audiologists spend in completing it. Moreover, recognition of HAO content improved when tested at 1 month, suggesting audiologists may expect their patients to be aware of a majority of hearing aid use and care information following the hearing aid trial period.
The Importance of Modality Specificity in Diagnosing Central Auditory Processing Disorder
Authors: Cacace Anthony T. , McFarland Dennis J.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This article argues for the use of modality specificity as a unifying framework by which to conceptualize and diagnose central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). The intent is to generate dialogue and critical discussion in this area of study.

Method:Research in the cognitive, behavioral, and neural sciences that relates to the concept of modality specificity was reviewed and synthesized.

Results:Modality specificity has a long history as an organizing construct within a diverse collection of mainstream scientific disciplines. The principle of modality specificity was contrasted with the unimodal inclusive framework, which holds that auditory tests alone are sufficient to make the CAPD diagnosis. Evidence from a large body of data demonstrated that the unimodal framework was unable to delineate modality-specific processes from more generalized dysfunction; it lacked discriminant validity and resulted in an incomplete assessment. Consequently, any hypothetical model resulting from incomplete assessments or potential therapies that are based on indeterminate diagnoses are themselves questionable, and caution should be used in their application.

Conclusions:Improving specificity of diagnosis is an imperative core issue to the area of CAPD. Without specificity, the concept has little explanatory power. Because of serious flaws in concept and design, the unimodal inclusive framework should be abandoned in favor of a more valid approach that uses modality specificity.
A Multisite Study to Examine the Efficacy of the Otoacoustic Emission/Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Newborn Hearing Screening Protocol
Authors: Widen Judith E. , Johnson Jean L. , White Karl R. , Gravel Judith S. , Vohr Betty R. , James Michele , Kennalley Teresa , Maxon Antonia B. , Spivak Lynn , Sullivan-Mahoney Maureen , Weirather Yusnita , Meyer Sally
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This 3rd of 4 articles on a study of the efficacy of the 2-stage otoacoustic emission/automated auditory brainstem response (OAE/A-ABR) newborn hearing screening protocol describes (a) the behavioral audiometric protocol used to validate hearing status at 8–12 months of age, (b) the hearing status of the sample, and (c) the success of the visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) protocol across 7 sites.

Method:A total of 973 infants who failed OAE but passed A-ABR, in one or both ears, during newborn screening were tested with a VRA protocol, supplemented by tympanometry and OAE screening at age 8–12 months.

Results:VRA audiograms (1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kHz) were obtained for 1,184 (82.7%) of the 1,432 study ears. Hearing loss was ruled out in another 100 ears by VRA in combination with OAE, for a total of 88.7% of the study sample. Permanent hearing loss was identified in 30 ears of 21 infants. Sites differed in their success with the VRA protocol.

Conclusions:Continued monitoring of hearing beyond the newborn period is an important component of early detection of hearing loss. Using a structured protocol, VRA is an appropriate test method for most, but not all, infants. A battery of test procedures is often needed to adequately delineate hearing loss in infants. Examiner experience appears to be a factor in successful VRA.
A Multisite Study to Examine the Efficacy of the Otoacoustic Emission/Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Newborn Hearing Screening Protocol
Authors: Gravel Judith S. , White Karl R. , Johnson Jean L. , Widen Judith E. , Vohr Betty R. , James Michele , Kennalley Teresa , Maxon Antonia B. , Spivak Lynn , Sullivan-Mahoney Maureen , Weirather Yusnita , Meyer Sally
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This article examines whether changes in hearing screening practices are warranted based on the results of the recent series of studies by J. L. Johnson, K. R. White, J. E. Widen, J. S. Gravel, B. R. Vohr, M. James, T. Kennalley, A. B. Maxon, L. Spivak, M. Sullivan-Mahoney, Y. Weirather, and S. Meyer (Johnson, White, Widen, Gravel, James, et al., 2005; Johnson, White, Widen, Gravel, Vohr, et al., 2005; White et al., 2005; Widen et al., 2005) that found a significant number of infants who passed an automated auditory brainstem response (A-ABR) screening after failing an initial otoacoustic emission (OAE) screening later were found to have permanent hearing loss in one or both ears.

Method:Similar to the approach used by F. H. Bess and J. Paradise (1994), this article addresses the public health tenets that need to be in place before screening programs, or in this case, a change in screening practice (use of a 2-step screening protocol) can be justified.

Results:There are no data to suggest that a 2-step OAE/A-ABR screening protocol should be avoided.

Conclusion:Research is needed before any change in public policy and practice surrounding current early hearing detection and intervention programs could be supported.
Effects of Aging and Gender on Interhemispheric Function
Authors: Bellis Teri James , Wilber Laura Ann
Published: April 2006

The ability of the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate with one another via the corpus callosum is important for a wide variety of sensory, motor, and cognitive functions, many of them communication related. Anatomical evidence suggests that aging results in structural changes in the corpus callosum and that the course over time of age-related changes in corpus callosum structure may depend on the gender of the individual. Further, it has been hypothesized that age- and gender-related changes in corpus callosum structure may result in concomitant decreased performance on tasks that are reliant on interhemispheric integrity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of age and gender on auditory behavioral and visuomotor temporal indices of interhemispheric function across the life span of the normal adult. Results from 120 consistently right-handed adults from age 20 to 75 years revealed that interhemispheric integrity, as measured by dichotic listening, auditory temporal patterning, and visuomotor interhemispheric transfer time tasks, decreases relatively early in the adult life span (i.e., between the ages of 40 and 55 years) and shows no further decrease thereafter. In addition, the course over time of interhemispheric decline is different for men compared to women for some tasks. These findings suggest that decreased interhemispheric function may be a possible factor contributing to auditory and communication difficulties experienced by aging adults. In addition, results of this study hold implications for the clinical assessment of interhemispheric function in aging adults and for future research into the functional ramifications of decreased multimodality interhemispheric transfer.
Control of Vocal Loudness in Young and Old Adults
Authors: Baker Kristin K. , Ramig Lorraine Olson , Sapir Shimon , Luschei Erich S. , Smith Marshall E.
Published: April 2006

This study examined the effect of aging on respiratory and laryngeal mechanisms involved in vocal loudness control. Simultaneous measures of subglottal pressure and electromyographic (EMG) activity from the thyroarytenoid (TA), lateral cricoarytenoid (LCA), and cricothyroid (CT) muscles were investigated in young and old individuals while they attempted to phonate at three loudness levels, "soft," "comfortable," and "loud." Voice sound pressure level (SPL) and fundamental frequency (F0) measures were also obtained. Across loudness conditions, subglottal pressure levels were similar for both age groups. Laryngeal EMG measures tended to be lower and more variable for old compared with young individuals. These differences were most apparent for the TA muscle. Finally, across the three loudness conditions, the old individuals generated SPLs that were lower overall than those produced by the young individuals but modulated loudness levels in a manner similar to that of the young subjects. These findings suggest that the laryngeal mechanism may be more affected than the respiratory system in these old individuals and that these changes may affect vocal loudness levels.
Senescent Expression of Genes Coding Tropoelastin, Elastase, Lysyl Oxidase, and Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases in Rat Vocal Folds
Authors: Ding Hu , Gray Steven D.
Published: April 2006

Histology studies indicate that vocal elastin content accumulates with age, suggesting possible contribution of elastin to age-associated voice changes. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Using a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), mRNA levels of tropoelastin, elastase, lysyl oxidase, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1 to TIMP-4) were measured in vocal folds, tail skin, and lungs of rats at ages 1.5±0.5 weeks (neonatal), 6.0±0.5 months (adult), and 24±0.5 months (elderly). Vocal expression of both tropoelastin and lysyl oxidase peaks during the neonatal stage, followed by a significant decrease. Gene expression for elastase in the vocal folds of adult rats is not dissimilar to the neonatal levels. The levels in the elderly rats, however, show marked increase, to as much as 201% of the neonatal levels (p<.05). On the other hand, there is no conspicuous age-dependent variation in vocal expression of TIMPs. Gene expression of tropoelastin was similar in rat skin, lung, and vocal folds. In summary, compared to what is found in adult rats, there is a significant up-regulation in the expression of vocal elastase in the elderly animals in the presence of unchanged vocal expression of tropoelastin, lysyl oxidase, and TIMPs. As senescence occurs in both adult and elderly rats, tropoelastin and elastase expression are most affected. Gene expression for proteins affecting the amount of elastin in the vocal fold extracellular matrix does vary with age. These results may not be directly applicable to humans, because biomechanical forces experienced by human folds are likely different than those experienced by rats. However, in the absence of biomechanical forces experienced by humans, rat lungs, skin, and vocal folds display similar profiles of expression of genes coding the above-mentioned molecules. Similar profiles of expression for elastin genes across different tissue types not sharing similar environments suggests a common mechanism influencing senescence of these tissues. Human folds likely share a common similar mechanism of senescence with other organ systems, although organ-specific factors (oscillation, mechanical forces) are also likely operating.
Acoustic Discrimination of Pathological Voice
Authors: Parsa Vijay , Jamieson Donald G.
Published: April 2006

We investigated the ability of acoustic measures to discriminate between normal and pathological talkers. Two groups of measures were compared: (a) those extracted from sustained vowels and (b) those based on continuous speech samples. Nine acoustic measures, which include fundamental frequency and amplitude perturbation measures, long term average spectral measures, and glottal noise measures were extracted from both sustained vowel and continuous speech samples. Our experiments were performed on a published database of 53 normal talkers and 175 talkers with a pathological voice. The classification performance of the nine acoustic measures was quantified using linear discriminant analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. When individual measures were considered in isolation, classification was more accurate for measures extracted from sustained vowels than for those based on continuous speech samples. Classification accuracy improved when combinations of acoustic parameters were considered. For such combinations of measures, classification results were comparable for measures extracted from continuous speech samples and for those based on sustained vowels.
Speed of Processing in Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Miller Carol A. , Kail Robert , Leonard Laurence B. , Tomblin J. Bruce
Published: April 2006

The aim of the present study was to investigate the speed with which children with specific language impairment (SLI) respond on a range of tasks. Seventy-seven third-grade children participated in 10 different tasks (involving a total of 41 conditions), including nonlinguistic and linguistic activities. Mean response times RTs) of children with SLI (
n
=29) increased as a function of mean RTs of children with normal language (NLD,
n
=29) under each of three different regression models; children with SLI responded more slowly across all task conditions, and also when linguistic and nonlinguistic tasks were analyzed separately. Children with nonspecific language impairment (NLI) were also included (
n
=19). The results were similar to those for children with SLI, but the degree of slowing was greater. The results of the group analyses support the hypothesis that speed of processing in children with SLI is generally slower than that of children with normal language. However, some children with SLI do not appear to show deficits of this type.
Validation of the Language Development Survey (LDS)
Authors: Rescorla Leslie , Alley Amie
Published: April 2006

Two studies are reported demonstrating the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the Language Development Survey (LDS; L. Rescorla, 1989) as a screening tool for the identification of expressive language delay in toddlers. In Study 1, 422 children (ages 24–26 months) were screened with the LDS in an epidemiological survey. The LDS manifested excellent concurrent validity with a brief direct screening measure of expressive vocabulary. Using the Rescorla (1989) Delay 3 cutoff of fewer than 50 words or no word combinations, 9.7% of the sample were language delayed (32 boys, 9 girls). In Study 2, 33 children identified as "at-risk" by the LDS Delay 3 cutoff and 33 typically developing children, matched on age, socioeconomic status, and gender, were seen for in-depth follow-up assessment approximately 3 weeks later. The LDS test-retest reliability was.97. The LDS correlated highly with Reynell Receptive and Expressive Language Scale scores, Bayley Mental Development Index, and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Composite. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value between the screening LDS and the follow-up Reynell Expressive Language Scale were generally impressive. Finally, the at-risk group scored significantly lower than the LDS-identified typically developing group on all follow-up measures except the Child Behavior Checklist/2–3.
Early Phonetic and Lexical Development
Authors: McCune Lorraine , Vihman Marilyn M.
Published: April 2006

Researchers frequently examine the development of the single-word lexicon in the absence of phonetic data. Yet a large body of literature demonstrates relationships between the phonetics of babble and early speech, and it is clear that production skill is essential for establishing a lexicon. This study uses longitudinal productivity criteria to establish children’s phonetic skill. Twenty children were followed from age 9 to 16 months, and their level of consistency of vocal patterns was examined in relation to their lexical production, providing a relatively largesample demonstration of phonetic/lexical relationships at the transition to language. Number of specific consonants produced consistently across the months of observation predicted referential lexical use at 16 months, whereas the transition to reference itself signaled the onset of a sharp increase in numbers of different words produced in a session. The earliest referential speakers exhibited prior consistency in the production of [p/b], which also predominated in their words. Prior use of at least two supraglottal consonants characterized the referential group. Children varied in the specific consonants they produced consistently, and these same consonants, varying according to individual child repertoire, characterized nearly all consonant-based words produced by each child in both of the final 2 months of observation. These findings are interpreted in relation to the children’s contemporaneous development of representational ability and pragmatic skill.
Human Auditory Brainstem Response to Temporal Gaps in Noise
Authors: Werner Lynne A. , Folsom Richard C. , Mancl Lisa R. , Syapin Connie L.
Published: April 2006

Gap detection is a commonly used measure of temporal resolution, although the mechanisms underlying gap detection are not well understood. To the extent that gap detection depends on processes within, or peripheral to, the auditory brainstem, one would predict that a measure of gap threshold based on the auditory brainstem response (ABR) would be similar to the psychophysical gap detection threshold. Three experiments were performed to examine the relationship between ABR gap threshold and gap detection. Thresholds for gaps in a broadband noise were measured in young adults with normal hearing, using both psychophysical techniques and electrophysiological techniques that use the ABR. The mean gap thresholds obtained with the two methods were very similar, although ABR gap thresholds tended to be lower than psychophysical gap thresholds. There was a modest correlation between psychophysical and ABR gap thresholds across participants.

ABR and psychophysical thresholds for noise masked by temporally continuous, high-pass, or spectrally notched noise were measured in adults with normal hearing. Restricting the frequency range with masking led to poorer gap thresholds on both measures. High-pass maskers affected the ABR and psychophysical gap thresholds similarly. Notched-noise-masked ABR and psychophysical gap thresholds were very similar except that low-frequency, notched-noise-masked ABR gap threshold was much poorer at low levels. The ABR gap threshold was more sensitive to changes in signal-to-masker ratio than was the psychophysical gap detection threshold. ABR and psychophysical thresholds for gaps in broadband noise were measured in listeners with sensorineural hearing loss and in infants. On average, both ABR gap thresholds and psychophysical gap detection thresholds of listeners with hearing loss were worse than those of listeners with normal hearing, although individual differences were observed. Psychophysical gap detection thresholds of 3- and 6-month-old infants were an order of magnitude worse than those of adults with normal hearing, as previously reported; however, ABR gap thresholds of 3-month-old infants were no different from those of adults with normal hearing. These results suggest that ABR gap thresholds and psychophysical gap detection depend on at least some of the same mechanisms within the auditory system.
Rapid Auditory Processing and Phonological Ability in Normal Readers and Readers With Dyslexia
Authors: Marshall Catherine M. , Snowling Margaret J. , Bailey Peter J.
Published: April 2006

According to a prominent theory, the phonological difficulties in dyslexia are caused by an underlying general impairment in the ability to process sequences of rapidly presented, brief sounds. Two studies examined this theory by exploring the relationships between rapid auditory processing and phonological processing in a sample of 82 normally reading children (Study 1) and by comparing 17 children with dyslexia to chronological-age and reading-age control participants on these tasks (Study 2). In the normal readers, moderate correlations were found between the measure of rapid auditory processing (Auditory Repetition Task, or ART) and phonological ability. On the ART, the dyslexia group performed at a level similar to that of the reading-age control group but obtained scores that were significantly below those of the chronological-age control group. This difference was due to a subgroup of 4 children in the dyslexia group who had particular difficulty with the ART. The phonological skills of these individuals were not worse than those of the children in the dyslexia group who were unimpaired on the ART. The discussion argues that there is no evidence that phonological difficulties are secondary to impairments of rapid auditory processing, as measured by the ART, and highlights the need to examine the strategic and cognitive demands involved in tasks of rapid auditory processing.
Speech Errors in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Altmann Lori J. P. , Kempler Daniel , Andersen Elaine S.
Published: April 2006

Researchers studying the speech of individuals with probable Alzheimer's disease (PAD) report that morphosyntax is preserved relative to lexical aspects of speech. The current study questions whether dividing all errors into only two categories, morphosyntactic and lexical, is warranted, given the theoretical controversies concerning the production and representation of pronouns and closed-class words in particular. Two experiments compare the speech output of 10 individuals with Alzheimer's disease to that of 15 healthy age- and education-matched speakers. Results of the first experiment indicate that the pattern of errors in the speech of participants with mild PAD reflects an across-the-board increase in the same types of errors made by healthy older speakers, including closed-class and morphosyntactic errors. In the second task, participants produced a grammatical sentence from written stimuli consisting of a transitive verb and two nouns. Only adults with Alzheimer's disease had difficulties with this task, producing many more closed-class word errors than did healthy older adults. Three of the participants with PAD produced nearly agrammatic speech in this task. These 3 people did not differ from the rest of the PAD group in age, education, working memory, or degree of semantic impairment. Further, error rates on the two tasks were highly correlated. We conclude that morphosyntax is not preserved in the speech output of individuals with PAD, but is vulnerable to errors along with all aspects of language that must be generated by the speaker. We suggest that these results best support a model of speech production in which all words are represented by semantic and grammatical features, both of which are vulnerable to failures of activation when there is damage or noise in the system as a result of pathology, trauma, or even divided attention.
Complex Syntax Production of African American Preschoolers
Authors: Jackson Sandra C. , Roberts Joanne E.
Published: April 2006

This study examined changes in the complex syntax production of 85 3- and 4-year-old African American children and the role of child (i.e., gender, age, African American English) and family (i.e., home environment) factors. The mean percentage of utterances containing one or more complex syntax forms was 6.2% at 3 years and 11.7% at 4 years. Girls produced more complex syntax forms than did boys. Complex syntax production increased significantly between age 3 and age 4 and correlated positively with mean length of utterance in words. Children from more responsive and stimulating home environments produced more complex syntax at 4 years. African American English was not related to the amount of complex syntax used.
The Leading-Edge
Authors: Rispoli Matthew , Hadley Pamela
Published: April 2006

This research explored the relationship between sentence disruptions and the length and complexity of sentences spoken by children developing grammar. The study was cross-sectional in design and used samples of naturalistic, conversational interaction between 26 typically developing children (ages 2;6 to 4;0) and a primary caregiver. The active, declarative sentences produced by these children were coded for the presence of disruption, length in morphemes and words, and clausal complexity. The results showed that, for the majority of the children, disrupted sentences tended to be longer and more complex than fluent sentences. The magnitude of the differences in length and complexity was positively correlated with the children's grammatical development, as measured by the Index of Productive Syntax. It was also found that differences between the average complexity of disrupted versus fluent sentences increased with grammatical development even when sentence length was held constant. As grammatical development proceeded, disrupted sentences were more apt to be sentences on the "leading-edge" of the child's production capacity. Although these more advanced grammatical structures are part of the child's grammatical competence, the child cannot produce these sentences without an increased risk of processing difficulty. The results are congruent with proposals concerning the incremental and procedural nature of adult sentence production.
Developmental Change in Auditory Preferences for Speech Stimuli in Japanese Infants
Authors: Hayashi Akiko , Tamekawa Yuji , Kiritani Shigeru
Published: April 2006

The developmental change in auditory preferences for speech stimuli was investigated for Japanese infants aged 4–14 months old. We conducted three experiments using two speech pairs in the head-turn preference procedure. Infant-directed (ID) speech and adult-directed (AD) speech stimuli were used in a longitudinal study (Experiment 1) and a cross-sectional study (Experiment 2). Native (Japanese) and non-native (English) speech stimuli were used in a cross-sectional study (Experiment 3). In all experiments, infants demonstrated a developmental change in their listening preference. For the ID/AD speech pair used in Experiments 1 and 2, infants show a U-shaped developmental shift with three developmental stages: Stage 1, in which very young infants tend to prefer ID speech over AD speech; Stage 2, in which the preference for ID speech decreases temporarily; and Stage 3, in which older infants again show a consistent preference for ID speech. For the native/non-native speech pair, there is a tendency for an increased preference for native speech over non-native speech, although infants did not demonstrate a U-shaped pattern. The difference in developmental pattern between the two types of speech pairs was discussed.
A Comparison of Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Audiometry in a Cohort of New York Farmers
Authors: Gomez Marta I. , Hwang Syni-An , Sobotova Lubica , Stark Alice D. , May John J.
Published: April 2006

The New York State Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance was conducted to assess the health status and safety practices among year-round adult farmers and farm residents in New York State and included a telephone interview survey of 1,727 persons from 552 farms. To determine the extent to which self-reported hearing loss is in agreement with audiometry, a subset of 376 participants who completed a hearing loss interview and pure-tone audiometry was analyzed. Thirty-six percent of the participants had self-reported hearing loss, defined as at least some difficulty hearing in one or both ears. The prevalence of audiometric hearing impairment, defined as a threshold average greater than 25 dB hearing level, was 9% for the binaural low-frequency average (500, 1000, and 2000 Hz), 29% for the binaural mid-frequency average (1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz), and 47% for the binaural high-frequency average (3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz). Agreement between self-report and audiometry was highest for the binaural mid-frequency average (kappa statistic 55%, sensitivity 77%, and specificity 82%). Self-reported hearing loss was found to be a moderately good measure of hearing impairment. We conclude that a simple questionnaire focusing on hearing difficulty is a useful and valid tool for conducting epidemio-logic studies of farmers. Whenever possible, a substudy using audiometry should be conducted.
Effects of Levodopa on Laryngeal Muscle Activity for Voice Onset and Offset in Parkinson Disease
Authors: Gallena Sally , Smith Paul J. , Zeffiro Thomas , Ludlow Christy L.
Published: April 2006

The laryngeal pathophysiology underlying the speech disorder in idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD) was addressed in this electromyographic study of laryngeal muscle activity. This muscle activity was examined during voice onset and offset gestures in 6 persons in the early stages of IPD who were not receiving medication. The purpose was to determine (a) if impaired voice onset and offset control for speech and vocal fold bowing were related to abnormalities in laryngeal muscle activity in the nonmedicated state and (b) if these attributes change with levodopa. Blinded listeners rated the IPD participants' voice onset and offset control before and after levodopa was administered. In the nonmedi-cated state, the IPD participants' vocal fold bowing was examined on nasoendo-scopy, and laryngeal muscle activity levels were compared with normal research volunteers. The IPD participants were then administered a therapeutic dose of levodopa, and changes in laryngeal muscle activity for voice onset and offset gestures were measured during the same session. Significant differences were found between IPD participants in the nonmedicated state:those with higher levels of muscle activation had vocal fold bowing and greater impairment in voice onset and offset control for speech. Similarly, following levodopa administration, those with thyroarytenoid muscle activity reductions had greater improvements in voice onset and offset control for speech. In this study, voice onset and offset control ifficulties and vocal fold bowing were associated with increased levels of aryngeal muscle activity in the absence of medication.
An Acoustical Study of the Fricative /s/ in the Speech of Individuals With Dysarthria
Authors: Chen Helen , Stevens Kenneth N.
Published: April 2006

This paper reports on measurements of several acoustic attributes of the fricative consonant /s/ produced in word-initial position by normally speaking adults and by speakers with neuromotor dysfunctions. Several acoustic properties are evaluated: the spectrum shape of the fricative and its amplitude in relation to the following vowel, the presence or absence of voicing, the time variation of the spectrum during the fricative and in the transition to the following vowel, and the presence of inappropriate acoustic patterns preceding the /s/. Some of these properties are based on quantitative measurements of the spectrum of the /s/, and others are based on observations of the time-varying acoustic patterns in spectrograms. For the individuals with dysarthria, deviations of each of these properties from the normal range are interpreted in terms of specific deficits in the control of the speech-production system. For the most part, these parameters are highly correlated with the speakers' overall intelligibility, with the intelligibility of words containing the fricative /s/, and with perceptual ratings of the adequacy of the fricative production. The parameters that show the best correlation with intelligibility and perceptual ratings are (a) measures of deviations from normalcy in the time variation of the acoustic pattern within the consonant and at the consonant-vowel boundary and (b) the spectrum shape of the frication noise. These acoustic parameters are related to deviations in the temporal pattern of control of the articulators in producing fricative-vowel sequences and to lack of fine control of the tongue blade in achieving an appropriate target configuration for the fricative.
Evaluating the Morphological Competence of Children With Severe Speech and Physical Impairments
Authors: Redmond Sean M. , Johnston Susan S.
Published: April 2006

Reports present mixed findings on the extent to which the development of receptive language skills in children with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI) is compromised by their difficulty with speaking (V. W. Berninger & B. M. Gans, 1986; D. V. M. Bishop, B. Byers Brown, & J. Robson, 1990; O. Udwin & W. Yule, 1990). In this study, grammaticality judgments were used to measure the sensitivity of 4 school-age children with SSPI to different morphological errors. These errors included violations of agreement between the subject and auxiliary verbs (e.g.,she are falling), the marking of aspect (e.g.,she is play the horn), and the marking of past tense on regular and irregular verbs (e.g.,he jump, he fall, he falled). Performance of the participants with SSPI was compared to groups of typically developing children and adults. Results indicated that children in the SSPI and control groups made similar judgments. All groups showed high levels of sensitivity to agreement violations, aspect-marking errors, and tense-marking errors involving irregular verbs. Participants with SSPI had greater difficulty detecting tense-marking errors involving regular verbs. Implications for improving clinical assessments within this population are discussed.
The Dynamics of Interlip Coupling in Speakers With a Repaired Unilateral Cleft-Lip History
Authors: van Lieshout P. H. H. M. , Rutjens C. A. W. , Spauwen P. H. M.
Published: April 2006

In this paper, data are presented on individual movement characteristics of the upper and lower lip and on interlip coordination in speakers with a repaired unilateral cleft upper lip history and age-matched control participants. The data were acquired using the AG100 EMMA system while the participants produced a selection of nonspeech and speech tasks. The participants with a repaired unilateral cleft upper lip history showed reduced upper-lip movement ranges and peak velocities and a more variable spatiotemporal pattern for individual upper-lip movement cycles, in addition to a more variable interlip coupling. The latter difference also proved to be more pronounced for the younger speakers with a repaired cleft upper lip. Overall, for both groups, the linguistically more complex task showed more variability in the individual upper- and lower-lip movement cycles and their coupling. In the discussion, we address the potential relationships between the kinematic data for upper lip in the repaired-cleft-lip speakers and the findings on movement and coordination stability as they might fit within current notions of coordination dynamics theory.
The Sequential Development of Jaw and Lip Control for Speech
Authors: Green Jordan R. , Moore Christopher A. , Reilly Kevin J.
Published: April 2006

Vertical displacements of the upper lip, lower lip, and jaw during speech were recorded for groups of 1-, 2-, and 6-year-olds and adults to examine if control over these articulators develops sequentially. All movement traces were amplitudeand time-normalized. The developmental course of upper lip, lower lip, and jaw control was examined by quantifying age-related changes in the similarity of each articulator's movement patterns to those produced by adult subjects and by same-age peers. In addition, differences in token-to-token stability of articulatory movement were assessed among the different age groups. The experimental findings revealed that 1- and 2-year-old children's jaw movements were significantly more adult-like than their upper and lower lip movements, which were more variable. In contrast, upper and lower lip movement patterns became more adult-like with maturation. These findings suggest that the earliest stages of speech motor development are constrained by the nonuniform development of articulatory control, with the jaw preceding the lips. The observed developmental patterns suggest that the properties of the oral motor control system significantly influence the pattern of speech sound acquisition.
Statistical Power in Stuttering Research
Authors: Jones Mark , Gebski Val , Onslow Mark , Packman Ann
Published: April 2006

The capacity to make reliable inductive statements about populations is critical for the advancement of scientific knowledge. An important contribution to that advancement of knowledge is determining that effects are either present or not present in populations. Statistical power is an important methodological qualifica-tion for any research that presents statistical results, and particularly so for research that presents null results. In this paper we describe the statistical concept of power, outline parameters of research that influence it, and demonstrate how it is calculated. With reference to selected published research, attention is drawn to the problems associated with a body of underpowered research, one being that population effects may go undetected. One way to prevent this problem is to calculate power a priori in planning research and include confidence intervals when presenting the results of research. However, it is difficult, if not impossible in many cases, to obtain high participant numbers for communication disorders of low prevalence such as stuttering. With this in mind, the paper concludes with an attempt to open discussion about ways to redress the problems associated with statistical power.
Language and Reading Outcomes to Age 9 in Late-Talking Toddlers
Authors: Rescorla Leslie
Published: April 2006

Language and reading outcomes at 6 to 9 years of age were examined in a sample of 34 children who were late talkers as toddlers. The late talkers, who all had normal nonverbal ability and age-adequate receptive language at intake, were compared to a group of 25 typically developing children matched at intake (24 to 31 months) on age, socioeconomic status, and nonverbal ability. Late talkers performed in the average range on most language tasks by age 5. However, they had significantly poorer scores on most language measures through age 9. The groups did not differ in reading skills at age 6 or 7, but the late talkers were slightly less skilled in reading at ages 8 and 9. Findings suggest that slow early language development reflects a predisposition for slower acquisition and lower asymptotic performance in a wide range of language-related skills into middle childhood.