Oral Fluency Test Research Articles

The Relationship Between Oral Fluency and Conversational Self-Repair Among L2 Chinese Learners

This study examines the developmental relationship between L2 Chinese oral fluency and self-repair in Dutch students learning Chinese. In this study, 76 junior Dutch students were split into two different groups based on level and were tested at two time periods (T1 and T2) for L2 Chinese fluency, which included the control variables of repetition repair, expansion, grammar, and phonological repair. The latent growth model was utilized to analyze the data. The predictive effects of the initial level and development rate of L2 oral fluency on self-repair were investigated after controlling for relevant variables. We also used diversity analysis to explore oral fluency. The univariate latent growth model was employed to examine the direction of influence among L2 Chinese oral fluency and the four types of self-repair variables, and the autoregression control model was utilized to analyze the beginner level. Gray relational analysis was used to explore the relationship among the above variables for the more advanced level group. Based on our results, the regression model performed best for predicting the relationship between the variables in the first oral fluency test as well the second. The results showed that the grammar repair skills seen in the first assessment can positively predict oral fluency ( B = 0.373, p = .001 < .05) in the second; the first expansion repair ( B = −0.250, p = .025 < .05) can negatively predict oral fluency in the second test. Specifically, by analyzing the relationship between self-repair types and second-language oral fluency, our study can enrich the theories related to conversational repair. At the same time, our study is helpful in improving learners’ oral communicative competence, teachers’ adjustment of teaching strategies, and learners’ efficient acquisition of Chinese.

Outcomes in mild hyperphenylalaninemia: a comparison with PKU and healthy controls across cognition, behaviour, and quality of life.

Considering the cognitive, behavioural and quality of life (QoL) consequences of high phenylalanine levels in early treated phenylketonuria (PKU), this study examined whether monitoring and active management of individuals with the mild form of the condition hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) would be advisable. Six individuals (aged 6 to 15) with untreated HPA were compared with six age and gender matches with PKU, and six healthy controls on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 5th edition; Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 2nd edition; Trail-Making test; Contingency Naming Test; and Oral Fluency test. Self- and parent-report rating scales administered included the Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales; Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, 2nd edition; the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and the Phenylketonuria Quality of Life (PKU group only) questionnaires. Early treated PKU participants demonstrated normal intelligence, pointing to the efficacy of dietary management. Quality of life and behavioural difficulties were observed including more severe externalising problems. HPA participants showed normal ability, including executive ability. Power was limited by the small sample. This was the first study of the New Zealand population with HPA. While there was insufficient evidence to warrant treatment, there was also insufficient evidence to safely exclude the presence of cognitive impairment.

The Effectiveness of the Mobile Learning in Developing Oral Fluency Among preparatory School Students

This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of Mobile Learning in developing oral fluency among preparatory students. The researcher adopted the Quasi-experimental design. The Participants of the study were 60 students enrolled in the first year prep pupils in Alexandria. The participants were selected from Smoha prep school for boys in Alexandria . The researcher designed oral activities based on mobile learning apps which were used in teaching the experimental group, while the traditional method was used in teaching the control one in the first term of the school year (2019-2020). A checklist was designed to identify the oral fluency skills required for the prep stage . An oral fluency test was designed by the researcher and used as a pre and posttest for the two groups. The data were analyzed statistically by using SPSS. Results of the two groups revealed a significant degree of improvement in the experimental group's oral fluency test as a whole. Whereas the improvement in pronunciation and fluency was lower than the improvement in vocabulary, grammar and comprehension.

Event- and time-based prospective memory in hemodialysis patients

Objective The present study investigated whether hemodialysis (HD) patients exhibit future memory impairment (PM; the capability of remembering to perform expected future actions) and exploring relevant factors of PM task performance. Methods Sixty HD patients and 60 healthy controls matched by age are enrolled in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Finger Span Test (DST), Oral Fluency Test (VFT), Ray Auditory Oral Learning Test (RAVLT), Received Stroop Color Word Interference Test (SCWT), and event-based PM (EBPM) and time-based PM (TBPM). Results There were no significant difference between the patients and controls in the DST-Forward digit span (9.00 ± 1.25 versus 8.97 ± 1.33, p = 0.96), the DST-Backward digit span (5.23 ± 1.98 versus. 4.60 ± 1.65, p = 0.11), the RAVLT of delayed recall (7.28 ± 2.36 versus 6.87 ± 3.33, p = 0.09) and the VFT for animals (16.70 ± 3.50 versus 17.68 ± 5.45, p = 0.56). By comparison, patients had a much worse performance than controls on the MMSE (29.10 ± 0.84 versus 28.33 ± 0.77, p < 0.001), the RAVLT of total recall (44.47 ± 5.82 versus 40.03 ± 10.46, p < 0.001) and delayed recognition (6.93 ± 1.49 versus 5.4 ± 1.33, p < 0.001), the SCWT reaction time in reading (6.47 ± 1.05 versus 7.47 ± 1.86, p < 0.001), color naming (9.07 ± 1.29 versus 11.43 ± 2.34, p < 0.001), interference (8.78 ± 1.92 versus 10.22 ± 2.91, p < 0.001) and inhibition/switching (14.53 ± 2.90 versus 19.85 ± 4.69, p < 0.001), the VFT for fruit (17.47 ± 3.18 versus 15.92 ± 4.56, p < 0.001), the EBPM task (7.85 ± 0.40 versus 7.08 ± 1.43, p = 0.01), and the TBPM task (3.30 ± 1.31 versus 2.26 ± 1.82, p < 0.001). Conclusions Our results suggest that EBPM and TBPM are impaired in HD patients and that PM may be applied to help evaluate cognitive dysfunction in HD patients.

The Influence of Literature Circles Strategy on the Development of EFL Students` Oral Fluency

The study investigated the influence of literature circles strategy on the development of EFL students` oral fluency. Two intact classes (N=100) were chosen randomly during the first semester of the school year 2018-2019 from EFL third year preparatory students, Gharbia Governorate. The participants were assigned into an experimental group (N=50) and a control group (N=50). The students of the experimental group received instruction based on literature circles, whereas the students of the control group received regular instruction. The instruments of the study, prepared by the researcher, were a pre- post oral fluency test and an oral fluency scoring rubric. The two groups were tested before and after conducting the experimentation using the instruments. Data were analyzed using SPSS. The T- test for independent and paired samples was used in the study. Results indicated the positive influence of literature circles strategy on the development of EFL third year preparatory students` oral fluency. In the light of these results, implications, recommendations, suggestions for future research and conclusions were provided.

Cognitive impact in children with “benign” childhood focal epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes

Background Cognitive alterations are associated with benign childhood focal epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS) including aspects of executive functions. Objectives This study presents the performance profile on attention and executive function tests of fifty-eight children (BCECTS, n = 30 and controls, n = 28) aged 8-13 years. Methods The following tools were employed: Vocabulary and Block Design subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III, Stroop Test, Modified Card Sorting Test, Controlled Oral Word Association – FAS and Tower of London. Results Children with BCECTS presented average IQ measure, although their performance was statistically worse when compared to the control group. Children with BCECTS showed significantly lower performance compared to the control group in the following variables: total number of recollected words on the oral fluency test, total number of categories, categorization effect and total number of errors in MCST; and execution time for the Stroop Test Card 1. After controlling for the IQ effect, the total number of errors in the MCST did not show any significant difference between the groups. Discussion Children with BCECTS showed lower performance in attention and executive functions when compared to healthy children. The results suggest that the concept of “benign” BCECTS should be reconsidered.

Prospective Multicenter Study for Evaluating Cognitive Disorders in Hematology-Oncology: A Pilot Study of 118 Patients

Introduction: Cognitive impairment occurs in a subset of cancer survivors and is generally subtle. Most evidence suggests that chemotherapy may be a cause, although other factors associated with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer may contribute. Recently, recommendations for future research in evaluating cognitive disorders have been suggested though different published studies. Nevertheless, there is a need to standardize this evaluation, particularly for neuropsychological tests. The various domains to be explored include memory disorders, decrease in oral fluency, care and concentration, slowing down of information processing. The main objective of this prospective study was to assess the feasibility for evaluating cognitive disorders with neuropsychological tests in different groups of homogeneous patients. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the cognitive disorders in these groups of patients and the impact of disease and therapeutic strategies with a follow-up period of 48 weeks.Patients and Methods: 124 previously untreated patients were included by 13 centers. 5 subgroups were defined: group 1, breast cancer T1N0 treated by local radiotherapy (n=24); group 2, breast cancer T1–T2, N+ treated by adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (n=52); group 3, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated by chemotherapy plus rituximab (n=8); group 4 colon cancer treated by adjuvant chemotherapy (n=11); group 5, multiple myeloma treated by 4–5 cycles of VAD followed by high dose therapy and autologous transplantation (n=23). Exclusion criteria included previous cognitive disorders or neurological diseases, HIV patients, other cancers, previous vascular disease or head trauma, sleep apnea, brain metastasis, metabolic disorders or neuropsychiatric drug intake. Hetero-evaluation was performed three times by neuropsychologists, at inclusion (pre-therapeutic, except for group 5 where inclusion corresponded to the pre-transplantation period), second evaluation, (24 weeks after 1st visit (V) for groups 1–4 and 12 weeks for group 5), and 3rd evaluation (48 weeks or 24 weeks respectively for groups 1–4 or 5). Intra- and inter-comparisons were made. Neuropsychological tests were performed in similar order and included: Brown Petterson test; Grober and Buschke (16 items) test; Double work; letter, number sequence; D2 test; code test; trail-making test; Stroop test; oral fluency. Statistical analysis included Mantel Haenszel tests.Results : Mean age was 57.14 years (range 31–85), with a sex ratio F:M=5.3. Body mass index and blood pressure were not significantly different between groups. Performance status was different among groups particularly for groups 3–5. Baseline evaluation included other co-morbidities and anxiety/depression status which was slightly abnormal in 7% of the patients. Test feasibility was good for the majority of them but was dependent on the group of patients, particularly for oral fluency test (not performed in 27.3% of patients in group 4). In addition, the percentage of patients who did not have other controls (V 2 and 3) varied from one group to another, but concerned less than 24% of the patients (particularly for groups 3,4 and 5). A significant increase of the number of patients presenting an alteration at V 2 and 3 but normal at V1 was observed, particularly in the trail making test (altered in 26.2% of the patients) and Brown Petterson test altered particularly after 12 months of radiotherapy (37% of patients). The Empan test was improved at visit 3 particularly for group 2.Conclusion: This pilot prospective multicenter study allows todefine and validate neuro-psychological tests for evaluating cognitive disorders andestimate the percentage of patients having impaired cognitive functions due to treatment.

Estrogen, Cognitive Function and Negative Symptoms in Female Schizophrenia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of serum reproductive hormone levels with cognitive function and negative symptoms in schizophrenic women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Thirty-five women with chronic schizophrenia who had minimal positive symptoms participated in this study. We evaluated the correlation of serum reproductive hormone levels with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and cognitive function tests such as the Immediate Visual Recognition Scale, Oral Fluency Test, List Recall Scale with List Acquisition Scale, Trail Making Tests A and B, and Digit Symbol Test. The patients were divided into two subgroups (low estradiol group and normal estradiol group) using the normal serum reference range for estradiol. Significant correlation between SANS subcategories, such as Alogia and Attention Impairment, and estradiol were found. Moreover, significant relationships between the estradiol level and the Oral Fluency Test, List Recall Scale with List Acquisition Scale, Trail Making Test B and Digit Symbol Test were observed. In the low estradiol group, the SANS scores, except for Anhedonia-Asociality and Avolition-Apathy, were significantly higher than those in the normal estradiol group. Patients in the low estradiol group had a significantly lower performance in the cognitive function tests, except Visual Recognition Scale, when compared to patients in the normal estradiol group. These results suggest that for schizophrenic women of reproductive age, lower levels of estrogen are associated with more severe negative symptomatology as well as reduced performance in cognitive function, especially verbal performance and executive functioning.

Effect of hormone replacement therapy on cognitive function in women with chronic schizophrenia

Objective. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the cognitive effects of adjuvant hormone replacement therapy (HRT) when used to treat premenopausal women with chronic schizophrenia using an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.Method. Women of childbearing age with chronic schizophrenia were recruited and randomized into placebo and HRT groups, the latter of which was administered 0.625 mg of conjugated oestrogen with 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate daily. Each group contained 14 subjects. The principal outcome measure was a cognitive function assessment comprised of the following; the Immediate Visual Recognition Scale, List Recall Scale, Oral Fluency Test, Trail-Making Tests A and B, and Digit Symbol Test. Psychopathology was measured using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. Extrapyramidal symptoms were evaluated using the Drug-Induced Extra-Pyramidal Symptoms Scale.Results. Improvements in SANS and in cognitive function as assessed using the List Recall Scale, Oral Fluency Test, and Trail-Making Test A, were significantly greater in the HRT group than in the placebo group.Conclusion. The results of this study suggest that short-term HRT is an effective adjuvant modality for improving cognitive function in women of childbearing age with chronic schizophrenia.