COMD News

Technical Difficulties

Callier Library — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:16:36 +0000

Sorry for the long time since we last posted. We are going through some staff changes at Callier Library and people that normally handle posting responsibilities have either graduated or are being reassigned to other functions in the university. Another announcement about the blog will be made in about a month when staffing issues settle down. Those of us who have been working on COMD News for the last four years appreciate the support we have received from our readers.

Augmentation of Vocal Fold Using a Fat Block Implant Following Cordotomy Through a Minithyrotomy Approach in a Rabbit Model

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:14:02 +0000

Conclusions
Minithyrotomy vocal fold augmentation using an autologous fat block may soon be feasible in humans undergoing rehabilitation for postcordotomy dysphonia without causing additional damage to the vocal folds.

from the Journal of Voice

Laryngeal Electromyography-Guided Hyaluronic Acid Vocal Fold Injection for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis—Preliminary Results

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:13:52 +0000

Conclusion
LEMG-guided HA VFI provides UVFP patients with neuromuscular function evaluation and treatment in one step. This clinical technique is feasible, and the short-term results are satisfactory.

from the Journal of Voice

Normative Values for the Voice Handicap Index-10

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:12:42 +0000

Conclusions
This study offers normative data for the VHI-10 that has been missing in the literature. A VHI-10 score >7 should be considered abnormal.

from the Journal of Voice

Combined Imaging Markers Dissociate Alzheimer’s Disease and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration – An ALE Meta-Analysis.

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:12:33 +0000

To compare and dissociate the neural correlates of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), we combine and synthesize here recent comprehensive meta-analyses. Systematic and quantitative meta-analyses were conducted according to the QUOROM statement by calculating anatomical likelihood estimates (ALE). AD (n = 578) and the three subtypes of FTLD, frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia (SD), and progressive non-fluent aphasia (n = 229), were compared in conjunction analyses, separately for atrophy and reductions in glucose metabolism. Atrophy coincided in the amygdala and hippocampal head in AD and the FTLD subtype SD. The other brain regions did not show any overlap between AD and FTLD subtypes for both atrophy and changes in glucose metabolism. For AD alone (n = 826), another conjunction analysis revealed a regional dissociation between atrophy and hypoperfusion/hypometabolism, whereby hypoperfusion and hypometabolism coincided in the angular/supramarginal gyrus and inferior precuneus/posterior cingulate gyrus. Our data together with other imaging studies suggest a specific dissociation of AD and FTLD if, beside atrophy, additional imaging markers in AD such as abnormally low parietal glucose utilization and perfusion are taken into account. Results support the incorporation of standardized imaging inclusion criteria into future diagnostic systems, which is crucial for early individual diagnosis and treatment in the future.

from Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Perceiving onset clusters in infancy

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:12:21 +0000

By 9-months infants are sensitive to native-language sound combinations. Our studies show that while younger infants discriminate clusters, they are not sensitive to differences in statistical frequency. Thus, the emergence of phonotactic knowledge is driven by experience with the frequency of occurrence of the sound combinations in one’s language.

from Infant Behavior and Development

Physical and Perceptual Factors Shape the Neural Mechanisms That Integrate Audiovisual Signals in Speech Comprehension

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:12:12 +0000

Face-to-face communication challenges the human brain to integrate information from auditory and visual senses with linguistic representations. Yet the role of bottom-up physical (spectrotemporal structure) input and top-down linguistic constraints in shaping the neural mechanisms specialized for integrating audiovisual speech signals are currently unknown. Participants were presented with speech and sinewave speech analogs in visual, auditory, and audiovisual modalities. Before the fMRI study, they were trained to perceive physically identical sinewave speech analogs as speech (SWS-S) or nonspeech (SWS-N). Comparing audiovisual integration (interactions) of speech, SWS-S, and SWS-N revealed a posterior–anterior processing gradient within the left superior temporal sulcus/gyrus (STS/STG): Bilateral posterior STS/STG integrated audiovisual inputs regardless of spectrotemporal structure or speech percept; in left mid-STS, the integration profile was primarily determined by the spectrotemporal structure of the signals; more anterior STS regions discarded spectrotemporal structure and integrated audiovisual signals constrained by stimulus intelligibility and the availability of linguistic representations. In addition to this “ventral” processing stream, a “dorsal” circuitry encompassing posterior STS/STG and left inferior frontal gyrus differentially integrated audiovisual speech and SWS signals. Indeed, dynamic causal modeling and Bayesian model comparison provided strong evidence for a parallel processing structure encompassing a ventral and a dorsal stream with speech intelligibility training enhancing the connectivity between posterior and anterior STS/STG. In conclusion, audiovisual speech comprehension emerges in an interactive process with the integration of auditory and visual signals being progressively constrained by stimulus intelligibility along the STS and spectrotemporal structure in a dorsal fronto-temporal circuitry.

from the Journal of Neuroscience

Bilingual Language Assessment: A Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:10:02 +0000

Conclusions: The available evidence does not support strong claims concerning the diagnostic accuracy of these measures, but a number appear promising. Several steps are suggested for strengthening future investigations of diagnostic accuracy.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Development of a Short Form of the Boston Naming Test for Individuals With Aphasia

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:09:52 +0000

Conclusions: The new short form demonstrates good psychometric properties when used with individuals with aphasia. However, the Mack et al. form proved to be as psychometrically sound as the BNT–Aphasia Short Form and is also appropriate for individuals with aphasia.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Evidence for Preserved Novel Word Learning in Down Syndrome Suggests Multiple Routes to Vocabulary Acquisition

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:09:42 +0000

Conclusions: Vocabulary acquisition in Down syndrome may not rely on verbal short-term memory to the same extent as in typically developing children, lending support to the suggestion that new word learning may be underpinned by an additional memory process.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

How Well Do Children Who Are Internationally Adopted Acquire Language? A Meta-Analysis

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:09:32 +0000

Conclusions: The results of the meta-analysis have direct clinical application regarding the assessment and treatment of language skills of internationally adopted children. The study also has implications for future studies of the language development of internationally adopted children.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Initial Mean Length of Utterance Predicts the Relative Efficacy of Two Grammatical Treatments in Preschoolers With Specific Language Impairment

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:09:23 +0000

Results: Predictions were confirmed for children with initially low MLU but not for children with initially high MLUs. MLT facilitated growth of grammar better than BTR in children who were initially in Brown’s stage I. Effects maintained 5 months after treatment ended.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Peer Interactions of Preschool Children With and Without Hearing Loss

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:07:27 +0000

Conclusions: Preschool children with SPHL were excluded from interactions by their playmates. Having age-appropriate language skills did not ensure successful peer interactions. Inclusive preschool programs may consider offering classroom-wide social skills training to enhance interaction opportunities.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Perceptual Adaptation of Voice Gender Discrimination With Spectrally Shifted Vowels

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:07:17 +0000

Conclusions: Temporal envelope cues are important for voice gender discrimination under spectral shift conditions with perceptual adaptation, but spectral shift may limit the exclusive use of spectral information and/or the use of formant structure on voice gender discrimination. The results have implications for cochlear implant users and for understanding voice gender discrimination.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Prosodic Adaptations to Pitch Perturbation in Running Speech

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:07:08 +0000

Conclusions: Present findings suggest that F0 and intensity are controlled in an integrated fashion to maintain the contrast between stressed and unstressed words. When a cue is impaired through perturbation, speakers not only oppose the perturbation but enhance other prosodic cues to achieve emphatic stress.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Quantitative Study of Vibrational Symmetry of Injured Vocal Folds Via Digital Kymography in Excised Canine Larynges

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:06:59 +0000

Conclusion: Digital kymography and curve fitting provide detailed information about the vibratory behavior of injured vocal folds. Awareness of vibratory properties associated with vocal fold injury may aid in diagnosis, and the quantitative abilities of digital kymography may allow for objective treatment selection.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Supervised Home Training of Dialogue Skills in Chronic Aphasia: A Randomized Parallel Group Study

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:06:47 +0000

Conclusion: Supervised home training works. This study has proven that it is an effective tool for bolstering linguistic and communicative skills of individuals with aphasia.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Syllable-Related Breathing in Infants in the Second Year of Life

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:04:37 +0000

Conclusions: Infants in the 2nd year of life exhibit clear differences between tidal breathing and speech-related breathing, but categorically distinct breath support for syllable types with varying articulatory demands was not evident in the present findings. Speech development introduces increasingly complex utterances, so older infants may produce detectable articulation-related adaptations of breathing kinematics. For younger infants, breath support may vary systematically among utterance types, due more to phonatory variations than to articulatory demands.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Treatment of Category Generation and Retrieval in Aphasia: Effect of Typicality of Category Items

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:04:29 +0000

Conclusion: Results of the present study supplement existing data on the effect of a semantically based treatment for lexical retrieval by manipulating the typicality of category examples.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Vowel Identification by Listeners With Hearing Impairment in Response to Variation in Formant Frequencies

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:04:18 +0000

Conclusions: Both increased presentation level for NH listeners and the presence of hearing loss produced a significant change in vowel identification for this stimulus set. Major differences were observed between NH listeners and HI listeners in vowel category overlap and in the sharpness of boundaries between vowel tokens. It is likely that these findings reflect imprecise internal spectral representations due to reduced frequency selectivity.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

Developmental Sexual Dimorphism of the Oral and Pharyngeal Portions of the Vocal Tract: An Imaging Study

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:04:10 +0000

Conclusions: Assessment of developmental sex differences using localized age ranges is effective in unveiling sex differences that growth rate differences may conceal. Findings on the presence of prepubertal sex differences in the oral region of the VT may clarify, in part, the anatomic basis of documented prepubertal acoustic differences.

from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research

An Introduction to Item Response Theory and Rasch Models for Speech-Language Pathologists

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:04:01 +0000

Conclusion: IRT is a set of statistical methods that are increasingly used for developing instruments in speech-language pathology. While IRT is not new, its application in speech-language pathology to date has been relatively limited in scope. Several new IRT-based instruments are currently emerging. IRT differs from traditional methods for test development, typically referred to as classical test theory (CTT), in several theoretical and practical ways. Administration, scoring, and interpretation of IRT instruments are different from methods used for most traditional CTT instruments. SLPs will need to understand the basic concepts of IRT instruments to use these tools in their clinical and research work. This article provides an introduction to IRT concepts drawing on examples from speech-language pathology.

from American Journal of Speech Language Pathology

Anxiety and Stuttering: Continuing to Explore a Complex Relationship

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:58:54 +0000

Conclusion: The aims of future research should be to improve research design, increase statistical power, employ multidimensional measures of anxiety, and further develop anxiolytic treatment options for people who stutter.

from American Journal of Speech Language Pathology

Effects of Length, Complexity, and Grammatical Correctness on Stuttering in Spanish-Speaking Preschool Children

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:58:45 +0000

Conclusions: Results from the present study were consistent with many earlier reports of English-speaking children. Both length and grammatical factors appear to affect stuttering in Spanish-speaking children. Grammatical errors, however, served as the greatest predictor of stuttering.

from American Journal of Speech Language Pathology

Language Abilities of Children Who Stutter: A Meta-Analytical Review

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:58:35 +0000

Conclusions: Present findings were taken to suggest that children’s language abilities are potentially influential variables associated with childhood stuttering.

from American Journal of Speech Language Pathology

Statistical, Practical, Clinical, and Personal Significance: Definitions and Applications in Speech-Language Pathology

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:58:27 +0000

Conclusions: Practical significance, an adjunct to statistical significance, refers to the magnitude of a change or a difference between groups. The appropriate existing term for the interpretation of treatment outcomes, or the attribution of meaning or value to treatment outcomes, is clinical significance. To further distinguish between important constructs, the authors suggest incorporating as definitive the existing notion that clinical significance may refer to measures selected or interpreted by professionals or with respect to groups of clients. The term personal significance is introduced to refer to goals, variables, measures, and changes that are of demonstrated value to individual clients.

from American Journal of Speech Language Pathology

The Effectiveness of Parent-Implemented Language Interventions: A Meta-Analysis

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:58:19 +0000

Conclusion: The results of this review indicate that parent-implemented language interventions are an effective approach to early language intervention for young children with language impairments. Critical features of parent-implemented interventions are discussed in terms of implications for practice and future research.

from American Journal of Speech Language Pathology

Using the Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition to Characterize Language in Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:56:09 +0000

Conclusions: The PLS–4 can be used to obtain a general index of early syntax and semantic skill in young children with ASD. Longitudinal data will be necessary to determine how the developmental relationship between receptive and expressive language skills unfolds in children with ASD.

from American Journal of Speech Language Pathology

Homesigners as Late Learners: Connecting the Dots from Delayed Acquisition in Childhood to Sign Language Processing in Adulthood

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:56:00 +0000

Language acquisition rarely begins at birth for deaf individuals. The consequences of linguistic isolation in early childhood have been investigated from two perspectives. One literature documents the gestural communication systems, called homesign, that deaf children generate prior to any exposure to language. A second literature contrasts the language processing abilities of deaf adults who did or did not have access to a signed language from birth. There is now ample evidence that late learners of a signed language exhibit processing deficits relative to native signers and second language signers, hearing or deaf. This article brings together the research from these two domains to explore why use of a homesign system during early childhood does not support sign language acquisition in adulthood in the way that a first language supports second language acquisition.

from Language and Linguistics Compass

Facial expression recognition: Can preschoolers with cochlear implants and hearing aids catch it?

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:55:51 +0000

Tager-Flusberg and Sullivan (2000) presented a cognitive model of theory of mind (ToM), in which they thought ToM included two components––a social–perceptual component and a social–cognitive component. Facial expression recognition (FER) is an ability tapping the social–perceptual component. Previous findings suggested that normal hearing children did not demonstrate any advantage over those with cochlear implants (CI) or hearing aids (HA) in FER with age and gender matched. In these studies, the ages of the participants with CI or HA were over 7 years old. However, normal hearing preschoolers can accurately recognize basic facial expressions. Children’s early FER skills are essential to later successful social interactions. It is not clear whether preschoolers with CI or HA have problems in FER. Two experiments were conducted to compare the FER of preschoolers with CI or HA with normal hearing children (with age matched). The results of both experiments consistently showed that normal hearing children performed significantly better than those with CI or HA, suggesting to some extent that there was a delay in preschoolers with CI or HA on FER. No significant correlations (with age and type of participants controlled) were found between language ability (measured by PPVT) and FER in Experiment 2, to some extent validating a cognitive model of ToM in another view. The findings suggested that earlier rehabilitation for children with CI or HA should include not only language treatment but also emotional intervention, which would help them catch up with normal hearings as soon as possible.

from Research in Developmental Disabilities

Neural bases of childhood speech disorders: lateralization and plasticity for speech functions during development

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:55:41 +0000

Current models of speech production in adults emphasize the crucial role played by the left perisylvian cortex, primary and pre-motor cortices, the basal ganglia, and the cerebellum for normal speech production. Whether similar brain-behaviour relationships and leftward cortical dominance are found in childhood remains unclear. Here we reviewed recent evidence linking motor speech disorders (apraxia of speech and dysarthria) and brain abnormalities in children and adolescents with developmental, progressive, or childhood-acquired conditions. We found no evidence that unilateral damage can result in apraxia of speech, or that left hemisphere lesions are more likely to result in dysarthria than lesion to the right. The few studies reporting on childhood apraxia of speech converged towards morphological, structural, metabolic or epileptic anomalies affecting the basal ganglia, perisylvian and rolandic cortices bilaterally. Persistent dysarthria, similarly, was commonly reported in individuals with syndromes and conditions affecting these same structures bilaterally. In conclusion, for the first time we provide evidence that longterm and severe childhood speech disorders result predominantly from bilateral disruption of the neural networks involved in speech production.

from Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews

The scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia correlates with dysarthria assessment in Friedreich’s ataxia

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:55:30 +0000

Dysarthria is an acquired neurogenic sensorimotor speech symptom and an integral part within the clinical spectrum of ataxia syndromes. Ataxia measurements and disability scores generally focus on the assessment of motor functions. Since comprehensive investigations of dysarthria in ataxias are sparse, we assessed dysarthria in ataxia patients using the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment. The Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment is a ten-item validated test in which eight items focus on the observation of oral structures and speech functions. Fifteen Friedreich’s ataxia patients and 15 healthy control individuals were analyzed using clinical and logopedic methodology. All patients underwent neurological assessment applying the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia. In Friedreich’s ataxia patients, the Frenchay sub-item voice showed to be most affected compared to healthy individuals followed by items such as reflexes, palate, tongue, and intelligibility. Scoring of lips, jaw, and respiration appeared to be mildly affected. Ataxia severity in Friedreich’s ataxia patients revealed a significant correlation with the Frenchay dysarthria sum score. The introduction of a binary Adapted Dysarthria Score additionally allowed allocation to distinct dysarthria pattern in ataxias. The Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment proved to be a valid dysarthria measure in Friedreich’s ataxia. Its availability in several languages provides a major advantage regarding the applicability in international clinical studies. Shortcomings of the Frenchay test are the multiplicity of items tested and its alphabetic coding. Numerical scoring and condensation of assessments in a modified version may, however, provide an excellent clinical tool for the measurement and scoring of dysarthria in ataxic speech disorders.

from the Journal of Neurology

Neural correlates in the processing of phoneme-level complexity in vowel production

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:52:59 +0000

We investigated how articulatory complexity at the phoneme level is manifested neurobiologically in an overt production task. fMRI images were acquired from young Korean-speaking adults as they pronounced bisyllabic pseudowords in which we manipulated phonological complexity defined in terms of vowel duration and instability (viz., COMPLEX: /tii/ >> MID-COMPLEX: /tiye/ >> SIMPLE: /tii/). Increased activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann Areas (BA) 44 and 47), supplementary motor area and anterior insula was observed for the articulation of COMPLEX sequences relative to MID-COMPLEX; this was the case with the articulation of MID-COMPLEX relative to SIMPLE, except that the pars orbitalis (BA 47) was dominantly identified in the Broca’s area. The differentiation indicates that phonological complexity is reflected in the neural processing of distinct phonemic representations, both by recruiting brain regions associated with retrieval of phonological information from memory and via articulatory rehearsal for the production of COMPLEX vowels. In addition, the finding that increased complexity engages greater areas of the brain suggests that brain activation can be a neurobiological measure of articulo-phonological complexity, complementing, if not substituting for, biomechanical measurements of speech motor activity.

from Brain and Language

Artifacts of the electrode in cochlea implantation and limits in analysis of deep insertion in cone beam tomography (CBT)

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:52:52 +0000

Until now more than 250,000 cochlea implantations have been performed worldwide. The surgical procedure is well standardized. A discussion about the kind of postoperative radiological control has started since cone beam tomography (CBT) has been established in ENT and hearing preservation operations have come more into the focus. Further research has been concentrated on the role of CBT and the insertion of the basal turn. The aim of this study was to look for the possibilities of CBT and deep insertion. The second aim was to analyze the artifacts of cochlea implants in CBT. Three human cadaver ears were implanted with a flex soft electrode of MedEl© in a standard operation procedure with round window insertion and a full insertion. Afterwards 72 CBT sets per ear were performed with different X-ray-tube currents (2–10 mA), voltages (72–90 kV), and exposure times (9 and 17 s). On each data set, the radiological diameter of the electrode 9 (basal), electrode 2 (apical), the diameter of the cable next to the electrodes 9 and 2, and the associated diameter of the cochlea next to the electrodes 9 and 2 were evaluated. Additionally, a comparison to the real diameter was done. The mean radiological diameters of the measure point at electrode 9 were: electrode = 1.19 mm; cable = 0.65 mm; cochlea = 1.77 mm. Results for measure point at electrode 2 were: electrode = 0.98 mm; cable = 0.48 mm; cochlea = 1.21 mm. The real diameters were at electrode 9 in lateral view 0.58 mm and in top view 0.63 mm and at electrode 2 in lateral view 0.36 mm and in top view 0.50 mm. Differences between the diameters of the electrode 9 and 2 were highly significant. Interestingly, the real diameter of the electrode is half in comparison to the radiological one. Also in comparison to the diameter of the cable and the associated electrode is nearly half. Nearly 50% artifact exists on radiologic evaluation of the diameter of the electrode. Varying the X-ray adjustments did not lead to optimized results. The difficulties in evaluating a cochlea electrode with CBT could be shown. The high rate of artifacts (50%) makes it extremely difficult to predict the inserted scale, especially when evaluating the intracochlear position in the medial and apical turn of the cochlea. In conclusion, until now CBT allows a relatively safe evaluation of the electrode in the basal turn, whereas in deep insertion it is not really a useful tool to answer the question of insertion trauma, implanted scale, or scale displacements.

from the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology

Cricopharyngeal Dilatation for the Long-term Treatment of Dysphagia in Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:52:41 +0000

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a rare autosomal dominant, progressive degenerative muscle disorder featuring dysphagia with limited therapeutic options. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeated endoscopic dilatation for OPMD over a 15-year period. All patients seen at our Regional Swallowing Clinic with OPMD confirmed by genetic analysis were included. Cricopharyngeal dilatation was performed as an outpatient procedure using a wire-guided 18-mm (54 Fr) Savary-Gilliard bougie with the patient under sedation. Patients were offered repeat endoscopic dilatation when symptoms recurred. Symptom severity prior to initial dilatation and at follow-up was evaluated using the Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ). Nine patients (7 female, 2 male) were included for analysis. Median total treatment period was 13 years (range = 3–15), median number of dilatations per patient was 7.2 (range = 1–16), and median interval between treatments was 15 months (range = 4.5–45). All patients recorded sustained symptom improvement. Mean SSQ score (out of 1,700) was 1,108.11 (SD ± 272.85) prior to first dilatation and 297.78 (SD ± 189.14) at last follow-up, representing a 73% decrease (95% CI = 52–94) in degree of dysphagia symptoms (paired t-test, P = 0.0001). All mean scores for individual questions also showed significant improvement (P < 0.05). No adverse events were reported with all patients maintaining oral feeding at last follow-up. Repeated cricopharyngeal dilatation is a safe, effective, well-tolerated, and long-lasting treatment for dysphagia in OPMD.

from Dysphagia

A study to determine the correlation between clinical, fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and videofluoroscopic evaluations of swallowing after prolonged intubation.

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:52:34 +0000

Conclusion: Cough is a reliable sign of swallowing disorder but does not exclude silent aspiration and contraindicates oral feeding. Cough induced by liquid water should lead to modification of diet in terms of consistency and viscosity with cough reassessment.

from Nutrition in Clinical Practice

Effects of Task Analysis and Self-Monitoring for Children With Autism in Multiple Social Settings

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:52:24 +0000

In this study, written task analyses with self-monitoring were used to teach functional skills and verbal interactions to two high-functioning students with autism in social settings with peers. A social script language intervention was included in two of the activities to increase the quantity of verbal interaction between the students and peers. Analysis of the results leads to the conclusion that the intervention package increased independent task completion, peer-directed verbal interaction, and activity engagement for the students with autism during social, game, and cooking activities. Improvements in task completion persisted after the written task analyses were faded. The percentage of intervals with appropriate language use remained consistent as the social scripts were faded during the game activities.

from Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

Comparison Of Pausing Behavior In Children Who Stutter And Children Who Have Asperger Syndrome

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:50:07 +0000

Results
: Both groups presented grammatical and non-grammatical pauses and the former predominated. The children with Asperger Syndrome produced a greater number of pauses than the stutterers.

from Journal of Fluency Disorders

Relationship Between Occlusion and Lisping in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate.

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:49:56 +0000

DISCUSSION: This study failed to reveal an association between lisping and dental arch relationship in children with operated UCLP. Multiple variables may play a role in determining occurrence of lisping, warranting further investigation.

from the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal

Voice Low Tone to High Tone Ratio, Nasalance and Nasality Ratings in Connected Speech of Native-Mandarin Speakers: A Pilot Study.

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:49:47 +0000

Conclusion: The significant correlations of VLHR with nasalance and perceptual ratings of nasality using connected speech show that these approaches have a potential value in terms of basic and clinical application.

from the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal

When two and too don’t go together: A selective phonological deficit sparing number words

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:49:33 +0000

We report the case of an Italian speaker (GBC) with classical Wernicke’s aphasia syndrome following a vascular lesion in the left posterior middle temporal region. GBC exhibited a selective phonological deficit in spoken language production (repetition and reading) which affected all word classes irrespective of grammatical class, frequency, and length. GBC’s production of number words, in contrast, was error free. The specific pattern of phonological errors on non-number words allows us to attribute the locus of impairment at the level of phonological form retrieval of a correctly selected lexical entry. These data support the claim that number words are represented and processed differently from other word categories in language production.

from Cortex

Reduced intracortical inhibition and facilitation in the primary motor tongue representation of adults who stutter

Callier Library — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:49:24 +0000

Conclusions
In persistent stuttering intracortical excitability of the primary motor tongue representation is altered with a deviant time course for inhibitory activity in the right hemisphere and reduced paired-pulse facilitation.

from Clinical Neurophysiology

Assessment of hearing organ activity in a group of neonates with central nervous system impairment

Callier Library — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:35:03 +0000

Conclusions
The combined use of CEOAEs and ABR in neonates with central nervous system impairment involvement revealed the existence of abnormalities in cochlear micromechanics and retrocochlear auditory pathway. Etiology seems to be multifactoral.

from the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

Benefits and costs of lexical decomposition and semantic integration during the processing of transparent and opaque English compounds

Callier Library — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:34:53 +0000

Six lexical decision experiments were conducted to examine the influence of complex structure on the processing speed of English compounds. All experiments revealed that semantically transparent compounds (e.g., rosebud) were processed more quickly than matched monomorphemic words (e.g., giraffe). Opaque compounds (e.g., hogwash) were also processed more quickly than monomorphemic words. However, when the experimental materials and/or procedure encouraged decomposition/integration, this advantage disappeared. This research suggests that morphological decomposition initiated by the existence of complex structure results in the availability of both the lexical and semantic representations of compound constituents, regardless of whether the compounds are transparent or opaque, and that meaning composition is attempted. This meaning composition further speeds up transparent compound processing beyond lexical facilitation but slows down opaque compound processing because the computed meaning for opaque compounds conflicts with the retrieved meaning.

from the Journal of Memory and Language

Isolated words enhance statistical language learning in infancy

Callier Library — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:34:44 +0000

Infants are adept at tracking statistical regularities to identify word boundaries in pause-free speech. However, researchers have questioned the relevance of statistical learning mechanisms to language acquisition, since previous studies have used simplified artificial languages that ignore the variability of real language input. The experiments reported here embraced a key dimension of variability in infant-directed speech. English-learning infants (8–10 months) listened briefly to natural Italian speech that contained either fluent speech only or a combination of fluent speech and single-word utterances. Listening times revealed successful learning of the statistical properties of target words only when words appeared both in fluent speech and in isolation; brief exposure to fluent speech alone was not sufficient to facilitate detection of the words’ statistical properties. This investigation suggests that statistical learning mechanisms actually benefit from variability in utterance length, and provides the first evidence that isolated words and longer utterances act in concert to support infant word segmentation.

from Developmental Science

Modeling Abnormal Priming in Alzheimer’s Patients with a Free Association Network

Callier Library — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:34:32 +0000

Alzheimer’s Disease irremediably alters the proficiency of word search and retrieval processes even at its early stages. Such disruption can sometimes be paradoxical in specific language tasks, for example semantic priming. Here we focus in the striking side-effect of hyperpriming in Alzheimer’s Disease patients, which has been well-established in the literature for a long time. Previous studies have evidenced that modern network theory can become a powerful complementary tool to gain insight in cognitive phenomena. Here, we first show that network modeling is an appropriate approach to account for semantic priming in normal subjects. Then we turn to priming in degraded cognition: hyperpriming can be readily understood in the scope of a progressive degradation of the semantic network structure. We compare our simulation results with previous empirical observations in diseased patients finding a qualitative agreement. The network approach presented here can be used to accommodate current theories about impaired cognition, and towards a better understanding of lexical organization in healthy and diseased patients.

from PLoS ONE

Evidence for Catch-up in Cognition and Receptive Vocabulary Among Adolescents Born Very Preterm

Callier Library — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:32:06 +0000

CONCLUSIONS: Significant catch-up in receptive vocabulary is observed by the age of 16 years among very preterm children compared to term peers. The absence of neurosensory impairment and residing in a favorable socioeconomic milieu are associated with the most optimal developmental trajectories.

from Pediatrics

Mode of Communication, Perceived Level of Understanding, and Perceived Quality of Life in Youth Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Callier Library — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:32:00 +0000

Given the important role of parent–youth communication in adolescent well-being and quality of life, we sought to examine the relationship between specific communication variables and youth perceived quality of life in general and as a deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) individual. A convenience sample of 230 youth (mean age = 14.1, standard deviation = 2.2; 24% used sign only, 40% speech only, and 36% sign + speech) was surveyed on communication-related issues, generic and DHH-specific quality of life, and depression symptoms. Higher youth perception of their ability to understand parents’ communication was significantly correlated with perceived quality of life as well as lower reported depressive symptoms and lower perceived stigma. Youth who use speech as their single mode of communication were more likely to report greater stigma associated with being DHH than youth who used both speech and sign. These findings demonstrate the importance of youths’ perceptions of communication with their parents on generic and DHH-specific youth quality of life.

from the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

Reading and Reading-Related Skills in Children Using Cochlear Implants: Prospects for the Influence of Cued Speech

Callier Library — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:31:53 +0000

We assessed the reading and reading-related skills (phonemic awareness and phonological short-term memory) of deaf children fitted with cochlear implants (CI), either exposed to cued speech early (before 2 years old) (CS+) or never (CS–). Their performance was compared to that of 2 hearing control groups, 1 matched for reading level (RL), and 1 matched for chronological age (CA). Phonemic awareness and phonological short-term memory were assessed respectively through a phonemic similarity judgment task and through a word span task measuring phonological similarity effects. To assess the use of sublexical and lexical reading procedures, children read pseudowords and irregular words aloud. Results showed that cued speech improved performance on both the phonemic awareness and the reading tasks but not on the phonological short-term memory task. In phonemic awareness and reading, CS+ children obtained accuracy and rapidity scores similar to CA controls, whereas CS– children obtained lower scores than hearing controls. Nevertheless, in phonological short-term memory task, the phonological similarity effect of both CI groups was similar. Overall, these results support the use of cued speech to improve phonemic awareness and reading skills in CI children.

from the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

Semantic and Pragmatic Factors Influencing Deaf and Hearing Students’ Comprehension of English Sentences Containing Numeral Quantifiers

Callier Library — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:31:46 +0000

This research contrasted deaf and hearing students’ interpretive knowledge of English sentences containing numeral quantifier phrases and indefinite noun phrases. A multiple-interpretation picture task methodology was used to assess 305 participants’ judgments of the compatibility of sentence meanings with depicted discourse contexts. Participants’ performance was assessed on the basis of hearing level (deaf, hearing) and grade level (middle school, high school, college). The deaf students were predicted to have differential access to specific sentence interpretations in accordance with the relative derivational complexity of the targeted sentence types. Hypotheses based on the pressures of derivational economy on acquisition were largely supported. The results also revealed that the deaf participants tended to overactivate pragmatic processes that yielded principled, though non-target, sentence interpretations. Collectively, the results not only contribute to the understanding of English acquisition under conditions of restricted access to spoken language input, they also suggest that pragmatic factors may play a broad role in influencing, and compromising, deaf students’ reading comprehension and written expression.

from the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education