Staggered Spondaic Word Research Articles

The Staggered Spondaic Word Test: Practical Use

The Staggered Spondaic Word Test: Practical Use

Auditory Perception and Lateralization in Prepubertal Children with Depressive and Nondepressive Emotional Disorders

A total of 30 prepubertal children with emotional disorders and 17 normal control children were tested, drug-free, on a monotic click detection task, a dichotic consonant-vowel discrimination task, and a dichotic word task (Staggered Spondaic Word Test). Seventeen children with emotional disorders met adult Research Diagnostic Criteria for major depressive disorders and 13 met DSM-III criteria for nondepressive neurotic disorders. Depressed children did not differ from normal control children in monotic sensitivity, accuracy of dichotic speech perception, or right ear (left hemisphere) advantage. These negative results for depressed children contrast with: (a) poorer monolic sensitivity and dichotic consonant-vowel perception in children with nondepressive neurotic disorders, and (b) prior findings of abnormal auditory sensitivity and dichotic lateralization in depressed adults.

The effect of linguistic background on staggered spondaic word and dichotic consonant vowel scores.

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of linguistic background on scores obtained by native and non-native subjects on two dichotic speech tests in American English, the staggered spondaic word (SSW) and the dichotic consonant-vowel (CV) tests. Thirty subjects whose native languages were either Hindi or Arabic were tested. Test findings were compared to results obtained from 10 native English-speaking subjects. The non-native English speakers showed abnormally high error scores on the SSW test while the native speakers performed with no errors on that test. Performance on the dichotic CV test was comparable for both the native English and the Hindi subjects, while the Arabic subjects performed significantly worse than the two other groups. These data indicate that tests of speech perception using English must be interpreted with caution when administered to non-native English speakers, and that neither the SSW nor the dichotic CV tests may be assumed to be free of linguistic bias.

A psychoacoustic assessment of central auditory processing in children who exhibit learning impairments

A psychoacoustic test battery consisting of the Jack Willeford Central Auditory Assessment Battery and the Jack Katz Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) Test was administered to 45 learning‐impaired children that ranged in age from 6 to 16 years. Their learning impairments occurred in one or in a combination of the following academic areas: math, reading, and writing. None of the children qualified for placement in existing learning‐impaired classrooms. Subtest analysis of right‐ and left‐ear scores was performed to determine the effectiveness of the test material for identification of auditory perceptual deficits that may contribute to the children's learning impairments. Diagnostic patterns and educational implications will be discussed and interpreted.

Simultaneous and staggered dichotic word and digit tests with stutterers and nonstutterers

The present study compared the performance of stuttering adults and matched controls on the Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) test and three experimental digit tests—Two Pair Digit—TPD, Staggered Digits Simultaneous—SDS, and Staggered Digits Offset—SDO. Results indicated differences between stuttering and nonstuttering group mean values on the left ear scores of the TPD test, and on the numbers of reversals on both the SDS and SDO tests. The SSW, SDS, and SDO tests were all found to produce similar results in both stutteres and nonstutterers. However, the numbers of reversals on the SDS and SDO tests were significantly greater than those observed on the SSW test for both groups. Finally, the TPD test was found to be significantly more difficult for both groups than either of the other two experimental tests (i.e., SDS and SDO). These results are discussed in terms of similarity and differences with other dichotic listening studies. Limitations of the study and implications for further research are also presented.

Central auditory processing and attention deficit disorders.

Nineteen children who met criteria for attention deficit disorder (ADD) received neurodevelopmental attention testing and central auditory processing (CAP) tests. The CAP tests consisted of the Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) test and the Willeford battery of tests. Teacher and parent questionnaires (originally devised at the Learning Disabilities Clinic, The Children's Hospital, Boston) were obtained. There was a very high concordance between the questionnaires and the CAP tests, but a low concordance between the neurodevelopmental measures and the questionnaires. After treatment with central nervous system stimulants, there was again a high concordance between teacher/parent reports and CAP measures, and less than 50% concordance between neurodevelopmental measures and teacher/parent observations. We conclude that the SSW and Willeford battery are sensitive performance indicators of attention disorder. Furthermore, these tests are more useful in titrating response to CNS stimulants than neurodevelopmental assessments and provide objective support for the subjective teacher and parent observations.

Modified Voice Feedback Improves Letter Naming in Reading Disabled Children with Central Auditory Dysfunction

Auditory feedback during a timed letter naming task was filtered to exaggerate high frequencies and reduce low frequencies. Under double-blind conditions, six reading disabled children with dichotically assessed (Staggered Spondaic Word Test) central auditory dysfunction increased their letter naming speed during frequency modification. The same auditory feedback interfered with the performance of six poor readers with intact auditory functions. This effect occurred independently of age; however, favorable response was correlated inversely with age. Such feedback may be important developmentally and may promote more efficient letter-sound processing in a select subtype of learning disabled children.

SSW test performance-intensity functions for hearing-impaired adults.

The present study investigated the effects of intensity on hearing-impaired adults' performance on the Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) test. Fifteen adults having mild-to-moderate cochlear hearing losses were administered the 40-item SSW test which was subdivided into four groups of ten items each, and presented at different intensity levels (20, 30, 40, and 50 dB SL re the three-frequency, pure-tone average). Subjects' responses were used to generate performance-intensity functions. Scores were analyzed for overall, competing, and noncompeting conditions. No significant differences were found for these hearing-impaired listeners' performance for items presented at the standard 50 dB and those at the low sensation levels.

Effect of presentation level on the SSW test with hearing-impaired adults

The effects of varying presentation level on the Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) test scores of sensorineural hearing-impaired subjects were investigated. Subjects were 15 adults having cochlear hearing losses between 30 and 50 dB (re: PTA). Performance-intensity (PI) functions were generated using subjects SSW test scores. Each subject received all 40-SSW test items, but the PI functions were generated by presenting items numbered 1–10 at 20 dB SL (re: three frequency PTA); 11–20 at 30 dB SL; 21–30 at 40 dB SL; and 31–40 at 50 dB SL. These results for the hearing-impaired were compared to functions reported earlier for normal subjects [P. C. Doyle, thesis, University of California, Santa Barbara (1981)]. The PI functions were analyzed for “competing” versus “noncompeting” conditions, and differences between subjects' raw SSW scores and word discrimination scores as a function of presentation level. Practical and theoretical implications for the clinical presentation of the SSW test at the various intensity levels to hearing-impaired adults are discussed.

Dichotic paradigms in multiple sclerosis.

A total of 20 "definite" multiple sclerosis patients were administered three commonly used dichotic speech paradigms. The tests included the Consonant-Vowel (CV) Nonsense Syllable test, the Synthetic Sentence Identification (SSI) test, and the Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) test. Results of the test procedures were variable, with the higher percentage of abnormalities obtained with the CV test, followed by the SSI, and finally, the SSW. These findings suggest that brain stem lesions may influence higher order auditory processing as measured by certain dichotic test procedures.

Verification of the corrected Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) score in adults with cochlear hearing loss.

Traditionally, tests of central auditory function have been limited when hearing loss is present. By design the Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) test incorporates a correction procedure which attempts to account for the effects of peripheral distortion. Results obtained in the present study, based on 92 adult males with bilateral, cochlear hearing loss, showed no significant change in corrected SSW (C-SSW) scores in cases with a pure-tone average less than 50 dB. Uncorrected (R-SSW) scores were highly correlated with the word discrimination score, but this relationship was neutralized when the correction procedure was applied. An effect of hearing loss on the C-SSW was found to plateau after 50 dB Hl. The change in C-SSW may shift the performance category to a poorer range. Use of the C-SSW appears not to be compromised by cochlear hearing loss up to 50 dB. However, cross-validation of SSW scores with other audiometric results should be used particularly in cases of cochlear hearing loss greater than 40 to 50 dB.

Learning disability assessed through audiologic and physiologic measures: A case study

This report describes a child with central auditory dysfunction. Audiologic tests (Willeford Battery and Staggered Spondaic Word Test) indicate a brain-stem dysfunction but normal cortical functioning. Electrophysiologic tests corroborated these results. Brain-stem auditory-evoked responses (BAERs) indicated an absent contralateral peak III bilaterally when stimulating each ear separately. This is the first reported case where brain-stem dysfunction on audiologic tests were associated with specific electrophysiologic changes in the BAER.

Comment on “The Use of the Staggered Spondaic Word … Learning Disabled”

University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Division of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Cincinnati, Ohio

Errors on the Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) Test in a group of adult normal listeners.

The Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) Test was developed as a means to assess central auditory function. In the present study, the SSW Test was administered to a group of normal-hearing young adults (N = 86) with nor history of centra auditory problems in an attempt to evaluate previous normative data and the types of errors made by this group. Mean number of errors for corrected (C-SSW) scores were consistent with the "normal" category established by Katz. Response bias (ear effects, order effects, and reversals) was not prevalent in this population. Although two subjects obtained a significant number of reversals, it seemed that changes in listening strategy rather than auditory dysfunction was accountable for this finding.

The use of the Staggered Spondaic Word and the competing environmental sounds tests in the evaluation of central auditory function of learning disabled children.

Children aged 6 to 12 years with intelligence and pure-tone hearing within the normal range (91 functioning academically within the middle 50% and having uneventful hearing health histories and 76 demonstrating learning disabilities) were evaluated with dichotic central auditory listening tasks. Auditory response patterns were established and analyzed for normal and learning disability-specific performance. Children with learning disability-specific performance. Children with learning disabilities performed more poorly than "normal" peers on verbal and nonverbal listening tasks, suggesting learning disabled children may be identified by auditory performance on dichotic listening skills.

Central auditory dysfunction among chronic alcoholics.

The relationship between chronic alcoholism and auditory processing problems was examined using a central auditory test battery. Fifteen carefully selected alcoholic subjects and 15 age-matched nonalcoholic control subjects were evaluated using pure-tone thresholds, spondee thresholds, speech discrimination, acoustic reflex thresholds, performance-intensity function, Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) test, Synthetic Sentence Identification (SSI), and temporal summation. Significant differences between the groups were obtained for acoustic reflex measurement, SSW, and SSI. A significant subject-related interaction was obtained for temporal summation measurement. Approximately half of the alcoholics yielded results consistent with brainstem pathologic features.

The staggered spondaic word test: a normative investigation of older adults.

The use of the Staggered Spondaic Word Test (SSW) J. Katz et al., J. Speech Hear. Disord. 33, 132--146, for measurement of central auditory ability in adults beyond the age of 60 years is presently limited by the lack of an adequate normative data base by which to differentiate typical and atypical response patterns obtained from elderly subjects. To provide a description of SSW performances for older age groups, the SSW was administered to 41 subjects ranging in age from 60 to 79 years. Average word discrimination scores for the experimental population were within normal limits. The subjects evidenced a decrease in response accuracy and an increase in response variability relative to previously reported SSW results obtained from younger subjects. Nonsignificant correlations between age and SSW scores suggest minimal change in those central auditory functions assessed by the SSW test for subjects between the ages of 60 and 79 years. The need for stricter control over cognitive awareness and capability in the design of experiments that involve elderly subjects is discussed.

Short and long term effects of commissurotomy on selected tests of central auditory function

A 19‐year‐old male, with normal peripheral hearing, was administered various central auditory tests prior to a complete commissurotomy. Testing was also done in one and one half weeks and one year after the commissurotomy. The test battery included speech in noise (+5 S/N), dichotic digits, the SSW (staggered spondaic word) test, and intensity and frequency pattern perception tests. Initial postoperative testing showed little change in performance on the speech in noise task. However, results for the dichotic tests (SSW and digits) showed a dramatic left ear decrease. Results from the two pattern perception tests showed a marked decrease in performance for both ears [e.g., Musiek, Pinheiro and Wilson, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 63, S31(A) (1978)]. Assessment approximately one year after surgery showed results consistent with initial postoperative testing for speech in noise and both pattern perception tests. However, both dichotic tests showed an improvement for left ear performance. The underlying reasons for this change at this time are speculative. However, the development of certain perceptual strategies and/or the improvement of neurological function over a certain period of time are considerations.

The performance of stutterers on selected central auditory tests.

The possibility of central auditory involvement in stutterers was investigated. Five confirmed stutterers and five nonstutterers between the ages of 20 and 26 years served as subjects. The Phonetically Balanced CID W-22 Auditory Lists presented with ipsilateral and contralateral white noise broad band masking (at signal to noise ratios of 0 dB and -lOdB) and the Staggered Spondaic Word Test were utilized. No significant differences between the groups were revealed, indicating intact functioning of both groups on these tests. Possible reasons for this were postulated. Response trends exhibited by all subjects were discussed.

Lead and lag effects associated with the staggered spondaic word test.

This study was designed to determine to what extent onset times of overlapping spondaic words were controlled in the development of the Staggered Spondaic Word Test (SSW) (List EC), a measure which is used to detect central auditory dysfunction. The results showed that the SSW (List EC) was not well controlled relative to onset times. Further, the scores of 10 normal-hearing listeners who were administered the SSW were found not to suffer when the onset times were closely matched. The results were related to thn of dichotically presented stimuli.