bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in the diagnostic value of various criteria of negative T waves for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy based on a molecular genetic diagnosis
Authors: Konno Tetsuo , Fujino Noboru , Hayashi Kenshi , Uchiyama Katsuharu , Masuta Eiichi , Katoh Hiromasa , Sakamoto Yuichiro , Tsubokawa Toshinari , Ino Hidekazu , Yamagishi Masakazu
Published: May 2007

Differences in the diagnostic value of a variety of definitions of negative T waves for HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) have not yet been clarified, resulting in a number of definitions being applied in previous studies. The aim of the present study was to determine the most accurate diagnostic definition of negative T waves for HCM in genotyped populations. Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings were analysed in 161 genotyped subjects (97 carriers and 64 non-carriers). We applied three different criteria that have been used in previous studies: Criterion 1, negative T wave >10 mm in depth in any leads; Criterion 2, negative T wave >3 mm in depth in at least two leads; and Criterion 3, negative T wave >1 mm in depth in at least two leads. Of the three criteria, Criterion 3 had the highest sensitivity (43% compared with 5 and 26% in Criterion 1 and Criterion 2 respectively; P<0.0001) and retained a specificity of 95%, resulting in the highest accuracy. In comparison with abnormal Q waves, negative T waves for Criterion 3 had a lower sensitivity in detecting carriers without LVH (left ventricular hypertrophy) (12.9% for negative T waves compared with 22.6% for abnormal Q waves). On the other hand, in detecting carriers with LVH, the sensitivity of negative T waves increased in a stepwise direction with the increasing extent of LVH (P<0.001), whereas there was less association between the sensitivity of abnormal Q waves and the extent of LVH. In conclusion, Criterion 3 for negative T waves may be the most accurate definition of HCM based on genetic diagnoses. Negative T waves may show different diagnostic value according to the different criteria and phenotypes in genotyped populations with HCM.
A Narrative Therapy Approach to Counseling: A Model for Working With Adolescents and Adults With Language-Literacy Deficits
Authors: Wolter Julie A. , DiLollo Anthony , Apel Kenn
Published: May 2007

Purpose

Remediation efforts with adolescents and adults with language-literacy deficits (LLD) may be hindered by concomitant factors such as decreased self-esteem and self-efficacy. Despite sound linguistically based remediation practices, treatment lacking integrated counseling components may fail to achieve optimal outcomes. In this tutorial, we recount a counseling approach, specifically a narrative therapy counseling approach based on constructivist theory, to be used with adolescents and adults with LLD.

Method

A review of the literature includes research on the use of counseling in communication disorders settings and on the application of a narrative therapy counseling approach with individuals with decreased self-esteem. The key components and steps of narrative therapy are described, and applications for use with adolescents and adults with LLD are suggested. Sample vignettes of a counseling component for a 22-year-old student with LLD who is enrolled in literacy intervention are used to illustrate some of the key points of a narrative therapy counseling approach.

Implications

A narrative therapy counseling approach that is integrated into language-literacy remediation may be an effective way of addressing concomitant factors such as decreased self-esteem in adolescents and adults with LLD. Readers of this article are challenged to seek additional counseling training and to begin to conduct research to determine the feasibility, effectiveness, and efficacy of integrating a counseling component into speech and language therapy.
Measuring Preschool Attainment of Print-Concept Knowledge: A Study of Typical and At-Risk 3- to 5-Year-Old Children Using Item Response Theory
Authors: Justice Laura M. , Bowles Ryan P. , Skibbe Lori E.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This research determined the psychometric quality of a criterion-referenced measure that was thought to measure preschoolers' print-concept knowledge (PCK).

Method

This measure, titled the Preschool Word and Print Awareness (PWPA), was examined using the partial credit model (PCM) to determine its suitability for use by clinicians, educators, and researchers. The extent to which the PWPA differentiated estimates of PCK for at-risk populations on the basis of socioeconomic status (SES) and language ability was also studied. The sample population was one-hundred twenty-eight 3- to 5-year-old children who varied in SES (middle, low) and language ability (typical language, language impairment) as derived from several previous or ongoing studies of emergent literacy intervention.

Results

The PCM fit analyses showed good fit between the overall data and the PCM, indicating that the PWPA provided a valid estimate of the latent PCK trait. SES and language ability were significant predictors of PWPA scores when age was used as a covariate. These results showed the PWPA to be suitable for measuring preschoolers' PCK and to be sensitive to differences among children as a function of risk status.

Clinical Implications

The results show the PWPA to be an appropriate instrument for clinical and educational use with preschool children.
Evidence-Based Practice in Communication Disorders: Progress not Perfection
Authors: Kent Ray D.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This commentary is written in response to a companion paper by Nan Bernstein Ratner (Evidence-Based Practice: An Examination of its Ramifications for the Practice of Speech-Language Pathology).

Method

The comments reflect my experience as Vice President for Research and Technology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). One of the responsibilities of the Vice President is to monitor the work of the Advisory Committee on Evidence-Based Practice.

Conclusion

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a challenging but attainable goal for audiology and speech-language pathology. Our professions have made rapid progress in developing the foundations for EBP. To be sure, a great deal of work remains to be done, but we have learned from the experiences of other professions and have built our own systems to support EBP.
Commentary on “Treatment Decisions for Children With Speech–Sound Disorders”: Revisiting the Past in EBP
Authors: Tyler Ann A.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This commentary, written in response to Alan Kamhi’s paper, “Treatment Decisions for Children with Speech–Sound Disorders,” further considers the “what” or goal selection process of decision making with the aim of efficiency—getting the most change in the shortest time.

Method

My comments reflect a focus on the client values piece of the evidence-based practice (EBP) triad through validating treatment decisions for individual clients using generalization data. Such data are ideal for demonstrating change according to specific benchmarks and suggesting that treatment was responsible for this change. Consideration is also given to deficit profiles and their implications for long-term outcomes when validating the effects of treatment.

Conclusion

Although the abundance of evidence suggests that a variety of treatment approaches are effective for children with speech–sound disorders, less is known about which are most efficient as compared to one another or for which specific children. Practitioners, however, are embracing EBP when they select a treatment by matching the research evidence with a client’s profile, collect systematic data, and use those data to demonstrate that change is attributable to treatment.
Commentary on “Making Evidence-Based Decisions About Child Language Intervention in Schools” by Gillam and Gillam
Authors: Fey Marc E.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This paper is a personal reaction to Gillam and Gillam’s treatise on evidence-based decision making in schools. This evaluation focuses principally on the costs and benefits of clinicians' search for external evidence, potential problems associated with efforts to grade that evidence, and the integration of this evidence with “internal” evidence related to specific children and their families, clinician preferences and experience, and the school setting.

Method

Descriptive methods (that are not evidence-based) are used to evaluate critically Gillam and Gillam’s proposals on the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) in schools.

Conclusion

Early efforts to implement the plan for EBP illustrated by Gillam and Gillam are likely to be difficult, forcing clinicians to be flexible and patient. Nevertheless, if the plan is followed, it will result ultimately in improved speech-language pathology services in the schools and improved clinical research to support those services.
The Prevalence of Stuttering, Voice, and Speech-Sound Disorders in Primary School Students in Australia
Authors: McKinnon David H. , McLeod Sharynne , Reilly Sheena
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The aims of this study were threefold: to report teachers' estimates of the prevalence of speech disorders (specifically, stuttering, voice, and speech-sound disorders); to consider correspondence between the prevalence of speech disorders and gender, grade level, and socioeconomic status; and to describe the level of support provided to schoolchildren with speech disorders.

Method

Students with speech disorders were identified from 10,425 students in Australia using a 4-stage process: training in the data collection process, teacher identification, confirmation by a speech-language pathologist, and consultation with district special needs advisors.

Results

The prevalence of students with speech disorders was estimated; specifically, 0.33% of students were identified as stuttering, 0.12% as having a voice disorder, and 1.06% as having a speech-sound disorder. There was a higher prevalence of speech disorders in males than in females. As grade level increased, the prevalence of speech disorders decreased. There was no significant difference in the pattern of prevalence across the three speech disorders and four socioeconomic groups; however, students who were identified with a speech disorder were more likely to be in the higher socioeconomic groups. Finally, there was a difference between the perceived and actual level of support that was provided to these students.

Conclusion

These prevalence figures are lower than those using initial identification by speech-language pathologists and similar to those using parent report.
The Critical Shortage of Speech-Language Pathologists in the Public School Setting: Features of the Work Environment That Affect Recruitment and Retention
Authors: Edgar Debra L. , Rosa-Lugo Linda I.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The primary focus of this study was to elicit the perspectives of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding features of the work environment that contribute to and/or hinder recruitment and retention in the public school setting.

Method

A questionnaire was distributed to SLPs employed in 10 school districts in Central Florida representing small, medium, and large school districts. The primary goal of the questionnaire was to elicit the perspectives of school-based SLPs regarding (a) factors in the work environment that contribute to retention, (b) factors in the work environment that hinder retention, and (c) issues that may contribute to the recruitment and retention of SLPs in the school setting. A total of 382 questionnaires was obtained, yielding a 64.5% response rate.

Results

The participants ranked working with children, school schedule, and educational setting as primary reasons for their satisfaction with working in the public school setting. The participants ranked workload, role ambiguity, salary, and caseload as primary reasons for their dissatisfaction with working in the public school setting.

Conclusion

Themes emerged from the data that provide insight into several factors that serve as powerful influences in understanding issues of recruitment and retention of SLPs in the public school setting.
Neurobiology and Neurodevelopmental Impact of Childhood Traumatic Stress and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Authors: Henry Jim , Sloane Mark , Black-Pond Connie
Published: May 2007

Purpose

Research reveals that prenatal alcohol exposure and child trauma (i.e., abuse, neglect, sexual abuse) can have deleterious effects on child development across multiple domains. This study analyzed the impact on childhood neurodevelopment of prenatal alcohol exposure and postnatal traumatic experience compared to postnatal traumatic experience alone. Although the harmful effects of both have been well documented individually, there is no research documenting the concurrent effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and postnatal trauma on a child’s developmental process.

Method

Transdisciplinary assessment of the children included the core disciplines of medicine, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, social work, and psychology. Medical examination, standardized developmental and intelligence testing, projective tools, parent questionnaires, and psychosocial interviews provided information in the primary developmental areas.

Results

Findings indicated that children who had been exposed prenatally to alcohol along with postnatal traumatic experience had lower intelligence scores and more severe neurodevelopmental deficits in language, memory, visual processing, motor skills, and attention than did traumatized children without prenatal alcohol exposure, as well as greater oppositional/defiant behavior, inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and social problems.

Clinical Implications

Successful teacher and speech-language pathologist interventions with traumatized children with prenatal alcohol exposure demand a paradigm shift that requires the development of new perspectives and ongoing training.
A State of Double Jeopardy: Impact of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Adverse Environments on the Social Communicative Abilities of School-Age Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Coggins Truman E. , Timler Geralyn R. , Olswang Lesley B.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This article is a retrospective examination of environmental risk, language performance, and narrative discourse data from a clinical database of school-age children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Method

A case-defined diagnostic approach for measuring and reporting the full spectrum of disabilities in children with prenatal alcohol exposure is presented. Demographic, environmental, language, and social communication (as reflected by narrative discourse) data are reported for a large cohort of children with FASD between the ages of 6;0 (years;months) and 12;0.

Results

Children with FASD are a heterogeneous group with varying levels of compromise. The data demonstrate a substantial comorbidity between the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and adverse caregiving environments. The data further reveal that school-age children with FASD often exhibit clinically meaningful deficits in language and social communication.

Clinical Implication

Children with FASD may be particularly vulnerable to language and social communication deficits as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure and atypical or adverse social interactive experiences. Comprehensive assessment is recommended. Dynamic and functional assessment paradigms may document the language and social communicative deficits in children with FASD and other clinical populations with complex neurodevelopmental profiles.
Collaborative Services: Children Experiencing Neglect and the Side Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Authors: Rogers-Adkinson Diana L. , Stuart Shannon K.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide critical knowledge regarding children who are served by the child welfare system and how these children’s specialized needs affect speech-language services. Specifically, the structure of social services system models is presented, with an emphasis on the cultural and systemic interactions between service providers and families. In addition, the role of special education for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and prenatal drug or alcohol exposure is presented, with an emphasis on social service and special education legal issues.

Method

This article provides a critical analysis of the research literature to date regarding effective tools for providing collaborative intervention to children who are experiencing fetal alcohol syndrome disorder or abuse and/or neglect.

Clinical Implications

This article provides suggestions about the collaborative roles that speech-language pathologists should integrate into treatment milieu when delivering therapy to children with histories of abuse, neglect, and prenatal drug or alcohol exposure.
The Effect of Aided Language Modeling on Symbol Comprehension and Production in 2 Preschoolers With Autism
Authors: Drager Kathryn D. R. , Postal Valerie J. , Carrolus Leanne , Castellano Megan , Gagliano Christine , Glynn Jennifer
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of an instructional procedure called
aided language modeling
(ALM) on symbol comprehension and expression in 2 preschool children with autism who used few words functionally. ALM consists of engaging the child in interactive play activities and providing models of use of augmentative and alternative communication symbols during play.

Method

A multiple-baseline design across sets of symbol vocabulary was used with 2 children who had autism. Four vocabulary items were taught in each of 3 legs of the design, for each child.

Results

Both participants demonstrated increased symbol comprehension and elicited symbol production. In addition, both participants demonstrated that symbol comprehension and symbol production could be maintained. For both children, performance on symbol production lagged behind rate of responses on symbol comprehension.

Conclusions

The current research presents preliminary evidence that a modeling intervention may be effective in increasing symbol comprehension and production, and may be an appropriate intervention strategy for some preschoolers with autism. Future research should continue to investigate this strategy and its effects on functional communication.
Accuracy of Repetition of Digitized and Synthesized Speech for Young Children in Background Noise
Authors: Drager Kathryn D. R. , Clark-Serpentine Elizabeth A. , Johnson Kate E. , Roeser Jennifer L.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The present study investigated the intelligibility of digitized and synthesized speech output in background noise for children 3–5 years old. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there was a difference in the intelligibility (ability to repeat) of 3 types of speech output (digitized, DECTalk synthesized, and MacinTalk synthesized) in single words and sentences, presented within and out of context.

Method

The dependent variable was speech intelligibility (number of individual words repeated correctly). The study used a mixed-model design. Ninety typically developing children (3–5 years old) were assigned to each of 3 speech type conditions. Participants were asked to repeat 20 words and 10 short sentences. Half of the stimuli were preceded by contextual information (topic cue), and half were presented without any context.

Results

Young children have difficulty accurately repeating some digitized and synthesized messages in background noise. Overall, the older children (4- and 5-year-olds) performed better than the 3-year-old children. Increasing information through context or longer messages (i.e., sentences) did facilitate intelligibility overall, although there was a statistically significant Message Length × Context × Speech Type interaction.

Conclusions

For 3–5-year-olds, the intelligibility of single words is very low (55%–77%). The intelligibility of sentences is higher, but the sole use of sentences for communication is problematic. Contextual information facilitates intelligibility and is a promising approach for ensuring effective communication. Future research is needed to improve the intelligibility of speech output at the single word level in order to maximize the benefits of speech output.
Reduced Speaking Rate as an Early Predictor of Reading Disability
Authors: Smith Allan B. , Roberts Jenny , Lambrecht Smith Susan , Locke John L. , Bennett Jane
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This study evaluated whether developmental reading disability could be predicted in children at the age of 30 months, according to 3 measures of speech production: speaking rate, articulation rate, and the proportion of speaking time allocated to pausing.

Method

Speech samples of 18 children at high risk and 10 children at low risk for reading disability were recorded at 30 months of age. High risk was determined by history of reading disability in at least 1 of the child’s parents. In grade school, a reading evaluation identified 9 children within the high-risk group as having reading disability and 9 children as not having reading disability. The 10 children at low risk for reading disability tested negative for reading disability.

Results

Children with reading disability showed a significantly slower speaking rate than children at high risk without reading disability. Children with reading disability allocated significantly more time to pausing, as compared with the other groups. Articulation rate did not differ significantly across groups.

Conclusions

Speaking rate and the proportion of pausing time to speaking time may provide an early indication of reading outcome in children at high risk for reading disability.
Complexity in Language Learning and Treatment
Authors: Thompson Cynthia K.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

To introduce a Clinical Forum focused on the Complexity Account of Treatment Efficacy (C. K. Thompson, L. P. Shapiro, S. Kiran, & J. Sobecks, 2003), a counterintuitive but effective approach for treating language disorders. This approach espouses training
complex
structures to promote generalized improvement of simpler, linguistically related structures. Three articles are included, addressing complexity in treatment of phonology, lexical-semantics, and syntax.

Method

Complexity hierarchies based on models of normal language representation and processing are discussed in each language domain. In addition, each article presents single-subject controlled experimental studies examining the complexity effect. By counterbalancing treatment of complex and simple structures across participants, acquisition and generalization patterns are examined as they emerge.

Results

In all language domains, cascading generalization occurs from more to less complex structures; however, the opposite pattern is rarely seen. The results are robust, with replication within and across participants.

Conclusions

The construct of complexity appears to be a general principle that is relevant to treating a range of language disorders in both children and adults. While challenging the long-standing clinical notion that treatment should begin with simple structures, mounting evidence points toward the facilitative effects of using more complex structures as a starting point for treatment.
Phonological Complexity and Language Learnability
Authors: Gierut Judith A.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

To extend formal models of language learnability to applications in clinical treatment of children with functional phonological delays.

Method

The focus of the narrative review is on phonological complexity. This follows from learnability theory, whereby complexity in the linguistic input to children has been shown to trigger language learning. Drawing from the literature, phonological complexity is defined from epistemic, ontological, and functional perspectives, with specific emphasis on the application of language universals in the selection of target sounds for treatment.

Results

The cascading effects of phonological complexity on children’s generalization learning are illustrated, and frequently asked questions about complexity in treatment are addressed.

Conclusion

The role of complexity in cognitive development is introduced to demonstrate the apparent robustness of effects.
Effects of Verbal Cue on Bolus Flow During Swallowing
Authors: Daniels Stephanie K. , Schroeder Mae Fern , DeGeorge Pamela C. , Corey David M. , Rosenbek John C.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

To examine the effects of verbal cuing to initiate swallowing on bolus flow measures in healthy adults.

Method

Videofluoroscopic examinations were completed in 12 healthy older adults (median age = 69 years) as they swallowed 5 ml of self-administered liquid barium in 2 conditions: verbally cued and noncued swallows. In the cued condition, participants held the liquid in their mouths until instructed to swallow. In the noncued condition, participants swallowed in their usual manner.

Results

Verbal cue affected bolus position at onset of timing measures, thereby influencing duration. The bolus was positioned more posterior in the oral cavity at onset of oral transit for cued as compared with noncued swallows. The leading edge of the bolus at onset of the pharyngeal swallow was more superior in the pharynx for cued as compared with noncued swallows. Durations of the cued swallows were significantly shorter than for noncued swallows for all timing measures. Bolus direction scores were not significantly different between conditions.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that swallowing is altered by the use of verbal cues to initiate swallowing in healthy adults. Determining whether shorter durations with implementation of verbal cues are evident in individuals with dysphagia and whether effects are beneficial or deleterious requires continued research.
Tongue Measures in Individuals With Normal and Impaired Swallowing
Authors: Stierwalt Julie A. G. , Youmans Scott R.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This investigation sought to add to the extant literature on measures of normal tongue function, to provide information on measures of tongue function in a group of individuals with oral phase dysphagia, and to provide a comparison of these 2 groups matched for age and gender.

Method

The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument was utilized to measure tongue function (strength and endurance) in a group of individuals with normal (
N
= 200) and impaired (
N
= 50) swallowing. The peak measure of 3 encouraged trials was recorded as participants’ strength, and 50% of their peak was sustained as long as possible for endurance.

Results

Results for the control group supported previous investigations wherein greater tongue strength was found in males than in females and in the youngest versus oldest groups. The experimental group demonstrated a similar trend in strength for gender. When matched for age and gender, the experimental group demonstrated significantly lower strength. Significant differences were not revealed on measures of tongue endurance.

Conclusions

We were able to extend the normative database on tongue function and document reduced tongue strength in a group of individuals with dysphagia. The findings provide evidence that in this group, tongue weakness coincided with signs of dysphagia, adding justification for tongue-strengthening protocols.
The Application of Self-Efficacy Principles to Audiologic Rehabilitation: A Tutorial
Authors: Smith Sherri L. , West Robin Lea
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this tutorial is to provide a comprehensive overview of the self-efficacy framework and its application to audiologic rehabilitation.

Method

A literature review was conducted on self-efficacy and its relevance to successful interventions in several health domains. Specific recommendations were presented for audiologic rehabilitation procedures that will enhance self-efficacy.

Conclusions

As is the case in other health domains, clinical intervention by audiologists will be more effective when incorporating a self-efficacy framework in the audiologic rehabilitation process.
Serial Position Effects for Acoustic Stimuli Among Children With and Without Hearing Loss
Authors: Jutras Benoît
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This study investigated serial position effects on auditory sequential organization among children with hearing loss and with normal hearing.

Method

Forty-eight children were divided into 4 equally sized groups: 2 groups of 6–7-year-olds and 2 groups of 9–10-year-olds. Each age group had 12 children with normal hearing and 12 children with sensorineural hearing loss. Participants were asked to reproduce auditory sequences of verbal (syllables /ba/ and /da/) and nonverbal (1-kHz pure tone and a wideband noise) elements by pressing associated buttons.

Results

No evidence of a recency effect was found, but a primacy effect was observed in the participants’ performance under most experimental conditions. Normal hearing participants in the 6–7-year-old group were better at reproducing 3 to 5 verbal items than their counterparts with hearing loss, independent of item sequence position.

Conclusion

Results suggest that, regardless of hearing status, all children use similar mnemonic strategies.
Comparison of Performance on the Hearing in Noise Test Using Directional Microphones and Digital Noise Reduction Algorithms
Authors: Nordrum Stacie , Erler Susan , Garstecki Dean , Dhar Sumitrajit
Published: May 2007

Purpose

Difficulty understanding speech in background noise is one of the most common complaints of hearing aid users. In modern hearing aids, directional microphones (d-mics) are considered the method of choice in improving signal-to-noise ratio, with demonstrated improvement in speech-perception-in-noise tasks. On the other hand, digital noise reduction (DNR) algorithms, in commercially available products, are considered to provide comfort but not significant assistance in improving speech perception in noise. In practice, these 2 technologies are often used in conjunction, but few studies have evaluated their interaction and the resultant effect on speech perception in noise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect on speech performance of using d-mics and DNR in isolation as well as in conjunction in the presence of background noise.

Method

This study evaluates the performance of 16 experienced adult hearing aid users on the Hearing in Noise Test when each technology was activated independently and then simultaneously in 4 commercially available hearing aids.

Result

Approximately 50% of our participants performed better with both d-mics and DNR activated in conjunction, while the other 50% performed best in the d-mic-only condition. When considering statistically significant differences in performance only, a reduction or improvement in performance was observed in 17% and 14% of the conditions, respectively.

Conclusion

A direction for further research would be to identify predictive variables that could help the audiologist determine an individual’s preference a priori.
Audibility and Speech Perception of Children Using Wide Dynamic Range Compression Hearing Aids
Authors: Davidson Lisa S. , Skinner Margaret W.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This study examined the relation of audibility for frequency-specific sounds and the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) to speech perception abilities of children with sensorineural hearing loss using digital signal-processing hearing aids with wide dynamic range compression.

Method

Twenty-six children age 5–15 years with pure-tone averages (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz) from 60-98 dB HL participated. Three subgroups were created based on the compression characteristics of each hearing aid. Minimum audibility was determined using aided thresholds for frequency-modulated tones and the SII calculated at 55 and 70 dB SPL using the simulated real-ear output of the hearing aid. The Lexical Neighborhood Test (LNT; K. I. Kirk, D. B. Pisoni, & M. J. Osberger, 1995) was presented at 50 and 70 dB SPL.

Results

LNT scores at 70 dB SPL were significantly higher than at 50 dB SPL. Average aided thresholds at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz were negatively correlated with LNT scores at 50 dB SPL, and SIIs at 55 and 70 dB SPL were positively correlated with LNT scores at 50 and 70 dB SPL.

Conclusions

Results support using aided thresholds and speech test scores at soft to loud levels as part of the amplification fitting process.
Enhancing Generalized Teaching Strategy Use in Daily Routines by Parents of Children With Autism
Authors: Kashinath Shubha , Woods Juliann , Goldstein Howard
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of facilitating generalized use of teaching strategies by parents of children with autism within daily routines.

Method

Five preschool children with autism participated in intervention with a parent within daily routines in the family’s home. Parents learned to include 2 teaching strategies in target routines to address their child’s communication objectives. Parent–child interactions in routines were videotaped for data coding and analysis. Proactive programming of generalization occurred by systematic selection of intervention routines and by embedding intervention in multiple routines. Generalization data were collected by measuring strategy use in untrained routines. A multiple baseline design across teaching strategies was used to assess experimental effects.

Results

All parents demonstrated proficient use of teaching strategies and generalized their use across routines. The intervention had positive effects on child communication outcomes. All parents perceived the intervention to be beneficial.

Conclusion

Results from this study add to the limited body of evidence supporting parent-implemented interventions in natural environments with young children with autism spectrum disorder. Additional research that replicates this approach with children of varying ages and disabilities and families with diverse characteristics is needed to support the generality of these findings.
Lexical–Semantic Organization in Bilingual Children: Evidence From a Repeated Word Association Task
Authors: Sheng Li , McGregor Karla K. , Marian Viorica
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This study examined lexical–semantic organization of bilingual children in their 2 languages and in relation to monolingual age-mates.

Method

Twelve Mandarin–English bilingual and 12 English monolingual children generated 3 associations to each of 36 words. Responses were coded as paradigmatic (dog–cat) or syntagmatic (dog–bark).

Results

Within the bilingual group, word association performance was comparable and correlated between 1st and 2nd languages. Bilingual and monolingual children demonstrated similar patterns of responses, but subtle group differences were also revealed. When between-group comparisons were made on English measures, there was a bilingual advantage in paradigmatic responding during the 1st elicitation and for verbs.

Conclusion

Results support previous studies in finding parallel development in bilinguals' 1st- and 2nd-language lexical–semantic skills and provide preliminary evidence that bilingualism may enhance paradigmatic organization of the semantic lexicon.
Evaluation of an Audiovisual-FM System: Investigating the Interaction Between Illumination Level and a Talker’s Skin Color on Speech-Reading Performance
Authors: Gagné Jean-Pierre , Laplante-Lévesque Ariane , Labelle Maude , Doucet Katrine , Potvin Marie-Christine
Published: May 2007

A program designed to evaluate the benefits of an audiovisual–frequency modulated (FM) system led to some questions concerning the effects of illumination level and a talker’s skin color on speech-reading performance. To address those issues, the speech of a Caucasian female was videotaped under 2 conditions: a light skin color condition and a dark skin color condition. For the latter condition, makeup was applied to the talker’s face. For both skin color conditions, the talker was recorded while speaking sentences under 7 different levels of illumination: 2, 3, 4, 16, 60, 256, and 600 footcandles (fc). Fifteen participants completed the speech perception task in a visual-only modality. The results revealed a significant interaction of illumination level and skin color. For the light skin color condition, speech-reading performance improved systematically as the illumination level increased from 3 to 16 fc. For the dark skin color condition, no differences in speech-reading performance were observed between the 2-fc and the 3-fc conditions. However, a large improvement in speech-reading performance was observed as the illumination level increased from 4 fc to 16 fc. It is speculated that in addition to an overall effect of illumination level, the contrast in luminance at the level of the talker’s face has an effect on speech-reading performance.
Speech Effort Measurement and Stuttering: Investigating the Chorus Reading Effect
Authors: Ingham Roger J. , Warner Allison , Byrd Anne , Cotton John
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate chorus reading’s (CR’s) effect on speech effort during oral reading by adult stuttering speakers and control participants. The effect of a speech effort measurement highlighting strategy was also investigated.

Method

Twelve persistent stuttering (PS) adults and 12 normally fluent control participants completed 1-min base rate readings (BR–nonchorus) and CRs within a BR/CR/BR/CR/BR experimental design. Participants self-rated speech effort using a 9-point scale after each reading trial. Stuttering frequency, speech rate, and speech naturalness measures were also obtained. Instructions highlighting speech effort ratings during BR and CR phases were introduced after the first CR.

Results

CR improved speech effort ratings for the PS group, but the control group showed a reverse trend. Both groups' effort ratings were not significantly different during CR phases but were significantly poorer than the control group’s effort ratings during BR phases. The highlighting strategy did not significantly change effort ratings.

Conclusion

The findings show that CR will produce not only stutter-free and natural sounding speech but also reliable reductions in speech effort. However, these reductions do not reach effort levels equivalent to those achieved by normally fluent speakers, thereby conditioning its use as a gold standard of achievable normal fluency by PS speakers.
Proteomic Profiling of Rat Thyroarytenoid Muscle
Authors: Welham Nathan V. , Marriott Gerard , Bless Diane M.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

Proteomic methodologies offer promise in elucidating the systemwide cellular and molecular processes that characterize normal and diseased thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle. This study examined methodological issues central to the application of 2-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D SDS-PAGE) to the study of the TA muscle proteome using a rat model.

Method

2D SDS-PAGE was performed using 4 chemically skinned rat TA muscle samples. Gel images were analyzed and compared. Protein spot detection and matching were performed using computational image analysis algorithms only and computational image analysis followed by visual inspection and manual error correction. A synthetic master gel, constructed to control for uninteresting biological variation and technical artifact due to differences in protein loading and staining, was evaluated against its constituent gels.

Results

Manual error correction resulted in a consistent increase in the number of protein spots detected (between 5.8% and 40.9%) and matched (from 25.8% to 70.8%) across all gels. Sensitivity and specificity of the automatic (computational) spot detection procedure, evaluated against the manual correction procedure, were 74.1% and 97.9%, respectively. Evaluation of protein quantitation parameter values revealed statistically significant differences (p< .0001) in optical density, area, and volume for matched protein spots across gels. The synthetic master gel successfully compensated for these intergel differences.

Conclusions

Valid and reliable proteomic data are dependant on well-controlled manageable variability and well-defined unmanageable variability. Manual correction of spot detection and matching errors and the use of a synthetic master gel appear to be useful strategies in addressing these issues. With these issues accounted for, 2D SDS-PAGE may be applied to quantitative experimental comparisons of normal and disease conditions affecting voice, speech, and swallowing function.
Age-Related Variability in Cortical Activity During Language Processing
Authors: Fridriksson Julius , Morrow K. Leigh , Moser Dana , Baylis Gordon C.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

The present study investigated the extent of cortical activity during overt picture naming using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Method

Participants comprised 20 healthy, adult participants with ages ranging from 20 to 82 years. While undergoing fMRI, participants completed a picture-naming task consisting of 60 high-frequency nouns.

Results

Linear regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between age and cortical activation intensity in Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas as well as the right-hemisphere homologue of Broca’s area. In contrast, neural activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus, an area thought to be involved in attentional processing, did not increase as a function of age.

Conclusions

These findings suggest age-related increases in cortical activation during simple language tasks, such as picture naming, in brain areas typically associated with language processing.
Visual Phonemic Ambiguity and Speechreading
Authors: Lidestam Björn , Beskow Jonas
Published: May 2007

Purpose

To study the role of visual perception of phonemes in visual perception of sentences and words among normal-hearing individuals.

Method

Twenty-four normal-hearing adults identified consonants, words, and sentences, spoken by either a human or a synthetic talker. The synthetic talker was programmed with identical parameters within phoneme groups, hypothetically resulting in simplified articulation. Proportions of correctly identified phonemes per participant, condition, and task, as well as sensitivity to single consonants and clusters of consonants, were measured. Groups of mutually exclusive consonants were used for sensitivity analyses and hierarchical cluster analyses.

Results

Consonant identification performance did not differ as a function of talker, nor did average sensitivity to single consonants. The bilabial and labiodental clusters were most readily identified and cohesive for both talkers. Word and sentence identification was better for the human talker than the synthetic talker. The participants were more sensitive to the clusters of the least visible consonants with the human talker than with the synthetic talker.

Conclusions

It is suggested that ability to distiguish between clusters of the least visually distinct phonemes is important in speechreading. Specifically, it reduces the number of candidates, and thereby facilitates lexical identification.
Maturation of Speech and Language Functional Neuroanatomy in Pediatric Normal Controls
Authors: Devous Michael D. , Altuna Dianne , Furl Nicholas , Cooper William , Gabbert Gretchen , Ngai Wei Tat , Chiu Stephanie , Scott Jack M. , Harris Thomas S. , Payne J. Kelly , Tobey Emily A.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This study explores the relationship between age and resting-state regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in regions associated with higher order language skills using a population of normal children, adolescents, and young adults.

Method

rCBF was measured in 33 normal participants between the ages of 7 and 19 years using single photon emission computed tomography. Participants' ages were regressed on rCBF values (normalized to whole-brain CBF) in 2 ways: (a) within anatomically defined, language-related regions of interest (ROIs) including Wernicke’s area, Broca’s area, angular gyrus, planum temporale, and Heschl’s gyrus and (b) within clusters of voxels found to be significantly related to age in voxel-wise analyses.

Results

rCBF in all anatomically defined ROIs except Heschl’s gyrus declined as a function of age. Additionally, voxel-wise analyses revealed clusters where rCBF declined with age in left inferior parietal, left superior temporal, and right middle temporal regions—areas often implicated in higher order language functions.

Conclusions

These data suggest that ongoing maturation (e.g., dendritic pruning) in higher order cognitive areas (e.g., angular gyrus) continues into adolescence, as reflected by declining rCBF, while the primary auditory area (Heschl’s gyrus) has become a stable neuronal population by age 7 years.
Perception of Coarticulatory Information in Normal Speech and Dysarthria
Authors: Tjaden Kris , Sussman Joan
Published: May 2007

Purpose

This study addressed three research questions: (a) Can listeners use anticipatory vowel information in prevocalic consonants produced by talkers with dysarthria to identify the upcoming vowel? (b) Are listeners sensitive to interspeaker variation in anticipatory coarticulation during prevocalic consonants produced by healthy talkers and/or talkers with dysarthria, as measured by vowel identification accuracy? (c) Is interspeaker variation in anticipatory coarticulation reflected in measures of intelligibility?

Method

Stimuli included 106 CVC words produced by 20 speakers with either Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis or by 16 healthy controls characterized by an operationally defined normal, under, or over level of anticipatory vowel coarticulation. Ten listeners were presented with prevocalic consonants for identification of the vowel. Ten additional listeners judged single-word intelligibility. An analysis of variance was used to determine differences in vowel identification accuracy and intelligibility as a function of speaker group, coarticulation level, and vowel type.

Results

Listeners accurately identified vowels produced by all speaker groups from the aperiodic portion of prevocalic consonants, but interspeaker variations in strength of coarticulation did not strongly affect vowel identification accuracy or intelligibility.

Conclusions

Listeners appear to be tuned to similar types of information in the acoustic speech stream irrespective of the source or speaker, and any perceptual effects of interspeaker variation in coarticulation are subtle.
The Ordering of Milestones in Language Development for Children From 1 to 6 Years of Age
Authors: Luinge Margreet R. , Post Wendy J. , Wit Hero P. , Goorhuis-Brouwer Sieneke M.
Published: May 2007

Purpose

To scale language milestones in a group of 527 children to provide an instrument for screening language development.

Procedure

The questionnaire regarding these milestones was completed by parental report. It was evaluated whether the scaled milestones satisfied the assumptions of the Mokken item response model.

Results

The scalability of the final scale of 14 milestones was strong (H= .95), its reliability was high (ρ = .96), and it satisfied the assumptions of the Mokken model.

Conclusions

A single, unidimensional scale of diverse milestones was developed. It taps lexical, syntactic, and phonological skills, as well as both receptive and expressive language skills, and is well suited for mapping progress in language ability.