Monthly Archives: October 2010
LIFG-based attentional control and the resolution of lexical ambiguities in sentence context
The role of attentional control in lexical ambiguity resolution was examined in two patients with damage to the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) and one control patient with non-LIFG damage. Experiment 1 confirmed that the LIFG patients had attentional control deficits compared to normal controls while the non-LIFG patient was relatively unimpaired. Experiment 2 showed that all three patients did as well as normal controls in using biasing sentence context to resolve lexical ambiguities involving balanced ambiguous words, but only the LIFG patients took an abnormally long time on lexical ambiguities that resolved toward a subordinate meaning of biased ambiguous words. Taken together, the results suggest that attentional control plays an important role in the resolution of certain lexical ambiguities – those that induce strong interference from context-inappropriate meanings (i.e., dominant meanings of biased ambiguous words).
from Brain and Language
Item and error analysis on Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices in Williams Syndrome
Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) is a standardised test that is commonly used to obtain a non-verbal reasoning score for children. As the RCPM involves the matching of a target to a pattern it is also considered to be a visuo-spatial perception task. RCPM is therefore frequently used in studies in Williams Syndrome (WS), in order to match WS participants to a control group or as a single measure to predict performance on a test-condition in developmental trajectory analyses. However, little is known about the performance of participants with WS on the RCPM. The current study compared the type of errors and the difficulty of each item for 53 participants with WS to 53 typically developing children who were individually matched on the total raw score for RCPM. Results showed that the participants with WS made the same proportion of error types and that the proportion of error types changed similarly to those of typically developing controls over development. Furthermore, the differential item difficulty between the two groups was highly similar. It is therefore argued that, although participants with WS are delayed on RCPM, their performance is not atypical which suggests that RCPM performance is supported by typical mechanisms. The RCPM is therefore a useful tool to match WS to control groups or to construct developmental trajectories.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment of chronic tinnitus
Conclusion
These results support the potential of rTMS as a new therapeutic tool for the treatment of chronic tinnitus. Because this study was performed with a small sample size and showed high interindividual variability in treatment effects, further development of the technique is needed before it can be recommended for clinical applications.
from Auris Nasus Larynx
Severe progressive sensorineural hearing loss improved after removal of large jugular foramen schwannoma
We report a very rare case of hearing improvement after removal of the intracranial part of a jugular foramen schwannoma (JFS) presenting with chronic and severe progressive sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The patient presented with progressive hearing impairment in his right ear, lasting 2 years. The patient’s pure tone audiogram revealed severe SNHL. His speech discrimination score (SDS) was 0%. Auditory-evoked brain responses (ABRs) comprised only I waves following 30–100 dB stimulation, although distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) had good responses. These test results indicated that his hearing impairment was retrocochlear SNHL. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed within the right jugular foramen a large intracranial–extracranial tumor that compressed the brainstem. The intracranial part of the tumor was resected through retrosigmoidal craniotomy, and the tumor was pathologically diagnosed as a schwannoma. Several months after the operation, the patient’s auditory thresholds improved to a level consistent with mild SNHL, ABR V waves emerged following 60–90 dB stimulation, and SDS improved significantly to 95%. This case demonstrates that hearing improvement can be achieved after surgery for JFS presenting with severe and chronic progressive SNHL, and that good DPOAE responses and the presence of ABR I waves may be predictors of postoperative hearing recovery in JFS.
from Auris Nasus Larynx
Female Juvenile Delinquents’ Reactions to a Reading Program: A Mixed Methods Study
Older students who struggle with reading are more motivated to participate in instructional intervention if they are interested in the program. This mixed methods study examined opinions and reactions of 41 female juvenile delinquents on a 1-hour demonstration of the START-IN (STudents Are Responding To INtervention) reading program. Following a demonstration of the 16 reading tasks, participants ranging in age from 13 to 18 years responded to four multiple-choice and one open-ended item. Quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that one half or more of the participants reacted favorably to the level of difficulty, age appropriateness, importance of information, and future participants’ willingness to participate on tasks. Three themes, including their opinions of the task and reading, their prediction of how future participants would respond to implementation, and information pertaining to metacognition, emerged from 308 comments to open-ended items. Intervention implications were also considered.
Models of Instruction Used in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Programs
To meet the needs of a diverse student population while addressing the knowledge and skills outcomes of the curriculum, faculty should develop a repertoire of instructional models. Research-based instructional models from the fields of education and health care have been developed to support various learner outcomes. Emphasis on evidence-based practice in the field of communication sciences and disorders should include increased study of research-based instructional practices in higher education. The present study examined the models of instruction currently implemented by professors in speech-language pathology graduate programs. Problem-based learning and induction were used most frequently, followed by direct instruction. Cooperative learning, memory strategy instruction, and role play were used less frequently. Results suggest that instructors are utilizing a variety of instructional models to meet learning outcomes. Implications for the use of models of instruction, as well as future directions for research, are discussed.
Relationships Between Early Child Factors and School Readiness Skills in Young Children With Hearing Loss
The goal of this longitudinal study is to examine the relationships between early child factors (i.e., age at identification, enrollment in early intervention, oral language skills) and school readiness skills (i.e., conceptual knowledge) in a group of young children with hearing loss (HL). Standardized language, cognition, and conceptual knowledge measures were administered to eight preschool children with HL (age M = 4.0 years). Significant negative relationships were observed between age at identification and enrollment in early intervention and later school readiness skills. Positive associations emerged between children’s early oral language scores and later school readiness abilities. Individual analyses revealed that children who had lower language standard scores at Time 1 had low school readiness skills 1 year later (Time 2), especially in the area of mathematical concepts. Guidelines for early intervention professionals are provided to support school readiness skills in young children with HL.
Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy: Examining the Effects of Paraeducator Implemented Early Literacy Instruction
This study examined the effect of explicit and engaging supplemental early literacy instruction on at-risk kindergarten children’s literacy development. Sixty-three kindergarten-aged children who had been ranked in the lowest 20th percentile on basic literacy skills participated in this study (38 treatment). Results reveal that children who received engaging and explicit supplemental instruction from a paraeducator performed significantly better on rhyming, alliteration, letter knowledge, letter-sound association, spelling, and blending tasks than children who received one-on-one instruction through a tutoring program. Findings highlight the important role that paraeducators can play in implementing explicit and engaging literacy curriculum that positively affects children’s development of early literacy skills.
Cochlear implantation in late-implanted adults with prelingual deafness
The results demonstrated the need to evaluate the benefits resulting from the CI not only with traditional clinical measures but with additional measures as well. Furthermore, they demonstrated the benefit of the CI on the positive psychosociological implications of prelingually deafened adults.
Wiring the Brain: Making Connections
An international conference April 12-15, 2011 at Powerscourt, Co Wicklow, Ireland
The principal aim of this meeting is to bring together scientists from what have traditionally been separate disciplines, including developmental neurobiology, psychiatric and neurological genetics, molecular, cellular and systems neuroscience and cognitive science. The main theme is to explore how brain connectivity is established, what happens to circuit and network function when the underlying processes go wrong and how this can lead to psychiatric and neurological disease.
from Wiring the Brain.com
New York noise levels a threat to hearing: study
New York is still such a noisy city that its inhabitants could suffer from significant hearing loss in coming years, a study made public Wednesday has found.
from AFP
Is your mom a speech therapist? Us too! Check out our Speech Therapy Music Video!
This video is a finalist in the What the heck is rehab? video contest at the University of Alberta Faculty of Rehabiltiation Medicine: http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/rehabm…
Submitted by MSc SLP students Christina O’Dell, Candace Brown, Sable Chan and Salima Suleman
from YouTube.com
Leave the S-LP bag at home – digital flash cards are here with the pocket S-LP app
A new app for the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
from CASLPA, The Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Race, Ethnicity Impact Access To Care For Children With Frequent Ear Infections
A new study by researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Harvard Medical School has found that racial and ethnic disparities among children with frequent ear infections can significantly influence access to health care resources.
Girls with Rett Syndrome Find Their “Voice” in Eye-Gaze Technology
Special eye-gaze technology now being used in the Department of Neurology at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) is revealing the hidden, inner world of children who have Rett Syndrome, a rare and severe autism spectrum disorder that primarily affects little girls
from Newswise.com
