Evaluation of the Effects of Response Elaboration Training for Aphasia
AphasiaLanguage Disorders1 moreThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of Response Elaboration Training (RET), which is a speech/language therapy for aphasia. The study is designed to determine whether verbal language production improves in terms of content and length of utterances as a result of treatment.
The Effect of Combined Speech and Music-therapy on the Speech Characteristics of People With Parkinson's...
Speech DisordersVoice Disorders1 moreSpeech and voice disorders are observed in almost 90% of patients with PD during their course of illness. Reduced voice pitch inflections or monotone speech, reduced vocal loudness, prosody disorders, the imprecise articulation of the consonants, hoarseness, and breathy voice is also observed in patients with PD; these symptoms often lead to reduced speech intelligibility. The aim of this study will to investigate the possible changes in the voice and speech features in people with PD after a combined speech and music therapy using Telerehabilitation.
Enhancing Speech Fluency With Non-invasive Brain Stimulation in Developmental Stuttering
StutteringFluency Disorders1 moreThis study aims to test whether the addition of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) to speech fluency training results in improvements in speech fluency in adults with developmental stuttering. Half of the participants will receive anodal TDCS on five consecutive days, the other half will receive a sham stimulation for the same amount of time.
A New Membrane Obturator Prothesis Concept for Soft Palate Defects
Mouth NeoplasmsVelopharyngeal Insufficiency2 moreWhen soft palate defects lead to palatal insufficiency, the patient's quality of life is affected by difficulties swallowing, hypernasality, and poor intelligibility of speech. If immediate surgical reconstruction is not an option, the patient may benefit from the placement of a rigid obturator prosthesis. Unfortunately, the residual muscle stumps are often unable to adequately move this stiff and inert obturator to properly restore the velopharyngeal valve function. The objective of this case report was to describe the use of a membrane obturator prosthesis that incorporates a dental dam to compensate for the soft palate defect.
Table to Tablet (T2T): A Novel Intervention Framework for Children With Speech Sound Disorders
Speech DisordersThe primary aim of this study is to develop software as a tool in speech and language therapy for the treatment of children (Portuguese and English) with phonologically based Speech Sound Disorders (SSD). Further, this project aims to test the effectiveness of this approach with two groups of preschool and school aged children with phonologically based SSD, with one group consisting of European Portuguese (EP) speakers and one group of British English (BE) speakers. Performance across the two groups will be compared. The total duration of the project will be 30 month.
Efficacy and Tolerability of Ecopipam in Adults With Childhood Onset Fluency Disorder (Stuttering)....
StutteringAdult4 moreThe primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ecopipam in reducing stuttering symptoms. It is hypothesized that ecopipam effectively reduces stuttering symptoms as measured on the SSI-IV total score, the CGI, SSS and OASES.
Influence of Medical Clowning in Videofluoroscopic Examination of Pediatric Speech Disorder
Velopharyngeal InsufficiencyThe purpose of this study is to determine whether a participation of a medical clown in videofluoroscopic examination of pediatric speech disorder such as velopharyngeal inadequacy, improves the collaboration of the pediatric patient, the patient's and the caregivers subjective experience, and the quality of the examination (shorter exposure to radiation, shorter time at the radiology suite, more accurate parameters retrieved from the imaging results).
Speech-in-Noise Treatments for Hypophonia in Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson DiseaseSpeech DisordersHypophonia, or reduced speech intensity, is the most prevalent speech symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD) and often leads to significant difficulty communicating in most social situations. Behavioural treatments for hypophonia can be temporarily effective but many individuals fail to retain and transfer improvements beyond the context of the speech clinic. The present study will address the transfer of treatment problem using two new treatment programs. Both treatments focus on improving speech intensity during conversations in different social contexts and a wide range of background noise conditions. The Speech-in-Noise (SIN) treatment program involves training higher speech intensity during variable levels of background noise while receiving real-time intensity feedback from a speech therapist. The second treatment, the Speech-to-Noise Feedback (SNF) device treatment program, involves using a wearable SNF device to provide feedback about an ideal target speech-to-noise level in a wide range of background noise conditions. Forty individuals with PD and their communication partners (i.e. spouse) will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatment programs. To evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments, a wearable recording device will measure daily conversational speech intensity and background noise for 7 consecutive days before, 1 week after, and 12 weeks after treatment.
Yi Jin Jing Tiger Roaring Speech Rehabilitation With Real-Time Feedback Technique for PD
Speech DisordersParkinson DiseaseSpeech disorders affect more than 90% of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Neither of conventional drugs nor surgery can effectively improve speech function. Western speech rehabilitation is effective for speech disorders, but the domestic use of those methods used is limited. Our preliminary results revealed that traditional Chinese Yi jin jing tiger roaring speech rehabilitation is effectively in the treatment of speech disorders in PD, however, high-quality clinical evidence is still scarce. In order to solve this problem, we will conduct a prospective cohort study to explore the effects of Yi Jin Jing tiger roaring speech rehabilitation with real-time feedback technique on speech disorders in PD patients. This study will help to establish a set of Chinese Medicine treatment and objective evaluation methods for PD speech disorders.
Brain Connectivity Supporting Language Recovery in Aphasia
AphasiaStroke2 moreThe integrity of structural connectivity supporting cortical regions in the left brain hemisphere is hypothesized to enable treatment-induced naming recovery in persons with language difficulties after a stroke (aphasia). The investigators will map whole brain connectivity (i.e., the brain connectome) to investigate the role of cortical connectivity in impairment (Aim 1) and recovery (Aim 2) in patients with aphasia undergoing treatment. This information will be used to construct personalized markers of anomia treatment outcome (Aim 3), which may serve as a guide for speech-language pathologists and neurologists when facing patient management decisions.