Evaluation of the Potential of Automatic Naming Latency Detection for Different Initial Phonemes during Picture Naming Task.

Naming latency (NL) represents the speech onset time after the presentation of an image. We recently developed an extended threshold-based algorithm for automatic NL (aNL) detection considering the envelope of the speech wave. The present study aims at exploring the influence of different manners (e.g., "m" and "p") and positions (e.g., "t" and "p") of articulation on the differences between manual NL (mNL) and aNL detection.Speech samples were collected from 123 healthy participants. They named 118 pictures in German, including different initial phonemes. NLs were manually (Praat, waveform and spectrogram) and automatically (developed algorithm) determined. To investigate the accuracy of automatic detections, correlations between mNLs and aNLs were analyzed for different initial phonemes.ANLs and mNLs showed a strong positive correlation and similar tendencies in initial phoneme groups. ANL mean values were shorter than the ones of mNLs. Nasal sounds (e.g., /m/) showed the largest and those for fricatives (e.g., /s/) the smallest difference. However, in fricatives, 39% of NLs were detected later by automatic detections than by manual detections, which led to a reduced mean difference with mNLs. The signal energy of the initial phonemes, i.e., if they are voiced or voiceless, influences the form of the speech envelope: initial high signal energy is often responsible for an early detection by the algorithm.Our study provides evidence of a similar tendency in mNL and aNL according to different positions of articulation in each initial phoneme group. ANLs are highly sensitive to detection of speech onsets across different initial phonemes. The dependency of the NL differences on the initial phonemes will lose importance during progress evaluations in aphasia patients if the relative changes for each picture are considered separately. Nevertheless, the algorithm will be further optimized by adapting its parameters for each initial phoneme group individually.Clinical Relevance- This underlines the feasibility to use automatic naming latency detection for the evaluation of patients with aphasia in a clinical setting as well as for practices at home during picture naming.

Risk factors for stuttering: a secondary analysis of a large data base.

The spectrum of risk and concomitant factors in stuttering is generally thought to be wide and heterogeneous. However, only a few studies have examined these factors using information from large databases. We examined the data on 11,905 Swiss conscripts from 2003. All cases with high psychiatric screening scores indicating "caseness" for a psychiatric disorder were excluded, among them potential malingerers, so that 9,814 records remained. The analyses rely on self-reported information about stuttering in childhood, problems at birth, problems in school, mental disorders of parents and relatives, childhood adversity and socio-demographic information. Statistical modelling was done using logistic regression and path analysis models. Risk factors determined in the logistic regression include premature birth, probable attention deficit hyperactive disorder, alcohol abuse of the parents, obsessive-compulsive disorder in parents and relatives, having a disabled mother and having a parent from a foreign country. There is no overwhelmingly strong risk factor; all odds ratios are about 2 or below. In conclusion, large databases are helpful in revealing less obvious and less frequent risk factors for heterogeneous disorders such as stuttering. Obviously, not only secondary analyses, but also systematical large scale studies would be required to complete the complex epidemiological puzzle in stuttering. An extensive examination of young adults who were initially assessed in childhood might provide the most promising design.

Psychosocial functioning and sleep patterns in children and adolescents with cleft lip and palate (CLP) compared with healthy controls.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was twofold: to assess psychological functioning, interactional competencies, and sleep patterns in children and adolescents with cleft lip and palate (CLP), and to compare these results with those from age- and gender-matched controls. It was hypothesized that participants with CLP would exhibit greater difficulties in psychological functioning, more interactional difficulties, and poorer sleep patterns than those without CLP. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-two children and adolescents with CLP and 34 controls were recruited. Ages ranged from 6 to 16 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For psychosocial assessment, the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and a questionnaire on interactional competencies (PIELCQ) were completed; for sleep assessment, a sleep log was completed for seven consecutive nights. RESULTS: Participants with and without CLP did not differ with respect to emotional problems, conduct problems, or hyperactivity. With respect to interactional competencies, participants with CLP were six times more likely to report difficulties. Unfavorable sleep patterns were associated with psychosocial strain but not with the presence of CLP. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS indicate that children and adolescents with CLP may report that they have sleep irregularities as often as those without CLP. In adolescence, the presence of CLP may be associated with increased difficulties. Consequently, skill training to improve context-related social competencies may be appropriate.