Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-60).

Orientadora: Ana Cláudia Vieira Cardoso / Banca: Fátima Cristina Alves Branco / Banca: Célia Maria Giacheti / Resumo: A gagueira é um transtorno multifatorial e com manifestações que não são comuns a todos os gagos sendo assim a caracterização das habilidades auditivas desta população pode ser um importante instrumento para o processo diagnóstico e terapêutico deste distúrbio. Diante disso, o objetivo geral deste estudo foi caracterizar o desempenho dos indivíduos com gagueira nos testes que avaliaram as habilidades auditivas. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, prospectivo e comparativo realizado no segundo semestre de 2017. A amostra foi então constituída por 31 indivíduos com gagueira, de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 7 e 26 anos. Todos os participantes realizaram os seguintes procedimentos: questionário de triagem do comportamento auditivo (Scale of Auditory Behaviors- SAB), avaliação audiológica básica e comportamental do processamento auditivo central (teste dicótico de dígitos, teste de padrão de frequência, teste de padrão de duração, Randon Gap Detection Test- RGDT e Masking Level Difference- MLD). O desempenho dos indivíduos nos testes foi analisado de forma descritiva e inferencial. Na análise inferencial aplicou-se o teste ANOVA de Friedman e Coeficiente de Correlação de postos de Kendall, para comparar e relacionar as variáveis comportamento auditivo e o desempenho nos testes que avaliaram as habilidades auditivas e, a gravidade da gagueira com as variáveis comportamento auditivo e desempenho nos testes que avaliaram as habilidades auditivas. Adotou-se o nível de significância ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Stuttering is a multifactorial disorder with manifestations that are not common to all stutterers and thus the characterization of auditory abilities of this population can be an important instrument for the diagnostic and therapeutic process of this disorder. Therefore, the general objective of this study was to characterize the performance of individuals who stutters in tests that evaluated the auditory abilities. This is a cross-sectional, prospective and comparative study carried out in the second semester of 2017. The sample consisted of 31 stuttering individuals of both genders, aged between 7 and 26 years. All participants performed the following procedures: Scale of Auditory Behaviors- SAB, basic auditory evaluation and behavioral assessment of central auditory processing (Dichotic Digit Test, Frequency Pattern Test, Duration Pattern Test, Random Gap Detection Test- RGDT and Masking Level Difference- MLD). The performance of the individuals in these tests was analyzed in a descriptive and inferential way. In the inferential analysis Friedman's ANOVA and Kendall's Correlation Coefficient were used to compare and correlate the variables auditory behaviors and performance in the tests that assessed the auditory abilities and, the severity of the stuttering with the variables auditory behaviors and performance in tests that assessed auditory abilities. The level of significance was set at 5% (0.050). The results showed that the majority of the individuals presented altera... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

This study investigates the performance of two hemispherec-tomized subjects and ten normal subjects on a dichotic binaural frequency fusion (DBFF) test and on a competing dichotic message test. The DBFF test was designed to examine whether binaural integration of two complementary frequency segments of the same word, dichotically presented, necessitates the presence of two intact hemispheres. The competing dichotic message test was presented to provide a measure of the extent of strengthening of ipsilateral pathways in the hemispherectomized subjects. The DBFF test consisted of three fifty-word CNC lists which were processed through two band-pass filters and recorded on a two--channel magnetic tape. The test consisted of two binaural conditions. In the Dichotic A condition, the high band was delivered to the left ear and the low band to the right. The Dichotic B condition was the reverse of the first. For each condition 50 phonetically balanced (PB) words were presented and the subject was required to repeat the word in a 4 second interval between words. The competing dichotic message test consisted of 15 sets of three pairs of words, one of each pair being presented simultaneously to either ear, using stereophonic head-phones. The subject was required to repeat as many words from each set as possible. The Z scores, measuring the deviation in standard deviation units of the raw scores of the operated subjects from the mean scores of the normals indicated that the removal of a hemisphere did not significantly decrease the scores of two hemispherectomized subjects on a DBFF test. Removal of a hemisphere, however, decreased the scores of the hemispherectomees on the competing dichotic message test in one of the ears -- specifically the ear contralateral to the removed hemisphere. A comparative analysis of how the central auditory nervous system (CANS) of a hemispherectomized subject might process a complementary dichotic message (exemplified by the DBFF test), as opposed to a competing dichotic message, provides an interesting basis for a discussion on the nature of the "biological detector" of speech elements in the CANS. / Medicine, Faculty of / Audiology and Speech Sciences, School of / Graduate

1) Test the accuracy of the Welch Allyn Microtympanometer against standard tympanometry. 2) Correlate preoperative clinical findings with: • Microtympanometry • Standard tympanometry 3) Assess influence of induction by gas anaesthesia on: • Post-induction microtympanometry • Intraoperative myringotomy findings 4) Assess the practicality of using the Welch Allyn Microtympanometer as a screening tool in Pre-School audiological testing.

Research on the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) has been dominated by attempts to develop techniques to enhance the clarity of the ABR waveform and to define the parameters that separate normal from abnormal responses. While the effects of stimulus rate are clearly documented, the effects of stimulus polarity on the ABR are not. There may be an interaction of polarity and rate which accounts for the inconsistent results reported in the literature. This study examined the effect of stimulus rate and polarity for waves I, III, and V, on the ABR latency, amplitude, and amplitude ratio. Rarefaction and condensation clicks were delivered at rates of 11.l; 21.1, 41.1, and 81.1 clicks per second. Fourteen male subjects were used, each having normal hearing thresholds and normal middle ear function.

Previous investigations of masking have established that the action of the masking tone spreads upward in frequency, creating significantly more masking (threshold shift) above the masker frequency than below. It was the purpose of this study to investigate the masking pattern produced by high frequency pure tones, heretofore uninvestigated. Masking patterns were obtained for nine normal hearing young adults utilizing the method of adjustment. The masking produced by an 11000 Hz pure tone of 40 dB sensation level was measured at three frequencies above and three frequencies below the masker frequency. Analysis of the data revealed a downward spread of masking. Pure tone stimuli below the 11000 Hz masker showed significantly more threshold shift than those above the masker frequency. On the basis of the data collected in this investigation, it must be concluded that the upward-spread-of-masking phenomenon is not applicable at certain high frequencies. A method for obtaining high frequency thresholds is discussed and the results compared to recent normative studies pertaining to the extra high frequencies.

Uncomfortable listening level (UCL) is a behavioral measure which is currently used to set the maximum outputs of hearing aids. This study explored the feasibility of prescribing the maximum outputs of hearing aids by using results obtained from auditory brainstern response (ABR) testing. More specifically, this study compared ABR wave latencies with behaviorally-measured UCLs for a single cycle 3 kHz stimulus in normal-hearing adults.

No description available.

Speech audiometry is an important aspect of audiological testing. One aspect of speech audiometry is the measurement of an individual's speech reception threshold (SRT). Materials needed to measure the SRT are available in many languages; however, recorded materials for the Mongolian Language are not widely available. The purpose of this study was to develop a list of psychometrically equivalent words for evaluating the hearing abilities of native Mongolian speaking individuals. A set of 90 commonly used bisyllabic Mongolian words were digitally recorded by a male and female talker of Mongolian and then evaluated by 20 native Mongolian listeners. A final list of 28 words with relatively steep psychometric function slopes were selected and digitally adjusted to reduce intensity threshold variability among words. Digital recordings of the 28 psychometrically equivalent bisyllabic words are available on compact disc to facilitate SRT testing of native Mongolian speakers.

The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and equate Spanish trisyllabic words which could then be used in the measurement of the speech reception threshold. A selection of 90 frequently utilized trisyllabic words were selected and then digitally recorded by male and female talkers of Spanish and presented to 20 subjects with normal hearing beginning at 6 dB below their pure-tone average (PTA) and ascending in 2 dB increments until one of the following criteria had been met: (a) the participant responded correctly to 100% of the test items, or (b) the presentation level reached 16 dB HL. Using logistic regression, psychometric functions were calculated for each word. Twenty-eight trisyllabic words with the steepest psychometric function slopes were selected. To decrease the variability among the words the intensities were digitally adjusted to match the mean subject PTA (5.83 dB HL). The resulting lists included mean slopes at 50% threshold which ranged from 7.3 %/dB to 12.7 %/dB (M = 10.1) for the male talker recording and from 7.1 %/dB to 12.8 %/dB (M = 8.7) for the female talker. Digital recordings of the 28 final psychometrically equivalent trisyllabic words are available on compact disc.