Speech rate in males, females, and male-to-female transsexuals

from Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics

For clinicians treating transsexual clients it is important to address primarily those characteristics whose modification is most relevant to the creation of the desired gender presentation. The present study investigated the extent to which a modification of speech rate is warranted in male-to-female transsexuals. Comparison of speech rate measured in 100 non-transsexual males, 100 non-transsexual females, and 28 individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of male-to-female gender dysphoria showed no significant differences. This result suggests that a modification of overall speech rate in male-to-female transsexuals is not really indicated but does not exclude that speech rate in males and females is perceived differently by listeners or that gender differences exist in temporal aspects of speech at a micro-level.

The co-development of speech and gesture in children with autism

from Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics

Recent interest in gesture has led to an understanding of the development of gesture and speech in typically developing young children. Research suggests that initially gesture and speech form two independent systems which combine together temporally and semantically before children enter the two-word period of language development. However, little is known about gesture development in children’s disordered speech. This paper presents two case studies of young children with autism. The children are under 3 years of age and attend an intervention programme to facilitate their social and communication development. Early indications suggest that whilst both gesture and speech development is delayed in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), the developmental trajectory is the same as for typically developing children.

From 1-word to 2-words with cochlear implant and cued speech: A case study

from Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics

This paper describes early language development in a deaf Spanish child fitted with a cochlear implant (CI) when she was 1;6 years old. The girl had been exposed to Cued Speech (CS) since that age. The main aim of the research was to identify potential areas of slow language development as well as the potential benefit of CI and CS. At the beginning of this research the child was 2;6 years (she had been using the CI for 12 months). Adult-child 30-minute sessions were videotaped every week for 1 year (13-24 months of CI use), and transcribed according to CHAT norms. Measures of phonemic inventory, intelligibility, lexicon, and grammar development were obtained. Part of the data were compared with data from two normally hearing (NH) children with the same mean length of utterance (MLU). In order to confirm trends observed during these 12 months of observation, an extra set of data was obtained in the next 3 months (25-27 months of CI use). Results in the initial 12 month period (13-24 months of CI use) showed irregular language development in the deaf child. The development of her phonemic inventory and lexicon progressed at a rate that was similar to, or faster than, that of NH children. However, the slow acquisition of articles and also the slow development of MLU suggested that the child might have problems with grammar. Data from the next 3 months (25-27 months of CI use) confirmed this trend. Results are discussed in relation to similar studies in other languages. Potential benefits of CS are also discussed.

Aphasia therapy on a neuroscience basis

from Aphasiology

Background: Brain research has documented that the cortical mechanisms for language and action are tightly interwoven and, concurrently, new approaches to language therapy in neurological patients are being developed that implement language training in the context of relevant linguistic and non-linguistic actions, therefore taking advantage of the mutual connections of language and action systems in the brain. A further well-known neuroscience principle is that learning at the neuronal level is driven by correlation; consequently, new approaches to language therapy emphasise massed practice in a short time, thus maximising therapy quantity and frequency and, therefore, correlation at the behavioural and neuronal levels. Learned non-use of unsuccessful actions plays a major role in the chronification of neurological deficits, and behavioural approaches to therapy have therefore employed shaping and other learning techniques to counteract such non-use.

Aims: Advances in theoretical and experimental neuroscience have important implications for clinical practice. We exemplify this in the domain of aphasia rehabilitation.

Main Contribution: Whereas classical wisdom had been that aphasia cannot be significantly improved at a chronic stage, we here review evidence that one type of intensive language-action therapy (ILAT) – constraint-induced aphasia therapy – led to significant improvement of language performance in patients with chronic aphasia. We discuss perspectives for further improving speech-language therapy, including drug treatment that may be particularly fruitful when applied in conjunction with behavioural treatment. In a final section we highlight intensive and rapid therapy studies in chronic aphasia as a unique tool for exploring the cortical reorganisation of language.

Conclusions: We conclude that intensive language action therapy is an efficient tool for improving language functions even at chronic stages of aphasia. Therapy studies using this technique can open new perspectives for research into the plasticity of human language circuits.
We wish to thank Chris Code, Barbro Johansson, and two anonymous referees for their comments on an earlier version of this article and for their helpful suggestions. This work was supported by the Medical Research Council (UK) and by the European Community under the “New and Emerging Science and Technologies Programme” (NESTCOM project).

Informed consent and aphasia: Evidence of pitfalls in the process

from Aphasiology

Background: Persons with aphasia are particularly vulnerable when taking part in research studies. The process of informed consent (IC) depends on a number of factors, which may be compromised in aphasia. Very little research has been conducted on the process, and the issue is often neglected in published research.

Aims: The aim of the research was to identify potential facilitators and barriers to the process of IC, focusing on verbal and nonverbal components of the interaction.

Methods & Procedures: As part of a larger study, the IC process for three trial participants was examined in detail. Specific portions of the enrolment process dealing with the explanation of the concepts “placebo”, “randomisation”, and “double blind” were analysed. Our methods were qualitative and comprised systematic observation and analysis of video-recorded recruitment as well as feedback sessions with these participants after the study had been completed and their participation in the research was over.

Outcomes & Results: Results demonstrated that the process of IC was widely discrepant. There were marked differences in the way that the participants reacted to the process and in the behaviours of the clinician during each enrolment, also differences in terms of length of enrolment and the degree of confidence with which the researchers believed consent had been authentic. We also present a review of published research on informed consent in aphasia, with this evidence suggesting that IC is often neglected and at best difficult to obtain. Paradoxically, attempts to facilitate the process seemed to have an inhibitory effect.

Conclusions: There are multiple influences on the process of IC in aphasia, which include the potential for therapeutic misconception. The process seems particularly jeopardised in qualitative and clinical research. There are many possible reasons why a person might agree to take part in a trial, but there are numerous pitfalls and barriers to the process. Recommendations for policy and practice are made, and a model proposed for enhancing IC in aphasia.

Longitudinal study of single-word comprehension in semantic dementia: A comparison with primary progressive aphasia and Alzheimer’s disease

from Aphasiology

Background: Although semantic dementia (SD) is characterised by a multimodal loss of semantic knowledge, it has been demonstrated that lexical-semantic representations are not equally disrupted in SD and that some categories may be recognised better than others. Little is known, however, about the pattern of the category-specific comprehension deficits in SD and whether it differs from that of other forms of progressive aphasias.

Aims: This exploratory study aimed to investigate the evolution of category-specific deficits of single-word comprehension in progressive aphasias.

Methods & Procedures: A total of 19 patients with a clinical diagnosis of SD, 25 patients with primary progressive aphasia with agrammatic and relatively nonfluent speech (PPA), and 25 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with aphasia were studied longitudinally with the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). The Auditory Word Recognition subtest of the WAB was utilised to assess comprehension of words derived from different semantic categories.

Outcomes & Results: The analysis revealed that, over time, category-specific deficits of single-word comprehension were seen in all three groups of patients. Participants with SD as well as those with PPA and AD were impaired on both pointing to fingers and the right-left orientation task. However, patients with SD were the only group that showed defective recognition of their own body parts. Interestingly, individuals with SD had no difficulties identifying colours, letters, and numbers, even during the follow-up testing. In addition, in all three groups the extent of category-specific deficits was associated with the severity of aphasia.

Conclusions: These results indicate that category-specific deficits of single-word comprehension are frequently seen not only in patients with SD but also in individuals with PPA or AD, and that the extent of these deficits is associated with the severity of aphasia. However, the pattern of these deficits is often different in these three forms of neurodegenerative conditions and more dissociations between semantic categories are observed as each of these diseases progresses.

Public knowledge about aphasia: A survey with comparative data

from Aphasiology

Background: Five years ago, public awareness of aphasia was low (Simmons Mackie, Code, Armstrong, Stiegler, & Elman, 2002). This created problems for those affected by the condition and may have impacted on service provision (Elman, Ogar, & Elman, 2000).

Aims: This study aimed to explore current public knowledge of aphasia and a comparator neurological condition (Parkinson’s disease). It also investigated respondents’ sources of information and whether demographic factors affected knowledge.

Methods and Procedures: A brief factual questionnaire was administered to 100 members of the general public and 26 friends and relatives of people with aphasia. This explored knowledge of diagnostic terms, causes, and symptoms. It also asked respondents how they had gained their knowledge and collected basic demographic details.

Outcomes and Results: Knowledge about aphasia was low and significantly less than knowledge about Parkinson’s disease. Carers scored significantly higher than the general public on aphasia, although their scores for aphasia were no higher than their scores for Parkinson’s disease. Respondents gained their knowledge mainly through the media and personal connections. There was evidence that ethnicity may affect knowledge.

Conclusions: Although data were collected from only two locations, the results of this survey suggest that work is still needed to improve public awareness of aphasia. Reasons and implications are discussed.

Syllable frequency and syllable structure in the spontaneous speech production of patients with apraxia of speech

from Aphasiology

Background: The sublexical factors syllable frequency and syllable structure are known to influence error rates in patients with apraxia of speech (e.g., Aichert & Ziegler, 2004; Romani & Galluzzi, 2005). To our knowledge, these factors have almost exclusively been examined by single-word production paradigms. However, performance on single-word tasks is not necessarily a good predictor of spontaneous speech production, since the generation of conversational speech involves specific conditions and additional demands. This might influence the weights of syllable frequency and syllable structure in explanations of the accuracy of speech production in apraxic speakers.

Aims: Our aim was to determine if the spontaneous speech production of patients with apraxia of speech (AOS) is influenced by the factors syllable frequency and syllable structure. The two research questions that guided our investigation were: (1) Are the distribution properties of syllables in spontaneous speech different in patients with AOS compared to unimpaired speakers? (2) Do the factors syllable frequency and syllable structure affect articulatory accuracy in the spontaneous speech of patients with AOS?

Methods & Procedures: Three patients with AOS and 15 neurologically unimpaired control persons produced samples of spontaneous speech with a minimum of 1000 syllables each. Structure and frequency counts were made on the basis of the German CELEX database.

Outcomes & Results: The distribution properties of the spontaneous speech samples were similar in the apraxic speakers and the unimpaired controls. In all three patients the proportion of errors was significantly higher on low- than on high-frequency syllables. In two patients a significant effect even persisted when any confound with syllable structure was ruled out. Syllable structure effects were only found within the low-frequency syllables.

Conclusions: Syllable frequency and syllable structure play a decisive role with respect to articulatory accuracy in the spontaneous speech production of patients with AOS.

Helping stroke patients to speak

from Topix.net

Dr Jane Warren, a neurologist at Imperial has found that the development of new pathways between the right and left side of the brain may be the key.

Control Of Noise At Work Regulations To Come Into Force For Music And Entertainment Sectors, UK

from Medical News Today.com

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (Noise Regulations) will come into force for the music and entertainment sectors on 6th April bringing them in line with all other sectors where the regulations have been in force since April 2006. The noise regulations will now apply to pubs and clubs, amplified live music events, orchestras and other premises where live music or recorded music is played (see editors notes).

Intraneural Stimulation for Auditory Prosthesis: Modiolar Trunk and Intracranial Stimulation Sites

from Hearing Research

No abstract available.

Dyslexia affects brain according to language

from CNN.com/health

Dyslexia affects different parts of children’s brains depending on whether they are raised reading English or Chinese.