Efecto de una estimulación musical en el desarrollo fonológico del lenguaje en niños del nivel preescolar / The effect of a musical stimulation in the phonological development of language in preschoolchildren

Introducción: en la edad preescolar, los niños frecuentemente intentan simplificar su lenguaje. Estas estrategias de simplificación, llamadas procesos de simplificación fonológica, los cuales se sub dividen en tres: de estructura silábica, de asimilación y de sustitución; estas son eliminadas paulatinamente durante el desarrollo fonológico hasta presentar nulos o escasos procesos a los seis años. Si los procesos persisten se considera un trastorno fonológico la cual es abarcada mediante la terapia fonológica tradicional la cual ofrece varias estrategias que buscan la generalización en las producciones del niño, es decir sin abordar todos los blancos posibles ya que los procesos presentan una importante variación individual. Una estrategia innovadora dentro de este enfoque es la aplicación de la música, la cual presenta varias similitudes con el lenguaje hablado. Objetivo: determinar el efecto de la estimulación musical con canciones infantiles en el desarrollo del aspecto fonológico del lenguaje de los alumnos de preescolar del Centro Educacional "Sagrados Corazones de Jesús y de María". Materiales y método: experimental intra-grupo, porque se realiza una intervención en una misma población que sirve de control. Se utiliza el TEPROSIF-R como instrumento de evaluación a 55 niños que acuden al preescolar y las canciones infantiles como instrumento de intervención. Resultados: se observó post intervención, una reducción significativa de la media de los procesos de estructura silábica y de los procesos de sustitución. Se apreció que la disminución de la media de los procesos de asimilación en relación a la media de los procesos de sustitución fue menos significativa, debido a que estos fueron menos frecuentes en los sujetos de estudio. Conclusión: tendencia a la reducción de los casos de niveles en riesgo y en déficit y por ende, un aumento significativo del número de alumnos con un nivel de desempeño fonológico normal en un 20%, debido al efecto directo de la intervención con canciones infantiles.

Introduction: in preschool, children often try to simplify their language. These strategies of simplification, called phonological simplification processes, which are sub divided into three: syllabic structure, assimilation and substitution are gradually eliminated during phonological development until they are reduced with little or no process at age of six. If processes persist they must be considered a phonological disorder which is approached by the traditional phonological therapy which offers several strategies that seeks generalization in productions of the child, without addressing all possible targets as processes exhibit significant individual variation. An innovative strategy in this approach is the application of music, which has several similarities with spoken language. Objective: to determine the effect of musical stimulation with nursery rhymes in the development of the phonological aspect of language in students who attend preschool education at the Educational Center "Sagrados Corazones de Jesus y María". Materials and methods: experimental intra-group because an intervention on the same control population is performed. The TEPROSIF-R is used as an assessment tool to evaluate the phonological aspect of language to 55 children attending the preschool education and nursery rhymes as an instrument of intervention. Results: a significant reduction of the average in the processes related to syllabic structure and substitution processes is observed. It is noted that the decrease in mean of assimilation processes in relation to the average substitution process was less significant, because these were less frequent in the study subjects. Conclusion: a tendency of reduced cases in levels at risk and deficit is evident and therefore, a significant increase in the number of students with a normal level of phonological performance by 20% due to the direct effect of the intervention with nursery rhymes.

Effect of visual biofeedback of posterior tongue movement on articulation rehabilitation in dysarthria patients.

Articulation is driven by various combinations of movements of the lip, tongue, soft palate, pharynx and larynx, where the tongue plays an especially important role. In patients with cerebrovascular disorder, lingual motor function is often affected, causing dysarthria. We aimed to evaluate the effect of visual biofeedback of posterior tongue movement on articulation rehabilitation in dysarthria patients with cerebrovascular disorder. Fifteen dysarthria patients (10 men and 5 women; mean age, 70.7 ± 10.3 years) agreed to participate in this study. A device for measuring the movement of the posterior part of the tongue was used for the visual biofeedback. Subjects were instructed to produce repetitive articulation of [ka] as fast and steadily as possible between a lungful with/without visual biofeedback. For both the unaffected and affected sides, the range of ascending and descending movement of the posterior tongue with visual biofeedback was significantly larger than that without visual biofeedback. The coefficient of variation for these movements with visual biofeedback was significantly smaller than that without visual biofeedback. With visual biofeedback, the range of ascent exhibited a significant and strong correlation with that of descent for both the unaffected and affected sides. The results of this study revealed that the use of visual biofeedback leads to prompt and preferable change in the movement of the posterior part of the tongue. From the standpoint of pursuing necessary rehabilitation for patients with attention and memory disorders, visualization of tongue movement would be of marked clinical benefit.

Myofunctional and speech rehabilitation after orthodontic-surgical treatment of dento-maxillofacial dysgnathia.

OBJECTIVES: The lingual dysfunctions play a considerable role in the pathogenesis of dentoskeletal dysmorphisms. The treatment of dento-maxillofacial dysgnathia implies a functional rehabilitation to re-harmonize the stomatognathic system. This study aims to demonstrate the importance of a rehabilitation protocol of functional orofacial parameters at the end of a surgical-orthodontic treatment in order to achieve long-term success. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After orthognathic surgery, facial expression exercises and jaw exercises are prescribed to promote the recovery of neuromuscular function. At the end of treatment, a sample of 30 dysgnathic patients underwent a functional evaluation of the orofacial district to identify any lingual or articulatory dysfunctions. The information gathered led to an individual re-education program that consisted of an active myofunctional-logopedic approach integrated with appliances used as retention. RESULTS: 19 patients needed myofunctional therapy to re-educate deglutition and tongue posture. Articulatory disorders were found in 7 patients originally suffering from Class III and/or open-bite skeletal disharmony; 5 of these completed rehabilitation with speech therapy. After rehabilitation the functional parameters were completely normalized in 12 patients; in 5 cases, partial improvements were obtained, while in 2 cases the therapy was ineffective. CONCLUSIONS: In a patient undergoing post-surgical reconsolidation of his/her functional equilibrium even an uncontrolled speech defect may lead to an instable result. Only through an interdisciplinary approach it is possible to intercept and re-educate all the functions that are not compliant with the structural changes and to eliminate a tendency to relapse of the dysgnathia.

Clinical and research perspectives on nonspeech oral motor treatments and evidence-based practice.

PURPOSE: Evidence-based practice (EBP) involves the incorporation of research evidence, clinical expertise, and client values in clinical decision making. One case in which these factors conflict is the use of nonspeech oral motor treatments (NSOMTs) for children with developmental speech sound disorders. Critical reviews of the research evidence suggest that NSOMTs are not valid, yet they are widely used by clinicians based on their expertise/experience. This investigation presents detailed descriptions of clinicians' and researchers' views and opinions on NSOMTs and EBP. METHOD: Individual interviews with 11 clinicians who use NSOMTs and 11 researchers in child phonology were conducted. The interviews were transcribed and organized into themes, following a phenomenological research design. RESULTS: Five themes were identified: (a) NSOMTs are effective, (b) EBP is useful, (c) there is no published research supporting NSOMTs, (d) research evidence may change clinical use of NSOMTs, and (e) researchers and clinicians have separate but shared roles in clinical decision making. CONCLUSIONS: The participants' responses provided detailed and complex insights into each group's decisions regarding NSOMTs. These responses also suggested questions that should be considered when making decisions about approaches that are not fully supported by EBP.

A decision-algorithm defining the rehabilitation approach: 'Facial oral tract therapy'.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe and define the rehabilitation approach: 'Facial Oral Tract Therapy' (F.O.T.T.). METHOD: We defined the content and process of the rehabilitation approach (F.O.T.T.) in a decision-algorithm supported by a manual with supplementary material. The algorithm was developed by a research occupational therapist and an F.O.T.T. senior instructor. We used an inductive approach combining existing knowledge from: F.O.T.T. instructors, therapists trained in using the F.O.T.T. approach, and existing literature. A group of F.O.T.T. instructors and the originator of the treatment approach Mrs. Kay Coombes has given comments to and approved the algorithm. RESULT: The algorithm consist of five flowcharts: 'one assessment' chart guiding the therapist in the examination of the patient and four 'treatment charts', one for each of the four areas of F.O.T.T.: swallowing and eating; oral hygiene; breathing, voice, and speech articulation; facial expression, giving guidance on interventions. The algorithm outlines all important components in the treatment that the therapist should decide to use or not to use in the intervention. The algorithm is supported by a manual with criteria of when to use which components. CONCLUSION: This algorithm is designed to be a practical guideline to therapists using F.O.T.T. in clinical practice and in educational settings. The use of this algorithm may support standardization of F.O.T.T. and thereby promote and maintain the quality in the treatment. This in turn will facilitate research that addresses F.O.T.T. and outcomes.

The use of electropalatography in the assessment and treatment of acquired motor speech disorders in adults: current knowledge and future directions.

Electropalatography (EPG) has been employed to measure speech articulation since the mid-1970s. This technique has predominately been used in experimental phonetic research and in the diagnosis and treatment of articulation disorders in children. However, there is a growing body of research employing EPG to diagnose and treat articulatory impairment associated with acquired motor speech disorder (MSD) in adults. The purpose of this paper was to (1) review the findings of studies pertaining to the assessment and treatment of MSDs in adults using EPG, (2) highlight current methodologies employed, and (3) discuss the potential limitations of EPG in the assessment and treatment of MSDs and examine directions for future applied research and treatment studies.

Treatability of different components of aphasia - insights from a case study.

In this phase I clinical rehabilitation study, we investigated the effects of phonological rehabilitation for alexia and aphasia in an individual 54 years after a left-hemisphere ischemic infarction. In the context of a single-subject design, we studied whether treatment would improve phonological processing, reading, and generalization to untreated behaviors. While results showed a lack of generalization to real-word reading aloud, improvement was present in phonological processing, language function (Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia Quotient, Boston Naming Test, Reading Comprehension Battery for Aphasia), and auditory processing (Revised Token Test). Improvement in the lexical-semantic system was attributed to informal forced-use language treatment. We concluded that phonological therapies are unlikely to be successful unless a minimum initial level of phonological sequence knowledge exists; therapies that pressure subjects to use verbal communication can achieve clinically important gains in communicative ability that generalize to untreated behaviors. This study also demonstrates the importance of a careful analysis of the patient's language ability before a therapeutic strategy is chosen.

ISMAR: an autotherapeutic device assisting patients from drooling to articulated speech.

This overview of three decades of clinical experience with oral therapies complemented by oral devices-vestibular screens (VS) and ISMARs (Innsbruck sensory motor activators and regulators)-tries to put these devices into an oral functional context including postural control of mobile structures both inside and outside the mouth-down to the feet. ISMARs have certain unique features which teach a person not only better postural control of the lower jaw and, hence, hyoid bone and tongue, but also to stimulate movements of lips and tongue to improve salivary control, functions of eating and drinking and the domain of communication, e.g. facial movements and articulation of speech. A review of the relevant postural background is provided and the mechanisms are explained and may serve as models for other oral therapies. The inter-relation and multi-functionality of muscular connections throughout the body explains the uniformity of facial, oral and pharyngeal dysfunctions in different conditions such as cerebral palsy, Moebius syndrome, chronic nasal congestion or developmental retardation and exposes patients with oral dysfunctions to the risks of vicious circles. However, at the same time the opportunity is given to trigger beneficious circles. Three principles of postural control in and for the neck region are postulated. Clinical observations and experiments with volunteers are described and some supporting information is given-hopefully enough to stimulate clinical work and give rise to further experimental work to illuminate this field which is extremely important for both human communication and inter-relation.

Dysarthria in traumatic brain injury: a breath group and intonational analysis.

Prosodic abnormality is a common feature in the dysarthrias associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI), but very few analytic studies have been reported on the nature of the prosodic disturbances. This study, based on analyses of conversational and sentence speech samples, reports on breath group structure and its temporal and intonational components for 12 subjects with TBI and 8 healthy controls. It introduces the method of f0 close-copy stylization to the study of intonational patterns in dysarthria. The subjects with TBI had reduced mean length and variation of breath groups along with frequent inappropriate locations of breath pause and lengthy and variable breath pauses. Prosodic features that were preserved in the subjects with TBI were phrase final lengthening, f0 downtrend and a relatively normal f0 distribution. However, these subjects had reduced speaking and articulation rates, reduced f0 movement and reduced f0 slope. The phrase final lengthening and f0 downtrend phenomena, which can serve as prosodic cues of syntactic boundary, appear to be robust features of speech production, but the dynamic features of f0 control were more vulnerable to the neurological damage. This study indicates the importance of breath group management in TBI-induced dysarthria and the need to use methods such as those used in this study for large-scale investigations that examine cognitive, linguistic and motoric factors that conspire to reduce communicative efficiency.