Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

The Raphe-Hippocampal Tract And Its Age Differences: Diffusion Tensor Imaging And Probabilistic Tractography Study, Ashley Sekul

Honors Theses

The raphe-hippocampal tract links the raphe nuclei to the hippocampus and is responsible for the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. The hippocampus is key in regulating emotional and stress responses. This study utilized diffusion tensor imaging which uses Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to provide scans of the brain for analyzing differences in the raphe-hippocampal tract as one ages. In this specific study, 491 samples were visually analyzed to gather data about the fractional anisotropy of the raphe nuclei in both male and female brains ranging from 6 to 85 years old. Through the ranking of images, some were discarded, and …

Investigating The Link Between Executive Function And Creativity In School Aged Children, Katherine Crenshaw

Honors Theses

The primary purpose of this research was to examine links between executive function (i.e., EF or conscious control) and creativity in school aged children. To accomplish this, participants completed measurements of creativity (i.e., Alternative Uses) and EF (i.e., the Backwards Digit Span to test working memory, the Delay of Gratification task to test inhibition). I also examined whether a creative manipulation (i.e., free coloring or coloring task-relevant materials) would impact EF performance in the Dimensional Card Change Sort (DCCS) focused on cognitive flexibility. While I did not find evidence for a relationship between my measures of EF and creativity, I …

The Effects Of Written Stuttering Disclosure On Young Adult's Perceptions Of Children Who Stutter, Ashlee Manahan

Honors Theses

Abstract:

Purpose: This study measured between-group differences in perceived speech skills and personality characters of a 12-year-old male child who stutters (CWS) as a function of a written factual stuttering disclosure statement, delivered by a male CWS, his “mother”, and his “teacher”.

Methods: Four-hundred twenty-four college aged adults were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The groups included three experimental groups (i.e. written self-disclosure, written mother-disclosure, written teacher disclosure) and a control group (no written disclosure). Participants in the control condition viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old male who stutters. In the experimental conditions, participants viewed a brief …

Receptive And Expressive Prosodic Abilities In Adults With Down Syndrome, Logan A. Kingry

Honors Theses

Individuals with Down syndrome, a population that often struggles with communication, present a unique linguistic profile of strengths and weaknesses. Almost no research has examined prosody in adults with DS, despite the important role it plays in effective communication. The present study investigated the prosodic profile of seven adults with Down syndrome (18;07-34;11 years) using the Profiling Elements of Prosody for Speech and Communication (PEPS-C), and compared the group’s expressive and receptive prosodic abilities to a group of seven adults with mixed-etiology intellectual and developmental disability (29;02-37;07 years) matched on nonverbal ability. Data analyses showed that the group with Down …

Dialect Variation Assessment In Speech-Language Pathology, Maliah Wilkinson

Honors Theses

During speech and language assessment, speech language pathologists often utilize tools from sociolinguistics to differentiate between accent and dialect variation from actual speech or language impairments. Perceptual dialectology, is one of these tools. This method of research seeks to investigate the linguistic perspectives of various populations in specific situations (Montgomery, 2012, p. 638). To investigate the perspectives of college students, linguists, and speech-language pathologists surveys analyzed they perceptions of dialects in various settings and their backgrounds. Results from the surveys indicate linguists who participated have educational experience with dialects but not dialect assessments. While speech-language pathologists, have certification that insists …

The Auditory Radiation In Traumatic Brain Damage: Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study, Jane Walsh

Honors Theses

Hearing loss is a known symptom among people who suffer from traumatic brain injuries. Studies have shown that sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss resulting from traumatic brain injury. However, it is not well understood whether the auditory pathway is affected by traumatic brain injury. In this study, we examined the auditory radiation, using diffusion tensor imaging data and probabilistic tractography. Fifty-three veterans with traumatic brain injury and forty-four veterans without traumatic brain injury are compared. There was no significant difference in fractional anisotropy of the auditory radiation between those with and without traumatic brain …

An Educational Audiology Model For Mississippi: Telepractice For Direct Service Provision, Sally Autry

Honors Theses

Hearing loss among school-aged children is becoming increasingly prevalent (CDC, 2019). Having hearing loss in a classroom setting can negatively affect a child’s language development, academic achievement, and social communication. Educational audiology plays a vital role in the academic success of children with hearing loss by providing a full range of audiology services to students, as part of a multidisciplinary team, to facilitate listening, learning, and communication access. By performing specialized assessments, monitoring personal hearing instruments, recommending, fitting, and managing hearing assistive technology, providing support services, and advocating on behalf of students with hearing loss, educational audiologists help to bridge …

Audibility, Cost-Acceptibility And Cosmetic Appearance Of Iqbuds Boost In Adults Over The Age Of 50, Madison Dacus, Vishakha Rawool

Honors Theses

Background: Hearing loss affects 48 million Americans and up to 86% of all adults with hearing loss may not wear hearing aids. Untreated hearing loss is associated with social withdrawal, depression, stress, loss of income, and dementia. Even so, people still tend not to buy or wear hearing aids for a variety of reasons. One recently suggested solution to this problem is low-cost, over the counter (OTC) hearing aids, nicknamed “hearables” This study evaluated the audibility, cost-acceptability and cosmetic appearance of one OTC, IQBuds BOOST.

Methods: Fourteen men and 12 women over 50 years with a hearing loss participated in …

Auditory Verbal Hallucinations In Schizophrenia, Katherine Joiner

Honors Theses

The primary auditory cortex being linked to the AVHs could be due to it being overly sensitive when being stimulated by processing found internally, opposing to outward stimulation. The 173 individuals who were available for both structural data and resting state, 83 were found to have schizophrenia or schizoaffective. Resting state echo planar image (EPI) volumes had 32 slices of 4mm 64x64 matrix with 4mm thickness (voxel size = 3x3x4mm), with repetition time (TR) of 2000ms and echo time (TE) of 29ms. A total of 150 volumes (5 minutes) were used in the analysis. The auditory cortex in the SZ …

Recall Reading Intervention For Children In Preschool And Kindergarten With Moderate To Severe Language Delays, Rebekah Christine Bosley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dialogic reading is a reading intervention method in which the adult prompts the child with questions and expansions. Previous research has documented that it has been effective in promoting engagement, increasing response rates, developing vocabulary knowledge, and increasing overall answer accuracy in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Fleury, Miramontez, Hudson, & Schwartz, 2014; Fleury & Schwartz, 2016; Whalon, Martinez, Shannon, Butcher, & Hanline, 2015). The current study investigates whether children with moderate to severe language delays with or without Autism could increase their verbal and nonverbal responses and joint attention through the RECALL (Reading to Engage Children with Autism …

Interactions Between Contextual And Phonetic Information In Children’S And Adults’ Perception Of Non-Native Speech, Alexis P. Zosel

Honors Theses

Phoneme categorization (i.e., the ability to differentiate between different speech sounds) is not an easy task, as individuals must integrate multiple sources of information, including both acoustic and contextual information. When a talker has a foreign accent, the listener may place more weight on sentential context because of the ambiguity of the acoustic/phonetic information. For example, listeners are more likely to classify a word that is phonetically ambiguous between goat and coat as goat if the sentential context is “The boy milked the ___,” and this is especially the case when listening to a non-native (compared to native) talker (Schertz …

Parents’ Perspectives On Early Intervention For Children With Speech And Language Delays, Alissa Ann Williams

Honors Theses

Parents play an important role in the success of a child’s language development. Further, research on early intervention has documented that parents can successfully learn and implement at-home therapy that results in positive language development of children with developmental disabilities. While the effectiveness of early intervention has been well-documented, there is little research exploring parents’ perspectives on early intervention and their involvement in therapy at home. The purpose of this study is to fill that gap by examining: 1) how informed and involved parents report feeling regarding their child’s therapy, 2) how parents perceive their relationship with their child’s speech-language …

Descriptive Study Of Reading Comprehension Skills In Individuals With Down Syndrome, Katherine Hubbard

Honors Theses

Problem Statement: Previous research has documented that individuals with Down syndrome are able to read and have identified strengths and weakness demonstrated within the reading domain, but research on their reading comprehension abilities is scarce. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze strengths and weaknesses of reading comprehension in individuals with Down syndrome, including within the word identification and language comprehension subdomains. Methods: Reading comprehension, word identification, phonological decoding, language comprehension, vocabulary, and syntax were the dependent variables in this study. Nine standardized assessments/subtests were used to measure these variables in 11 adolescents and adults with Down syndrome. …

The Effect Of Familiarity On Joint Attention In Children With Asd, Rachel Jenkins

Honors Theses

Joint attention is the ability to share focus on an object with a conversational partner and the awareness that this attention is shared (Moore, Dunham, & Dunham, 2014). Joint attention is an important building block for learning, language, and social development (Mundy & Newell, 2007; Thurm, Lord, Lee, & Newschaffer, 2007). However, previous research has documented that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have significant deficits and delays in the acquisition of joint attention when compared to typically developing peers of similar chronological ages (Mundy, Sigman, & Kasari, 1994; Osterling & Dawson, 1994; Chiang, Soong, Lin, & Rogers, 2008). …

The Effects Of Prosthetic Tactile Feedback On Persons Who Stutter, Meliah Kayla Grant

Honors Theses

Vibrotactile speech feedback has been documented to enhance fluency in adults who stutter. Based on these data, researchers at the University of Mississippi have developed a prosthetic device that captures the speech signal of the speaker, converts this signal into tactile stimulation, and administers vibratory speech feedback to the speaker through a handheld stimulator. This patented device, as tested with a handheld tactile stimulator, has been documented as producing significant fluency enhancement comparable to that of other auditory speech feedback prosthetic devices. The purpose of this present study is to collect data measuring the effects of tactile speech feedback on …

The Frequency Attenuations Of Foam Ear Plugs Affected By User Error Of College Students, Alyse J. Lemoine

Honors Theses

This paper examines the relationship between the attenuating ability of foam ear plugs at low and high frequencies and the effects of incorrect ear plug fitting by college students. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (1998) recommends the use of a hearing protection device (HPD) such as ear muffs or ear plugs to avoid noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). However, when not inserted properly, a HPD's effectiveness can be adversely affected by user error and present as a decrease in attenuation. Attenuation is measured and presented on packaging as the noise reduction rating (NRR). A high NRR affected …

A Survey Of Speech-Language Pathologists' Use And Understanding Of Evidence-Based Practice, Emma Kate Thome

Honors Theses

Problem Statement: Prior research on evidence-based practice (EBP) in speech-language pathology is both limited and inconsistent regarding the frequency in which SLPs engage in EBP, their understanding of EBP, and the emphasis that their employers place on EBP. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to assess SLPs' understanding and use of EBP. In addition, this study investigated the potential barriers SLPs face when attempting to engage in EBP including employer emphasis and opinions toward EBP. Methods: SLPs (n=176) from across the United States participated in an online survey designed to assess their understanding and use of EBP. Participants …

Speech Language Pathologists And Prosody: Knowledge And Clinical Practices, Sarah Elizabeth Fischer

Honors Theses

Prosody is an important aspect of language as it signals linguistic contrasts, conveys pragmatic distinctions, and expresses emotional affect. However, prosody is impaired in several populations, and such impairments can negatively affect intelligibility and the social perception of the speaker. Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) are the professionals responsible for treating such impairments, yet the knowledge base of SLPs regarding prosody is unknown. The purpose of this study is to evaluate SLPs' knowledge of assessing, treating, and diagnosing prosodic impairments by using a survey (n=269). While a majority of SLPs surveyed agreed that prosody is within their scope of practice, they …

Measuring The Effects Of Prosthetic Tactile Pacing On Overt Stuttering Frequency In Adults Who Stutter, Sydney Elizabeth Gully

Honors Theses

While the cause has been historically enigmatic, persistent stuttering exhibits distinct behavioral, neural and genetic characteristics. Throughout many years, a variety of motoric treatments have attempted to ameliorate overt stuttering behaviors; however, most therapeutic options provide unstable, effortful, and/or unnatural sounding results with high relapse rates. Conversely, research documents natural sounding speech coupled with stable and effortless reductions in overt stuttering frequency when a person who stutters is exposed to speech feedback of a second speech signal (i.e. choral speech). The most prolific clinical use of this technology is a prosthetically introduced auditory second speech signal; yet its current application …

Action Understanding Via Mirror Neuron Systems: A Proposed Model For The Science And Treatment Of Stuttering, Madison Jones

Honors Theses

Persistent developmental stuttering is generally considered to be a speech disorder characterized by repetitions, prolongations and postural fixations, and is relatively resistant to therapy. While mainstream stuttering therapy continues to rely on behavioral speech targets, recent research suggests that mirror neuron systems can be activated to temporarily induce natural sounding fluent speech in those who stutter via exposure to second speech signals. Despite the prevalence of speech-motor based stuttering treatments, a unified account of how and why fluency is enhanced through endogenous methods remains elusive. The purpose of these two exploratory studies is to further test the validity of the …

Pituitary Gland Functional Connectivity And Bmi, E. Paige Rucker

Honors Theses

This study examined the link between pituitary gland functional connectivity and BMI. The pituitary gland plays various roles in the body through the secretion of hormones, but its direct role in development of obesity and BMI management is unknown. Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsfMRI) brain data of individuals with diverse BMIs were analyzed by voxel-wise analysis to determine the functional connectivities of the pituitary gland to other regions of the brain. A significant negative correlation was found between BMI and pituitary gland functional connectivity in eleven different brain regions. These regions include the posterior thalamus, lingual gyrus, precuneus, …

Attitudes And Practices Among College Students Relative To Personal Listening Device Usage And Hearing Conservation, Molly Grace Williams

Honors Theses

As technology has advanced, the popularity of personal listening devices (PLD) has become widespread among the millennial generation. It is normal in today's culture to see members of the millennial generation using their PLDs in most any setting. Due to this growth in popularity and usage of PLDs, there is an increased and relatively undocumented opportunity for noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) among the people in the millennial generation. In order to research the effects of this shift in culture relative to PLD usage, college-aged members of the millennial generation were asked to participate in a study via word of …

The Olfactory System In Schizophrenia: An Rsfmri Study Of The Piriform Cortex, Sara Kiparizoska

Honors Theses

This thesis is a study of rsfMRI imaging in order to examine coactivation patters of the piriform cortex between healthy subjects and people with schizophrenia. As part of the olfactory system, the piriform cortex is an integral part of the smell sensation. Our studies showed that coactivation among the piriform cortex and other sensory brain regions differ in people with schizophrenia compared to healthy subjects. People with schizophrenia exhibit patterns of less coactivation among their sensory brain regions compared to control subjects, specifically the intracalcarine cortex, the right planum temporale, and the left occipital lobe. The purpose of this study …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: How Does Transitional Planning From Preschool To Elementary School Benefit Educational And Social Success?, Shakeika K. Everett

Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disorder that impacts millions of people worldwide on a daily basis. While most adults with autism have received, and continue to receive, the proper assistance in engaging in everyday life, children with autism face more challenges that impacts their engagement socially. Many intervention methods have been researched and implemented to assist in communication and social involvement for children with ASD. However, little research exists on helping young children with ASD effectively transition, both academically and socially, from one educational environment to another. This research will contain a case study of a six-year-old child enrolled …

Newborn Diagnostics: Effects Of Hearing Screening Failures, Appointment Attendance And Distance On Age Of Hearing Loss Diagnosis, Stephanie Trippel

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates diagnostic outcomes of infants referred to the University of Mississippi Speech and Hearing Center between January 2010 and September 2014. Data were collected on the reason for referral, eventual diagnosis, appointment attendance, and distance traveled of the patients referred. A total of 177 patients were collected. It was determined that UMSHC reaches EDHI goals for most patients who receive a diagnosis. An overwhelming majority of patients referred were due to newborn hearing screening failure, and most patients received a diagnosis of within normal limits. Those patients who never received a diagnosis had poor attendance which seemed to …

Standardized Articulation Test Performance Of African American Preschoolers In Mississippi, Emily Ortega

Honors Theses

In the past, standardized articulation tests administered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have had tendencies to be biased against speakers of a dialect with characteristics that differ from Mainstream American English (MAE). Using these MAE norm referenced tests can cause several problems, including over diagnosing African American (AA) children with impaired speech and language. The purpose of this study is to document the performance of four-year-old African American English (AAE) speakers for their use of age appropriate phonemes regardless of dialect, and whether the presence of AAE affects participants' scores on the following articulation tests: the Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale-Third Edition …

A Comparison Of The Deaf Community And Hard-Of-Hearing Individuals On Their Knowledge And Opinions Of Cochlear Implants, Marian R. Bryant

Honors Theses

This thesis examined the opinions and knowledge of Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals on cochlear implants. Previous research presented showed the controversial opinions on what was known about cochlear implants as a result of speculation in the Deaf community. This thesis consisted of surveying Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in order to have a better understanding of what is known about cochlear implants and the opinions that concur due to incorrect or correct knowledge. Thirteen subjects, including eight Deaf and seven hard-of-hearing individuals, completed the assessment. The results indicated that uncertainty about cochlear implants still remains; therefore, it is necessary to educate …

Communication Sciences And Disorders (Csd) Graduate Students' Preparedness To Work With Individuals Who Are Bilingual, Elizabeth M. Harbaugh

Honors Theses

This study addresses the overall competence of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduate students working with individuals who are bilingual. It examined the different CSD graduate programs in the United States and identified key variables that lead to students' preparedness. The author surveyed 238 individuals, consisting of first and second year graduate students and individuals working in their clinical fellowship from 30 different graduate programs. The data were collected from both Mississippi and the total population and were compared as an example of possible future research pertaining to SLP preparedness needed when working with individuals who are bilingual. The results …

Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Exercise Effects On Attention And Working Memory In Alzheimer's Disease, Alexandria Drakos

Honors Theses

Studies have shown that exercise can have positive affects on cognition levels in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. A meta-analysis was conducted to see if exercise had an effect on attention or working memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease. A search was conducted through PubMed. From the initial search, 87 articles were found. Of these 87 articles, 2 met the criteria for analysis along with 1 additional article found from an additional source. These 3 articles were studied and a meta-analysis was performed. The Stroop Test was used to study attention scores and the Digit Span Test Backward test was …

Role Of Speech-Language Pathologists In Aphasia Therapy And Rehabilitation As Reported By Practicing Speech-Language Pathologists, Meredith Wooley

Honors Theses

This thesis examined the roles of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) within aphasia therapy and rehabilitation. Research compiled in the literature review explained the disorder of aphasia, and the roles of SLPs when working with people who have aphaisa, as outlined in the ASHA policy document Roles of Speech-Language Pathologists in The Identification, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Individuals with Cognitive-Communication Disorders: Position Statement (2005b). This study investigated ASHA-certified, masters-level SLPs' preparedness to work with aphasia patients, as well as their familiarity of their roles and resonsibilities in aphasia therapy and rehabilitation, and their awareness of the possible forms of treatment for aphasia. …