Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Richard Hyson, Florida State University, Program in Neuroscience. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 19, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 64 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Honors Project--Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-59).

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, May 4, 2001. Also available in print.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, May 10, 2002." Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at Dallas, 2008. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-78)

Orientador: Ana Cláudia Moreira Almeida-Verdu / Banca: Adriane Lima Mortari Moret / Banca: Alessandra Turini Bolsoni Silva / Resumo: Estudos da parceria entre a Fonoaudiologia e Análise do Comportamento têm investigado sob quais condições de ensino implantados cocleares pré-linguais aprendem habilidades auditivas e as relações que estabelecem com a produção oral. Uma rota que permite a extensão do controle entre repertórios verbais é o Ensino por Múltiplos Exemplares (do inglês Multiple Exemplar Instruction, MEI), que tem sido pouco explorada em estudos com usuários de implante coclear. Este estudo objetivou investigar o efeito do ensino por MEI sobre a integração entre repertórios de ouvinte e falante em crianças com Desordem do Espectro da Neuropatia Auditiva (DENA) e usuárias de implante coclear (IC). Participaram três crianças com 6 anos de idade, uma do sexo feminino e duas do sexo masculino, com o diagnóstico de DENA e um quadro de perda auditiva severa-profunda, bilateral e pré-lingual. Todos os participantes usavam implante coclear uni ou bilateral, frequentavam o ensino regular e recebiam atendimento multidisciplinar no follow-up do serviço de implante coclear. Os participantes apresentavam maturidade intelectual típica e reconhecimento auditivo inferior à idade cronológica, aferidos pela Escala Colúmbia de Maturidade Intelectual e o Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-4R). Foram adotados estímulos auditivos e figuras que corresponderam às palavras (substantivos) e sentenças de dois termos (substantivos+adjetivos), que foram convencionais (para GABI e SOZA) e não convencionais (para DOZA). O est... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Studies of the partnership between Speech-Language Pathology and Behavioral Analysis have investigated under which teaching conditions that pre-lingual implanted cochlear learn listening skills and the relations that establish with oral production. A route that can be to promote the extension of control between verbal repertoires is designated Multiple Exemplary Instruction (MEI), which has been little explored in studies with cochlear implants users. This study aimed to investigate the effect of MEI' teaching on the integration between listening and speaking repertoires in children with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (DENA) and cochlear implants users (CI). Participants were three 6-year-old children, one female and two males, with the diagnosis of DENA and a severe-profund, bilateral and pre-lingual hearing loss. All participants used a uni or bilateral cochlear implant, attended regular education and received multidisciplinary care in the follow-up of the cochlear implant service. Participants had typical intellectual maturity and auditory recognition lower the chronological age, measured by Columbia and PPVT-4R tests. Auditory stimuli and figures that corresponded to words (nouns) and sentences of two terms (nouns + adjectives) were used, which were conventional (GABI and SOZA) and nonconventional (DOZA). The study employed a multiple probe design and was composed of probes and teaching. The probes were intercalated with the teaching and evaluated the conditional a... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Age-related hearing loss, presbycusis, is a complex disorder involving the interaction of both peripheral and central neurological deficits. Central auditory dysfunction may contribute to poor temporal discrimination of complex sounds such as speech. This research is timely since our population over 60 years old is increasing rapidly due to advances in medicine and nutrition as well as the advancing age of baby boomers. This study was designed to provide a better understanding of age-related changes in dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) physiology. DCN was chosen because it receives direct input from the auditory nerve and much is known about its neuronal morphology, physiology and circuitry. In young animals, DCN output neurons, fusiform cells, receive excitatory inputs from the acoustic nerve, which is modulated and shaped by inhibitory glycinergic inputs from nearby vertical cells. A number of studies in rodents suggested an age-related impairment of glycinergic neurotransmission. To access the functional impact of reduced putative glycinergic input in the central auditory system, this study compared the physiological responses of DCN neurons from young adult and aged rats in response set of simple and more complex acoustic stimuli. Single-unit extracellular recordings were made from two groups of DCN neurons: fusiform cells and cartwheel cells. Fusiform cells reflect the culmination of DCN processing, therefore were good candidates for studying the effect of aging on one ascending auditory stream. Two specific aims were directed at fusiform cell: SA1) Examine the effects of aging on fusiform cell response properties to simple tone burst stimuli; SA2) Examine the effect of aging on DCN output neuron response to complex temporal stimuli. A third aim, SA3) Examine the impact of aging on the response properties of cartwheel cells, a DCN inhibitory interneuron. Fusiform cells recorded from aged rats displayed significantly higher maximum discharge rates to characteristic frequency (CF) tones, fewer nonmonotonic CF rate-level functions and more wide-chopper type post-stimulus time histograms (PSTHs) when compared to neurons from young adult rats. These findings were consistent with an age-related loss of inhibitory glycinergic input. To elucidate how loss of inhibition could lead to functional deficits in temporal processing, fusiform cells were challenged to encode sinusoidally amplitude modulated (SAM) tones. DCN output neurons were presented with SAM tones at three modulation depths at 30 dB above hearing level/response threshold with the carrier frequency set to each unit’s CF. Temporal synchronicity to the SAM envelope was measured using vector strength from temporal modulation transfer functions (tMTFs). Firing rate to SAM tones was also assessed in rate modulation transfer functions (rMTFs). DCN output neurons from aged rats showed no loss of rate response (rMTF) but displayed a selective loss of temporal precision to SAM tones with significant age-related changes in peak vector strength (best modulation frequency), and the shape and category of tMTF. Wide-chopper PSTH types had significantly lower vector strength values than buildup and pauser PSTHs in both young and aged fusiform cells. Since a significantly greater proportion of aged neurons exhibited wide-chopper responses, this could explain, in part, the loss of temporal processing. The age-related response changes in the present study mimicked results from earlier studies were glycine inhibition onto young adult fusiform cells was pharmacologically blocked. Cartwheel cells receive excitatory inputs from granule cell parallel fibers as well as somatosensory dorsal column nucleus and project glycinergic inputs onto DCN output neurons. They appear to play a role in the integration of auditory and somatosensory inputs such as sensing head position. Aged cartwheel neurons exhibited signs of disinhibition showing increased spontaneous activity, increased maximum discharge rates and altered rate-level functions. The observed age-related changes in cartwheel cells are consistent with deafferentation studies using acoustic trauma. Collectively, the changes in DCN output neurons and cartwheel cells reflect a potentially maladaptive age-related neuroplasticity in response to a loss of excitatory acoustic nerve input. These in vivo extracellular findings were consistent with a global downregulation of glycinergic input within the DCN of aged rats. This reduced inhibition may contribute to functional deficits, particularly in activities that require precise timing of events such as response to speech-like stimuli.

The cochlear implant represents a radical intervention in the hearing-impaired child's life, which has a profound influence on the feelings and emotions of the child's family. In this study it is endeavoured to identify and to describe this influence. A literature study was done. Families of implanted children in Scotland and in South Africa filled in questionnaires and interviews were held. This study illuminates the fact that parents suffer stress and have various concerns before as well as after the implant. Different reasons why parents decide to give their child a cochlear implant are described. The researcher came to the conclusion that the implanted child functions in a more balanced way and that parents are very satisfied after the implantation. The effect of the implant is described under the following categories: communication, feelings of parents, effect on the deaf child, normality, effect on parents, effect on siblings. / Education / M.Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)

Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:50:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-02-22 / Introdução: O envelhecimento pode ocasionar alterações no processamento temporal e nas funções cognitivas. A avaliação eletrofisiológica tem sido recomendada para complementar a avaliação comportamental do processamento auditivo. Objetivo: Verificar e comparar as respostas auditivas comportamentais de processamento temporal e resposta de média latência com o processamento cognitivo em idosos, candidatos e novos usuários de próteses auditivas. Métodos: Participaram do estudo 60 idosos, sendo 20 sexo masculino e 40 sexo feminino, cuja faixa etária era 61 a 85 anos (média 71,7 anos), atendidos no Núcleo Integrado de Assistência, Pesquisa e Ensino da Audição (NIAPEA) da Escola Paulista de Medicina da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, todos novos usuários de prótese auditiva. Os indivíduos foram reunidos em dois grupos segundo o grau da perda auditiva, ao considerar as frequências de 500 a 4000 Hz do audiograma, denominados de Grupo I (GI) e Grupo II (GII). No GI os indivíduos apresentavam grau de perda auditiva inferior ou igual a 50 dB, e no GII, superior ou igual a 51 dB. Os aspectos cognitivos foram avaliados por meio do Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Longa Latência – P300, Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM) e Escala de Avaliação da Doença de Alzheimer (ADAS-COG). Os procedimentos selecionados para contemplar os objetivos foram o Potencial Evocado Auditivo de Média Latência (PEAML), no qual foi estudada a latência das ondas Na e Pa (milissegundos), amplitude do complexo Na-Pa (microvolts) e quando ocorreu a presença de efeito auditivo e/ou eletrodo o exame foi considerado alterado. Ainda, foram aplicados o Teste Padrão de Duração (TPD) e Teste de Detecção de Gap no Ruído (GIN) no qual foram analisadas as respostas de identificação correta, e o limar de acuidade temporal. Resultados: Os idosos usuários de prótese auditiva apresentaram menor limiar de acuidade temporal, maior reconhecimento de gaps e de discriminação do padrão de duração, menor latência e diminuição das alterações do PEAML em relação ao momento em que eram candidatos. Quando mostravam déficits no processamento da informação em área auditiva primária, apresentaram prejuízo na habilidade auditiva de resolução temporal, que piorava na presença de alteração cognitiva. Conclusão: Houve deterioração das habilidades de resolução e ordenação temporal, independente do grau da perda auditiva, mostrando o efeito- idade originado pelo envelhecimento. As respostas do Potencial Evocado de Média Latência também não foram influenciadas pelo grau da perda auditiva e ocorreu mudança significativa na reavaliação após a aclimatização. Assim, o efeito de estimulação acústica pelo uso de prótese auditiva melhorou a habilidade auditiva de ordenação temporal, resolução temporal e o processamento das informações do Sistema Nervoso Auditivo Central até o córtex temporal primário. O comportamento de ordenação temporal não se modificou nos idosos com alterações cognitivas, no entanto indivíduos sem alteração cognitiva têm menor déficit na integridade funcional das áreas auditivas primárias e melhora no comportamento de resolução temporal. / Introduction: Aging can cause alterations in temporal processing and cognitive functions. Electrophysiological evaluation has been widely recommended to complement the behavioral evaluation of auditory processing. Objective: Verify and compare the behavioral auditory responses of temporal processing and the auditory middle latency response with cognitive processing in elderly candidates for and users of hearing aids. Methods: Sixty elderly people participated in the study, 20 males and 40 females, ranging in age from 61 to 85 (avg. 71.7) who are attended at the Integrated Hearing Assistance, Research and Education Center (NIAPEA) of the Federal University at São Paulo, and who are all new users of hearing aids. The individuals were organized in two groups according to their degree of hearing loss, considering frequencies of 500- 4000 Hz on the audiogram, denominated Group I (GI) and Group II (GII). In GI, the individuals had a degree of hearing loss lower than 50 dB and in GII above 50 dB. The cognitive factors were evaluated by means of long-latency auditory evoked potential tests– P300, Mini mental state examination (MMSE) and the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-COG). The procedures selected to achieve the objectives were the Middle Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials (MLAEP) tests, which studied the latency of the Na and Pa waves in milliseconds, and the amplitude of Na-Pa (μv). When an auditory and or electrode effect was present, the exam was considered altered. The Duration Pattern Tests (TPD) and Gap in Noise (GIN) test were used to analyze the responses of correct identification, and the gap detection threshold. Results: Elderly people who use hearing aids display a lower gap detection threshold, greater recognition of gaps and of discrimination of the duration pattern, lower latency and decrease in MLAEP in relation to the time when they were candidates. When they displayed deficits in information processing in auditory cortex, they displayed losses in the temporal resolution ability, which became worse in the presence of cognitive alteration. Conclusion: The temporal ordering and temporal resolution abilities deteriorated independent of the degree of hearing loss, revealing the age effect. The responses to Middle Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials tests were not influenced by the degree of hearing loss and significant changes in reassessment occurred after acclimatization. Thus, the effect of acoustic stimulation by the use of a hearing aid improved the hearing ability of temporal ordering, temporal resolution and the processing of information from the Central Auditory Nervous System to the primary auditory cortex. The behavior of temporal ordering did not change in the elderly with cognitive alterations; however, individuals without cognitive alterations had lower deficits in the functional integrity of the primary hearing areas and improvement in the behavior of temporal resolution. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

abstract: A multitude of individuals across the globe suffer from hearing loss and that number continues to grow. Cochlear implants, while having limitations, provide electrical input for users enabling them to "hear" and more fully interact socially with their environment. There has been a clinical shift to the bilateral placement of implants in both ears and to bimodal placement of a hearing aid in the contralateral ear if residual hearing is present. However, there is potentially more to subsequent speech perception for bilateral and bimodal cochlear implant users than the electric and acoustic input being received via these modalities. For normal listeners vision plays a role and Rosenblum (2005) points out it is a key feature of an integrated perceptual process. Logically, cochlear implant users should also benefit from integrated visual input. The question is how exactly does vision provide benefit to bilateral and bimodal users. Eight (8) bilateral and 5 bimodal participants received randomized experimental phrases previously generated by Liss et al. (1998) in auditory and audiovisual conditions. The participants recorded their perception of the input. Data were consequently analyzed for percent words correct, consonant errors, and lexical boundary error types. Overall, vision was found to improve speech perception for bilateral and bimodal cochlear implant participants. Each group experienced a significant increase in percent words correct when visual input was added. With vision bilateral participants reduced consonant place errors and demonstrated increased use of syllabic stress cues used in lexical segmentation. Therefore, results suggest vision might provide perceptual benefits for bilateral cochlear implant users by granting access to place information and by augmenting cues for syllabic stress in the absence of acoustic input. On the other hand vision did not provide the bimodal participants significantly increased access to place and stress cues. Therefore the exact mechanism by which bimodal implant users improved speech perception with the addition of vision is unknown. These results point to the complexities of audiovisual integration during speech perception and the need for continued research regarding the benefit vision provides to bilateral and bimodal cochlear implant users. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Speech and Hearing Science 2015