The development of lexical processing: Real-time phonological competition and semantic activation in school age children.

Prior research suggests that the development of speech perception and word recognition stabilises in early childhood. However, recent work suggests that development of these processes continues throughout adolescence. This study aimed to investigate whether these developmental changes are based solely within the lexical system or are due to domain general changes, and to extend this investigation to lexical-semantic processing.

Predictors of Listening-Related Fatigue in Adolescents With Hearing Loss.

Purpose: Self-reported listening-related fatigue in adolescents with hearing loss (HL) was investigated. Specifically, the extent to which listening-related fatigue is associated with school accommodations, audiologic characteristics, and listening breaks was examined.

Method: Participants were 144 adolescents with HL ages 12-19 years.

Evaluation of serial monitoring of donor-specific antibodies in pediatric and adult intestinal/multivisceral transplant recipients.

Background: The study purpose was to add to limited literature assessing anti-HLA donor-specific antibody (DSA) appearance, clearance, specificity, and impact in intestinal/multivisceral (MV) transplant as well as the value of serial monitoring following an institutional protocol shift implementing serial monitoring.

Methods: This single-center retrospective review included intestinal/MV recipients transplanted 1/1/15-9/31/17 with completed DSA testing. Patients were divided into groups based on DSA presence post-transplant.

Utilization of donor-derived Cell-Free DNA in pediatric kidney transplant recipients: A single center study.

Unlabelled: High donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) levels indicate transplant allograft injury and can identify graft rejection in kidney transplant recipients. Here, we evaluated the use of dd-cfDNA in pediatric kidney transplant rejection monitoring and treatment.

Methods: Forty-two pediatric kidney transplant patients were enrolled between February 2020 and August 2021.

Safety and Efficacy of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) may be effective in reducing body weight and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) post-kidney transplantation. Limited literature exists on use of these agents outside of kidney transplant. The purpose of this program evaluation was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SGLT2i in kidney, liver, and lung transplant recipients.

Delayed Lexical Access and Cascading Effects on Spreading Semantic Activation During Spoken Word Recognition in Children With Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants: Evidence From Eye-Tracking.

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize the dynamics of real-time lexical access, including lexical competition among phonologically similar words, and spreading semantic activation in school-age children with hearing aids (HAs) and children with cochlear implants (CIs). We hypothesized that developing spoken language via degraded auditory input would lead children with HAs or CIs to adapt their approach to spoken word recognition, especially by slowing down lexical access.

Design: Participants were children ages 9- to 12-years old with normal hearing (NH), HAs, or CIs.

Effect of Hepatitis C Viremia on Posttransplant Diabetes Mellitus in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Introduction: Posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) can increase morbidity and mortality in liver transplant recipients. Although hepatitis C seropositivity is a known risk factor for PTDM, the impact of viremia versus no viremia at time of transplant is unknown.

Project Aims: This program evaluation sought to compare PTDM in hepatitis C seropositive patients with and without viremia at the time of liver transplant.

The profile of real-time competition in spoken and written word recognition: More similar than different.

Word recognition occurs across two sensory modalities: auditory (spoken words) and visual (written words). While each faces different challenges, they are often described in similar terms as a competition process by which multiple lexical candidates are activated and compete for recognition. While there is a general consensus regarding the types of words that compete during spoken word recognition, there is less consensus for written word recognition.

Effects of Grade and School Services on Children's Responsibility for Hearing Aid Care.

Purpose We investigated trends in hearing aid maintenance and assumption of responsibility for hearing aids in school-age children who are hard of hearing. Specifically, we examined the extent to which families own necessary hearing aid maintenance equipment, whether and by whom hearing aid maintenance tasks are being completed, and the effects of grade and receipt of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan on a child's assumption of responsibility for hearing aid care. Method Participants included 167 children who are hard of hearing in 1st to 4th grade.

Time-Gated Word Recognition in Children: Effects of Auditory Access, Age, and Semantic Context.

Purpose We employed a time-gated word recognition task to investigate how children who are hard of hearing (CHH) and children with normal hearing (CNH) combine cognitive-linguistic abilities and acoustic-phonetic cues to recognize words in sentence-final position. Method The current study included 40 CHH and 30 CNH in 1st or 3rd grade. Participants completed vocabulary and working memory tests and a time-gated word recognition task consisting of 14 high- and 14 low-predictability sentences.

Cognitive Abilities Contribute to Spectro-Temporal Discrimination in Children Who Are Hard of Hearing.

Objectives: Spectral ripple discrimination tasks have received considerable interest as potential clinical tools for use with adults and children with hearing loss. Previous results have indicated that performance on ripple tasks is affected by differences in aided audibility [quantified using the Speech Intelligibility Index, or Speech Intelligibility Index (SII)] in children who wear hearing aids and that ripple thresholds tend to improve over time in children with and without hearing loss. Although ripple task performance is thought to depend less on language skills than common speech perception tasks, the extent to which spectral ripple discrimination might depend on other general cognitive abilities such as nonverbal intelligence and working memory is unclear.

Ketamine for the treatment of major depressive disorder and bipolar depression: A review of the literature.

Introduction: Over the past decade, ketamine has been studied for major depressive disorder and bipolar depression. Ketamine is believed to exert its antidepressant properties through N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism.

Methods: Study authors completed a literature review of seven randomized controlled trials of ketamine usage in major depressive disorder and bipolar depression.

Using a Digital Language Processor to Quantify the Auditory Environment and the Effect of Hearing Aids for Adults with Hearing Loss.

Background: Auditory environments can influence the communication function of individuals with hearing loss and the effects of hearing aids. Therefore, a tool that can objectively characterize a patient's real-world auditory environments is needed.

Purpose: To use the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system to quantify the auditory environments of adults with hearing loss, to examine if the use of hearing aids changes a user's auditory environment, and to determine the association between LENA variables and self-report hearing aid outcome measures.

Nonverbal Visual Sequential Learning in Children With Cochlear Implants: Preliminary Findings.

The authors tested the hypothesis that children with cochlear implants (CIs) experience domain-general deficits in sequential learning. Twenty children with CIs and 40 children with normal hearing (NH) participated. Participants completed a serial reaction time task that measured implicit sequential learning.

Vocabulary Facilitates Speech Perception in Children With Hearing Aids.

Purpose: We examined the effects of vocabulary, lexical characteristics (age of acquisition and phonotactic probability), and auditory access (aided audibility and daily hearing aid [HA] use) on speech perception skills in children with HAs.

Method: Participants included 24 children with HAs and 25 children with normal hearing (NH), ages 5-12 years. Groups were matched on age, expressive and receptive vocabulary, articulation, and nonverbal working memory.