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 73 OF 205 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSLPOther2021Assessing general and autism-relevant quality of life in autistic adults: A psychometric investigation using item response theory.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchThe ASQoL measure produced biased results for autistic women compared to men, falsely suggesting lower quality of life. The 4-item WHOQOL-4 was stable across groups and accurately measured global quality of life, making it a better choice for clinical assessment.
• SLPCohort2021Short-term trajectories of restricted and repetitive behaviors in minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMinimally verbal school-aged children displayed frequent restricted and repetitive behaviors, mostly verbal rather than object-focused. Rates remained stable during active social communication treatment but significantly decreased three months after the intervention ended.
• SLPOther2021Effects of Noise and Second Language on Conversational Dynamics in Task Dialogue.Trends in hearingTurn-taking timing changed only slightly, but pairs took longer on the task in noise and English, spoke louder in noise, and spoke slower in English. For SLPs, noise and second language changed speech and interaction, not just turn timing.
• SLPSurvey2021Acoustic immittance measures and middle ear assessment: Current practice by South African audiologists.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsMost South African audiologists used only 226 Hz tympanometry, not advanced middle ear tests, citing equipment and training gaps. This is an audiologist practice survey, not evidence for PT, OT or SLP care.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021A method for measuring time spent in bradykinesia and dyskinesia in people with Parkinson's disease using an ambulatory monitor.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWrist-worn monitoring quantifies time spent above bradykinesia and dyskinesia targets, correlating with clinical scales and showing larger changes than those scales after treatment. This offers a continuous objective measure for tracking motor fluctuations and therapy response in Parkinson's disease.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021A Narrative Review of Function-Focused Measures for Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA review identified 14 ICF-based tools for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Most focus on participation and activity rather than body function. Seven target cerebral palsy, but three can be used for any child regardless of diagnosis.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech: From Recognition to Diagnosis and Care.AphasiologyProgressive apraxia of speech is a distinct neurodegenerative syndrome, not just aphasia. It often precedes parkinsonism or supranuclear palsy. Treatment should prioritize communication strategies and partner training, as impairment-focused therapy has limited evidence.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Evaluating evidence-based practice in light of the boundedness and proximity of outcomes: Capturing the scope of change.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchInterventions that teach specific skills in structured settings often look highly effective because they are measured close to the training context. Clinicians should check if an 'evidence-based' label reflects generalized development or just narrow, context-bound learning.
• SLPQualitative2021Decision making and the bedside assessment: The Speech Language Therapists' thinking when making a diagnosis at the bed.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsSeven South African speech therapists relied on 'gut feelings' and experience to diagnose swallowing issues at the bedside. Adding oxygen and sound monitoring to standard checks gave them more data and confidence. They often trusted their own assessment over inaccurate nursing notes.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Fathers Matter: Enhancing Healthcare Experiences Among Fathers of Children With Developmental Disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFathers of children with disabilities said they were involved, but clinicians said fathers were less involved. Seven fathers and 13 clinicians described ways to include fathers: direct attention, explain, take time, and accommodate schedules.
• SLPCohort2021Characteristics of Speech-Evoked Envelope Following Responses in Infancy.Trends in hearingSpeech-evoked brainstem responses in infants look adult-like only when stimulus levels are boosted by their smaller ear canals. When levels are corrected to match adults, low-frequency responses remain immature. Do not assume infant responses are mature just because they appear normal at standard settings.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Validity of the Rotterdam Elderly Pain Observation Scale for institutionalised cognitively impaired Dutch adults.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRThe Rotterdam Elderly Pain Observation Scale reliably detects pain in institutionalised adults with intellectual disabilities. A score of 3 or higher indicates likely pain, though specificity is moderate. It also appears valid for subgroups with autism or Down syndrome, despite small sample sizes in those analyses.
• SLPCohort2021Psychological distress and burden among family caregivers of children with and without developmental disabilities six months into the COVID-19 pandemic.Research in developmental disabilitiesCaregivers of children with autism or ADHD reported higher anxiety, depression, stress and burden than those without DD six months into the pandemic. Scores did not worsen over time. For caregivers of children without DD, losing self-care opportunities drove distress; for ASD/ADHD caregivers it did not.
• SLPCohort2021Bayonet-shaped language development in autism with regression: a retrospective study.Molecular autismChildren with autism who lose early words take longer to reach fluent speech. However, if they have normal non-verbal intelligence, almost all become fluent by age 18. The loss itself does not predict poor long-term language outcomes.
• SLPCohort2021Extremely preterm birth and autistic traits in young adulthood: the EPICure study.Molecular autismThe main autistic-trait score was not significantly higher after the study's strict correction for many tests, but extremely preterm young adults had more traits, especially pragmatic language, and more exceeded the trait cut-off.
• SLPQualitative2021It's crunch time: Exploring the sensibility of food textural acoustics for individuals with dysphagia.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsExperts and literature suggest the sound of chewing is a neglected part of the eating experience. For patients with dysphagia, modifying food texture often removes these acoustic cues, potentially reducing enjoyment. The authors propose considering sound when designing safer diets.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Exercise Science and the Vocalist.Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice FoundationThis paper applies exercise science theories to voice training but provides no clinical data. It suggests that while typical speech does not require high muscle strength, professional voice use or pathology might benefit from fatigue management principles, though these ideas remain theoretical and untested in patients.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Family as a Context for Child Development: Mothers with the FMR1 Premutation and Their Children with Fragile X Syndrome.Seminars in speech and languageThis review summarizes what is already known about how carrying the FMR1 premutation affects the mental health and communication skills of mothers of children with Fragile X syndrome. It presents no new data or intervention results.
• SLPOther2021Transmission of Binaural Cues by Bilateral Cochlear Implants: Examining the Impacts of Bilaterally Independent Spectral Peak-Picking, Pulse Timing, and Compression.Trends in hearingBilateral cochlear implants distort sound location cues because each ear picks different frequencies independently, not because their internal clocks are unsynchronized. For patients struggling to locate sounds, check if the processor settings are reducing level differences or if the strategy is causing asymmetric pulse allocation.
• OTSLPRCT2021Examining a stepped-care telehealth program for parents of young children with autism: a proof-of-concept trial.Molecular autismParents using a stepped-care website for imitation training had higher fidelity and self-efficacy than usual care. Children in the program showed better parent-reported social communication, but objective imitation scores did not reach significance.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Cochlear Implantation in Infants: Why and How.Trends in hearingThis review summarizes existing evidence on cochlear implantation in infants under 12 months. It highlights the importance of early auditory development and multidisciplinary care but reports no original patient outcomes or new findings.
• SLPCohort2021Distinct Contributions of Working Memory and Attentional Control to Sentence Comprehension in Noise in Persons With Stroke.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRStroke survivors took longer to match pictures to sentences in noise, but accuracy stayed high. Those with poorer working memory slowed down in any noise. Those with poorer attentional control slowed down specifically when hearing other people talking.
• SLPOther2021Listening Effort Is Not the Same as Speech Intelligibility Score.Trends in hearingNearly perfect intelligibility scores can hide effortful mental correction. When words were distorted, listeners' pupils dilated more despite 99.2% correct responses. In cochlear implant users, pupil dilation tracked nonsense responses more than error count.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Clinical Use of PROMIS, Neuro-QoL, TBI-QoL, and Other Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Individual Adult Clients with Cognitive and Language Disorders.Seminars in speech and languageThis is a guidance article on using PROMs with adults in speech-language therapy. It gives implementation advice, not study results.
• OTSLPCohort2021Cataloguing and characterizing interests in typically developing toddlers and toddlers who develop ASD.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchFor toddlers at high risk for autism, the unusualness of their interests, not just their intensity, better distinguished those who developed ASD from those who did not. High-risk siblings showed more intense interests than low-risk peers, regardless of diagnosis.
• OTSLPSurvey2021Social identities and mental well-being in autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults who feel a stronger sense of belonging to their autistic identity, their family, or multiple social groups report lower depression and higher positive mental health. However, autistic traits were a much stronger predictor of well-being than social identity, and having fewer groups was common.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Taxi drivers and modifiable health behaviors: Is stress associated?Work (Reading, Mass.)Most taxi drivers had poor nutrition and low physical activity. Stress predicted sleep disturbances and smoking, but not diet or exercise. These behaviors mostly occurred independently, suggesting separate interventions are needed for each problem rather than a single stress-reduction program.
• SLPOther2021Sports audiology: Ear hygiene practices of gym users who wear earphones.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsGym users who wore earphones reported varied hygiene: 47 cleaned their ears, 29 used earbuds, and 32 cleaned earphones. Exams found 11 ears fully blocked by wax and 2 ears with bony growths.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Prospective and detailed behavioral phenotyping in DDX3X syndrome.Molecular autismChildren with DDX3X syndrome show severe delays in walking, talking, and self-care, often with low muscle tone and unusual gait. They frequently meet criteria for autism and ADHD, and seek intense sensory input rather than avoiding it. Expect profound developmental support needs.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Accuracy of the SWAY Mobile Cognitive Assessment Application.International journal of sports physical therapyThe SWAY cognitive app produced similar reaction time scores across iPhone and Samsung devices, but only one iPad and two Pixel tests were run. It correlated weakly to moderately with the ImPACT QT, meaning the two apps are not interchangeable for clinical decisions.
• SLPPilot2021Preliminary reliability of South African adaptation and Northern Sotho translation of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsThe two versions of an autism screen gave almost the same answers from 21 caregivers in a small pilot. Two toddlers needed follow-up questions, then screened low risk. Most preferred English.
• SLPCase-Control2021The Frequency of Atypical and Extreme Values for Pharyngeal Phase Swallowing Measures in Mild Parkinson Disease Compared to Healthy Aging.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRPeople with mild Parkinson disease showed no more swallowing impairments than healthy older adults. Both groups had similar rates of slow swallowing and residue. Differences found favored compensation, not deficit. Small sample size means these results are preliminary.
• SLPOther2021Gauging facial feature viewing preference as a stable individual trait in autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchViewing preferences for eyes, nose and mouth become stable when enough movie clips are analyzed. High-functioning autistic males were less consistent and more variable than typical peers, looked less at faces and the nose, but not less at eyes or mouths.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Mental State Language Use in Children with Down Syndrome and the Role of Caregivers.Seminars in speech and languageShared storybook reading is a promising context for caregivers to support mental state language in school-age children with Down syndrome, but evidence for this specific intervention is currently preliminary.
• SLPOther2021Characterizing the Richness of Maternal Input for Word Learning in Neurogenetic Disorders.Seminars in speech and languageThis paper proposes a method for analyzing how mothers support word learning in children with Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, illustrated by three case examples. It does not test an intervention or report clinical outcomes, so there is nothing here to change your practice on.
• OTSLPRCT2021Randomized controlled trial of sulforaphane and metabolite discovery in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Molecular autismSulforaphane did not significantly improve the primary measure of autism severity compared to placebo. However, caregivers reported significant improvements in behavior problems at 15 weeks. Blood markers showed the compound reached the body and altered inflammation and mitochondrial function.
• SLPOther2021Potential Destructive Binaural Interaction Effects in Auditory Steady-State Response Measurements.Trends in hearingSound-field hearing aid verification using ASSR is generally robust if the child moves their head, but fails if a unilateral hearing aid introduces specific delays. These delays can artificially suppress the response by 10 dB, leading to false referrals for poorly fitted aids.
• SLPOther2021Autism symptoms in anorexia nervosa: a comparative study with females with autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismWomen with anorexia nervosa showed intermediate autism symptoms compared to those with autism spectrum disorder. Recovered women scored similarly to acute patients, suggesting these traits persist beyond starvation. However, only quality of social response clearly distinguished the two conditions.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health, wellbeing, and access to services of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.Research in developmental disabilitiesMore than half of caregivers in Chile and over 40% of adults with intellectual disabilities in the U.S. reported worsening mental health during the pandemic. Loss of disability services and physical health problems were linked to increased mental health symptoms in the U.S. sample.
• SLPOther2021Effect of Channel Interaction on Vocal Cue Perception in Cochlear Implant Users.Trends in hearingTriplet stimulation degraded voice perception and speech intelligibility in noise, but Paired stimulation did not. This suggests Paired modes may save battery life without harming speech performance, though the study used only high-performing users.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021Emerging Role of Ultrasound in Dysphagia Assessment and Intervention: A Narrative Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesUltrasound shows promise for bedside dysphagia screening, measuring hyoid movement and guiding injections. However, diagnostic accuracy varies widely, and no standard protocols exist. Use it only as a supplementary tool, not a replacement for formal swallowing assessments.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Safety and Effectiveness of a Perturbation-based Neuromuscular Training Program on Dynamic Balance in Adolescent Females: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of sports physical therapyA five-week perturbation training program was safe for adolescent females but did not improve dynamic balance, strength, proprioception, or flexibility compared to normal activity. The primary outcome was null.
• SLPOther2021Pathogenic oral bacteria in hospitalised patients with dysphagia: The silent epidemic.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsIn 40 hospitalised patients with dysphagia, 62.5% carried bacteria not normally found in the mouth and all had oral hygiene problems; worse swallowing scores were linked to more pathogenic bacteria. Check oral care during dysphagia management.
• SLPSystematic Review2021Contextualising clinical reasoning within the clinical swallow evaluation: A scoping review and expert consultation.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsClinical reasoning in swallow assessments is driven more by experience than training. Experts argue that rigid protocols fail in low-resource settings, requiring flexible, context-aware decision-making to adapt to patient needs and limited equipment.
• SLPOther2021The Role of Interaural Differences, Head Shadow, and Binaural Redundancy in Binaural Intelligibility Benefits Among School-Aged Children.Trends in hearingSchool-aged children with normal hearing did not reach adult-like speech-in-noise performance by age 15. The main gap was using timing and level differences between ears, while the head shadow effect was already mature.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Autistic traits are associated with faster pace of aging: Evidence from the Dunedin study at age 45.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMiddle-aged adults with more autistic traits showed faster biological aging, older facial appearance, and poorer health ratings. This association persisted after controlling for childhood IQ and socioeconomic status, suggesting autistic traits may be an independent risk marker for accelerated aging.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021The Dynamic Innovative Balance System Improves Balance Ability: A Single Blind, Randomized Controlled Study.International journal of sports physical therapyHealthy men training on a device with moving foot platforms improved forward reach distance and single-leg stability more than those using standard balance boards. The effect appeared only after eight weeks. Use this to challenge weight shift in athletes, but do not expect it to fix side-to-side balance deficits.
• SLPQualitative2020Supporting Early Communication Skills of Children with Developmental Disorders in South Africa: Caregiver and Clinician Perspectives about Mobile Health Applications.Infants and young childrenCaregivers and speech-language pathologists in South Africa had different views on a communication app. Caregivers wanted it to teach them strategies. Pathologists worried it would replace human interaction. Both agreed the app must be free, use little data, and be in the family's first language.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Functional Consequences of Poor Binaural Hearing in Development: Evidence From Children With Unilateral Hearing Loss and Children Receiving Bilateral Cochlear Implants.Trends in hearingChildren with unilateral hearing loss had similar language, academic, and visuospatial memory deficits as peers with bilateral deafness using cochlear implants. Normal hearing in one ear did not prevent these developmental delays. Balance issues were equally common in both hearing loss groups.
• SLPRCT2021Effectiveness of Computer-Based Auditory Training for Adult Cochlear Implant Users: A Randomized Crossover Study.Trends in hearingComputer-based auditory and visual training improved performance on the specific exercises but did not help adults with cochlear implants understand speech in noise or improve cognition. A temporary quality-of-life boost after auditory training faded after three months.