Monthly Archives: May 2009
Participant Evaluations of Rate and Communication Efficacy of an AAC Application Using Natural Language Processing
This research explores the efficacy of an AAC application, Converser, that uses natural language processing to assist in communication. Converser uses speech recognition of the speaking partner to predict contextually appropriate utterances. This article reports on the subjective data gathered from an experimental evaluation of Converser’s efficacy (see Wisenburn and Higginbotham, 2008 for a full description of Converser and the objective results). Converser was evaluated in two communication tasks (a Conversation and an Interview task) under two conditions: a simple alphabet board without Converser (alpha-only condition), and an identical board with Converser (alpha-Converser condition). Subjective data was gathered through rating questionnaires and written comments. Program users rated the speed of communication faster in the alpha-Converser condition. Program user ratings of quality, and speaking partner ratings of speed and quality, showed no difference between the two conditions; however, the participant comments about Converser were positive.
A Hearing Test Made for the Big City
Mr. McCarthy is deaf in his left ear and uses a hearing aid in his right ear. He was one of the first people to try a new audiovisual hearing test tailor-made for a city that by all accounts never shuts up.
Instead of using beeps, tones and word lists — the more typical way to determine how well a new hearing aid works — the test conducted at the center uses sounds that might be heard in New York: cellphone chats, office discussions, the rumble of Midtown traffic.
from the New York Times
Statistical Press Notice – Direct Access Audiology Referral To Treatment (RTT) Times Data February 2009, England
“Improving Access to Audiology Services in England sets out a simple aspiration: for local health systems to transform the experience of the audiology service for all their patients. This requires a radical reduction in waiting…no local health system will be credible in claiming success on 18 weeks if it does not make excellent progress in tackling long waiting times affecting large numbers of its local population, “
Data to monitor against this aspiration is today being published for the fifth time.
Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Have a Negative Effect on the Behavior and Academic Achievement of Classroom Peers, New Study Finds
Children exposed to domestic violence not only have more disciplinary problems at school, they perform considerably worse in math and reading than other students. They also have a negative effect on their classroom peers, resulting in decreased test scores and increased disciplinary problems according to a new study by economists Scott Carrell of the University of California–Davisand Mark Hoekstra of the University of Pittsburgh, published in the summer issue of Education Next.
from Docuticker
Teaching Sound Letter Correspondence and Consonant-Vowel-Consonant Combinations to Young Children who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication
The purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary examination of an intervention strategy designed to teach sound-letter correspondence and spelling of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) combinations to young children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). A multiple baseline probe design across behaviors was used to assess the effects of the intervention on the percentage of correct responses provided by two participants on the target skills during free-choice play activities in the literacy center of inclusive classrooms. The results of this study provide preliminary support for the use of the intervention strategy within inclusive classrooms.
The impact of stuttering on the quality of life in adults who stutter
Stuttering is an involuntary fluency disorder that is not uncommon in society. However, the impact of stuttering on a composite measure such as quality of life has rarely been estimated. Quality of life (QOL) assesses the well-being of a person from a multidimensional perspective, and valid and reliable general QOL measures are available that can be used to estimate the impact of stuttering on QOL. This study involved the use of a general measure of QOL called the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) in order to assess the impact of stuttering in 200 adults who stutter (AWS). Comparisons to 200 adults of similar age and sex ratio who do not stutter were made so that the unique contribution of stuttering on QOL could be estimated. Findings indicated that stuttering does negatively impact QOL in the vitality, social functioning, emotional functioning and mental health status domains. Results also tentatively suggest that people who stutter with increased levels of severity may have a higher risk of poor emotional functioning. These findings have implications for treatment such as the necessity to address the emotional and psychological aspects of QOL in AWS and the need for additional clinical resources to be invested in stuttering treatment.
The Peer Attitudes Toward Children Who Stutter Scale: Reliability, known groups validity, and negativity of elementary school-age children’s attitudes
Psychometric properties of the Peer Attitudes Toward Children who Stutter (PATCS) scale (Langevin & Hagler, 2004) and the extent to which peer attitudes are negative were re-examined. Results show that internal consistency was .97 and test-retest reliability was .85. In a known groups analysis participants who had contact with someone who stutters had statistically significant higher mean scores (more positive attitudes) than those who had not had contact. Nonsignificant findings for gender and grade call into question the usefulness of these variables as discriminators in future tests of known groups validity of peer attitudes toward children who stutter. Approximately one-fifth of participants had PATCS scores that were somewhat to very negative. These findings support calls for school-based education about stuttering.
from the Journal of Fluency Disorders
Brain atrophy associated with baseline and longitudinal measures of cognition
The overall goal was to identify patterns of brain atrophy associated with cognitive impairment and future cognitive decline in non-demented elders. Seventy-one participants were studied with structural MRI and neuropsychological testing at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Deformation-based morphometry was used to examine the relationship between regional baseline brain tissue volume with baseline and longitudinal measures of delayed verbal memory, semantic memory, and executive function. Smaller right hippocampal and entorhinal cortex (ERC) volumes at baseline were associated with worse delayed verbal memory performance at baseline while smaller left ERC volume was associated with greater longitudinal decline. Smaller left superior temporal cortex at baseline was associated with worse semantic memory at baseline, while smaller left temporal white and gray matter volumes were associated with greater semantic memory decline. Increased CSF and smaller frontal lobe volumes were associated with impaired executive function at baseline and greater longitudinal executive decline. These findings suggest that baseline volumes of prefrontal and temporal regions may underlie continuing cognitive decline due to aging, pathology, or both in non-demented elderly individuals.
The Acute Effects of a Specialized Movement Program on the Verbal Abilities of Patients With Late-Stage Dementia
Little research exists concerning the cognitive effects of exercise on elders with Alzheimerʼs dementia (AD), and none concerning late-stage AD. This study provides an initial investigation of the possible cognitive effects of a specialized exercise program for patients with late-stage AD. In a pretest/posttest design, patients participated in 20-minute movement groups. Results indicated a statistically significant decrease in patientsʼ aphasia and/or agnosia following the program. This study is the first to indicate that movement has the ability to immediately affect the memory recall of patients with late-stage AD. These techniques may be used by caregivers seeking increased lucidity during interactions.
An evaluation of the preservation of residual hearing with the Nucleus® Contour Advance™ electrode
Conclusion. Our study results confirm that it is possible to preserve preoperative hearing levels in the majority of subjects when using the Nucleus 24 Contour Advance provided that there is adherence to the major principles of ‘soft surgery’. Our study group demonstrated that 71-86% of subjects showed preservation of preoperative hearing thresholds at 6 months to varying degree. Objectives. The aim of the study was to assess the degree of residual hearing preserved postoperatively in a group of standard cochlear implant (CI) candidates following implantation via soft surgery with a Nucleus® 24 Contour Advance™ CI. Surgical technique variations from the soft surgery guidelines provided were assessed and their potential impact upon the conservation of residual hearing was examined. Subjects and methods. A prospective multicentre study involving a within-subject repeated measures design with each subject acting as their own control was performed. Pure-tone audiometric thresholds were assessed and compared in both implanted and contralateral ears for each subject preoperatively as baseline measures and at 6 months postoperatively. Surgeons were asked to complete a questionnaire to capture various aspects of the surgical technique used for each subject. Variations in the surgical technique performed were examined for potential correlation with conservation of residual hearing. Twenty-eight adult subjects, with a severe to profound hearing impairment, were enrolled in the study across eight implant clinics in four countries. Results. In all, 36% of subjects demonstrated preservation of thresholds to within 10 dB of preoperative thresholds across the frequency range (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 KHz) and for the low frequency range (0.25-1.0 KHz). Approximately two-thirds of subjects demonstrated preservation of preoperative thresholds to within 20 dB. Preservation of low frequency thresholds post-implant was shown to correlate moderately with cochleostomy site, being more likely for subjects with a site anterior-inferior to the round window but also possible with inferior locations; weakly with cochleostomy size, being more likely when smaller than 1.2 mm; and also with the use of Healon® as a sealant and lubricant. Preservation of hearing thresholds across up to 4000 Hz was shown to correlate weakly with the use of suction following opening of the endostium and with bone dust contamination, both having a negative effect upon preservation, while no correlation was observed with the preservation of thresholds for low frequencies alone.
Facial nerve stimulation after cochlear implantation according to types of Nucleus 24-channel electrode arrays
Conclusion. In this study, we concluded that electrode design and location did not have a high level of influence on the prevalence of facial nerve stimulation (FNS) in normal cochleae. Objective. To analysis the prevalence of FNS after cochlear implantation with Nucleus 24-channel devices according to types of electrodes arrays. Patients and methods. We retrospectively analyzed medical and mapping records of 394 patients who received cochlear implants (CIs) manufactured by Cochlear Corporation from April 1999 to March 2007. Results. In all, 23 of 394 (5.8%) patients had FNS (CI24M 4 of 39 [10.3%], CI24RCS 9 of 192 [4.7%], CI24RST 9 of 21 [42.9%], and CI24RECA 1 of 87 [1.1%]). In addition, 4 of 324 (1.2%) patients with normal cochleae complained of FNS (CI24M 1 of 33 [3.0%], CI24RCS 2 of 173 [1.2%], and CI24RECA 1 of 71 [1.4%]). There was no difference between straight and perimodiolar electrode arrays in patients with normal cochleae. In addition, when comparing two types of Contour™ electrodes, Contour Advance™ (soft-tip) electrodes offered significantly lower incidence of FNS than Contour™ electrode arrays. We could manage these patients with methods such as decrease of C-level, selective channel turning off, and changes of mapping strategies.
Intratympanic administration of methylprednisolone reduces impact of experimental intensive impulse noise trauma on hearing
Conclusion. The present findings demonstrated that intratympanic methylprednisolone (MP) reduces the impact of impulse noise trauma on hearing and in part preserves the hair cells from death 1 h after exposure to intensive impulse noise. Objective. To examine the treatment efficiency of intratympanic MP (IT-MP) with different methods of administration on cochlear injury induced by exposure to intensive impulse noise. Materials and methods. Fifty-five guinea pigs were assigned into six groups and exposed to intensive impulse noise, i.e. 60 impulses at 165 dB SPL peak pressure with 0.5 ms duration and 2 s intervals. The auditory brainstem response (ABR) was used to examine the hearing thresholds. Cochlear morphology was examined to estimate the inner and outer hair cell loss induced by impulse noise exposure. MP was applied as a rescue agent via different modalities of administration. Results. The ABR threshold value of IT-MP1 or IT-MP4 groups significantly decreased at 4 weeks as compared with the IT-NS (IT 0.9% physiological saline) group. The ABR threshold value of the group that received intramuscular administration of MP (IM-MP) also decreased at 4 weeks as compared with the IT-NS group. Significant hair cell loss was observed at the region 40-50% from the apex in the present model. Within this region, the residual hair cell number in the IT-MP1 or IT-MP4 groups was significantly greater than that in the IT-NS group.
Lexical tone identification and consonant recognition in acoustic simulations of cochlear implants
Conclusion: Cochlear implant (CI) recipients’ performance of lexical tone identification and consonant recognition can be enhanced by providing greater spectral details. Objective: To evaluate the effects of increasing the number of total spectral channels on the lexical tone identification and consonant recognition by normally hearing listeners who are native speakers of Mandarin Chinese. Subjects and methods: Lexical tone identification and consonant recognition were measured in 15 Mandarin-speaking, normal-hearing (NH) listeners with varied numbers of total spectral channels (i.e. 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 24), using acoustic simulations of CIs. Results: The group of NH listeners’ performance of lexical tone identification ranged from 44.53% to 66.60% with 4-24 spectral channels. The performance of tone identification between channels 4 and 16 remained similar; between channels 16 and 20 performance improved significantly. As regards consonant recognition, the NH listeners’ overall accuracy ranged from 73.17% to 95.33% with 4-24 channels. Steady improvement in consonant recognition accuracy was observed as a function of increasing the spectral channels. With about 12-16 spectral channels, the NH listeners’ overall accuracy in consonant recognition began to be comparable to their accuracy with the unprocessed stimuli.
