Bidirectional Interference Between Speech and Nonspeech Tasks in Younger, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine divided attention over a large age range by looking at the effects of 3 nonspeech tasks on concurrent speech motor performance. The nonspeech tasks were designed to facilitate measurement of bidirectional interference, allowing examination of their sensitivity to speech activity. A cross-sectional design was selected to explore possible changes in divided-attention effects associated with age.

Method

Sixty healthy participants were separated into 3 groups of 20: younger (20s), middle-aged (40s), and older (60s) adults. Each participant completed a speech task (sentence repetitions) once in isolation and once concurrently with each of 3 nonspeech tasks: a semantic-decision linguistic task, a quantitative-comparison cognitive task, and a manual motor task. The nonspeech tasks were also performed in isolation.

Results

Data from speech kinematics and nonspeech task performance indicated significant task-specific divided attention interference, with divided attention affecting speech and nonspeech measures in the linguistic and cognitive conditions and affecting speech measures in the manual motor condition. There was also a significant age effect for utterance duration.

Conclusions

The results increase what is known about bidirectional interference between speech and other concurrent tasks as well as age effects on speech motor control.

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The Relationship Between Submental Surface Electromyography and Hyo-Laryngeal Kinematic Measures of Mendelsohn Maneuver Duration

Purpose

The Mendelsohn Maneuver (MM) is a commonly prescribed technique that is taught to individuals with dysphagia to improve swallowing ability. Due to cost and safety concerns associated with videofluoroscopy (VFS) use, submental surface electromyography (ssEMG) is commonly used in place of VFS to train the MM in clinical and research settings. However, it is unknown whether ssEMG accurately reflects the prolonged hyo-laryngeal movements required for execution of the MM. The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship among ssEMG duration, duration of laryngeal vestibule closure, and duration of maximum hyoid elevation during MM performance.

Method

Participants included healthy adults and patients with dysphagia due to stroke. All performed the MM during synchronous ssEMG and VFS recording.

Results

Significant correlations between ssEMG duration and VFS measures of hyo-laryngeal kinematic durations during MM performance ranged from very weak to moderate. None of the correlations in the group of stroke patients reached statistical significance.

Conclusion

Clinicians and researchers should consider that the MM involves novel hyo-laryngeal kinematics that may be only moderately represented with ssEMG. Thus, there is a risk that these target therapeutic movements are not consistently being trained.

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Preliteracy Speech Sound Production Skill and Linguistic Characteristics of Grade 3 Spellings: A Study Using the Templin Archive

Purpose

This archival investigation examined the relationship between preliteracy speech sound production skill (SSPS) and spelling in Grade 3 using a dataset in which children's receptive vocabulary was generally within normal limits, speech therapy was not provided until Grade 2, and phonological awareness instruction was discouraged at the time data were collected.

Method

Participants (N = 250), selected from the Templin Archive (Templin, 2004), varied on prekindergarten SSPS. Participants' real word spellings in Grade 3 were evaluated using a metric of linguistic knowledge, the Computerized Spelling Sensitivity System (Masterson & Apel, 2013). Relationships between kindergarten speech error types and later spellings also were explored.

Results

Prekindergarten children in the lowest SPSS (7th percentile) scored poorest among articulatory subgroups on both individual spelling elements (phonetic elements, junctures, and affixes) and acceptable spelling (using relatively more omissions and illegal spelling patterns). Within the 7th percentile subgroup, there were no statistical spelling differences between those with mostly atypical speech sound errors and those with mostly typical speech sound errors.

Conclusions

Findings were consistent with predictions from dual route models of spelling that SSPS is one of many variables associated with spelling skill and that children with impaired SSPS are at risk for spelling difficulty.

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Developing a Phonological Awareness Curriculum: Reflections on an Implementation Science Framework

Purpose

This article describes the process of developing and implementing a supplemental early literacy curriculum designed for preschoolers demonstrating delays in literacy development.

Method

Intervention research and implementation research have traditionally been viewed as sequential processes. This article illustrates a process of intervention development that was paralleled by a focus on implementation in early childhood settings. The exploration, preparation, implementation, sustainment framework is used to describe factors that need to be considered during a progression through these 4 phases of implementation. A post hoc analysis provides insight into a rather nonlinear progression of intervention development and highlights considerations and activities that have facilitated implementation.

Conclusions

The guiding principles of the exploration, preparation, implementation, sustainment implementation science framework highlight the important considerations in developing effective and practical interventions. Considering implementation and sustainment during the intervention development process and using data-based decision making has the potential to expand the availability of user-friendly evidence-based practices in communication sciences and disorders and encourage a bridging of the researcher–clinician gap.

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Auditory Masking Effects on Speech Fluency in Apraxia of Speech and Aphasia: Comparison to Altered Auditory Feedback

Purpose

To study the effects of masked auditory feedback (MAF) on speech fluency in adults with aphasia and/or apraxia of speech (APH/AOS). We hypothesized that adults with AOS would increase speech fluency when speaking with noise. Altered auditory feedback (AAF; i.e., delayed/frequency-shifted feedback) was included as a control condition not expected to improve speech fluency.

Method

Ten participants with APH/AOS and 10 neurologically healthy (NH) participants were studied under both feedback conditions. To allow examination of individual responses, we used an ABACA design. Effects were examined on syllable rate, disfluency duration, and vocal intensity.

Results

Seven of 10 APH/AOS participants increased fluency with masking by increasing rate, decreasing disfluency duration, or both. In contrast, none of the NH participants increased speaking rate with MAF. In the AAF condition, only 1 APH/AOS participant increased fluency. Four APH/AOS participants and 8 NH participants slowed their rate with AAF.

Conclusions

Speaking with MAF appears to increase fluency in a subset of individuals with APH/AOS, indicating that overreliance on auditory feedback monitoring may contribute to their disorder presentation. The distinction between responders and nonresponders was not linked to AOS diagnosis, so additional work is needed to develop hypotheses for candidacy and underlying control mechanisms.

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Erratum

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Responses to Intensity-Shifted Auditory Feedback During Running Speech

Purpose

Responses to intensity perturbation during running speech were measured to understand whether prosodic features are controlled in an independent or integrated manner.

Method

Nineteen English-speaking healthy adults (age range = 21–41 years) produced 480 sentences in which emphatic stress was placed on either the 1st or 2nd word. One participant group received an upward intensity perturbation during stressed word production, and the other group received a downward intensity perturbation. Compensations for perturbation were evaluated by comparing differences in participants' stressed and unstressed peak fundamental frequency (F0), peak intensity, and word duration during perturbed versus baseline trials.

Results

Significant increases in stressed–unstressed peak intensities were observed during the ramp and perturbation phases of the experiment in the downward group only. Compensations for F0 and duration did not reach significance for either group.

Conclusions

Consistent with previous work, speakers appear sensitive to auditory perturbations that affect a desired linguistic goal. In contrast to previous work on F0 perturbation that supported an integrated-channel model of prosodic control, the current work only found evidence for intensity-specific compensation. This discrepancy may suggest different F0 and intensity control mechanisms, threshold-dependent prosodic modulation, or a combined control scheme.

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Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice: Implementation Science

Purpose

This article introduces implementation science, which focuses on research methods that promote the systematic application of research findings to practice.

Method

The narrative defines implementation science and highlights the importance of moving research along the pipeline from basic science to practice as one way to facilitate evidence-based service delivery. This review identifies challenges in developing and testing interventions in order to achieve widespread adoption in practice settings. A framework for conceptualizing implementation research is provided, including an example to illustrate the application of principles in speech-language pathology. Last, the authors reflect on the status of implementation research in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders.

Conclusions

The extant literature highlights the value of implementation science for reducing the gap between research and practice in our discipline. While having unique principles guiding implementation research, many of the challenges and questions are similar to those facing any investigators who are attempting to design valid and reliable studies. This article is intended to invigorate interest in the uniqueness of implementation science among those pursuing both basic and applied research. In this way, it should help ensure the discipline's knowledge base is realized in practice and policy that affects the lives of individuals with communication disorders.

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Variability and Diagnostic Accuracy of Speech Intelligibility Scores in Children

Purpose

We examined variability of speech intelligibility scores and how well intelligibility scores predicted group membership among 5-year-old children with speech motor impairment (SMI) secondary to cerebral palsy and an age-matched group of typically developing (TD) children.

Method

Speech samples varying in length from 1–4 words were elicited from 24 children with cerebral palsy (mean age 60.50 months) and 20 TD children (mean age 60.33 months). Two hundred twenty adult listeners made orthographic transcriptions of speech samples (n = 5 per child).

Results

Variability associated with listeners made a significant contribution to explaining the variance in intelligibility scores for TD and SMI children, but the magnitude was greater for TD children. Intelligibility scores differentiated very well between children who have SMI and TD children when intelligibility was at or below approximately 75% and above approximately 85%.

Conclusions

Intelligibility seems to be a useful clinical tool for differentiating between TD children and children with SMI at 5 years of age; however, there is considerable variability within and between listeners, highlighting the need for more than one listener per child to ensure validity of an intelligibility measure.

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Developing Brain Injury Interventions on Both Ends of the Treatment Continuum Depends Upon Early Research Partnerships and Feasibility Studies

Purpose

The purpose of this research article is to describe two very different lines of brain injury treatment research, both of which illuminate the benefits of implementation science.

Method

The article first describes the development and pilot of a computerized cognitive intervention and highlights how adherence to implementation science principles improved the design of the intervention. Second, the article describes the application of implementation science to the development of assistive technology for cognition.

Results

The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR; Damschroder et al., 2009) and the menu of implementation research strategies by Powell et al. (2012) provide a roadmap for cognitive rehabilitation researchers to attend to factors in the implementation climate that can improve the development, usability, and adoptability of new treatment methods.

Conclusion

Attention to implementation science research principles has increased the feasibility and efficacy of both impairment-based cognitive rehabilitation programs and assistive technology for cognition.

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The Influence of Phonotactic Probability on Nonword Repetition and Fast Mapping in 3-Year-Olds With a History of Expressive Language Delay

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of phonotactic probability on sublexical (phonological) and lexical representations in 3-year-olds who had a history of being late talkers in comparison with their peers with typical language development.

Method

Ten 3-year-olds who were late talkers and 10 age-matched typically developing controls completed nonword repetition and fast mapping tasks; stimuli for both experimental procedures differed in phonotactic probability.

Results

Both participant groups repeated nonwords containing high phonotactic probability sequences more accurately than nonwords containing low phonotactic probability sequences. Participants with typical language showed an early advantage for fast mapping high phonotactic probability words; children who were late talkers required more exposures to the novel words to show the same advantage for fast mapping high phonotactic probability words.

Conclusions

Children who were late talkers showed similar sensitivities to phonotactic probability in nonword repetition and word learning when compared with their peers with no history of language delay. However, word learning in children who were late talkers appeared to be slower when compared with their peers.

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Comparison of Psychophysiological and Dual-Task Measures of Listening Effort

Purpose

We wished to make a comparison of psychophysiological measures of listening effort with subjective and dual-task measures of listening effort for a diotic-dichotic-digits and a sentences-in-noise task.

Method

Three groups of young adults (18–38 years old) with normal hearing participated in three experiments: two psychophysiological studies for two different listening tasks and a dual-task measure for a sentences-in-noise task. Psychophysiological variables included skin conductance, heart-rate variability, and heart rate; the dual-task measure was a letter-identification task. Heart-rate variability was quantified with the difference from baseline for the normalized standard deviation of R to R.

Results

Heart-rate variability differences from baseline were greater for increased task complexity and for poorer signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The dual-task measure of listening effort also increased for sentences presented at a +5 dB SNR compared with a +15 dB SNR. Skin conductance was elevated for greater task complexity only, and similar across noise conditions. None of these measures were significantly correlated with subjective measures of listening effort.

Conclusions

Heart-rate variability appears to be a robust psychophysiological indicator of listening effort, sensitive to both task complexity and SNR. This sensitivity to SNR was similar to a dual-task measure of listening effort.

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Bidirectional Interference Between Speech and Nonspeech Tasks in Younger, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine divided attention over a large age range by looking at the effects of 3 nonspeech tasks on concurrent speech motor performance. The nonspeech tasks were designed to facilitate measurement of bidirectional interference, allowing examination of their sensitivity to speech activity. A cross-sectional design was selected to explore possible changes in divided-attention effects associated with age.

Method

Sixty healthy participants were separated into 3 groups of 20: younger (20s), middle-aged (40s), and older (60s) adults. Each participant completed a speech task (sentence repetitions) once in isolation and once concurrently with each of 3 nonspeech tasks: a semantic-decision linguistic task, a quantitative-comparison cognitive task, and a manual motor task. The nonspeech tasks were also performed in isolation.

Results

Data from speech kinematics and nonspeech task performance indicated significant task-specific divided attention interference, with divided attention affecting speech and nonspeech measures in the linguistic and cognitive conditions and affecting speech measures in the manual motor condition. There was also a significant age effect for utterance duration.

Conclusions

The results increase what is known about bidirectional interference between speech and other concurrent tasks as well as age effects on speech motor control.

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The Relationship Between Submental Surface Electromyography and Hyo-Laryngeal Kinematic Measures of Mendelsohn Maneuver Duration

Purpose

The Mendelsohn Maneuver (MM) is a commonly prescribed technique that is taught to individuals with dysphagia to improve swallowing ability. Due to cost and safety concerns associated with videofluoroscopy (VFS) use, submental surface electromyography (ssEMG) is commonly used in place of VFS to train the MM in clinical and research settings. However, it is unknown whether ssEMG accurately reflects the prolonged hyo-laryngeal movements required for execution of the MM. The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship among ssEMG duration, duration of laryngeal vestibule closure, and duration of maximum hyoid elevation during MM performance.

Method

Participants included healthy adults and patients with dysphagia due to stroke. All performed the MM during synchronous ssEMG and VFS recording.

Results

Significant correlations between ssEMG duration and VFS measures of hyo-laryngeal kinematic durations during MM performance ranged from very weak to moderate. None of the correlations in the group of stroke patients reached statistical significance.

Conclusion

Clinicians and researchers should consider that the MM involves novel hyo-laryngeal kinematics that may be only moderately represented with ssEMG. Thus, there is a risk that these target therapeutic movements are not consistently being trained.

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Preliteracy Speech Sound Production Skill and Linguistic Characteristics of Grade 3 Spellings: A Study Using the Templin Archive

Purpose

This archival investigation examined the relationship between preliteracy speech sound production skill (SSPS) and spelling in Grade 3 using a dataset in which children's receptive vocabulary was generally within normal limits, speech therapy was not provided until Grade 2, and phonological awareness instruction was discouraged at the time data were collected.

Method

Participants (N = 250), selected from the Templin Archive (Templin, 2004), varied on prekindergarten SSPS. Participants' real word spellings in Grade 3 were evaluated using a metric of linguistic knowledge, the Computerized Spelling Sensitivity System (Masterson & Apel, 2013). Relationships between kindergarten speech error types and later spellings also were explored.

Results

Prekindergarten children in the lowest SPSS (7th percentile) scored poorest among articulatory subgroups on both individual spelling elements (phonetic elements, junctures, and affixes) and acceptable spelling (using relatively more omissions and illegal spelling patterns). Within the 7th percentile subgroup, there were no statistical spelling differences between those with mostly atypical speech sound errors and those with mostly typical speech sound errors.

Conclusions

Findings were consistent with predictions from dual route models of spelling that SSPS is one of many variables associated with spelling skill and that children with impaired SSPS are at risk for spelling difficulty.

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Developing a Phonological Awareness Curriculum: Reflections on an Implementation Science Framework

Purpose

This article describes the process of developing and implementing a supplemental early literacy curriculum designed for preschoolers demonstrating delays in literacy development.

Method

Intervention research and implementation research have traditionally been viewed as sequential processes. This article illustrates a process of intervention development that was paralleled by a focus on implementation in early childhood settings. The exploration, preparation, implementation, sustainment framework is used to describe factors that need to be considered during a progression through these 4 phases of implementation. A post hoc analysis provides insight into a rather nonlinear progression of intervention development and highlights considerations and activities that have facilitated implementation.

Conclusions

The guiding principles of the exploration, preparation, implementation, sustainment implementation science framework highlight the important considerations in developing effective and practical interventions. Considering implementation and sustainment during the intervention development process and using data-based decision making has the potential to expand the availability of user-friendly evidence-based practices in communication sciences and disorders and encourage a bridging of the researcher–clinician gap.

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Auditory Masking Effects on Speech Fluency in Apraxia of Speech and Aphasia: Comparison to Altered Auditory Feedback

Purpose

To study the effects of masked auditory feedback (MAF) on speech fluency in adults with aphasia and/or apraxia of speech (APH/AOS). We hypothesized that adults with AOS would increase speech fluency when speaking with noise. Altered auditory feedback (AAF; i.e., delayed/frequency-shifted feedback) was included as a control condition not expected to improve speech fluency.

Method

Ten participants with APH/AOS and 10 neurologically healthy (NH) participants were studied under both feedback conditions. To allow examination of individual responses, we used an ABACA design. Effects were examined on syllable rate, disfluency duration, and vocal intensity.

Results

Seven of 10 APH/AOS participants increased fluency with masking by increasing rate, decreasing disfluency duration, or both. In contrast, none of the NH participants increased speaking rate with MAF. In the AAF condition, only 1 APH/AOS participant increased fluency. Four APH/AOS participants and 8 NH participants slowed their rate with AAF.

Conclusions

Speaking with MAF appears to increase fluency in a subset of individuals with APH/AOS, indicating that overreliance on auditory feedback monitoring may contribute to their disorder presentation. The distinction between responders and nonresponders was not linked to AOS diagnosis, so additional work is needed to develop hypotheses for candidacy and underlying control mechanisms.

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Erratum

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Responses to Intensity-Shifted Auditory Feedback During Running Speech

Purpose

Responses to intensity perturbation during running speech were measured to understand whether prosodic features are controlled in an independent or integrated manner.

Method

Nineteen English-speaking healthy adults (age range = 21–41 years) produced 480 sentences in which emphatic stress was placed on either the 1st or 2nd word. One participant group received an upward intensity perturbation during stressed word production, and the other group received a downward intensity perturbation. Compensations for perturbation were evaluated by comparing differences in participants' stressed and unstressed peak fundamental frequency (F0), peak intensity, and word duration during perturbed versus baseline trials.

Results

Significant increases in stressed–unstressed peak intensities were observed during the ramp and perturbation phases of the experiment in the downward group only. Compensations for F0 and duration did not reach significance for either group.

Conclusions

Consistent with previous work, speakers appear sensitive to auditory perturbations that affect a desired linguistic goal. In contrast to previous work on F0 perturbation that supported an integrated-channel model of prosodic control, the current work only found evidence for intensity-specific compensation. This discrepancy may suggest different F0 and intensity control mechanisms, threshold-dependent prosodic modulation, or a combined control scheme.

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Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice: Implementation Science

Purpose

This article introduces implementation science, which focuses on research methods that promote the systematic application of research findings to practice.

Method

The narrative defines implementation science and highlights the importance of moving research along the pipeline from basic science to practice as one way to facilitate evidence-based service delivery. This review identifies challenges in developing and testing interventions in order to achieve widespread adoption in practice settings. A framework for conceptualizing implementation research is provided, including an example to illustrate the application of principles in speech-language pathology. Last, the authors reflect on the status of implementation research in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders.

Conclusions

The extant literature highlights the value of implementation science for reducing the gap between research and practice in our discipline. While having unique principles guiding implementation research, many of the challenges and questions are similar to those facing any investigators who are attempting to design valid and reliable studies. This article is intended to invigorate interest in the uniqueness of implementation science among those pursuing both basic and applied research. In this way, it should help ensure the discipline's knowledge base is realized in practice and policy that affects the lives of individuals with communication disorders.

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Variability and Diagnostic Accuracy of Speech Intelligibility Scores in Children

Purpose

We examined variability of speech intelligibility scores and how well intelligibility scores predicted group membership among 5-year-old children with speech motor impairment (SMI) secondary to cerebral palsy and an age-matched group of typically developing (TD) children.

Method

Speech samples varying in length from 1–4 words were elicited from 24 children with cerebral palsy (mean age 60.50 months) and 20 TD children (mean age 60.33 months). Two hundred twenty adult listeners made orthographic transcriptions of speech samples (n = 5 per child).

Results

Variability associated with listeners made a significant contribution to explaining the variance in intelligibility scores for TD and SMI children, but the magnitude was greater for TD children. Intelligibility scores differentiated very well between children who have SMI and TD children when intelligibility was at or below approximately 75% and above approximately 85%.

Conclusions

Intelligibility seems to be a useful clinical tool for differentiating between TD children and children with SMI at 5 years of age; however, there is considerable variability within and between listeners, highlighting the need for more than one listener per child to ensure validity of an intelligibility measure.

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Developing Brain Injury Interventions on Both Ends of the Treatment Continuum Depends Upon Early Research Partnerships and Feasibility Studies

Purpose

The purpose of this research article is to describe two very different lines of brain injury treatment research, both of which illuminate the benefits of implementation science.

Method

The article first describes the development and pilot of a computerized cognitive intervention and highlights how adherence to implementation science principles improved the design of the intervention. Second, the article describes the application of implementation science to the development of assistive technology for cognition.

Results

The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR; Damschroder et al., 2009) and the menu of implementation research strategies by Powell et al. (2012) provide a roadmap for cognitive rehabilitation researchers to attend to factors in the implementation climate that can improve the development, usability, and adoptability of new treatment methods.

Conclusion

Attention to implementation science research principles has increased the feasibility and efficacy of both impairment-based cognitive rehabilitation programs and assistive technology for cognition.

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The Influence of Phonotactic Probability on Nonword Repetition and Fast Mapping in 3-Year-Olds With a History of Expressive Language Delay

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of phonotactic probability on sublexical (phonological) and lexical representations in 3-year-olds who had a history of being late talkers in comparison with their peers with typical language development.

Method

Ten 3-year-olds who were late talkers and 10 age-matched typically developing controls completed nonword repetition and fast mapping tasks; stimuli for both experimental procedures differed in phonotactic probability.

Results

Both participant groups repeated nonwords containing high phonotactic probability sequences more accurately than nonwords containing low phonotactic probability sequences. Participants with typical language showed an early advantage for fast mapping high phonotactic probability words; children who were late talkers required more exposures to the novel words to show the same advantage for fast mapping high phonotactic probability words.

Conclusions

Children who were late talkers showed similar sensitivities to phonotactic probability in nonword repetition and word learning when compared with their peers with no history of language delay. However, word learning in children who were late talkers appeared to be slower when compared with their peers.

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Comparison of Psychophysiological and Dual-Task Measures of Listening Effort

Purpose

We wished to make a comparison of psychophysiological measures of listening effort with subjective and dual-task measures of listening effort for a diotic-dichotic-digits and a sentences-in-noise task.

Method

Three groups of young adults (18–38 years old) with normal hearing participated in three experiments: two psychophysiological studies for two different listening tasks and a dual-task measure for a sentences-in-noise task. Psychophysiological variables included skin conductance, heart-rate variability, and heart rate; the dual-task measure was a letter-identification task. Heart-rate variability was quantified with the difference from baseline for the normalized standard deviation of R to R.

Results

Heart-rate variability differences from baseline were greater for increased task complexity and for poorer signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The dual-task measure of listening effort also increased for sentences presented at a +5 dB SNR compared with a +15 dB SNR. Skin conductance was elevated for greater task complexity only, and similar across noise conditions. None of these measures were significantly correlated with subjective measures of listening effort.

Conclusions

Heart-rate variability appears to be a robust psychophysiological indicator of listening effort, sensitive to both task complexity and SNR. This sensitivity to SNR was similar to a dual-task measure of listening effort.

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An Open Conversation on Using Eye-Gaze Methods in Studies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Purpose

Eye-gaze methods have the potential to advance the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite their increasing use, challenges arise in using these methods with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and in reporting sufficient methodological detail such that the resulting research is replicable and interpretable.

Method

This tutorial presents key considerations involved in designing and conducting eye-gaze studies for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and proposes conventions for reporting the results of such studies.

Results

Methodological decisions (e.g., whether to use automated eye tracking or manual coding, implementing strategies to scaffold children's performance, defining valid trials) have cascading effects on the conclusions drawn from eye-gaze data. Research reports that include specific information about procedures, missing data, and selection of participants will facilitate interpretation and replication.

Conclusions

Eye-gaze methods provide exciting opportunities for studying neurodevelopmental disorders. Open discussion of the issues presented in this tutorial will improve the pace of productivity and the impact of advances in research on neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Parent Telegraphic Speech Use and Spoken Language in Preschoolers With ASD

Purpose

There is considerable controversy regarding whether to use telegraphic or grammatical input when speaking to young children with language delays, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined telegraphic speech use in parents of preschoolers with ASD and associations with children's spoken language 1 year later.

Method

Parent–child dyads (n = 55) participated when children were, on average, 3 (Time 1) and 4 years old (Time 2). The rate at which parents omitted obligatory determiners was derived from transcripts of parent–child play sessions; measures of children's spoken language were obtained from these same transcripts.

Results

Telegraphic speech use varied substantially across parents. Higher rates of parent determiner omissions at Time 1 were significantly associated with lower lexical diversity in children's spoken language at Time 2, even when controlling for children's baseline lexical diversity and nonverbal IQ. Findings from path analyses supported the directionality of effects assumed in our regression analyses, although these results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited sample size.

Conclusions

Telegraphic input may have a negative impact on language development in young children with ASD. Future experimental research is needed to directly investigate how telegraphic input affects children's language learning and processing.

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Implementation Science: Buzzword or Game Changer?

Purpose

The purpose of this supplement article is to provide a resource of pertinent information concerning implementation science for immediate research application in communication sciences and disorders.

Method

Key terminology related to implementation science is reviewed. Practical suggestions for the application of implementation science theories and methodologies are provided, including an overview of hybrid research designs that simultaneously investigate clinical effectiveness and implementation as well as an introduction to approaches for engaging stakeholders in the research process. A detailed example from education is shared to show how implementation science was utilized to move an intervention program for autism into routine practice in the public school system. In particular, the example highlights the value of strong partnership among researchers, policy makers, and frontline practitioners in implementing and sustaining new evidence-based practices.

Conclusions

Implementation science is not just a buzzword. This is a new field of study that can make a substantive contribution in communication sciences and disorders by informing research agendas, reducing health and education disparities, improving accountability and quality control, increasing clinician satisfaction and competence, and improving client outcomes.

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A Quasi-Universal Nonword Repetition Task as a Diagnostic Tool for Bilingual Children Learning Dutch as a Second Language

Purpose

This study evaluated a newly developed quasi-universal nonword repetition task (Q-U NWRT) as a diagnostic tool for bilingual children with language impairment (LI) who have Dutch as a 2nd language. The Q-U NWRT was designed to be minimally influenced by knowledge of 1 specific language in contrast to a language-specific NWRT with which it was compared.

Method

One hundred twenty monolingual and bilingual children with and without LI participated (30 per group). A mixed-design analysis of variance was used to investigate the effects of LI and bilingualism on the NWRTs. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were conducted to evaluate the instruments' diagnostic value.

Results

Large negative effects of LI were found on both NWRTs, whereas negative effects of bilingualism only occurred on the language-specific NWRT. Both instruments had high clinical accuracy in the monolingual group, but only the Q-U NWRT had high clinical accuracy in the bilingual group.

Conclusions

This study indicates that the Q-U NWRT is a promising diagnostic tool to help identify LI in bilingual children learning Dutch as a 2nd language. The instrument was clinically accurate in both a monolingual and bilingual group of children and seems better able to disentangle LI from language disadvantage than more language-specific measures.

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Bidirectional Interference Between Speech and Nonspeech Tasks in Younger, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine divided attention over a large age range by looking at the effects of 3 nonspeech tasks on concurrent speech motor performance. The nonspeech tasks were designed to facilitate measurement of bidirectional interference, allowing examination of their sensitivity to speech activity. A cross-sectional design was selected to explore possible changes in divided-attention effects associated with age.

Method

Sixty healthy participants were separated into 3 groups of 20: younger (20s), middle-aged (40s), and older (60s) adults. Each participant completed a speech task (sentence repetitions) once in isolation and once concurrently with each of 3 nonspeech tasks: a semantic-decision linguistic task, a quantitative-comparison cognitive task, and a manual motor task. The nonspeech tasks were also performed in isolation.

Results

Data from speech kinematics and nonspeech task performance indicated significant task-specific divided attention interference, with divided attention affecting speech and nonspeech measures in the linguistic and cognitive conditions and affecting speech measures in the manual motor condition. There was also a significant age effect for utterance duration.

Conclusions

The results increase what is known about bidirectional interference between speech and other concurrent tasks as well as age effects on speech motor control.

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The Relationship Between Submental Surface Electromyography and Hyo-Laryngeal Kinematic Measures of Mendelsohn Maneuver Duration

Purpose

The Mendelsohn Maneuver (MM) is a commonly prescribed technique that is taught to individuals with dysphagia to improve swallowing ability. Due to cost and safety concerns associated with videofluoroscopy (VFS) use, submental surface electromyography (ssEMG) is commonly used in place of VFS to train the MM in clinical and research settings. However, it is unknown whether ssEMG accurately reflects the prolonged hyo-laryngeal movements required for execution of the MM. The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship among ssEMG duration, duration of laryngeal vestibule closure, and duration of maximum hyoid elevation during MM performance.

Method

Participants included healthy adults and patients with dysphagia due to stroke. All performed the MM during synchronous ssEMG and VFS recording.

Results

Significant correlations between ssEMG duration and VFS measures of hyo-laryngeal kinematic durations during MM performance ranged from very weak to moderate. None of the correlations in the group of stroke patients reached statistical significance.

Conclusion

Clinicians and researchers should consider that the MM involves novel hyo-laryngeal kinematics that may be only moderately represented with ssEMG. Thus, there is a risk that these target therapeutic movements are not consistently being trained.

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Preliteracy Speech Sound Production Skill and Linguistic Characteristics of Grade 3 Spellings: A Study Using the Templin Archive

Purpose

This archival investigation examined the relationship between preliteracy speech sound production skill (SSPS) and spelling in Grade 3 using a dataset in which children's receptive vocabulary was generally within normal limits, speech therapy was not provided until Grade 2, and phonological awareness instruction was discouraged at the time data were collected.

Method

Participants (N = 250), selected from the Templin Archive (Templin, 2004), varied on prekindergarten SSPS. Participants' real word spellings in Grade 3 were evaluated using a metric of linguistic knowledge, the Computerized Spelling Sensitivity System (Masterson & Apel, 2013). Relationships between kindergarten speech error types and later spellings also were explored.

Results

Prekindergarten children in the lowest SPSS (7th percentile) scored poorest among articulatory subgroups on both individual spelling elements (phonetic elements, junctures, and affixes) and acceptable spelling (using relatively more omissions and illegal spelling patterns). Within the 7th percentile subgroup, there were no statistical spelling differences between those with mostly atypical speech sound errors and those with mostly typical speech sound errors.

Conclusions

Findings were consistent with predictions from dual route models of spelling that SSPS is one of many variables associated with spelling skill and that children with impaired SSPS are at risk for spelling difficulty.

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Developing a Phonological Awareness Curriculum: Reflections on an Implementation Science Framework

Purpose

This article describes the process of developing and implementing a supplemental early literacy curriculum designed for preschoolers demonstrating delays in literacy development.

Method

Intervention research and implementation research have traditionally been viewed as sequential processes. This article illustrates a process of intervention development that was paralleled by a focus on implementation in early childhood settings. The exploration, preparation, implementation, sustainment framework is used to describe factors that need to be considered during a progression through these 4 phases of implementation. A post hoc analysis provides insight into a rather nonlinear progression of intervention development and highlights considerations and activities that have facilitated implementation.

Conclusions

The guiding principles of the exploration, preparation, implementation, sustainment implementation science framework highlight the important considerations in developing effective and practical interventions. Considering implementation and sustainment during the intervention development process and using data-based decision making has the potential to expand the availability of user-friendly evidence-based practices in communication sciences and disorders and encourage a bridging of the researcher–clinician gap.

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Auditory Masking Effects on Speech Fluency in Apraxia of Speech and Aphasia: Comparison to Altered Auditory Feedback

Purpose

To study the effects of masked auditory feedback (MAF) on speech fluency in adults with aphasia and/or apraxia of speech (APH/AOS). We hypothesized that adults with AOS would increase speech fluency when speaking with noise. Altered auditory feedback (AAF; i.e., delayed/frequency-shifted feedback) was included as a control condition not expected to improve speech fluency.

Method

Ten participants with APH/AOS and 10 neurologically healthy (NH) participants were studied under both feedback conditions. To allow examination of individual responses, we used an ABACA design. Effects were examined on syllable rate, disfluency duration, and vocal intensity.

Results

Seven of 10 APH/AOS participants increased fluency with masking by increasing rate, decreasing disfluency duration, or both. In contrast, none of the NH participants increased speaking rate with MAF. In the AAF condition, only 1 APH/AOS participant increased fluency. Four APH/AOS participants and 8 NH participants slowed their rate with AAF.

Conclusions

Speaking with MAF appears to increase fluency in a subset of individuals with APH/AOS, indicating that overreliance on auditory feedback monitoring may contribute to their disorder presentation. The distinction between responders and nonresponders was not linked to AOS diagnosis, so additional work is needed to develop hypotheses for candidacy and underlying control mechanisms.

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Erratum

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Responses to Intensity-Shifted Auditory Feedback During Running Speech

Purpose

Responses to intensity perturbation during running speech were measured to understand whether prosodic features are controlled in an independent or integrated manner.

Method

Nineteen English-speaking healthy adults (age range = 21–41 years) produced 480 sentences in which emphatic stress was placed on either the 1st or 2nd word. One participant group received an upward intensity perturbation during stressed word production, and the other group received a downward intensity perturbation. Compensations for perturbation were evaluated by comparing differences in participants' stressed and unstressed peak fundamental frequency (F0), peak intensity, and word duration during perturbed versus baseline trials.

Results

Significant increases in stressed–unstressed peak intensities were observed during the ramp and perturbation phases of the experiment in the downward group only. Compensations for F0 and duration did not reach significance for either group.

Conclusions

Consistent with previous work, speakers appear sensitive to auditory perturbations that affect a desired linguistic goal. In contrast to previous work on F0 perturbation that supported an integrated-channel model of prosodic control, the current work only found evidence for intensity-specific compensation. This discrepancy may suggest different F0 and intensity control mechanisms, threshold-dependent prosodic modulation, or a combined control scheme.

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Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice: Implementation Science

Purpose

This article introduces implementation science, which focuses on research methods that promote the systematic application of research findings to practice.

Method

The narrative defines implementation science and highlights the importance of moving research along the pipeline from basic science to practice as one way to facilitate evidence-based service delivery. This review identifies challenges in developing and testing interventions in order to achieve widespread adoption in practice settings. A framework for conceptualizing implementation research is provided, including an example to illustrate the application of principles in speech-language pathology. Last, the authors reflect on the status of implementation research in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders.

Conclusions

The extant literature highlights the value of implementation science for reducing the gap between research and practice in our discipline. While having unique principles guiding implementation research, many of the challenges and questions are similar to those facing any investigators who are attempting to design valid and reliable studies. This article is intended to invigorate interest in the uniqueness of implementation science among those pursuing both basic and applied research. In this way, it should help ensure the discipline's knowledge base is realized in practice and policy that affects the lives of individuals with communication disorders.

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Variability and Diagnostic Accuracy of Speech Intelligibility Scores in Children

Purpose

We examined variability of speech intelligibility scores and how well intelligibility scores predicted group membership among 5-year-old children with speech motor impairment (SMI) secondary to cerebral palsy and an age-matched group of typically developing (TD) children.

Method

Speech samples varying in length from 1–4 words were elicited from 24 children with cerebral palsy (mean age 60.50 months) and 20 TD children (mean age 60.33 months). Two hundred twenty adult listeners made orthographic transcriptions of speech samples (n = 5 per child).

Results

Variability associated with listeners made a significant contribution to explaining the variance in intelligibility scores for TD and SMI children, but the magnitude was greater for TD children. Intelligibility scores differentiated very well between children who have SMI and TD children when intelligibility was at or below approximately 75% and above approximately 85%.

Conclusions

Intelligibility seems to be a useful clinical tool for differentiating between TD children and children with SMI at 5 years of age; however, there is considerable variability within and between listeners, highlighting the need for more than one listener per child to ensure validity of an intelligibility measure.

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An Open Conversation on Using Eye-Gaze Methods in Studies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Purpose

Eye-gaze methods have the potential to advance the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite their increasing use, challenges arise in using these methods with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and in reporting sufficient methodological detail such that the resulting research is replicable and interpretable.

Method

This tutorial presents key considerations involved in designing and conducting eye-gaze studies for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and proposes conventions for reporting the results of such studies.

Results

Methodological decisions (e.g., whether to use automated eye tracking or manual coding, implementing strategies to scaffold children's performance, defining valid trials) have cascading effects on the conclusions drawn from eye-gaze data. Research reports that include specific information about procedures, missing data, and selection of participants will facilitate interpretation and replication.

Conclusions

Eye-gaze methods provide exciting opportunities for studying neurodevelopmental disorders. Open discussion of the issues presented in this tutorial will improve the pace of productivity and the impact of advances in research on neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Developing Brain Injury Interventions on Both Ends of the Treatment Continuum Depends Upon Early Research Partnerships and Feasibility Studies

Purpose

The purpose of this research article is to describe two very different lines of brain injury treatment research, both of which illuminate the benefits of implementation science.

Method

The article first describes the development and pilot of a computerized cognitive intervention and highlights how adherence to implementation science principles improved the design of the intervention. Second, the article describes the application of implementation science to the development of assistive technology for cognition.

Results

The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR; Damschroder et al., 2009) and the menu of implementation research strategies by Powell et al. (2012) provide a roadmap for cognitive rehabilitation researchers to attend to factors in the implementation climate that can improve the development, usability, and adoptability of new treatment methods.

Conclusion

Attention to implementation science research principles has increased the feasibility and efficacy of both impairment-based cognitive rehabilitation programs and assistive technology for cognition.

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Parent Telegraphic Speech Use and Spoken Language in Preschoolers With ASD

Purpose

There is considerable controversy regarding whether to use telegraphic or grammatical input when speaking to young children with language delays, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined telegraphic speech use in parents of preschoolers with ASD and associations with children's spoken language 1 year later.

Method

Parent–child dyads (n = 55) participated when children were, on average, 3 (Time 1) and 4 years old (Time 2). The rate at which parents omitted obligatory determiners was derived from transcripts of parent–child play sessions; measures of children's spoken language were obtained from these same transcripts.

Results

Telegraphic speech use varied substantially across parents. Higher rates of parent determiner omissions at Time 1 were significantly associated with lower lexical diversity in children's spoken language at Time 2, even when controlling for children's baseline lexical diversity and nonverbal IQ. Findings from path analyses supported the directionality of effects assumed in our regression analyses, although these results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited sample size.

Conclusions

Telegraphic input may have a negative impact on language development in young children with ASD. Future experimental research is needed to directly investigate how telegraphic input affects children's language learning and processing.

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The Influence of Phonotactic Probability on Nonword Repetition and Fast Mapping in 3-Year-Olds With a History of Expressive Language Delay

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of phonotactic probability on sublexical (phonological) and lexical representations in 3-year-olds who had a history of being late talkers in comparison with their peers with typical language development.

Method

Ten 3-year-olds who were late talkers and 10 age-matched typically developing controls completed nonword repetition and fast mapping tasks; stimuli for both experimental procedures differed in phonotactic probability.

Results

Both participant groups repeated nonwords containing high phonotactic probability sequences more accurately than nonwords containing low phonotactic probability sequences. Participants with typical language showed an early advantage for fast mapping high phonotactic probability words; children who were late talkers required more exposures to the novel words to show the same advantage for fast mapping high phonotactic probability words.

Conclusions

Children who were late talkers showed similar sensitivities to phonotactic probability in nonword repetition and word learning when compared with their peers with no history of language delay. However, word learning in children who were late talkers appeared to be slower when compared with their peers.

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Implementation Science: Buzzword or Game Changer?

Purpose

The purpose of this supplement article is to provide a resource of pertinent information concerning implementation science for immediate research application in communication sciences and disorders.

Method

Key terminology related to implementation science is reviewed. Practical suggestions for the application of implementation science theories and methodologies are provided, including an overview of hybrid research designs that simultaneously investigate clinical effectiveness and implementation as well as an introduction to approaches for engaging stakeholders in the research process. A detailed example from education is shared to show how implementation science was utilized to move an intervention program for autism into routine practice in the public school system. In particular, the example highlights the value of strong partnership among researchers, policy makers, and frontline practitioners in implementing and sustaining new evidence-based practices.

Conclusions

Implementation science is not just a buzzword. This is a new field of study that can make a substantive contribution in communication sciences and disorders by informing research agendas, reducing health and education disparities, improving accountability and quality control, increasing clinician satisfaction and competence, and improving client outcomes.

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Comparison of Psychophysiological and Dual-Task Measures of Listening Effort

Purpose

We wished to make a comparison of psychophysiological measures of listening effort with subjective and dual-task measures of listening effort for a diotic-dichotic-digits and a sentences-in-noise task.

Method

Three groups of young adults (18–38 years old) with normal hearing participated in three experiments: two psychophysiological studies for two different listening tasks and a dual-task measure for a sentences-in-noise task. Psychophysiological variables included skin conductance, heart-rate variability, and heart rate; the dual-task measure was a letter-identification task. Heart-rate variability was quantified with the difference from baseline for the normalized standard deviation of R to R.

Results

Heart-rate variability differences from baseline were greater for increased task complexity and for poorer signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The dual-task measure of listening effort also increased for sentences presented at a +5 dB SNR compared with a +15 dB SNR. Skin conductance was elevated for greater task complexity only, and similar across noise conditions. None of these measures were significantly correlated with subjective measures of listening effort.

Conclusions

Heart-rate variability appears to be a robust psychophysiological indicator of listening effort, sensitive to both task complexity and SNR. This sensitivity to SNR was similar to a dual-task measure of listening effort.

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A Quasi-Universal Nonword Repetition Task as a Diagnostic Tool for Bilingual Children Learning Dutch as a Second Language

Purpose

This study evaluated a newly developed quasi-universal nonword repetition task (Q-U NWRT) as a diagnostic tool for bilingual children with language impairment (LI) who have Dutch as a 2nd language. The Q-U NWRT was designed to be minimally influenced by knowledge of 1 specific language in contrast to a language-specific NWRT with which it was compared.

Method

One hundred twenty monolingual and bilingual children with and without LI participated (30 per group). A mixed-design analysis of variance was used to investigate the effects of LI and bilingualism on the NWRTs. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were conducted to evaluate the instruments' diagnostic value.

Results

Large negative effects of LI were found on both NWRTs, whereas negative effects of bilingualism only occurred on the language-specific NWRT. Both instruments had high clinical accuracy in the monolingual group, but only the Q-U NWRT had high clinical accuracy in the bilingual group.

Conclusions

This study indicates that the Q-U NWRT is a promising diagnostic tool to help identify LI in bilingual children learning Dutch as a 2nd language. The instrument was clinically accurate in both a monolingual and bilingual group of children and seems better able to disentangle LI from language disadvantage than more language-specific measures.

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An Open Conversation on Using Eye-Gaze Methods in Studies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Purpose

Eye-gaze methods have the potential to advance the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite their increasing use, challenges arise in using these methods with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and in reporting sufficient methodological detail such that the resulting research is replicable and interpretable.

Method

This tutorial presents key considerations involved in designing and conducting eye-gaze studies for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and proposes conventions for reporting the results of such studies.

Results

Methodological decisions (e.g., whether to use automated eye tracking or manual coding, implementing strategies to scaffold children's performance, defining valid trials) have cascading effects on the conclusions drawn from eye-gaze data. Research reports that include specific information about procedures, missing data, and selection of participants will facilitate interpretation and replication.

Conclusions

Eye-gaze methods provide exciting opportunities for studying neurodevelopmental disorders. Open discussion of the issues presented in this tutorial will improve the pace of productivity and the impact of advances in research on neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Parent Telegraphic Speech Use and Spoken Language in Preschoolers With ASD

Purpose

There is considerable controversy regarding whether to use telegraphic or grammatical input when speaking to young children with language delays, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined telegraphic speech use in parents of preschoolers with ASD and associations with children's spoken language 1 year later.

Method

Parent–child dyads (n = 55) participated when children were, on average, 3 (Time 1) and 4 years old (Time 2). The rate at which parents omitted obligatory determiners was derived from transcripts of parent–child play sessions; measures of children's spoken language were obtained from these same transcripts.

Results

Telegraphic speech use varied substantially across parents. Higher rates of parent determiner omissions at Time 1 were significantly associated with lower lexical diversity in children's spoken language at Time 2, even when controlling for children's baseline lexical diversity and nonverbal IQ. Findings from path analyses supported the directionality of effects assumed in our regression analyses, although these results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited sample size.

Conclusions

Telegraphic input may have a negative impact on language development in young children with ASD. Future experimental research is needed to directly investigate how telegraphic input affects children's language learning and processing.

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Implementation Science: Buzzword or Game Changer?

Purpose

The purpose of this supplement article is to provide a resource of pertinent information concerning implementation science for immediate research application in communication sciences and disorders.

Method

Key terminology related to implementation science is reviewed. Practical suggestions for the application of implementation science theories and methodologies are provided, including an overview of hybrid research designs that simultaneously investigate clinical effectiveness and implementation as well as an introduction to approaches for engaging stakeholders in the research process. A detailed example from education is shared to show how implementation science was utilized to move an intervention program for autism into routine practice in the public school system. In particular, the example highlights the value of strong partnership among researchers, policy makers, and frontline practitioners in implementing and sustaining new evidence-based practices.

Conclusions

Implementation science is not just a buzzword. This is a new field of study that can make a substantive contribution in communication sciences and disorders by informing research agendas, reducing health and education disparities, improving accountability and quality control, increasing clinician satisfaction and competence, and improving client outcomes.

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A Quasi-Universal Nonword Repetition Task as a Diagnostic Tool for Bilingual Children Learning Dutch as a Second Language

Purpose

This study evaluated a newly developed quasi-universal nonword repetition task (Q-U NWRT) as a diagnostic tool for bilingual children with language impairment (LI) who have Dutch as a 2nd language. The Q-U NWRT was designed to be minimally influenced by knowledge of 1 specific language in contrast to a language-specific NWRT with which it was compared.

Method

One hundred twenty monolingual and bilingual children with and without LI participated (30 per group). A mixed-design analysis of variance was used to investigate the effects of LI and bilingualism on the NWRTs. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were conducted to evaluate the instruments' diagnostic value.

Results

Large negative effects of LI were found on both NWRTs, whereas negative effects of bilingualism only occurred on the language-specific NWRT. Both instruments had high clinical accuracy in the monolingual group, but only the Q-U NWRT had high clinical accuracy in the bilingual group.

Conclusions

This study indicates that the Q-U NWRT is a promising diagnostic tool to help identify LI in bilingual children learning Dutch as a 2nd language. The instrument was clinically accurate in both a monolingual and bilingual group of children and seems better able to disentangle LI from language disadvantage than more language-specific measures.

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Microscopic prediction of speech intelligibility in spatially distributed speech-shaped noise for normal-hearing listeners

A binaural and psychoacoustically motivated intelligibility model, based on a well-known monaural microscopic model is proposed. This model simulates a phoneme recognition task in the presence of spatially distributed speech-shaped noise in anechoic scenarios. In the proposed model,binaural advantage effects are considered by generating a feature vector for a dynamic-time-warping speech recognizer. This vector consists of three subvectors incorporating two monaural subvectors to model the better-ear hearing, and a binaural subvector to simulate the binaural unmasking effect. The binaural unit of the model is based on equalization-cancellation theory. This model operates blindly, which means separate recordings of speech and noise are not required for the predictions. Speech intelligibility tests were conducted with 12 normal hearing listeners by collecting speech reception thresholds(SRTs) in the presence of single and multiple sources of speech-shaped noise. The comparison of the model predictions with the measuredbinauralSRTs, and with the predictions of a macroscopic binauralmodel called extended equalization-cancellation, shows that this approach predicts the intelligibility in anechoic scenarios with good precision. The square of the correlation coefficient (r²) and the mean-absolute error between the model predictions and the measurements are 0.98 and 0.62 dB, respectively.

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Interpreting attenuation at different excitation amplitudes to estimate strain-dependent interfacial rheological properties of lipid-coated monodisperse microbubbles

Broadband attenuation of ultrasound measured at different excitation pressures being different raises a serious theoretical concern, because the underlying assumption of linear and independent propagation of different frequency components nominally requires attenuation to be independent of excitation. Here, this issue is investigated by examining ultrasound attenuation through a monodisperse lipid-coated microbubble suspension measured at four different acoustic excitation amplitudes. The attenuation data are used to determine interfacial rheological properties (surface tension, surface dilatational elasticity, and surface dilatational viscosity) of the encapsulation according to three different models. Although different models result in similar rheological properties,attenuation measured at different excitation levels (4–110 kPa) leads to different values for them; the dilatation elasticity (0.56 to 0.18 N/m) and viscosity (2.4 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.52 × 10⁻⁸ Ns/m) both decrease with increasing pressure. Numerically simulating the scattered response, nonlinear energy transfer between frequencies are shown to be negligible, thereby demonstrating the linearity in propagation and validating the attenuation analysis. There is a second concern to the characterization arising from shell properties being dependent on excitation amplitude, which is not a proper constitutive variable. It is resolved by arriving at a strain-dependent rheology for the encapsulation. The limitations of the underlying analysis are discussed.

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Children's perception of nonnative-accented sentences in noise and quieta)

Adult listeners' word recognition is remarkably robust under a variety of adverse listening conditions. However, the combination of two simultaneous listening challenges (e.g., nonnative speaker in noise) can cause significant word recognition decrements. This study investigated how talker-related (native vs nonnative) and environment-related (noise vs quiet) adverse conditions impact children's and adults' word recognition. Five- and six-year-old children and adults identified sentences produced by one native and one nonnative talker in both quiet and noise-added conditions. Children's word recognition declined significantly more than adults' in conditions with one source of listening adversity (i.e., native speaker in noise or nonnative speaker in quiet). Children's performance when the listening challenges were combined (nonnative talker in noise) was particularly poor. Immature speech-in-noise perception may be a result of children's difficulties with signal segregation or selective attention. In contrast, the explanation for children's difficulty in the mapping of unfamiliar pronunciations to known words in quiet listening conditions must rest on children's limited cognitive or linguistic skills and experiences. These results demonstrate that children's word recognition abilities under both environmental- and talker-related adversity are still developing in the early school-age years.

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Speech privacy and annoyance considerations in the acoustic environment of passenger cars of high-speed trains

It is necessary to consider not only annoyance of interior noises but also speech privacy to achieve acoustic comfort in a passenger car of a high-speed train because speech from other passengers can be annoying. This study aimed to explore an optimal acoustic environment to satisfy speech privacy and reduce annoyance in a passenger car. Two experiments were conducted using speech sources and compartment noise of a high speed train with varying speech-to-noise ratios (SNRA) and background noise levels (BNL). Speech intelligibility was tested in experiment I, and in experiment II, perceived speech privacy, annoyance, and acoustic comfort of combined sounds with speech and background noise were assessed. The results show that speech privacy and annoyance were significantly influenced by the SNRA. In particular, the acoustic comfort was evaluated as acceptable when the SNRA was less than −6 dB for both speech privacy and noise annoyance. In addition, annoyance increased significantly as the BNL exceeded 63 dBA, whereas the effect of the background-noise level on the speech privacy was not significant. These findings suggest that an optimal level of interior noise in a passenger car might exist between 59 and 63 dBA, taking normal speech levels into account.

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Modal sound transmission loss of a single leaf panel: Asymptotic solutions

In a previously published paper [C. Wang, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137(6), 3514–3522 (2015)], the modal sound transmission coefficients of a single leaf panel were discussed with regard to the inter-modal coupling effects. By incorporating such effect into the equivalent modal radiation impedance, which is directly related to the modal sound transmission coefficient of each mode, the overall sound transmission loss for both normal and randomized sound incidences was computed through a simple modal superposition. Benefiting from the analytical expressions of the equivalent modal impedance and modal transmission coefficients, in this paper, behaviors of modal sound transmission coefficients in several typical frequency ranges are discussed in detail. Asymptotic solutions are also given for the panels with relatively low bending stiffnesses, for which the sound transmission loss has been assumed to follow the mass law of a limp panel. Results are also compared to numerical analysis and the renowned mass law theories.

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Sound source localization technique using a seismic streamer and its extension for whale localization during seismic surveys

Marine seismic surveys are under increasing scrutiny because of concern that they may disturb or otherwise harm marine mammals and impede their communications. Most of the energy from seismic surveys is low frequency, so concerns are particularly focused on baleen whales. Extensive mitigation efforts accompany seismic surveys, including visual and acoustic monitoring, but the possibility remains that not all animals in an area can be observed and located. One potential way to improve mitigation efforts is to utilize the seismichydrophone streamer to detect and locate calling baleen whales. This study describes a method to localize low frequency sound sources with data recoded by a streamer. Beamforming is used to estimate the angle of arriving energy relative to sub-arrays of the streamer which constrains the horizontal propagation velocity to each sub-array for a given trial location. A grid search method is then used to minimize the time residual for relative arrival times along the streamer estimated by cross correlation. Results from both simulation and experiment are shown and data from the marine mammal observers and the passive acoustic monitoring conducted simultaneously with the seismic survey are used to verify the analysis.

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Call recognition and individual identification of fish vocalizations based on automatic speech recognition: An example with the Lusitanian toadfish

The study of acoustic communication in animals often requires not only the recognition of species specific acoustic signals but also the identification of individual subjects, all in a complex acoustic background. Moreover, when very long recordings are to be analyzed, automatic recognition and identification processes are invaluable tools to extract the relevant biological information. A pattern recognition methodology based on hidden Markovmodels is presented inspired by successful results obtained in the most widely known and complex acoustical communication signal: human speech. This methodology was applied here for the first time to the detection and recognition of fish acoustic signals, specifically in a stream of round-the-clock recordings of Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus) in their natural estuarine habitat. The results show that this methodology is able not only to detect the mating sounds (boatwhistles) but also to identify individual male toadfish, reaching an identification rate of ca. 95%. Moreover this method also proved to be a powerful tool to assess signal durations in large data sets. However, the system failed in recognizing other sound types.

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Unsplit complex frequency shifted perfectly matched layer for second-order wave equation using auxiliary differential equations

The complex frequency shifted perfectly matched layer (CFS-PML) can improve the absorbing performance of PML for nearly grazing incident waves. However, traditional PML and CFS-PML are based on first-order wave equations; thus, they are not suitable for second-order wave equation. In this paper, an implementation of CFS-PML for second-order wave equation is presented using auxiliary differential equations. This method is free of both convolution calculations and third-order temporal derivatives. As an unsplit CFS-PML, it can reduce the nearly grazing incidence. Numerical experiments show that it has better absorption than typical PML implementations based on second-order wave equation.

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Unsplit complex frequency shifted perfectly matched layer for second-order wave equation using auxiliary differential equations

The complex frequency shifted perfectly matched layer (CFS-PML) can improve the absorbing performance of PML for nearly grazing incident waves. However, traditional PML and CFS-PML are based on first-order wave equations; thus, they are not suitable for second-order wave equation. In this paper, an implementation of CFS-PML for second-order wave equation is presented using auxiliary differential equations. This method is free of both convolution calculations and third-order temporal derivatives. As an unsplit CFS-PML, it can reduce the nearly grazing incidence. Numerical experiments show that it has better absorption than typical PML implementations based on second-order wave equation.

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The Syndrome of Familial Hypoparathyroidism, Sensorineural Deafness and Renal Dysplasia.

The Syndrome of Familial Hypoparathyroidism, Sensorineural Deafness and Renal Dysplasia.

J Assoc Physicians India. 2015 Jun;63(6):73-5

Authors: Meena RL, Maloo SK, Samar N, Ruhela A, Saini S

Abstract
The syndrome of familial hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural deafness, and renal dysplasia (HDR syndrome) is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, caused by haploinsufficiency of the GATA3 gene in chromosome 10p. Although first described years ago, but the disease is considered to be very rare. Patients usually present with hypocalcemia, tetany, or afebrile convulsions at any age. Hearing loss is usually bilateral, range from mild to profound impairment. Renal disease includes dysplasia, hypoplasia or aplasia.

PMID: 26710407 [PubMed - in process]

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Preschool television programmes: analysis using SmartSound IQ data logging.

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Preschool television programmes: analysis using SmartSound IQ data logging.

Cochlear Implants Int. 2015 Jan;16 Suppl 1:S26-9

Authors: Hanvey K, DeBold L

PMID: 25614262 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Achievement of early clinical milestones and long-term functional outcomes for children and young adults with bilateral cochlear implants.

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Achievement of early clinical milestones and long-term functional outcomes for children and young adults with bilateral cochlear implants.

Cochlear Implants Int. 2015 Jan;16 Suppl 1:S16-8

Authors: Galvin KL

PMID: 25614259 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Unilateral hearing loss is associated with a negative effect on language scores in adolescents.

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Unilateral hearing loss is associated with a negative effect on language scores in adolescents.

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2014 Oct;78(10):1611-7

Authors: Fischer C, Lieu J

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine if adolescents with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) demonstrate worse language skills than their siblings with normal hearing (NH).
DESIGN: Case-control study of 12-17-year-old adolescents with UHL (20 cases) compared with sibling controls with NH (13 controls).
METHODS: Scores on the oral portion of the Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS) and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) were the primary outcome measure. Wechsler's Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence (WASI) scores were also used as an outcome measure.
RESULTS: Adolescents with UHL demonstrated worse overall and expressive language scores than controls, (98 vs. 114, P=0.001; 100 vs. 114, P=0.006) and had significantly lower full scale (98 vs. 112, P=0.017), verbal (101 vs. 113, P=0.032), and performance IQ (95 vs. 107, P=0.037).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that UHL in adolescents is associated with a negative effect on standardized language scores and IQ. They also demonstrate that the developmental gap between children with UHL and children with NH does not resolve as the children progress into adolescence and may even widen as the children grow older. Therefore, these results strongly encourage implementation of early intervention for children with UHL to prevent speech-language delays. More studies in adolescents are warranted to evaluate educational outcomes.

PMID: 25081604 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions in improving emotional and functional status in hearing or visually impaired older adults: a systematic review with meta-analyses.

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Effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions in improving emotional and functional status in hearing or visually impaired older adults: a systematic review with meta-analyses.

Clin Rehabil. 2015 Feb;29(2):107-19

Authors: Roets-Merken LM, Draskovic I, Zuidema SU, van Erp WS, Graff MJ, Kempen GI, Vernooij-Dassen MJ

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of non-equipment based rehabilitation interventions for older adults with an age-related hearing or visual impairment.
DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsychInfo, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.
REVIEW METHODS: Two authors independently assessed trial eligibility, extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Controlled studies with more than 80% of participants aged ≥ 55 years and with rehabilitation interventions either separately or in combination with technical device provision were included. Meta-analyses were undertaken for the primary outcomes: emotional status, functional status, self-efficacy and social participation. All studies were categorized into 3 subgroups of intervention approaches (cognitive restructuring, education, and problem-solving), and subgroup analysis was performed.
RESULTS: Fourteen studies were identified: six on hearing impairment and eight on visual impairment, involving 1622 sensory impaired participants (mean age 70). Methodological quality of the studies was modest. Eight studies offered data for meta-analysis. No significant effects in favour of interventions on either emotional or functional status, self-efficacy, or social participation were found. In the subgroup analysis, only the problem-solving approach showed a positive effect on emotional status.
CONCLUSIONS: This review found no effects of non-equipment based rehabilitation interventions on emotional and functional status, self-efficacy, and social participation. However, subgroup analysis showed problem-solving as a potential effective approach for positively affecting emotional status.

PMID: 25027446 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Associations between neurologic dysfunction and lesions in canine fucosidosis.

Associations between neurologic dysfunction and lesions in canine fucosidosis.

Genes Brain Behav. 2015 Dec 29;

Authors: Fletcher JL, Taylor RM

Abstract
Canine fucosidosis in English Springer spaniels is the only animal model of the neurovisceral lysosomal storage disease fucosidosis available for preclinical therapeutic trials. For this reason, it is crucial to identify critical time points in disease progression, and if there are particular lesions associated with specific aspects of neurologic dysfunction. Historical records of 53 canine fucosidosis cases from 1979-2009 containing a neurologic dysfunction score assessing motor, behavioral and sensory dysfunction were interrogated by statistical analysis. Motor and behavioral dysfunction scores assessing gait deficits and apprehensive behavior first significantly increased at 12-17 months, and increased at each six monthly interval thereafter. Sensory dysfunction scores, assessing hearing loss, balance and vision deterioration did not significantly increase until 18-23 months, and coincided with a rapid decline in neurologic function. Regression analysis incorporating published neuropathology data measured by image analysis, identified neuroinflammation and apoptotic cell death as significant informative predictors of increasing neurologic dysfunction. These findings indicate that the level of neuropathology required to induce consistent and conspicuous clinical signs in canine fucosidosis is reached by approximately 12 months of age in the absence of other disease processes. Significant association between neuroinflammation and apoptotic cell death also suggest that specifically targeting these lesions combined with enzyme replacement in future studies may reduce disease burden in fucosidosis. Overall, examining this historical clinical data to identify associations between the extent of neuropathology and degree of clinical dysfunction provides a useful reference tool for monitoring disease and evaluating therapeutic trials conducted in canine fucosidosis.

PMID: 26711085 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Associations between neurologic dysfunction and lesions in canine fucosidosis.

Associations between neurologic dysfunction and lesions in canine fucosidosis.

Genes Brain Behav. 2015 Dec 29;

Authors: Fletcher JL, Taylor RM

Abstract
Canine fucosidosis in English Springer spaniels is the only animal model of the neurovisceral lysosomal storage disease fucosidosis available for preclinical therapeutic trials. For this reason, it is crucial to identify critical time points in disease progression, and if there are particular lesions associated with specific aspects of neurologic dysfunction. Historical records of 53 canine fucosidosis cases from 1979-2009 containing a neurologic dysfunction score assessing motor, behavioral and sensory dysfunction were interrogated by statistical analysis. Motor and behavioral dysfunction scores assessing gait deficits and apprehensive behavior first significantly increased at 12-17 months, and increased at each six monthly interval thereafter. Sensory dysfunction scores, assessing hearing loss, balance and vision deterioration did not significantly increase until 18-23 months, and coincided with a rapid decline in neurologic function. Regression analysis incorporating published neuropathology data measured by image analysis, identified neuroinflammation and apoptotic cell death as significant informative predictors of increasing neurologic dysfunction. These findings indicate that the level of neuropathology required to induce consistent and conspicuous clinical signs in canine fucosidosis is reached by approximately 12 months of age in the absence of other disease processes. Significant association between neuroinflammation and apoptotic cell death also suggest that specifically targeting these lesions combined with enzyme replacement in future studies may reduce disease burden in fucosidosis. Overall, examining this historical clinical data to identify associations between the extent of neuropathology and degree of clinical dysfunction provides a useful reference tool for monitoring disease and evaluating therapeutic trials conducted in canine fucosidosis.

PMID: 26711085 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Exergames for unsupervised balance training at home: A pilot study in healthy older adults

Publication date: February 2016
Source:Gait & Posture, Volume 44
Author(s): M. van Diest, J. Stegenga, H.J. Wörtche, G.J. Verkerke, K. Postema, C.J.C. Lamoth
Exercise videogames (exergames) are gaining popularity as tools for improving balance ability in older adults, yet few exergames are suitable for home-based use. The purpose of the current pilot study was to examine the effects of a 6-week unsupervised home-based exergaming training program on balance performance. Ten community dwelling healthy older adults (age: 75.9±7.2 years) played a newly developed ice skating exergame for six weeks at home. In the game, the speed and direction of a virtual ice skater on a frozen canal were controlled using lateral weight shifts, which were captured using Kinect. Sway characteristics during quiet standing in eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC) and dual task (DT) conditions were assessed in time and frequency domain before, and after two, four and six weeks of training. Balance was also evaluated using the narrow ridge balance test (NRBT). Multilevel modeling was applied to examine changes in balance ability. Participants played 631 (±124)min over the intervention period and no subjects dropped out. Balance in terms of sway characteristics improved on average by 17.4% (EO) and 23.3% (EC) after six weeks of training (p<0.05). Differences in rate of improvement (p<0.05) were observed between participants. No intervention effects were found for quiet standing in DT conditions and on the NRBT. In conclusion, the pilot study showed that unsupervised home-based exergaming is feasible in community dwelling older adults, but also that participants do not benefit equally from the program, thereby emphasizing the need for more personalized exergame training programs.



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The correlation between symptomatic fatigue to definite measures of gait in people with multiple sclerosis

Publication date: February 2016
Source:Gait & Posture, Volume 44
Author(s): Alon Kalron
There is a general consensus relating to the multidimensional aspects of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), however, the exact impact of this symptom on gait is not fully understood. Our primary aim was to examine the relationship between definite parameters of gait with self-reported symptomatic fatigue in PwMS according to their level of neurological impairment. Spatio-temporal parameters of gait were studied using an electronic walkway. The Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale (MSWS-12) questionnaire, a patient-rated measure of walking ability was collected. The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) questionnaire was used to determine the level of symptomatic fatigue. One hundred and one PwMS (61 women) were included in the study analysis. Subjects were divided into mild and moderate neurological impaired groups. Fatigue was correlated with 5 (out of 14) spatiotemporal parameters. However, correlation scores were all <0.35, thus considered as weak correlations. In the mild group, the double support period was the only variable positively correlated to fatigue (Spearman's rho=0.28, P=0.05). In the moderate group, step and stride length were solely negatively correlated to fatigue (Spearman's rho=0.32, P=0.03). In contrast to the definite gait parameters, the MSWS-12 self-questionnaire was moderately positively correlated to the level of fatigue. Scores for the total, mild and moderate groups were 0.54, 0.57 and 0.51; P<0.01, respectively. The present results indicate that modifications in spatio-temporal parameters of gait are not closely related to symptomatic fatigue in PwMS. On the contrary, the self-reported MSWS-12 questionnaire is predisposed to level of fatigue in PwMS.



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The impact of body fat on three dimensional motion of the paediatric foot during walking

Publication date: February 2016
Source:Gait & Posture, Volume 44
Author(s): Ryan Mahaffey, Stewart C. Morrison, Paul Bassett, Wendy I. Drechsler, Mary C. Cramp
Childhood obesity is commonly associated with a pes planus foot type and altered lower limb joint function during walking. However, limited information has been reported on dynamic intersegment foot motion with the level of obesity in children. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between intersegment foot motion during gait and body fat in boys age 7–11 years.Fat mass was measured in fifty-five boys using air displacement plethysmography. Three-dimensional gait analysis was conducted on the right foot of each participant using the 3DFoot model to capture angular motion of the shank, calcaneus, midfoot and metatarsals. Two multivariate statistical techniques were employed; principle component analysis reduced the multidimensional nature of gait analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis accounted for potential confounding factors.Higher fat mass predicted greater plantarflexion of the calcaneus during the first half and end of stance phase and at the end of swing phase. Greater abduction of the calcaneus throughout stance and swing was predicted by greater fat mass. At the midfoot, higher fat mass predicted greater dorsiflexion and eversion throughout the gait cycle.The findings present novel information on the relationships between intersegment angular motion of the foot and body fat in young boys. The data indicates a more pronated foot type in boys with greater body fat. These findings have clinical implications for pes planus and a predisposition for pain and discomfort during weight bearing activities potentially reducing motivation in obese children to be physically active.



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