Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Cochlear Implantation As A Treatment Option For Adults With Post-Lingual Single Sided Deafness: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Elvera Bader

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Adults with post lingual single sided deafness experience a myriad of issues as a result of their condition. Speech perception in noise and localization are well documented as being compromised in this population due to the loss of binaural auditory input. Cochlear implantation was introduced in the 2000s as an experimental treatment option for suppression/abatement of tinnitus in individuals with SSD, with consistent demonstration in reduction of tinnitus severity. Most recently, the focus has shifted to the potential reintroduction of binaural effects, and subsequently, improvements in speech in noise and localization performance through this treatment modality. The present systematic review …

Discerning Between Types Of Otitis Media And Their Evidence Based Treatments: A Review For The Audiologist, Hadassah Norowitz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Otitis media is an inflammatory pathology of the middle ear and middle ear mucosa which accounts for the majority of cases of childhood hearing loss diagnosed by audiologists. However, considerable confusion exists regarding the distinction between otitis media with effusion, also known as middle ear effusion or “glue ear”, and acute otitis media, the quintessential ear infection. Since many children are referred for audiological evaluation in the process of determining the course of treatment and outcomes of treatment, audiologists must be knowledgeable of the evidence of efficacy for various treatment options as they field questions from parents with incomplete information …

Attitudes Of Normal Hearing Listeners Towards Personal Sound Amplification Products: Sound World Solutions Cs50, Marisa Viets

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Over 23 million individuals in the United States have some degree of hearing loss but do not own hearing aids. Individuals may choose not to adopt hearing aid technology for an assortment of reasons, including the stigma associated with hearing aids, cost of the devices, or denying the effects of hearing loss. Prevalence of hearing aid usage remains low despite research indicating that untreated hearing loss is correlated with decreased quality of life and accelerated cognitive decline. In recent years, personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) have entered the market as simple, low cost, discreet devices in attempt to reach non-users …

Attitudes Towards Music Levels At Orthodox Jewish Weddings, Evan Hirschhorn

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Noise induced hearing loss is a deficit in the sensorineural part of the hearing mechanism, produced by the damaging effects of overstimulation by high intensity sound levels, usually over a period of time. Much of the noise literature has focused on occupational noise; however, the noise levels measured at non occupational and recreational settings have been found to be notably high as well. Attitudes and behaviors may vary based on demographics as such hearing conservational practices may benefit by honing in on demographic information. In the Orthodox Jewish community, weddings have a central role in community life, attended by many …

A Portfolio Of Experiences In Communications Sciences And Disorders, Dakota Michael Sharp

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

N/A

Mouth Asymmetries During Infant Babbling: A Brain Lateralization Study, Cecilia Breazile

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Although babbling is both prevalent and important in the process of language development, it could be argued that we still do not understand the basic nature of babbling. To further our understanding of the nature of babbling we attempted to find evidence for brain lateralization typical of adult speech acts during early babbling. This study examined infant mouth asymmetries during babbling sequences in search of evidence that babbling is an inherently linguistic act as indicated by the lateralization of the brain. Previously recorded videos of 12 infants, all 9 months of age, were examined, 29 images were captured, and a …

Evidence-Based Practices In Selecting Standardized Assessments Of Child Language, Darielle Cooper

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

From the results of a survey given to 1,399 speech-language pathologists, 11 frequently used language assessment tools for preschool and school age children were selected to undergo a systematic review. The examiner’s manual of each assessment was examined to determine whether the test reported adequate psychometric properties and acceptable levels of diagnostic accuracy. Results indicated that all reviewed assessments met at least 60% of McCauley and Swisher’s (1984) psychometric criteria for evaluating norm-referenced tests. Six of the 11 assessments provided information on diagnostic accuracy in the examiner’s manual or in the literature. Four tests published acceptable levels of diagnostic accuracy, …

The Effects Of Narrative Elicitation Task On The Verb Morphological Patterns Of Younger Adolescents With And Without Specific Language Impairment, Megan T. Taliaferro

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Specific language impairment (SLI) is one of the most commonly occurring communication disorders (Castrogiovanni (2008)). SLI is an impairment in the language of children, adolescents and adults who show no other impairment such as mental, emotional or physical problems. Individuals with SLI demonstrate normal intelligence as shown by nonverbal Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores; however, their language skills appear to be worse than their normally achieving (NA) peers. There has been an issue in identifying individuals with SLI. One factor contributing to the identification issues of SLI is the lack of a clinical marker. Although no clinical marker currently …

Does Vestibular Sensory Stimulation, In The Form Of Slow, Linear Swinging, Change The Modes Of Communication Among Children With Autism?, Katherine A. Gallaher

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this study was to determine if children with autism receiving vestibular sensory stimulation (VSS) in the form of slow, linear swinging, had any change or progression in their modes of communication when compared to children with autism who received a free-play period (nVSS) during speech-language (SL) therapy. Over the course of therapy, each child’s response mode was recorded as a gesture, vocalization, gesture + vocalization, or an utterance, and each mode was a dependent variable (DV) in this study. Participants who received VSS treatment were expected to have a greater improvement on the progression of modes, such …

Quality Of Life Indices In Brain Injury: A Pilot Investigation, Lauren Kristine Maher

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This IRB approved study explores the scope of acquired brain injury (ABI) as it affects an individual’s perceived quality of life and how measurement informs clinical decisions. Quality of life is an important consideration for persons with ABI, since research indicates acquired brain injury can lead to personality changes such as depression, anxiety, and aggression not previously exhibited (Greve et al., 2001). When treating persons with ABI, healthcare professionals must be able to reliably measure and track their client’s perceived quality of life. This pilot study included 35 clients receiving community-based intervention at Crossroads to Brain Injury Recovery, Inc. (Crossroads) …

Pre-Pulse Inhibition Assessment Of Sound Localization In Mice, Kathryn C. Brooks

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of my Honors Research Project was to assist Dr. Megan

Klingenberg in completing part of the research in her final dissertation project. Dr.

Klingenberg’s project was based off of a study done by Allen and Ison in 2010.

This study tested the auditory spatial acuity of mice using pre-pulse inhibition of

the startle reflex as the response for detecting the sound stimulus. The goal of

Dr. Klingenberg’s AuD project was “to explore the methodological, functional, and

genetic influences on sound localization using pre-pulse inhibition of the acoustic

startle response in mice”. Dr. Klingenberg’s project was broken into three …

Binaural Listening In Young And Middle-Aged Adults: Interaural Phase Differences And Speech-In-Noise Measures, Caitlin Cotter

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Difficulty understanding speech in the presence of noise is a common complaint of middle-aged and older adults with and without hearing loss. There is an incomplete picture of what contributes to difficulties understanding speech-in-noise in adults who have normal audiograms. As humans we listen binaurally, so declines in binaural processing may contribute to speech-in-noise difficulties. We examined the effects of age on the upper frequency limit of interaural phase difference (IPD) detection and IPD detection at fixed frequencies. We also examined a speech-in-noise measure of spatial separation across young and middle-aged, normal-hearing individuals.

Participants were young (n=12) and middle-aged (n=8) …

Speech Function In Persons With Parkinson's Disease: Effects Of Environment, Task And Treatment, Carrie E. Rountrey

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disease affecting aspects of movement, including speech. Persons with PD are reported to have better speech functioning in the clinical setting than in the home setting, but this has not been quantified. New methodologies in ambulatory measures of speech are emerging that allow investigation of non-clinical settings.

The following questions are addressed: Is speech different between environments in PD and in healthy controls? Can clinical tasks predict speech behaviors in the home? Is treatment proven effective by measures in the home? What can we glean from methods of measurement of speech function in …

Hyolaryngeal Kinematics And Swallow Patterning In Normal And Disordered Swallowing, Seng Mun Wong

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Hyoid and laryngeal movements contribute to laryngeal vestibule closure and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening for safe swallowing. However, the extent of movement required for achieving these goals, and the interaction between hyoid and laryngeal movements during swallowing are unknown. Despite impairment in vestibule closure and UES opening, patients with dysphagia may exhibit reduced, increased or similar hyolaryngeal displacements as healthy individuals. This limits the delineation between normal and disordered swallowing. We investigated whether anatomical differences in hyolaryngeal positions and the extent of laryngeal vestibule opening at rest would better predict hyolaryngeal displacements and the extent of vestibule closure during …

Effects Of Training And Lung Volume Levels On Voice Onset Control And Cortical Activation In Singers, Nicholas A. Barone

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Singers need to counteract respiratory elastic recoil at high and low lung volume levels (LVLs) to maintain consistent airflow and pressure while singing. Professionally trained singers modify their vocal and respiratory systems creating a physiologically stable and perceptually pleasing voice quality at varying LVLs. In manuscript 1, we compared non-singers and singers on the initiation of a voiceless plosive followed by a vowel at low (30% vital capacity, VC), intermediate (50%VC), and high (80%VC) LVLs. In manuscript 2, we examined how vocal students (singers in manuscript 1) learn to control their voice onset at varying LVLs before and after a …

Functional Recovery: A Mixed Methods Study Of The Specific Variables Within A Post-Hospital Inter-Disciplinary Brain Injury Rehabilitation - Residential Program, Victoria Harding

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The mixed methods explanatory design study examined specific constructs of Post Hospital Interdisciplinary Brain Injury Rehabilitation – Residential (PHIDBIR-R) programs that positively influenced gains in function. The investigation involved exploring the phenomenon of individuals’ experiences while participating in a PHIDBIR-R program as part of recovery from brain injury. The study’ primary purpose was to understand individuals who make the greatest gains in function while participating in these programs, as measured by the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 (MPAI-4) change scores from admission to discharge and what are the components of these programs that may contribute to individuals’ gains in function.

Data were …

The Effect Of Taste On Swallowing Function, Rachel Mulheren

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This study investigated the effects of taste on swallowing frequency and cortical activation in the swallowing network. The effects of salivary flow and taster status were also examined, along with genetic taster status. The effects of a 3ml bolus compared sour, sour with slow infusion, sweet, water, and water with infusion. Swallowing frequency was significantly higher 0-15 seconds after bolus delivery than 16-30 seconds. Swallowing frequency was higher in the sour conditions, whereas sweet and water did not differ. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy recordings measured changes in blood oxygenation (HbO) in the right and left hemispheres in the premotor, S1 and …

The Effect Of Auditory Fatigue On Reaction Time In Normal Hearing Listeners, Beth I. Hulvey

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Hearing impaired individuals often report feeling fatigue at the end of the day. These individuals are forced to exert more cognitive effort throughout the day as they strain to understand speech in an ever-changing auditory environment through an impaired/degraded auditory system (Rabbitt, 1991). Today’s digital hearing aids attempt to increase audibility and relieve cognitive strain through advanced signal processing techniques such as digital noise reduction (DNR). Recent research regarding noise and its effects on auditory fatigue in hearing impaired listeners suggests that DNR may reduce the effects of auditory fatigue (Sarampalis et al, 2009). The overarching goal of a future …

Pre-Pulse Inhibition Assessment Of Sound Localization In Mice: Methodological, Functional, And Genetic Considerations, Megan Klingenberg

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Sound localization is an important aspect of normal hearing. The Eph/ephin family of signaling proteins, studied here, is known to guide the formation of central auditory connections in early development, particularly topographic inputs from the lateral superior olive (LSO) to the inferior colliculus (IC). Processing in the LSO and its influences on the IC are known to be heavily involved in sound localization tasks. One way to study sound localization in mice is through pre-pulse inhibition (PPI). PPI is the phenomenon by which a weak prestimulus inhibits the response to a subsequent startle stimulus. In studying sound localization, the prestimulus …

Examining Monaural And Binaural Measures Of Phase-Locking As A Function Of Age, Larissa M. Heckler

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Understanding speech in the presence of background noise is a common complaint of middle-aged and older listeners with clinically normal audiograms. There is great interest in understanding how age-related changes in auditory physiology make it harder for older adults to understand speech in difficult listening situations, compared to young listeners. It was recently reported that middle-aged and older normal-hearing listeners showed frequency-dependent, age-related declines in the behavioral and physiological detection of interaural phase differences (Grose & Mamo, 2010; Ross et al, 2007). There is also evidence of an age-related, frequency-dependent decline in the frequency-following response (FFR) (Clinard et al., 2010), …

Training To Avoid Distractions, Cara E. Sanderson

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Introduction: Auditory training has been extensively studied and applied to training software that is currently available for children with attention, hearing, or speech/language difficulties. The extent to which training generalizes, or transfers to an untrained task, is of great theoretical value. To our knowledge, there has not been a study that examines transference to a non-sensory masking task.

Methods: 16 adults without ADHD were trained in a contralateral masking task over the course of two days, with 900 trials per day. False alarm rates, thresholds, and reaction times were measured. Pre- and post-tests of contralateral and informational masking were conducted …

Effect Of Adaptive Frequency Lowering On Phoneme Identification And Sound Quality Of Music In Hearing-Impaired Listeners, Kaitlyn A. Sabri

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The most common type and configuration of hearing loss seen in clinics is high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. High-frequency hearing losses can lead to difficulties understanding speech in noise. Traditional amplification can aid in audibility of high-frequency information; however, its success is limited due to acoustic feedback, output limitations of the hearing aids, and loudness discomfort (Bohnert, Nyffeler, & Keilmann, 2010, Turner & Cummings, 1999). Cochlear dead regions further hinder the success of traditional hearing aids, as speech recognition may not improve with increased audibility (Turner & Cummings, 1999). Frequency-lowering algorithms, developed by four major hearing aid manufacturers, attempt to …

Nonverbal Interaction Between Adults And Young Children During Digital And Real Object Play, Breanne M. Witherspoon

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study explored the developmental play behaviors and use of nonverbal communication of children that are raised in homes that differ in the amount and kind of digital exposure they have experienced within the first three years of life. Thirty minute videotaped play sessions of seven different children ranging in age from 20 to 30 months who were categorized as having low digital exposure in the home, TV exposure only, or high digital exposure based on a digital use questionnaire completed by parents were coded for the contribution of eye gaze, body positioning, and hand movement engagement to negotiate play …

Parenting Attitudes And Stress Levels Among Parents Of Children Who Are Deaf, Elise Claire Davies

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes and stressors of parents of children who are deaf. Parents of children with differing levels of hearing loss and communication modalities participated in this study. An electronic questionnaire assessed parents’ attitudes and stress levels that are involved in the Northwest Arkansas Hands and Voices program. The parents received a qualitative survey generated from Survey Monkey examining how their attitudes and stress are affected by their child’s hearing loss and if the Hands and Voices program alleviates some of the stress they may experience. Descriptive analyses were used to examine the …

Understanding Early Intervention Services For Hispanic Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Valeria Font Zorrilla

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Clear communication between speech-language pathologists and their clients and client’s families is essential for the success of therapy. A common language between therapist and client also facilitates the exchange of information, however this is not always possible. The purpose of this study was to develop a Fotonovela as an informative tool for Hispanic parents with children in the autism spectrum to use as an early intervention guide, to provide information on therapy services and to promote the understanding between professionals and culturally diverse populations. A Fotonovela is a pamphlet with photographs in the comic-book format that usually depicts a story …

The Inclusion Of Music Therapy In Speech-Language Interventions, Torry Farnell

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the inclusion of music in speech-language therapy. One hundred practicing speech-language pathologists (SLPs) participated in the study. There was no control for geographic location, length of time as an SLP, or work setting. A questionnaire devised from the research literature that gathered demographic information and the integration of music into speech-language therapy practices was used to gather data. It was electronically distributed via social media by means of a link that remained active for approximately six weeks. Data from the questionnaire was used descriptively to answer the questions of the study. The …

Exploration Of Linguistic And Extra-Linguistic Factors In Stroke Knowledge And Emergency Response: Studies Of Input, Output, And Outcome, Laura L. O. Froeschke

Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three studies centered on addressing factors that influence stroke knowledge and decision-making during the acute stroke emergency in both general and Hispanic populations. The first study provided data on patterns of explicit stroke knowledge in a sample of 94 Hispanic subjects. This study assessed relationships between stroke knowledge (Stroke Action Test; STAT; Billings-Gagliardi & Mazor, 2005) and subjects’ typical language use (Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics; Marín, Sabogal, VanOss Marín, Otero-Sabogal, Pérez-Stable, 1987). No relationship was found between language use (Spanish/English) and stroke symptom knowledge. Contrastingly, STAT scores were found to …

Grammatical Morphology In A Child With Autism, Katherine Ball

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Internship Impact In Early Intervention, Morgan E. Anderson

Senior Honors Projects

Early childhood intervention programs were introduced in the 1960s, and professionals have recognized the benefits of intensive therapy and education starting when the child is an infant up to the age of three. Working with a child in a comfortable environment, such as their own home, preschool, child care center or even the community has many benefits. Conducting sessions in a more everyday environment encourages family interaction and support. When a family member, caretaker, or even teacher is present to witness the therapy session, they are more likely to be comfortable carrying these techniques over into the everyday routine. Working …

The Effects Of Aging On Auditory Duration Discrimination, Rachael N. Luckett

Honors Theses

The goal of this study is to identify how auditory duration discrimination ability varies across age groups by using an unbiased stimulus such as a music tone. This will be accomplished by conducting a quantitative study testing duration discrimination skills in young and elderly adults. Their confidence ratings per response will also be included along with their discrimination results. The author will generate data that compare the duration discrimination abilities of young versus elderly adults. The null hypothesis is that there is no difference in duration discrimination between elderly and young adults.