scholarly journals Comparing Traditional and Tablet-Based Intervention for Children With Speech Sound Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 4045-4061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis M. T. Jesus ◽  
Joana Martinez ◽  
Joaquim Santos ◽  
Andreia Hall ◽  
Victoria Joffe

Purpose This article reports on the effectiveness of a novel tablet-based approach to phonological intervention and compares it to a traditional tabletop approach, targeting children with phonologically based speech sound disorders (SSD). Method Twenty-two Portuguese children with phonologically based SSD were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 interventions, tabletop or tablet (11 children in each group), and received intervention based on the same activities, with the only difference being the delivery. All children were treated by the same speech-language pathologist over 2 blocks of 6 weekly sessions, for 12 sessions of intervention. Participants were assessed at 3 time points: baseline; pre-intervention, after a 3-month waiting period; and post-intervention. Outcome measures included percentage of consonants correct, percentage of vowels correct, and percentage of phonemes correct. A generalization of target sounds was also explored. Results Both tabletop and tablet-based interventions were effective in improving percentage of consonants correct and percentage of phonemes correct scores, with an intervention effect only evident for percentage of vowels correct in the tablet group. Change scores across both interventions were significantly greater after the intervention, compared to baseline, indicating that the change was due to the intervention. High levels of generalization (60% and above for the majority of participants) were obtained across both tabletop and tablet groups. Conclusions The software proved to be as effective as a traditional tabletop approach in treating children with phonologically based SSD. These findings provide new evidence regarding the use of digital materials in improving speech in children with SSD. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.9989816

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1190
Author(s):  
Denise I. Siemons-Lühring ◽  
Harald A. Euler ◽  
Philipp Mathmann ◽  
Boris Suchan ◽  
Katrin Neumann

Background: The treatment of functional speech sound disorders (SSDs) in children is often lengthy, ill-defined, and without satisfactory evidence of success; effectiveness studies on SSDs are rare. This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of the integrated SSD treatment program PhonoSens, which focuses on integrating phonological and phonetic processing according to the Integrated Psycholinguistic Model of Speech Processing (IPMSP). Methods: Thirty-two German-speaking children aged from 3.5 to 5.5 years (median 4.6) with functional SSD were randomly assigned to a treatment or a wait-list control group with 16 children each. All children in the treatment group and, after an average waiting period of 6 months, 12 children in the control group underwent PhonoSens treatment. Results: The treatment group showed more percent correct consonants (PCC) and a greater reduction in phonological processes after 15 therapy sessions than the wait-list control group, both with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.89 and 1.04). All 28 children treated achieved normal phonological abilities: 21 before entering school and 7 during first grade. The average number of treatment sessions was 28; the average treatment duration was 11.5 months. Conclusion: IPMSP-aligned therapy is effective in the treatment of SSD and is well adaptable for languages other than German.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexsandra da Silva Bandeira ◽  
Michael W. Beets ◽  
Pablo Magno da Silveira ◽  
Marcus Vinicius Veber Lopes ◽  
Valter Cordeiro Barbosa Filho ◽  
...  

Schools have been the main context for physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) interventions among adolescents, but there is inconsistent evidence on whether they also improve dimensions of the health−related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a school-based active lifestyle intervention on dimensions of HRQoL. A secondary aim was to verify whether sex, age, and HRQoL at baseline were moderators of the intervention effect. A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted at three control and three intervention schools in Florianopolis, Brazil. All students from 7th to 9th grade were invited to participate. A school year intervention, designed primarily to increase PA and reduce SB, included strategies focused on (i) teacher training on PA, SB, and nutrition, and availability of teaching materials related to these contents; (ii) environmental improvements (i.e., creation and revitalization of spaces for the practice of PA in school); and (iii) education strategies, with the availability of folders and posters regarding PA, SB, and nutrition. Participants and the research staffs were not blinded to group assignment, but a standardized evaluation protocol was applied at baseline and after the intervention (March and November 2017) using the KIDSCREEN−27 to assess HRQoL across five dimensions. Mixed linear models were performed to evaluate the effect of the Movimente intervention on the five HRQoL dimensions. Of the 921 students who answered the questionnaire at baseline, 300 and 434 completed the study in control and intervention groups, respectively (dropouts: 20%). The results revealed no significant effects of the intervention on any HRQoL dimensions. A reduction of the school environment dimension was observed in both the control (-2.44; 95% CI: -3.41 to -1.48) and intervention groups (-2.09; 95% CI: -2.89 to -1.30). Sensitivity analyses showed that students in the highest baseline tertiles of HRQoL in any dimension had a reduction in their respective scores from pre- to post-intervention in both school groups. In conclusion, our results demonstrated no intervention effect on HRQoL dimensions and those students with the highest levels of HRQoL at baseline on all dimensions reduced from pre to post-intervention.Clinical Trial RegistrationThe trial is registered at the Clinical Trial Registry (Trial ID: NCT02944318; date of registration: October 18, 2016).


2021 ◽  
pp. 154596832110231
Author(s):  
Kishoree Sangarapillai ◽  
Benjamin M. Norman ◽  
Quincy J. Almeida

Background. Exercise is increasingly becoming recognized as an important adjunct to medications in the clinical management of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Boxing and sensory exercise have shown immediate benefits, but whether they continue beyond program completion is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of boxing and sensory training on motor symptoms of PD, and whether these benefits remain upon completion of the intervention. Methods. In this 20-week double-blinded randomized controlled trial, 40 participants with idiopathic PD were randomized into 2 treatment groups, (n = 20) boxing or (n = 20) sensory exercise. Participants completed 10 weeks of intervention. Motor symptoms were assessed at (week 0, 10, and 20) using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III). Data were analyzed using SPSS, and repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted. Results. A significant interaction effect between groups and time were observed F(1, 39) = 4.566, P = .036, where the sensory group improved in comparison to the boxing group. Post hoc analysis revealed that in comparison to boxing, the effects of exercise did not wear off at washout (week 20) P < .006. Conclusion. Future rehabilitation research should incorporate similar measures to explore whether effects of exercise wear off post intervention.


Author(s):  
Guillermo García Pérez de Sevilla ◽  
Olga Barceló Guido ◽  
María de la Paz De la Cruz ◽  
Ascensión Blanco Fernández ◽  
Lidia B. Alejo ◽  
...  

Healthy lifestyles should be encouraged in the workplace through the occupational health teams of the companies. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the adherence to a lifestyle intervention carried out in university employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on health-related quality of life (HrQoL). A randomized controlled trial following the CONSORT guidelines was performed, consisting of three supervised interventions lasting for 18 weeks: an educational intervention on healthy habits, a nutritional intervention, and a telematic aerobic and strength exercise intervention. Lifestyle and HrQoL were analyzed six months post-intervention to assess adherence. Twenty-three middle-aged participants completed the study. The intervention group significantly improved their lifestyle according to the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II questionnaire, especially in the categories of Health Responsibility, Physical Activity, and Nutrition, with a large effect size. Sitting time was reduced by 2.5 h per day, with a moderate effect size. Regarding HrQoL, the intervention group showed a clinically significant improvement in the Physical Component Summary. Despite the lockdown and the mobility restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this intervention performed on university employees achieved adherence to a healthier lifestyle and improved their HrQoL, which is of great clinical relevance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 1581-1594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Li ◽  
Li-Jung Liang ◽  
Chunqing Lin ◽  
Chiao-Wen Lan ◽  
Guoping Ji ◽  
...  

This study assessed the effects of a multilevel intervention on HIV-affected children’s negative behaviors. A total of 536 children aged 6–18 years from 475 HIV-affected families in Anhui, China, participated in the randomized controlled trial. A significant overall intervention effect on reducing negative behaviors was observed at 18-month follow-up, and the effect remained at 24-month follow-up. The intervention showed greater effects for children aged 13–18 years than those aged 6–12 years. Study findings suggest that a multilevel intervention approach could be beneficial for reducing negative behavior in HIV-affected children. Age-specific programs should be considered to maximize the intervention effects.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 756-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avery J Evans ◽  
Kevin E Kip ◽  
Waleed Brinjikji ◽  
Kennith F Layton ◽  
Mary L Jensen ◽  
...  

BackgroundWe present the results of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of vertebroplasty versus kyphoplasty in treating vertebral body compression fractures.MethodsPatients with vertebral body compression fractures were randomly assigned to treatment with kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty. Primary endpoints were pain (0–10 scale) and disability assessed using the Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). Outcomes were assessed at 3 days, 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year following the procedure.Results115 subjects were enrolled in the trial with 59 (51.3%) randomly assigned to kyphoplasty and 56 (48.7%) assigned to vertebroplasty. Mean (SD) pain scores at baseline, 3 days, 30 days, and 1 year for kyphoplasty versus vertebroplasty were 7.4 (1.9) vs 7.9 (2.0), 4.1 (2.8) vs 3.7 (3.0), 3.4 (2.5) vs 3.6 (2.9), and 3.0 (2.8) vs 2.3 (2.6), respectively (p>0.05 at all time points). Mean (SD) RMDQ scores at baseline, 3 days, 30 days, 180 days, and 1 year were 17.3 (6.6) vs 16.3 (7.4), 11.8 (7.9) vs 10.9 (8.2), 8.6 (7.2) vs 8.8 (8.5), 7.9 (7.4) vs 7.3 (7.7), 7.5 (7.2) vs 6.7 (8.0), respectively (p>0.05 at all time points). For baseline to 12-month assessment in average pain and RMDQ scores, the standardized effect size between kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty was small at −0.36 (95% CI −1.02 to 0.31) and −0.04 (95% CI −1.68 to 1.60), respectively.ConclusionsOur study indicates that vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty appear to be equally effective in substantially reducing pain and disability in patients with vertebral body compression fractures.Trial registration numberNCT00279877.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleftheria Geronikou ◽  
Maggie Vance ◽  
Bill Wells ◽  
Jenny Thomson

Intervention with children with speech and language difficulties has been proven beneficial compared with no treatment yet, knowing what type of intervention to provide remains a challenge. Studies of English-speaking children indicate that intervention targeting the production of morphological targets may have a positive effect on phonological aspects and vice versa. However, studies have not reported on generalization effects to untreated morphemes and little is yet known about morphological intervention in the context of a highly inflected language. The purpose of the current intervention case study was to investigate the effect of intervention in relation to phonological and morphological targets in Greek, a language characterized by complex inflectional morphology. A single subject research design was used with pre- and post-intervention assessment carried out. The participant was a four-year-old Greek-speaking boy with speech difficulties. The production of /s/, a phoneme used in multiple phonological and morphological contexts was targeted with alternating focus of intervention between phonological and morphological targets. Assessment took place at two levels: macro-assessment to monitor broad changes in speech; micro-assessment to measure therapy-specific changes in the production of treated targets and generalization to untreated targets and control items. There were four phases of intervention with a total of 24 hours of therapy. Significant improvement in performance accuracy was found between assessment scores immediately pre- and post-intervention. Intervention targeting the production of a phoneme in the word stem was not sufficient to accomplish the accurate production of morphemes requiring the same phoneme; intervention directly targeting morphemes was successful. Within-domain generalization was observed in both domains. Improved naming accuracy was observed post-intervention that was maintained at follow-up. The present study supports the case for morphophonological intervention. Morphological elements should be addressed in a comprehensive intervention for speech sound disorders.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remi Yoshikata ◽  
Khin Zay Yar Myint ◽  
Hiroaki Ohta ◽  
Yoko Ishigaki

Abstract Introduction: Equol, an isoflavone derivative whose chemical structure is similar to estrogen, is considered as a potentially effective agent for relieving climacteric symptoms, for the prevention of the lifestyle-related diseases, and for aging care in post-menopausal women. We investigated the effect of an equol-containing supplement on metabolism and aging, and climacteric symptoms, with respect to internally-produced equol in post-menopausal women.Methods: A single center, randomized controlled trial (registration number: UMIN000030975) on 57 post-menopausal Japanese women (mean age: 56±5.37 years), was conducted. Twenty-seven women received the equol supplement, while the remaining received Control. Metabolic and aging-related biomarkers were compared before and after the 3-month intervention. Climacteric symptoms were assessed every month using a validated self-administered questionnaire in Japanese post-menopausal women. Results: Three months post intervention, the treatment group showed significant improvement in climacteric symptoms, when compared to the Control group (81% vs. 53% respectively, p=0.045). We did not observe any beneficial effect on metabolic and aging-related biomarkers in the intervention group. However, in certain populations significant improvement in skin auto-fluorescence, which is a measurement of AGE skin products, and visceral fat area was observed, especially among equol producers. Conclusion: Women receiving equol supplement showed improved climacteric symptoms. This study offered a new hypothesis that there may be a synergy between supplemented equol and endogenously-produced equol to improve skin aging and visceral fat in certain populations.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuying Li ◽  
Hui Li ◽  
Juan Ni ◽  
Yushan Ma

Abstract Background: Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) frequently occurs during recovery in patients who undergo intra-operative urinary catheterization distress. We conducted this study to compare the effect of intravenous lidocaine and dexmedetomidine infusion for preventing CRBD. Methods: 120 patients undergoing elective open abdominal hysterectomy and hysteromyoma requiring urinary bladder catheterization were randomly allocated into three groups of 40 each. Group L received a 2 mg/kg lidocaine bolus followed by infusion of 1.5 mg/kg/h; Group D received a 0.5 mg/kg dexmedetomidine bolus followed by infusion of 0.4 mg/kg/h; Group C received a bolus and infusion of normal saline of equivalent volume. The incidence and different severity (mild, moderate, and severe) of CRBD were assessed on arrival in the postanaesthesia care unit at 0, 1, 2, and 6 h postoperatively. Results: The incidence of CRBD was significantly lower in Group L and Group D compared with Group C at 0, 1, and 2 h. However, there was no significant difference among the three groups regarding the different severity of CRBD at all time points. The requirement of rescue tramadol for CRBD was lower in group L and group D than in group C. The incidence of sedation was significantly higher in Group D compared to Group L and Group C, though no difference in other adverse effects was observed. Conclusions: Intravenous lidocaine and dexmedetomidine infusion reduced the incidence of CRBD as well as the additional tramadol requirement for CRBD, but had no effect on the different severity of CRBD.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document