Monthly Archives: July 2009
THE USE OF BRAIN ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY TECHNIQUES TO STUDY LANGUAGE: A BASIC GUIDE FOR THE BEGINNING CONSUMER OF ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY INFORMATION.
This article provides a basic background for the professional who is interested in utilizing event related potential (ERP) approaches to study language processes but has little background in or knowledge about the technique. First, a brief history of the emergence of this technology is presented, followed by definitions, a theoretical overview, and a practical guide to conducting ERP studies. The basis for choice of electrode positions, equipment characteristics (e.g., filter settings), and analyses are also discussed. Finally, examples of language studies that utilize this information in a research study are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
from The New York Times
Research Shows Possibility of Vaccine for Ear Infections
Newswise — Otitis media, more commonly known as an ear infection, is the most frequently diagnosed illness in children less than 15 years of age in the United States and is the primary cause for emergency room visits. More than 80 percent of children will experience at least one ear infection before their third birthday. Much research has been dedicated to preventing this common childhood disease at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
A new study could introduce a pain-free vaccination strategy that works against ear infections developed by Lauren Bakaletz, PhD, director of the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in collaboration with John Clements, PhD, at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Ear infections are typically treated through antibiotics or, if they occur often enough, through surgery. “The emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and the invasive nature of the surgical procedure raise the need to develop different ways to treat or, preferably, prevent ear infections,” said Dr. Bakaletz, who is also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
The data from researchers at Nationwide Children’s is the first to show immunization as an effective way to prevent ear infections. The vaccine was recently tested by placing a droplet of formula on the outer ears of chinchillas and then rubbed into the skin. Dr. Bakaletz said that it was extremely effective, and that her research team is excited about the ability to immunize without needles.
The vaccine works by activating cells which can be found just under the surface of the skin. When the liquid touches the skin the cells deliver the vaccine to the lymphoid organs where it can generate an immune response rapidly reducing or eliminating NTHI, one of the bacteria commonly responsible for ear infections, from the nose and ears.
“These studies lay the foundation for an effective, yet simple, inexpensive and potentially transformative way to deliver vaccines,” said Dr. Bakaletz. “It’s our hope the method of applying the vaccine to the skin will allow us to distribute it to some of the poorest children in the world.”
In addition to protecting against ear infections, this research could have important implications for the prevention of other diseases of the respiratory tract caused by NTHI.
from Auris Nasus Larynx
Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd All rights reserved. Edaravone, a free radical scavenger, in the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss with profound hearing loss
Objective
Edaravone, a free radical scavenger, is a clinical drug that is widely used to reduce neuronal damage after acute cerebral infarction in Japan since 2001. The aim of this study was to investigate whether edaravone could improve treatment result in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) patients with severe hearing loss.
Methods
Between 2004 and 2006, 14 patients of ISSHL with the mean hearing levels equal or over 90 dB at the initial visit were treated with edaravone. 14 counterpart control patients were selected from 45 patients who had similar prognostic factors and were treated with hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBO) in the past decade.
Results
There were no significant differences between edaravone group and the control group in hearing recovery.
Conclusion
We considered that edaravone was not able to bring remarkable effect compared with conventional treatment regimen for ISSHL.
from Hearing Research
Electrophysiological (EEG, sEEG, MEG) evidence for multiple audiovisual interactions in the human auditory cortex
Abstract
In this review, we examine the contribution of human electrophysiological studies (EEG, sEEG and MEG) to the study of visual influence on processing in the auditory cortex. Focusing mainly on studies performed by our group, we critically review the evidence showing (1) that visual information can both activate and modulate the activity of the auditory cortex at relatively early stages (mainly at the processing stage of the auditory N1 wave) in response to both speech and non-speech sounds and (2) that visual information can be included in the representation of both speech and non-speech sounds in auditory sensory memory. We describe an important conceptual tool in the study of audiovisual interaction (the additive model) and show the importance of considering the spatial distribution of electrophysiological data when interpreting EEG results. Review of these studies points to the probable role of sensory, attentional and task-related factors in modulating audiovisual interactions in the auditory cortex.
Does the grammatical count/mass distinction affect semantic representations? Evidence from experiments in English and Japanese
We investigate linguistic relativity effects by examining whether the grammatical count/mass distinction in English affects English speakers’ semantic representations of noun referents, as compared with those of Japanese speakers, whose language does not grammatically distinguish nouns for countability. We used two tasks which are sensitive to semantic similarity, error induction in picture naming and similarity judgements, upon nouns referring to food items (English words and their translation equivalents in Japanese), and contrasted English speakers’ performance to that of Japanese speakers. Results reveal that speakers of both languages are highly sensitive to semantic correlates of the English count/mass distinction, suggesting that the grammatical count/mass distinction in English does not affect English speakers’ semantic representations in a language-specific manner, contrary to predictions of linguistic relativity theories, in which this grammatical property should exert language-specific effects on English speakers’ semantic representations while they are engaged in language tasks.
Cochlear Reimplantation after Surgery for Electric-Acoustic Stimulation Silke Helbiga, Matthias Helbiga, Tobias Radera, Martin Mackb, Uwe Baumanna Departments of aOtorhinolaryngology and bDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Background/Aims: Combined electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) of the auditory system usually results in better speech understanding than electric stimulation only, assuming low-frequency hearing can be preserved. Treatment options and outcomes for 4 subjects experiencing compromised hearing after EAS surgery are discussed. Methods: Each subject underwent revision surgery to replace the original 21-mm electrode arrays used in EAS surgery with cochlear implants (CIs) with 31-mm arrays. Our aims were: (1) to investigate whether deeper insertion is possible, and (2) to evaluate the influence of electrode insertion angle by comparing speech perception scores before and after revision surgery. Results: Deeper insertion was feasible in all subjects. Speech understanding scores after reimplantation were comparable to those seen after the first intervention. Conclusion: A 360-degree insertion under EAS conditions provides sufficient speech understanding, even in cases of additional hearing loss. Reimplantation with a longer electrode array is feasible in former EAS patients.
from ORL -Journal for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Its Related Specialties
Comparison of Acceleration and Impact Stress as Possible Loading Factors in Phonation: A Computer Modeling Study Jaromír Horáeka, Anne-Maria Laukkanend, Petr idlofb, Peter Murphye, Jan G. vecc aInstitute of Thermomechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, bFaculty of Mechatronics, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, and cLaboratory of Biophysics, Department of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; dDepartment of Speech Communication and Voice Research, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland; eDepartment of Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Impact stress (the impact force divided by the contact area of the vocal folds) has been suspected to be the main traumatizing mechanism in voice production, and the main cause of vocal fold nodules. However, there are also other factors, such as the repetitive acceleration and deceleration, which may traumatize the vocal fold tissues. Using an aeroelastic model of voice production, the present study quantifies the acceleration and impact stress values in relation to lung pressure, fundamental frequency (F0) and prephonatory glottal half-width. Both impact stress and acceleration were found to increase with lung pressure. Compared to impact stress, acceleration was less dependent on prephonatory glottal width and, thus, on voice production type. Maximum acceleration values were about 5-10 times greater for high F0 (approx. 400 Hz) compared to low F0 (approx. 100 Hz), whereas maximum impact stress remained nearly unchanged. This suggests that acceleration, i.e. the inertia forces, may present at high F0 a greater load for the vocal folds, and in addition to the collision forces may contribute to the fact that females develop vocal fold nodules and other vocal fold traumas more frequently than males.
Objective Acoustic-Phonetic Speech Analysis in Patients Treated for Oral or Oropharyngeal Cancer Marieke J. de Bruijna, Louis ten Boschb, Dirk J. Kuika, Hugo Quenéc, Johannes A. Langendijkd, C. René Leemansa, Irma M. Verdonck-de Leeuwa aDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, bDepartment of Language and Speech, University of Nijmegen, Nijmegen, cUtrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, and dDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Groningen Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands
Objective: Speech impairment often occurs in patients after treatment for head and neck cancer. New treatment modalities such as surgical reconstruction or (chemo)radiation techniques aim at sparing anatomical structures that are correlated with speech and swallowing. In randomized trials investigating efficacy of various treatment modalities or speech rehabilitation, objective speech analysis techniques may add to improve speech outcome assessment. The goal of the present study is to investigate the role of objective acoustic-phonetic analyses in a multidimensional speech assessment protocol. Patients and Methods: Speech recordings of 51 patients (6 months after reconstructive surgery and postoperative radiotherapy for oral or oropharyngeal cancer) and of 18 control speakers were subjectively evaluated regarding intelligibility, nasal resonance, articulation, and patient-reported speech outcome (speech subscale of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Head and Neck 35 module). Acoustic-phonetic analyses were performed to calculate formant values of the vowels /a, i, u/, vowel space, air pressure release of /k/ and spectral slope of /x/. Results: Intelligibility, articulation, and nasal resonance were best predicted by vowel space and /k/. Within patients, /k/ and /x/ differentiated tumor site and stage. Various objective speech parameters were related to speech problems as reported by patients. Conclusion: Objective acoustic-phonetic analysis of speech of patients is feasible and contributes to further development of a speech assessment protocol.
Voice Pathology Detection Based eon Short-Term Jitter Estimations in Running Speech Miltiadis Vasilakisa, b, Yannis Stylianoua, b aDepartment of Computer Science, University of Crete, and bInstitute of Computer Science, Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
In this paper, we investigate the use of jitter estimation over short time intervals (short-term jitter) for voice pathology detection in the case of running or continuous speech. Short-term jitter estimations are provided by the spectral jitter estimator (SJE), which is based on a mathematical description of the jitter phenomenon. The SJE has been shown to be robust against errors in pitch period estimations, which makes it a good candidate for measuring jitter in continuous speech. On two large databases of sustained vowel recordings from healthy and pathological voices, we suggest a threshold for the SJE for pathology detection based on cross-database validation. Applying that to a database of continuous speech (reading text) from normophonic and dysphonic speakers, a second threshold and new features are suggested for monitoring jitter in continuous speech. Detection performance of the suggested thresholds and features was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and their discriminative efficiency between healthy and pathological voices was judged using the area under the curve index. In terms of area under the curve, the suggested features for reading text provide a discrimination score of about 95%, while the second threshold provides a classification rate of 87.8%. Furthermore, estimated short-term jitter values from reading text were found to confirm the studies showing a decrease of jitter with increasing fundamental frequencies, and the more frequent presence of high jitter values in the case of pathological voices as time increases.
Aspects of Voice Irregularity Measurement in Connected Speech Adrian Fourcin University College London, London, UK
Applications of the use of connected speech material for the objective assessment of two primary physical aspects of voice quality are described and discussed. Simple auditory perceptual criteria are employed to guide the choice of analysis parameters for the physical correlate of pitch, and their utility is investigated by the measurement of the characteristics of particular examples of the normal-speaking voice. This approach is extended to the measurement of vocal fold contact phase control in connected speech and both techniques are applied to pathological voice data.
Narrowing of intersensory speech perception in infancy
The conventional view is that perceptual/cognitive development is an incremental process of acquisition. Several striking findings have revealed, however, that the sensitivity to non-native languages, faces, vocalizations, and music that is present early in life declines as infants acquire experience with native perceptual inputs. In the language domain, the decline in sensitivity is reflected in a process of perceptual narrowing that is thought to play a critical role during the acquisition of a native-language phonological system. Here, we provide evidence that such a decline also occurs in infant response to multisensory speech. We found that infant intersensory response to a non-native phonetic contrast narrows between 6 and 11 months of age, suggesting that the perceptual system becomes increasingly more tuned to key native-language audiovisual correspondences. Our findings lend support to the notion that perceptual narrowing is a domain-general as well as a pan-sensory developmental process.
Overview
Program Description1
Lexia Reading is a computerized reading program that provides phonics instruction and gives students independent practice in basic reading skills. Lexia Reading is designed to supplement regular classroom instruction. It is designed to support skill development in the five areas of reading instruction identified by the National Reading Panel.
Research2
Two studies of Lexia Reading meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards and one study meets WWC evidence standards with reservations. The three studies included 314 students in kindergarten and first grade in two states.3
Based on these three studies, the WWC considers the extent of evidence for Lexia Reading to be small for alphabetics, fluency, comprehension, and general reading achievement.
Effectiveness
Lexia Reading was found to have potentially positive effects on alphabetics, no discernible effects on fluency, potentially positive effects on comprehension, and no discernible effects on general reading achievement.
from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
Brain section multitasks, handling phonetics and decision-making
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A front portion of the brain that handles tasks like decision-making also helps decipher different phonetic sounds, according to new Brown University research.
This section of the brain — the left inferior frontal sulcus — treats different pronunciations of the same speech sound (such as a ‘d’ sound) the same way.
In determining this, scientists have solved a mystery.
“No two pronunciations of the same speech sound are exactly alike. Listeners have to figure out whether these two different pronunciations are the same speech sound such as a ‘d’ or two different sounds such as a ‘d’ sound and a ‘t’ sound,” said Emily Myers, assistant professor (research) of cognitive and linguistic sciences at Brown University. “No one has shown before what areas of the brain are involved in these decisions.”
Sheila Blumstein, the study’s principal investigator, said the findings provide a window into how the brain processes speech.
“As human beings we spend much of our lives categorizing the world, and it appears as though we use the same brain areas for language that we use for categorizing non-language things like objects, said Blumstein, the Albert D. Mead Professor of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences at Brown.
Researchers from Brown University’s Department of Neuroscience and from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati also took part in the study. Details will be published in the July issue of the journal Psychological Science.
To conduct the research, scientists studied 13 women and five men, ages 19 to 29. All were brought into an MRI scanner at Brown University’s Magnetic Resonance Facility. An MRI machine, with its powerful magnet, allows technicians to measure blood flow in response to different types of stimuli.
Subjects were asked to listen to repetitive syllables in a row as they lay in the scanner. The sounds were derived from recorded, synthesized speech. Initially subjects would hear identical “dah” or “tah” sounds — four in a row — which would reduce brain activity because of the repetition. The fifth sound could be the same or a different sound.
Researchers found that the brain signal in the left inferior frontal sulcus changed when the final sound was a different one. But if the final sound was only a different pronunciation of the same sound, the brain’s response remained steady.
Myers and Blumstein said the study matters in the bid to understand language and speaking and how the brain is able to understand certain sounds and pronunciations.
“What these results suggest is that [the left inferior frontal sulcus] is a shared resource used for both language and non-language categorization,” Blumbstein said.
from EurekAlert.org
Effects of audio-visual information and mode of speech on listener perceptions of alaryngeal speakers
There is minimal research on listener perceptions of an individual with a laryngectomy (IWL) based on audio-visual information. The aim of this research was to provide preliminary insight into whether listeners have different perceptions of an individual with a laryngectomy based on mode of presentation (audio-only vs. audio-visual) and mode of speech (tracheoesophageal, oesophageal, electrolaryngeal, normal). Thirty-four nave listeners were randomly presented with a standard reading passage produced by one typical speaker from each mode of speech in both audio-only and audio-visual presentation mode. Listeners used a visual analogue scale (10 cm line) to indicate their perceptions of each speaker’s personality. A significant effect for mode of speech was present. There was no significant difference in listener perceptions between mode of presentation using individual ratings. However, principal component analysis showed ratings were more favourable in the audio-visual mode. Results of this study suggest that visual information may only have a minor impact on listener perceptions of a speakers’ personality and that mode of speech and degree of speech proficiency may only play a small role in listener perceptions. However, results should be interpreted with caution as results are based on only one speaker per mode of speech.
