Speech Pathology and Audiology Commons^™

Effect Of Age On Abrs In Mice With Epha4 Mutations, Melissa M. Teller

Dissertations, 2014-2019

It is known that EphA4 can influence the establishment of tonotopic pathways in the auditory system. This can be measured by an increase in thresholds on the auditory brainstem response test (ABR) in mice. It is also known that the aging population in humans tends to have poorer thresholds in the high frequency sounds as they age, termed presbycusis or age-related hearing loss. The C57BL/6J background strain of mice that is known to experience a presbycusis-like process, although it is not specified when this process begins and how it progresses through their life span. The goal of this study was …

The Neural Representation Of Frequency In Quiet And Noise Across The Adult Life Span, Alexandra Bove

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The purpose of the present study was to examine why older adults have trouble with speech-in-noise understanding. Difficulty with speech-in-noise comprehension has been associated with age-related degradation in frequency processing. Our study sought to investigate this relationship by examining the neural representation of frequency in quiet and in noise across the adult-life span. In order to do this, one behavioral correlate of frequency processing, frequency difference limens (FDLs), and one electrophysiological correlate, the frequency following response (FFR), was utilized. In the present study, we specifically focus on the electrophysiological measures of frequency processing across the adult life span. It was …

The Effect Of Workplace Noise Exposure On Reaction Time, Hollis T. Leidy

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This study examined the effect of listening fatigue on the reaction time of normal hearing listeners, who work in noisy places, at different signal to noise ratios (quiet, +5 and +10 dB). Reaction time was measured using a single task paradigm on twelve male listeners (ages 23-58 years) before and after an eight hour shift at a noisy power plant. The participants in the study also completed a subjective rating questionnaire at two intervals, before and after the fatigue-inducing condition. Results of the study indicated that the reaction time was significantly longer for the most difficult listening condition, indicating the …

Development And Deployment Of A Small Stereo-Hearing Testing System: Two Manuscripts, Sofia A. Ganev

Dissertations, 2014-2019

MANUSCRIPT #1 TITLE

Development of a Deployable Stereo-Hearing System

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of a portable stereo-hearing testing system with the intent of deployment for data collection in future studies. We quantify sound localization accuracy and speech-in-noise thresholds comparing unilateral (such as single-sided deafness) and bilateral subjects. We desired to design a small, inexpensive system that would show a large effect size between binaural and monaural subjects in a variety of stereo hearing tasks.

Methods: Subjects were tested on localization accuracy and speech understanding in noise using a laboratory-made stereo-hearing testing device. For the …

American English Speakers' Perception Of Non-Native Phonotactic Constraints: The Influence Of Training In Phonology, Bailey R. Pearson

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences between perceptions of non-native phonotactic rules and constraints by monolingual English-speaking undergraduate students in a program of communication disorders who had taken and passed a course in the study of phonology and by undergraduate students in communication disorders who had not yet taken a course in phonology. Participants listened to audio recordings of words from Hindi, Hmong, Kurdish, Russian, and Swedish recorded by speakers fluent in those languages. Each of the words contained at least one phonotactic constraint that is not permitted in American English phonology. Participants were instructed …

The Impact Of Technology On Individuals With Down Syndrome And Their Families, Morgan N. Fritz

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the role technology plays in the everyday lives of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Data was collected via an online questionnaire for parents of adolescents with Down syndrome and took place in two phases: the pilot phase and the large-scale data collection phase. The pilot phase consisted of constructing, giving, and modifying the questionnaire. The large-scale data collection phase included disseminating the questionnaire through social media and resulted in 107 responses. These revealed that technology is widely used by individuals with Down syndrome. As a main outcome, technology provided these …

A Qualitative Study Of The Effects Of The University Of Arkansas Autism Support Program, Jessica Post

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Individuals who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are often united by the following characteristics: difficulty communicating and interacting with others, inhibited ability to function socially, difficulty functioning academically or at work, and trouble transitioning to independent lifestyles (Lord, 2013). The purpose of this study was to determine how undergraduate students with Autism Spectrum Disorder perceive the helpfulness of the University of Arkansas Autism Support Program in the following areas: reducing college- related stress, facilitating academic success, facilitating social success, and preparing individuals for independent adult roles. In short, the study sought to determine the effects of the …

Musical Ear Syndrome: What Do We Know?, Cara D. Pestel

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to review the existing literature regarding Musical Ear Syndrome and other related auditory hallucinations. While the existence of auditory hallucinations is evident, their cause is unclear and widely understudied. There was a need for existing information to be compiled for use in the healthcare field. This review of existing literature will aid speech-language pathologists, audiologists, nurses, psychologists, and physicians in understanding this condition and what differentiates it from other various disorders. This will allow these professionals to better understand the experiences and needs of those with Musical Ear Syndrome.

Need For Speech-Language Pathologists In Juvenile Detention Centers In Arkansas, Jessica R. Stephenson

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

Young offenders in juvenile detention centers (JDCs) have a higher than average incidence of communication difficulties. There is limited published research on incidence of communication disorders and intervention techniques on this population in Arkansas. Speechlanguage pathologists (SLP) have been implemented in the JDC setting in other countries to determine if having speech-language therapy services will benefit juvenile offenders with their legal experiences and their lives post release. The limited research that is available identifies the need for a full range of speech-language therapy services to lower recidivism rates and provide offenders with the necessary tools for functional communication. The first …

An Internationally Adopted Child's Transition: A Family Story, Holly C. Heckmann

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to contribute to the literature on international adoption by conducting a case study with one adoptive family. Data was collected using a semi-structured, in-depth interview that was audio recorded and transcribed word-for-word. The interview questions asked about family configuration, language background and use, adoptive family decisions about cultural inclusiveness, and the transition from home to school. The analysis was member-checked following coding for the themes that emerged. Results indicated that lingering differences from reduced exposure to language in the first year of life took the form of subtle language differences that continued through the …

The Shaping Of Motherhood: How Raising A Child Who Stutters Impacts Identity, Madeline Wagnon

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The ways that raising a child who stutters shapes the identity of parents, particularly mothers, has received little attention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the shaping of motherhood by the stuttering experiences of children. Three mothers who have parented children who stuttered at some point in their lives participated. A semi-structured, audio-recorded interview was used to gather data. Each interview was transcribed and read for major and minor themes, which were subsequently member checked for accuracy. Results revealed major themes of attachment, family dynamic, acceptance, empathy, and control, including control efforts and lack of control. Common emotions …

Validity Of The Communication Function Classification System For Use With Preschool Children With Communication Disorders, Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Barbara Jane Cunningham, Nancy Thomas-Stonell, Bruce Oddson, Peter Rosenbaum

PRECISe Preschool Speech and Language Publications

Aim: To evaluate construct validity of the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) for use with preschoolers with a range of speech and language disorders. Method: Seventy-seven preschoolers with speech and language disorders (M = 2.7 years, SD = 1.02 years) (50 males) participated in this cohort study. Preschoolers had speech and language, language-only, or speech-only disorders. Together with parent input, SLPs completed the CFCS at Time 1. Parents and SLPs then independently completed a validated change-detecting functional communication outcome measure, the Focus on Communication Outcomes Under Six (FOCUS©) three times – at assessment (Time 1), at the start of treatment …

A Healthy Subject’S Perspective Undergoing Dysphagia Diets, Carmen J. Meyer

Honors Projects

Because there are only a small number of publications that have examined dysphagia from the perspective of people living with this disorder, the primary purpose of this project is to help expand the clinical knowledge base by systematically recording and analyzing the experiences of a healthy subject placed on modified consistency diets. The first component of this project addresses research pertaining to swallowing disorders, diet levels on which clients with swallowing disorders are placed, medical conditions associated with dysphagia, the process that clinicians follow when making decisions about modified diets, and the emotional effects of being placed on a modified …

Effects Of Sleep Deprivation With 110-Minute Rest Period On Postural Control In Young Adults, Whitney L. Hayden

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP) is used by many different professionals as an objective tool to measure different aspects of postural control. For audiologists, CDP is used to assess the vestibular system and its interactions with the somatosensory and visual systems. There is evidence that postural control is negatively affected by sleep deprivation. To date, there is limited knowledge on whether a 110-minute rest period will improve or even restore postural control abilities back to baseline. The present study was designed to further study the effects of sleep deprivation on different aspects of postural control and to examine the effectiveness of …

Speech Inconsistency In Children With Childhood Apraxia Of Speech, Language Impairment, And Speech Delay: Depends On The Stimuli, Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel, Tiffany P. Hogan, Jordan R. Green

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

The current research sought to determine (a) if speech inconsistency is a core feature of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) or if it is driven by comorbid language impairment that affects a large subset of children with CAS and (b) if speech inconsistency is a sensitive and specific diagnostic marker that can differentiate between CAS and speech delay.

Detecting Cognitive Load During Working Memory Tasks Utilizing A Digitizer Tablet, Cassandra K. Ward, Pradyumn Srivastava

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this line of research is to determine whether the ‘Digitizer’ is a reliable and valid way to measure cognitive load during dual working memory-drawing tasks. A quasi-experimental study was conducted at the University of Arkansas in a research laboratory, and participants included seven right-handed healthy adults with normal or corrected vision and no reading difficulty. The participants were selected on a volunteer basis. The study required participants to draw circles while continuously performing in three conditions – one baseline and two working memory experimental tasks, administered in counterbalanced order. The baseline task was to read an 8 …

The Effect Of Wideband And Narrowband Noise On The Olivocochlear Bundle And The Cochlear Microphonic, Catherine Nicole Palmietto

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In humans, activation of the olivocochlear bundle (OCB) can have a suppression or enhancement effect on cochlear processes. This phenomenon was studied via OCB activation effects on otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). However, it has been suggested that cochlear microphonics (CMs) can provide better, more detailed information regarding OCB function. In the present study, 22 normal hearing female subjects between the ages of 18-30 were recruited and the OCB was examined via the recording of CMs under changes in three conditions: OCB activating noise, stimulus polarity and stimulus frequency. Specifically, the present study examines the effects of activating wideband noise and narrowband …

Spontaneous Vocal Matching In Mothers And Their Hearing Impaired Infants With Cochlear Implants : A Quantitative Analysis., Lydia Doggett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vocal matching, the ability to imitate phonetic properties of speech, was examined in spontaneous interactions of sixteen dyads of mothers and their hearing-impaired (HI) infants with cochlear implants and age-matched normal-hearing (NH) infants. Mother-infant dyads came to three sessions at three, six, and 12 months post-implantation. Vocal matching was defined as an instance of perceptual and acoustic similarity of vowels and consonants between adjacent maternal and infant utterances. Vocal matching occurred in 25% to 50% of infant and in 17% to 64% of mother vocalizations across dyads. Both mothers and infants in the HI group produced fewer matches as compared …

Prevalence Of Communication Disorders In Children With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome On School Speech-Language Pathology Caseloads: A National Survey, Brittany V. Ratliff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is concern about the recently increasing number of infants born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), yet little is known about its long-term neurodevelopmental effects. School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are in a unique position to comment on potential long-term consequences of NAS because their caseloads include children with a variety of communication disorders and comorbidities. School-based SLPs across the United States (N = 258) responded to a survey about the presence of children with NAS on their caseloads and their perceptions of the children’s communication disorders and comorbidities. Results revealed that children with NAS currently are being treated by …

Voices In Treble: Self-Reported Vocal Health Of Student Singers, Jane Dreier

Honors Projects

The investigator examined reports of vocal health among singers in two different choral groups on a university campus, a population consisting of both music majors and non-music majors. These student singers consented to filling out a 36-question survey that asked about their overall vocal health and daily habits that might affect that health. A section of this survey involved rating answers from 0-4, while the other section required write-in answers. Results indicate that there is no significant difference in self-reported vocal health between music majors and non-music majors, although there were minor differences between these populations regarding daily habits, such …