SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

Research for speech-language pathology

Papers a speech-language pathologist can act on — aphasia, dysphagia, developmental language, fluency, voice and augmentative communication — read in full and summarised plainly.

10,216 PAPERS · PAGE 200 OF 205 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPOther2026Hearing Aids Reshape Neural Processing of Emotional Speech Without Improving Emotion Perception.Trends in hearingHearing aids did not help older adults with hearing loss notice when the emotion in speech changed any better than listening unaided, and both were worse than normal-hearing peers. Aided listening did change which brain areas were engaged. Only 14 hearing-aid users were tested.
• OTSLPOther2026Developing a consensus research definition for profound autism using a modified Delphi method.Molecular autismResearchers, clinicians, caregivers and autistic people agreed a research definition of profound autism: round-the-clock adult supervision needed, adaptive skills far below age level, IQ under 50 or minimal speech, and age 8 or over. No IQ cut-off reached agreement.
• SLPOther2026Accuracy and cut-off values of different acoustic measures in the sustained vowel task of Brazilian Portuguese speakers.CoDASSix measures taken from a held 'a' sound separated Brazilian Portuguese speakers with voice disorders from those without. The noise measure SNL 100-3000Hz was the best balanced; the others are better kept for screening or for confirming a suspicion.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Rehabilitation outcomes of patients with posterior circulation stroke after acute inpatient rehabilitation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences90.3% of patients were home three months after a posterior circulation stroke and 59.7% walked independently with or without an aid, up from one person when they arrived on the rehabilitation ward. Only 11.1% had returned to work. No comparison group.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Moving Toward Participation-Focused Goals for Students With Disabilities: Outcomes of a Knowledge Translation Program for School-Based Therapists.Child: care, health and developmentAfter training in the PREP participation framework, therapists' goals shifted away from skills like handwriting toward what students do at school: playing with friends, joining activities, making choices. Only a single group was followed, so the training is not proven to be the cause.
• SLPQualitative2026"Everyone Has a Different Body Constitution": An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Experiences of Social Interaction and Related Supports in Chinese Autistic Postsecondary Students.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic students wanted to connect but found socialising exhausting and often ineffective. Masking eased stigma at a cost, and some weighed that trade-off deliberately. What helped was autistic peers, accepting staff and real-life practice, not formal social skills classes.
• SLPQualitative2026Health Care Transition Experiences for Rural and Urban Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults: A Qualitative Analysis.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic young adults said they were pushed into adult health care unprepared: nobody taught them how appointments, insurance or the system work. Rural participants had few providers and long travel; urban ones faced fragmented, rushed care. Parents often covered the gaps.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Exploring Parents' Values in Healthcare Decision-Making for Rare Genetic Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Qualitative Study to Inform Guideline Development.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRParents of children with rare genetic conditions weigh a procedure's harm against its uncertain benefit and whether it fits family life. They want their knowledge taken seriously, their child asked directly even when the child cannot answer, and care that continues into adulthood.
• SLPOther2026MMBGR protocol - diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination in preschoolers.CoDASThe MMBGR preschool examination picks up orofacial myofunctional changes well when they are present, but often flags children who do not have them. Overall accuracy was fair. Cutoff scores are given for each age band, so expect some unnecessary referrals.
• SLPCohort2026Application of a low-cost instrument to identify risk for hearing disorders in a municipal health network.CoDASA cheap tablet hearing screen with noise-cancelling headphones matched the standard school sweep test on 99.2% of children, flagging seven where the sweep flagged six. So few children failed either test that its ability to catch real hearing loss is untested.
• SLPSurvey2026Training, Practice and Service Provision for Selective Mutism: Findings From a UK-Wide Survey of Therapists.International journal of language & communication disordersOnly 59% of 201 UK therapists working with children who have selective mutism had any training in it, and just 15% learned about it before they qualified. Almost 85% said they needed more training, especially on intervention.
• SLPSystematic Review2026What has been researched about implicit memory in speech-language-hearing pathology? A scoping review.CoDASMost implicit memory research in speech-language-hearing looks at priming-based treatment, tested almost entirely in single-case or small studies. Speech-language pathologists held negative implicit attitudes toward stuttering despite positive stated views, and voices were rated less severely dysphonic when the speaker's race was labelled Black.
• SLPCohort2026The Failure Index as Marker of the Neural Health Profile in MED-EL CI Users: A Retrospective Analysis.Trends in hearingThe Failure Index, calculated from the implant's own nerve-response recordings, was stable over the first year, ran higher in older adults and in children with an underdeveloped auditory nerve, and its worst electrode value tracked speech-in-noise scores. It is not yet a clinical tool.
• SLPCohort2026Genetic susceptibility to aminoglycoside cochleotoxicity in South African multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis patients.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings84 of 102 patients on kanamycin for drug-resistant TB had a drop on their hearing test, starting at the highest frequencies tested. Two inherited variants turned up only in those who lost hearing, but the study was too small to show a link.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2023Preventive measures for the progression of dysphagia in patients with cancer of head and neck subjected to radiotherapy: a systematic review with meta-analysis.CoDASSwallowing exercises during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer improved oral intake scores in a meta-analysis of two trials with 33 patients per arm. Two of the four included studies found no benefit, and the evidence is rated low quality.
• SLPSystematic Review2023Pre- and post-operative voice therapy (PaPOV): Development of an intervention for patients with benign vocal fold lesions.International journal of language & communication disordersTwenty-seven components of a pre- and post-operative voice therapy programme for benign vocal fold lesions achieved consensus across four data sources. The authors state the intervention is not yet suitable for clinical use and requires further refinement before a feasibility trial.
• SLPSystematic Review2025A year in stuttering research: A systematic review of global representation and sociodemographic reporting practices in English-language journals in 2020.Journal of communication disordersIn 2020 stuttering research, 65.01% of participants were US-based, and only 22.8% of studies reported participant ethnicity. Gender was reported in 93.5% of studies. This is a review of reporting practices, not evidence about any treatment.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2025Is Noise Exposure Associated With Impaired Extended High Frequency Hearing Despite a Normal Audiogram? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Trends in hearingNoise exposure is associated with elevated hearing thresholds above 8 kHz even when the standard audiogram is normal. The association was stronger for occupational noise than for recreational listening, with significant effects at six of seven frequencies versus three of seven.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2024The search for gastrointestinal inflammation in autism: a systematic review and meta-analysis of non-invasive gastrointestinal markers.Molecular autismPooled faecal calprotectin and lactoferrin levels did not differ between autistic and non-autistic children. The authors suggest GI symptoms in autism are more often functional than inflammatory, though a subgroup with higher calprotectin may exist.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2021Pharmacological and neurosurgical interventions for individuals with cerebral palsy and dystonia: a systematic review update and meta-analysis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIntrathecal baclofen and deep brain stimulation may improve dystonia and some functional outcomes in cerebral palsy, but all evidence is low to very low certainty. Trihexyphenidyl and levodopa show little to no benefit. Four of ten interventions have no evidence at all.
• SLPRCT2024The Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) in People with Parkinson's Disease Before and After Intensive Voice and Articulation Therapies: Secondary Outcome of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice FoundationIntensive voice treatment (LSVT LOUD) significantly improved voice quality in people with Parkinson's disease, with gains lasting six months. This was a secondary outcome of the trial. Articulation-focused treatment showed no immediate change.
• SLPSystematic Review2024Measuring speech intelligibility with deaf and hard-of-hearing children: A systematic review.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationNo agreed-upon measure exists for assessing how well deaf children are understood. Only 24% of the 204 studies reviewed explained why they chose their test. Combining a rating scale with a word-accuracy score may give the most complete picture.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2022Early Life Influences on Hearing in Adulthood: a Systematic Review and Two-Step Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis.Ear and hearingSmaller birth weight and shorter adult height are each linked to higher odds of adult hearing loss. Pooled data found a 3% lower chance of hearing impairment per 1 cm of height and a 13.5% lower chance per 1 kg of birth weight.
• SLPSystematic Review2025The Role of Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) in International Stroke Teams: A Systematic Review.International journal of language & communication disordersAcross 42 studies, SLTs were fully embedded in stroke teams in 26, partially involved in 11, and absent in 5. Full integration was predominantly in high-income countries, which also produced 34 of the 42 studies. In low-income settings, SLTs were often missing from stroke units.
• OTSLPMeta-Analysis2024Meta-analysis of Cognitive Rehabilitation Interventions in Veterans and Service Members With Traumatic Brain Injuries.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationCognitive rehabilitation produced a small improvement on memory and executive function tests for veterans with mild TBI, but no significant gain in everyday functioning. Strategy-based approaches showed benefit; drill-and-practice did not.
• PTSLPMeta-Analysis2022Effects of low-level laser photobiomodulation on the masticatory function and mandibular movements in adults with temporomandibular disorder: a systematic review with meta-analysis.CoDASLow-level laser increased mouth opening by 2.78 mm over placebo or other treatments in a meta-analysis of six trials, but the evidence is rated very low certainty. No reliable evidence was found for its effect on masticatory function.
• SLPSystematic Review2022Systematic Review of Discourse and Social Communication Interventions in Traumatic Brain Injury.American journal of speech-language pathologyAll 21 studies showed some communication gain in TBI, but the evidence is thin. The one RCT found both groups improved equally. Five components (feedback, social context, functional practice, metacognitive training, hierarchical training) appeared in approaches that produced durable gains.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2024Does SLT combined with NIBS enhance naming recovery in post-stroke aphasia? A meta-analysis and systematic review.NeuroRehabilitationNIBS added to speech therapy improved naming in post-stroke aphasia patients. rTMS showed a clear benefit; tDCS did not. At follow-up, rTMS kept a real advantage while tDCS faded to a very small, unclear effect.
• SLPSystematic Review2024Relationships Between Auditory Processing and Cognitive Abilities in Adults: A Systematic Review.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRThe link between auditory processing and cognition is real but uneven. Temporal processing, altered speech, and speech in noise were more often related to working memory, processing speed, or executive function. Binaural processing and mismatch negativity were not.
• OTSLPMeta-Analysis2023Efficacy of very early interventions on neurodevelopmental outcomes for infants and toddlers at increased likelihood of or diagnosed with autism: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchVery early interventions for infants and toddlers at risk of or diagnosed with autism showed little to no difference in autism symptoms, cognition, or language by age 3. A small adaptive-skills gain was found but rated very low certainty.
• SLPRCT2023A randomized controlled trial of the effects of flow phonation voice treatment for primary muscle tension dysphonia.Journal of communication disordersFlow phonation exercises plus vocal hygiene improved voice quality and daily-life impact for 17 people with muscle tension dysphonia over six weeks. The laryngeal airflow measures the exercises were meant to change showed no clear change. The authors call the data preliminary.
• SLPRCT2023Influence of Electric Frequency-to-Place Mismatches on the Early Speech Recognition Outcomes for Electric-Acoustic Stimulation Users.American journal of audiologyAdult cochlear implant users with electric-acoustic stimulation had better vowel and word recognition when the electric frequencies were well-matched to their cochlear anatomy. Larger mismatches were linked to poorer speech recognition through 6 months of use.
• SLPRCT2023Effects of warm-up exercises on self-assessed vocal effort.Logopedics, phoniatrics, vocologyBoth a five-minute reading-aloud warm-up and phonation through a short straw made healthy young adults feel they were working their voice slightly harder, not easier. No difference between the two exercises.
• SLPSystematic Review2022In pursuit of increasing the application of tele-audiology in South Africa: COVID-19 puts on the alert for patient site facilitator training.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsTraining for patient site facilitators in tele-audiology is short, ranging from 1 hour to 5 days, and non-standardized. Only one of 13 reviewed studies described a structured programme, and no regulated training standard exists for this role.
• SLPRCT2025Vocal Function Exercises With and Without Maximally Sustained Phonation: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Individuals With Normal Voice.Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice FoundationRequiring the longest sustained phonation in Vocal Function Exercises did not produce significantly better improvement than capping it after three weeks or holding it at baseline. All three groups improved, and the between-group difference was not significant.
• OTSLPMeta-Analysis2025Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Child Development: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPOverall development showed no significant difference between pandemic and pre-pandemic children. But language and communication scores were significantly lower in pandemic-exposed children, a finding consistent across both parent reports and practitioner-administered tests.
• SLPSystematic Review2022Effectiveness of Interventions for Dysphagia in Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review.American journal of speech-language pathologyAcross 26 studies of swallowing treatments in Parkinson's disease, results were inconsistent and the evidence too weak to recommend any specific intervention. A few studies saw faster swallowing or less residue, but the quality of the data does not support choosing one treatment over another.
• SLPSystematic Review2022Efficacy, model of delivery, intensity and targets of pragmatic interventions for children with developmental language disorder: A systematic review.International journal of language & communication disordersFive of eleven studies found significant gains in pragmatic language after intervention, but the targets, measures, and doses varied so much that no single approach can be recommended. The evidence is too thin to change how you treat a child's conversational or narrative skills.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2024Impact of reading intervention on the phonological awareness of children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.CoDASReading intervention improved phonological awareness by 6.21 points on the TOPEL scale in children with ASD. This held after removing the study that contributed most to the overall estimate. Individual studies were mixed: two showed no gain, one showed a decline after training ended.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2022Parent-Mediated Interventions for Infants under 24 Months at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCoaching parents of babies at risk for autism did not change whether those babies were later diagnosed, and effects on the infants' own skills were inconsistent. What did improve was how parents interacted with their baby. Present these programmes as parent support, not prevention.
• SLPSystematic Review2021Cognitive and Linguistic Benefits of Aerobic Exercise: A State-of-the-Art Systematic Review of the Stroke Literature.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAerobic exercise after stroke showed modest gains in memory, attention, and executive function across 17 of the studies reviewed, but only two showed any significant language improvement. The evidence is too mixed to change what you prescribe on Monday.
• SLPSystematic Review2026The Predominant Focus Is Still on Teaching Children to Make Requests: A Systematic Review of AAC for Autistic Adults and Children.International journal of language & communication disordersAcross 69 studies of AAC for autistic people, the research mostly teaches children to make simple requests. Only five participants were adults. Quality of life, participation, and broader communication skills are barely measured.
• SLPSurvey2026Working With School-Aged Children With Neurodisability and Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Who Require Mealtime Assistance: A Survey of Speech and Language Therapists' Clinical Practice.International journal of language & communication disordersMost SLTs in this group do not use published assessment tools or formal feeding programmes. They rely on locally developed approaches and mealtime mats. Two styles of supporting carer adherence emerged: collaborative and prescriptive.
• SLPRCT2025A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Motivation-Based Social Skills Group Treatment with Parent Training.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with ASD in a 12-week social group plus parent training made more verbal requests to peers than a treatment-as-usual group. A blinded clinician rated them as more improved. Parent questionnaires showed no difference. Small pilot, 25 children.
• SLPRCT2023One size does not fit all for parent-mediated autism interventions: A randomized clinical trial.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMothers taught responsive language strategies showed greater improvement than those taught directive strategies. Mothers' subclinical autism-like traits made no difference on their own, but whether they helped or hurt depended on how much strategy use the mother already had before training.
• OTSLPSurvey2026Caregiver Concerns for Children and Adolescents With Down Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study in Brazil.Child: care, health and developmentCaregivers' concerns about children and adolescents with Down syndrome did not differ by age group. The top worry across all ages was communication (76%). Among caregivers who worried about sleep, 95% also worried about behaviour.
• OTSLPCohort2026Adaptive and Maladaptive Behaviours and Their Cognitive Correlates in Aging Adults With Down Syndrome.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIn cognitively stable adults with Down syndrome, communication is the relative weakness and daily living the strength. Memory and general cognitive ability predict adaptive functioning across all domains. No cognitive factor predicts maladaptive behaviour, which is uncommon in this group.
• SLPOther2026Association Between Age-Related Sensory and Metabolic Hearing Loss and Cognitive Performance.Trends in hearingMetabolic hearing loss, not sensory, was linked to slower processing speed in 100 older adults. The link to executive function disappeared once age was accounted for. Sensory hearing loss showed no cognitive association.
• SLPOther2026Assessing Sentences in Young Children: A Comparison of the Sentence Diversity Priming Task and Play-Based Language Samples.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRA structured priming task gave more diverse third-person subjects and verbs in about 10 minutes than a 10-minute play sample, and both methods separated late talkers from typically developing peers. It is a valid, time-efficient alternative for assessing sentence diversity in 30- to 38-month-olds.
• SLPQualitative2026Decolonising audiology education: Epistemic barriers and opportunities for Black African students.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsTen Audiology graduates felt their curriculum trained them for middle-class English-speaking patients rather than the South African communities they serve. They described biased grading, surface learning, and the absence of African knowledge systems.