Name: ultrasound images of the tongue: a tutorial for assessment and remediation of speech sound errors
Uploaded: 2017-01-03T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Ultrasound Images of the Tongue: A Tutorial for Assessment and Remediation of Speech Sound Errors at JoVE.com

The work was supported by NIH grants R01DC013668 (D. Whalen, PI) and R03DC013152 (J. Preston, PI).

Ethics Statement. When used in research, informed consent and/or assent from children is always required before collecting ultrasound images. When used clinically, clients should be informed of the purpose of the ultrasound imaging. Although diagnostic ultrasound imaging is considered &#34;minimal risk&#34; 30, users should always follow the ALARA principle when using ultrasound, meaning exposure to ultrasound should be as &#34;As Low As Reasonably Achievable&#34;31. This involves limiting acoustic ...

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Interspeech. , (2014).</li><li>Shawker, T. H., Sonies, B. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ultrasound+Biofeedback+for+Speech+Training:+Instrumentation+and+Preliminary+Results.">Ultrasound Biofeedback for Speech Training: Instrumentation and Preliminary Results.</a> Invest Radiol. 20 (1), 90-93 (1985).</li><li>Bacsfalvi, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Attaining+the+lingual+components+of+/r/+with+ultrasound+for+three+adolescents+with+cochlear+implants.">Attaining the lingual components of /r/ with ultrasound for three adolescents with cochlear implants.</a> Can. J. Speech Lang. Pathol. 34 (3), 206-217 (2010).</li><li>Preston, J. L., Brick, N., Landi, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ultrasound+biofeedback+treatment+for+persisting+childhood+apraxia+of+speech.">Ultrasound biofeedback treatment for persisting childhood apraxia of speech.</a> Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 22 (4), 627-643 (2013).</li><li>Preston, J. L., Leaman, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ultrasound+visual+feedback+for+acquired+apraxia+of+speech:+A+case+report.">Ultrasound visual feedback for acquired apraxia of speech: A case report.</a> Aphasiology. 28 (3), 278-295 (2014).</li><li>Cleland, J., Scobbie, J. M., Wrench, A. 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A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ultrasound+and+the+IRB.">Ultrasound and the IRB.</a> Clin Linguist Phon. 19 (6-7), 567-572 (2005).</li><li>Barnett, S. B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=International+recommendations+and+guidelines+for+the+safe+use+of+diagnostic+ultrasound+in+medicine.">International recommendations and guidelines for the safe use of diagnostic ultrasound in medicine.</a> Ultrasound Med Biol. 26 (3), 355-366 (2000).</li><li>Lee, S. A. 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Critical Steps within the Protocol
It is essential to obtain clear, interpretable images as described in steps 1.3 and 1.6. Poor image quality renders the procedures meaningless. Additionally, participants must be fully aware of what they are seeing on the screen. Therefore, orienting the participant to the image as described in 3.2 is a step that should be emphasized prior to providing visual feedback training. Additionally, step 3.10, which involves clearly describing differences in tongue shap...

Both clinical and research settings have seen an increase in the use of ultrasound imaging to provide visual biofeedback intervention to individuals with speech disorders. One important use of ultrasound imaging for speech-language pathologists is as a visual biofeedback tool during intervention for individuals with speech disorders. With the guidance of a speech-language pathologist, learners can observe real-time video of the shape and movements of their tongue and discuss how these images may differ from the tongue movements needed to properly articulate a speech sound. To conduct such interventions, it is important for users to be competent in the interpretation of ultrasound images as the tongue moves in real time. Knowledge of the range of correct articulatory patterns used by typical speakers is foundational to recognizing erroneous tongue shapes.
The methods described herein address (a) collecting ultrasound images of the tongue, (b) interpreting ultrasound images associated with both correct and incorrect productions of speech sounds, and (c) using real-time ultrasound imaging as a source of visual biofeedback to facilitate speech production changes in individuals with speech sound errors. Although ultrasound can be used to visualize a variety of lingual phonemes, examples here will focus on ultrasound images of the tongue for the /r/ sound (as in red car), which is described as the most common residual error among children acquiring American English 1. It is also the sound that has been most extensively studied in clinical applications of ultrasound to date. 2-14
One important goal in speech (re)habilitation is to facilitate more intelligible speech by teaching articulatory routines that result in perceptually appropriate productions of a target sound or sequence. Therefore, it is critical to understand tongue actions during normal speech and during production of speech errors. Real-time visualization of the tongue can play a highly beneficial role in encouraging a speaker to modify articulatory movements, as it provides the clinician and client with a shared representation of what is actually happening during speech. Without real-time visualization of the tongue, only static pictures or verbal descriptions of target tongue configurations are available to facilitate understanding of the desired articulatory behaviors. In schema-based models of motor learning, visual information about the movements of the tongue during speech is considered a form of &#34;knowledge of performance&#34; feedback (i.e.&#160;it provides specific qualitative information about the movement that occurred)15. Previous research has indicated that detailed knowledge of performance feedback can facilitate acquisition of a novel motor routine16.
Ultrasound has several advantages over other technologies used to visualize speech. With ultrasound, the entire contour of the tongue can be visualized quickly from tip to root. Preparation for ultrasound imaging generally takes less than a minute.
In contrast, electropalatography (EPG) requires a dental impression and the creation of a customized pseudopalate (which may take weeks), and it can take time to adapt to speaking with the pseudo-palate 17. EPG also enables visualization of tongue-palate contact only in the region covered by the pseudopalate and cannot display the tongue root or the overall shape of the tongue. This limits the nature of what aspects of articulation can be effectively targeted with EPG.
Another alternative is electromagnetic articulography (EMA), which can provide general information about tongue shape and movement 18. However, EMA requires sensors to be glued to the tongue and other structures; thus, the set-up for this type of tongue imaging can take 20 - 30 min&#160;and may not be a viable method for frequent use. Thus, ultrasound may be viewed as more practical.
In the specific context of clinical research on the assessment and treatment of /r/ errors, the use of ultrasound has been reported in several studies for individuals with idiopathic speech sound disorders 2,10,11,13,19, hearing impairment 20, childhood apraxia of speech 12,21, and acquired apraxia of speech following a cerebral vascular accident 22. Studies have also reported the use of ultrasound to treat errors on other lingual phonemes such as /s k g l &#643; &#679; / 23,24. Additional populations that may be candidates include individuals with speech disorders related to cleft palate, or individuals learning pronunciation of sounds in a non-native language 25.
Ultrasound imaging may also be useful diagnostically, e.g., to characterize errors in lingual shapes,26,27, or to identify sub-perceptible or covert contrasts in disordered speech 28,29. If precise articulatory measurements are being obtained and compared, it is essential that the ultrasound be stabilized so that the coordinate space for measurement remains reasonably constant. However, it is generally agreed that an unstabilized probe yields information of sufficient quality for clinical diagnosis and treatment applications, which is the focus of the present paper.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>ACUSON X300&#160; ultrasound with C6-2 probe</td>
			<td>Siemens</td>
			<td>Acuson X300</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trasceptic Spray</td>
			<td>Parker labs</td>
			<td>PLI 09-25</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Acquasonic 100 ultrasound gel</td>
			<td>Parker labs</td>
			<td>01-08</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

ultrasound images of the tongue: a tutorial for assessment and remediation of speech sound errors

Diagnostic ultrasound imaging has been a common tool in medical practice for several decades. It provides a safe and effective method for imaging structures internal to the body. There has been a recent increase in the use of ultrasound technology to visualize the shape and movements of the tongue during speech, both in typical speakers and in clinical populations. Ultrasound imaging of speech has greatly expanded our understanding of how sounds articulated with the tongue (lingual sounds) are produced. Such information can be particularly valuable for speech-language pathologists. Among other advantages, ultrasound images can be used during speech therapy to provide (1) illustrative models of typical (i.e.&#160;&#34;correct&#34;) tongue configurations for speech sounds, and (2) a source of insight into the articulatory nature of deviant productions. The images can also be used as an additional source of feedback for clinical populations learning to distinguish their better productions from their incorrect productions, en route to establishing more effective articulatory habits.
Ultrasound feedback is increasingly used by scientists and clinicians as both the expertise of the users increases and as the expense of the equipment declines. In this tutorial, procedures are presented for collecting ultrasound images of the tongue in a clinical context. We illustrate these procedures in an extended example featuring one common error sound, American English /r/. Images of correct and distorted /r/ are used to demonstrate (1) how to interpret ultrasound images, (2) how to assess tongue shape during production of speech sounds, (3), how to categorize tongue shape errors, and (4), how to provide visual feedback to elicit a more appropriate and functional tongue shape. We present a sample protocol for using real-time ultrasound images of the tongue for visual feedback to remediate speech sound errors. Additionally, example data are shown to illustrate outcomes with the procedure.

Figure 1 presents sample sagittal images of correct /r/ in a 9-year-old female. The ultrasound images are paired with magnetic resonance images from the same speaker to demonstrate the similar tongue shape that can be viewed with both technologies.
<img alt="Figure 2" src="/files/ftp_upload/55123/55123fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Sagittal View of a Magnetic Resonance Image during a Correctly Produced Ame...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Ultrasound Images of the Tongue: A Tutorial for Assessment and Remediation of Speech Sound Errors at JoVE.com

Ultrasound Images of the Tongue: A Tutorial for Assessment and Remediation of Speech Sound Errors

Ultrasound imaging can be used to display the shape and movements of the tongue in real time during speech. The images can be used to determine the nature of speech sound errors. Visual feedback of the tongue can be used to facilitate improvements in speech sound production in clinical populations.

Diagnostic ultrasound imaging has been a common tool in medical practice for several decades. It provides a safe and effective method for imaging ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to visualize the tongue with ultrasound during speech, to use this information to evaluate speech errors and provide feedback to patients about their articulation. This method can help answer key questions in the field of speech language pathology. For example, what specifically is the client doing with the tongue while producing a distorted R sound?The main advantage of this technique is that clinicians and researchers now have a way to visualize tongue movements during successful and unsuccessful attempts at a speech sound. The implications of this technique extend to better diagnosis and therapy for clients with speech sound disorders because we no longer have to guess about what's happening with the tongue during speech. Although this method can provide insight into the articulation of R, it's also a practical approach for learning about lingual articulations such as S, K, and L.Begin by positioning the participant comfortably in a chair, with his or her feet on the floor, back straight, and chin slightly forward.Then, place a small amount of ultrasound gel on the ultrasound transducer. Next, position the transducer vertically, making tight contact with the skin underneath the chin, and applying a firm, but not an uncomfortable degree of pressure, to collect a sagittal image and visualize tongue from tip to root. Check the screen to verify that the transducer is properly oriented such that the front of the tongue is on the right of the screen, and the back of the tongue is on the left.Angle the ultrasound transducer slightly forward or slightly back, depending on what part of the tongue is of interest. Instruct the participant to swallow to orient the user to the tongue position relative to the palate. Next, collect coronal images by rotating the ultrasound transducer 90 degrees to capture the tongue from the left to right side.Instruct the participant to sustain sounds requiring midline grooving of the tongue. After imaging is complete, wipe off any excess gel and clean the transducer with the ultrasound-approved disinfecting wipe or spray. Begin by instructing the participant on the proper position of the ultrasound, and allow them to hold the ultrasound transducer.In the sagittal view, observe the tongue between two major shadows created by bone, which is opaque to ultrasound. The shadow of the mandible, and the shadow of the hyoid. Instruct the participant to produce alveolar and velar sounds such as T, D, N, then K and G, to help orient both the participant and the clinician to which side of the image is the anterior tongue tip, and which side is posterior tongue dorsum.In a sagittal view of a correct production of R, check to see that the anterior portion of the tongue elevates, while the back part of the tongue dorsum slopes backwards. To assess distorted R production, instruct the participant to imitate and sustain the R sound.Rrrr. Then, have the participant imitate the R sound in a number of syllables, such as:Ear.Ear.Say rah.Rah. Say ree.Ree. Say roo.Roo.Finally, rotate the probe 90 degrees to obtain a coronal view and observe the lateral margins of the tongue as the participant repeats the syllables er, ar, ear, rah, ree, and roo. Position the probe near the highest point of the tongue, about one-third of the distance between the chin and the throat in the sagittal plane. Orient the participant to ultrasound images in the sagittal section by asking the participant to point to the anterior and posterior regions of the tongue, or, front of the tongue and back of the tongue, respectively.Teach the participant about the different parts of the tongue. Show the participant examples of good image quality and bad. Then, instruct the participant that R requires both an oral constriction in the front, and a pharyngeal constriction in the back.Next, introduce the participant to different tongue shapes for the R sound using drawings, ultrasound images, or magnetic resonance images. Make it clear where the oral and pharyngeal constrictions are, but also acknowledge that every tongue shape is slightly different. Ask the participant to describe two major constrictions for R that are visible in a sagittal section.If the participant cannot identify the oral and pharyngeal constrictions just described, continue to instruct. Then, orient the participant to ultrasound images in coronal section. Instruct the participant of the desired tongue shape from left to right.Ask the participant to trace the tongue shape, identify the left and right edges, identify the center line groove, and explain the desired shape. Have the participant attempt to produce correct R in isolation, or in syllables by providing phonetic cues to copy different tongue shapes. Then, ask him or her to provide an explanation of what they did correctly or incorrectly after some of the attempts.After the participant produces the correct sound, press the pause button to freeze the frame and discuss how this correct image looks different from previous incorrect productions. Finally, allow the participant to practice throughout the session without the ultrasound and offer the opportunity to successfully practice R without visual feedback. Here, a sagittal view of a magnetic resonance image during a correctly produced American English R with ultrasound image of the tongue is shown.Notice the elevation of the anterior tongue and the lowering of the dorsum. On the other hand, in this incorrect or distorted production of the American English R, notice the low tongue tip and blade, and the raised tongue dorsum. This shows the mean accuracy on words containing R across 11 American English-speaking participants who were treated for R distortions.After seven sessions of ultrasound biofeedback therapy, an upward trend in accuracy continues, suggesting that retention and generalization continued to occur. While attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to check the positioning of the probe. Don't let the probe rotate or slide, or the images will become distorted, and will be hard to interpret.Following the use of ultrasound, traditional speech therapy should be included, to encourage successful attempts at speech sounds without visual feedback. Don't forget that ultrasound requires attention to safety, in particular, disinfecting the probe between uses, and also attempting to minimize exposure when possible. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to collect ultrasound images of the tongue, and how to use this information to assess and provide feedback to patients about their tongue movements during speech.

ultrasound-images-tongue-tutorial-for-assessment-remediation-speech

Research

Education

JoVE Core

JoVE Journal

Anatomy and Physiology

Behavior

Unit 1

Diagnostic Imaging Techniques

SCIENTISTS IN ACTION

Stereotactic Injection of MicroRNA-expressing Lentiviruses to the Mouse Hippocampus CA1 Region and Assessment of the Behavioral Outcome

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory single-stranded RNA molecules around 22 nucleotides long that may each target numerous mRNA transcripts and dim an entire gene expression pathway by inducing destruction and/or inhibiting translation of these targets. Several miRNAs play key roles in maintaining neuronal structure and function and in higher-level brain functions, and methods are sought for manipulating their levels for exploring these functions. Here, we present a direct in vivo method for examining the cognitive consequences of enforced miRNAs excess in mice by stereotactic injection of miRNA-encoding virus particles. Specifically, the current protocol involves injection into the hippocampal CA1 region, which contributes to mammalian memory consolidation, learning, and stress responses, and offers a convenient injection site. The coordinates are measured according to the mouse bregma and virus perfusion is digitally controlled and kept very slow. After injection, the surgery wound is sealed and the animals recover. Lentiviruses encoding silencers of the corresponding mRNA targets serve to implicate the specific miRNA/target interaction responsible for the observed effect, with na&iuml;ve mice, mice injected with saline and mice injected with "empty" lentivirus vectors as controls. One month post-injection, the animals are examined in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) for assessing their navigation learning and memory abilities. The MWM is a round tank filled with colored water with a small platform submerged 1 cm below the water surface. Steady visual cues around the tank allow for spatial navigation (sound and the earth's magnetic field may also assist the animals in navigating). Video camera monitoring enables measuring the route of swim and the time to find and amount the platform. The mouse is first taught that mounting the hidden platform offers an escape from the enforced swimming; it is then tested for using this escape and finally, the platform is removed and probe tests examine if the mouse remembers its previous location. Repeated tests over several consecutive days highlight improved performance of tested mice at shorter latencies to find and mount the platform, and as more direct routes to reach the platform or its location. Failure to show such improvement represents impaired learning and memory and/or anxiety, which may then be tested specifically (e.g. in the elevated plus maze). This approach enables validation of specific miRNAs and target transcripts in the studied cognitive and/or stress-related processes.

MicroRNAs have significant roles in brain structure and function. Here we describe a method to enforce hippocampal miRNA over-expression using stereotactic injection of an engineered miRNA-expressing lentivirus. This approach can serve as a relatively rapid way to assess the in vivo effects of over-expressed miRNAs in specific brain regions.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory single-stranded RNA molecules around 22 nucleotides long that may each target numerous mRNA transcripts and dim an ...

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Objective and easy measurement of sensory processing is extremely difficult in nonverbal or vulnerable pediatric patients. We developed a new methodology to quantitatively assess children&#39;s cortical processing of light touch, speech sounds and the multisensory processing of the 2 stimuli, without requiring active subject participation or causing children discomfort. To accomplish this we developed a dual channel, time and strength calibrated air puff stimulator that allows both tactile stimulation and sham control. We combined this with the use of event-related potential methodology to allow for high temporal resolution of signals from the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices as well as higher order processing. This methodology also allowed us to measure a multisensory response to auditory-tactile stimulation.

Objective and easy measurement of sensory processing is extremely difficult in nonverbal or vulnerable pediatric patients. We developed a new methodology to quantitatively assess infants and children&#39;s cortical processing of light touch, speech sounds, and the multisensory processing of the 2 stimuli, without requiring active subject participation or causing discomfort in vulnerable patients.

Objective and easy measurement of sensory processing is extremely difficult in nonverbal or vulnerable pediatric patients. We developed a new methodology ...

Assessment of Murine Exercise Endurance Without the Use of a Shock Grid: An Alternative to Forced Exercise

Using laboratory mouse models, the molecular pathways responsible for the metabolic benefits of endurance exercise are beginning to be defined. The most common method for assessing exercise endurance in mice utilizes forced running on a motorized treadmill equipped with a shock grid. Animals who quit running are pushed by the moving treadmill belt onto a grid that delivers an electric foot shock; to escape the negative stimulus, the mice return to running on the belt. However, avoidance behavior and psychological stress due to use of a shock apparatus can interfere with quantitation of running endurance, as well as confound measurements of postexercise serum hormone and cytokine levels. Here, we demonstrate and validate a refined method to measure running endurance in na&#239;ve C57BL/6 laboratory mice on a motorized treadmill without utilizing a shock grid. When mice are preacclimated to the treadmill, they run voluntarily with gait speeds specific to each mouse. Use of the shock grid is replaced by gentle encouragement by a human operator using a tongue depressor, coupled with sensitivity to the voluntary willingness to run on the part of the mouse. Clear endpoints for quantifying running time-to-exhaustion for each mouse are defined and reflected in behavioral signs of exhaustion such as splayed posture and labored breathing. This method is a humane refinement which also decreases the confounding effects of stress on experimental parameters.

A method to assess exercise endurance in laboratory mice without the use of a shock grid is demonstrated. This method is a humane refinement that can decrease the confounding effects of stress on experimental parameters.

Using laboratory mouse models, the molecular pathways responsible for the metabolic benefits of endurance exercise are beginning to be defined. The most ...

Practical Methodology of Cognitive Tasks Within a Navigational Assessment

This paper describes an approach for measuring navigation accuracy relative to cognitive skills. The methodology behind the assessment will thus be clearly outlined in a step-by-step manner. Navigational skills are important when trying to find symbols within a speech-generating device (SGD) that has a dynamic screen and taxonomical organization. The following skills have been found to impact children&#8217;s ability to find symbols when navigating within the levels of an SGD: sustained attention, categorization, cognitive flexibility, and fluid reasoning1,2. According to past studies, working memory was not correlated with navigation1,2.
The materials needed for this method include a computerized tablet, an augmentative and alternative communication application, a booklet of symbols, and the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R)3. This method has been used in two previous studies. Robillard, Mayer-Crittenden, Roy-Charland, Minor-Corriveau and B&#233;langer1 assessed typically developing children, while Rondeau, Robillard and Roy-Charland2 assessed children and adolescents with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The direct observation of this method will facilitate the replication of this study for researchers. It will also help clinicians that work with children who have complex communication needs to determine the children&#8217;s ability to navigate an SGD with taxonomical categorization.

Children who have complex communication needs can benefit from the use of a speech-generating device (SGD). Cognitive skills were identified as having an impact on the ability to navigate between levels of SGDs. This protocol describes the steps needed for Speech-language Pathologists to assess cognitive skills and navigational abilities.

This paper describes an approach for measuring navigation accuracy relative to cognitive skills. The methodology behind the assessment will thus be ...

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Nowadays, the increasing incidence of eating disorders due to poor self-control has given rise to increased obesity and other chronic weight problems, and ultimately, to reduced life expectancy. The capacity to refrain from automatic responses is usually high in situations in which making errors is highly likely. The protocol described here aims at reducing imprudent preference in women during hypothetical intertemporal choices about appetitive food by associating it with errors. First, participants undergo an error task where two different edible stimuli are associated with two different error likelihoods (high and low). Second, they make intertemporal choices about the two edible stimuli, separately. As a result, this method decreases the discount rate for future amounts of the edible reward that cued higher error likelihood, selectively. This effect is under the influence of the self-reported hunger level. The present protocol demonstrates that errors, well known as motivationally salient events, can induce the recruitment of cognitive control, thus being ultimately useful in reducing impatient choices for edible commodities.

Giving in to temptation of tasty food may result in long-term overweight problems. This protocol describes how to reduce imprudent preference for edible commodities during hypothetical intertemporal choices in women by associating them with errors.

Nowadays, the increasing incidence of eating disorders due to poor self-control has given rise to increased obesity and other chronic weight problems, and ...

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Collecting reliable behavioral data from toddlers and preschoolers is challenging. As a result, there are significant gaps in our understanding of human auditory development for these age groups. This paper describes an observer-based procedure for measuring hearing sensitivity with a two-interval, two-alternative forced-choice paradigm. Young children are trained to perform a play-based, motor response (e.g., putting a block in a bucket) whenever they hear a target signal. An experimenter observes the child&#39;s behavior and makes a judgment about whether the signal was presented during the first or second observation interval; the experimenter is blinded to the true signal interval, so this judgment is based solely on the child&#39;s behavior. These procedures were used to test 2 to 4 year-olds (n = 33) with no known hearing problems. The signal was a 1,000 Hz warble tone presented in quiet, and the signal level was adjusted to estimate a threshold corresponding to 71%-correct detection. A valid threshold was obtained for 82% of children. These results indicate that the two-interval procedure is both feasible and reliable for use with toddlers and preschoolers. The two-interval, observer-based procedure described in this paper is a powerful tool for evaluating hearing in young children because it guards against response bias on the part of the experimenter.

This paper describes a procedure for measuring hearing sensitivity in 2 to 4 year-old children. Children are trained to perform play-based responses when they hear a target signal. Thresholds are then estimated in a two-interval, two-alternative forced-choice paradigm, based on observations of the child&#39;s behaviors.

Collecting reliable behavioral data from toddlers and preschoolers is challenging. As a result, there are significant gaps in our understanding of human ...

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children &#8211; Working Memory (CABC-WM)

The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children - Working Memory (CABC-WM) is a computer-based battery designed to assess different components of working memory in young school-age children. Working memory deficits have been identified in children with language-based learning disabilities, including dyslexia1,2 and language impairment3,4, but it is not clear whether these children exhibit deficits in subcomponents of working memory, such as visuospatial or phonological working memory. The CABC-WM is administered on a desktop computer with a touchscreen interface and was specifically developed to be engaging and motivating for children. Although the long-term goal of the CABC-WM is to provide individualized working memory profiles in children, the present study focuses on the initial success and utility of the CABC-WM for measuring central executive, visuospatial, phonological loop, and binding constructs in children with typical development. Immediate next steps are to administer the CABC-WM to children with specific language impairment, dyslexia, and comorbid specific language impairment and dyslexia.

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children &amp;#8211; Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Working memory predicts a significant amount of variance for a variety of cognitive tasks, including speaking, reading, and writing. However, few tools are available to assess working memory in children. We present an innovative, computer-based battery that comprehensively assesses different components of working memory in school-age children.

The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children - Working Memory (CABC-WM) is a computer-based battery designed to assess different components of ...

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

In a typical eye tracking study using the visual world paradigm, participants' eye movements to objects or pictures in the visual workspace are recorded via an eye tracker as the participant produces or comprehends a spoken language describing the concurrent visual world. This paradigm has high versatility, as it can be used in a wide range of populations, including those who cannot read and/or who cannot overtly give their behavioral responses, such as preliterate children, elderly adults, and patients. More importantly, the paradigm is extremely sensitive to fine grained manipulations of the speech signal, and it can be used to study the online processing of most topics in language comprehension at multiple levels, such as the fine grained acoustic phonetic features, the properties of words, and the linguistic structures. The protocol described in this article illustrates how a typical visual world eye tracking study is conducted, with an example showing how the online processing of some semantically complex statements can be explored with the visual world paradigm.

The visual world paradigm monitors participants' eye movements in the visual workspace as they are listening to or speaking a spoken language. This paradigm can be used to investigate the online processing of a wide range of psycholinguistic questions, including semantically complex statements, such as disjunctive statements.

In a typical eye tracking study using the visual world paradigm, participants' eye movements to objects or pictures in the visual workspace are recorded ...

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Valid and efficient measures for assessing the quality of parent-child relationships are needed to facilitate research and evidence-based practice with parents. This paper focuses on such a method, namely Five-Minute Speech Sample-Coherence (FMSS-Coherence). In this method, a parent is asked to speak for five uninterrupted minutes about her/his child and their relationship. The resulted narrative is coded for coherence, namely the extent to which the parent provides&#160;in the narrative&#160;a clear, consistent, multidimensional and well-supported portrayal of the child. FMSS-Coherence is based on attachment research that shows that the coherence of parents&#8217; narratives is indicative of the quality of the parent-child relationship and child adjustment. It overcomes the limitations of attachment narrative measures which are typically labor intensive. FMSS-Coherence is less nuanced than extant attachment narrative measures. Yet, studies of families from different cultural backgrounds, across different child ages and in the context of typically developing children as well as children with special needs suggest that coherence can be reliably evaluated using the FMSS procedure. Furthermore, parents&#8217; FMSS-Coherence is associated with parenting quality and children&#8217;s socio-emotional adjustment. Thus, it holds promise for researchers and practitioners who seek a relatively time- and cost-effective method for assessing the coherence of parents&#8217; narratives regarding their child.

Assessing the Coherence of Parents&#039; Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

This paper introduces a method for assessing the coherence of parents' short narratives regarding their child and their relationship using the five-minute speech sample procedure.

Valid and efficient measures for assessing the quality of parent-child relationships are needed to facilitate research and evidence-based practice with ...

Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice

Sexual behavior is highly species-specific. Although rodents have slightly different sexual behaviors, mice and rats have a similar sexual behavioral pattern. The purpose of this article is to describe the hormone-induced estrus ovariectomized female model and the experimental procedure for the assessment of sexual behavior of male mice. The most important sexual behavioral elements are demonstrated in the video and illustrations. The critical steps, advantages, and limitations of the sexual behavior test are explained as well. Finally, the behavior parameters are presented, and mounting, intromission, and ejaculation processes in mating are distinguished. Behavioral parameters are assessed in terms of the occurred duration and counts during the test period.

This article describes how to perform sexual behavior tests in male mice.

Sexual behavior is highly species-specific. Although rodents have slightly different sexual behaviors, mice and rats have a similar sexual behavioral ...