Monthly Archives: April 2009
Report calls for action on MP3-related hearing loss
Writing in the journal Pediatrics, researchers say that while teenagers who use MP3 players can take measures to protect their hearing — like keeping the volume at a healthy level — they are unlikely to do so.
from Yahoo! Health
The vascularization of the human cochlea: its historical background
The history of vascularization of the human cochlea began with the first anatomical description of the cochlea in the 16th century. Three different periods are recognizable in the development of knowledge concerning this subject: the macroscopic period, with the description of the structure of the cochlea from the 16th to the 19th century; the microscopic period, with the description of the part of the organ of Corti in the 19th century; and the injection period, with the description of the fine vascularization of the cochlea in the 20th century. Various techniques were used during these three periods, which will be presented here, using only original references. This historical study reveals
Spatial Attention Evokes Similar Activation Patterns for Visual and Auditory Stimuli
Neuroimaging studies suggest that a fronto-parietal network is activated when we expect visual information to appear at a specific spatial location. Here we examined whether a similar network is involved for auditory stimuli. We used sparse fMRI to infer brain activation while participants performed analogous visual and auditory tasks. On some trials, participants were asked to discriminate the elevation of a peripheral target. On other trials, participants made a nonspatial judgment. We contrasted trials where the participants expected a peripheral spatial target to those where they were cued to expect a central target. Crucially, our statistical analyses were based on trials where stimuli were anticipated but not presented, allowing us to directly infer perceptual orienting independent of perceptual processing. This is the first neuroimaging study to use an orthogonal-cuing paradigm (with cues predicting azimuth and responses involving elevation discrimination). This aspect of our paradigm is important, as behavioral cueing effects in audition are classically only observed when participants are asked to make spatial judgments. We observed similar fronto-parietal activation for both vision and audition. In a second experiment that controlled for stimulus properties and task difficulty, participants made spatial and temporal discriminations about musical instruments. We found that the pattern of brain activation for spatial selection of auditory stimuli was remarkably similar to what we found in our first experiment. Collectively, these results suggest that the neural mechanisms supporting spatial attention are largely similar across both visual and auditory modalities.
from the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Neural Dynamics Associated with Semantic and Episodic Memory for Faces: Evidence from Multiple Frequency Bands
Prior semantic knowledge facilitates episodic recognition memory for faces. To examine the neural manifestation of the interplay between semantic and episodic memory, we investigated neuroelectric dynamics during the creation (study) and the retrieval (test) of episodic memories for famous and nonfamous faces. Episodic memory effects were evident in several EEG frequency bands: theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (9–13 Hz), and gamma (40–100 Hz). Activity in these bands was differentially modulated by preexisting semantic knowledge and by episodic memory, implicating their different functional roles in memory. More specifically, theta activity and alpha suppression were larger for old compared to new faces at test regardless of fame, but were both larger for famous faces during study. This pattern of selective semantic effects suggests that the theta and alpha responses, which are primarily associated with episodic memory, reflect utilization of semantic information only when it is beneficial for task performance. In contrast, gamma activity decreased between the first (study) and second (test) presentation of a face, but overall was larger for famous than nonfamous faces. Hence, the gamma rhythm seems to be primarily related to activation of preexisting neural representations that may contribute to the formation of new episodic traces. Although the latter process is affected by the episodic status of a stimulus, gamma activity might not be a direct index of episodic memory. Taken together, these data provide new insights into the complex interaction between semantic and episodic memory for faces and the neural dynamics associated with mnemonic processes.
from the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Early Brain Activity Sheds New Light On The Neural Basis Of Reading
Now, a better understanding of the brain basis of reading has been reported in research published in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.
Using computer games to mediate caregiver-child communication for children with severe dysarthria… Speech Motor Control Conference Proceedings.
The study of vocal control in children with dysarthria typically involves word/phrase repetition or picture naming/description tasks. Moreover, the child’s speech production abilities and the listener’s ability to decipher the intended message are often studied separately. Communication, however, is a joint act of speaker-listener attunement. The present study sought to establish a new methodology for studying caregiver-child communication in children with severe dysarthria. In particular, three interactive computer games were developed to elicit prosodically distinct vowel productions from five children with severe dysarthria due to cerebral palsy and to measure caregiver accuracy in deciphering among their child’s productions. The games examined control of pitch, duration, and combined control of pitch and duration. Caregivers were able to identify prosodic distinctions along pitch and duration parameters; however, combinations of pitch and duration posed greater difficulty. Caregiver accuracy improved across the first and last third of the pitch and duration games indicating that the interactive nature of the games was conducive to fostering speaker-listener attunement. Interactive games provide an innovative means for identifying communicative signals in the vocalizations of children with severe dysarthria as well as for studying how children and caregivers coadapt to better understand each other.
The Sociolinguistics of Ethnicity in New York City
This paper reviews the vast literature from sociolinguistics on ethnicity in New York City. Prior work falls into two camps: first, early work in dialectology on New York City English that often erased ethnic distinctions and presented a homogenous, white city; and second, later work investigating minority ethnic groups, often speakers of Languages Other than English. Here we summarize both threads of work, and suggest that the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which significantly changed the composition of immigrants in New York City, marks a turning point from work concerned with whites to that concerned with other ethnic groups. We also promote newer conceptions of ethnicity that view it as a fluid category concerned with the construction and/or destruction of boundaries. New York City’s tremendous ethnolinguistic diversity makes it a unique site for explorations into ethnic identity practices.
The Study of Variation from Two Perspectives
The field of sociolinguistics has a great deal in common with the field of forensic linguistics. One of their primary similarities is a focus on linguistic variation. Both fields analyze variation across groups of speakers, variation within speakers, variation between speakers, variation over time, and variation in perception. Sociolinguistic research can be directly applied to forensic linguistic issues. Model research projects are presented to demonstrate how to combine sociolinguistic and forensic linguistic goals and techniques into unified projects. This paper highlights how sociolinguists can advance the field of forensic linguistics in the United States.
World’s largest DNA scan for autism uncovers new gene variant for disorder
Gene most active in brain regions critical to language, social behavior
UCLA scientists, in partnership with 30 research institutions across the country, have identified a new gene variant that is highly common in autistic children. And when researchers scrutinized the activity of the gene, known as CDH10, in the fetal brain, they discovered that it is most active in key regions that support language, speech and interpreting social behavior.
from EurekAlert.org
Listeners’ social perception of speakers after treatment for laryngeal cancer.
Three primary methods to treat laryngeal cancer include radiation therapy, total laryngectomy, and supracricoid laryngectomy. Perceptual assessment to determine the social impact of vocal outcomes related to each treatment was employed to understand the effect that a disordered voice may have on societal perception of patients undergoing these treatments. Forty listeners were recruited to rate the voices of four groups of speakers: individuals treated with radiation therapy; individuals treated with total laryngectomy and rehabilitated with a tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis; individuals treated with supracricoid laryngectomy; and individuals with no history of vocal disorders. The listeners rated the speakers’ voices on rating scales with eight descriptors related to the social perception of speech. The ratings were made on 7-point Likert scales. Results indicated that listeners rated the non-surgical groups more positively than the surgical groups on traits such as attractive, clever, sophisticated, and trustworthy. The surgical groups were rated more negatively than non-surgical groups on traits such as scary, annoying, and intimidating. These fi ndings provide insight into how patients undergoing these treatments may be perceived by society. Individuals with total laryngectomies may be at a higher risk of encountering negative social stigmatization in their daily life.
from the Canadian Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Roles of speech-language pathologists and nurses in providing communication intervention for nonspeaking adults in acute care: a regional pilot study.
This study investigated current practice patterns and opinions of best practice standards of nurses and speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) regarding management of nonspeaking adult patients in acute care. Data was comprised of questionnaires completed by 85 nurses and 34 hospital-based acute care S-LPs. Nurse respondents reported that they frequently facilitate hands-on communication intervention for nonspeaking patients. Most nurses agreed that quality of care would be enhanced if S-LPs were more involved in facilitating communication for acute care patients. Forty-eight percent of S-LPs and 49% of nurses reported that at their facilities, less than half of nonspeaking patients are routinely referred to speech-language pathology (S-LP), whereas 94% of S-LPs and 66% of nurses felt that nonspeaking patients should be referred to S-LP most of the time. Results suggest that S-LPs are spending increasing amounts of time in the area of dysphagia management and relatively minimal amounts of time providing communication intervention.
from the Canadian Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Using culturally appropriate methodology to explore Dene mothers’ views on language facilitation.
This study aimed to identify the differences in the beliefs and educational practices related to language acquisition of Dene and non-Aboriginal mothers. A survey of 30 Dene mothers in a Northern community was carried out using research methodology that was culturally adjusted to the Dene culture and language. The 30 non-Aboriginal mothers completed a conventional survey form. The survey evaluated the mothers’ beliefs about language acquisition and their current practices of supporting their children’s language learning. The study revealed subtle differences between the Dene and the non-Aboriginal mothers with regards to both their beliefs and practices. The Dene mothers valued spirituality and their child’s connection to traditional faith and beliefs more highly than the non-Aboriginal mothers. They also supported the use of child-directed speech to facilitate their children’s language development. They felt that Elders and grandparents had an important role to play in their children’s lives, and they favoured teaching by providing a combination of verbal and hands-on instruction. The Dene mothers reported frequent use of language facilitation strategies. By adjusting the survey in a culturally appropriate way, the participation in the research was facilitated for the Dene mothers.
from the Canadian Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Comprehension and production of noun compounds by Estonian children with specific language impairment
The authors examined how 12 Estonian-speaking children with specific language impairment (SLI) and 60 children with normal speech development (ND) comprehended compound nouns with differing sequence of the components (first task) and how they produced compound nouns to label genuine and accidental categories by using analogy (second task) and sentence transformation (third task). The results demonstrated that children with SLI were capable of producing compound nouns for genuine categories, but avoided production of compounds to label objects in temporary juxtapositions. However, by comparison with the control group, SLI children differed statistically significantly in terms of both the number of correct answers and the pattern of mistakes. In the cases when compound nouns were expected to be produced by transforming sentences, the results of SLI children were considerably lower than those of their peers. The results of this study support the idea that children with SLI experience difficulties related to processing linguistic information.
Implementing E-Learning components with adult English language learners: Vital factors and lessons learned
The growing use of both computers and the Internet in adult English language classrooms has widespread implications for English language programs. As computer access increases, so do new learning technologies in adult literacy education. Specifically, this paper is interested in the case of adult English language instruction, also commonly referred to as English as a Second Language (ESL) or English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and blending e-learning components as tools for supporting English acquisition. Increasingly in adult English language classrooms, e-learning is being employed as an instructional strategy. Given the multitude of options, how do instructors and program directors of English Language Learners (ELLs) begin to choose an approach that is right for their programs and learners? Through the analysis of survey and focus group data, this study explored how programs across the United States are successfully implementing e-learning components in their adult English language classrooms.
Learners’ and teachers’ perspectives on language online
This article examines the student and instructor satisfaction with the Language Online courses at Carnegie Mellon University from 2000-2002. These courses were designed with a hybrid format, including reduced face-to-face contact and online delivery of course materials. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from students and instructors using surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Quantitative data from students indicates a trend of increasing satisfaction with the online courses compared with offline (traditional) courses. Qualitative data were analyzed using QSR NVivo software. Student themes centered on reactions to the reduced schedule of classes and the technology used in course delivery. For instructors, recurring themes included the need for training, control of course materials, and connections with students. The results provide valuable insight for a course format increasingly utilized in university-level language learning.
