Translation and validation of parental perspective questionnaire for children with cochlear implant in persian language.

Objective: Parental views about the outcomes of implantation on the child's quality of life are valuable sources of information for implantation specialists. The aim at this study was to validate the "Parental Perspectives" questionnaire in Persian language.Design: The original questionnaire was translated from English to Persian language; the final Persian version of questionnaire was prepared and evaluated for validity and reliability. The internal consistency of the questionnaire and test-retest reliability were respectively evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and ICC index. Factor analysis was used to determine the construct validity.Study Sample: The participants of this study were 370 parents of CI children.Results: Sampling adequacy for executing of factor analysis was confirmed by the results of Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (=0.84) and Bartlett test (p < .05). Three factors were extracted from exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the accuracy of the three-dimensional structures. Principal component analysis revealed the structural validity of three factors. Correlation between questionnaire items was good (r = 0.76). Reliability coefficient was calculated as 0.93.Conclusions: The Persian version of the questionnaire has good validity and reliability and can be used to examine the perspectives of the parents about CI.

The Effects of Phonological Short Term Memory on Lexical and Grammatical Production Skills in Persian Children with Developmental Language Disorder.

The deficit in verbal working memory (vWM) skills has been frequently reported in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and may contribute to their problems in language. This study aimed to compare the phonological short-term memory (pSTM) and linguistic skills between Persian-speaking children with DLD and typical language development (TLD) to explore the role that pSTM plays in lexical and grammatical problems of children with DLD. This study included 32 Persian-speaking children who were divided into two groups of DLD (n = 16) and TLD (n = 16) within the age range from 6 to 8 years. The Persian non-word repetition test was employed as the measure of pSTM. Lexical and grammatical indices were extracted from narrative generations. Independent-samples t test was used to analyze the group-related differences in vWM, lexical, and grammatical skills. Moreover, the one-way ANCOVA analysis by controlling for NWR was utilized as the covariate to investigate the effects of vWM on linguistic performances. According to the results, the children with DLD scored significantly lower on NWR task and all lexical and grammatical measures, compared to TLD children (P < 0.01, d > 1). The group-related differences disappeared after controlling for NWR (P > 0.05). The results show that Persian-speaking children with DLD experience significant difficulties in pSTM skills, which affect their lexical and grammatical performances.

Identification of High-Frequency Morphosyntactic Structures in Persian-Speaking Children Aged 4-6 Years: A Qualitative Research.

BACKGROUND: Syntax has a high importance among linguistic parameters and the prevalence of syntax deficits is relatively high in children with language disorders. As such, independent examination of syntax in language development is of paramount importance. In this regard, Iranian language pathologists are faced with the lack of standardized tests. The present study aimed to determine the most frequent and essential morphosyntactic structures of the Persian-speaking children aged 4-6 years, as an initial step in the design of a test to assess their expressive morphosyntactic features. METHODS: The present descriptive qualitative study was designed and conducted in two phases in Tehran (Iran) during 2014-2015. The first phase involved an extensive review of the Persian grammar sources, language development texts, modeling a test called SPELT-3, and morphosyntactic analysis of samples of spontaneous speech from 30 Persian-speaking children aged 4-6 years. In this phase, 30 structures were extracted as the most frequent morphosyntactic features used by children aged 4-6 years. The second phase of the research involved directed content analysis via in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 10 specialists in the fields of linguistics, language, and speech pathology. RESULTS: In total, 30 morphosyntactic structures were extracted in the first phase of the study as the most frequent morphosyntactic structures of the Persian-speaking children aged 4-6 years. The overall validity of these structures was estimated at 70%. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, the selected morphosyntactic structures could be the foundation for morphosyntactic assessments in Persian-speaking children aged 4-6 years.

Language Parameters of 4- to 7-Year-Old Persian-Speaking Children with Cleft Lip and Palate.

OBJECTIVE: There are several risk factors including hearing difficulties, lack of language stimulation, and parents' low level of expectation leading to language disorders in children with cleft palate. Therefore, formal language assessments of children with cleft palate are of great importance in order to prevent further disabilities. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate language parameters in 4- to 7-year old Persian-speaking children with cleft palate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 16 children with unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate aged between 4 and 7 years participated in the experiment. The Test of Language Development-Primary, third edition (TOLD-P3) was performed to evaluate the language parameters. The results were scored according to the test manual and compared to normative data published with the TOLD-P3. RESULTS: t test analysis showed a significant difference between language parameters in children with cleft lip and palate and the normative data (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between different aspects of language performance. CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize that speech-language pathologists should also concentrate on early language assessment and treatment for children with cleft lip and palate.

A systematic review on diagnostic procedures for specific language impairment: The sensitivity and specificity issues.

BACKGROUND: Identification of children with specific language impairment (SLI) has been viewed as both necessity and challenge. Investigators and clinicians use different tests and measures for this purpose. Some of these tests/measures have good psychometric properties, but it is not sufficient for diagnostic purposes. A diagnostic procedure can be used for identification a specific population with confidence only when its sensitivity and specificity are acceptable. In this study, we searched for tests/measures with predefined sensitivity and specificity for identification of preschool children with SLI from their typically developing peers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A computerized search in bibliographic databases from 2000 to August 2015 was performed with the following keywords: "specific language impairment" or SLI" and "primary language impairment" or 'PLI' with at least one of the followings: "diagnosis," "identification," "accuracy," "sensitivity," and "specificity." In addition, the related citations and reference lists of the selected articles were considered. RESULTS: The results of reviewing 23 included studies show that the index measures used in studies vary in accuracy with the sensitivity ranging from 16% to 100% and the specificity ranging from 14% to 100%. CONCLUSION: These varieties in sensitivity and specificity of different tests/measures confirm the necessity of attention to the diagnostic power of tests/measures before their use as diagnostic tool. Further, the results indicate there are some promising tests/measures that the available evidence supports their performances in the diagnosis of SLI in preschool-aged children, yet the place of a reference standard for the diagnosis of SLI is vacant among investigations.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Validation, and Diagnostic Accuracy of the Voice Fatigue Handicap Questionnaire-Persian Version.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to determine the psychometric characteristics of a translated version of the Voice Fatigue Handicap Questionnaire in Persian by examining the validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy using data collected from people with and without dysphonia. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHOD: The original questionnaire was translated from Italian to Persian using the International Quality of Life Assessment criteria. The translated version was completed by 122 people with dysphonia and 49 people without dysphonia. The validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy of the Voice Fatigue Handicap Questionnaire Persian-version were evaluated. A panel of five voice-specializing Speech and Language Pathologists and 20 native Persian speakers (with dysphonia) in a pilot study confirmed the translated version for content and face validity, respectively. The internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and McDonald omega coefficients. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to examine the test-retest reliability. For discriminant validity, the mean total and subscale scores of respondents with and without dysphonia were compared through independent t tests. Finally, sensitivity, specificity, and ideal cut-off value were determined using the receiver-operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.965 for the total score (functional: α = 0.883, emotional: α = 0.944, physical: α = 0.917). Also, the McDonald omega coefficient was 0.966 for the total score (functional: ω = 0.889, emotional: ω = 0.933, physical: ω = 0.920). The intraclass correlation coefficient for measuring the test-retest reliability was 0.971 for the total score (functional: ICC=0.937, emotional: ICC=0.954, physical ICC=0.976). The results of the independent samples t tests indicated that the dysphonia group obtained significantly higher mean scores (total and subscale scores) than the group without dysphonia. The cutoff value of 13.5 was determined based on the optimal balance of sensitivity (0.992) and specificity (0.918). CONCLUSION: The Voice Fatigue Handicap Questionnaire-Persian version is a valid and reliable questionnaire to identify individuals at high risk of vocal fatigue and subsequent dysphonia.

The relationship between mean length of utterance (MLU), Persian developmental sentence score (PDSS), and photographic expressive Persian grammar test (PEGT) in typically developing children and those with developmental language disorder (DLD).

PURPOSE: This study investigated the relationship between three practical measures for evaluating Persian grammar expression skills, MLU, PDSS, and PEGT, in preschool children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and their typically developing (TD) peers. METHOD: Secondary data were obtained by re-analyzing language samples collected in previous studies. Previously audiotaped language samples of 25 monolingual 5-7 years-old Persian children with DLD and 25 TD children were transcribed and reanalyzed to calculate MLU in words (MLU-w) and PDSS for comparison with the results of PEGT. RESULTS: Children with DLD had lower scores in PEGT, PDSS, and MLU-w than TD children (p < 0.001). In addition, there was a strong correlation between PDSS and MLU-w in both DLD (r = 0.91) and TD groups (r = 0.79). There was a significant correlation between PEGT and MLU (r = 0.76) and PDSS (r = 0.78) in the DLD group, while these correlations were not significant in TD group. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the positive and significant correlation between MLU, PDSS, and PEGT in children with DLD, the use of PEGT, as a valid, reliable, and accurate test of grammar, which can be implemented quickly and easily, is suggested for clinical purposes of identification and screening of Persian children with DLD.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Persian version of Everyday Memory Questionnaire-Revised (EMQ-R) in patients with multiple sclerosis.

PURPOSE: The present research translated and validated the Persian version of the Everyday Memory Questionnaire-Revised (EMQ-R) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: A two-step study was performed in the current work. First, the scale was translated and culturally adopted to Persian. In the second step, the translated questionnaire was presented to 150 patients with MS and 50 individuals in the control group. Then, construct validity (factor analysis and clinical validity) and reliability measures (test-retest reliability and internal consistency) were computed for this questionnaire. RESULTS: Patients with MS obtained higher scores in EMQ-R than the control group (p < .001). The findings of the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartlett test approved the sampling adequacy for computing the factor analysis (p < .001). The accuracy of the three-dimensional structure was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Findings of test-retest (ICC = .95, 95%CI .91-.98, p < .001) and internal consistency revealed a satisfactory value (α = .95, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Satisfactory findings for construct validity and high values for reliability revealed that the Persian version of EMQ-R is a reliable and valid scale to measure the everyday memory of patients with MS in the cognitive assessments of this group.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONPersian EMQ-R is a valid, reliable, fast, and easy to administer tool for evaluating the beliefs and insights of patients suffering from MS or other clinical conditions about their cognitive dysfunctions, in day-to-day lives with some differentiation between memory and attentional difficulties. This questionnaire can be a practical clinical tool for the assessment of the cognitive deficits, which might not be detected via formal neuropsychological assessments, and could be a valuable scale to measure the effects of treatment approaches to level up memory function in a way that could be generalized to daily life performance.

Adaptation and validation of the Persian version of pediatric Voice Handicap Index (pVHI).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the Pediatric Voice Handicap Index (pVHI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The questionnaire was translated into Persian and then administrated to the parents of 45 dysphonic children and parents of 135 normal children. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by eight speech-language pathologists. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were measured via Cronbach's alpha and intra-class correlation coefficient, respectively. Independent-samples t-test was used to evaluate the discriminative and clinical validity of Persian pVHI. RESULTS: Cronbach's coefficient values were excellent for the total score (α = 0.94) and physical subcomponent (α = 0.91). Moreover, these corresponding values were satisfactory for functional (α = 0.82) and emotional (α = 0.79) subcomponents. Test-retest reliability for the total score was high in both dysphonic and control groups (intra-class correlation coefficient> 0.92). There were significant differences between the control and dysphonic groups in terms of the total score and all subcomponents scores of Persian pVHI. However, no significant difference was observed in the mean total score of the Persian pVHI between the control and dysphonic group regarding gender (P < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Persian version of pVHI is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the severity of voice disorder and its negative effects on the daily life of Persian children with voice disorder from the Parents' viewpoint.

Working Memory Training in the Form of Structured Games in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Objective: In this study, a new training method of working memory (WM) was used in the form of structured games, and the effect of training was evaluated with a controlled design. The training method of WM in the form of structured games includes 20 sets of structured games that can improve WM and performance of executive functions. Method: Sixty children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aged 8.5 to 11.2 years (35 boys), using no stimulant medication were selected. We randomly assigned 30 participants to the experimental group and provided them with WM training. The training was in the form of structured games and was offered to the participants in two 60-minute sessions weekly for 12 weeks. Other participants were assigned to the control group, receiving no treatment. All the participants were also evaluated at follow-up 6 months later. The main measures were the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Digit Span and Symbol Search B subscale of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV); and scores of dictation and mathematics were used in terms of pre and post-test. Results: The results of the t-test revealed a significant improvement in the post-test measures as well as a significant reduction of parents' reports of inattentiveness, and improvement in academic performance in the experimental group. However, no significant changes were found in the control group. Conclusion: The academic and working memory improvements were primarily due to the training method of WM. Our findings suggest that the training method of WM in the form of structured games may be a practical method for treating children with ADHD, but it needs to be further investigated.