TOPIC

Articulation research

Everything we have read on articulation. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

582 PAPERS · PAGE 4 OF 12 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPOther2020Protocol for the Connected Speech Transcription of Children with Speech Disorders: An Example from Childhood Apraxia of Speech.Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica : official organ of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP)A connected speech transcription protocol documented inter-word pauses and linking sounds in children with childhood apraxia of speech, but transcribing 50 utterances took 5 to 7 hours per child. It is not yet a routine clinical tool.
• SLPOther2020Binaural Optimization of Cochlear Implants: Discarding Frequency Content Without Sacrificing Head-Shadow Benefit.Ear and hearingDiscarding frequencies below 1236 Hz for single-sided deafness implants or below 886 Hz and above 3814 Hz for bilateral implants does not reduce head-shadow benefit. This allows reprogramming to match frequency places across ears without sacrificing speech recognition in noise.
• SLPCohort2020Chronic Conductive Hearing Loss Is Associated With Speech Intelligibility Deficits in Patients With Normal Bone Conduction Thresholds.Ear and hearingAdults with chronic unilateral conductive hearing loss and normal bone conduction thresholds had significantly poorer word recognition on the affected side. This deficit was linked to the degree and duration of the conductive loss, not inner ear sensitivity. Amplification may be needed even when standard thresholds appear normal.
• SLPOther2019Teaching Phonological Awareness to Children with Hearing Loss who Use Spoken Language: Six Big Ideas.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsNo new evidence is presented here. The article outlines six instructional principles for phonological awareness in children with hearing loss, drawn from prior studies. It serves as a guide for practice rather than a report of trial outcomes.
• SLPOther2020Phonological memory problems are magnified in children from language minority homes when predicting reading disability.Journal of child languageLow phonological memory scores were more likely to point to reading disability in children from language minority homes. In children without reading disability, language minority status did not predict lower phonological memory or awareness scores.
• SLPOther2020Effects of Cognitive Load on Pure-Tone Audiometry Thresholds in Younger and Older Adults.Ear and hearingCognitive load raised pure-tone hearing thresholds in the lab, more in older adults (2.5 dB) than younger adults (1.0 dB). But the threshold change under load did not predict speech-in-noise scores.
• SLPOther2020Spectral Contrast Effects Reveal Different Acoustic Cues for Vowel Recognition in Cochlear-Implant Users.Ear and hearingCochlear-implant users rely on coarse spectral cues like overall energy distribution to identify vowels, while normal-hearing listeners use fine-grained formant details. This shift explains why implant users are more affected by preceding acoustic contexts, potentially contributing to their difficulty in noisy environments.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2020Early Speech and Language Development in Children With Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Palate: A Meta-Analysis.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRChildren with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate show persistent speech and language delays from toddlerhood through age 8. Receptive language deficits remain even when standardized scores appear normal, so rely on parent reports and naturalistic samples to identify functional issues.
• SLPRCT2020Children's Response Bias and Identification of Misarticulated Words.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRPreschoolers accepted common speech sound substitutions as real words more than uncommon substitutions. Adding nonsense word anchors or a blank hiding option lowered their tendency to choose the real object picture.
• SLPCohort2020Aided Hearing Moderates the Academic Outcomes of Children With Mild to Severe Hearing Loss.Ear and hearingFor children with mild to severe hearing loss, hearing aids that made more speech audible were associated with a weaker link between unaided hearing loss and oral language. Oral language then related to school skills such as reading and writing.
• SLPCohort2020Production of noun suffixes by Turkish-speaking children with developmental language disorder and their typically developing peers.International journal of language & communication disordersTurkish-speaking children with developmental language disorder produced noun suffixes significantly less accurately than their typically developing peers, even though Turkish has many learner-friendly features. The gap remained wide across all suffix types, showing that language structure alone does not close the deficit.
• SLPOther2020Predicting Speech Perception in Older Listeners with Sensorineural Hearing Loss Using Automatic Speech Recognition.Trends in hearingAutomatic speech recognition predicts nonsense-syllable scores well but fails on words and sentences, underestimating human performance because it cannot use linguistic context. Large prediction errors mean this tool cannot replace clinical speech testing for meaningful speech.
• SLPOther2020Perceptual Evaluation of Binaural MVDR-Based Algorithms to Preserve the Interaural Coherence of Diffuse Noise Fields.Trends in hearingIn normal-hearing listeners, hearing aid noise reduction that preserved background noise spread improved spatial quality, but intelligibility depended on the algorithm.
• SLPOther2020Evaluation of the Influence of Head Movement on Hearing Aid Algorithm Performance Using Acoustic Simulations.Trends in hearingHead movement affects hearing aid noise reduction performance, but misalignment is the main cause, not algorithm maladaptation. Directional algorithms lose up to 6 dB of benefit when the head is not pointed at the target speaker in realistic environments. Omnidirectional algorithms are barely affected.
• SLPOther2019Tongue Part Movement Trajectories for /r/ Using Ultrasound.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsUltrasound software tracked blade, dorsum, and root movements during /ɑr/ in two children with /r/ errors and two typically speaking children. The two with errors showed less independent movement and more variability than the two typical children. No treatment was tested.
• SLPOther2020Perceptual Evaluation of Signal-to-Noise-Ratio-Aware Dynamic Range Compression in Hearing Aids.Trends in hearingHearing aids that adjust compression speed based on signal clarity were preferred over standard fast and slow settings. They improved speech recognition scores compared to slow-acting compression, but performed similarly to fast-acting compression in these lab tests.
• SLPOther2020Development of a Deep Neural Network for Speeding Up a Model of Loudness for Time-Varying Sounds.Trends in hearingEach loudness prediction took 0.3 ms on one computer processor. Errors were below 0.5 phons, a difference that would not be detectable. It was tested on sounds, not patients, so it does not change therapy.
• SLPOther2020Effect of Directional Microphone Technology in Hearing Aids on Neural Correlates of Listening and Memory Effort: An Electroencephalographic Study.Trends in hearingExperienced hearing aid users with severe hearing loss reported less listening and memory effort, and showed better memory performance, when using narrow directional microphones compared to wide ones. EEG data confirmed reduced brain activity associated with effort for the narrow setting.
• SLPOther2020Auditory Attention and Spatial Unmasking in Children With Cochlear Implants.Trends in hearingChildren with bilateral cochlear implants can ignore speech in the opposite ear as well as adults do, but gain no benefit when noise comes from both ears. Longer delays between first and second implant correlate with greater difficulty ignoring noise in the first-implanted ear.
• SLPOther2020Modeling Binaural Unmasking of Speech Using a Blind Binaural Processing Stage.Trends in hearingA new computer model predicts speech-in-noise performance by switching between two processing strategies based on signal modulation. It accurately matches human data at both negative and positive signal-to-noise ratios, offering a tool to simulate hearing aid algorithms without needing prior knowledge of noise location.
• SLPOther2020Pupil Dilation Is Sensitive to Semantic Ambiguity and Acoustic Degradation.Trends in hearingPupil size grew in students with normal hearing when sentences had background noise or words with more than one meaning. This happened even when sentences were clear, and pupil size did not match comprehension scores.
• SLPOther2020Speech Audiometry at Home: Automated Listening Tests via Smart Speakers With Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Listeners.Trends in hearingAn Amazon Echo skill accurately detected hearing loss in most users, with an AUC of 0.95 for clinical thresholds. However, it overestimated hearing thresholds by up to 2.2 dB in normal-hearing listeners and showed higher error rates in older adults.
• SLPOther2020Robust Data-Driven Auditory Profiling Towards Precision Audiology.Trends in hearingFour auditory profiles emerged from 75 older listeners' test scores. The profiles differed in speech-in-noise and loudness processing beyond audiogram. This is method development, not evidence that tailored hearing aids help.
• SLPOther2020Differences Between School-Aged Children with Apraxia of Speech and Other Speech Sound Disorders on Multisyllable Repetition.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsVoicing changes, percent of structurally correct words, correct lexical stress, and syllable deletions significantly differentiated children with CAS from those with other speech sound disorders. However, distributions overlapped heavily, so no single feature serves as a standalone diagnostic marker.
• SLPOther2020Evaluation of an Adaptive Dynamic Compensation System in Cochlear Implant Listeners.Trends in hearingIn cochlear implant listeners, the Voice Guard setting did not improve speech understanding in noise compared with a standard compression setting, but it did improve speech understanding in quiet.
• SLPOther2020Binaural Recordings in Natural Acoustic Environments: Estimates of Speech-Likeness and Interaural Parameters.Trends in hearingEveryday binaural recordings varied greatly over time and between ears, and many moments had low speech information in one ear or both ears. Clinic tests using clear, steady speech may not capture this variability.
• SLPRCT2020Multisensory cueing facilitates naming in aphasia.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNaming accuracy improved over virtual therapy for ten people with chronic non-fluent aphasia. Silent lip videos and object sounds were linked to faster interactions in early sessions.
• PTSLPRCT2021Liuzijue qigong versus traditional breathing training for patients with post-stroke dysarthria complicated by abnormal respiratory control: Results of a single-center randomized controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationFor stroke patients with dysarthria, adding Liuzijue qigong to basic articulation training improved speech breathing and overall speech ability more than traditional breathing training. It did not significantly improve loudness control compared to the standard approach.
• SLPCohort2021Auditory-perceptual acuity in rhotic misarticulation: baseline characteristics and treatment response.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsChildren with persistent /r/ errors perceived synthetic /r/ sounds less accurately than typically developing peers. However, baseline perception did not predict how well they produced /r/ or how much they improved with biofeedback treatment, except that girls with sharper perception responded better.
• SLPRCT2020Effects of a naturalistic intervention on the speech outcomes of young children with cleft palate.International journal of speech-language pathologyThe early speech intervention did not improve overall speech accuracy or number of different consonants more than usual care. Children who already spoke at a higher word rate showed larger gains, but that subgroup finding does not prove the intervention works for all.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Deficits in musical rhythm perception in children with specific learning disabilities.NeuroRehabilitationChildren with dyslexia and other learning disabilities show deficits in rhythm perception and production, which correlate with reading accuracy and phonological skills. Rhythm-based interventions may enhance auditory processing and language development, offering a potentially enjoyable, low-stress therapeutic avenue.
• SLPOther2021A lexical advantage in four-year-old children's word repetition.Journal of child languageFour-year-olds repeated sounds more clearly inside real words than nonsense words. The gap was smaller when they knew more words. In speech assessment, nonsense word repetition should be read with receptive vocabulary.
• SLPOther2021Intelligibility in Context Scale: Sensitivity and specificity in the Jamaican context.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsParent ratings on the Intelligibility in Context Scale helped screen English-Jamaican Creole bilingual preschoolers for suspected speech sound disorders. Scores below 4.12 flagged concern, but some typically developing children were also flagged, so use it to guide further assessment.
• SLPOther2020An exploratory model of speech intelligibility for healthy aging based on phonatory and articulatory measures.Journal of communication disordersHealthy older adults speak with less intelligible voices than younger adults in noise. The main drivers are reduced voice variability and slower tongue movements. Clinicians should treat voice quality and articulatory speed as primary targets for maintaining clear communication in aging.
• SLPOther2021Validity of Parent Ratings of Speech Intelligibility for Children with Cerebral Palsy.Developmental neurorehabilitationParent ratings of speech intelligibility are valid for children at the extremes of severity but unreliable for those in the middle. A parent rating of 3 or 4 could correspond to intelligibility scores ranging from 4% to 98%. Use objective measures alongside parent report.
• SLPCase Report2020Using AAC to unlock communicative potential in late-talking toddlers.Journal of communication disordersTwo late-talking toddlers who did not improve with input-based therapy alone showed immediate gains in spoken words and multi-word phrases when low-tech AAC devices and output demands were added. This suggests AAC may help non-responders bypass speech motor difficulties.
• SLPOther2020Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Connectivity Between Semantic and Phonological Regions of Interest May Inform Language Targets in Aphasia.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRResting brain connectivity patterns predict language severity in aphasia. Weaker right-hemisphere frontotemporal links associated with better naming, while stronger left angular gyrus connections predicted better comprehension. These networks may help identify targets for therapy.
• SLPOther2021Subjective criteria underlying noise-tolerance in the presence of speech.International journal of audiologyNormal-hearing adults did not all use the same rule when background noise became unacceptable. Most relied on distraction or annoyance, not speech interference, and loudness never dominated. Hearing aid users were not tested.
• SLPOther2020Factor analysis of signs of childhood apraxia of speech.Journal of communication disordersSpeech signs in 57 children with childhood apraxia clustered into three distinct groups: prosody, coarticulation, and inconsistency. This supports using these three areas as core diagnostic criteria. Syllable segmentation was the strongest prosody sign, suggesting it may help identify apraxia even in minimally verbal children.
• SLPOther2021Development and validation of a digits-in-noise hearing test in Persian.International journal of audiologyA Persian hearing screening test using numbers spoken in noise was developed, but it gave poorer scores for young Persian adults with normal hearing than the English version. It was not yet validated in people with hearing loss.
• SLPOther2021Optimising word learning in post-secondary students with Developmental Language Disorder: The roles of retrieval difficulty and retrieval success during training.International journal of speech-language pathologyFree recall practice with feedback produced more accurate word forms after 24 hours than cued recall. More successful retrievals during training, especially without phonological cues, were linked to better later word production in students with and without DLD.
• SLPCohort2021How many words make a sample? Determining the minimum number of word tokens needed in connected speech samples for child speech assessment.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsFor most speech measures, a connected speech sample of 75 words is as reliable as 100. However, samples of 50 words are too unstable. For complex measures like pMLU or error counts, stick to 100 words to ensure accuracy.
• SLPOther2020Development and Validation of Sentences Without Semantic Context to Complement the Basic English Lexicon Sentences.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRResearchers created 500 nonsense sentences to remove semantic context from speech tests. Listeners guessed fewer than 1% of missing words in these new sentences versus 21% in normal sentences. The new lists are validated for research use and may eventually aid clinical testing for hearing loss.
• PTSLPCohort2021Speech-Language Profile Groups in School Aged Children with Cerebral Palsy: Nonverbal Cognition, Receptive Language, Speech Intelligibility, and Motor Function.Developmental neurorehabilitationReceptive language scores largely matched nonverbal cognitive scores in 27 speaking children with cerebral palsy. For most, typical language comprehension suggested typical cognition, and impaired comprehension suggested cognitive impairment. This supports using language tests as a rough proxy when motor issues make cognitive testing difficult.
• SLPOther2020Speechreading Ability Is Related to Phonological Awareness and Single-Word Reading in Both Deaf and Hearing Children.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRSpeechreading ability links to single-word reading in both deaf and hearing children, but this link runs entirely through phonological awareness. Better visual speech decoding supports phonological skills, which then support reading. This is a concurrent correlation, not proof that training speechreading improves reading.
• SLPCohort2021Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Speech Intelligibility Deficits Following Threshold Recovery.Ear and hearingAfter sudden hearing loss recovered, word recognition remained worse than expected from the hearing thresholds. Some patients had asymmetric word scores even when thresholds returned to pre-onset levels.
• SLPOther2021Aphasia and spelling to dictation: Analysis of spelling errors and editing.International journal of language & communication disordersSpelling errors in aphasia often involve missing letters or incorrect compound splitting, not just phonetic mistakes. Editing success correlates with non-word spelling ability, not reading or decoding. Word length and frequency predict spelling difficulty, but not editing success. Individual editing strategies vary widely, suggesting tailored digital aids may be more effective than generic tools.
• SLPOther2020Markedness and implicational relationships in phonological development: A cross-linguistic investigation.International journal of speech-language pathologyIn a longitudinal analysis of six children, phonological rules linking directly comparable sounds held true, but rules linking unrelated units were contradicted or unverifiable. Clinicians should not assume acquiring one complex sound guarantees acquisition of unrelated sounds.
• SLPRCT2021Effect of boost articulation therapy (BArT) on intelligibility in adults with dysarthria.International journal of language & communication disordersA one-week intensive articulation therapy improved intelligibility on standardized phoneme and sentence tasks, and automatic sequences. However, intelligibility did not significantly improve during spontaneous speech or reading. The study lacked a control group, so these gains might reflect practice effects rather than true treatment benefit.
• SLPNarrative Review2020The Duality of Patterning in Language and its Relationship to Reading in Children with Hearing Loss.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsChildren with hearing loss had larger phonological awareness gaps than vocabulary gaps relative to normal hearing peers. By second grade, reading used both phonological and semantic skills. The paper suggests targeting both levels.