Improved outcomes after alloplastic TMJ replacement: analysis of a multicenter study from Australia and New Zealand.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to assess pain, function, diet, and quality of life (QOL) in subjects undergoing alloplastic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) reconstruction.

Materials And Methods: A total of 72 subjects were sent a questionnaire an average of 4 years after undergoing either unilateral or bilateral total joint replacement with a custom TMJ Concepts or stock Biomet total joint replacement device. The changes in pain, function, diet, and quality of life were assessed.

Consensus paper: Language and the cerebellum: an ongoing enigma.

In less than three decades, the concept "cerebellar neurocognition" has evolved from a mere afterthought to an entirely new and multifaceted area of neuroscientific research. A close interplay between three main strands of contemporary neuroscience induced a substantial modification of the traditional view of the cerebellum as a mere coordinator of autonomic and somatic motor functions. Indeed, the wealth of current evidence derived from detailed neuroanatomical investigations, functional neuroimaging studies with healthy subjects and patients and in-depth neuropsychological assessment of patients with cerebellar disorders shows that the cerebellum has a cardinal role to play in affective regulation, cognitive processing, and linguistic function.

Long term language recovery subsequent to low frequency rTMS in chronic non-fluent aphasia.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a potential therapeutic tool for the rehabilitation of language in chronic non-fluent aphasia post-stroke. Previous studies report that low frequency (1 Hz) rTMS applied to homologous language sites can facilitate behavioural language changes. Improvements in picture naming performance and speech output are frequently reported.

Charting a seven-year trajectory of language outcomes for a child with galactosemia.

Cross-sectional methodologies have revealed age-related deterioration in cognitive performance, reflecting progressive neurodegenerative change in a minority of children and adolescents with classic galactosemia (GAL). The application of longitudinal methodologies sensitive to age-related changes at the individual level is needed to determine the extent of any possible decline in function in children with GAL. The authors report on the developmental language outcomes of a 9-year-old female with GAL through an examination of her language development over a 7-year period using a performance tracking system based on the use of raw performance scores required for attainment at the 50th percentile for age.

Phonation after cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI): prospective case examinations of the acute and sub-acute stages of recovery.

The aim of the investigation was to examine the changes in phonation and related quality-of-life in the acute and sub-acute stages of recovery post-cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). A prospective examination of phonation was conducted using perceptual and instrumental measures of respiratory and laryngeal functioning alongside a quality-of-life rating scale. Change was present across measures for both cases at each time point.

Unravelling the influence of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) on cognitive-linguistic processing: a comparative group analysis.

Background: Cognitive-linguistic deficits often accompany traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can negatively impact communicative competency. The linguistic sequelae underpinning mild TBI (MTBI) remain largely unexplored in contemporary literature.

Objectives: The present research methods aim to provide group evidence pertaining to the influence of MTBI on linguistic and higher-level language processing.

Development of figurative language skills following central nervous system-directed chemotherapy delivered in early childhood.

Central nervous system (CNS)-directed chemotherapy is delivered for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Figurative language deficits have been described in children following CNS-directed chemotherapy; however, comprehensive analysis of figurative interpretation errors, potentially providing clinical utility to assist with intervention planning, has never been performed. The present study aimed to compare the figurative language skills of seven children treated with CNS-directed chemotherapy for ALL before the age of 6 years (mean age at diagnosis 3 years 10 months) and a matched control group of children, using the Test of Language Competence-Expanded Edition (TLC-E) Figurative Language sub-test.

The effect of rTMS on auditory processing in adults with chronic, bilateral tinnitus: a placebo-controlled pilot study.

Background: On the basis that tinnitus may result from neural hyperactivity in the auditory cortex, researchers have investigated the use of low frequency (1 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a potential modulator of this hyperactivity. While these investigations show promise, investigations to date have neglected to consider the possible effect of 1 Hz rTMS on other functions of the auditory cortex of these individuals, such as auditory processing.

Objective/hypothesis: This placebo-controlled pilot study aimed to determine whether 1 Hz rTMS applied to the primary auditory cortex (PAC), specifically Brodmann Area 41 (BA41), of adults with chronic, bilateral tinnitus would influence their auditory processing abilities.

Differential phonological awareness skills in children with classic galactosemia: a descriptive study of four cases.

Educational achievement, which for individuals with the metabolic disorder classic galactosemia (GAL) is significantly lower than in the wider population, correlates with self-reported quality of life. Phonological awareness skills underpin the development of literacy, and although literacy is a key contributor to successful academic outcomes, no study to date has investigated phonological awareness skills in children with GAL. This study investigated phonological awareness (PA) in four school-aged children with the disorder, two of whom were siblings.

Differential language trajectories following treatment for pediatric posterior fossa tumor: an investigation of four cases.

Up to 85% of children treated for brain tumor survive beyond five years; hence optimizing quality of life in survivorship has become a priority. As multiple factors contribute to the heterogeneity of neurocognitive and language outcomes for individual children following treatment, a means of monitoring subsequent development is needed for the individual child, particularly when pre-morbid performance indices are not available. The current study investigated the use of developmental language trajectories as a means of monitoring language development subsequent to treatment for tumors located within the posterior fossa.

Language abilities of patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis: A preliminary group and case investigation.

Language impairments are reported in multiple sclerosis (MS). To date, the majority of studies have evaluated language differences between relapsing-remitting (RR) and chronic progressive (CP) clinical courses. Neurologists have distinguished two progressive courses of MS: primary progressive (PP) MS and secondary progressive (SP) MS.

Pre-linguistic communication skill development in an infant with a diagnosis of galactosaemia.

Background: Neonatal screening for galactosaemia (GAL) identifies the condition early, but subsequent biomedical and genetic testing fails to identify which subgroup of infants with GAL are at most risk of the language disorders associated with the condition. This study aims to present preliminary data on an infant with GAL based on assessment of pre-linguistic communication behaviours known to underpin language development.

Methods: This single case-control study profiles the pre-linguistic skills of a 13-month-old infant with GAL.

Non-invasive brain stimulation: a new frontier in the treatment of neurogenic speech-language disorders.

There is a growing body of evidence to support the use of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the treatment of acquired speech and language disorders. The aim of the present paper is to review evidence to support the use of these procedures in the treatment of aphasia and dysarthria. Both TMS and tDCS are described in terms of their underlying principles and biophysics and their relative advantages and disadvantages for rehabilitation of acquired neurogenic communication disorders.

Lingual kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Rapid syllable repetition tasks are commonly used in the assessment of motor speech disorders. However, little is known about the articulatory kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Aims: To investigate and compare lingual kinematics during rapid syllable repetition in dysarthric speakers with PD (DPD), non-dysarthric speakers with PD (NDPD) and a group of healthy controls.

Longitudinal change in dysarthria associated with Friedreich ataxia: a potential clinical endpoint.

CNS functions that show change across short periods of time are particularly useful clinical endpoints for Friedreich ataxia. This study determined whether there is measurable acoustical change in the dysarthria associated with Friedreich ataxia across yearly intervals. A total of 29 participants diagnosed with Friedreich ataxia were recorded across 4 years at yearly intervals.

Longitudinal language outcomes following intrathecal chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Intrathecal chemotherapy (ITC) is the treatment option for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Neurocognitive deficits have been described following ITC, but language status post-treatment is yet to be clarified. This study examined the language skills of nine children following ITC for ALL (mean age 7;8 years and 3;2 years post-diagnosis at baseline measurement) and nine age- and sex-matched controls, at baseline then 2 years later, using a battery of tests assessing general language skills.

Amount of kinematic feedback affects learning of speech motor skills.

Knowledge of Performance (KP) feedback, such as biofeedback or kinematic feedback, is used to provide information on the nature and quality of movement responses for the purpose of guiding active learning or rehabilitation of motor skills. It has been proposed that KP feedback may interfere with long-term learning when provided throughout training. Here, twelve healthy English-speaking adults were trained to produce a trilled Russian [r] in words with KP kinematic feedback using electropalatography (EPG) and without KP (noKP).

Effect of speech rate manipulations on articulatory dynamics in severe traumatic brain injury: an EMA and EPG study.

Background: Manipulation of speech rate forms an integral part of the treatment of dysarthria and the effects of changes in speech rate on articulatory dynamics in persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is poorly documented.

Objective: To determine the effects of manipulations of speech rate (habitual vs fast) on lingual kinematics and tongue-to-palate contacts in adult speakers with severe TBI and matched normal controls.

Materials And Methods: Six adults with severe TBI and five matched non-neurologically impaired controls underwent testing of their articulatory function using electromagnetic articulography (EMA) and electropalatography (EPG).

Indices of language outcome 11 years after intrathecal chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a sibling case-control study.

Studies are emerging that suggest that major language indices do not differentiate children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with risk-adapted intrathecal chemotherapy (ITC) from control children matched on age, gender, and educational level. No study to date has controlled for cognitive environment, an important variable influencing language achievement and outcome. This case-control study applies the deconfounding principle by using a sibling as a control to investigate language outcomes in a male child 11 years after administration of ITC for ALL at the age of 2 years 3 months.

Differentiating profiles of speech impairments in Friedreich's ataxia: a perceptual and instrumental approach.

Background: The speech disorder associated with Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is classically described as ataxic dysarthria. However, variable neuropathology beyond the cerebellum, which may include the corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts, means that the dysarthria can be mixed rather than a pure ataxic dysarthria.

Aims: To characterize physiological features of the dysarthria associated with FRDA and identify differential patterns of deviation that may occur across the subsystems of the speech-production mechanism in a series of seven case studies.

Language function in a child following mild traumatic brain injury: Evidence from pre- and post-injury language testing.

Objective: Pre- and post-injury language performance scores following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) were investigated through a replication and subsequent extension of a previous case study where a trend for declining language scores was described based on pre- and post-injury data.

Methods: Test norms were used to descriptively analyze pre- and post-morbid language performance and performance score changes. Score changes were subsequently statistically analyzed using data obtained from a group of age-matched non-brain-injured control children.

The influence of dopamine on automatic and controlled semantic activation in Parkinson's disease.

Two semantic priming tasks, designed to isolate automatic and controlled semantic activation, were utilized to investigate the impact of dopamine depletion on semantic processing in Parkinson's disease (PD). Seven people with PD (tested whilst on and off levodopa medication) and seven healthy adults participated in the study. The healthy adult participants demonstrated intact automatic and controlled semantic activation.

Improved receptive and expressive language abilities in nonfluent aphasic stroke patients after application of rTMS: an open protocol case series.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been identified as a potentially valuable tool for the rehabilitation of language impairment after left hemisphere (LH) stroke, in populations of persons with chronic aphasia. Applied to a homologue to Broca's area, rTMS is posited to modulate bilateral language networks, promoting measurable behavioral language change, in accordance with theories of transcallosal disinhibition arising from the damaged LH.

Objective/hypothesis: The current investigation is an open-label study, presenting detailed case and group presentations on a population of seven nonfluent aphasic participants.

Lingual kinematics in dysarthric and nondysarthric speakers with Parkinson's disease.

Articulatory dysfunction is recognised as a major contributor to the speech disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study aimed to compare lingual kinematics during consonant production within a sentence in eight dysarthric (DPD) and seven nondysarthric (NDPD) speakers with PD with those of eleven nonneurologically impaired normal participants. The tongue tip and tongue back movements of the participants during sentence production were recorded using electromagnetic articulography (EMA).