Speech Characteristics in Female Students Training to Be Speech-Language Pathologists.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the speech characteristics regarding speech intelligibility, voice, articulation, and fluency in future speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Additionally, in 31 SLP students the differences in speech characteristics between the first bachelor and the master year were measured. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The data of the screening assessments of 600 future SLPs (mean age: 18.4 years) of the first bachelor year were analyzed (period 1995-2010). To evaluate the students' progress during the program, the speech data of 31 female subjects (mean age: 21.4 years) were evaluated at the end of the program and compared to the original data. A consensus evaluation by 2 SLPs was used. RESULTS: Speech intelligibility and fluency were evaluated as normal in 99% of the students. Perceptual evaluation of vocal quality revealed disordered vocal quality in 27%. The most prominent articulation errors were distortions of vowels and dental and interdental articulation of alveolar consonants. A significant decrease in these distortions after 3 years of education was found (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although an improvement in distortions in the master students was measured, articulation errors and dialect were present in SLP students who intended to work with speech and language disorders.

Impact of Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Objective Vocal Quality, a Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) on the vocal quality using the dysphonia severity index (DSI). It was hypothesized that the objective vocal quality and other vocal characteristics are disordered in comparison with an age- and gender-matched control group. In addition, the acoustic vocal parameters were compared during three conditions: at rest, during normal stimulation, and raised stimulation. A significant relation between the amount of stimulation and the presence of disturbed acoustic parameters was hypothesized. METHODS: Subjective (auditory-perceptual evaluation and voice handicap index) and objective (aerodynamic, vocal range, acoustic measurements and determination of the DSI) measurements were used to determine the vocal quality in 13 subjects with VNS in three different conditions (at rest and during normal and raised stimulation) and the age- and gender-matched control group. RESULTS: The subjects with VNS had a disordered perceptual vocal quality mainly characterized by the presence of a moderate roughness and slight breathiness, and the objective vocal quality by means of the DSI value is -2.4. During stimulation and especially during raised stimulation, the fundamental frequency is significantly increased. However, the subjects experienced no psychosocial handicapping effect of the vocal quality on the quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with VNS have typical vocal characteristics. Ear, nose, and throat specialists and voice therapist must be aware of the presence of this vocal pattern at rest and during normal and raised stimulation. Especially, professional voice users and elite vocal performers must be informed before implantation.

A short dermoscopy training increases diagnostic performance in both inexperienced and experienced dermatologists.

Dermoscopy is a clinical tool known to improve the early detection of melanoma and other malignancies of the skin, but only for experienced users. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of short (3-hour) dermoscopy training sessions in both residents and practicing dermatologists. The training improved diagnostic accuracy for both melanocytic and nonmelanocytic neoplasms of the skin and the observed effect was the highest for residents but was also significant for more experienced practicing dermatologists.