Nature Of Language Impairment Research Articles

A-175 Logopenic Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia in a 66-Year Old Female—A Case Study

Abstract Objective The semantic, logopenic, and nonfluent/aggramatic variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) have distinct clinical profiles. However, much overlap exists and many questions remain regarding the nature of language impairments in each variant. This case study seeks to contribute to our understanding of the neuropsychological profile, syntactic, and phonological processes involved in logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA). Method The current case study was of a 66-year old female who gradually developed symptoms consistent with lvPPA during the prior four-year period, with marked worsening in the last few months. A collateral informant indicated that she was independent for basic and advanced activities of daily living. Brain/head imaging had not been conducted; medical history was unremarkable. Results Speech was notable for frequent pauses due to word-finding difficulty, circumlocution, and impaired naming, repetition, and verbal abstraction; fluency and comprehension were intact. Test data revealed significant impairments in tasks mediated by language including verbal processing speed, semantic knowledge, phonemic and semantic fluency, verbal learning and memory, verbal set-shifting, and judgment. Comprehension, non-verbal attention and processing speed, recognition for visual information, and performance on tasks of non-verbal executive functioning were intact. Depression and anxiety were denied. Conclusions Findings were notable for prominent language deficits, with preserved articulation, basic comprehension, and no evidence of visual agnosia. Her progression of symptoms, medical history, and test data were not consistent with a typical Alzheimer’s or vascular process, but were most consistent with lvPPA. Neurology consultation, MRI brain with volumetric analysis, and speech therapy were recommended.

Nomınal and Verbal Predıcate Use in Schızophrenıa

Objective. Schizophrenia’s first characteristics invokes the notion of disordered thought and language. Accordingly one of several diagnostic characteristics of schizophrenia is an impairment of verbal communication. To determine the detailed nature of language impairments taking into consideration these problems the aim of the present study was to analyze nominal and verbal predicate use produced by schizophrenic patients and control group during their speech as both predicates require different processings.
 Materials & Methods. Fifty patients with schizophrenia diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria were included into the study and compared to fifty healthy subjects matched for age, sex and education level with the patients participated in the study. The subjects’ speech was evaluated by using picture description test, picture story telling test, subject-based narration test and free verbal narration test. The data consisted of 8–10 minute recorded interviews. The recordings were transcribed based on Du Bois’ Discourse Transcription Symbols and analyzed statistically and linguistically.
 Results. The results showed that the number of nominal and verbal predicates used by the patients with schizophrenia differed from the control group. Schizophrenia patients preferred nominal predicates more than control group in all tests. However, control group used significantly more verbal predicates in all tests.
 Conclusions. In this study it was hypothesized that language used by the patients with schizophrenia plays a central role in the this disease than commonly supposed and the phenomena of schizophrenic language can be regarded as reflections of a more basic disturbance of thought. At the end of the study based on this hypothesis patients were concluded to have simplified speech in addition to the disorganized speech defined in the field. The reason for this simplification is thought to be because of the predicate processing in the brain. The complement of a verb is always a noun phrase, which can be simple or complex, the patients tended to use nominal predicates more as it did not require any constituents and thus they simlified their speech because of their language and thought disorders.

List intonation in pre-schoolers with normal and disordered language development

The principal aim of this study was to evaluate pre-schoolers’ expressive intonation in light of current debates about the underlying nature of language impairment (LI). Children with LI typically have deficits in grammar, a component of language that is phonologically represented on the segmental level. The hypothesis is that children with LI do not have deficits of this type when grammar is conveyed by intonation, a pitch-based component of language that is phonologically represented on the suprasegmental level. This study focused on the richly diversified suprasegmental patterns of sentences in which the speaker produces a series of items in a list. To address the hypothesis, list intonation in the speech of 4-year-olds with and without LI was acoustically analysed. Lists produced by children with LI were comparable to those produced by children with normal language development (NL). The results do not support the claim that LI stems from a poor understanding of grammatical principles. Rather, LI reflects an underlying impairment of segmental information processing. The discussion focuses on two characteristics of pitch contours which may account for the resilience of intonation in children with LI. Namely, steady state versus transient signals and universal symbol meanings versus arbitrary relationships between form and function.

Evidence-based intervention for preschool children with primary speech and language impairments: Child Talk – an exploratory mixed-methods study

BackgroundThe Child Talk study aimed to develop an evidence-based framework to support the decision-making of speech and language therapists (SLTs) as they design and plan interventions appropriate to the needs of individual children with primary speech and language impairments and their families. The need for early identification and effective intervention for these children continues to be a government policy priority because of the link between children’s early speech and language skills and their broader well-being and outcomes in later life. The first phase of Child Talk sought to map and describe current SLT practice for these children; identify and summarise the existing research evidence relating to practice; and investigate the perspectives of parents, early years practitioners, preschool children and ‘underserved’ communities on speech and language therapy. The second phase of Child Talk focused on the development of a toolkit – assessment tools, outcome measures and a data set – to support future service and economic evaluations of the framework.MethodsChild Talk adopted a mixed-methods design. Quantitative methods included surveys and investigated the prevalence and patterns of intervention usage; qualitative data collection methods included focus groups, interviews and reflection to investigate participants’ perspectives and understandings of interventions. Data analysis methods included descriptive and inferential statistics, thematic and content analysis and framework analysis. Participants were recruited nationally through six NHS sites, professional bodies, parent groups and advertising. Participants included SLTs (n = 677), parents (n = 84), preschool children (n = 24), early years practitioners (n = 31) and ‘underserved’ communities (n = 52).Key findingsSpeech and language therapy interventions were characterised in terms of nine themes, viewed as comprehensive and inclusive by practitioners. Relevant assessments, interventions and outcome domains were identified for the nine themes. Areas of tacit knowledge and underspecified processes contributed to variability in the detail of the framework. Systematic reviews identified 58 relevant and robust studies (from 55,271 papers retrieved from the initial literature search). The number of studies relevant to each theme varied from 1 to 33. Observational data on preschool children’s perspectives on speech and language therapy interventions revealed the dynamic nature of their interaction with different activities and people within therapy sessions. Parents’ experiences of speech and language therapy were generally positive although some reported that the rationale for therapy was not always clear. Parental perspectives in underserved communities suggested that, although parents were confident about how to support children’s language development, they were less informed about the nature of language impairments and the function of speech and language therapy. The availability of information regarding resources directed towards speech and language therapy services was poor. In particular, services lacked both a culture of collecting outcome data routinely and measures of professional input and costs associated with their activities.ConclusionA descriptive framework of SLT practice has been developed to support the discussions between therapists and families when making decisions regarding the selection of interventions and outcome measures. Further research is needed to address gaps in the intervention framework and evaluate its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in improving outcomes for preschool children with primary speech and language impairments.Study registrationThis study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42013006369.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research programme.

Prevalence and Nature of Language Impairment in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Prevalence and Nature of Language Impairment in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Language and Auditory Processing Problems in ADHD

Free AccessLanguage and Auditory Processing Problems in ADHDDonna GeffnerDonna Geffner1. St. John's University. She is the author of ADHDSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:July 2006https://doi.org/10.1521/adhd.2006.14.3.1PDFPDF PLUS ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations AboutREFERENCESAckerman , E., Dykman, R., Oglesby, D., & Newton J. (1994). EEG power specta of children with dyslexia, slow learners, and normally reading children with ADD during verbal processing. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27, 619–630. Crossref, Google ScholarAmerican Speech–Language Hearing Association Task Force on Central Auditory processing Consensus Development. (1996). Central auditory processing: Current status of research and implications for clinical practice. American Journal of Audiology, 5, 41–51. Crossref, Google ScholarAmerican Speech–Language–Hearing Association. (2005). (Central) Auditory Processing Disorders: Technical report. www.asha.org/members/deskref–journals/deskref/default, accessed 5/2005. Google ScholarBarkley, R. (2006). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment (3d ed.). New York: Guilford. Google ScholarBecker , J. T., & Morris, R. G. (1999). Working memories. Brain and Cognition, 61, 1–8 Google ScholarBloom , ?. ?. (1988). In M. Lahey Language Disorders and Language Development. New York: Macmillan. Google ScholarBreier , J.I., Gary, L., Fletcher, J.M., Diehl, R. L., Klass, P., Foorman, B. R., et al. (2001). Perception of voice and tone onset time continua in children with dyslexia with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 80, 245–270. Crossref, Google ScholarClarke , A., Barry, R., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz M., & Croft, R. (2002). EEG differences between good and poor responders to methylphenidate in boys with the Inattentivetype of ADHD. Clinical Neurophysiology, 113, 1191–1198. Crossref, Google ScholarCohen , N. J., Vallance, D. D., Barwick, M., & Im, N. (2000). The interface between ADHD and language impairment: An examination of the language achievement, and cognitive processing. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 41 (3), 353. Crossref, Google ScholarDiMaggio, C., & Geffner, D. (2003, November). Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, speech and language delay, reading difficulties, and family factors associated with CAPD in children. Paper presented at the annual convention of the American Academy of Audiology, Salt Lake City, UT. Google ScholarGeffner, D. (2005). Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: What Professionals Need to Know. Eau Claire, WI. Thinking Publications. Google ScholarGeffner , D. & Koch, W. (1996). Perception of loudness in children with ADD and without ADD. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 26 (3), 191–202. Google ScholarJohn , E., Corning, W., Easton, E., Brown, D., Ahn, H., John, M., et al. (1977). Neurometrics: Numerical taxonomy identifies different profiles of brain functions within groups of behaviorally similar people. Science, 1961393–1410. Crossref, Google ScholarLucker , J., Geffner, D., & Koch, W. (1996). Perception of loudness in children with ADD and without ADD. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 26 (3), 181–190. Crossref, Google ScholarMcInnes , A., Humpheries, T., Hogg–Johnson, S., & Tannock, R. (2003). Listening comprehension and working memory are impaired in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder irrespective of language impairment. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31 (4), 427. Crossref, Google ScholarWestby , C. E., & Cutler, S. K. (1994). Language and ADHD: Understanding the bases and treatment of self–regulatory deficits. Topics in Language Disorders, 14 (4), 58–76. Crossref, Google Scholar Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Cited byCited by1. Prevalence and Nature of Language Impairment in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderOnline publication date: Go to citation Crossref Google ScholarLaurence Jerome2. Letter to the EditorOnline publication date: 21 December 2006. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar Volume 14Issue 3Jun 2006 Information© The Guilford PressPDF download

Early speech- and language-impaired children: linguistic, literacy, and social outcomes

The aim of this study was to follow-up prospectively a cohort of preschool children originally recruited from successive referrals to speech and language therapy community clinics and to investigate their linguistic, literacy, and social outcomes at 7 to 10 years of age. Three hundred and fifty children aged 84 to 113 months (mean age 99.9mo [SD 5.4mo]) were singletons from monolingual backgrounds where there was concern about their speech and language development. Children who had severe learning difficulties, autism, oromotor deficits, dysfluency, or dysphonia were excluded. Altogether 196 (56%), 134 males and 62 females, were seen at follow-up. A control group of children who had never been referred for speech and language therapy, 57% of whom were males, was also recruited (n=94; mean age 104.4mo [SD 6.8mo]). All children were assessed on standardized measures of speech, language, and literacy. Teachers and parents completed questionnaires on educational and social outcomes. In total, 139 children in the cohort were within the normal range on standardized language assessments. About 30% of the original cohort of children continue to struggle with language, literacy, and social difficulties. The study demonstrates the long-term nature of language impairment and reinforces the need for awareness among professionals in child development and education of the ongoing needs of this population of children.

Patterns of language impairment and behaviour in boys excluded from school

High levels of behaviour problems are found in children with language impairments, but less is known about the level and nature of language impairment in children with severe behavioural problems. In particular, previous data suggest that at primary age, receptive impairments are more closely related to behaviour problems, whereas expressive language has a closer link at a later age. The study assessed expressive and receptive language problems in boys excluded from primary and secondary schools, to investigate the extent of impairment, the pattern of relations between age, receptive and expressive language, and relations with different aspects of behaviour. Nineteen boys (8 - 16 years of age) who had been excluded from school and 19 non-excluded controls matched for age and school participated. The sample was given assessments of: receptive language from the British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS), and Wechsler Objective Language Dimensions (WOLD); expressive-language evaluations from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC); auditory working memory evaluations from the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF); verbal reasoning (from the WISC); and non-verbal IQ assessments Raven's matrices. Teachers completed behaviour ratings using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Excluded boys were significantly poorer than controls on expressive measures but similar on receptive language and non-verbal IQ. Boys excluded from primary school were poorer than controls on auditory working memory. Expressive problems were linked with high levels of emotional symptoms. Many of the excluded boys had previously unidentified language problems, supporting the need for early recognition and assessment of language in boys with behaviour problems. Expressive problems in particular may be a risk factor.

Investigation of Language Impairment in Zulu

Research into the nature of language impairment in African languages is just beginning (Demuth and Suzman, 1997). This paper presents findings from two case studies of Zulu children diagnosed as language-impaired. Speech samples from Sipho, 2;7 and 3;7 and Nompumelelo 5;6 were analysed for phonology, morphology, syntax and pragmatics. From these case studies, a profile of language impairment begins to emerge for Zulu. It is characterized by use of simple sentences and nonstandard verbal complexes. It reflects differential access to morphology. Children use NC and agreement morphology productively but they do not have access of subtle syntactic markers encoding semantic complexity. Infrequent use of verb extensions, participials, subjunctives and relative clause markers in Zulu contributes to reliance on simple sentences and stereotyped connectives.

Effects of Word Processing and Short‐term Memory Deficits on Verbal Learning: Evidence from Aphasia

We report two experiments that investigate the abilities of aphasic subjects with lexical and short‐term memory impairments to learn supraspan lists of 10 words. We examined effects of stimulus factors (characteristics of words and lists to be learned) and subject factors (verbal and nonverbal STM span, nature of language impairment). Learning ability was influenced by the imageability and frequency of the words to be learned (Experiment 1) and by the linguistic relationship among words in a list (Experiment 2). Additionally, learning ability was affected by the nature of a subject's word processing deficit (whether it involved semantic and/or phonological processes). Phonological ability was positively associated with learning in both experiments, and semantic ability was associated with learning when words in a list were high in both frequency and imageability (Experiment 1) or were contextually related to one another (Experiment 2). Finally, verbal STM span was positively related to learning performance, but the effect was more pronounced for word span than digit span. These relationships among word processing ability, verbal STM span, and learning ability are discussed with reference to learning in aphasia and to models of learning more generally.

On the nature of language impairment in Down syndrome

On the nature of language impairment in Down syndrome

A Comparison of Tactful Messages by Children With and Without Language Impairment

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the level of tactfulness produced in messages constructed by school-age children with language impairment (LI) and school-age children with normal language development (NL). The LI children were enrolled in special classes for children with language impairments. They ranged in age from 8 to 12 years. They were matched by gender and chronological age to a group of NL children from the same school district. The subjects were presented with role-playing situations that required the construction of tactful messages. The responses were coded according to a five-point heirarchical system that reflected tactfulness. The procedures and scoring systems were adapted from the research of Pearl, Donahue, and Bryan (1985). The LI children gave significantly less tactful messages than the NL children. Developmental advances in the scores were noted only for the NL children. The results are discussed in terms of the nature of language impairment and clinical significance.