Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Physiological And Behavioral Evidence Of Auditory Processing Deficit In Children Suspected Of Auditory Processing Disorder, Sangamanatha Ankmnal Veeranna

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A series of studies were carried out to examine the neural and behavioral processing of acoustic stimuli in children with suspected auditory processing disorder (sAPD).

The click-evoked auditory brainstem responses recorded from children with sAPD and adults were analyzed using traditional clinical measures and detailed analysis seeking to explore the separate contributions of axonal conduction and synaptic transmission. Clinical measures revealed significant prolongation of absolute latencies and interwave intervals in children with sAPD compared to adults. Examination of responses delineating axonal vs. synaptic transmission showed frequent delays in synaptic factors and fewer instances of delays related to axonal conduction in …

Exploring The Self-Regulatory Behaviors Of Elementary Students With Hearing Loss In Inclusive Classrooms, Kendra Di Bacco

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An exploratory, mixed-method and multi-level research design was employed to examine relationships among students’ hearing loss, academic achievement and self-regulation (SR), classroom background noise levels, teachers’ perceptions of inclusion of students who are hard of hearing (HH) and features of classroom instruction that support SR. Data consisted of 10 elementary teachers’ perceptions of the inclusion, and ratings of 131 students’, of whom 8 were hard of hearing, SR and academic achievement scores. Classroom observations were conducted to obtain background noise levels and to examine whether and how teachers implement the features of classroom contexts to support SR within their classroom. …

The Auditory Brainstem Response And Envelope Following Response: Investigating Within-Subject Variation To Stimulus Polarity, Rebekah Taggart

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Though the envelope following response (EFR) has potential to become an effective tool for hearing aid validation, studies have observed a considerable degree of within-subject variation with stimulus polarity that could affect its clinical usefulness. This study investigated whether a relationship exists between the polarity-sensitive variation observed in EFR amplitude and that observed in the latencies of a related neural response, the auditory brainstem response (ABR). Low frequency masked clicks and the dual-f₀ stimulus /susaʃi/ were used to evoke alternating polarity ABRs and EFRs, respectively, in 31 normal hearing adults. Maximum and median differences between polarity conditions were calculated. …

Predictors Of Language Outcome For Children In The Ontario Infant Hearing Program, Olivia M. Daub

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Ontario Infant Hearing Program (OIHP) provides early interventions (i.e., hearing aids) to children who are hard of hearing (CHH) because research consistently demonstrates their benefit to language outcomes. The impact of pre-fitting language abilities on these outcomes are not well understood.

This retrospective cohort analysis examined the performance of OIHP children on the Preschool Language Scale-4 at the time of (n=47), and after (n=19), initial hearing aid intervention. Regression analyses revealed that, before amplification, hearing loss severity predicted language abilities. However, after amplification, severity of hearing loss did not uniquely predict language achievement, but rather …

The Consequences Of Oromandibular Dystonia On Communicative Participation: A Qualitative Study Of The Insider's Experiences, Lauren Siegel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to explore the consequences of oromandibular dystonia (OMD) on communicative participation from the insider’s perspective. Qualitative research methods were used to obtain a self-reported account of the experience of living with OMD. Eight individuals with OMD and dysarthria participated in face-to-face phenomenological interviews. Interviews were transcribed from audio recordings and coded using coding software. The codes were then grouped into larger thematic categories based on salience. Results showed that communicative participation is affected by multiple physical, social, and emotional factors caused by OMD. Furthermore, OMD can have significant effects on an individual’s job, family, …

The Application Of Clear Speech In Electrolaryngeal Speakers, Steven R. Cox

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present work was comprised of a series of experiments that investigated the application of clear speech (CS) in a group of electrolaryngeal (EL) speakers. Three experiments were conducted to assess the impact of CS on three important aspects of EL speech. More specifically, Experiment 1 sought to identify the impact of CS on EL speakers’ word and consonant intelligibility; Experiment 2 examined the influence of CS on the acoustic characteristics of words and vowels in EL speech; and finally, Experiment 3 sought to identify the influence of CS produced by EL speakers on auditory-perceptual ratings by naïve listeners. Results …