Acoustic analyses of diadochokinesis in fluent and stuttering children

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to acoustically compare the performance of children who do and do not stutter on diadochokinesis tasks in terms of syllable duration, syllable periods, and peak intensity. METHODS: In this case-control study, acoustical analyses were performed on 26 children who stutter and 20 aged-matched normally fluent children (both groups stratified into preschoolers and school-aged children) during a diadochokinesis task: the repetition of articulatory segments through a task testing the ability to alternate movements. Speech fluency was assessed using the Fluency Profile and the Stuttering Severity Instrument. RESULTS: The children who stutter and those who do not did not significantly differ in terms of the acoustic patterns they produced in the diadochokinesis tasks. Significant differences were demonstrated between age groups independent of speech fluency. Overall, the preschoolers performed poorer. These results indicate that the observed differences are related to speech-motor age development and not to stuttering itself. CONCLUSIONS: Acoustic studies demonstrate that speech segment durations are most variable, both within and between subjects, during childhood and then gradually decrease to adult levels by the age of eleven to thirteen years. One possible explanation for the results of the present study is that children who stutter presented higher coefficients of variation to exploit the motor equivalence to achieve accurate sound production (i.e., the absence of speech disruptions).FAPESP [06/06026-8]CNPq [470494/2004-2

Speech-language pathology performance in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and complaint of swallowing : retrospective analysis of medical records

Objetivo: Verificar e caracterizar a deglutição de pacientes internados, diagnosticados com Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida (SIDA), com queixas de deglutição. Métodos: Análise retrospectiva de 17 prontuários de pacientes com SIDA, atendidos em um hospital escola, entre 2011 e 2012, submetidos a protocolos de avaliação e tratamento da deglutição em beira de leito. Os dados coletados foram referentes à avaliação da deglutição em beira de leito, por meio de protocolos específicos, no momento inicial e na alta fonoaudiológica ou hospitalar. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos: Grupo de alta fonoaudiológica (GAF): pacientes que receberam alta fonoaudiológica antes da alta hospitalar; Grupo de alta hospitalar (GAH): pacientes que receberam alta hospitalar sem terem recebido alta fonoaudiológica. Resultados: Os grupos não se diferenciaram em relação à idade e gênero. Quanto à classificação da disfagia: 1) ambos os grupos apresentaram escores significativamente melhores no momento da alta, em relação ao momento inicial (GAH - p=0,024; GAF - p=0,011); 2) os grupos não se diferenciaram no mo¬mento inicial (p=0,349); 3) no momento de alta, os grupos apresentaram diferença significativa (p=0,002), com melhores resultados para o GAF. A análise dos sinais clínicos sugestivos de disfagia e de penetração/aspiração apontou que, na comparação intragrupos (ambos os grupos), houve diferença significativa somente para a presença de deglutições múltiplas, com redução do número de deglutições após o tratamento. Conclusão: Os grupos obtiveram melhora na escala de classificação da disfagia e na remissão de sinais clínicos sugestivos de disfagia orofaríngea e/ou penetração/aspiração, sendo que o GAF alcançou melhores resultados.Purpose: To verify and characterize the function of swallowing in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients with a complaint of dysphagia. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 17 AIDS patients treated in a school hospital between 2011 and 2012, who underwent a bedside evaluation and treatment of swallowing. The data were related to the results of the bedside evalu¬ation that followed specific protocols, both at baseline and discharge. Patients were divided into two groups: 1) patients who completed the swallowing intervention during the admission (GCSI); and 2) patients who did not complete the swallowing intervention during the admission (GNCSI). Results: The groups did not differ in age and gender. For the classification of swallowing: 1) both groups had significantly better scores at discharge compared to those at baseline (GNCSI: p=0.024; GCSI: p=0.011); 2) the scores did not differ between groups at baseline (p=0.349); 3) at discharge, the scores were different between groups (p=0.002), with better results in the GCSI group. The analysis of the clinical signs and symptoms of oropharyngeal dysphagia or penetration/ aspiration indicated that in both groups, there was a statistically significant difference between baseline and discharge only in the presence of multiple swallows (a decrease in the number of swallows after intervention). Conclusion: Swallowing ability improved after intervention. Additionally, clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of oropharyngeal dysphagia or penetration/aspiration resolved. The GCSI group showed better results than GNCSI after intervention

Orofacial myofunctional characterization in Parry-Romberg syndrome

Objetivo: Caracterizar os aspectos miofuncionais orofaciais de pacientes acometidos pela síndrome de Parry-Romberg, por meio de protocolos clínicos padronizados e da Eletromiografia de Superfície (EMGs) dos músculos mastigatórios. Métodos: A amostra foi composta por quatro pacientes com síndrome de Parry-Romberg e quatro indivíduos normais, separados em Grupo Pesquisa (GP) e Grupo Controle (GC), respectivamente, pareados por gênero e idade. Os grupos foram comparados em relação ao desempenho na avaliação clínica fonoaudiológica - Protocolo de Avaliação Miofuncional Orofacial com Escores Expandido (AMIOFE-E), registro das medidas de antropometria facial e de movimentos mandibulares e na avaliação instrumental - Eletromiografia de Superfície (EMGs) dos músculos mastigatórios. Para todas as comparações, foi utilizado o nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Observou-se diferença significativa entre os grupos nas variáveis postura/posição e escore total do AMIOFE-E. Além disso, a análise das variáveis categóricas do AMIOFE-E indicou diferença significativa entre os grupos para palato - altura e largura - e comportamento da língua na deglutição e função mastigatória. A análise das medidas antropométricas indicou diferença significativa entre os grupos somente para e lateralidade mandibular à direita. Não foram observadas diferenças para os dados eletromiográficos. Conclusão: O presente estudo é o primeiro a avaliar o Sistema Miofuncional Orofacial de indivíduos acometidos pela síndrome de Parry-Romberg, por meio de protocolos padronizados. Os resultados indicam que esses indivíduos apresentam alterações, principalmente quanto à mobilidade mandibular e mobilidade de língua, na deglutição e na função de mastigação.Purpose: To characterize the orofacial miofunctional aspects of patients with Parry-Romberg syndrome, using standardized clinical protocols and Surface Electromyography (sEMG) of the masticatory muscles. Methods: Participants were four patients with Parry-Romberg syndro¬me and four healthy individuals, paired by age and gender, divided in two groups: Study Group (SG) and Control Group (CG), respectively. The groups were compared regarding performance during clinical examination - Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Expanded Scores (OMES-E) and record of facial anthropometric measures and of jaw movements, and during an instrumental evaluation - Surface Elec¬tromyography (sEMG) of the masticatory muscles. Results: Statistically significant differences between the groups were observed for the follo¬wing variables: 1) numerical: mandibular lateral movement to the right, OMES-E posture/position and total score, 2) categorical: palate, behavior of the tongue during swallowing and chewing function. At sEMG no statistically significant differences were observed. Conclusion: The pre¬sent study is the first to evaluate the orofacial myofunctional system of individuals with Parry-Romberg syndrome using standardized protocols. Results indicate that these individuals present alterations specially when considering mandibular movements, tongue mobility during swallowing and chewing function

A TERMINOLOGY-BASED RE-DFINITION OF GREY LITERATURE

The conventionally accepted definition of Grey Literature, as Information produced and distributed by non-commercial publishing, does not take into consideration either the increasing availability of forms of grey knowledge, or the growing importance of computer-based encoding and management as the standard mode of creating and developing grey literature. A semi-automated terminological analysis of almost twenty years of terminological creativity in the proceedings of eleven GL International Conferences offers the opportunity to a bottom-up redefinition of Grey Literature.La definizione di Letteratura Grigia, convenzionalmente adottata, di informazione prodotta e distribuita da editori non-commericali, non tiene conto n? della crescente disponibilit? di forme grigie di conoscenza n? della crescente importanza della codifica e gestione su computer come standard per la creazione e sviluppo della letteratura grigia. Un\u27analisi terminologica semiautomatica di quasi vent\u27anni di creativit? terminologica negli atti delle undici conferenze intetrnazionali GL offrono l\u27opportunit? di una ri-definizione della Letteratura Grigia bottom-up

Screening protocol for dysphagia in adults: comparison with videofluoroscopic findings

OBJECTIVES: To compare the videofluoroscopic findings of patients with suspected oropharyngeal dysphagia with the results of a clinical screening protocol. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted on all consecutive patients with suspected oropharyngeal dysphagia between March 2015 and February 2016 who were assigned to receive a videofluoroscopic assessment of swallowing. All patients were first submitted to videofluoroscopy and then to the clinical assessment of swallowing. The clinical assessment was performed within the first 24 hours after videofluoroscopy. The videofluoroscopy results were analyzed regarding penetration/aspiration using an 8-point multidimensional perceptual scale. The accuracy of the clinical protocol was analyzed using the sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios and predictive values. RESULTS: The selected sample consisted of 50 patients. The clinical protocol presented a sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 95%, with an accuracy of 88%. “Cough” and “wet-hoarse” vocal quality after/during swallowing were clinical indicators that appeared to correctly identify the presence of penetration/aspiration risk. CONCLUSION: The clinical protocol used in the present study is a simple, rapid and reliable clinical assessment. Despite the absence of a completely satisfactory result, especially in terms of the sensitivity and positive predictive values, we suggest that lower rates of pneumonia can be achieved using a formal dysphagia screening method

A TERMINOLOGY-BASED RE-DFINITION OF GREY LITERATURE

The Luxembourg Convention on Grey Literature held in 1997 offered the following definition of Grey Literature (expanded in New York, 2004): "Information produced and distributed on all levels of government, academics, business and industry in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishing, i.e. where publishing is not the primary activity of the producing body". Is this definition still valuable? Is it so far completely satisfactory? Or does it rather need important modifications? We suggest that an interesting re-definition of GL can be based upon careful examination of the longitudinal trend of 10 years of terminological creativity in the proceedings of the GL international Conference. Our empirical basis is the Corpus of GreyText Inhouse Archive, available on http://www.greynet.org/opensiglerepository.html consisting of titles, themes, keywords and full abstracts, for a total amount of more than sixty thousand word tokens. In the full version of our paper, we intend to focus on a set of automatically-acquired terms (both single-word and multi-word terms) obtained by subjecting our reference Corpus to a number of pre-processing steps of automated text analysis, such as concordances, frequency lists and lexical association scores (e.g. Mutual Information on word pairs). To anticipate some of our results, the following three terms, that appear to be shared by various disciplinary sub-fields, mark, in our view, important stages in the evolution of our current understanding of GL: digital, access and web. The attribute digital, an increasingly popular synonym of the now obsolete electronic, emphasises the growing importance of computer-based encoding as the standard medium of GL. The noun access (defining the process of accessing text documents) is seen in the company of adjectives like easy, full, grey and open to shape up important conceptual innovations in the way GL material is distributed: e.g. open access focuses on the free accessibility of digital contents. Coupled with information, document and repository (note, however, that repository is generally understood as a technical synonym of open archive), access points to a conception of world-wide available, structured cultural contents. Finally, reference to the web lays emphasis on the huge importance of the World Wide Web as the standard means of disseminating GL. All these aspects are not fully taken into account in the standard definition of GL reported above. Our inquiry is intended to pave the way to a bottom-up re-definition of GL, stemming from the terminological creativity and lexical innovation monitored over ten years of technical work in the field

Fluency shaping with surface electromyography: a pilot study

TEMA: utilização de recursos tecnológicos para promoção da fluência. OBJETIVO: verificar a efetividade de um tratamento para gagueira baseado exclusivamente no uso da eletromiografia de superfície (EMGS). MÉTODO: participaram desse estudo quatro adultos gagos de ambos os sexos. A avaliação pré e pós-tratamento consistiu de uma sessão para coleta de amostra de fala, análise da tensão muscular de repouso e do tempo de reação para fala. O tratamento consistiu de 12 sessões de 20 minutos, monitoradas pela EMGS. RESULTADOS: observou-se redução estatisticamente significante das disfluências gagas e comuns. Os demais parâmetros, bem como a variação dos dados eletromiográficos, não apresentaram variação estatisticamente significante. CONCLUSÃO: a EMGS mostrou-se eficaz na redução da gagueira, sem a necessidade de associação com outras técnicas de promoção da fluência.BACKGROUND: the use of a technological resource in fluency promotion. AIM: to verify the effectiveness of a stuttering treatment based on the use of surface electromyography (SEMG) exclusively. METHOD: participants were four stuttering adults of both genders. Assessment, pre and post-treatment, consisted of a speech gathering session and the analyses of the rest tension and of the reaction time for speech. Treatment consisted of twelve twenty minute training sessions monitored by SEMG. RESULTS: there was a statistically significant reduction in the number of stuttering-like disfluencies (p = 0.094) and in the number of other disfluencies (p = 0.014). The other parameters, as well as differences in the electromyographic measurements, did not present significant variation. CONCLUSION: SEMG proved to be effective in the reduction of stuttering, with no need of association to other techniques

Quality of life of individuals with persistent developmental stuttering

TEMA: qualidade de vida. OBJETIVO: conhecer a influência da habilidade de fala - quanto as reações afetivas, comportamentais e cognitivas - sobre a qualidade de vida de indivíduos fluentes e com gagueira persistente do desenvolvimento (GPD). MÉTODO: 40 indivíduos adultos divididos em dois grupos, pareados por gênero e idade. O grupo de pesquisa (GI) foi composto por 20 indivíduos com PDS, sem qualquer outro déficit associado. O grupo controle (GII) foi composto por 20 indivíduos fluentes. Todos os participantes responderam ao Protocolo de Auto-Avaliação - versão para adultos. O protocolo é composto por três sessões de temáticas, cada uma delas com cinco questões, sendo que cada pergunta pode ser respondida numa escala de 1 (discordo plenamente) a 7 (concordo plenamente). A primeira sessão corresponde aos componentes afetivos, a segunda aos componentes comportamentais e a terceira aos componentes cognitivos. Todos os participantes responderam a todas as 15 questões. RESULTADOS: os achados indicaram que existe diferença na percepção da fala e da fluência entre indivíduos fluentes e com PDS. No grupo de indivíduos com PDS os diferentes graus de gravidade da patologia não identificaram pontos de divergência, ao contrário, mesmo os indivíduos com PDS leve apresentaram o mesmo perfil afetivo, comportamental e cognitivo que os indivíduos com maior comprometimento da fluência da fala. CONCLUSÃO: pelos resultados do estudo foi observado que a experiência com a gagueira diferencia os indivíduos em termos das características observáveis de fala, das dificuldades funcionais de comunicação vivida pelo falante no seu dia a dia gerando impacto negativo na qualidade de vida do indivíduo.BACKGROUND: quality of life. AIM: to verify the influence of the readiness of speech - regarding affective, behavioral and cognitive reactions - over the life quality of fluent individuals and those with persistent developmental stuttering (PDS). METHOD: 40 adults divided in two groups, paired by gender and age. The research group (GI) consisted of 20 individuals with PDS, with no other associated deficit. The research group (GII) consisted of 20 fluent individuals. All of the participants answered a Self-Assessment Protocol - version for adults. This protocol is composed by three thematic sessions, each one presenting five questions. Each question should be answered by choosing a number on a scale that varies from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree). The first session corresponds to the affective reactions, the second to the behavioral reactions and the third to the cognitive reactions. All of the participants answered all of the 15 questions. RESULTS: the findings indicate that a difference in the perception of speech and speech fluency exists between fluent individuals and individuals with PDS. For the individuals with PDS, the different stuttering severity levels did not present divergent points; on the contrary, even the individuals with mild PDS presented the same affective, behavioral and cognitive profiles of those with a more severe stuttering. CONCLUSION: the results indicate that the experience with stuttering is different among the individuals in terms of the observable speech characteristics, functional communication difficulties experienced by the individual in everyday situations, having a negative impact in the quality of life