Maximum Performance Tests in Children With Developmental Spastic Dysarthria

1993 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Wit ◽  
B. Maassen ◽  
F. J. M. Gabreëls ◽  
G. Thoonen
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Performance Tests ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Maximum Performance ◽  
Performance Tasks ◽  
Syllable Duration ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Normal Speech

Three noninvasive Maximum Performance Tasks (MPT)—Maximum Sound Prolongation (MSP), Fundamental Frequency Range (FFR), and Maximum Repetition Rate (MRR)—were administered to 11 children with spastic dysarthria due to cerebral palsy and to 11 control children with normal speech in order to determine the value of the tasks for differentiating between these groups of children. From the acoustic measurements, nine parameters were calculated, and in seven of them highly significant group differences were found. By adding the unweighted z-scores of four parameters (maximum sound prolongation, syllable duration, fundamental frequency range, inter-utterance variability of syllable duration), a composite z-score was constructed with nonoverlapping distributions for both groups. The authors conclude that maximum performance tasks, despite the large intrasubject and intersubject variability in both normal and pathological speakers, are powerful tools for detecting spastic dysarthria.

scholarly journals Cardiometabolic outcomes in children and adolescents with West syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inbar Gilboa ◽  
Galit Israeli ◽  
Avivit Brener ◽  
Michal Yackobovitch-Gavan ◽  
Uri Kramer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
West Syndrome ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Diastolic Hypertension ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Obesity Hypertension

Abstract Background West syndrome is a convulsive disorder of infancy with unique seizures and a characteristic background electroencephalograph pattern. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is effective in spasm cessation, yet metabolic consequences of this therapeutic agent in childhood have not been published. Methods In this observational study we explored the cardiometabolic outcomes of 117 children with West syndrome (78 ACTH-treated and 39 non-ACTH-treated) monitored at a single medical center from 1995 to 2019 (median follow-up 7.2 years). Outcomes included the prevalence of cardiometabolic derangements (obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia) during infancy (< 2 years), early childhood (2–6 years), and childhood/adolescence (6–18 years). Results The rates of metabolic derangements during infancy in the West syndrome cohort were high compared to childhood/adolescence (obesity 27.3 % vs. 3.3 %, [p = 0.010], diastolic hypertension 48.8 % vs. 5.1 % [p < 0.001], hypertriglyceridemia 71 % vs. 40 % [p = 0.008], low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c] 54.2 % vs. 12.9 % [p = 0.001], and elevated triglycerides/HDL-c ratios 62.5 % vs. 12.9 % [p < 0.001]). The proportion of systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure levels categorized as hypertensive was 58.5 % during infancy, 48.1 % during early childhood, and 26.3 % during childhood/adolescence. ACTH-treated patients had higher weight and weight-to-length z-scores and higher triglyceride levels during infancy compared to non-ACTH-treated patients (p = 0.008, p = 0.001, and p = 0.037, respectively), and higher triglyceride levels during early childhood (p = 0.050), with no significant group differences during childhood/adolescence. Conclusions Children with West syndrome apparently have an increased prevalence of cardiometabolic derangements more pronounced in infants and in ACTH-treated patients. These findings highlight the need to monitor these children for cardiometabolic derangements, even though these cardiometabolic abnormalities are transitory and tend to decrease with time. The health implications of cardiometabolic derangements during critical windows of growth and development warrant further investigation.

Stutterers' and Nonstutterers' Voice Fundamental Frequency Changes in Response to Auditory Stimuli

1988 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann McLean-Muse ◽  
Charles R. Larson ◽  
Hugo H. Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Constant Pitch ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Frequency Changes ◽  
Temporal Measures ◽  
Voice Fundamental Frequency

An acoustic analysis of certain aspects of voice fundamental frequency (F o ) in response to auditory clicks may provide a tool for studying short-latency auditory-laryngeal reflexes in humans (Sapir, McClean, & Larson, 1983). The purpose of this investigation was to compare 18 adult male stutterers' and 19 adult male nonstutterers' auditory-laryngeal reflexes. Subjects sustained phonation at constant pitch and intensity levels while receiving bilateral auditory click stimuli. F o signal averages were generated and measured. Data analyses indicated that there were no differences between stutterers and nonstutterers with respect to the frequency of reflex occurrence. Also, there were no significant group differences with respect to the mean reflex temporal measures or the variability of the reflex temporal measures.

Duration and Frequency Characteristics of Tracheoesophageal Speech

1989 ◽  
Vol 98 (12) ◽  
pp. 960-964 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah H. Pindzola ◽  
Blanche H. Cain
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Frequency Characteristics ◽  
Computer Interface ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Maximum Phonation Time ◽  
Tracheoesophageal Speech ◽  
Frequency Features ◽  
Normal Speech

Selected characteristics were compared in the speech of five tracheoesophageal, five esophageal, and 15 normal laryngeal adult speakers. Tape-recorded speech samples were measured for durational features with a stopwatch. Frequency features were analyzed with a Visi-Pitch/Apple IIE computer interface with statistical subroutines. Tracheoesophageal speech proved comparable to normal speech in maximum phonation time, speech rate, pitch pertubation (jitter), average fundamental frequency, and fundamental frequency range, but less efficient than normal speech in phrase grouping. Tracheoesophageal speech was superior to esophageal speech in maximum phonation time, speech rate, and phrase grouping, but not significantly different in pitch perturbation, average fundamental frequency, and fundamental frequency range. Explanations and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Comparison of Auditory, Language, Memory, and Attention Abilities in Children With and Without Listening Difficulties

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-727
Author(s):  
Beula M. Magimairaj ◽  
Naveen K. Nagaraj ◽  
Alexander V. Sergeev ◽  
Natalie J. Benafield
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

Objectives School-age children with and without parent-reported listening difficulties (LiD) were compared on auditory processing, language, memory, and attention abilities. The objective was to extend what is known so far in the literature about children with LiD by using multiple measures and selective novel measures across the above areas. Design Twenty-six children who were reported by their parents as having LiD and 26 age-matched typically developing children completed clinical tests of auditory processing and multiple measures of language, attention, and memory. All children had normal-range pure-tone hearing thresholds bilaterally. Group differences were examined. Results In addition to significantly poorer speech-perception-in-noise scores, children with LiD had reduced speed and accuracy of word retrieval from long-term memory, poorer short-term memory, sentence recall, and inferencing ability. Statistically significant group differences were of moderate effect size; however, standard test scores of children with LiD were not clinically poor. No statistically significant group differences were observed in attention, working memory capacity, vocabulary, and nonverbal IQ. Conclusions Mild signal-to-noise ratio loss, as reflected by the group mean of children with LiD, supported the children's functional listening problems. In addition, children's relative weakness in select areas of language performance, short-term memory, and long-term memory lexical retrieval speed and accuracy added to previous research on evidence-based areas that need to be evaluated in children with LiD who almost always have heterogenous profiles. Importantly, the functional difficulties faced by children with LiD in relation to their test results indicated, to some extent, that commonly used assessments may not be adequately capturing the children's listening challenges. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12808607

Behavioral and emotional differences between children of divorce and children from intact families: Clinical significance and mediating processes *This study is part of a dissertation () supported from the German research community.

2002 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Schick
Keyword(s):  
Self Esteem ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Children Of Divorce ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Intact Families ◽  
Divorce Adjustment ◽  
Theoretical Assumptions ◽  
German Research ◽  
Clinically Significant

The following study is based on a sample of 241 9-13-year-old children (66 children from divorced parents, 175 children from non divorced parents). They were examined for differences regarding anxiety, self-esteem, different areas of competence, and degree of behavior problems. With a focus on the children’s experiences, the clinically significant differences were examined. Clinically significant differences, revealing more negative outcomes for the children of divorce, were only found for social anxiety and unstable performance. The frequency of clinical significant differences was independent of the length of time the parents had been separated. The perceived destructiveness of conflict between the parents one of four facets of interparental conflict in this study functioned as a central mediator of the statistically significant group differences. The children’s perception of the father’s social support was a less reliable indicator of variance. Further studies should try to make underlying theoretical assumptions about the effects of divorce more explicit, to distinguish clearly between mediating variables, and to investigate them with respect to specific divorce adjustment indicators.

scholarly journals Effects of aging on emotion recognition from dynamic multimodal expressions and vocalizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana S. Cortes ◽  
Christina Tornberg ◽  
Tanja Bänziger ◽  
Hillary Anger Elfenbein ◽  
Håkan Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Positivity Effect ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Effects Of Aging

AbstractAge-related differences in emotion recognition have predominantly been investigated using static pictures of facial expressions, and positive emotions beyond happiness have rarely been included. The current study instead used dynamic facial and vocal stimuli, and included a wider than usual range of positive emotions. In Task 1, younger and older adults were tested for their abilities to recognize 12 emotions from brief video recordings presented in visual, auditory, and multimodal blocks. Task 2 assessed recognition of 18 emotions conveyed by non-linguistic vocalizations (e.g., laughter, sobs, and sighs). Results from both tasks showed that younger adults had significantly higher overall recognition rates than older adults. In Task 1, significant group differences (younger > older) were only observed for the auditory block (across all emotions), and for expressions of anger, irritation, and relief (across all presentation blocks). In Task 2, significant group differences were observed for 6 out of 9 positive, and 8 out of 9 negative emotions. Overall, results indicate that recognition of both positive and negative emotions show age-related differences. This suggests that the age-related positivity effect in emotion recognition may become less evident when dynamic emotional stimuli are used and happiness is not the only positive emotion under study.

Standardised ginseng extract G115® potentiates the antidepressant-like properties of fluoxetine in the forced swim test

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Dylan J. Terstege ◽  
Debra S. MacDonald ◽  
R. Andrew Tasker
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Forced Swim Test ◽  
Ginseng Root ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Post Mortem ◽  
Ginseng Extract ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Swim Test ◽  
Forced Swim ◽  
Plus Maze

Abstract Objective: Ginsenosides, biologically active components of the root of Panax ginseng, have been reported to have therapeutic benefits in a number of disease states including psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder. Our objective was to determine if a standardised commercial ginseng extract, G115®, could reduce the signs of behavioural despair commonly observed in animal models of depression either alone or in combination with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (N = 51) were divided into four groups: vehicle control, G115® ginseng root extract, fluoxetine and fluoxetine plus G115®. Rats were trained to voluntarily consume treatments twice daily for 14 days and were then tested in an open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced swim test (FST). Post-mortem hippocampal and prefrontal cortex tissue was analysed for expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) by western blot. Results: One-way Analysis of Variance revealed no significant group differences in the OF or plus-maze performance on any variable examined. In the FST, fluoxetine significantly reduced immobility time and increased latency to immobility. The effects of fluoxetine were further significantly potentiated by co-administration of G115®. Post-mortem tissue analysis revealed significant group differences in BDNF expression in the left hippocampus and left prefrontal cortex without any accompanying changes in TrkB expression. Conclusions: We conclude that oral G115® significantly potentiates the antidepressant-like effect of fluoxetine in the FST in the absence of potentially confounding effects on locomotion and anxiety.

scholarly journals Behavioural Measures of Infant Activity but Not Attention Associate with Later Preschool ADHD Traits

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 524
Author(s):  
Amy Goodwin ◽  
Alexandra Hendry ◽  
Luke Mason ◽  
Tessel Bazelmans ◽  
Jannath Begum Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family History ◽  
Child Behaviour ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Early Interventions ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
History Of ◽  
Observer Ratings ◽  
Infant Attention

Mapping infant neurocognitive differences that precede later ADHD-related behaviours is critical for designing early interventions. In this study, we investigated (1) group differences in a battery of measures assessing aspects of attention and activity level in infants with and without a family history of ADHD or related conditions (ASD), and (2) longitudinal associations between the infant measures and preschool ADHD traits at 3 years. Participants (N = 151) were infants with or without an elevated likelihood for ADHD (due to a family history of ADHD and/or ASD). A multi-method assessment protocol was used to assess infant attention and activity level at 10 months of age that included behavioural, cognitive, physiological and neural measures. Preschool ADHD traits were measured at 3 years of age using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Child Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ). Across a broad range of measures, we found no significant group differences in attention or activity level at 10 months between infants with and without a family history of ADHD or ASD. However, parent and observer ratings of infant activity level at 10 months were positively associated with later preschool ADHD traits at 3 years. Observable behavioural differences in activity level (but not attention) may be apparent from infancy in children who later develop elevated preschool ADHD traits.

Group Differences in Alcohol-Creativity Interactions

1994 ◽  
Vol 75 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1635-1638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Placebo Condition ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Social Drinkers ◽  
Alcohol Dose

A repeated-measures, balanced-order design was used to test for the effects of alcohol on creativity as measured by verbal forms of the Torrance Creativity Test. Social drinkers (8 men and 8 women) performed under 2 conditions, alcohol (dose = 0.83 ml ethanol/kg body weight) and a placebo. Significant group differences in the alcohol-creativity interaction were noted in that the performance of higher-scoring (in the placebo condition) subjects was impaired by alcohol whereas that of lower-scoring subjects was enhanced.

scholarly journals A Pilot Feasibility Study of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for the Prevention of Excess Weight Gain Among Adolescent Military-dependent Girls

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail E Pine ◽  
Natasha A Schvey ◽  
Lisa M Shank ◽  
Natasha L Burke ◽  
M K Higgins Neyland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Treatment Acceptability ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Excess Weight ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Military Dependents ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Excess Weight Gain ◽  
Military Dependent

ABSTRACT Introduction Adolescent military-dependents face unique psychosocial stressors due to their parents’ careers, suggesting they may be particularly vulnerable to excess weight gain and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Despite these risk factors, there is a lack of tested preventative interventions for these youths. Given the transient nature of military family deployments, research may be hindered due to difficulty in collecting long-term prospective outcome data, particularly measured height and weight. The primary aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of collecting body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) outcome data up to 2 years following a randomized controlled pilot trial of an adapted interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) program aimed at preventing excess weight gain and improving psychological functioning for adolescent military-dependents. In exploratory analyses, patterns in body composition over time were examined. Materials and Methods Twenty-seven adolescent military-dependent girls (baseline: Mage: 14.4 ± 1.6 years; MBMI: 30.7 ± 4.9 kg/m2; MBMI-z: 1.9 ± 0.4) participated in this study. After a baseline assessment, utilizing a computerized program to create a randomization string, girls were assigned to either an IPT or a health education (HE) program. Participants completed three follow-up visits (posttreatment, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up). Girls completed a Treatment Acceptability Questionnaire at posttreatment; at all time points, height and fasting weight were collected. For the primary aim, Fisher’s exact tests examined the rate of obtained follow-up data and lost to follow-up status between the two groups, Mann-Whitney U tests examined the session attendance between groups, and treatment acceptability ratings were compared between the two groups at posttreatment using an independent samples t-test. For the exploratory aim, one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) examined the group differences in BMI at each time point, adjusting for baseline values, and paired samples t-tests examined the within-group differences at each time point relative to baseline. Using imputed data in the full intent-to-treat sample, mixed model ANCOVAs were conducted to examine the group differences over time. Results Across both groups, girls attended an average of 72.0% of sessions. At least partial data were collected at posttreatment, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up for 96.3%, 85.2%, and 74.1% of the participants, respectively. There were no significant group differences in follow-up data collection rates, follow-up status, number of sessions attended, or treatment acceptability. BMI-z stabilized across groups, and there were no group differences in BMI-z. In adjusted ANCOVA models with imputed data, no significant group-by-time effects emerged. Conclusions For this randomized controlled prevention trial, long-term outcome data collection of measured BMI was possible in adolescent military-dependents and IPT was an acceptable and feasible intervention. An adequately powered trial is required to assess the efficacy of this intervention among military-dependents for obesity prevention and improvements in BMI.

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