Examination of validity in spoken language evaluations: Adult onset stuttering following mild traumatic brain injury.

Background: Reports of increased incidence of adult onset stuttering in veterans and service members with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) from combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan lead to a reexamination of the neurogenic vs. psychogenic etiology of stuttering.

Objective: This article proposes to examine the merit of the dichotomy between neurogenic and psychogenic bases of stuttering, including symptom exaggeration, for the evaluation and treatment of the disorder.

The role of speech-language pathology and audiology in the optimal management of the service member returning from Iraq or Afghanistan with a blast-related head injury: position of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinical Trials Research Group.

This position paper, prepared by the Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinical Trails Research Group, describes communication and swallowing disorders associated with blast injuries and delineates the roles of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists in the management of these deficits. Recovery of individuals with mild, moderate, or severe swallowing, speech, hearing, and cognitive-communication impairments is best facilitated by a team of multidisciplinary specialists including SLPs and audiologists. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists have the knowledge and skills to evaluate, treat, and research swallowing, speech, hearing, and cognitive-communication functions, and they should have a primary role in determining the clinical management of, research agenda for, and public health policies regarding individuals with blast-related head injuries from the time of injury to their return to maximized life participation and quality of life.

Reliability of the pharyngeal squeeze maneuver.

Objectives: Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with sensory testing has been used to assess the integrity of laryngopharyngeal sensory and motor components. The pharyngeal squeeze is a maneuver used during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with sensory testing to assess pharyngeal motor function. Although the pharyngeal squeeze manuever has been used in numerous scientific publications, its reliability has not been critically evaluated.