Use of a Monosyllabic Adaptive Speech Test (MAST) with Young Children

1986 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerrie Mackie ◽  
Phillip Dermody
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Frequency Effect ◽  
Word Frequency Effect ◽  
Closed Set ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Speech Test ◽  
Threshold Procedure ◽  
Monosyllabic Words ◽  
Conductive Hearing

Sixty children aged 3, 5, and 7 years were tested using a simple up-down adaptive speech threshold procedure. The test stimuli were familiar monosyllabic words presented as a closed set with a picture-pointing response. The results indicate that monosyllabic adaptive speech test (MAST) procedures can be used reliably with children as young as 3 years of age. Thirty of the children also received a different randomization of the same speech stimuli presented at a constant level, equal to their MAST threshold. The results confirmed the accuracy of the MAST estimate of the children's 50% speech threshold. Further support for the validity of the MAST threshold procedure with young children was obtained using a group of 10 children with conductive hearing loss. Their results show a significant correlation between the MAST threshold and pure-tone loss. The data also indicated significant improvement in MAST thresholds over the three age groups investigated. These developmental changes are discussed in terms of a word frequency effect.

Simulated Conductive Hearing Loss in Children

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (04) ◽  
pp. 300-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terrey Oliver Penn ◽  
D. Wesley Grantham ◽  
Judith S. Gravel
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Conductive Hearing Loss ◽  
Otitis Media With Effusion ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Recognition Ability ◽  
Monosyllabic Words ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Conductive Hearing ◽  
Nonsense Syllables

Otitis media with effusion (OME) often results in hearing loss for children with the condition. In order to provide appropriate and effective audiologic management, it is important to understand the impact of OME on speech recognition ability when hearing loss is present. This study examined the speech recognition abilities of normal-hearing six- and seven-year-old children (n = 12) and adults (n = 12) using monosyllabic words and nonsense syllables presented at two levels of simulated conductive hearing loss characteristic of OME. Average speech recognition scores decreased as the degree of simulated conductive hearing loss increased. Both age groups scored significantly poorer for nonsense syllables than for monosyllabic words. In general, the children performed more poorly than the adults with the exception of the easiest listening condition for word stimuli. Furthermore, children appeared less able than adults to use their knowledge of familiar words to improve performance. These findings suggest that rehabilitative strategies may best be focused on combining familiarization techniques and amplification options.

Bandwidth Effects on Children's Perception of the Inflectional Morpheme /s/

2000 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinier W. L. Kortekaas ◽  
Patricia G. Stelmachowicz
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Spectral Composition ◽  
Impaired Hearing ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Developmental Effects ◽  
Systematic Effects

The goal of this study was to examine developmental effects in auditory perception of word-final /s/ in inflectional morpheme contexts as a function of high-frequency (HF) bandwidth. Such developmental effects may support the use of hearing aids with extended bandwidths in young children with impaired hearing. The first part of the study consisted of acoustical measurements on word-initial /s/ and inflectional morpheme /s/ in sentences recorded from a male speaker. For this speaker, recordings of inflectional morpheme /s/ on average were approximately 50 ms shorter and about 5 dB lower in level than word-initial /s/ sounds. They also had a lower spectral center of gravity, but not a higher coefficient of kurtosis. The second part consisted of measurements of psychometric functions relating detection of the inflectional morpheme /s/ sounds to HF bandwidth in normally hearing 5-, 7-, and 10-year-old children and adults. In speech-shaped noise, significant main effects of age were found for detection as a function of bandwidth for both the 30- and 10-dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) condition, although there was no interaction between age and SNR condition. The third part consisted of subjective clarity rating as a function of HF bandwidth for the same speech stimuli used in the second part. No differences were found between age groups in the shape of the clarity rating functions, but differences were found in the rating variance. No systematic effects of the spectral composition of inflectional morpheme /s/ sounds on either detection or clarity rating were found. The higher detection thresholds and larger clarity rating variances for the youngest participants support the use of extended high-frequency bandwidths for young children with impaired hearing. The extent to which the potential benefit of extended bandwidths is affected by hearing impairment in this population, however, deserves further investigation.

scholarly journals Development of a modified open set sentence test for assessment of speech perception skills in Hindi preschool children

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-164
Author(s):  
Aparna Nandurkar ◽  
Yaashna Rajani
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Indian Languages ◽  
Practice List ◽  
Closed Set ◽  
Open Set ◽  
Significant Difference

Introduction: Clinical assessment of speech perception skills is very important for several reasons. However, it is routinely assessed in older children and adults but not in very young children mainly due to lack of appropriate tools, especially in Indian languages. Considering the limitations of closed-set and open-set tests for young children modified open set test would be appropriate. Aim: To develop a modified open set sentence test in Hindi based on the Mr. Potato Head Test framework using appropriate toy and sentence material and employ the developed test to assess children with normal hearing in the age range of 18 to 48 months. Method: Two sentence lists with ten sentences each and one practice list with five sentences were developed. The test was recorded in a professional studio by a sound engineer and sentences were calibrated using the Bruel & Kjaer-Type-2250 sound level meter (SLM) so that the test could be administered via speakers using a laptop. The test was administered in a quiet room, directly through a laptop connected to speakers on 200 Hindi speaking children with normal motor and speech developmental milestones and bilateral pass result on OAE screening. Results and discussion: There was a significant difference in the scores between the 5 age groups of children with normal hearing. There was an increase in scores as age increased, thus indicating improved performance with increasing age. There was also no significant difference in the performance on List 1 and List 2 for all age groups indicating that the two lists were equivalent. Item reliability was also observed to be high. Conclusion: The developed Modified Open Set Sentence Test can be successfully used to assess speech perception skills in young children with normal hearing. This test has a potential to be a useful clinical tool when used as a part of a test battery and also play a role in monitoring the progress of an intervention program.

Blocking Is Sensitive to Causal Structure in 4-Year-Old and 8-Year-Old Children

2005 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 264-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Beckers ◽  
Uschi Van den Broeck ◽  
Marij Renne ◽  
Stefaan Vandorpe ◽  
Jan De Houwer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Causal Structure ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Contingency Learning

Abstract. In a contingency learning task, 4-year-old and 8-year-old children had to predict the outcome displayed on the back of a card on the basis of cues presented on the front. The task was embedded in either a causal or a merely predictive scenario. Within this task, either a forward blocking or a backward blocking procedure was implemented. Blocking occurred in the causal but not in the predictive scenario. Moreover, blocking was affected by the scenario to the same extent in both age groups. The pattern of results was similar for forward and backward blocking. These results suggest that even young children are sensitive to the causal structure of a contingency learning task and that the occurrence of blocking in such a task defies an explanation in terms of associative learning theory.

Review of the Micronutrient Situation in Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-154
Author(s):  
Joanne E. Arsenault ◽  
Deanna K. Olney
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Micronutrient Malnutrition ◽  
Context Specific

Background: Rwanda’s commitment to reducing malnutrition is evident in their multisectoral nutrition policy and wide array of nutrition partners. However, the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies and the suitability of current strategies to address existing deficiencies is unclear. Objective: To review the available evidence related to the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies across the life cycle and strategies in place to address them. Methods: We reviewed scientific and grey literature on nutritional problems in Rwanda, emphasizing micronutrient deficiencies and anemia, and current strategies to address micronutrient malnutrition. Results: Overall, there is scant evidence related to the types and prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies among populations across the life cycle in Rwanda. Existing evidence is primarily limited to outdated or small regional surveys focusing on iron or vitamin A among women and young children. Surveys have assessed the prevalence of anemia and indicate that anemia is very high among young children and moderately high among other age-groups. However, there are limited data on the context-specific causes of anemia in Rwanda across population groups. Current nutrition strategies mainly target women and young children and are primarily designed to reduce vitamin A deficiency and/or anemia caused by micronutrient deficiencies. Conclusions: Rwanda has many nutrition programs in place that address micronutrient deficiencies in young children and a few for women of reproductive age. However, gaps exist in knowledge of the extent of different types of micronutrient deficiencies among all populations across the life cycle and whether the delivery of nutrients through current programs is meeting actual needs.

scholarly journals 1465. Age-Dependent Interactions Among Clinical Characteristics, Viral Loads and Disease Severity in Young Children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) Infection

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S734-S735
Author(s):  
Helena Brenes-Chacon ◽  
Cristina Garcia-Maurino ◽  
Melissa Moore-Clingenpeel ◽  
Sara Mertz ◽  
Fang Ye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Panel Member ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Research Support ◽  
Review Panel ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Rsv Infection

Abstract Background Differences in clinical presentation and viral loads according to age in young children with RSV, and their correlation with disease severity are poorly defined. The aim of this study was to define age-dependent the differences in demographic, clinical factors and viral loads between children < 2 years of age with mild RSV infection evaluated as outpatients versus those hospitalized with severe RSV infection. Figure 1. Sign and Symptoms according to disease severity and age in infants with RSV infection. Most relevant signs and symptoms were stratified in outpatients (orange) vs inpatients (blue) by age in (A) < 3 months, (B) between 3 and 6 months, and (C) > 6 to 24 months of age. The Y axis represents the signs and symptoms in the two disease severity groups and the X axis the frequency of that specific symptom (%). Numbers next to bars represent the exact number of patients with that specific sign/symptom. Comparisons by Fisher exact test. Symbol (*) indicate significant 2-sided p values Figure 2. Viral load differences according to age in infants with RSV infection. The Y axis represents RSV loads in log10 copies/mL and the X axis differences in viral loads in outpatients (orange) and inpatients (blue) in the three age groups. Comparisons by Mann Whitney test. Methods Previously healthy children < 2 years old with mild (outpatients) and severe (inpatients) RSV infection were enrolled and nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained for RSV typing and quantitation by real-time PCR. Patients were stratified by age (0-< 3, 3-6, and >6-24 months) and multivariable analyses were performed to identify clinical and viral factors associated with severe disease. Results From 2014-2018 we enrolled 534 children with RSV infection: 130 outpatients and 404 inpatients. Median duration of illness was 4 days for both groups, yet viral loads were higher in outpatients than inpatient in the three age groups (Fig 1). Wheezing was more frequent in outpatients of older age (>3 months) than in inpatients (p< 0.01), while fever was more common in inpatients that outpatients (p< 0.01) and increased with age (Fig 2). Adjusted analyses confirmed that increased work of breathing and fever were consistently associated with hospitalization irrespective of age, while wheezing in infants >3 months, and higher RSV loads in children >6-24 months were independently associated with reduced disease severity. Conclusion Age had a significant impact defining the interactions among viral loads, specific clinical manifestations and disease severity in children with RSV infection. These observations highlight the importance of patient stratification when evaluating interventions against RSV. Disclosures Octavio Ramilo, MD, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Grant/Research Support)Janssen (Grant/Research Support, Advisor or Review Panel member)Medimmune (Grant/Research Support)Merck (Advisor or Review Panel member)NIH/NIAID (Grant/Research Support)Pfizer (Consultant, Advisor or Review Panel member)Sanofi/Medimmune (Consultant, Advisor or Review Panel member) Asuncion Mejias, MD, PhD, MsCS, Janssen (Grant/Research Support, Advisor or Review Panel member)Merck (Advisor or Review Panel member)Roche (Advisor or Review Panel member)

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