Oral vibrotactile sensation: An evaluation of children with normal and defective articulation

Lingual vibrotactile thresholds (LVTs) were determined at 125, 250, and 500 Hz for 30 children with defective articulation and 30 children with normal articulation. Secondly, attempts to predict the phonemic and distinctive feature errors from LVTs for defective articulating children is presented. Children with normal articulation show significantly lower (better) LVTs at each frequency than do children with defective articulation. Significant relationships were not found between LVTs and phonemic scores or distinctive feature errors.     

Reliability of speech naturalness ratings of stuttered speech during treatment.

This study evaluated the reliability with which relatively sophisticated and unsophisticated judges used a 9-point scale to rate the speech naturalness of speech samples from 10 clients in a treatment program for stuttering that employed prolonged speech. Judges rated repeated speech samples from different speakers during various phases of the program. Different groups of sophisticated and unsophisticated judges made ratings at either 15 sec, 30 sec, or 60 sec intervals while listening to the samples. Of the reliability indices, intraclass correlations were significantly higher for sophisticated judges although the consistency and agreement of unsophisticated judges were generally equivalent to that of sophisticated judges. Both agreement scores and intraclass correlations were higher when ratings were made at 60 sec rather than 30 sec intervals. The predominant variable that influenced judgement reliability appeared to be differences among the subjects. The methodology partially replicated Martin, Haroldson, and Triden's (1984) initial investigation on the use of this scale. However, the levels of intra- or interjudge reliability in this study were lower than the levels achieved by Martin et al.'s judges. There were important differences between the Martin et al. study and this one that may account for the findings, and these are discussed.     

Correlation between olfactory severity ratings based on olfactory function test scores and self-reported severity rating of olfactory loss

Conclusion: Olfactory test scores are significantly correlated with self-rated severity scales. However, the statistical rating based on olfactory tests did not strongly agree with the self-reported severity rating. This suggests that there is a discrepancy between olfactory test results and the severity described by patients themselves.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the correlation between statistical ratings based on test scores and self-rating of the severity of olfactory loss.

Method: A total of 1555 subjects were asked to rate olfactory loss severity by one of five scales. Olfactory tests consist of the butanol threshold test (BTT) and cross-cultural smell identification test (CCSIT).

Results: There were significant correlations between BTT scores and self-rated severity scales (r?=?0.619, p?r?=?0.597, p?p?p?相似文献   

Comparison of severity ratings on norm-referenced tests for children with specific language impairment

PurposeThis study evaluated the consistency in severity classifications for children with language impairment on tests of child language.MethodsThe TELD-3 and the UTLD-4 were administered to 16 preschool children with specific language impairment (SLI) and 16 typical controls. The boundaries described in the test manuals were used to assign language proficiency ratings to these children and to subsequently evaluate the consistency in these designations.ResultsPerformance categories were more consistent for the typical children than for the children with SLI. When evaluating how children perform on the two tests, the severity category remained consistent for only 19% of the children with SLI when using the severity category boundaries recommended within the test manuals.ConclusionsClinicians should be cautious in assigning severity of impairment classifications to children with language impairment based, in part or in whole, on their performance on norm-referenced tests.Learning outcomes: Readers will see the importance of relying on empirical evidence to support their clinical decisions, specifically in the area of severity of impairment determinations. Readers will learn of the lack of stability in severity of language impairment classifications for children with language impairment on tests of child language. Consequently, readers will learn to be cautious in the selection of norm-referenced tests of child language for the purposes of informing severity of impairment determinations.     

Spectral noise levels and roughness severity ratings for vowels produced by male children

This study investigated the relationship between spectral noise level (SNL) and perceived roughness in sustained vowels phonated by children. Twenty male children, ten presenting normal vocal quality and ten presenting vocal roughness associated with benign vocal cord lesions, served as subjects. The children individually sustained each of the vowels (Formula: see text) at one intensity and at two pitch levels (comfortable and high). Each vowel recording was analyzed to produce a 3-Hz bandwidth, amplitude-by-frequency acoustic spectrum. The levels of inharmonic (noise) components were measured for the range 100 to 2600 Hz within each vowel spectrum and the mean of those measures provided an index of vowel spectral noise level. Each recorded sample was also rated for degree of roughness, by 11 trained judges, using a five-point, equal-appearing intervals scale. The fundamental vocal frequency (fo) of each production also was measured. The results indicated that four subjects with vocal pathology phonated their vowel productions with a relatively extreme fo when compared to subjects with normal voice quality. It was also found that vowel roughness and SNL differed predictably for individual vowels and that, especially for normal-speaking subjects, roughness and SNL decreased with an increase in fo. Further, for both subject groups, SNL measures were correlated positively and moderately highly with perceived roughness.     

Reliability of the mismatch negativity in the responses of individual listeners

The mismatch negativity (MMN) was recorded from 12 normal adults during four biweekly sessions. Responses were elicited by a synthetically generated speech contrast (/dalpha/-/galpha/) that all listeners discriminated with at least 90 percent accuracy. Standard and deviant waveforms were replicable across sessions for all listeners; however, replicability of the derived difference waveforms was poor. Of greater importance, the MMN identification rate was too low (29%) to allow reliability to be evaluated. The implications that these findings may have on clinical applicability are discussed.     

A visual model of articulation

Speech disorders become more and more important in clinical area of phoniatrics. It is striking during consultation and treatment of patients that there exist only humble concrete notions concerning speech organs and articulatory movements. Using the computational model introduced here speech organs and speech movements of unrestricted utterances can be displayed in the mediosagittal plane. Articulation is described concisely by using nine basic parameters. The time pattern of these parameter-values defines the articulatory motion plan of an utterance and gives a comprehensive overview of the spatio-temporal structure of the appertaining speech movements. The use of the model in speech therapy shall make patients sensitive for the existence of speech articulators--especially for those which are normally not directly visible (back tongue region, soft palate)--and help to understand and memorize the appertaining movement patterns.