Test For Auditory Comprehension Research Articles

가상현실(Virtual Reality) 기반 노인난청의 청능훈련프로그램 사례연구

Objectives In this study, a virtual reality (VR) auditory training program, which was created to provide experiences similar to reality through computer software and hardware with the development of technology according to the 4th industry, was conducted with auditory training for 6 weeks (1 session per week) for two elderly people with hearing loss, and the change in word recognition and sentence comprehension ability was investigated.
 Methods For this purpose, 6 sessions of auditory training programs using virtual reality contents (eating out, go on a trip, making phone calls, watching radio, talking in public transportation (subway), using public institutions (hospital)) were provided for 6 weeks (1 session per week). The effects of the auditory training program, word recognition and sentence comprehension tests were conducted before-and-after implementing the program.
 Results The results of the virtual reality-based auditory training program for two elderly people with hearing loss are as follows: First, presbycusis A and B showed improved scores in word recognition as auditory training sessions were repeated, and training was effective even under difficult hearing conditions with noise. Second, when the pre-test and post-test values were compared, there was no significant difference in the change in word and sentence recognition of the two presbycusis.
 Conclusions This study focused on improving listening ability by conducting a daily life-oriented virtual reality auditory training program for the elderly with hearing loss. In addition, it is meaningful in that it provides motivation for hearing ability through auditory training to the elderly who have worn hearing aids for a long time and the necessity of systematic auditory training.

Composite Indices of the Color-Picture Version of Boston Naming Test Have Better Discriminatory Power: Reliability and Validity in a Chinese Sample with Diverse Neurodegenerative Diseases.

The Boston Naming Test (BNT) is the most widely used measure to assess anomia. However, it has been criticized for failing to differentiate the underlying cognitive process of anomia. We validated the color-picture version of BNT (CP-BNT) in a sample with diverse neurodegenerative dementia diseases (NDDs). We also verified the differential ability of the composite indices of CP-BNT across NDDs groups. The present study included Alzheimer's disease (n = 132), semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA, n = 53), non-svPPA (n = 33), posterior cortical atrophy (PCA, n = 35), and normal controls (n = 110). We evaluated psychometric properties of CP-BNT for the spontaneous naming (SN), the percentage of correct responses on semantic cuing and word recognition cuing (% SC, % WR). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to examine the discriminatory power of SN alone and the composite indices (SN, % SC, and % WR). The CP-BNT had sufficient internal consistency, good convergent, divergent validity, and criterion validity. Different indices of CP-BNT demonstrated distinct cognitive underpinnings. Category fluency was the strongest predictor of SN (β= 0.46, p < 0.001). Auditory comprehension tests highly associated with % WR (Sentence comprehension: β= 0.22, p = 0.001; Word comprehension: β= 0.20, p = 0.001), whereas a lower visuospatial score predicted % SC (β= -0.2, p = 0.001). Composite indices had better predictability than the SN alone when differentiating between NDDs, especially for PCA versus non-svPPA (area under the curve increased from 63.9% to 81.2%). The CP-BNT is a highly linguistically relevant test with sufficient reliability and validity. Composite indices could provide more differential information beyond SN and should be used in clinical practice.

Percepción de los fonoaudiólogos en relación con las características de las pruebas estandarizadas de evaluación propuestas por la normativa vigente en Chile

ABSTRACT Purpose: to analyze the speech-language-hearing therapists’ perception of structured tests proposed by the current Chilean regulations to assess and diagnose language in children. Methods: a questionnaire to assess their perception of three tests (the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language, the revised Phonological Simplification Processes Assessment Test and the Screening Test of Spanish Grammar). Differences were contrasted with the Friedman test, and the post hoc was compared with the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Also, the Spearman´s rho coefficient was used to study the correlation between scores, setting the confidence level at 5%. Results: the revised Phonological Simplification Processes Assessment Test obtained the highest mean Likert score in most items assessed, except for the question on excessive application time. A total of 91% of participants reported the need for a digital version of the three structured tests. Lastly, the highest and most significant score correlation occurred between the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language and the Screening Test of Spanish Grammar. Conclusion: the participants’ perceptions of the revised Phonological Simplification Processes Assessment Test are more positive than those of other tests. The participants also believe that the tests should have a digital version.

Preparation of Persian auditory comprehension test and determining its psychometric properties

Introduction: Various tools are utilized for determining auditory comprehension levels, one of which is the auditory comprehension token test. Since there’s no Persian equivalent for this widely used screening test, in this paper we have adapted it to create a Persian auditory comprehension test. Aim: The purpose of this research was creating an adapted Persian auditory comprehension test and determining its psychometric properties. Method: In the initial phase which was conducted in 2017, a preliminary Persian test was created and its content validity evaluated. To determine the internal stability of results; 188 adults (59 males and 129 females) from Tehran, aged 18-80 were selected. This sampling was conducted using cluster based random selection and each individual was assessed with Persian auditory comprehension tests, mini mental state examination and Wechsler numerical memory subtest. In order to determine the test’s stability, 10 people were reevaluated after a one-week interval. A poisson regression with 0 accumulation was used to investigate the effects of age and education on an individual's performance in the Persian auditory comprehension test. Results: The Persian auditory comprehension test was created with 36 questions and a total score of 36. Content validity based on Lawshe and test-retest reliability of the test were respectively calculated as 1 and 0.96 (with P&lt;0.05). The tests grades have 34.8 mean and 1.52 variance. The mean of age, education and mini-mental status tests score of participants were respectively 32.97, 13.95 and 29.22. At last, the distribution of the tests total score had left skewness and accumulation in the score of 36. Conclusion: Based on the results, the Persian auditory comprehension test’s validity and stability are reasonable and it can be considered an accurate and appropriate tool for evaluating auditory comprehension in adults and performance of people with central nervous system disabilities.

Verbal and non‐verbal auditory comprehension tests in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

AbstractBackgroundThe purposes of this study are to correlate auditory comprehension impairment with AD early development and to evaluate the verbal and non‐verbal auditory comprehension tests for early diagnosis of AD.MethodThe 24 healthy controls (HC), 30 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and 27 mild AD (mAD) patients were recruited. The verbal (yes‐or‐no question, listening identification and oral instruction) and non‐verbal (sound categorization, emotion judgment, beat judgement, sound naming) auditory comprehension tests were adapted to evaluate the diagnostic ability of auditory comprehension. The receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the diagnostic values.ResultAll tests except for yes‐or‐no question presented moderate or higher level of positive correlation in the scores with Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), among which sound naming and oral instruction were the best. Statistical analysis identified a significant difference of sound naming and verbal auditory comprehension tests in aMCI group compared with the HC group. In addition, the mAD group exhibited statistically significant difference in sound categorization, sound naming, beat judgement and oral instruction when compared with the other two groups. Oral instruction sound categorization and naming benefited better in early diagnosis than the other subtests.ConclusionThe impairments of auditory comprehension emerge early in AD, or even aMCI patients, which worsen with the progression of the disease. The tests of sound categorization, sound naming and oral instruction exhibited better discriminative values, which might be beneficial for the early diagnosis of AD.

Efficacy of spoken word comprehension therapy in patients with chronic aphasia: a cross-over randomised controlled trial with structural imaging

ObjectiveThe efficacy of spoken language comprehension therapies for persons with aphasia remains equivocal. We investigated the efficacy of a self-led therapy app, ‘Listen-In’, and examined the relation between brain structure...

Resting-State fMRI Networks in Children with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

There are no published studies examining resting state networks (RSNs) and their relationship with neurodevelopmental metrics in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). We aimed to identify major resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) networks in infants with TSC and correlate network analyses with neurodevelopmental assessments, autism diagnosis, and seizure history. Rs-fMRI data from 34 infants with TSC, sedated with propofol during the scan, were analyzed to identify auditory, motor, and visual RSNs. We examined the correlations between auditory, motor, and visual RSNs at approximately 11.5 months, neurodevelopmental outcome at approximately 18.5 months, and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders at approximately 36 months of age. RSNs were obtained in 76.5% (26/34) of infants. We observed significant negative correlations between auditory RSN and auditory comprehension test scores (p = .038; r = -.435), as well as significant positive correlations between motor RSN and gross motor skills test scores (p = .023; r = .564). Significant positive correlations between motor RSNs and gross motor skills (p = .012; r = .754) were observed in TSC infants without autism, but not in TSC infants with autism, which could suggest altered motor processing. There were no significant differences in RSNs according to seizure history. Negative correlation between auditory RSN, as well as positive correlation between motor RSN and developmental outcome measures might reflect different brain mechanisms and, when identified, may be helpful in predicting later function. A larger study of TSC patients with a healthy control group is needed before auditory and motor RSNs could be considered as neurodevelopmental outcome biomarkers.

The Single Word Auditory Comprehension (SWAC) test: A simple method to identify receptive language areas with electrical stimulation

ObjectivesResective surgery for medically refractory epilepsy in proximity to speech receptive areas requires balancing adequate resection of the epileptogenic zone for optimal seizure control with preservation of function. We develop a simple test (Single Word Auditory Comprehension or SWAC) to localize speech receptive areas by evaluating patients' ability to comprehend a single word. MethodsPatients were studied during presurgical or intraoperative assessment for epilepsy with intracranial electrodes. They were asked to listen to a common word (target word) and to describe what it meant without saying the target word. Electrical stimulation (trains of biphasic 2-ms pulses, 50 Hz for 3 s) was delivered while the patient listened to the target word, not while the patient explained the meaning of the word. In six patients, SWAC test was carried out during extraoperative chronic recordings, and in one patient in the operating theater under local anesthesia. ResultsAmong the 7 patients where the test identified deficits, 6 underwent resection (4 temporal, 1 supramarginal, and 1 occipital). Two patients showed temporary minor speech deficits after resection. No patient showed permanent speech deficits after resection. Conclusion/significanceThe SWAC test is reliable, simple and fast to implement, and suitable for intraoperating mapping. It could be used as a simple initial test to identify receptive language areas where more complex additional tests can be performed.

Development and Validation of the Arabic Aphasia Battery (ARABY): Pilot Study

Event Abstract Back to Event Development and Validation of the Arabic Aphasia Battery (ARABY): Pilot Study AREEJ ASEERI1* 1 Dar Al-Hekma University, Saudi Arabia Practice guidelines for adults with aphasia require the assessment of language skills using a valid and reliable assessment tool to determine the nature and severity of aphasia. Such an assessment tool is not available for Arabic speakers in Saudi Arabia, despite previous efforts to develop such a tool. The purpose of this study is to develop an aphasia assessment tool to evaluate the language skills of Arabic-speaking adults; and to judge its validity and reliability. The paper gives an overview of previous attempts at translating well-known English tools into Arabic, as well as other attempts to develop aphasia assessment tools for Arabic. We then introduce the process of developing the Arabic Aphasia Battery (ARABY), which is a linguistically- and culturally-appropriate tool that assesses the language skills of Arabic speakers with stroke-induced aphasia. The study presents the framework on which the tool is based and the theoretical underpinnings of the assessment process. The ARABY follows the general structure of commonly-used English assessment batteries, which include tests of Auditory Comprehension, Spontaneous Speech, Naming, Repetition, Reading, and Writing. Two additional tests were developed including Recitation and Functional Communication. Test items were selected based on specific features and unique characteristics of the Arabic language, in consultation with prominent Arab linguists. For example, morphological features were considered in selecting word derivations and inflections; syntactic features were considered in creating sentences that progressively increase in complexity; semantic features were considered in selecting synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms; and orthographic features were considered in selecting letter-sound matching items. A graphic designer was recruited to create visual representations of test items for consistency of style. Inter-rater reliability of 89% was obtained by presenting the test items to three clinicians who have expertise (i.e., at least two years of clinical experience) working with Arabic-speaking individuals with aphasia. A pilot study was carried out by administering the ARABY to ten Arabic-speaking adults with typical language and five adults with aphasia. Preliminary results indicate that the tool gives a cursory impression of language strengths and weaknesses. However, further refinement is required to modify problematic test items and fine-tune scoring procedures. We discuss challenges faced in creating the ARABY, such as concerns with variations of the Arabic language (i.e., using standard Arabic versus dialectal variations). The paper concludes with forthcoming steps in modifying test items and validating the tool. Keywords: Arabic, Aphasia, Assessment tools, Auditory comprehension, Naming deficits Conference: Academy of Aphasia 56th Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, 21 Oct - 23 Oct, 2018. Presentation Type: poster presentation Topic: not eligible for a student prize Citation: ASEERI A (2019). Development and Validation of the Arabic Aphasia Battery (ARABY): Pilot Study. Conference Abstract: Academy of Aphasia 56th Annual Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2018.228.00085 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 01 May 2018; Published Online: 22 Jan 2019. * Correspondence: Dr. AREEJ ASEERI, Dar Al-Hekma University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, areejaseeri@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers AREEJ ASEERI Google AREEJ ASEERI Google Scholar AREEJ ASEERI PubMed AREEJ ASEERI Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Temporal lobe networks supporting the comprehension of spoken words.

Auditory word comprehension is a cognitive process that involves the transformation of auditory signals into abstract concepts. Traditional lesion-based studies of stroke survivors with aphasia have suggested that neocortical regions adjacent to auditory cortex are primarily responsible for word comprehension. However, recent primary progressive aphasia and normal neurophysiological studies have challenged this concept, suggesting that the left temporal pole is crucial for word comprehension. Due to its vasculature, the temporal pole is not commonly completely lesioned in stroke survivors and this heterogeneity may have prevented its identification in lesion-based studies of auditory comprehension. We aimed to resolve this controversy using a combined voxel-based-and structural connectome-lesion symptom mapping approach, since cortical dysfunction after stroke can arise from cortical damage or from white matter disconnection. Magnetic resonance imaging (T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging-based structural connectome), auditory word comprehension and object recognition tests were obtained from 67 chronic left hemisphere stroke survivors. We observed that damage to the inferior temporal gyrus, to the fusiform gyrus and to a white matter network including the left posterior temporal region and its connections to the middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, and cingulate cortex, was associated with word comprehension difficulties after factoring out object recognition. These results suggest that the posterior lateral and inferior temporal regions are crucial for word comprehension, serving as a hub to integrate auditory and conceptual processing. Early processing linking auditory words to concepts is situated in posterior lateral temporal regions, whereas additional and deeper levels of semantic processing likely require more anterior temporal regions.10.1093/brain/awx169_video1awx169media15555638084001.

White Matter Correlates of Auditory Comprehension Outcomes in Chronic Post-Stroke Aphasia

Neuroimaging studies have shown that speech comprehension involves a number of widely distributed regions within the frontal and temporal lobes. We aimed to examine the differential contributions of white matter connectivity to auditory word and sentence comprehension in chronic post-stroke aphasia. Structural and diffusion MRI data were acquired on 40 patients with chronic post-stroke aphasia. A battery of auditory word and sentence comprehension tests were administered to all the patients. Tract-based spatial statistics were used to identify areas in which white matter integrity related to specific comprehension deficits. Relevant tracts were reconstructed using probabilistic tractography in healthy older participants, and the mean values of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) of the entire tracts were examined in relation to comprehension scores. Anterior temporal white matter integrity loss and involvement of the uncinate fasciculus related to word-level comprehension deficits (RFA = 0.408, P = 0.012; RMD = −0.429, P = 0.008; RAD = −0.424, P = 0.009; RRD = −0.439, P = 0.007). Posterior temporal white matter integrity loss and involvement of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus related to sentence-level comprehension deficits (RFA = 0.382, P = 0.02; RMD = −0.461, P = 0.004; RAD = −0.457, P = 0.004; RRD = −0.453, P = 0.005). Loss of white matter integrity in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus related to both word- and sentence-level comprehension (word-level scores: RFA = 0.41, P = 0.012; RMD = −0.447, P = 0.006; RAD = −0.489, P = 0.002; RRD = −0.432, P = 0.008; sentence-level scores: RFA = 0.409, P = 0.012; RMD = −0.413, P = 0.011; RAD = −0.408, P = 0.012; RRD = −0.413, P = 0.011). Lesion overlap, but not white matter integrity, in the arcuate fasciculus related to sentence-level comprehension deficits. These findings suggest that word-level comprehension outcomes in chronic post-stroke aphasia rely primarily on anterior temporal lobe pathways, whereas sentence-level comprehension relies on more widespread pathways including the posterior temporal lobe.

NCOG-06. USABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A PHONE BATTERY TO ASSESS LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS IN BRAIN TUMOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING AWAKE SURGERY

Introduction: A wake surgery in eloquent brain regions is performed to preserve language functions. Although in general no major permanent language deficits are found after awake brain surgery, clinically relevant impairments are detected (Satoer et al., 2014). Unfortunately, follow-up of tumor patients in the San Francisco area is difficult since most patients are not local and come from far. Therefore, we developed a short language phone battery for pre- and postoperative language assessments. Methods: Phase 1: task and item selection of the phone battery. The development of the phone battery was based on the Dutch Linguistic Intraoperative Protocol (De Witte et al., 2015) and existing standardized English batteries. Two parallel versions were composed and tested in healthy native English speakers. The test items were controlled for linguistic variables (e.g. frequency). Phase 2: clinical use of the phone battery in tumor patients. The phone battery was administered in a group of 15 tumor patients before surgery and at 1 week after surgery. Follow-up test moments at 1 month and 3 months postsurgery are planned. These patient data will be compared with language data collected in a group of 15 matched controls. Results: Phase 1: The phone test battery includes auditory comprehension, repetition, semantic selection, sentence/story completion, verbal naming and fluency tests. It takes less than 20 minutes to administer. The healthy participants had no difficulty performing any of the seven language tests via the phone, attesting to the feasibility of a phone assessment. Phase 2: In the tumor group wordfinding, phonological and fluency problems were found at 1 week postsurgery. Longer follow-up data will be analysed and discussed. Discussion: The use of telephone batteries to conduct language assessments from afar can provide convenience, reduce costs (for traveling), and optimize patient care as assessment services might be unavailable locally.

Comparison of auditory comprehension skills in children with cochlear implant and typically developing children

ObjectiveThe main goal of this study was to obtain auditory comprehension skills of native Hindi speaking children with cochlear implant and typically developing children across the age of 3–7 years and compare the scores between two groups. MethodologyA total of sixty Hindi speaking participants were selected for the study. They were divided into two groups- Group-A consisted of thirty children with normal hearing and Group-B thirty children using cochlear implants. To assess the auditory comprehension skills, Test of auditory comprehension in Hindi (TACH) was used. The participant was required to point to one of three pictures which would best correspond to the stimulus presented. Correct answers were scored as 1 and incorrect answers as 0. ResultsTACH was administered on for both groups. Independent t-test was applied and it was found that auditory comprehension scores of children using cochlear implant were significantly poorer than the score of children with normal hearing for all three subtests. Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed poor correlation between the scores of children with normal hearing and children using cochlear implant. ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that children using cochlear implant have poor auditory comprehension skills than children with normal hearing.

Preschool speech articulation and nonword repetition abilities may help predict eventual recovery or persistence of stuttering

PurposeIn preschool children, we investigated whether expressive and receptive language, phonological, articulatory, and/or verbal working memory proficiencies aid in predicting eventual recovery or persistence of stuttering. MethodsParticipants included 65 children, including 25 children who do not stutter (CWNS) and 40 who stutter (CWS) recruited at age 3;9–5;8. At initial testing, participants were administered the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language, 3rd edition (TACL-3), Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test, 3rd edition (SPELT-3), Bankson–Bernthal Test of Phonology-Consonant Inventory subtest (BBTOP-CI), Nonword Repetition Test (NRT; Dollaghan & Campbell, 1998), and Test of Auditory Perceptual Skills-Revised (TAPS-R) auditory number memory and auditory word memory subtests. Stuttering behaviors of CWS were assessed in subsequent years, forming groups whose stuttering eventually persisted (CWS-Per; n=19) or recovered (CWS-Rec; n=21). Proficiency scores in morphosyntactic skills, consonant production, verbal working memory for known words, and phonological working memory and speech production for novel nonwords obtained at the initial testing were analyzed for each group. ResultsCWS-Per were less proficient than CWNS and CWS-Rec in measures of consonant production (BBTOP-CI) and repetition of novel phonological sequences (NRT). In contrast, receptive language, expressive language, and verbal working memory abilities did not distinguish CWS-Rec from CWS-Per. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that preschool BBTOP-CI scores and overall NRT proficiency significantly predicted future recovery status. ConclusionResults suggest that phonological and speech articulation abilities in the preschool years should be considered with other predictive factors as part of a comprehensive risk assessment for the development of chronic stuttering.Educational objectives: At the end of this activity the reader will be able to: (1) describe the current status of nonlinguistic and linguistic predictors for recovery and persistence of stuttering; (2) summarize current evidence regarding the potential value of consonant cluster articulation and nonword repetition abilities in helping to predict stuttering outcome in preschool children; (3) discuss the current findings in relation to potential implications for theories of developmental stuttering; (4) discuss the current findings in relation to potential considerations for the evaluation and treatment of developmental stuttering.

Verbal comprehension ability in aphasia: demographic and lexical knowledge effects.

Background. Assessment of sentence-level auditory comprehension can be performed with a variety of tests varying in response requirements. A brief and easy to administer measure, not requiring an overt verbal or a complex motor response, is essential in any test battery for aphasia. Objective. The present study examines the clinical utility of receptive language indices for individuals with aphasia based on the Comprehension of Instructions in Greek (CIG), a variant of the Token Test, and the Greek version of PPVT-R. Methods. Normative data from a large community sample of Greek adults aged 46–80 years was available on both measures. A word-level-independent measure of auditory comprehension was computed as the standard score difference between the two tests and used to compare patients with and without comprehension deficits as indicated by their Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination profile. Results and Conclusions. Indices of internal consistency and test-retest reliability were very good. Education and age effects on performance were significant, with the former being stronger. The potential clinical utility of differential ability indices (contrasting sentence- and word-level auditory comprehension tests) is discussed.

Factors Contributing to Speech Perception Scores in Long-Term Pediatric Cochlear Implant Users

The objectives of this report are to (1) describe the speech perception abilities of long-term pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients by comparing scores obtained at elementary school (CI-E, 8 to 9 yrs) with scores obtained at high school (CI-HS, 15 to 18 yrs); (2) evaluate speech perception abilities in demanding listening conditions (i.e., noise and lower intensity levels) at adolescence; and (3) examine the relation of speech perception scores to speech and language development over this longitudinal timeframe. All 112 teenagers were part of a previous nationwide study of 8- and 9-yr-olds (N = 181) who received a CI between 2 and 5 yrs of age. The test battery included (1) the Lexical Neighborhood Test (LNT; hard and easy word lists); (2) the Bamford Kowal Bench sentence test; (3) the Children's Auditory-Visual Enhancement Test; (4) the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language at CI-E; (5) the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test at CI-HS; and (6) the McGarr sentences (consonants correct) at CI-E and CI-HS. CI-HS speech perception was measured in both optimal and demanding listening conditions (i.e., background noise and low-intensity level). Speech perception scores were compared based on age at test, lexical difficulty of stimuli, listening environment (optimal and demanding), input mode (visual and auditory-visual), and language age. All group mean scores significantly increased with age across the two test sessions. Scores of adolescents significantly decreased in demanding listening conditions. The effect of lexical difficulty on the LNT scores, as evidenced by the difference in performance between easy versus hard lists, increased with age and decreased for adolescents in challenging listening conditions. Calculated curves for percent correct speech perception scores (LNT and Bamford Kowal Bench) and consonants correct on the McGarr sentences plotted against age-equivalent language scores on the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test achieved asymptote at similar ages, around 10 to 11 yrs. On average, children receiving CIs between 2 and 5 yrs of age exhibited significant improvement on tests of speech perception, lipreading, speech production, and language skills measured between primary grades and adolescence. Evidence suggests that improvement in speech perception scores with age reflects increased spoken language level up to a language age of about 10 yrs. Speech perception performance significantly decreased with softer stimulus intensity level and with introduction of background noise. Upgrades to newer speech processing strategies and greater use of frequency-modulated systems may be beneficial for ameliorating performance under these demanding listening conditions.

The involvement of mora segmentation skills in the auditory comprehension process of aphasic patients

Shimizu M, Suzukamo Y, Fujiwara K, Izumi S. The involvement of mora segmentation skills in the auditory comprehension process of aphasic patients. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2011; 2: 63-70. Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the involvement of mora segmentation skills in the auditory comprehension process of aphasic patients. Methods: Several tests, such as an auditory word comprehension test, a mora segmentation test (using meaningful and meaningless words), speech discrimination test, and verbal short-term memory test, were conducted in 28 patients with aphasia, owing to left hemisphere brain damage, who had agreed to participate in the study. Results: There was no signifi cant relationship between mora segmentation skills for meaningful words and auditory comprehension (F = 0.72, p = 0.407). When mora types were analyzed separately for comparative purposes, a signifi cant relationship between auditory comprehension and mora segmentation skills for meaningful words, including only a single-kana sound, was observed (F = 7.50, p < 0.05). However, such a relationship was not observed with words that include the sound of kana “n.” There was no signifi cant difference between meaningful words and meaningless words in terms of the relationship between mora segmentation skills and auditory comprehension (total correct answers for meaningless words: F = 0.03, p = 0.857; meaningless words containing only single-kana sounds: F = 4.40, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that phoneme segmentation assists phonological perception during the process of auditory word comprehension. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the segmentation unit involved in this process is a syllable, rather than a mora; however, this possibility requires further study.

Describing the Trajectory of Language Development in the Presence of Severe-to-Profound Hearing Loss

The objective of this investigation was to describe the language growth of children with severe or profound hearing loss with cochlear implants versus those children with the same degree of hearing loss using hearing aids. A prospective longitudinal observation and analysis. University of Colorado Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences. There were 87 children with severe-to-profound hearing loss from 48 to 87 months of age. All children received early intervention services through the Colorado Home Intervention Program. Most children received intervention services from a certified auditory-verbal therapist or an auditory-oral therapist and weekly sign language instruction from an instructor who was deaf or hard of hearing and native or fluent in American Sign Language. The Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language, 3rd Edition, and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition, were the assessment tools for children 4 to 7 years of age. The expressive language subscale of the Minnesota Child Development was used in the infant/toddler period (birth to 36 mo). Average language estimates at 84 months of age were nearly identical to the normative sample for receptive language and 7 months delayed for expressive vocabulary. Children demonstrated a mean rate of growth from 4 years through 7 years on these 2 assessments that was equivalent to their normal-hearing peers. As a group, children with hearing aids deviated more from the age equivalent trajectory on the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language, 3rd Edition, and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition, than children with cochlear implants. When a subset of children were divided into performance categories, we found that children with cochlear implants were more likely to be "gap closers" and less likely to be "gap openers," whereas the reverse was true for the children with hearing aids for both measures. Children who are educated through oral-aural combined with sign language instruction can achieve age-appropriate language levels on expressive vocabulary and receptive syntax ages 4 through 7 years. However, it is easier to maintain a constant rate of development rather than to accelerate from birth through 84 months of age, which represented approximately 80% of our sample. However, acceleration of language development is possible in some children and could result from cochlear implantation.

Improved Language in a Chronic Nonfluent Aphasia Patient After Treatment With CPAP and TMS

To present pretreatment and post-treatment language data for a nonfluent aphasia patient who received 2 treatment modalities: (1) continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for his sleep apnea, starting 1-year poststroke; and (2) repetitive transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (TMS), starting 2 years poststroke. Language data were acquired beyond the spontaneous recovery period of 3 to 6 months poststroke onset. CPAP restores adequate oxygen flow throughout all stages of sleep, and may improve cognition. A series of slow, 1 Hz repetitive TMS treatments to suppress a posterior portion of right pars triangularis has been shown to improve phrase length and naming in chronic nonfluent aphasia. The Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination and Boston Naming Test were administered pre-CPAP, and after 2 to 5 months of CPAP. These same tests were administered pre-TMS, and at 3 and 6 months post-TMS, and again 2.4 years later. Post-CPAP testing showed increased Phrase Length, Auditory Comprehension, and naming Animals and Tools/Implements (Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination). Testing at 3 and 6 months post-TMS showed significant increase in Phrase Length, Auditory Comprehension, and Boston Naming Test compared with pre-TMS. These gains were retained at 2.4 years post-TMS. CPAP use continued throughout. Physiologic treatment interventions may promote language recovery in chronic aphasia.

Are the same phoneme and lexical layers used in speech production and comprehension? A case-series test of model of aphasic speech production

In this paper, we investigate the claim that although the same lexical units are involved in speech production and comprehension, there are separate input and output phoneme layers ( Foygel and Dell, 2000). Data from a case series of aphasic patients are used to test this claim by examining the relationship between performance on a test of picture naming and performance on tests of phonological input. Estimates of each patient's semantic-lexical and phonological impairments in speech production were derived from Foygel and Dell's computational model of picture naming. It was found that the strength of the semantic-lexical impairments in speech production was significantly correlated with performance on auditory comprehension tests. This finding is consistent with the claim that the same lexical units are involved in speech comprehension and production. Conversely, the correlations between the strength of the phonological lesions in speech production and performance on tests of phonological input were non-significant, consistent with Foygel and Dell's claim that there are distinct input and output phoneme layers.