A Pilot Randomized Control Trial of Motor-Based Treatments for Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment and Ultrasound Biofeedback.

Purpose: Both Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment (ReST) and ultrasound biofeedback are effective approaches to treating childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). The purpose of the study was to compare outcomes from these two motor-based treatment approaches for school-age children with CAS.

Method: In a single site, single blind randomized control trial, 14 children with CAS ages 6-13 years were randomly assigned to 12 sessions over 6 weeks of either of ultrasound biofeedback treatment (with a speech motor chaining practice structure) or ReST.

Predicting Treatment Outcomes in Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify predictors of treatment outcomes in Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment (ReST) for childhood apraxia of speech through an individual participant data meta-analysis.

Method: A systematic literature search identified nine ReST studies for inclusion. Individual participant data were obtained, and studies were coded for methodological design, baseline participant characteristics, service delivery factors, and treatment outcomes.

Predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers providing health and rehabilitation services in rural and remote locations: A scoping review.

Introduction: A better understanding of the predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers in rural and remote communities is needed to inform preventative interventions for this sector of the health workforce.

Objective: To identify predictors of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in health care workers providing health and rehabilitation services in rural and remote locations.

Design: A scoping review informed by Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework and the scoping review protocol of the PRISMA-ScR statement.

Understanding mammographic breast density profile in China: A Sino-Australian comparative study of breast density using real-world data from cancer screening programs.

Aim: This study aims at understanding mammographic density profile in China by comparing the density between women in China and Australia.

Methods: Data of 3250 women aged 45-69 were obtained from the Cancer Screening Program in Urban China and data of 1384 Australian counterparts at same age range were gathered from the Lifepool project. Demographic and reproductive details and mammograms for each cohort were collected.

Variables Associated with Self-reported Language Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis: A Regression Analysis.

Background: Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) can experience language-related symptoms such as difficulty with word finding, understanding verbal information, and structuring discourse. These symptoms have negative psychological and interpersonal consequences. Studies exploring characteristics of language impairment in MS are limited.

Identifying Clinical Behaviors Using the Motor Learning Classification Framework: A Pilot Study.

Context: Although differences in clinical interactions with patients between students and experienced clinicians are well described, differences in therapeutic training behaviors have not been explored, especially in relation to motor learning principles.

Aims: This pilot study compared clinical behaviors between speech language pathology (SLP) students and experienced SLPs in a voice therapy task, using prepractice variables in the Motor Learning Classification Framework (MLCF).

Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, five final-year undergraduate SLP students and four experienced SLPs with a voice therapy caseload taught a standardized patient to produce a vocal siren.

Clinical Trials of Adult Stuttering Treatment: Comparison of Percentage Syllables Stuttered With Self-Reported Stuttering Severity as Primary Outcomes.

Purpose In a companion paper, we found no statistical reason to favor percentage syllables stuttered (%SS) over parent-reported stuttering severity as a primary outcome measure for clinical trials of early stuttering. Hence, considering the logistical advantages of the latter measure, we recommended parent-reported stuttering severity for use as an outcome measure. The present report extends the prior analysis to a comparison of %SS with self-reported stuttering severity (SRSS) for use as an outcome measure in clinical trials of stuttering treatments for adults.

Characteristics of Mammographic Breast Density and Associated Factors for Chinese Women: Results from an Automated Measurement.

Background: Characteristics of mammographic density for Chinese women are understudied. This study aims to identify factors associated with mammographic density in China using a quantitative method.

Methods: Mammographic density was measured for a total of 1071 (84 with and 987 without breast cancer) women using an automatic algorithm AutoDensity.

Cognitive-communication and psychosocial functioning 12 months after severe traumatic brain injury.

Objective: Cognitive-communication deficits after severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) may contribute to poor psychosocial functioning, however, the possible nature of this relationship remains unclear and warrants investigation. The current study explored the variance and correlations of a measure of cognitive-communication with a measure of psychosocial outcome in adults 12 months following TBI.

Method: 36 adults with severe TBI evaluated at 12 months post-injury.

The Lidcombe Program and child language development: Long-term assessment.

This study was driven by the need to understand the mechanisms underlying Lidcombe Program treatment efficacy. The aim of the present study was to extend existing data exploring whether stuttering reductions observed when children successfully treated with the Lidcombe Program are associated with restricted language development. Audio recordings of 10-min parent-child conversations at home were transcribed verbatim for 11 pre-school-age children with various stuttering severities.

Safety Behaviors and Stuttering.

Purpose: Those who are socially anxious may use safety behaviors during feared social interactions to prevent negative outcomes. Safety behaviors are associated with anxiety maintenance and poorer treatment outcomes because they prevent fear extinction. Social anxiety disorder is often comorbid with stuttering.

Exploring the relationship between cognition and functional verbal reasoning in adults with severe traumatic brain injury at six months post injury.

Objective(s): This study aims to determine the association between cognitive impairment and functional verbal reasoning in adults with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), at six months post-injury.

Method(s): 38 participants with severe TBI were assessed using the four tasks on the Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies (FAVRES) [1] and a battery of neuropsychological tests at 6 months post injury in a cross-sectional observational study.

Results: Overall performance on the FAVRES [1] was strongly associated with overall performance on the neuropsychological battery (rho = 0.

Changes in semantic fluency across childhood: Normative data from Australian-English speakers.

Purpose: Verbal fluency tests are often used as part of an assessment battery to investigate children's lexical knowledge as well as executive function skills. To date, however, issues surrounding consistency of measurement cloud comparisons across studies, with the developmental performance of Australian-English speaking children also currently lacking. This study tracked verbal fluency development as measured by two semantic fluency tasks that included coding of fluency, clustering and switching type responses.

Classification of normal screening mammograms is strongly influenced by perceived mammographic breast density.

Introduction: To investigate how breast screen readers classify normal screening cases using descriptors of normal mammographic features and to assess test cases for suitability for a single reading strategy.

Methods: Fifteen breast screen readers interpreted a test set of 29 normal screening cases and classified them by firstly rating their perceived difficulty to reach a 'normal' decision, secondly identifying the cases' salient normal mammographic features and thirdly assessing the cases' suitability for a single reading strategy.

Results: The relationship between the perceived difficulty in making 'normal' decisions and the normal mammographic features was investigated.

A Brief Version of the Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering Scales: The UTBAS-6.

Purpose: A significant proportion of adults who stutter experience anxiety in social and speaking situations. The Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering (UTBAS) scales provide a comprehensive measure of the unhelpful cognitions associated with social anxiety in stuttering. However, reducing the number of UTBAS items would make it ideal as a brief screening instrument.

The Monosyllable Imitation Test for Toddlers: influence of stimulus characteristics on imitation, compliance and diagnostic accuracy.

Background: Although verbal imitation can provide a valuable window into the developing language abilities of toddlers, some toddlers find verbal imitation challenging and will not comply with tests that involve elicited verbal imitation. The characteristics of stimuli that are offered to toddlers for imitation may influence how easy or hard it is for them to imitate. This study presents a new test of elicited imitation-the Monosyllable Imitation Test for Toddlers (MITT)-comprising stimuli of varying characteristics and test features designed to optimize compliance.

Certain performance values arising from mammographic test set readings correlate well with clinical audit.

Introduction: Test sets have been increasingly utilised to augment clinical audit in breast screening programmes; however, their relationship has never been satisfactorily understood. This study examined the relationship between mammographic test set performance and clinical audit data.

Methods: Clinical audit data over a 2-year period was generated for each of 20 radiologists.

Quantitative measurement of vocal fold vibration in male radio performers and healthy controls using high-speed videoendoscopy.

Purpose: Acoustic and perceptual studies show a number of differences between the voices of radio performers and controls. Despite this, the vocal fold kinematics underlying these differences are largely unknown. Using high-speed videoendoscopy, this study sought to determine whether the vocal vibration features of radio performers differed from those of non-performing controls.

Screening mammography: test set data can reasonably describe actual clinical reporting.

Purpose: To establish the extent to which test set reading can represent actual clinical reporting in screening mammography.

Materials And Methods: Institutional ethics approval was granted, and informed consent was obtained from each participating screen reader. The need for informed consent with respect to the use of patient materials was waived.

Evaluating communication training for paid carers of people with traumatic brain injury.

Primary Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a communication training programme for paid carers to improve their conversational interactions with people with TBI.

Research Design: Single blinded randomized controlled study.

Methods And Procedures: Ten paid carers were randomly selected from a post-acute residential rehabilitation programme and allocated to either a training or control group.

Positive Emotions Associated with "Counter-Strike" Game Playing.

Objective: Digital game playing engages people for long periods of time. The pleasure offered by digital games may explain the players' consumption of this activity. Games may elicit both positive and negative emotions, which can be measured by encephalography (EEG).