Why volubility can predict the success of cochlear implantation

BackgroundWe sought to identify potential communication markers predicting the success of cochlear implantation, that might be observed within the first year of life. According the last ten years literature review volubility can be considered as a potentially important vocal measure predicting later language development.AimsThe present review aims to review existing evidence related with: (i) why volubility posits a plausible marker of cochlear implantation success in infancy, and (ii) presents the clinical usefulness of volubility data in predicting later language trajectory. Methods Rate of vocalization or volubility measured in terms of frequency of syllable production and it is clearly affected by parental interactivity. A low percentage of volubility can be predictive of significant communication impairment. Vocalization growth during the first year of life, as demonstrated in publications examining sound production characteristics of normally hearing (NH) and hearing impaired (HI) infants fitted with CI, were reviewed. Results Literature results revealed differences in linguistic performance among NH and CI infants which are typically attributed to auditory deprivation. Infants received late CI, produce fewer syllables (low volubility) and exhibit late-onset babbling, especially those who underwent the procedure as late as the age of 12 months or thereafter. Early recipients (implanted before the age of 12-months) related with more vocalizations, which is thought to stem from CI-initiated auditory feedback. In sum, total syllables produced (volubility) demonstrate the developmental trajectory of language acquisition which in turn is a crucial factor related with the success of cochlear implantation.ConclusionContemporary findings collectively endorse volubility as a plausible criterion of differentiation between successful and non-successful early CI. It is argued that volubility measures predict language development and, in doing so, carry vast implications on designing efficient clinical assessment and intervention practices

Εντοπισμός κατάλληλων στόχων ενός Εξατομικευμένου Πλάνου Παρέμβασης στη Λογοπαθολογία -Goal Setting in Speech Language Pathology

Το άρθρο αυτό στοχεύει να περιγράψει τη διαδικασία επιλογής στόχων, ως κλινική ικανότητα των Λογοπαθολόγων μέσα από σύγχρονα ερευνητικά δεδομένα και μέρος της καθημερινής κλινικής λήψης αποφάσεων. Αρχικά, τονίζεται η σημασία της επιλογής κατάλληλων στόχων μέσα στα πλαίσια σχεδιασμού ενός Εξατομικευμένου Πλάνου Παρέμβασης (Ε.Π.Π.) και καθορίζονται τα ερωτήματα που οι κλινικοί καλούνται να απαντήσουν

Auditory-Verbal Therapy as evidence-informed practice (EIP) for infants wearing cochlear implants

Parents of infants who receive cochlear implants (CIs) have already chosen that their primary concern is how their child will develop spoken language. Infants will develop spoken language comparable to their hearing peers only if they receive the best primary treatment approaches there are today or even better treatment practices which are evidence-informed (EIP). Aim: The aim of this work is to reveal the best clinical practice that SLPs need to implement for handling infants with CIs and whether this clinical approach is EIP

Phonotactic Constraints in Young Cochlear Implant Recipients

Considerable attention has been paid to infant vocalization. The aim of the current research is to describe the prelinguistic vocal repertoire of seven young infants wearing cochlear implants and to argue for a strong relation between early developmental stages of speech, as cochlear implantation seems to trigger similar vocal performances to hearing peers. In contrast to previous studies based on typical development which argued for the existence of only one syllable type at each stage of prelinguistic speech, the present study recorded simultaneous co-existence of multi-syllable types of protophones in populations characterized as atypical. Results support a gradual transition from babbling stages into mature, more complex forms of vocalization that we meet on adult speech. Protophonic development is rapid during the first post-implant year. The findings are in agreement with other studies based on typically developing children. The difference is that current data broaden the results to disordered populations, like the infants with cochlear implants. The quantitative classification of protophones, through the combination of acoustic and auditory analyses provides a new reliable perspective for comparisons between populations with similar hearing experience. Speech pathology targets to explore the prelinguistic speech development and current methodology aims to contribute to this direction

Making reasonably informed decisions in Speech Language Pathology

From Evidence-based medicine (EBM) to Evidence-based practice (EBP) established frameworks continue to emphasize the need that clinical decision should focus explicitly on scientific evidence, rather than on clinical intuition. Implementing the principles of evidence-based treatment can be an effective decision in the clinical rehabilitation of people with communication disorders. But how can we combine the realities of clinical practice in speech pathology with valid knowledge? The answer to this question is the aim of the present work. Methods This systematic review was designed to investigate how to combine the realities of clinical practice with the principles of EBP and what possible obstacles SLP clinicians need to overcome. Literature review was based on a search in PubMed/Medline database focused on the last ten years of published peer-reviewed papers. Results Despite the intentions of the EBP movement there seems to be a gap between clinical practice and research evidence. Clinicians cannot turn to technicians who just follow a recipe and on the other hand, clinicians cannot forget patient’s values and opinions. Recent literature saw EBP as too restrictive since EBPs seemed to exclude important sources of research and need to expand in a wider range of goals. There is a tendency from the overestimation of quantitative evidence to a more person-centered clinical education and practice. Conclusions There is a great need for the promotion and implementation of evidence-informed decisions. The clinical decision needs more flexibility and common sense instead of “recipes”

Temporal resolution assessment in cochlear implant recipients using an auditory gap detection test

To explore the role of GIN test as a valuable diagnostic tool for the assessment of temporal resolution ability of individuals wearing cochlear implants and the endeavors at increasing the transmission of TFS to CI users based on literature findings

Using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) System to Investigate Language Input in Greek Speaking Children

Chapter 15 Using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) System to Investigate Language Input in Greek Speaking Children Paris Binos, Loukia Taxitari This study sought to assess the effectiveness of the Language Environment Analysis integrating wearable audio recording with automated voice analysis, within the context of Greek-speaking families, aiming to discern evolving patterns of child-directed speech in typically developing children. Audio data from children aged 6-46 months were recorded during home interactions. The LENA Pro software parameters like conversational turn count, child vocalizations, and adult word count. The findings underscored a pronounced duration of Silence-Background noise and Distant Sounds. Strong correlations also emerged between parental linguistic input, adult-child conversational exchanges, child vocalizations, and meaningful interactions between children and adults. An inverse association between electronic device engagement and child vocalizations was also observed. LENA demonstrates its power in effectively mapping non-English linguistic environments, such as Greek, offering invaluable insights to stakeholders on refining language inputs for optimal language development