Cognitive Predictors of Perception and Adaption to Dysarthric Speech in Older Adults.

Purpose: In effortful listening conditions, speech perception and adaptation abilities are constrained by aging and often linked to age-related hearing loss and cognitive decline. Given that older adults are frequent communication partners of individuals with dysarthria, the current study examines cognitive-linguistic and hearing predictors of dysarthric speech perception and adaptation in older listeners.

Method: Fifty-eight older adult listeners (aged 55-80 years) completed a battery of hearing and cognitive tasks administered via the National Institutes of Health Toolbox.

Automated Scoring of the Speech Intelligibility Test Using Autoscore.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to develop and test extensions to Autoscore, an automated approach for scoring listener transcriptions against target stimuli, for scoring the Speech Intelligibility Test (SIT), a widely used test for quantifying intelligibility in individuals with dysarthria.

Method: Three main extensions to Autoscore were created including a compound rule, a contractions rule, and a numbers rule. We used two sets of previously collected listener SIT transcripts ( = 4,642) from databases of dysarthric speakers to evaluate the accuracy of the Autoscore SIT extensions.

Homeostatic microglia initially seed and activated microglia later reshape amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's Disease.

The role of microglia in the amyloid cascade of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is debated due to conflicting findings. Using a genetic and a pharmacological approach we demonstrate that depletion of microglia before amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque deposition, leads to a reduction in plaque numbers and neuritic dystrophy, confirming their role in plaque initiation. Transplanting human microglia restores Aβ plaque formation.

Increasing Motivation Increases Intelligibility Benefits of Perceptual Training in Dysarthria.

Purpose: Perceptual training offers a promising, listener-targeted option for improving intelligibility of dysarthric speech. Cognitive resources are required for learning, and theoretical models of listening effort and engagement account for a role of listener motivation in allocation of such resources. Here, we manipulate training instructions to enhance motivation to test the hypothesis that increased motivation increases the intelligibility benefits of perceptual training.

Conversational Speech Behaviors Are Context Dependent.

Purpose: According to the interpersonal synergy model of spoken dialogue, interlocutors modify their communicative behaviors to meet the contextual demands of a given conversation. Although a growing body of research supports this postulation for linguistic behaviors (e.g.