Speech Disorders Research Articles

Analysis for Using Noise as a Source of Data Augmentation for Dysarthric Speech Recognition

Abstract Dysarthria is a neurological speech disorder that affects the speech intelligibility of the speaker. Speech assistive aids are developed to support their communication needs. Successful speech assistive aids are developed using automatic speech recognition systems trained using their own speech data. The effectiveness and usefulness of speech recognition systems depend on the amount of speech data used for training. However, collecting a large amount of dysarthric speech data is difficult. Data augmentation involves applying transformation techniques to increase the quantity of available speech data. Adding noise data is also one of the approaches to make such transformations and create a new volume of data. However, care should be taken while using noise data for the transformation of the dysarthric speech data since dysarthria on its own is disordered data, and adding even more distortion reduces its quality of it. However, by performing a proper analysis of the noisy data, noise can also be used as a source to create new samples of dysarthric speech data. This paper concentrates on identifying noise characteristics and finding the suitability of using noise as a source for data augmentation in dysarthric speech. With the noise-augmented dysarthric speech data, dysarthric speech recognition systems were trained to evaluate the quality of the augmented data. It was noted that for dysarthric speakers, especially with the severe category, the low-frequency noise selection approach has resulted in a lower WER than the without augmentation by 12.29%.

Eupatilin mitigates ICH-induced brain injury via SOX2/SLC7A11 regulation of ferroptosis.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is an acute and potentially fatal brain disease that causes severe brain damage, resulting in hemiplegia, speech disorders, and even coma or death. Recently, oxidative stress and ferroptosis are claimed involved in the pathogenesis of ICH brain injury. Eupatilin (EUP) is a flavonoid component with promising anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress properties. The present study aimed to explore the pharmacological activity and potential mechanisms of EUP in treating ICH brain injury from the respect of ferroptosis. The ICH model was established in mouse, followed by treating with 3 and 10mg/kg EUP. Elevated mNSS score, increased brain water content, reduced Nissl bodies, and enhanced EB concentrations were observed in ICH mice, which were sharply alleviated by EUP treatments. Furthermore, increased ROS, MDA, and iNOS levels; declined SOD activities; and enhanced proinflammatory factors like interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in ICH mice were remarkably reversed by EUP. In addition, increased iron+ cells and downregulated GPX4, FTH1, and SLC7A11, as well as reduced SOX2 levels, in ICH mice were rescued by EUP. SH-SY5Y cells were stimulated by hemin, followed by treating with EUP (25 and 50μM). Enhanced ROS and MDA contents; decreased SOD activities; increased iron levels; and downregulated GPX4, FTH1, SLC7A11, and SOX2 were observed in hemin-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells, which were reversed by EUP. Moreover, silencing SOX2 abolished influences of EUP on oxidative stress and ferroptosis in hemin-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. Collectively, EUP alleviated ICH-induced secondary brain injury by repressing SOX2/SLC7A11 axis-mediated ferroptosis, which provides potential treatment strategies for ICH in the clinic.

ARID2-related disorder: further delineation of the clinical phenotype of 27 novel individuals and description of an epigenetic signature.

Rare genetic variants in ARID2 are responsible for a recently described neurodevelopmental condition called ARID2-related disorder (ARID2-RD). ARID2 belongs to PBAF, a unit of the SWI/SNF complex, which is a chromatin remodeling complex. This work aims to further delineate the phenotypic spectrum of ARID2-RD, providing clinicians with additional data for better care and aid in the future diagnosis of this condition. We obtained the genotypes and phenotypes of 27 previously unreported individuals with ARID2-RD and compared this series with findings in the literature. We also assessed peripheral blood DNA methylation profiles in individuals with ARID2-RD compared to episignatures of controls, unresolved cases, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The main clinical features of ARID2-RD are developmental delay, speech disorders, intellectual disability (ID), behavior problems, short stature, and various dysmorphic and ectodermal features. Genome-wide differential methylation analysis revealed a global hypermethylated profile in ARID2-RD that could aid in reclassifying variants of uncertain significance. Our study doubles the number of reported individuals with ARID2 pathogenic variants to 53. It confirms loss-of-function as a pathomechanism and shows the absence of a clear genotype-phenotype correlation. We provide evidence for a unique DNA methylation episignature for ARID2-RD and further delineate the ARID2-associated phenotype.

Improved whole-brain reconfiguration efficiency reveals mechanisms of speech rehabilitation in cleft lip and palate patients: an fMRI study

IntroductionCleft lip and/or palate (CLP) patients still have severe speech disorder requiring speech rehabilitation after surgical repair. The clarity of language rehabilitation is evaluated clinically by the Language Rehabilitation Scale. However, the pattern and underlying mechanisms of functional changes in the brain are not yet clear. Recent studies suggest that the brain’s reconfiguration efficiency appears to be a key feature of its network dynamics and general cognitive abilities. In this study, we compared the association between rehabilitation effects and reconfiguration efficiency.MethodsWe evaluated CLP patients with speech rehabilitation (n = 23) and without speech rehabilitation (n = 23) and normal controls (n = 25). Assessed CLP patients on the Chinese Speech Intelligibility Test Word Lists and collected fMRI data and behavioral data for all participants. We compared behavioral data and task activation levels between participants for between-group differences and calculated reconfiguration efficiencies for each task based on each participant. In patients, we correlated reconfiguration efficiency with task performance and measured the correlation between them.ResultsBehaviorally, CLP patients with rehabilitation scored significantly higher than those without rehabilitation on the Chinese Speech Intelligibility Test Word Lists. Rehabilitation caused local brain activation levels of CLP patients to converge toward those of controls, indicating rehabilitative effects on brain function. Analysis of reconfiguration efficiency across tasks at the local and whole-brain levels identified underlying recovery mechanisms. Whole-brain reconfiguration efficiency was significantly and positively correlated with task performance.ConclusionOur results suggest that speech rehabilitation can improve the level of language-related brain activity in CLP patients, and that reconfiguration efficiency can be used as an assessment index of language clarity to evaluate the effectiveness of brain rehabilitation in CLP patients, a finding that can provide a better understanding of the degree of brain function recovery in patients.

Effectiveness of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy for Speech Sound Disorders in Children: A Systematic Review

Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is an intervention approach used to remediate orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs). OMDs are abnormal patterns involving the oral and orofacial musculature that can subsequently interfere with the normal growth, development, or function of orofacial structures, including speech production. Historically, articulation therapy is used to remediate speech sound disorders (SSDs). Currently, there is a dearth of literature on the use of OMT to treat non-developmental (organic) SSDs in children. The aim of this systematic review is to examine the effectiveness of OMT in treating organic SSDs in children and adolescents between 4 and 18 years of age. A search of five electronic databases (ProQuest, Scopus, Ovid, CINAHL, and Embase) was conducted, including backward (identifying and reviewing references from earlier studies from sources) and forward searching (reviewing newer studies that have cited a source). Only primary research including OMT with post-treatment outcome measures for speech production were included. Thirteen studies were reviewed, including a total of 397 participants between 4 and 17 years of age. A range of study designs, diagnoses, and intervention approaches were discussed. Studies yielded mixed results on the effectiveness of OMT to treat organic SSDs. OMT alone, and in combination with articulation therapy, was not found to be more effective than articulation therapy alone. The methodological quality of the studies ranged from limited to strong. Findings from high quality studies showed no improvement to speech that could be directly attributed to OMT, and lower quality studies yielded mixed results. This review found no conclusive evidence supporting the use of OMT as a standalone treatment for the effective remediation of SSDs. This is attributed to significant variability in speech outcomes, small sample sizes, limited comparison groups, diverse participant diagnoses, and inconsistent methodologies and treatment protocols, yielding mixed results. In addition, while the term OMT was used in the papers to designate treatment methodology, an analysis of the exercise descriptions revealed that some reported OMT exercises were non-speech oral motor exercises (NSOMEs) and oral motor therapies. Overall, many of the techniques utilized across studies did not provide speech-like movements in their therapeutic interventions based on their description. Finally, traditional articulation therapy, including speech drills to work on articulation disorders, was not included in many of the included studies. SLPs using OMT as a modality would typically combine this with articulation practice to treat the SSD. This study highlights the need for robust future studies including prospective cohort studies to compare OMT, combined OMT and articulation therapy, and articulation therapy alone to provide clearer guidance for future clinical practice.

Is there any room for ChatGPT AI bot in speech-language pathology?

This study investigates the potential of the ChatGPT-4.0 artificial intelligence bot to assist speech-language pathologists (SLPs) by assessing its accuracy, comprehensiveness, and relevance in various tasks related to speech, language, and swallowing disorders. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 15 practicing SLPs evaluated ChatGPT-4.0's responses to task-specific queries across six core areas: report writing, assessment material generation, clinical decision support, therapy stimulus generation, therapy planning, and client/family training material generation. English prompts were created in seven areas: speech sound disorders, motor speech disorders, aphasia, stuttering, childhood language disorders, voice disorders, and swallowing disorders. These prompts were entered into ChatGPT-4.0, and its responses were evaluated. Using a three-point Likert-type scale, participants rated each response for accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness based on clinical expectations and their professional judgment. The study revealed that ChatGPT-4.0 performed with predominantly high accuracy, comprehensiveness, and relevance in tasks related to speech and language disorders. High accuracy, comprehensiveness, and relevance levels were observed in report writing, clinical decision support, and creating education material. However, tasks such as creating therapy stimuli and therapy planning showed more variation with medium and high accuracy levels. ChatGPT-4.0 shows promise in assisting SLPs with various professional tasks, particularly report writing, clinical decision support, and education material creation. However, further research is needed to address its limitations in therapy stimulus generation and therapy planning to improve its usability in clinical practice. Integrating AI technologies such as ChatGPT could improve the efficiency and effectiveness of therapeutic processes in speech-language pathology.

Exploring tele-speech therapy: A scoping review of interventions, applications, benefits, and challenges.

Exploring tele-speech therapy: A scoping review of interventions, applications, benefits, and challenges.

Modeling of inclusive strategies for personalized psychological and pedagogical support for children with special educational needs

Introduction. The research is aimed at solving urgent problems of meeting the demands of the Russian and international education system in unlocking the potential and content of personalized psychological and pedagogical support for children with special educational needs. The purpose of the study is to substantiate and design models of inclusive strategies for personalized psychological and pedagogical support for children with special educational needs, namely, children with severe speech disorders and children on long–term stay in a medical institution. Materials and methods. The first two blocks of research program allowed to cover 162 teachers working with long-term ill children in the hospital schools of the UchiMznai project, as well as teachers working with children with speech disorders in educational institutions. The third research unit combined data from the study of 64 families raising children with severe speech disorders. The research is based on the author's survey systems of respondents and personalized educational methods (T.B. Filicheva, T.V. Tumanova, O.V. Yugova). The results of the study. The conceptual and categorical apparatus is specified within the framework of the stated topic; the readiness of teachers working with children with special educational needs for inclusive strategies of personalized psychological and pedagogical support within the framework of the levels is studied: low (46%); intuitive-situational (28%); initial-paradigmatic (22%); the level of conscious motivational and meaningful readiness (4%). Models and algorithms for personalized education of children with special educational needs have been designed (using the example of long-term ill children and children with severe speech disorders); micro- and mesoprograms of educational orientation have been developed and tested. Groups of parents were identified: active (25%), delegating (53%), passive (22%). KEYWORDS Conclusion. A universal model for building inclusive strategies for personalized psychological and pedagogical support for children with special educational needs has been designed. The importance of appropriate training of personnel and the formation of their professional competencies is determined. Strategies for involving parents of children in this process are revealed.

Perceptual analysis of acquired dysarthria

The term 'dysarthria' refers to a speech motor execution disorder that arises from damage to the central and/or peripheral nervous system. The condition is linked to various neurological acute pathologies (like stroke or head trauma), neurodegenerative illnesses (such as Parkinson's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and progressive or inflammatory disorders (like multiple sclerosis). Neurological lesions can impact the systems involved in speech production, such as the ventilatory system, the laryngeal stage, the articulators, and the resonators. This can ultimately lead to dysarthria, which can have a wide range of effects on vocal breathing, voice quality, articulation, resonance, and prosody, either independently or in combination. However, there is little research in this field in Arabic. Currently, there is limited research on perceptual assessment in speech therapy. Therefore, in order to further this area of research, we will conduct a perceptual analysis on a case of post-stroke dysarthria.

Neurobehavioral Outcomes of Children with Antenatal Exposure to Antiseizure Medications.

To evaluate the effect of antiepileptic medications prescribed to mothers during pregnancy on the development and behavior of children. From the Kerala Registry of Epilepsy and Pregnancy, 98 children between the ages of 1½ to 2½ y were consecutively chosen. Children of mothers who did not have epilepsy during pregnancy and not exposed to antiseizure medications (ASMs) antenatally were selected as comparator group. Developmental assessment of the children was performed using Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (DASII) and Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Scale (REELS). Behavior outcomes were assessed using Child Behavior Checklist. A significant delay in expressive language skills was seen in children exposed to antiseizure medication with an odds ratio of 2.539 (95% CI 1.10,5.85, P = 0.026). A delay in expressive language skills was seen in polytherapy with clobazam (odds ratio 6.83; 95% CI 2.17, 21.56, P < 0.001). Also, delay was seen in receptive language skills in the same polytherapy group (odds ratio of 7.333; 95% CI 2.16, 24.92, P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between study and comparative groups in motor and mental quotient domains and behavioral outcomes. The finding of speech delay in children exposed to ASMs is significant since individuals with a history of childhood speech or language disorders may experience long-term difficulties in mental health, social well-being, and academic outcomes.

Speak-up: web-based speech disorder detection system with recommended speech therapy for grade four and five elementary students using Convolutional Neural Network

Speak-up: web-based speech disorder detection system with recommended speech therapy for grade four and five elementary students using Convolutional Neural Network

Culturally Responsive Practices for Improved Speech-language Pathology and Audiology Interventions in South Africa

Cultural and linguistic diversity poses significant challenges in diagnosing and treating speech, language, and hearing disorders. This short communication underscores the necessity of integrating culturally responsive practices within the South African National Health Insurance (NHI) framework, utilizing implementation science to promote equitable care. We outline a framework for developing and implementing culturally sensitive interventions, training programs for healthcare providers, and strategies to ensure inclusivity in patient care. Insights from pilot programs and the implications for health policy and practice within the NHI context are also discussed.

Improving Stuttering Through Augmented Multisensory Feedback Stimulation

Background/Objectives: Stuttering is a speech disorder involving fluency disruptions like repetitions, prolongations, and blockages, often leading to emotional distress and social withdrawal. Here, we present Augmented Multisensory Feedback Stimulation (AMFS), a novel personalized intervention to improve speech fluency in people who stutter (PWS). AMFS includes a five-day intensive phase aiming at acquiring new skills, plus a reinforcement phase designed to facilitate the transfer of these skills across different contexts and their automatization into effortless behaviors. The concept of our intervention derives from the prediction of the neurocomputational model Directions into Velocities of Articulators (DIVA). The treatment applies dynamic multisensory stimulation to disrupt PWS’ maladaptive over-reliance on sensory feedback mechanisms, promoting the emergence of participants’ natural voices. Methods: Forty-six PWS and a control group, including twenty-four non-stuttering individuals, participated in this study. Stuttering severity and physiological measures, such as heart rate and electromyographic activity, were recorded before and after the intensive phase and during the reinforcement stage in the PWS but only once in the controls. Results: The results showed a significant reduction in stuttering severity at the end of the intensive phase, which was maintained during the reinforcement training. Crucially, worse performance was found in PWS than in the controls at baseline but not after the intervention. In the PWS, physiological signals showed a reduction in activity during the training phases compared to baseline. Conclusions: Our findings show that AMFS provides a promising approach to enhancing speech fluency. Future studies should clarify the mechanisms underlying such intervention and assess whether effects persist after the treatment conclusion.

Clinical and genetic findings in autism spectrum disorders analyzed using exome sequencing.

In the present study, CMA was first used to scan for genome-wide copy number variants in the patient, and no clinically significant copy number variants were found. Exome sequencing (ES) was used for further genetic testing. ES was performed on 20 subjects. Eighty percent of our sample presented intellectual disability. Other co-occurring clinical conditions included speech disorders, psychomotor delay, the presence of dysmorphic features and medical co-morbidities. A pathogenic variant was identified in 10 patients (ADNP, FBN1, WAC, ASXL3, NR4A2, ALX4, ANKRD1, POGZ, SHANK3 and BPTF). Patients with a positive finding in ES were more likely to present a dysmorphic trunk, more than three dysmorphic features, hypotonia, psychomotor delay and strabismus. ES offers expanded diagnostic options for patients with ASD who are negative on CMA. However, further studies are needed for a better understanding of ASD etiology and also the different phenotypes.

Stuttering: Our Current Knowledge, Research Opportunities, and Ways to Address Critical Gaps

Abstract Our understanding of the neurobiological bases of stuttering remains limited, hampering development of effective treatments that are informed by basic science. Stuttering affects more than 5% of all preschool-age children and remains chronic in approximately 1% of adults worldwide. As a condition that affects a most fundamental human ability to engage in fluid and spontaneous verbal communication, stuttering can have substantial psychosocial, occupational, and educational impacts on those who are affected. This article summarizes invited talks and breakout sessions that were held in June 2023 as part of a 2-day workshop sponsored by the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The workshop encompassed topics including neurobiology, genetics, speech motor control, cognitive, social, and emotional impacts, and intervention. Updates on current research in these areas were summarized by each speaker, and critical gaps and priorities for future research were raised, and then discussed by participants. Research talks were followed by smaller, moderated breakout sessions intended to elicit diverse perspectives, including on the matter of defining therapeutic targets for stuttering. A major concern that emerged following participant discussion was whether priorities for treatment in older children and adults should focus on targeting core speech symptoms of stuttering, or on embracing effective communication regardless of whether the speaker exhibits overt stuttering. This article concludes with accumulated convergent points endorsed by most attendees on research and clinical priorities that may lead to breakthroughs with substantial potential to contribute to bettering the lives of those living with this complex speech disorder.

Can We Trust Our Ears? How Accurate and Reliable Are Speech-Language Pathologists' Estimates of Children's Speech Intelligibility?

This study aimed to investigate the accuracy and reliability of subjective intelligibility estimates of young children's speech made by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) compared to naive listeners, and to examine how the severity of the child's speech impairment influences SLPs' intelligibility estimates. Eighteen certified SLPs and 18 naive listeners provided intelligibility ratings of single-word speech samples produced by six preschoolers with speech disorders. All listeners rated intelligibility using two different methods: orthographic transcription and subjective estimation of the percentage of words understood. Absolute differences between estimated and transcription intelligibility scores were used to examine accuracy of intelligibility estimates in both listener groups, and intraclass correlations were used to evaluate interrater reliability. Subjective intelligibility estimates differed from orthographic transcription-based intelligibility scores by 12.4% in the SLP listener group and 18.9% in the naive listener group. Interrater reliability of estimated intelligibility was substantially lower than transcription intelligibility in both listener groups. Results of this preliminary study suggest that subjective intelligibility estimates by SLPs are not adequately accurate or reliable for measurement of children's speech intelligibility.

Speech-Language Pathologists' Perceptions of the Severity of Speech Sound Disorder.

Severity is a qualitative judgment typically made by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to represent the impact of speech sound disorder (SSD) on a child's functional communication. Despite the influence of severity on clinical practice, there is no gold standard as to how SLPs should determine such a rating. The purpose of this study was to explore SLPs' perceptions regarding the concept of severity of SSD. An embedded mixed-methods research design was selected for this study to support the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. An online survey of 30 closed-ended and 10 open-ended questions was created using Research Electronic Data Capture and disseminated to currently practicing SLPs across the United States. A total of 296 surveys were completed, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for the quantitative data and inductive content analysis for the qualitative data. The majority of SLPs reported that they determine severity when assessing children with SSD. However, the mixed-methods analysis showed that SLPs disagreed in their decision making on whether to use severity ratings. The top five factors SLPs consider when judging severity are types of errors, intelligibility, perceptual judgment, normative data for speech sound development, and standardized percentile rankings with the addition of stimulability through qualitative responses. SLPs need a standard biopsychosocial model for determining severity that truly evaluates the "impact" of SSD on a child's communicative participation and attitudes. Recommendations for clinical use of holistic assessments and future research on currently established severity rating scales are discussed.

Analyzing latent social effects of social initiatives through social return on investment (SROI) analysis in wartime: a critical examination from an applied sociology perspective

While Social Return on Investment (SROI) serves as a widely adopted interdisciplinary analytical tool across economic, social and behavioral disciplines, its empirical and applied sociological perspectives have been underutilized, especially in the context of wartime. This article provides an examination of a specific case involving SROI analysis of the ‘DyvoHra’ initiative, a Ukrainian social enterprise launched to address the pressing need for education among individuals with speech disorders. Against the backdrop of wartime challenges, the initiative’s overarching goal is to ensure access to education, medical care, and social services through the creation of adapted books with picture symbols. By engaging diverse stakeholders, combining qualitative and quantitative data, and considering both intended and unintended consequences, the study explores the latent effects of the initiative on various beneficiaries. ‘DyvoHra’ demonstrates a remarkable SROI ratio of 9:1, indicating substantial social and economic value creation. The findings underscore the significance of ‘DyvoHra’ in creating lasting positive change and provide insights for future initiatives in similar contexts. The narrative explores the challenges, advantages, and limitations of SROI analysis, discussing its plausible standing in the realm of applied sociology. In comparison to alternative methodologies, SROI demonstrates effectiveness in uncovering latent social effects.

Skills Associated With Atypical Phonological Errors in English: A Scoping Review.

Few clinicians report incorporating error type in their assessment of speech sound disorders, despite research reporting differences between children who produce typical and atypical phonological errors. The purpose of this scoping review was to map what is currently known about the related skills of English-speaking children who produce typical versus atypical phonological errors in order to summarize currently available evidence for clinical decision making concerning atypical phonological errors. A systematic search of databases was completed, including PubMed, Scopus, and APA PsycInfo. Studies that were published between 1985 and 2023, were peer-reviewed, and reported on a related skill for typical and atypical phonological errors were included. The scoping review was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Twenty-seven studies were included in the review. These studies were organized into six themes: persistence of speech errors, emergent literacy difficulties, executive function difficulties, language skills, speech perception and auditory processing, and motor skills. Atypical but not typical phonological errors were related to persistence of speech errors. Emergent literacy difficulties, particularly phonological awareness difficulties, and executive function difficulties were frequently reported to be associated with atypical but not typical phonological errors. Motor skills were similar for children who produced typical and atypical errors. More research is needed for speech perception, auditory processing, and language skills. Children who produce atypical phonological errors have different strengths and weaknesses in related skills than children who produce typical phonological errors. Children who produce atypical phonological errors may benefit from phonological awareness and/or early literacy assessments and intervention.

Deficits of Attention and Working Memory in Patients with Gliomas of Supplementary Motor Area.

Objectives: The effects of brain tumors located in the supplementary motor area (SMA) have so far been described mainly in the context of motor and speech disorders. There are few studies that have considered other cognitive domains, so this study aimed to fill this gap by focusing on examining attention and working memory in a population of patients with gliomas in the SMA region. Methods: This study included 50 patients diagnosed with gliomas located in the SMA who have not yet had any treatment and 57 demographically matched healthy individuals. A set of neuropsychological tests was conducted to assess attention and working memory: Digit Span from WAIS-R, Visual Elevator from TEA, Verbal Fluency Test (switching condition), and Color Trails Test (CTT). Results: The analyses showed that patients scored lower in most of the evaluated tests and indicators, namely in Digit Span-forward (t = -2.05; p = 0.022), Digit Span-backward (t = -2.63; p = 0.005), CTT-2 (t = 4.24; p = 0.001), CTT-interference (t = 2.31; p = 0.012), Visual Elevator-time (t = 1.83; p = 0.035), Visual Elevator-accuracy (t = -2.42, p = 0.010), and Verbal Fluency-switching (t = -3.41; p = 0.001). A significant relationship was also demonstrated between the grade of tumor malignancy and the results achieved in some of the neuropsychological tests. The lateralization of the tumor, the size of the lesion, and the presence of epilepsy did not prove to be particularly significant. Conclusions: Due to the significant decline in cognitive performance in terms of attention and working memory, we believe that every patient with a tumor in the SMA should undergo a detailed neuropsychological examination, which will profile their functioning and help tailor the best possible psychological care.