Assessment of Speech Quality during Speech Rehabilitation Based on the Solution of the Classification Problem

The article considers an approach to the problem of assessing the quality of speech during speech rehabilitation as a classification problem. For this, a classifier is built on the basis of an LSTM neural network for dividing speech signals into two classes: before the operation and immediately after. At the same time, speech before the operation is the standard to which it is necessary to approach in the process of rehabilitation. The metric of belonging of the evaluated signal to the reference class acts as an assessment of speech. An experimental assessment of rehabilitation sessions and a comparison of the resulting assessments with expert assessments of phrasal intelligibility were carried out.

Application Effect of Unilateral Cochlear Implantation Combined with Contralateral Hearing Aids on the Hearing and Speech Rehabilitation in Prelingual Deafness Children

Objective. The purpose of the study was to investigate the application effect of unilateral cochlear implantation combined with contralateral hearing aids on the hearing and speech rehabilitation in prelingual deafness children. Methods. In this study, a total of 78 children with severe or extremely severe sensorineural prelingual deafness admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to December 2017 were selected and divided into control group (n=39) and experimental group (n=39), according to the random number table. Among them, the children patients in the control group received dominant training after unilateral cochlear implantation, while the children patients in the experimental group received cochlear implantation combined with contralateral hearing aids; after that, the hearing and speech rehabilitation outcomes of the prelingual deafness children in both groups were compared and analyzed. Results. There were no statistically significant differences in the auditory thresholds of the children patients undergoing cochlear implantation between the two groups, while the auditory thresholds of contralateral ears of the children patients in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The recognition rates of the initials, finals, tones and disyllables of the children patients in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the CPA and SIR scores of the children patients in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Unilateral cochlear implantation combined with contralateral hearing aids can promote the hearing and speech rehabilitation in prelingual deafness children, with better clinical effect than the single unilateral cochlear implantation, and cochlear implantation have no interference in the work of contralateral hearing aids; therefore, this joint treatment method is worthy of wide application and promotion.

The effects of continuous oromotor activity on speech motor learning: speech biomechanics and neurophysiologic correlates

Sustained limb motor activity has been used as a therapeutic tool for improving rehabilitation outcomes and is thought to be mediated by neuroplastic changes associated with activity-induced cortical excitability. Although prior research has reported enhancing effects of continuous chewing and swallowing activity on learning, the potential beneficial effects of sustained oromotor activity on speech improvements is not well-documented. This exploratory study was designed to examine the effects of continuous oromotor activity on subsequent speech learning. Twenty neurologically healthy young adults engaged in periods of continuous chewing and speech after which they completed a novel speech motor learning task. The motor learning task was designed to elicit improvements in accuracy and efficiency of speech performance across repetitions of eight-syllable nonwords. In addition, transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure the cortical silent period (cSP) of the lip motor cortex before and after the periods of continuous oromotor behaviors. All repetitions of the nonword task were recorded acoustically and kinematically using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Productions were analyzed for accuracy and duration, as well as lip movement distance and speed. A control condition estimated baseline improvement rates in speech performance. Results revealed improved speech performance following 10 min of chewing. In contrast, speech performance following 10 min of continuous speech was degraded. There was no change in the cSP as a result of either oromotor activity. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed in the context of speech rehabilitation and neuromodulation.

Factors Affecting the Efficacy of Aphasia Rehabilitation

This paper aims to test the influence of premorbid verbal intelligence on the nature of aphasia and spontaneous speech recovery and to study the role of a micro-social environment on the effectiveness of speech rehabilitation. The quantitative and qualitative methods of analyses as well as special parameters to determine characteristics of the communicative-speech environment and the degree of its influence on the process of speech recovery were selected. A total of 65 patients with aphasia have been selected to study the effect of multilingualism on the efficacy of speech therapy. Family members of 150 patients with aphasia were interviewed to find out the micro-social environment effects on the process of aphasia rehabilitation and to inquire about a correlation between the degrees of involvement of the patient's environment in the process of speech therapy. The factor of multilingualism and factor of the communicative-speech environment are interrelated with each other and the choice and appropriate use of language by the patients with aphasia need to be controlled from the outside.

Electro-Acupuncture on Aphasia after Stroke: A Systemic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objectives: This study investigates the effect of electro-acupuncture on aphasia after stroke.Methods: A search of OASIS, NDSL, PubMed, Cochrane, and CNKI was executed between 4 January 2021 and 4 February 2021, with no limitation on publication year. Extraction and selection from the studies were made by 3 authors. The quality of the studies was evaluated using Cochrane’s risk of bias (RoB) tool.Results: 10 studies met the selection criteria. As the treatment site for electro-acupuncture, GV20 (Baihui) was used the most. In all studies, the region located on the head was used for treatment without distinguishing between acupoints and areas of scalp acupuncture, and the stimulation was organized into 3 conditions: speed, intensity, and time. The outcome indicators used before and after treatment focused on the evaluation of language function and the degree of aphasia. The results showed that using electro-acupuncture with speech rehabilitation therapy for aphasia after stroke was more effective than using speech rehabilitation therapy alone.Conclusions: In this review, electro-acupuncture for aphasia after stroke was found to have a significant effect compared to the previous treatment alone. However, because of limitations, information was not reliable enough. Additional research is needed to produce more objective evidence.

Abstract P34: Comparing the Burden of Telehealth versus In-Person Speech Rehabilitation Therapy - Perspectives From Patients and Care Partners

Introduction: While speech rehabilitation therapy (SRT) for stroke survivors with residual speech and cognitive impairment is standard of care, SRT delivered in person in the clinic imposes several burdens on stroke survivors and their care partners. This is especially true with more frequent, higher intensity SRT. SRT delivered via telehealth has the potential to mitigate such travel-related financial, physical stress and psychological stress burdens. Hypothesis: The High-Intensity Tele-speech Therapy for Stroke (HITTS) pilot program will reduce burden for the stroke survivor:care partner dyad compared with in-person visits. Methods: We adapted evidence-based aphasia therapies implemented into a telehealth delivery model for four stroke survivor:care partner dyads over a six-week period. Following an initial face-to-face evaluation, skilled SRT was delivered via telehealth for five hours per week. The projected cost of travel between their home and VA medical center (VAMC) was obtained via VA Managerial Accounting System. Appointment preparation and travel time was calculated based on a combination of dyad report and GoogleMaps. All completed a survey at the end of HITTS regarding potential value of HITTS, perceived burden, and open text fields. Results: HITTS saved dyads (mean ± SD) both money ($370.96 ± 63.26) and time (16.47 ± 3.55 hours) over the six-week period. Increased burden was commonly reported for in-person appointments but not for telehealth appointments. Patients more commonly reported physical burden of attending in-person appointments whereas care partners more commonly reported psychological burden (Table). Conclusions: Dyad burden was not associated with a high intensity STR program, likely attributable to the reduction in resources required to attend in-person visits. HITTS is a promising healthcare delivery model which can also promote social distancing and reduce COVID exposure for high-risk stroke patients and their care partners.