-
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B Jan 2020Patients suffering from drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy show substantial language deficits (i.e., anomia) during their seizures and in the postictal period...
Patients suffering from drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy show substantial language deficits (i.e., anomia) during their seizures and in the postictal period (postictal aphasia). Verbal impairments observed during the postictal period may be studied to help localizing the epileptogenic zone. These explorations have been essentially based on simple tasks focused on speech, thus disregarding the multimodal nature of verbal communication, particularly the fact that, when speakers want to communicate, they often produce gestures of various kinds. Here, we propose an innovative procedure for testing postictal language and communication abilities, including the assessment of co-speech gestures. We provide a preliminary description of the changes induced on communication during postictal aphasia. We studied 21 seizures that induced postictal aphasia from 12 patients with drug-refractory epilepsy, including left temporal and left frontal seizures. The experimental task required patients to memorize a highly detailed picture and, briefly after, to describe what they had seen, thus eliciting a communicative meaningful monologue. This allowed comparing verbal communication in postictal and interictal conditions within the same individuals. Co-speech gestures were coded according to two categories: "Rhythmic" gestures, thought to be produced in support of speech building, and "illustrative" gestures, thought to be produced to complement the speech content. When postictal and interictal conditions were compared, there was decreased speech flow along with an increase of rhythmic gesture production at the expense of illustrative gesture production. The communication patterns did not differ significantly after temporal and frontal seizures, yet they were illustrated separately, owing to the clinical importance of the distinction, along with considerations of interindividual variability. A contrast between rhythmic and illustrative gestures production is congruent with previous literature in which rhythmic gestures have been linked to lexical retrieval processes. If confirmed in further studies, such evidence for a facilitative role of co-speech gestures in language difficulties could be put to use in the context of multimodal language therapies.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aphasia; Drug Resistant Epilepsy; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; Female; Frontal Lobe; Gestures; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nonverbal Communication; Seizures; Speech; Temporal Lobe; Verbal Behavior; Young Adult
PubMed: 31759317
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.106646 -
Applied Neuropsychology. Adult 2022The purpose of the present study was to calculate the construct validity, internal consistency and normative data of the Phonological Verbal Fluency Test (letters F, A,...
The purpose of the present study was to calculate the construct validity, internal consistency and normative data of the Phonological Verbal Fluency Test (letters F, A, S, and M), Semantic Verbal Fluency Test (Animals, Fruits and Professions categories), and Boston Naming Test (short and standard version), and to generate normative data for these tests after adjusting for age, education, and sex. A sample of 293 European Portuguese adults participated in the study. Results showed adequate construct validity and internal consistency for all of the tests and the final multiple regression models found that age and education were significantly associated with P-VFT (letters F, A, S, and M), S-VFT (Animals, Fruits and Professions categories), and BNT performance. Sex was only found to have an effect on the fruit category, with women scoring higher than men. The normative data provided in this study will contribute to improving the clinical practice of neuropsychology in Portugal.
Topics: Animals; Female; Humans; Language; Language Tests; Neuropsychological Tests; Portugal; Semantics; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 33438451
DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2020.1868472 -
Experimental and Clinical... Apr 2022Verbal reports of drug effects are often used in behavioral pharmacology. Two reports related to reinforcement are drug use (Harford, 1978; Liu et al., 2018) frequency...
Verbal reports of drug effects are often used in behavioral pharmacology. Two reports related to reinforcement are drug use (Harford, 1978; Liu et al., 2018) frequency and drug preference. Anecdotally, some individuals may specify a favorite/preferred drug (e.g., psilocybin) despite using another drug more frequently (e.g., tobacco). Research comparing these two measures has led to contradictory findings and included ratings from participants who may not have experience with the rated drugs. No comparisons have been made between use frequency and preference across multiple drugs in polysubstance users. To compare use frequency and preference for drug classes, and examine relations across drug classes, individuals reporting polysubstance use ( = 428) provided frequency and preference ratings for nine drug classes. Mean ratings showed smoked tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis were the most frequently used and most preferred drugs. Mean ratings showed 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and classic hallucinogens were the least frequently used and least preferred drugs. However, more divergence between use frequency and preference was observed when these metrics were examined among individuals. Correlation coefficients between use frequency and preference were lower than previously published literature. The majority of polydrug comparisons were nonsignificant, and correlations between different drug classes differed depending on whether use frequency or preference was examined. Verbal reports about use frequency are likely not strongly predictive of verbal reports about the same drug preference. Clinicians and researchers should recognize that different verbal reports related to drug reinforcement might be proxies for distinct aspects of reinforcement and should consider these implications for assessment and research findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Cannabis; Hallucinogens; Humans; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Substance-Related Disorders; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 34291991
DOI: 10.1037/pha0000404 -
Journal of Communication Disorders 2022In the early 20 century a link between infection and speech disfluency was discussed. Recent reports indicate that PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric...
INTRODUCTION
In the early 20 century a link between infection and speech disfluency was discussed. Recent reports indicate that PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome), and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) may be associated with a high incidence of speech disfluency. The present study specifically investigates disfluency and other speech symptoms following onset of PANS and PANDAS. Prevalence of previously reported speech related symptoms vocal tics, selective mutism and "baby talk" is included. The present study also aims to explore possible changes in articulation and intelligibility, distress due to speech impairment, and effect of PANS or PANDAS medication on speech symptoms.
METHODS
A questionnaire was distributed to caregivers of children with diagnosed or suspected PANS or PANDAS. In total 55 individuals in Sweden were included.
RESULTS
Onset of speech disfluency in association with PANS or PANDAS was reported by 54.5% of the caregivers. Most frequent disfluency symptoms were higher speech rate, superfluous verbal behavior, verbal blocks and associated motor symptoms. Previous findings of vocal tics, baby talk and mutistic behavior are supported. The present study also exposed previously unreported symptoms such as impaired articulation, reduced intelligibility, reduced speech production and language impairment. Eleven caregivers reported that medical treatment had a positive effect on speech fluency.
CONCLUSIONS
A connection between PANS and PANDAS and speech disfluency is supported, and a possible link between infection and disfluency is reactualized. Reported disfluency shares several characteristics with stuttering and cluttering, but the caregivers did not consistently associate it with stuttering. The present study also sheds new light on how symptoms of "baby talk", selective mutism and vocal tics might be viewed in this population. In all, the results indicate a substantial impact on speech fluency, speech and language in affected children, reducing quality of life.
Topics: Autoimmune Diseases; Child; Humans; Mutism; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Quality of Life; Speech; Stuttering; Tics
PubMed: 35964340
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2022.106250 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2022Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is one of the strongest evidence-based treatments for young children with behavior problems. Despite the efficacy of PCIT, many...
Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is one of the strongest evidence-based treatments for young children with behavior problems. Despite the efficacy of PCIT, many families fail to complete treatment, with attrition rates ranging from 30 to 69 percent. Preliminary research on attrition in PCIT treatment studies has linked maternal distress, negative verbal behavior (critical and sarcastic comments towards the child), lower socioeconomic status (SES), and fewer child major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnoses with premature termination from PCIT. However, more research is still needed to identify the range of reasons for treatment discontinuation. The purpose of the present study was to explore the range of reasons for premature termination from PCIT by conducting in-depth interviews with parents who discontinued PCIT using a qualitative design methodology. Results yielded eight themes, which were organized into three constructs: child-directed interaction (CDI) successes, difficulties with treatment, and the need for more clarity and orientation. Several existing treatment strategies that emerged from the data could be applied to PCIT to further enhance it and potentially reduce dropout (e.g., reconceptualizing dropout from PCIT, micro-orienting strategies used in other cognitive and behavioral therapies and dialectical behavior therapy). Understanding the reasons why parents drop out of PCIT and exploring different adaptations that can be made can further enhance this evidence-based treatment and increase its accessibility.
Topics: Humans; Child, Preschool; Depressive Disorder, Major; Parent-Child Relations; Problem Behavior; Behavior Therapy; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 36361216
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114341 -
The Clinical Neuropsychologist Oct 2023Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) involve neuroanatomical circuitry that impact frontal lobe functioning, via the striatum and cerebellum,...
Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) involve neuroanatomical circuitry that impact frontal lobe functioning, via the striatum and cerebellum, respectively. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate quantitative and qualitative performance between and within these groups on measures of verbal fluency. Sixty-three PD and 53 ET patients completed neuropsychological testing. Linear regression models with robust variance estimation compared verbal fluency performance between groups related to correct responses and errors. Paired -tests investigated within group error rates. PD patients gave more correct responses for phonological (=5.3, =.01) and category fluency (=4.1, =.01) than ET patients; however, when processing speed was added as a covariate, this attenuated performance on both measures and only phonological fluency remained significant (=4.0, =.04). There were no statistical differences in error scores between groups. Error rates within groups suggested that PD patients had higher error rates in total errors and perseveration errors on phonological fluency ( = 2.6, =.00; = 1.6, =.00) and higher total errors and set-loss error rates on category switching ( = 5.1, <.001; = 4.1, <.001). ET patients had higher error rate with relation to total errors and set-loss errors on phonological fluency ( = 2.5, =.00; = 1.5, =.02) and category switching ( = 3.9, =,00; = 3.9, <.001). PD patients performed better than ET patients on phonological fluency. PD patients appear to make more perseveration errors on phonological fluency, while ET patients made more set-loss errors. Implications for frontal lobe dysfunction and clinical impact are discussed.
Topics: Humans; Parkinson Disease; Essential Tremor; Neuropsychological Tests; Processing Speed; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 36550679
DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2022.2157885 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... May 2024According to the interpersonal synergy model of spoken dialogue, interlocutors modify their communicative behaviors to meet the contextual demands of a given...
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., semantics, syntax), little is understood about how this model applies to speech behaviors (e.g., speech rate, pitch). The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that interlocutors adjust their speech behaviors across different conversational tasks with different conversational goals.
METHOD
In this study, 28 participants each engaged in two different types of conversations (i.e., relational and informational) with two partners (i.e., Partner 1 and Partner 2), yielding a total of 112 conversations. We compared six acoustic measures of participant speech behavior across conversational task and partner.
RESULTS
Linear mixed-effects models demonstrated significant differences between speech feature measures in informational and relational conversations. Furthermore, these findings were generally robust across conversations with different partners.
CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that contextual demands influence speech behaviors. These findings provide empirical support for the interpersonal synergy model and highlight important considerations for assessing speech behaviors in individuals with communication disorders.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Young Adult; Adult; Speech; Interpersonal Relations; Speech Acoustics; Verbal Behavior; Communication
PubMed: 38629972
DOI: 10.1044/2024_JSLHR-23-00622 -
Behavior Research Methods Aug 2020The verbal fluency task-listing words from a category or words that begin with a specific letter-is a common experimental paradigm that is used to diagnose memory...
The verbal fluency task-listing words from a category or words that begin with a specific letter-is a common experimental paradigm that is used to diagnose memory impairments and to understand how we store and retrieve knowledge. Data from the verbal fluency task are analyzed in many different ways, often requiring manual coding that is time intensive and error-prone. Researchers have also used fluency data from groups or individuals to estimate semantic networks-latent representations of semantic memory that describe the relations between concepts-that further our understanding of how knowledge is encoded. However computational methods used to estimate networks are not standardized and can be difficult to implement, which has hindered widespread adoption. We present SNAFU: the Semantic Network and Fluency Utility, a tool for estimating networks from fluency data and automatizing traditional fluency analyses, including counting cluster switches and cluster sizes, intrusions, perseverations, and word frequencies. In this manuscript, we provide a primer on using the tool, illustrate its application by creating a semantic network for foods, and validate the tool by comparing results to trained human coders using multiple datasets.
Topics: Humans; Memory; Neuropsychological Tests; Semantic Web; Semantics; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 32128696
DOI: 10.3758/s13428-019-01343-w -
Scientific Reports Jan 2022Verbal fluency (VF) is a heterogeneous cognitive function that requires executive as well as language abilities. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the...
Verbal fluency (VF) is a heterogeneous cognitive function that requires executive as well as language abilities. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the specificity of the resting state MEG correlates of the executive and language components. To this end, we administered a VF test, another verbal test (Vocabulary), and another executive test (Trail Making Test), and we recorded 5-min eyes-open resting-state MEG data in 28 healthy participants. We used source-reconstructed spectral power estimates to compute correlation/anticorrelation MEG clusters with the performance at each test, as well as with the advantage in performance between tests, across individuals using cluster-level statistics in the standard frequency bands. By obtaining conjunction clusters between verbal fluency scores and factor loading obtained for verbal fluency and each of the two other tests, we showed a core of slow clusters (delta to beta) localized in the right hemisphere, in adjacent parts of the premotor, pre-central and post-central cortex in the mid-lateral regions related to executive monitoring. We also found slow parietal clusters bilaterally and a cluster in the gamma 2 and 3 bands in the left inferior frontal gyrus likely associated with phonological processing involved in verbal fluency.
Topics: Adult; Brain; Cognition; Female; Humans; Language; Magnetoencephalography; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Verbal Behavior; Vocabulary; Young Adult
PubMed: 35013361
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03829-0 -
The Journal of Social Psychology Mar 2021Although oral hygiene is known to impact self-confidence and self-esteem, little is known about how it influences our interpersonal behavior. Using a wearable,...
Although oral hygiene is known to impact self-confidence and self-esteem, little is known about how it influences our interpersonal behavior. Using a wearable, multi-sensor device, we examined differences in consumers' individual and interpersonal confidence after they had or had not brushed their teeth. Students (N = 140) completed nine one-to-one, 3-minute "speed dating" interactions while wearing a device that records verbal, nonverbal, and mimicry behavior. Half of the participants brushed their teeth using Close-Up toothpaste (Unilever) prior to the interactions, whilst the other half abstained from brushing that morning. Compared to those who had not brushed their teeth, participants who had brushed were more verbally confident (i.e., spoke louder, over-talked more), showed less nonverbal nervousness (i.e., fidgeted less), and were more often perceived as being "someone similar to me." These effects were moderated by attractiveness but not by self-esteem or self-monitoring.
Topics: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Nonverbal Communication; Oral Hygiene; Students; Toothbrushing; Toothpastes; Verbal Behavior; Young Adult
PubMed: 32597381
DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2020.1784825