Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons^™

Plasma Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Is Associated With 18f-Smbt-1 Pet: Two Putative Astrocyte Reactivity Biomarkers For Alzheimer's Disease, Pratishtha Chatterjee, Vincent Doré, Steve Pedrini, Natasha Krishnadas, Rohith Thota, Pierrick Bourgeat, Milos D. Ikonomovic, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Samantha C. Burnham, Christopher Fowler, Kevin Taddei, Rachel Mulligan, David Ames, Colin L. Masters, Jürgen Fripp, Christopher C. Rowe, Ralph N. Martins, Victor L. Villemagne, Aibl Research Group

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

Astrocyte reactivity is an early event along the Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum. Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), posited to reflect astrocyte reactivity, is elevated across the AD continuum from preclinical to dementia stages. Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) is also elevated in reactive astrocytes observed using ¹⁸F-SMBT-1 PET in AD.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the abovementioned astrocyte reactivity biomarkers.

Methods:

Plasma GFAP and Aβ were measured using the Simoa^® platform in participants who underwent brain ¹⁸F-SMBT-1 and Aβ-PET imaging, comprising 54 healthy control (13 Aβ-PET+ and 41 Aβ-PET-), 11 …

Incog 2.0 Guidelines For Cognitive Rehabilitation Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Part Iv: Cognitive-Communication And Social Cognition Disorders, Leanne Togher, Jacinta Douglas, Lyn S. Turkstra, Penny Welch-West, Shannon Janzen, Amber Harnett, Mary Kennedy, Ailene Kua, Eleni Patsakos, Jennie Ponsford, Robert Teasell, Mark Theodore Bayley, Catherine Wiseman-Hakes

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction:

Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury causes significant cognitive impairments, including impairments in social cognition, the ability to recognize others' emotions, and infer others' thoughts. These cognitive impairments can have profound negative effects on communication functions, resulting in a cognitive-communication disorder. Cognitive-communication disorders can significantly limit a person's ability to socialize, work, and study, and thus are critical targets for intervention. This article presents the updated INCOG 2.0 recommendations for management of cognitive-communication disorders. As social cognition is central to cognitive-communication disorders, this update includes interventions for social cognition.

Methods:

An expert panel of clinicians/researchers reviewed evidence published since …

The Future Of Incog (Is Now), Peter Bragge, Mark Theodore Bayley, Diana Velikonja, Leanne Togher, Jennie Ponsford, Shannon Janzen, Amber Harnett, Ailene Kua, Eleni Patsakos, Amanda Mcintyre, Robert Teasell, Mary Kennedy, Shawn Marshall

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

IT HAS BEEN 8 years since the first iteration of the INCOG clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) were published. Much has happened since 2014, and a considerable body of evidence has been published in the various domains of cognitive rehabilitation research represented in this special issue. Over this time, significant developments in the science of identifying, appraising, and distilling research evidence into practically applicable CPGs have emerged, as well as implementation efforts to ensure meaningful change in care delivery.

Uncertainty, Sensory Processing, And Stress In Autistic Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Garrett Cardon, Mollie Bradley

Faculty Publications

Background: COVID-19 increased uncertainty for most and was especially disruptive to autistic people and their families, due in part to tendencies toward intolerance for uncertainty across this population. As such, COVID presented a natural experiment of uncertainty and its correlates in autism. Previous reports have shown associations between intolerance of uncertainty, sensory difficulty, and stress. Aims: We investigated changes in sensory difficulties and stress associated with COVID-related increases in uncertainty. Methods and procedures: Primary caregivers of 47 autistic children (ages 6–15) completed online surveys containing questions about demographics, experiences, and supports received during the pandemic. Additionally, caregivers filled out measures …

Similar Overall Expression, But Different Profiles, Of Autistic Traits, Sensory Processing, And Mental Health Between Young Adult Males And Females, Garrett Cardon, Miranda Mcquarrie, Savanah Calton, Terisa P. Gabrielsen

Faculty Publications

Recent trends suggest that autism is more common in females than traditionally held. Additionally, some argue that females express autistic traits differently than males. Dimensional views of autism could shed light on these issues, especially with regards to understudied behavioral areas, such as sensory processing. We examined autistic traits, sensory processing, anxiety, and related behaviors in a large sample of neurotypical young adult males and females (n = 1122; 556 female; ages 19–26). Participants completed an online survey containing questionnaires related to the above. Between groups statistical analyses, as well as within groups correlations and mediation analyses containing these constructs …

Passive Earplug Including Helmholtz Resonators Arranged In Series To Achieve Broadband Near Zero Occlusion Effect At Low Frequencies, Kevin Carillo, Franck Sgard, Olivier Dazel, Olivier Doutres

Études primaires

The use of passive earplugs is often associated with the occlusion effect: a phenomenon described as the increased auditory perception of one's own physiological noise at low frequencies. As a notable acoustic discomfort, the occlusion effect penalizes the use and the efficiency of earplugs. This phenomenon is objectively characterized by the increase in sound pressure level in the occluded ear canal compared to the open ear canal. Taking inspiration from acoustic metamaterials, a new design of a three-dimensional printed “meta-earplug,” made of four Helmholtz resonators arranged in series, is proposed for achieving near zero objective occlusion effect measured on artificial …

Pressure Induced By Roll-Down Foam-Earplugs On Earcanal, Ahmed Dalaq, Luiz Melo, Franck Sgard, Olivier Doutres, Éric Wagnac

Études primaires

Physical discomfort of earplug is a common complaint, so much so it jeopardizes the health and safety of workers, resulting in frequent noncompliance to proper wearing of earplugs. A pressing need thus arises to understand the underlying mechanics for the interaction of earplugs with earcanal walls. An idealized cylindrical geometry of earcanal is first treated with computational and analytical modeling to predict the pressure induced by roll-down cylindrical PVC foam earplugs. In order to predict representative pressure values and distribution, we estimated the hyperelastic properties of foam-based earplugs and characterized their behavior using a stent testing machine (J-Crimp^TM machine) …

Association Of Hearing Loss And Tinnitus Symptoms With Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Long-Term Oropharyngeal Cancer Survivors, Puja Aggarwal, Marc-Elie Nader, Paul W Gidley, Raj Pratihar, Shirin Jivani, Adam S Garden, Frank E Mott, Ryan P Goepfert, Christopher Wallace Ogboe, Camille Charles, Clifton D Fuller, Stephen Y Lai, G Brandon Gunn, Erich M Sturgis, Ehab Y Hanna, Katherine A Hutcheson, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the association of hearing loss and tinnitus with overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among long-term oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) survivors.

METHODS: This study included OPC survivors treated between 2000 and 2013 and surveyed from September 2015 to July 2016. Hearing loss and tinnitus were measured by asking survivors to rate their "difficulty with hearing loss and/or ringing in the ears" from 0 (not present) to 10 (as bad as you can imagine). Hearing loss and tinnitus scores were categorized as follows: 0 for none, 1-4 for mild, and 5-10 for moderate to severe. The primary outcome …

Effect Of Nodule Size And Stiffness On Phonation Threshold And Collision Pressures In A Synthetic Hemilaryngeal Vocal Fold Model, Mohsen Motie-Shirazi, Matías Zañartu, Sean D Peterson, Daryush D Mehta, Robert E Hillman, Byron D Erath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Synthetic vocal fold (VF) replicas were used to explore the role of nodule size and stiffness on kinematic, aerodynamic, and acoustic measures of voiced speech production. Emphasis was placed on determining how changes in collision pressure may contribute to the development of phonotrauma. This was performed by adding spherical beads with different sizes and moduli of elasticity at the middle of the medial surface of synthetic silicone VF models, representing nodules of varying size and stiffness. The VF models were incorporated into a hemilaryngeal flow facility. For each case, self-sustained oscillations were investigated at the phonation threshold pressure. It was …

Tagalog And English Core Communication Boards For Tagalog-English Bilingual Children In The Philippines, Vianca A. Ocampo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A large proportion of children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices to communicate are bilingual. Although many AAC devices allow access to each of the bilinguals’ languages, the devices are designed in such a way that access is limited to a single language at a time. Further, most devices contain translated vocabulary from English into the bilinguals’ other language. This study aimed to fill this gap by identifying core vocabulary words from narrative language samples of 4-year-old bilingual children to create ecologically valid communication boards. The language samples were analyzed to obtain the most frequently and commonly produced …

Teaching Non-Native Sound Contrasts Using Visual Biofeedback, Shawn L. Nissen

Faculty Publications

This demonstration will explain how non-native sound contrasts can be taught to second language (L2) learners using real-time visual biofeedback through an electropalatographic (EPG) sensor. How the EPG sensor is created from a dental mold and is subsequently produced will be shown during the presentation. An explanation of how a student can visualize the contact patterns of their speech and how a tutor might use the various features of the associated software to customize the instruction to an individual speaker will be illustrated during the presentation. Possible limitations, costs, and drawbacks to using the technology will also be discussed.

Language Development And Poverty: Considerations And Applications For Speech-Language Pathologists, Samantha Lynn Ehler

Honors Program Theses

Economics is one vital variable that can support or hinder the successful development and acquisition of language. A large body of research has shown that conditions of poverty often negatively impact a child’s language learning environment and brain development, resulting in poor language development and a high risk of speech and language disorders. Language development is a dynamic process that begins during the first years of life and is contingent on social interactions and safe predictable routines. A thorough examination of the relationship between familial financial standing and language development is the foundation for developing interventions that will minimize the …

Exposure, Adaptation And Expectations: How They Affect Perception Of Foreign Accented Speech, Isabella Huddleston

Honors Program Theses

Understanding accented speech is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society. The world is connected through technology allowing us to reach further than we ever have before. One challenge this presents is the necessity to communicate across languages. Even if an individual has learned another language proficiently, the speech they produce is influenced by their native language resulting in foreign accented speech (FAS). There now exists the need for understanding how FAS affects speech perception and uncovering ways to improve communication situations between native and nonnative communication partners.

Development And Validation Of The Montreal Cognitive Assessment For People With Hearing Impairment (Moca-H), Piers Dawes, David Reeves, Wai Kent Yeung, Fiona Holland, Anna Pavlina Charalambous, Mathieu Côté, Renaud David, Catherine Helmer, Robert Laforce, Ralph N. Martins, Antonis Politis, Annie Pye, Gregor Russell, Saima Sheikh, Marie-Josée Sirois, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Chyrssoula Thodi, Kathleen Gallant, Ziad Nasreddine, Iracema Leroi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Hearing impairment is common among older adults and affects cognitive assessments for identification of dementia which rely on good hearing function. We developed and validated a version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for people with hearing impairment. Methods: We adapted existing MoCA 8.1 items for people with hearing impairment by presenting instructions and stimuli in written rather than spoken format. One Attention domain and two Language domain items required substitution by alternative items. Three and four candidate items respectively were constructed and field-tested along with the items adapted to written form. We used a combination of individual item …

Principles And Philosophies For Speech And Language Therapists Working With People With Primary Progressive Aphasia: An International Expert Consensus, A. Volkmer, J. Cartwright, L. Ruggero, A. Beales, J. Gallée, S. Grasso, M. Henry, R. Jokel, J. Kindell, R. Khayum, M. Pozzebon, E. Rochon, C. Taylor-Rubin, R. Townsend, F. Walker, S. Beeke, Deborah Hersh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a language-led dementia associated with Alzheimer’s pathology and fronto-temporal lobar degeneration. Multiple tailored speech and language interventions have been developed for people with PPA. Speech and language therapists/speech-language pathologists (SLT/Ps) report lacking confidence in identifying the most pertinent interventions options relevant to their clients living with PPA during their illness trajectory.

Materials and methods:

The aim of this study was to establish a consensus amongst 15 clinical-academic SLT/Ps on best practice in selection and delivery of speech and language therapy interventions for people with PPA. An online nominal group technique (NGT) and consequent focus …

Impact Of Community-Based Go Baby Go Project On Interprofessional Collaboration, Sapna Chakraborty, Marc Willey, Lisa Proctor

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPEC) are essential components of healthcare teams in the United States. This study aimed to explore the impact of a community-based Go Baby Go (GBG) project that used assistive technology and environmental adaptation skills to provide interprofessional education and hands-on collaboration between occupational therapy and speech-language pathology graduate students. The interprofessional collaboration (IPC) experiences provided to graduate students were centered on shared lectures and labs on role delineation, evaluation, and treatment focused on modifications through assistive technology and environmental adaptation. The culminating experience included labs with three to four students from each discipline in a …