Connected Language Performance in Neurotypical and Persons with Aphasia: Use of the Brazilian-Portuguese Story Retell Procedure.

Introduction: It is important to analyze the micro- and macrostructure of connected language production across languages in neurotypical and impaired speakers such as people with aphasia (PWA). However, the validity, reliability, sensitivity, or specificity of the available Brazilian-Portuguese connected language production batteries remains untested.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary assessment of the translated Brazilian-Portuguese Story Retell Procedure (SRP-BP) in PWA and neurotypical control participants (NCPs) and investigate whether the SRP can serve as a measure of overall communication impairment in PWA.

Precise stimulation location optimizes speech outcomes in essential tremor.

Background: Deep brain stimulation for essential arm tremor is often complicated by dysarthria and persistent voice tremor.

Objective: To determine the relationship of stimulation location to speech outcomes following bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for essential tremor (ET).

Methods: Eighteen patients undergoing bilateral DBS for ET were prospectively studied.

The effect of speaking rate on serial-order sound-level errors in normal healthy controls and persons with aphasia.

Background: Although many speech errors can be generated at either a linguistic or motoric level of production, phonetically well-formed sound-level serial-order errors are generally assumed to result from disruption of phonologic encoding (PE) processes. An influential model of PE (Dell, 1986; Dell, Burger & Svec, 1997) predicts that speaking rate should affect the relative proportion of these serial-order sound errors (anticipations, perseverations, exchanges). These predictions have been extended to, and have special relevance for persons with aphasia (PWA) because of the increased frequency with which speech errors occur and because their localization within the functional linguistic architecture may help in diagnosis and treatment.

Reliability and validity of the computerized Revised Token Test: comparison of reading and listening versions in persons with and without aphasia.

Purpose: This study assessed the reliability and validity of intermodality associations and differences in persons with aphasia (PWA) and healthy controls (HC) on a computerized listening and 3 reading versions of the Revised Token Test (RTT; McNeil & Prescott, 1978).

Method: Thirty PWA and 30 HC completed the test versions, including a complete replication. Reading versions varied according to stimulus presentation method: (a) full-sentence presentation, (b) self-paced word-by-word full-sentence construction, and (c) self-paced word-by-word presentation with each word removed with the onset of the next word.

Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 positron emission tomography in progressive apraxia of speech and primary progressive aphasia variants.

Objectives: To determine patterns of hypometabolism on fluorodeoxyglucose F18 positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in patients with progressive apraxia of speech (PAS) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA) variants and to use these patterns to further refine current classification.

Design: We identified all patients who had FDG-PET and PAS or PPA who were evaluated by an expert speech-language pathologist. Patterns of hypometabolism were independently classified by 2 raters blinded to clinical data.

Auditory performance characteristics of the Computerized Revised Token Test (CRTT).

Purpose: To assess the Computerized Revised Token Test (CRTT) performance of individuals with normal hearing under several intensity conditions and under several spectral and temporal perturbation conditions.

Method: Sixty normal-hearing listeners were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. Group 1 provided performance-intensity information about CRTT performance using uncompressed acoustic stimuli.