bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reliability of Labial Closure Force Measurements in Normal Subjects and Patients With CNS Disorders
Authors: Wood L. Maureen , Hughes Julie , Hayes Keith C. , Wolfe Dalton L.
Published: July 2014

This study determined the reliability of maximal upper and lower lip closing forces measured using a strain-gauged cantilever beam assembly. An intraclass correlation approach was used to explicitly partition the "error free" between-subject variance and measurement error variance across repeated days (2) and across repeated trials (5). Ten healthy adults served as controls and 30 patients with diagnoses of multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular accident, or Parkinson's disease served as subjects. The intraclass correlation analyses revealed generally high reliability (
R
>.90) for upper and lower lip force measurements, for various combinations of control and/or patient groups, and within each individual patient group. There was moderate correspondence between the quantitative measures of lip force and the clinical assessment of combined upper (
r
=.67) and lower lip closure force (
r
=.62) but low correspondence between the quantitative measures of lip force and the presence of motor speech deficit. The lower lip force of patients with Parkinson's disease (
M
=3.1 N) on Day 1 was markedly reduced from that of all other patient groups and controls (
M
=10.1 N). These results yield helpful information for the design of investigations of oral-motor weakness and for the quantitative assessment of an individual's clinical status.
Psychometric Evaluation of a Swedish Version of the Communication Strategies Scale of the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired
Authors: Hallberg Lillemor R-M. , Eriksson-Mangold Maud , Carlsson Sven G.
Published: July 2014

The Communication Strategies scale of the Communication Profile for the Hearing Impaired (CPHI) was translated into Swedish and used in several studies of people with hearing impairment (Hallberg & Carisson, in press; Hallberg, Erlandsson, & Carlsson, 1991) In this study the scale was evaluated in terms of descriptive statistics, corrected item-total correlations, principal component analysis, and internal consistency reliability. Agreement with results from American studies is surprisingly good Normative data based on three samples are presented a general Swedish hearing-impaired sample with predominantly sensorineural hearing loss (
N
=199), a subgroup of 105 younger subjects with noise-induced hearing loss, and a subgroup of 39 older subjects with sensorineural hearing loss due to heredity and/or old age. A significantly more frequent use of maladaptive behaviors (
p
< .001) and verbal communication strategies (
p
< .01) was reported by older subjects with age-related and/or hereditary hearing loss than by younger subjects with noise-induced hearing loss. The Communication Strategies scale seems to be an adequately reliable and clinically useful instrument for assessing adaptive and maladaptive strategies In hearing-impaired subjects.
A Longitudinal Study of Stuttering in Children
Authors: Yairi Ehud , Ambrose Nicoline
Published: July 2014

The objectives of this pilot study were to establish methods for longitudinal research of stuttering in children and to provide preliminary data on the variations that occur in disfluencies during the developmental course of stuttering. Twenty-seven preschool-aged children were followed for a minimum of 2 years shortly after they began stuttering. Tape-recorded speech samples were obtained from the children at several intervals during this period. The number of various types of disfluencies was counted in the speech samples obtained in each testing period. Twenty-one children continued to be followed for varying periods of up to 12 years. Eighteen of the 27 subjects received a few speech treatment sessions during the initial period of the study, whereas 9 children did not receive direct treatment. Results indicated that for the two subgroups there was a marked deceleration over time in the mean frequency of stuttering-like disfluencies. Individual subjects’ data showed considerable variability in the longitudinal development of disfluency but most subjects followed the patterns of the group means. Much of the reduction took place during the early stage of the disorder, especially near the end of the first year post-onset. There were indications that group differences between chronic and recovering stutterers become distinct by approximately 20 months post-onset.
Factors Underlying Neuropsychological Test Performance in Chronic Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Peach Richard K.
Published: July 2014

The neuropsychological test performance of subjects with traumatic brain injury (TBI) of the closed head type was investigated using a test battery consisting of traditional clinical instruments with expanded language measures. TBI subjects were specifically selected to include only those with a pattern of predominantly diffuse cerebral injury to allow conclusions regarding language performance in the absence of focal aphasia-producing lesions. Factor analysis of the test scores resulted in the extraction of three interpretable factors associated with performance on this battery: perceptual, general language, and mental efficiency. The results were compared to those obtained in previous factor-analytic studies of brain-damaged subjects, revealing patterns for the language/verbal subtests that diverged from those observed formerly. Two explanations are considered for these findings, the first interpretation centering on the notion of select impairments to specific cognitive processes and the second relating to impairments in the capacity to allocate resources effectively.
Some Psychometric Properties of the Test of Basic Auditory Capabilities (TBAC)
Authors: Christopherson Laurel A. , Humes Larry E.
Published: July 2014

This study examined some psychometric properties of the Test of Basic Auditory Capabilities (TBAC). Two experiments are described that evaluate the psychometric functions and the test‐retest reliability of the tests comprising the TBAC. The psychometric functions were established for young listeners with normal hearing and the test‐retest reliability was evaluated both with young listeners with normal hearing and elderly listeners with hearing impairment. Results indicate that maximum scores on the TBAC are reached at presentation levels of at least 65–75 dB SPL. In addition, the reliability analyses indicate that the TBAC is a reliable measure for both young listeners with normal hearing and elderly listeners with hearing impairment when at least one practice test is given.
Frequency-Importance Functions for Words in High- and Low-Context Sentences
Authors: Bell Theodore S. , Dirks Donald D. , Trine Timothy D.
Published: July 2014

The relative importance and absolute contributions of various spectral regions to speech intelligibility under conditions of either neutral or predictable sentential context were examined. Specifically, the frequency-importance functions for a set of monosyllabic words embedded in a highly predictive sentence context versus a sentence with little predictive information were developed using Articulation Index (Al) methods. Forty-two young normal-hearing adults heard sentences presented at signal-to-noise ratios from –8 to +14 dB in a noise shaped to conform to the peak spectrum of the speech. Results indicated only slight differences in ⅓-octave importance functions due to differences in semantic context, although the crossovers differed by a constant 180 Hz. Methodological and theoretical aspects of parameter estimation in the Al model are discussed. The results suggest that semantic context, as defined by these conditions, may alter frequency-importance relationships in addition to the dynamic range over which intelligibility rises.
Fundamental Frequency, Jitter, and Shimmer in Preschoolers Who Stutter
Authors: Hall Kelly Dailey , Yairi Ehud
Published: July 2014

This investigation examined acoustic correlates of phonatory control in the speech of 10 preschool-aged boys who were stutterers (mean age= 45 months) recorded relatively close to the time of stuttering onset and in the speech of 10 boys who were nonstutterers (mean age= 46 months). For each subject, acoustic measurements of fundamental frequency, jitter, and shimmer were extracted from the 100 msec midportion of 30 vowels selected from fluent utterances in spontaneous speech. Significant differences between the two groups for shimmer measures are among the few positive findings in recent publications concerning the fluent speech of children who stutter.
A Study of Developmental Speech and Language Disorders in Twins
Authors: Lewis Barbara A. , Thompson Lee A.
Published: July 2014

Fifty-seven same-sex twin sets (32 monozygotic and 25 dizygotic) were examined for concordance of speech and language disorders. Results showed monozygotic twins to have higher concordance than dizygotic twins. In addition, monozygotic twins were more similar in the types of disorders they presented than dizygotic twins. Positive family histories for speech, language, and learning disorders were reported in the nuclear families of the twins.
Long-Term Measures of Electrode Impedance and Auditory Thresholds for the Ineraid Cochlear Implant
Authors: Dorman Michael F. , Smith Luke M. , Dankowski Korine , McCandless Geary , Parkin James L.
Published: July 2014

Measures of electrode impedance and of detection thresholds for electrical stimuli were extracted from the records of patients implanted with the Ineraid cochlear prosthesis. An analysis of impedance measures, obtained at 1, 12, 24, and 36 months after surgery, demonstrated (a) a significant decrease in impedance over the first year for electrodes that carried current and (b) significant increases in impedance at 24 and 36 months for electrodes that did not carry current. An analysis of detection thresholds, obtained at the same times as the impedance measures, demonstrated that averaged thresholds for the current-carrying electrodes varied no more than 0.5 dB over the 3-year period. These results support the conclusion that stimulation with the Ineraid device does not produce deleterious changes in the electrodes or in the target neural tissue.
Reliability of Speech Naturalness Ratings of Stuttered Speech During Treatment
Authors: Onslow Mark , Adams Roger , Ingham Roger
Published: July 2014

This study evaluated the reliability with which relatively sophisticated and unsophisticated judges used a 9-point scale to rate the speech naturalness of speech samples from 10 clients in a treatment program for stuttering that employed prolonged speech. Judges rated repeated speech samples from different speakers during various phases of the program. Different groups of sophisticated and unsophisticated judges made ratings at either 15 sec, 30 sec, or 60 sec intervals while listening to the samples. Of the reliability indices, intraclass correlations were significantly higher for sophisticated judges although the consistency and agreement of unsophisticated judges were generally equivalent to that of sophisticated judges. Both agreement scores and intraclass correlations were higher when ratings were made at 60 sec rather than 30 sec intervals. The predominant variable that influenced judgment reliability appeared to be differences among the subjects. The methodology partially replicated Martin, Haroldson, and Triden’s (1984) initial investigation on the use of this scale. However, the levels of intra- or interjudge reliability in this study were lower than the levels achieved by Martin et al.’s judges. There were important differences between the Martin et al. study and this one that may account for the findings, and these are discussed.
Oral Motor Control, Posturing, and Myofunctional Variables in 8-Year-Olds
Authors: Hale Sue T. , Kellum Gloria D. , Richardson John F. , Messer Stephen C. , Gross Alan M. , Sisakun Siphan
Published: July 2014

One hundred thirty-three rural second graders were evaluated for diadochokinetic abilities and myofunctional variables. Single-syllable diadochokinetic rates were significantly correlated with open-mouth resting postures. Slow trisyllable diadochokinetic rates were significantly correlated with a dentalized resting tongue posture and dentalized swallow patterns. The implications of these relationships are discussed.
Gradations in a Pattern of Neuromuscular Activity Associated With Stuttering
Authors: Denny Margaret , Smith Anne
Published: July 2014

EMGs were recorded from muscles of the lip, jaw, and neck during conversational speech of 17 stuttering subjects. Averaged power spectra and coherence between pairs of EMGs were computed. Results indicate that tremorlike oscillations in the range of 5–15 Hz and high amplitudes of EMGs occupy a common continuum of motor patterns that may occur in stuttering. In subjects whose results fell at the strong end of this continuum, stuttered speech was distinguished by widely distributed, high-amplitude oscillations and relatively high coherence at the frequency of oscillation. At the other extreme, neither oscillatory activity nor amplitude was greater for stuttered speech; in fact stuttered and fluent speech were often associated with approximately equal EMG amplitude. These results suggest that there is not a single set of physiological events that uniformly characterize stuttering in all individuals; rather, events such as the occurrence of high-amplitude oscillations occur at different strengths in different individuals.
Effects of Speech Output Type, Message Length, and Reauditorization on Perceptions of the Communicative Competence of an Adult AAC User
Authors: Hoag Linda A. , Bedrosian Jan L.
Published: July 2014

The effects of speech output type, aided message length, and partner reauditorization on naive observers’ perceptions of the communicative competence of an adult augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system user were examined. Subjects consisted of 48 naive adults with minimal exposure to nonspeaking persons. Eight scripted videotaped conversational conditions involving an AAC user and a normal-speaking partner were employed in the manipulation of the three independent variables. A balanced incomplete block design was used. Following each viewing, subjects completed a questionnaire designed to assess the communicative competence of the AAC user. Results indicated a significant main effect for aided message length only. Ratings of the AAC user were higher in conditions with phrases than in conditions with single-word messages. Of interest was the finding that the use of digitized versus synthesized speech output had no effect on observer ratings. Clinical implications are discussed.
Aging and the Binaural Advantage in Reverberation and Noise
Authors: Helfer Karen S.
Published: July 2014

The consonant identification ability of younger normal-hearing adults and older adults with little or no peripheral hearing loss was assessed using monaural and binaural presentation in four listening conditions: quiet, noise, reverberation, and reverberation + noise. Performance was examined in terms of identification accuracy and amount of binaural advantage. Results suggest that the small amount of hearing loss in the older subjects limited their perception of distorted consonants. Neither age nor peripheral hearing loss was related strongly to the amount of benefit obtained from binaural presentation.
Middle Ear Resonance and Acoustic Immittance Measures in Children
Authors: Hanks Wendy D. , Rose Katie J.
Published: July 2014

This study established a normal middle ear resonance estimated from sweep frequency tympanometry (250–2000 Hz) and established normal equivalent ear canal volume, static acoustic admittance, and tympanometric peak pressure at 226 Hz in children with normal hearing (
N
=90) and in children with severe to profound sensorineural impairments (
N
=68). Children’s ages ranged from 6 to 15 years. No statistically significant differences between the groups or across ages were found. Means, standard deviations, and 90% ranges (5–95%) for these four tympanometric measures are presented and compared to other studies.
Physiological Differences Between Stutterers and Nonstutterers in Perceptually Fluent Speech
Authors: Lieshout Pascal H. H. M. van , Peters Herman F. M. , Starkweather C. Woodruff , Hulstijn Wouter
Published: July 2014

Electromyograph (EMG) signals of the m. orbicularis oris inferior evoked by lip-rounding gestures were analyzed to see whether stutterers in their perceptually fluent speech had higher levels of EMG and longer EMG durations. The relationship between levels of EMG and durations of elevated muscle activity was investigated, and a search for the best discriminating EMG measure was made. In contrast to some previous studies on the EMG signals of stutterers, a relatively large group of stutterers (
n
=15) and control speakers (
n
=20), matched for age and gender, was examined. Both groups took part in a reaction time experiment using verbal items of different length (syllables, words, and sentences) in two time-stress conditions. Measures were taken for lip muscle activity during lip-rounding gestures for the Dutch /o/ sound. Only perceptually fluent trials were analyzed. The results showed that stutterers had significantly higher EMG levels at the moment of speech onset and during speech production than nonstutterers. A much larger difference between the two groups, however, was found for the EMG peak latency measure, which proved to be a very powerful distinctive feature in differentiating stutterers from nonstutterers. The results were discussed with respect to previous findings and recent theories about (speech) motor control strategies.
Temporary Threshold Shift Caused by Hearing Aid Use
Authors: Macrae John H.
Published: July 2014

Temporary threshold shift (TTS) over a wide range of frequencies was found after 4 hours of hearing aid use by a 15-year-old student with severe sensorineural hearing loss who was using real-ear insertion gains 10 to 20 dB greater than those recommended by the current National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) procedure for selecting the gain and frequency response of hearing aids. Measurements were made of her noise exposure during hearing aid use with a noise dosimeter. The real-ear insertion response and input-output function of her hearing aid were measured with a real-ear gain analyzer and were used to calculate in-ear noise levels from the noise levels measured by the dosimeter. The amount of TTS could be predicted from the in-ear noise levels and the student’s hearing levels (HLs) by means of a mathematical model consisting of the Modified Power Law (MPL) of Humes and Jesteadt (1991) combined with equations for predicting TTS in listeners with normal hearing published by Mills, Gilbert, and Adkins (1979). The mean of the instantaneous A-weighted in-ear noise levels proved to be the appropriate equivalent continuous level (ECL) for use in the predictions. The MPL was also used to determine safety limits for TTS due to hearing aid use. The observed TTS exceeded the safety limits at all frequencies up to and including 2000 Hz. It was therefore considered desirable for the girl to use less gain at frequencies from 500 to 1500 Hz.
Fine-Grained Auditory Discrimination
Authors: Elliott Lois L. , Hammer Michael A.
Published: July 2014

This research tested the hypothesis that as children's language development matures, factor-analytic structural changes occur that are associated with measurements of fine-grained auditory discrimination, receptive vocabulary, receptive language, speech production, and three performance subtests of the WISC-R. Among 6- to 7-year-old children, the percent of total variance attributed to the factor defined by fine-grained auditory discrimination measures was approximately 43% for children who were intellectually impaired (Experiment 2), 27% for youngsters who had language-learning problems, and 16% for regularly progressing children (Experiment 1). The WISC-R subtest scores, generally, did not load on the auditory discrimination factor. The difference in variance explained by the auditory discrimination factor was interpreted as representing greater relative importance of auditory discrimination among children with less-well-developed language competencies than among children with more mature language skills. This interpretation was strengthened by the finding of no distinct auditory discrimination factor for 8- to 11-year-old children who were either regularly progressing or language-disabled even though the language/speech factor at this age closely resembled that found among younger children. Results were consonant with Ackerman’s (1987) model, suggesting that task-specific variance associated with tasks that remain resource-dependent may diminish after practice and experience.
Tracking of "Moving" Fused Auditory Images by Children
Authors: Cranford Jerry L. , Morgan Michael , Scudder Rosalind , Moore Christopher
Published: July 2014

Recent investigations (Cranford, Boose, & Moore, 1990a,b; Moore, Cranford, & Rahn, 1990) studied the ability of normal adult subjects to localize sounds under conditions that elicit the Precedence Effect. In different tests, subjects were required either to report the perceived location of a stationary fused auditory image (FAI) or track the apparent motion of a "moving" FAI. Movement of the FAI was simulated by incrementally varying the delay between pairs of clicks presented, one each, from two matched loudspeakers placed on opposite sides of the listener. In the present study, groups of normally developing children, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years of age, were tested with these two procedures. Although subjects performed at normal adult levels with the stationary FAI test, a significant age-related trend was observed with the moving FAI test. The younger children exhibited poorer tracking performances than did the older children. These results provide evidence that significant changes in binaural temporal processing abilities may occur in the early childhood years.
Influences of Age and Hearing Loss on the Precedence Effect in Sound Localization
Authors: Cranford Jerry L. , Andres Marci A. , Piatz Kristi K. , Reissig Kay L.
Published: July 2014

Cranford, Boose, & Moore (1990a) reported that many elderly persons exhibit problems in perceiving the apparent location of fused auditory images in a sound localization task involving the Precedence Effect (PE). In the earlier study, differences in peripheral hearing sensitivity between young and elderly subjects were not controlled. In the present study, four groups of young and elderly subjects, matched with respect to age and the presence or absence of sensorineural hearing loss, were examined to determine the effects of these two factors on performance with the PE task. Although significantly poorer performances on the PE task were found to be associated with both increased age and hearing loss, additional tentative evidence was obtained that the presence of hearing loss may have a relatively greater detrimental effect on the performance of at least some elderly subjects than it does on younger persons.
Effect of Lung Volume on Voice Onset Time (VOT)
Authors: Hoit Jeannette D. , Solomon Nancy Pearl , Hixon Thomas J.
Published: July 2014

This investigation was designed to test the hypothesis that voice onset time (VOT) varies as a function of lung volume. Recordings were made of five men as they repeated a phrase containing stressed /pi/ syllables, beginning at total lung capacity and ending at residual volume. VOT was found to be longer at high lung volumes and shorter at low lung volumes in most cases. This finding points out the need to take lung volume into account when using VOT as an index of laryngeal behavior in both healthy individuals and those with speech disorders.
Aerodynamic Characteristics of Tracheostomy Speaking Valves
Authors: Fornataro-Clerici Lisa , Zajac David J.
Published: July 2014

Pressure-flow characteristics were determined for four different one-way valves used for speech production in the patient who has had a tracheotomy. Each valve was tested at steady-state flow rates of 150, 250, 350, and 450 ml/sec in isolation and attached to a tracheostomy tube. Results indicated significant differences in resistance among the valves. The resistance of one valve was substantially greater than that of the normal upper airways. It is suggested that future research determine the clinical significance, if any, of these differences relative to speech and respiratory behaviors in tracheostomized patients.
Long-Term and Short-Term Characteristics of Speech
Authors: Stelmachowicz Patricia G. , Mace Anne L. , Kopun Judy G. , Carney Edward
Published: July 2014

This study examined the effects of distance and postural position of both parents and children on the long-term and short-term spectral characteristics of speech produced by the parents. Thirty children (ages 2 months to 3 1/2 years) and their parents (30 mothers and 15 fathers) participated. Third-octave band and overall levels of the long-term average speech spectrum (LTASS) for each speech sample were analyzed in three postural positions and a 1-meter reference condition for each age category. Short-term spectral characteristics of three phonemes (/s/, /
∫
/, /t
∫
/) also were analyzed. Results show that typical levels at the input to a child’s hearing aid microphone may be as much as 20 dB higher than those found in face-to-face adult conversation. Furthermore, the spectral shape may deviate substantially from an idealized version of the LTASS. Results of the short-term analysis reveal that the peak levels of the three selected phonemes often exceed the LTASS by more than the 12 dB that is often quoted to represent the 1% rms levels of speech in relation to the long-term average. Implications of these results for specific hearing losses are discussed.
Hearing Aid Evaluation
Authors: Dillon Harvey
Published: July 2014

In this study, hearing aid gain for speech was defined as the difference in level between the aided and unaided performance-intensity functions measured at any specific value of percentage of items correct. The articulation index method was used to predict speech gain based on the subject’s unaided sound field thresholds, ambient room noise, hearing aid internal noise, hearing aid insertion gain, and the subject’s unaided performance-intensity function. Predicted speech gain agreed with measured speech gain with rms errors of only 3 dB for 11 subjects with mild or moderate hearing loss tested with monosyllabic words and continuous discourse. The speech gain provided by a hearing aid can thus be predicted from electroacoustic measures, which generally can be obtained in a shorter time. Importance functions believed to be applicable to nonsense syllables, words, and continuous discourse were used to make the predictions, but prediction accuracy was not affected by the importance function chosen. Speech gain measured with the monosyllabic word test was highly correlated with speech gain measured with the continuous discourse test, provided that similar presentation levels were used.
Vowel Classification Based on Fundamental Frequency and Formant Frequencies
Authors: Hillenbrand James , Gayvert Robert T.
Published: July 2014

A quadratic discriminant classification technique was used to classify spectral measurements from vowels spoken by men, women, and children. The parameters used to train the discriminant classifier consisted of various combinations of fundamental frequency and the three lowest formant frequencies. Several nonlinear auditory transforms were evaluated. Unlike previous studies using a linear discriminant classifier, there was no advantage in category separability for any of the nonlinear auditory transforms over a linear frequency scale, and no advantage for spectral distances over absolute frequencies. However, it was found that parameter sets using nonlinear transforms and spectral differences reduced the differences between phonetically equivalent tokens produced by different groups of talkers.
Constituent Syllable Effects in a Nonsense-Word Repetition Task
Authors: Dollaghan Christine , Biber Maureen , Campbell Thomas
Published: July 2014

Multisyllabic nonsense-word repetition tasks have been used to provide evidence on the phonological processing operations of children with language impairment, independent of their lexical knowledge (Gathercole & Baddeley, 1990; Kamhi, Catts, Mauer, Apel, & Gentry, 1988). However, recent evidence (Gathercole, Willis, Emslie, & Baddeley, 1991) and speculation (Snowling, Chiat, & Hulme, 1991) suggest that the nonsense words employed in such tasks may not be equally “nonsensical.” The present investigation directly tested the effect on repetition performance of one previously uncontrolled characteristic of multisyllabic nonsense words: the lexical status (word or nonword) of their stressed syllables. Normally achieving school-age boys repeated nonsense words with lexical stressed syllables significantly more accurately than nonsense words with nonlexical stressed syllables. These results suggest the need to control, at a minimum, the lexical status of constituent syllables in constructing nonsense-word stimuli.
History of Middle Ear Involvement and Speech/Language Development in Late Talkers
Authors: Paul Rhea , Lynn Timothy F. , Lohr-Flanders Marla
Published: July 2014

Late-talking and normally speaking toddlers with and without histories of middle ear involvement were followed for 2 years to assess speech and expressive language outcomes. Results revealed no differences in expressive language outcome that could be attributed to history of middle ear involvement in either group. There did seem to be differences in outcome on measures of articulation that were associated with history of middle ear involvement. The implications of these findings for treatment of otitis media and for referral of late-talking toddlers for speech and language services are discussed.
The Efficacy of Using the IBM Speech Viewer Vowel Accuracy Module to Treat Young Children With Hearing Impairment
Authors: Pratt Sheila R. , Heintzelman Anne T. , Deming Susan Ensrud
Published: July 2014

The efficacy of the IBM SpeechViewer’s Vowel Accuracy Module for the treatment of vowel productions was evaluated in six preschool children with hearing-impairment over a 4-month period. A single-subject design was used, and the vowels /a/, /i/ and /u/ were treated. Untreated sounds also were probed to monitor for carryover and developmental effects. One of the children was dismissed from the study because of noncompliance. Of the remaining five children, four exhibited a treatment effect for /u/, two for /a/, and one for /i/. Four of the children demonstrated some generalization. Developmental effects, as represented by change in /s/-cluster production, were not documented. Although treatment effects were observed, difficulties with the Vowel Accuracy Module were also observed. These included inaccuracies in the feedback on low-intensity, hypemasal, and high-pitched utterances; inability to sustain the attention of preschoolers over multiple sessions; lack of instructional feedback; and nonlinearity in the criterion-adjustment control.
F2 Transitions During Sound/Syllable Repetitions of Children Who Stutter and Predictions of Stuttering Chronicity
Authors: Yaruss J. Scott , Conture Edward G.
Published: July 2014

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between second formant (F2) transitions during the sound/syllable repetitions (SSRs) of young children who stutter and their predicted chronicity of stuttering. Subjects were 13 youngsters who stutter, who were divided into two groups based on their predicted chronicity of stuttering as measured by the Stuttering Prediction Instrument (SPI; Riley, 1984): a high-risk group, consisting of 7 boys. (mean age=50.6 months), and a low-risk group, consisting of 5 boys and 1 girl (mean age=48.5 months). Each child was audio/videotape-recorded during a 30-minute conversational interaction with his or her mother. Ten SSRs per child were acoustically analyzed to identify differences in F2 transitions between the repeated (stuttered) and fluent (nonstuttered) portions of the words. Present findings are consistent with those of Stromsta (1965, 1986), who reported that children who stutter produce F2 transitions during stuttering that are nonmeasurable or missing or that differ in direction of movement from fluent transitions. However, there were no significant between-group differences in the frequency of occurrence of these "abnormal" F2 transitions, findings that are apparently inconsistent with Stromsta’s results. The remaining measurable F2 transitions showed no significant between-group differences in the mean differences between stuttered and fluent F2 transitions for onset and offset frequencies, transition extents, and transition rates. Within both groups, significant positive correlations were found between stuttered and fluent F2 transitions for all acoustic measures except for transition durations, which were not significantly correlated for either high-risk or low-risk subjects. Within the low-risk group, stuttered F2 transitions were typically shorter than fluent transitions. Findings were taken to suggest that some elements of sound or segment prolongation may be present within the SSRs of children who stutter and who are considered to be at high risk for continuing to stutter, indicating that further study of selected aspects of F2 transitions during stuttering may provide useful clinical information for predicting the likelihood that a child will continue to stutter.
Effects of Initial Element Teaching in a Story-Telling Context on Blissymbol Acquisition and Generalization
Authors: Schlosser Ralf W. , Lloyd Lyle L.
Published: July 2014

Blissymbolics is a graphic symbol system used by individuals with little or no functional speech. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of initial teaching of semantic elements on compound Blissymbol acquisition, retention, and generalization in a story-telling context. The subjects included 40 preschool children with normal cognitive abilities (mean chronological age=45 months) who were assigned to one of two groups. Group I was taught elements before being taught compounds that contained these elements. Group II was taught elements before being taught compounds consisting of elements that were not taught previously. In addition, both groups received instruction in a second set of compounds that were taught directly, that is, without first being taught the elements. The teaching procedures and materials were socially validated by experts in Blissymbol instruction. Results indicate that the initial teaching of elements did not contribute to compound acquisition and retention, but did facilitate generalization to untrained compound Blissymbols. The results are discussed in terms of considerations for selecting an initial lexicon and Blissymbol teaching and research.
A Reaction Time Study of Grammaticality Judgments in Children
Authors: Wulfeck Beverly B.
Published: July 2014

Grammaticality judgments and decision times for two age groups of normally developing children were studied to determinewhenparsing decisions are made andhowlinguistic knowledge affects parsing. Children showed very good sensitivity to grammatical violations, although at somewhat lower levels than those reported for college-age students (Wulfeck, Bates, & Capasso, 1991). Sensitivity results also revealed that both groups of children were better at detecting violations created by permuting words in a sentence than at recognizing errors of morphological selection—a finding that has been observed in adults with Broca’s aphasia (Wulfeck & Bates, 1991). Since college students show ceiling performance in their sensitivity to both types of violations, the present study reveals developmental changes in sensitivity to different aspects of morphology during the elementary school years. Although older children processed violations more quickly overall, both groups of children demonstrated very rapid integration of information during sentence processing. Decision time results also indicated that greater sensitivity to word order violations seemed to enhance childrens’ ability to take advantage of context across a sentence, resulting in faster decision times.
Verb Class Distinctions and AAC Language-Encoding Limitations
Authors: Sutton Ann E. , Gallagher Tanya M.
Published: July 2014

This study explored the status of an English grammatical distinction in the language of individuals who have never been able to encode that distinction previously. English past tense marking was used as a context to examine regular and irregular verb class distinctions in the language of two adults with severe congenital physical impairments who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to communicate. In the subjects’ lexically based AAC systems, past tense was marked on regular verbs and irregular verbs using the same strategy. The subjects accessed their AAC displays using four-digit eye gaze number codes. They were shown a novel affixation strategy through manipulation of the four-digit codes that allowed them to mark past tense on regular verbs via an affixation process. Their semantic strategy for marking past tense on irregular verbs was not changed. The subjects’ patterns of use of the two strategies on exemplars of each verb class revealed limited evidence of distinctive use of the two strategies based on verb class membership. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Some Organizational Characteristics of Speech Movement Control
Authors: Gracco Vincent L.
Published: July 2014

The neuromotor organization for a class of speech sounds (bilabials) was examined to evaluate the control principles underlying speech as a sensorimotor process. Oral opening and closing actions for the consonants /p/, /b/, and /m/ (C1) in /s V1 C1 V2 C2/ context, where V1 was either /ae/ or /i/, V2 was /ae/, and C2 was /p/, were analyzed from 4 subjects. The timing of oral opening and closing action was found to be a significant variable differentiating bilabial consonants. Additionally, opening and closing actions were found to covary along a number of dimensions implicating the movement cycle as the minimal unit of speech motor programming. The sequential adjustments of the lips and jaw varied systematically with phonetic context reflecting the different functional roles of these articulators in the production of consonants and vowels. The implication of these findings for speech production is discussed.
Frequency of Input Effects on Word Comprehension of Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Rice Mabel L. , Oetting Janna B. , Marquis Janet , Bode John , Pae Soyeong
Published: July 2014

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) are known to have limited lexicons. Previous studies implicate a possible processing problem, in the form of a limited ability to comprehend new words in settings that require Quick Incidental Learning (QUIL). This study investigates further the factors contributing to limited QUIL by examining the effects of input frequency and word type (nouns vs. verbs). In addition, immediate versus long-term memory was examined for possible problems with storage mechanisms. Subjects were 30 5-year-old SLI children with receptive and expressive language deficits and two comparison groups of normally developing children: 30 MLU-equivalent and 30 CA-equivalent. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions in which they viewed video story presentations in which targeted words were embedded. The conditions varied by number of word presentations, 0, 3, or 10. The 0 condition was a control condition in which familiar words were presented. Children’s word comprehension was tested immediately following viewing and again several days later. The findings confirm a strong frequency effect, but one that is influenced by group status, word type, and retention demands. There is evidence of a robust representational mapping ability for SLI, which is at the same time modulated by a minimum input constraint and apparent problems with storage into long-term memory.
An Investigation of Temporary Threshold Shift Caused by Hearing Aid Use
Authors: Macrae John H.
Published: July 2014

Temporary threshold shift (TTS) caused by hearing aid use was measured by Bekesy audiometry in a group of individuals with severe sensorineural hearing loss. The accuracy with which a mathematical model consisting of the Modified Power Law (MPL) (Humes & Jesteadt, 1991) combined with equations for predicting TTS in normal listeners (Mills, Gilbert, & Adkins, 1979) could predict the TTS was evaluated. When the exponent of the MPL was set to 0.15, the predicted TTS was significantly greater than the observed TTS at two out of six frequencies. When the exponent was increased to 0.20, there were no significant differences between the predictions and the observations. With this value of the exponent, the mathematical model was able to predict the observed TTS as accurately as it could be measured. The MPL was used to derive safety limits for TTS, and gain reduction was recommended as the best method of reducing TTS to the safety limits.
Aerodynamic and Electroglottographic Measures of Normal Voice Production
Authors: Higgins Maureen B. , Netsell Ronald , Schulte Laura
Published: July 2014

The purpose of this investigation was to quantify the normal intrasubject performance variability of four measures of phonatory function within and across sessions. Two different speaking tasks, syllable series and sentence production, were used to determine if more natural speaking tasks resulted in greater intrasubject variability. Vowel type ([i] versus [a]) also was varied. Estimated subglottal air pressure, mean phonatory air flow, abduction quotient, and fundamental frequency were derived from aerodynamic and electroglottographic signals obtained from 11 normally speaking men and 10 normally speaking women on four different days. Relative intrasubject variability was compared across speaking task, gender, and vowel type. Average across-session intrasubject variability was 5% for fundamental frequency and abduction quotient, 8% for estimated subglottal air pressure, and 15% for mean phonatory air flow during syllable repetition. There was significantly greater intrasubject variability for mean phonatory air flow and abduction quotient for the sentence repetition task. There were no significant differences in intrasubject variability across gender and vowel type. The data were used to compute cutoff values that represent the amount of variability that would be considered within normal limits. These normal data can be used for comparison when assessing and monitoring the phonatory abilities of individuals with voice disorders.
Speech Production During Mechanical Ventilation in Tracheostomized Individuals
Authors: Hoit Jeannette D. , Shea Steven A. , Banzett Robert B.
Published: July 2014

This investigation provides the first detailed description of speech production during mechanical ventilation. Seven adults with tracheostomies served as subjects. Recordings were made of chest wall motions, neck muscle activity, tracheal pressure, air flow at the nose and mouth, estimated blood-gas levels, and the acoustic speech signal during performance of a variety of speech tasks. Results indicated that subjects spoke for short durations that spanned all phases of the ventilator cycle, altered laryngeal opposing pressures in response to the continually changing tracheal pressure wave, and expended relatively small volumes of gas for speech production. Speech was improved by making selected ventilator adjustments. Suggestions for clinical interventions are offered.
Language Acquisition After Mutism
Authors: Windsor Jennifer , Doyle Shirley S. , Siegel Gerald M.
Published: July 2014

This longitudinal case study challenges the assumption that individuals with autism who have severely restricted speech and language skills have a poor prognosis for further development of expressive oral language. The study follows the development of a woman with autism from mutism at age 10 to acquisition of a range of spoken and written language skills at age 26. The intervention in which the woman participated and her skills pre- and post-intervention and at two follow-up assessments are documented. The results support the hypotheses that speech and language development may proceed after mutism associated with limited verbal imitation and phoneme production skills, that some skills may plateau or decline, and that both spoken and written language may become viable forms of communication.
Oropharyngeal Swallow Efficiency as a Representative Measure of Swallowing Function
Authors: Rademaker Alfred W. , Pauloski Barbara Roa , Logemann Jeri A. , Shanahan Therese K.
Published: July 2014

The purpose of this investigation was to correlate oropharyngeal swallow efficiency (OPSE), a summary measure of swallowing function, with its component variables. Videofluorographic assessment of oropharyngeal swallow resulted in the measurement of multiple measures of swallow function in five patient populations and a group of normal volunteers. In total, 759 swallows were studied in 149 persons. Specific dimensions of impairment were identified in the patient groups. Multiple regression analyses were used to relate multiple component variables to OPSE. In patient groups with distinct swallow impairments, OPSE was shown to be representative of the dimensions of impairment. In patient groups with limited impairment and in normal volunteers, the strongest correlates of OPSE were bolus transit times. In all groups, at least four variables were significantly related to OPSE and the squared multiple correlation coefficients ranged from 76% to 89%. We conclude that oropharyngeal swallow efficiency is a representative summary measure of swallowing function across populations characterized by a wide range of swallowing impairment.
Ability of Institutionalized and Community-Based Adults With Retardation to Respond to Questions in an Interview Context
Authors: Brinton Bonnie , Fujiki Martin
Published: July 2014

This study examined the ability of adults with mild and moderate levels of retardation to respond to simple and complex questions. The sample consisted of 20 subjects living in an institutional setting and 20 subjects living in the community. A 30-minute language sample, structured as a job interview, was elicited from each subject by an investigator. During the interview, the investigator asked a number of questions interspersed within the conversation. Two levels of questions were presented: simple and complex. Ten questions were presented at each level. Responses were scored in terms of how informative and truthful the subject was (specific scoring conventions were based upon the work of Grice, 1975). The community group produced a significantly greater number of appropriate answers to both simple and complex questions than did the institutional group. Group differences were observed along both parameters of informativeness and truthfulness.