Cortico-subcortical organization of language networks in the right hemisphere: an electrostimulation study in left-handers.

PubMed

Duffau, Hugues; Leroy, Marianne; Gatignol, Peggy

2008-12-01

We have studied the configuration of the cortico-subcortical language networks within the right hemisphere (RH) in nine left-handers, being operated on while awake for a cerebral glioma. Intraoperatively, language was mapped using cortico-subcortical electrostimulation, to avoid permanent deficit. In frontal regions, cortical stimulation elicited articulatory disorders (ventral premotor cortex), anomia (dorsal premotor cortex), speech arrest (pars opercularis), and semantic paraphasia (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Insular stimulation generated dysarthria, parietal stimulation phonemic paraphasias, and temporal stimulation semantic paraphasias. Subcortically, the superior longitudinal fasciculus (inducing phonological disturbances when stimulated), inferior occipito-frontal fasciculus (eliciting semantic disturbances during stimulation), subcallosal fasciculus (generating control disturbances when stimulated), and common final pathway (inducing articulatory disorders during stimulation) were identified. These cortical and subcortical structures were preserved, avoiding permanent aphasia, despite a transient immediate postoperative language worsening. Both intraoperative results and postsurgical transitory dysphasia support the major role of the RH in language in left-handers, and provide new insights into the anatomo-functional cortico-subcortical organization of the language networks in the RH-suggesting a "mirror" configuration in comparison to the left hemisphere.

VISUAL AIDS HANDBOOK FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GARIBALDI, VIRGINIA; STRASHEIM, LORRAINE A.

TEACHERS ARE SHOWN HOW TO CONSTRUCT AND USE THEIR OWN VISUAL AIDS FOR ILLUSTRATING USEFUL BUT DIFFICULT EXPRESSIONS COMMON TO ALL LANGUAGES. SUCH SPECIFIC AIDS AS PROPS, REALIA, FLASHCARDS, CHARTS, FLANNEL AND MAGNETIC BOARDS, POCKET CHARTS, PUPPETS, DRILL CUING DEVICES, AND CULTURALLY ORIENTED VISUAL AIDS ARE DESCRIBED. LISTS OF PROFESSIONAL…

[Role of the intraoperative electrical brain stimulation in conserving the speech and language function in neurosurgical procedures on conscious patients].

PubMed

Eross, Loránd; Fekete, Gábor; Entz, László; Fabó, Dániel; Borbély, Csaba; Kozák, Lajos Rudolf; Andrejkovics, Mónika; Czirják, Sándor; Fedorcsák, Imre; Novák, László; Bognár, László

2012-09-30

To summarize the results gained with awake craniotomies, which were performed in either low grade glioma patients or epilepsy surgical patients whose tumor or epileptogenic zone, was in the vicinity of eloquent, mostly language, cortices. PATIENT SELECTION AND METHODS: In our retrospective study we selected 16 patients who were operated awake between 1999-2011 at the Neurosurgical Department of MAV Kórház Budapest, or at the National Institute of Neurosciences in Budapest, or at the Neurosurgical Department of the University of Debrecen in Debrecen. In the presurgical evaluation if it was possible we performed functional magnetic resonance imaging, tractography and detailed neuropsychological testing. At the National Institute of Neurosciences all patients were operated with the aid of MR guided neuronavigation. Anesthesia was carried out without complications in all of the 16 cases. Monitoring of sleep deepness has significantly contributed to the safety of anesthesia during the superficial anesthezied states of the operation. The intraoperative neuropsychological tasks used for testing language were sensitive enough to judge the little disturbances in speech during stimulation. Stimulation evoked seizures could be adequately managed during surgery and did not influence the outcome of the procedures. The use of neuronavigation helped significantly by planning the optimal place for the craniotomy and by intraoperative orientation. Awake craniotomies require well practiced surgical teams, which requires the cooperation of neuro-anesthesiologits, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologist and electrophysiologists. It has two goals, first to reduce the time of surgery to minimize surgical complications, secondly the detailed intraoperative mapping of cognitive and motor functions to avoid any neurological deficit. The intraoperative anatomical data provided by the neuronavigation and the functional data provided by awake intraoperative stimulation of the patient together serve the safety of the patient which is essential in the neurologically minimal invasive neurosurgical approach of the 21st century.

Selective left, right and bilateral stimulation of subthalamic nuclei in Parkinson's disease: differential effects on motor, speech and language function.

PubMed

Schulz, Geralyn M; Hosey, Lara A; Bradberry, Trent J; Stager, Sheila V; Lee, Li-Ching; Pawha, Rajesh; Lyons, Kelly E; Metman, Leo Verhagen; Braun, Allen R

2012-01-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus improves the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but may produce a worsening of speech and language performance at rates and amplitudes typically selected in clinical practice. The possibility that these dissociated effects might be modulated by selective stimulation of left and right STN has never been systematically investigated. To address this issue, we analyzed motor, speech and language functions of 12 patients implanted with bilateral stimulators configured for optimal motor responses. Behavioral responses were quantified under four stimulator conditions: bilateral DBS, right-only DBS, left-only DBS and no DBS. Under bilateral and left-only DBS conditions, our results exhibited a significant improvement in motor symptoms but worsening of speech and language. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature demonstrating that bilateral STN DBS compromises speech and language function and suggests that these negative effects may be principally due to left-sided stimulation. These findings may have practical clinical consequences, suggesting that clinicians might optimize motor, speech and language functions by carefully adjusting left- and right-sided stimulation parameters.

Language Development in Children Who Are Prelingually Deaf Who Have Used the SPEAK or CIS Stimulation Strategies since Initial Stimulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svirsky, Mario A.; Chute, Patricia M.; Green, Janet; Bollard, Priscilla; Miyamoto, Richard T.

2000-01-01

A study examined language skills in 44 pediatric cochlear implant users. All participants received implants before age 6 and were programmed with state-of-the-art stimulation strategies (Continuous Interleaved Sampler or Spectral Peak) since the day of initial stimulation. Postimplantation language development proceeded at a pace that was not…

Research Handbook on Children's Language Learning. Preliminary Edition. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dato, Daniel P.

This handbook serves as an introduction to the study of children's language development and as a supplementary aid in the training of research workers in the field of children's language learning. As a teaching aid, it is suggested this work be used with a film entitled "Psycholinquistic Research Techniques: Children's Language." Major chapters…

Decision aids for randomised controlled trials: a qualitative exploration of stakeholders’ views

PubMed Central

Gillies, Katie; Skea, Zoë C; Campbell, Marion K

2014-01-01

Objectives To explore stakeholders’ perceptions of decision aids designed to support the informed consent decision-making process for randomised controlled trials. Design Qualitative semistructured interviews. Participants were provided with prototype trial decision aids in advance to stimulate discussion. Interviews were analysed using an established interpretive approach. Participants 23 stakeholders: Trial Managers (n=5); Research Nurses (n=5); Ethics Committee Chairs (n=5); patients (n=4) and Clinical Principal Investigators (n=4). Setting Embedded within two ongoing randomised controlled trials. All interviews conducted with UK-based participants. Results Certain key aspects (eg, values clarification exercises, presentation of probabilities, experiences of others and balance of options) in the prototype decision aids were perceived by all stakeholders as having a significant advantage (over existing patient information leaflets) in terms of supporting well informed appropriate decisions. However, there were some important differences between the stakeholder groups on specific content (eg, language used in the section on positive and negative features of taking part in a trial and the overall length of the trial decision aids). Generally the stakeholders believed trial decision aids have the potential to better engage potential participants in the decision-making process and allow them to make more personally relevant decisions about their participation. Conclusions Compared to existing patient information leaflets, stakeholders perceived decision aids for trial participation to have the potential to promote a more ‘informed’ decision-making process. Further efforts to develop, refine and formally evaluate trial decision aids should be explored. PMID:25138811

The influence of hearing aids on the speech and language development of children with hearing loss.

PubMed

Tomblin, J Bruce; Oleson, Jacob J; Ambrose, Sophie E; Walker, Elizabeth; Moeller, Mary Pat

2014-05-01

IMPORTANCE Hearing loss (HL) in children can be deleterious to their speech and language development. The standard of practice has been early provision of hearing aids (HAs) to moderate these effects; however, there have been few empirical studies evaluating the effectiveness of this practice on speech and language development among children with mild-to-severe HL. OBJECTIVE To investigate the contributions of aided hearing and duration of HA use to speech and language outcomes in children with mild-to-severe HL. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS An observational cross-sectional design was used to examine the association of aided hearing levels and length of HA use with levels of speech and language outcomes. One hundred eighty 3- and 5-year-old children with HL were recruited through records of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and referrals from clinical service providers in the general community in 6 US states. INTERVENTIONS All but 4 children had been fitted with HAs, and measures of aided hearing and the duration of HA use were obtained. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Standardized measures of speech and language ability were obtained. RESULTS Measures of the gain in hearing ability for speech provided by the HA were significantly correlated with levels of speech (ρ179 = 0.20; P = .008) and language: ρ155 = 0.21; P = .01) ability. These correlations were indicative of modest levels of association between aided hearing and speech and language outcomes. These benefits were found for children with mild and moderate-to-severe HL. In addition, the amount of benefit from aided hearing interacted with the duration of HA experience (Speech: F4,161 = 4.98; P < .001; Language: F4,138 = 2.91; P < .02). Longer duration of HA experience was most beneficial for children who had the best aided hearing. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The degree of improved hearing provided by HAs was associated with better speech and language development in children. In addition, the duration of HA experience interacted with the aided hearing to influence outcomes. These results provide support for the provision of well-fitted HAs to children with HL. In particular, the findings support early HA fitting and HA provision to children with mild HL.

Electronic Circuit Analysis Language (ECAL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenghang, C.

1983-03-01

The computer aided design technique is an important development in computer applications and it is an important component of computer science. The special language for electronic circuit analysis is the foundation of computer aided design or computer aided circuit analysis (abbreviated as CACD and CACA) of simulated circuits. Electronic circuit analysis language (ECAL) is a comparatively simple and easy to use circuit analysis special language which uses the FORTRAN language to carry out the explanatory executions. It is capable of conducting dc analysis, ac analysis, and transient analysis of a circuit. Futhermore, the results of the dc analysis can be used directly as the initial conditions for the ac and transient analyses.

Language Mapping in Awake Surgery: Report of Two Cases with Review of Language Networks.

PubMed

Lim, Liang Hooi; Idris, Zamzuri; Reza, Faruque; Wan Hassan, Wan Mohd Nazaruddin; Mukmin, Laila Abd; Abdullah, Jafri Malin

2018-01-01

The role of language in communication plays a crucial role in human development and function. In patients who have a surgical lesion at the functional language areas, surgery should be intricately planned to avoid incurring further morbidity. This normally requires extensive functional and anatomical mappings of the brain to identify regions that are involved in language processing and production. In our case report, regions of the brain that are important for language functions were studied before surgery by employing (a) extraoperative methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, transmagnetic stimulation, and magnetoencephalography; (b) during the surgery by utilizing intraoperative awake surgical methods such as an intraoperative electrical stimulation; and (c) a two-stage surgery, in which electrical stimulation and first mapping are made thoroughly in the ward before second remapping during surgery. The extraoperative methods before surgery can guide the neurosurgeon to localize the functional language regions and tracts preoperatively. This will be confirmed using single-stage intraoperative electrical brain stimulation during surgery or a two-stage electrical brain stimulation before and during surgery. Here, we describe two cases in whom one has a superficial lesion and another a deep-seated lesion at language-related regions, in which language mapping was done to preserve its function. Additional review on the neuroanatomy of language regions, language network, and its impairment was also described.

Language Outcomes in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: The Role of Language Ability before Hearing Aid Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daub, Olivia; Bagatto, Marlene P.; Johnson, Andrew M.; Cardy, Janis Oram

2017-01-01

Purpose: Early auditory experiences are fundamental in infant language acquisition. Research consistently demonstrates the benefits of early intervention (i.e., hearing aids) to language outcomes in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The nature of these benefits and their relation with prefitting development are, however, not well…

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST): neuropsychological mechanisms of change.

PubMed

Hall, Louise; Orrell, Martin; Stott, Joshua; Spector, Aimee

2013-03-01

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is an evidence-based psychosocial intervention for people with dementia consisting of 14 group sessions aiming to stimulate various areas of cognition. This study examined the effects of CST on specific cognitive domains and explored the neuropsychological processes underpinning any effects. A total of 34 participants with mild to moderate dementia were included. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants completed a battery of neuropsychological tests in the week before and after the manualised seven-week CST programme. There were significant improvement pre- to post-CST group on measures of delayed verbal recall (WMS III logical memory subtest - delayed), visual memory (WMS III visual reproduction subtest - delayed), orientation (WMS III information and orientation subscale), and auditory comprehension (Token Test). There were no significant changes on measures of naming (Boston Naming Test-2), attention (Trail Making Test A/Digit Span), executive function (DKEFS verbal fluency/Trail Making Test B), praxis (WMS III visual reproduction - immediate) or on a general cognitive screen (MMSE). Memory, comprehension of syntax, and orientation appear to be the cognitive domains most impacted by CST. One hypothesis is that the language-based nature of CST enhances neural pathways responsible for processing of syntax, possibly also aiding verbal recall. Another is that the reduction in negative self-stereotypes due to the de-stigmatising effect of CST may impact on language and memory, domains that are the primary focus of CST. Further research is required to substantiate these hypotheses.

Effects of early auditory experience on the spoken language of deaf children at 3 years of age.

PubMed

Nicholas, Johanna Grant; Geers, Ann E

2006-06-01

By age 3, typically developing children have achieved extensive vocabulary and syntax skills that facilitate both cognitive and social development. Substantial delays in spoken language acquisition have been documented for children with severe to profound deafness, even those with auditory oral training and early hearing aid use. This study documents the spoken language skills achieved by orally educated 3-yr-olds whose profound hearing loss was identified and hearing aids fitted between 1 and 30 mo of age and who received a cochlear implant between 12 and 38 mo of age. The purpose of the analysis was to examine the effects of age, duration, and type of early auditory experience on spoken language competence at age 3.5 yr. The spoken language skills of 76 children who had used a cochlear implant for at least 7 mo were evaluated via standardized 30-minute language sample analysis, a parent-completed vocabulary checklist, and a teacher language-rating scale. The children were recruited from and enrolled in oral education programs or therapy practices across the United States. Inclusion criteria included presumed deaf since birth, English the primary language of the home, no other known conditions that interfere with speech/language development, enrolled in programs using oral education methods, and no known problems with the cochlear implant lasting more than 30 days. Strong correlations were obtained among all language measures. Therefore, principal components analysis was used to derive a single Language Factor score for each child. A number of possible predictors of language outcome were examined, including age at identification and intervention with a hearing aid, duration of use of a hearing aid, pre-implant pure-tone average (PTA) threshold with a hearing aid, PTA threshold with a cochlear implant, and duration of use of a cochlear implant/age at implantation (the last two variables were practically identical because all children were tested between 40 and 44 mo of age). Examination of the independent influence of these predictors through multiple regression analysis revealed that pre-implant-aided PTA threshold and duration of cochlear implant use (i.e., age at implant) accounted for 58% of the variance in Language Factor scores. A significant negative coefficient associated with pre-implant-aided threshold indicated that children with poorer hearing before implantation exhibited poorer language skills at age 3.5 yr. Likewise, a strong positive coefficient associated with duration of implant use indicated that children who had used their implant for a longer period of time (i.e., who were implanted at an earlier age) exhibited better language at age 3.5 yr. Age at identification and amplification was unrelated to language outcome, as was aided threshold with the cochlear implant. A significant quadratic trend in the relation between duration of implant use and language score revealed a steady increase in language skill (at age 3.5 yr) for each additional month of use of a cochlear implant after the first 12 mo of implant use. The advantage to language of longer implant use became more pronounced over time. Longer use of a cochlear implant in infancy and very early childhood dramatically affects the amount of spoken language exhibited by 3-yr-old, profoundly deaf children. In this sample, the amount of pre-implant intervention with a hearing aid was not related to language outcome at 3.5 yr of age. Rather, it was cochlear implantation at a younger age that served to promote spoken language competence. The previously identified language-facilitating factors of early identification of hearing impairment and early educational intervention may not be sufficient for optimizing spoken language of profoundly deaf children unless it leads to early cochlear implantation.

Tactile Aid Usage with Young Hearing-Impaired Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proctor, Adele

Five hearing impaired children (2 to 4 years old) were followed longitudinally while using a single channel, vibrotactile aid as a supplement to hearing aids. Standardized language tests (including the Scales of Early Communication Skills for Hearing Impaired Children, the Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language, and the Test for Auditory…

Bihemispheric tDCS enhances language recovery but does not alter BDNF levels in chronic aphasic patients.

PubMed

Marangolo, Paola; Fiori, Valentina; Gelfo, Francesca; Shofany, Jacob; Razzano, Carmelina; Caltagirone, Carlo; Angelucci, Francesco

2014-01-01

Several studies have shown that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a useful tool to enhance language recovery in aphasia. It has also been suggested that modulation of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) might be part of the mechanisms involved in tDCS effects on synaptic connectivity. However, all language studies have previously investigated the effects using unihemispheric stimulation. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the role of bihemispheric tDCS on language recovery and BDNF serum levels. Seven aphasic persons underwent an intensive language therapy in two different conditions: real bihemispheric stimulation over the left and right Broca's areas and a sham condition. After the stimulation, patients exibited a significant recovery in three language tasks (picture description, noun and verb naming) compared to the sham condition which persisted in the follow-up session. No significant differences were found in BDNF serum levels after tDCS stimulation and in the follow-up session. However, a significant positive correlation was present for the real stimulation condition between percent changes in BDNF levels and in the verb naming task. The data suggest that this novel approach may potentiate the recovery of language in chronic aphasia. They also emphasize the importance to further investigate the role of possible biomarkers associated with tDCS treatment response in language recovery.

Infant communication and subsequent language development in children from low-income families: the role of early cognitive stimulation.

PubMed

Cates, Carolyn Brockmeyer; Dreyer, Benard P; Berkule, Samantha B; White, Lisa J; Arevalo, Jenny A; Mendelsohn, Alan L

2012-09-01

To explore the relationship between early cognitive stimulation in the home, 6-month infant communication, and 24-month toddler language in a low-socioeconomic status sample. Longitudinal analyses of mother-child dyads participating in larger study of early child development were performed. Dyads enrolled postpartum in an urban public hospital. Cognitive stimulation in the home at 6 months was assessed using StimQ-lnfant, including provision of toys, shared reading, teaching, and verbal responsivity. Early infant communication was assessed at 6 months including the following: (1) Emotion and eye gaze (Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scale DP-CSBS DP), (2) Communicative bids (CSBS DP), and (3) Expression of emotion (Short Temperament Scale for Infants). Toddler language was assessed at 24 months using the Preschool Language Scale-4, including the following: (1) expressive language and (2) auditory comprehension. Three hundred twenty families were assessed. In structural equation models, cognitive stimulation in the home was strongly associated with early infant communication (β = 0.63, p <.0001) and was predictive of 24-month language (β = 0.20, p <.05). The effect of early cognitive stimulation on 24-month language was mediated through early impacts on infant communication (Indirect β = 0.28, p =.001). Reading, teaching, availability of learning materials, and other reciprocal verbal interactions were all related directly to infant communication and indirectly to language outcomes. The impact of early cognitive stimulation on toddler language is manifested through early associations with infant communication. Pediatric primary care providers should promote cognitive stimulation beginning in early infancy and support the expansion and dissemination of intervention programs such as Reach Out and Read and the Video Interaction Project.

Why does parental language input style predict child language development? A twin study of gene-environment correlation.

PubMed

Dale, Philip S; Tosto, Maria Grazia; Hayiou-Thomas, Marianna E; Plomin, Robert

2015-01-01

There are well-established correlations between parental input style and child language development, which have typically been interpreted as evidence that the input style causes, or influences the rate of, changes in child language. We present evidence from a large twin study (TEDS; 8395 pairs for this report) that there are also likely to be both child-to-parent effects and shared genetic effects on parent and child. Self-reported parental language style at child age 3 and age 4 was aggregated into an 'informal language stimulation' factor and a 'corrective feedback' factor at each age; the former was positively correlated with child language concurrently and longitudinally at 3, 4, and 4.5 years, whereas the latter was weakly and negatively correlated. Both parental input factors were moderately heritable, as was child language. Longitudinal bivariate analysis showed that the correlation between the language stimulation factor and child language was significantly and moderately due to shared genes. There is some suggestive evidence from longitudinal phenotypic analysis that the prediction from parental language stimulation to child language includes both evocative and passive gene-environment correlation, with the latter playing a larger role. The reader will understand why correlations between parental language and rate of child language are by themselves ambiguous, and how twin studies can clarify the relationship. The reader will also understand that, based on the present study, at least two aspects of parental language style - informal language stimulation and corrective feedback - have substantial genetic influence, and that for informal language stimulation, a substantial portion of the prediction to child language represents the effect of shared genes on both parent and child. It will also be appreciated that these basic research findings do not imply that parental language input style is unimportant or that interventions cannot be effective. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AIDS Education in the Middle School Language Arts Program? YES!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumpter, R. David; Benson, Tammy

1995-01-01

AIDS education should not only focus on prevention but also promote decision-making skills and values as a basis for adolescent behavior. Activities that can be integrated with language arts for rural middle school students include role playing, reading and writing assignments about famous people afflicted with AIDS, round-table discussions, and…

The Effects of Selected Language Stimulation Upon the Language Skills of Hard of Hearing School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spangenberg, Cynthia Pont

Results of a study involving 20 hard of hearing school aged students indicated that Ss in two experimental conditions (language stimulation by Big Brothers or Big Sisters and special training in oral and written language skills with a hearing specialist) increased in the complexity of their oral language more than control Ss did. (CL)

Communication Impairment in the AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC): A Case Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCabe, Patricia J.; Sheard, Christine; Code, Chris

2008-01-01

This article details three examinations of communication impairment over 13 months in a man with AIDS dementia complex (ADC) and compares his performance on standardised language testing with that of two control participants. He had mild language impairments as measured on standardised tests but was severely impaired in pragmatic language skills.…

Milestones in Language Planning and Development Aid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coleman, Hywel

2017-01-01

This paper tracks the changing relationships between language planning and development aid over a period of 70 years from the end of the Second World War to the present day. Drawing on documentary resources--in particular, the published proceedings of the Language and Development Conferences (LDCs)--the paper identifies a number of significant…

Clinical Applications of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Pediatric Neurology.

PubMed

Narayana, Shalini; Papanicolaou, Andrew C; McGregor, Amy; Boop, Frederick A; Wheless, James W

2015-08-01

Noninvasive brain stimulation is now an accepted technique that is used as a diagnostic aid and in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders in adults, and is being increasingly used in children. In this review, we will discuss the basic principles and safety of one noninvasive brain stimulation method, transcranial magnetic stimulation. Improvements in the spatial accuracy of transcranial magnetic stimulation are described in the context of image-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation. The article describes and provides examples of the current clinical applications of transcranial magnetic stimulation in children as an aid in the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and discusses future potential applications. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a noninvasive tool that is safe for use in children and adolescents for functional mapping and treatment, and for many children it aids in the preoperative evaluation and the risk-benefit decision making. © The Author(s) 2014.

Predictors of spoken language development following pediatric cochlear implantation.

PubMed

Boons, Tinne; Brokx, Jan P L; Dhooge, Ingeborg; Frijns, Johan H M; Peeraer, Louis; Vermeulen, Anneke; Wouters, Jan; van Wieringen, Astrid

2012-01-01

Although deaf children with cochlear implants (CIs) are able to develop good language skills, the large variability in outcomes remains a significant concern. The first aim of this study was to evaluate language skills in children with CIs to establish benchmarks. The second aim was to make an estimation of the optimal age at implantation to provide maximal opportunities for the child to achieve good language skills afterward. The third aim was to gain more insight into the causes of variability to set recommendations for optimizing the rehabilitation process of prelingually deaf children with CIs. Receptive and expressive language development of 288 children who received CIs by age five was analyzed in a retrospective multicenter study. Outcome measures were language quotients (LQs) on the Reynell Developmental Language Scales and Schlichting Expressive Language Test at 1, 2, and 3 years after implantation. Independent predictive variables were nine child-related, environmental, and auditory factors. A series of multiple regression analyses determined the amount of variance in expressive and receptive language outcomes attributable to each predictor when controlling for the other variables. Simple linear regressions with age at first fitting and independent samples t tests demonstrated that children implanted before the age of two performed significantly better on all tests than children who were implanted at an older age. The mean LQ was 0.78 with an SD of 0.18. A child with an LQ lower than 0.60 (= 0.78-0.18) within 3 years after implantation was labeled as a weak performer compared with other deaf children implanted before the age of two. Contralateral stimulation with a second CI or a hearing aid and the absence of additional disabilities were related to better language outcomes. The effect of environmental factors, comprising multilingualism, parental involvement, and communication mode increased over time. Three years after implantation, the total multiple regression model accounted for 52% of the variance in receptive language scores and 58% of the variance in expressive language scores. On the basis of language test scores of this large group of children, an LQ of 0.60 or lower was considered a risk criterion for problematic language development compared with other deaf children using CIs. Children attaining LQs below 0.60 should be monitored more closely and perhaps their rehabilitation programs should be reconsidered. Improved language outcomes were related to implantation under the age of two, contralateral stimulation, monolingualism, sufficient involvement of the parents, and oral communication by the parents. The presence of an additional learning disability had a negative influence on language development. Understanding these causes of variation can help clinicians and parents to create the best possible circumstances for children with CIs to acquire language.

The Usefulness of Pictorial Aids in Developing Female Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners' Speaking Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afraz, Shahram; Taghizade, Leila; Taghinezhad, Ali

2018-01-01

Speaking is a crucial form of communication in language learning settings. Through speaking skill, ESL/EFL language learners can communicate and convey information. Pictorial aids have been deployed as efficacious mediatory tools in teaching various disciplines such as language teaching. Still, to the best of the researchers' knowledge, a direct…

Non-invasive brain stimulation to investigate language production in healthy speakers: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Klaus, Jana; Schutter, Dennis J L G

2018-06-01

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has become a common method to study the interrelations between the brain and language functioning. This meta-analysis examined the efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the study of language production in healthy volunteers. Forty-five effect sizes from 30 studies which investigated the effects of NIBS on picture naming or verbal fluency in healthy participants were meta-analysed. Further sub-analyses investigated potential influences of stimulation type, control, target site, task, online vs. offline application, and current density of the target electrode. Random effects modelling showed a small, but reliable effect of NIBS on language production. Subsequent analyses indicated larger weighted mean effect sizes for TMS as compared to tDCS studies. No statistical differences for the other sub-analyses were observed. We conclude that NIBS is a useful method for neuroscientific studies on language production in healthy volunteers. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of diffusion tensor imaging tractography of language tracts and intraoperative subcortical stimulations.

PubMed

Leclercq, Delphine; Duffau, Hugues; Delmaire, Christine; Capelle, Laurent; Gatignol, Peggy; Ducros, Mathieu; Chiras, Jacques; Lehéricy, Stéphane

2010-03-01

Diffusion tensor (DT) imaging tractography is increasingly used to map fiber tracts in patients with surgical brain lesions to reduce the risk of postoperative functional deficit. There are few validation studies of DT imaging tractography in these patients. The aim of this study was to compare DT imaging tractography of language fiber tracts by using intraoperative subcortical electrical stimulations. The authors included 10 patients with low-grade gliomas or dysplasia located in language areas. The MR imaging examination included 3D T1-weighted images for anatomical coregistration, FLAIR, and DT images. Diffusion tensors and fiber tracts were calculated using in-house software. Four tracts were reconstructed in each patient including the arcuate fasciculus, the inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus, and 2 premotor fasciculi (the subcallosal medialis fiber tract and cortical fibers originating from the medial and lateral premotor areas). The authors compared fiber tracts reconstructed using DT imaging with those evidenced using intraoperative subcortical language mapping. Seventeen (81%) of 21 positive stimulations were concordant with DT imaging fiber bundles (located within 6 mm of a fiber tract). Four positive stimulations were not located in the vicinity of a DT imaging fiber tract. Stimulations of the arcuate fasciculus mostly induced articulatory and phonemic/syntactic disorders and less frequently semantic paraphasias. Stimulations of the inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus induced semantic paraphasias. Stimulations of the premotor-related fasciculi induced dysarthria and articulatory planning deficit. There was a good correspondence between positive stimulation sites and fiber tracts, suggesting that DT imaging fiber tracking is a reliable technique but not yet optimal to map language tracts in patients with brain lesions. Negative tractography does not rule out the persistence of a fiber tract, especially when invaded by the tumor. Stimulations of the different tracts induced variable language disorders that were specific to each fiber tract.

Aphasia: Current Concepts in Theory and Practice

PubMed Central

Tippett, Donna C.; Niparko, John K.; Hillis, Argye E.

2014-01-01

Recent advances in neuroimaging contribute to a new insights regarding brain-behavior relationships and expand understanding of the functional neuroanatomy of language. Modern concepts of the functional neuroanatomy of language invoke rich and complex models of language comprehension and expression, such as dual stream networks. Increasingly, aphasia is seen as a disruption of cognitive processes underlying language. Rehabilitation of aphasia incorporates evidence based and person-centered approaches. Novel techniques, such as methods of delivering cortical brain stimulation to modulate cortical excitability, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation, are just beginning to be explored. In this review, we discuss the historical context of the foundations of neuroscientific approaches to language. We sample the emergent theoretical models of the neural substrates of language and cognitive processes underlying aphasia that contribute to more refined and nuanced concepts of language. Current concepts of aphasia rehabilitation are reviewed, including the promising role of cortical stimulation as an adjunct to behavioral therapy and changes in therapeutic approaches based on principles of neuroplasticity and evidence-based/person-centered practice to optimize functional outcomes. PMID:24904925

A re-examination of neural basis of language processing: proposal of a dynamic hodotopical model from data provided by brain stimulation mapping during picture naming.

PubMed

Duffau, Hugues; Moritz-Gasser, Sylvie; Mandonnet, Emmanuel

2014-04-01

From recent findings provided by brain stimulation mapping during picture naming, we re-examine the neural basis of language. We studied structural-functional relationships by correlating the types of language disturbances generated by stimulation in awake patients, mimicking a transient virtual lesion both at cortical and subcortical levels (white matter and deep grey nuclei), with the anatomical location of the stimulation probe. We propose a hodotopical (delocalized) and dynamic model of language processing, which challenges the traditional modular and serial view. According to this model, following the visual input, the language network is organized in parallel, segregated (even if interconnected) large-scale cortico-subcortical sub-networks underlying semantic, phonological and syntactic processing. Our model offers several advantages (i) it explains double dissociations during stimulation (comprehension versus naming disorders, semantic versus phonemic paraphasias, syntactic versus naming disturbances, plurimodal judgment versus naming disorders); (ii) it takes into account the cortical and subcortical anatomic constraints; (iii) it explains the possible recovery of aphasia following a lesion within the "classical" language areas; (iv) it establishes links with a model executive functions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improvement of language functions in a chronic non-fluent post-stroke aphasic patient following bilateral sequential theta burst magnetic stimulation.

PubMed

Vuksanović, Jasmina; Jelić, Milan B; Milanović, Sladjan D; Kačar, Katarina; Konstantinović, Ljubica; Filipović, Saša R

2015-01-01

In chronic non-fluent aphasia patients, inhibition of the intact right hemisphere (RH), by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or similar methods, can induce improvement in language functions. The supposed mechanism behind this improvement is a release of preserved left hemisphere (LH) language networks from RH transcallosal inhibition. Direct stimulation of the damaged LH can sometimes bring similar results too. Therefore, we developed a novel treatment approach that combined direct LH (Broca's area (BA)) stimulation, by intermittent theta burst stimulation (TBS), with homologue RH area's inhibition, by continuous TBS. We present the results of application of 15 daily sessions of the described treatment approach in a right-handed patient with chronic post-stroke non-fluent aphasia. The intervention appeared to improve several language functions, but most notably propositional speech, semantic fluency, short-term verbal memory, and verbal learning. Bilateral TBS modulation of activation of the language-related areas of both hemispheres seems to be a feasible and promising way to induce recovery in chronic aphasic patients. Due to potentially cumulative physiological effects of bilateral stimulation, the improvements may be even greater than following unilateral interventions.

Stimulating Language: Insights from TMS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devlin, Joseph T.; Watkins, Kate E.

2007-01-01

Fifteen years ago, Pascual-Leone and colleagues used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate speech production in pre-surgical epilepsy patients and in doing so, introduced a novel tool into language research. TMS can be used to non-invasively stimulate a specific cortical region and transiently disrupt information processing. These…

Contributions to singing ability by the posterior portion of the superior temporal gyrus of the non-language-dominant hemisphere: First evidence from subdural cortical stimulation, Wada testing, and fMRI

PubMed Central

Suarez, Ralph O.; Golby, Alexandra; Whalen, Stephen; Sato, Susumu; Theodore, William H.; Kufta, Conrad V.; Devinsky, Orrin; Balish, Marshall; Bromfield, Edward B.

2009-01-01

INTRODUCTION Although the substrates that mediate singing abilities in the human brain are not well understood, invasive brain mapping techniques used for clinical decision making such as intracranial electrocortical testing and Wada testing offer a rare opportunity to examine music-related function in a select group of subjects, affording exceptional spatial and temporal specificity. METHODS We studied eight patients with medically refractory epilepsy undergoing indwelling subdural electrode seizure focus localization. All patients underwent Wada testing for language lateralization. Functional assessment of language and music tasks was done by electrode grid cortical stimulation. One patient was also tested non-invasively with functional MRI. Functional organization of singing ability compared to language ability was determined based on four regions-ofinterest: left and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and left and right posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG). RESULTS In some subjects, electrical stimulation of dominant pSTG can interfere with speech and not singing, whereas stimulation of non-dominant pSTG area can interfere with singing and not speech. Stimulation of the dominant IFG tends to interfere with both musical and language expression, while non-dominant IFG stimulation was often observed to cause no interference with either task; and finally, that stimulation of areas adjacent to but not within non-dominant pSTG typically does not affect either ability. FMRI mappings of one subject revealed similar music/language dissociation with respect to activation asymmetry within the regions-of-interest. CONCLUSION Despite inherent limitations with respect to strictly research objectives, invasive clinical techniques offer a rare opportunity to probe musical and language cognitive processes of the brain in a select group of patients. PMID:19570530

Dual Language versus English-Only Support for Bilingual Children with Hearing Loss Who Use Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunta, Ferenc; Douglas, Michael; Dickson, Hanna; Cantu, Amy; Wickesberg, Jennifer; Gifford, René H.

2016-01-01

Background: There is a critical need to understand better speech and language development in bilingual children learning two spoken languages who use cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing aids (HAs). The paucity of knowledge in this area poses a significant barrier to providing maximal communicative outcomes to a growing number of children who have…

Stimulating Language: Special Needs Children in Family Day Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Catherine; And Others

One of four packets designed to help day care providers work with handicapped children and their parents, the booklet describes a workshop aimed at stimulating children's language. The workshop centers on the Preschool Group Evaluation Checklist which assesses the following factors in group language experience: role of the adult (verbal…

Pre-Language Activities for the Profoundly Mentally Retarded.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poole, Marilyn R.; And Others

Provided are sample lesson plans for a program to develop pre-language skills in profoundly retarded children and adults. Characteristic of the suggested activities is the stimulation of all sensory channels through structured infant-like play activities in five general areas: oral stimulation, sensory arousal, motor stimulation, vocal play, and…

Stimulation of Executive Functions as Part of the Language Intervention Process in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Sun, Ingrid Ya I; Varanda, Cristina Andrade; Fernandes, Fernanda Dreux

2017-01-01

Identifying effective methods for stimulating language and communication of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is fundamental to the effective use of available resources to support these children. This pilot study was designed to explore the potential benefits of a program of stimulation of executive functions (SEF) on the functional aspects of language and communication through the assessment of the functional communicative profile and social-cognitive performance. Twenty children, aged 5-12 years, with a diagnosis of ASD participated in the study. Two stimulation programs were offered over a 10- to 12-week period as part of the regular services offered to these children through a University's speech and language therapy outpatient clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. Children either received SEF intervention in their home implemented by their parent/s, with close monitoring by the speech-language pathologist (SLP) (group 1), or they received SEF by the SLP during regular speech-language therapy individual sessions (group 2). The findings suggested that there were differences between the children's pre- and posttest performance. Significantly different performances were observed in the areas of occupation of communication space, proportion of communicative interactivity, and social-cognitive performance. The inclusion of activities to stimulate executive function abilities in language intervention for children with ASD warrants further investigation. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effects of maternal sensitivity and cognitive and linguistic stimulation on cochlear implant users' language development over four years.

PubMed

Quittner, Alexandra L; Cruz, Ivette; Barker, David H; Tobey, Emily; Eisenberg, Laurie S; Niparko, John K

2013-02-01

To examine the effects of observed maternal sensitivity (MS), cognitive stimulation (CS), and linguistic stimulation on the 4-year growth of oral language in young, deaf children receiving a cochlear implant. Previous studies of cochlear implants have not considered the effects of parental behaviors on language outcomes. In this prospective, multisite study, we evaluated parent-child interactions during structured and unstructured play tasks and their effects on oral language development in 188 deaf children receiving a cochlear implant and 97 normal-hearing children as controls. Parent-child interactions were rated on a 7-point scale using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Early Childcare Study codes, which have well-established psychometric properties. Language was assessed using the MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories, the Reynell Developmental Language Scales, and the Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language. We used mixed longitudinal modeling to test our hypotheses. After accounting for early hearing experience and child and family demographics, MS and CS predicted significant increases in the growth of oral language. Linguistic stimulation was related to language growth only in the context of high MS. The magnitude of effects of MS and CS on the growth of language was similar to that found for age at cochlear implantation, suggesting that addressing parenting behaviors is a critical target for early language learning after implantation. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

tDCS over the motor cortex improves lexical retrieval of action words in poststroke aphasia.

PubMed

Branscheidt, Meret; Hoppe, Julia; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Liuzzi, Gianpiero

2018-02-01

One-third of stroke survivors worldwide suffer from aphasia. Speech and language therapy (SLT) is considered effective in treating aphasia, but because of time constraints, improvements are often limited. Noninvasive brain stimulation is a promising adjuvant strategy to facilitate SLT. However, stroke might render "classical" language regions ineffective as stimulation sites. Recent work showed the effectiveness of motor cortex stimulation together with intensive naming therapy to improve outcomes in aphasia (Meinzer et al. 2016). Although that study highlights the involvement of the motor cortex, the functional aspects by which it influences language remain unclear. In the present study, we focus on the role of motor cortex in language, investigating its functional involvement in access to specific lexico-semantic (object vs. action relatedness) information in poststroke aphasia. To this end, we tested effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left motor cortex on lexical retrieval in 16 patients with poststroke aphasia in a sham-controlled, double-blind study design. Critical stimuli were action and object words, and pseudowords. Participants performed a lexical decision task, deciding whether stimuli were words or pseudowords. Anodal tDCS improved accuracy in lexical decision, especially for words with action-related content and for pseudowords with an "action-like" ending ( t 15  = 2.65, P = 0.036), but not for words with object-related content and pseudowords with "object-like" characteristics. We show as a proof-of-principle that the motor cortex may play a specific role in access to lexico-semantic content. Thus motor-cortex stimulation may strengthen content-specific word-to-semantic concept associations during language treatment in poststroke aphasia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The role of motor cortex (MC) in language processing has been debated in both health and disease. Recent work has suggested that MC stimulation together with speech and language therapy enhances outcomes in aphasia. We show that MC stimulation has a differential effect on object- and action-word processing in poststroke aphasia. We propose that MC stimulation may specifically strengthen word-to-semantic concept association in aphasia. Our results potentially provide a way to tailor therapies for language rehabilitation.

Introduction to Foreign Languages and Cultures: A New Course to Stimulate Second Language Learning in the Public Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Stephen A.

1978-01-01

Olympic View Middle School has established a program designed to stimulate interest in foreign languages and cultures. The course is intended as an introduction to foreign language and culture study, and is required for all 7th and 8th grade students. Program 1 of the course is taught during one semester of 7th grade, Program 2 during one semester…

Indirect Language Stimulation (ILS): AAC Techniques To Promote Communication Competence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boose, Martha A.; Stinnett, Tessa

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that used indirect language stimulation techniques and modeling to encourage language development in a 5-year-old child with cerebral palsy. Initially, the student's communication system had very severe limitations. He used fewer than 10 spoken words which were unintelligible to most listeners. Both…

Why does parental language input style predict child language development? A twin study of gene–environment correlation

PubMed Central

Dale, Philip S.; Tosto, Maria Grazia; Hayiou-Thomas, Marianna E.; Plomin, Robert

2015-01-01

There are well-established correlations between parental input style and child language development, which have typically been interpreted as evidence that the input style causes, or influences the rate of, changes in child language. We present evidence from a large twin study (TEDS; 8395 pairs for this report) that there are also likely to be both child-to-parent effects and shared genetic effects on parent and child. Self-reported parental language style at child age 3 and age 4 was aggregated into an ‘informal language stimulation’ factor and a ‘corrective feedback’ factor at each age; the former was positively correlated with child language concurrently and longitudinally at 3, 4, and 4.5 years, whereas the latter was weakly and negatively correlated. Both parental input factors were moderately heritable, as was child language. Longitudinal bivariate analysis showed that the correlation between the language stimulation factor and child language was significantly and moderately due to shared genes. There is some suggestive evidence from longitudinal phenotypic analysis that the prediction from parental language stimulation to child language includes both evocative and passive gene–environment correlation, with the latter playing a larger role. Learning outcomes: The reader will understand why correlations between parental language and rate of child language are by themselves ambiguous, and how twin studies can clarify the relationship. The reader will also understand that, based on the present study, at least two aspects of parental language style – informal language stimulation and corrective feedback – have substantial genetic influence, and that for informal language stimulation, a substantial portion of the prediction to child language represents the effect of shared genes on both parent and child. It will also be appreciated that these basic research findings do not imply that parental language input style is unimportant or that interventions cannot be effective. PMID:26277213

Modulation of N400 in Chronic Non-Fluent Aphasia Using Low Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barwood, Caroline H. S.; Murdoch, Bruce E.; Whelan, Brooke-Mai; Lloyd, David; Riek, Stephan; O'Sullivan, John D.; Coulthard, Alan; Wong, Andrew

2011-01-01

Low frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) has previously been applied to language homologues in non-fluent populations of persons with aphasia yielding significant improvements in behavioral language function up to 43 months post stimulation. The present study aimed to investigate the electrophysiological correlates…

Intra-operative multi-site stimulation: Expanding methodology for cortical brain mapping of language functions

PubMed Central

Korn, Akiva; Kirschner, Adi; Perry, Daniella; Hendler, Talma; Ram, Zvi

2017-01-01

Direct cortical stimulation (DCS) is considered the gold-standard for functional cortical mapping during awake surgery for brain tumor resection. DCS is performed by stimulating one local cortical area at a time. We present a feasibility study using an intra-operative technique aimed at improving our ability to map brain functions which rely on activity in distributed cortical regions. Following standard DCS, Multi-Site Stimulation (MSS) was performed in 15 patients by applying simultaneous cortical stimulations at multiple locations. Language functioning was chosen as a case-cognitive domain due to its relatively well-known cortical organization. MSS, performed at sites that did not produce disruption when applied in a single stimulation point, revealed additional language dysfunction in 73% of the patients. Functional regions identified by this technique were presumed to be significant to language circuitry and were spared during surgery. No new neurological deficits were observed in any of the patients following surgery. Though the neuro-electrical effects of MSS need further investigation, this feasibility study may provide a first step towards sophistication of intra-operative cortical mapping. PMID:28700619

Intra-operative multi-site stimulation: Expanding methodology for cortical brain mapping of language functions.

PubMed

Gonen, Tal; Gazit, Tomer; Korn, Akiva; Kirschner, Adi; Perry, Daniella; Hendler, Talma; Ram, Zvi

2017-01-01

Direct cortical stimulation (DCS) is considered the gold-standard for functional cortical mapping during awake surgery for brain tumor resection. DCS is performed by stimulating one local cortical area at a time. We present a feasibility study using an intra-operative technique aimed at improving our ability to map brain functions which rely on activity in distributed cortical regions. Following standard DCS, Multi-Site Stimulation (MSS) was performed in 15 patients by applying simultaneous cortical stimulations at multiple locations. Language functioning was chosen as a case-cognitive domain due to its relatively well-known cortical organization. MSS, performed at sites that did not produce disruption when applied in a single stimulation point, revealed additional language dysfunction in 73% of the patients. Functional regions identified by this technique were presumed to be significant to language circuitry and were spared during surgery. No new neurological deficits were observed in any of the patients following surgery. Though the neuro-electrical effects of MSS need further investigation, this feasibility study may provide a first step towards sophistication of intra-operative cortical mapping.

HIV/AIDS and the Flu

MedlinePlus

... Influenza Types Seasonal Avian Swine Variant Pandemic Other HIV/AIDS and the Flu Questions & Answers Language: English ( ... people with HIV and AIDS. Should people with HIV/AIDS receive the inactivated influenza vaccine? People with ...

The neurophysiology of language: Insights from non-invasive brain stimulation in the healthy human brain.

PubMed

Hartwigsen, Gesa

2015-09-01

With the advent of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), a new decade in the study of language has started. NIBS allows for testing the functional relevance of language-related brain activation and enables the researcher to investigate how neural activation changes in response to focal perturbations. This review focuses on the application of NIBS in the healthy brain. First, some basic mechanisms will be introduced and the prerequisites for carrying out NIBS studies of language are addressed. The next section outlines how NIBS can be used to characterize the contribution of the stimulated area to a task. In this context, novel approaches such as multifocal transcranial magnetic stimulation and the condition-and-perturb approach are discussed. The third part addresses the combination of NIBS and neuroimaging in the study of plasticity. These approaches are particularly suited to investigate short-term reorganization in the healthy brain and may inform models of language recovery in post-stroke aphasia. Copyright © 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language Mapping Using fMRI and Direct Cortical Stimulation for Brain Tumor Surgery

PubMed Central

Brennan, Nicole Petrovich; Peck, Kyung K.; Holodny, Andrei

2016-01-01

Language functional magnetic resonance imaging for neurosurgical planning is a useful but nuanced technique. Consideration of primary and secondary language anatomy, task selection, and data analysis choices all impact interpretation. In the following chapter, we consider practical considerations and nuances alike for language functional magnetic resonance imaging in the support of and comparison with the neurosurgical gold standard, direct cortical stimulation. Pitfalls and limitations are discussed. PMID:26848555

Combined noninvasive language mapping by navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional MRI and its comparison with direct cortical stimulation.

PubMed

Ille, Sebastian; Sollmann, Nico; Hauck, Theresa; Maurer, Stefanie; Tanigawa, Noriko; Obermueller, Thomas; Negwer, Chiara; Droese, Doris; Zimmer, Claus; Meyer, Bernhard; Ringel, Florian; Krieg, Sandro M

2015-07-01

Repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is now increasingly used for preoperative language mapping in patients with lesions in language-related areas of the brain. Yet its correlation with intraoperative direct cortical stimulation (DCS) has to be improved. To increase rTMS's specificity and positive predictive value, the authors aim to provide thresholds for rTMS's positive language areas. Moreover, they propose a protocol for combining rTMS with functional MRI (fMRI) to combine the strength of both methods. The authors performed multimodal language mapping in 35 patients with left-sided perisylvian lesions by using rTMS, fMRI, and DCS. The rTMS mappings were conducted with a picture-to-trigger interval (PTI, time between stimulus presentation and stimulation onset) of either 0 or 300 msec. The error rates (ERs; that is, the number of errors per number of stimulations) were calculated for each region of the cortical parcellation system (CPS). Subsequently, the rTMS mappings were analyzed through different error rate thresholds (ERT; that is, the ER at which a CPS region was defined as language positive in terms of rTMS), and the 2-out-of-3 rule (a stimulation site was defined as language positive in terms of rTMS if at least 2 out of 3 stimulations caused an error). As a second step, the authors combined the results of fMRI and rTMS in a predefined protocol of combined noninvasive mapping. To validate this noninvasive protocol, they correlated its results to DCS during awake surgery. The analysis by different rTMS ERTs obtained the highest correlation regarding sensitivity and a low rate of false positives for the ERTs of 15%, 20%, 25%, and the 2-out-of-3 rule. However, when comparing the combined fMRI and rTMS results with DCS, the authors observed an overall specificity of 83%, a positive predictive value of 51%, a sensitivity of 98%, and a negative predictive value of 95%. In comparison with fMRI, rTMS is a more sensitive but less specific tool for preoperative language mapping than DCS. Moreover, rTMS is most reliable when using ERTs of 15%, 20%, 25%, or the 2-out-of-3 rule and a PTI of 0 msec. Furthermore, the combination of fMRI and rTMS leads to a higher correlation to DCS than both techniques alone, and the presented protocols for combined noninvasive language mapping might play a supportive role in the language-mapping assessment prior to the gold-standard intraoperative DCS.

UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR,

DTIC Science & Technology

all languages with the aid of electron machines is being derived to show how easy it would be to decode even ’dead’ languages, and languages of the foginess of Andromeda , if such a language ever existed. (Author)

Transcranial magnetic stimulation: language function.

PubMed

Epstein, C M

1998-07-01

Studies of language using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have focused both on identification of language areas and on elucidation of function. TMS may result in either inhibition or facilitation of language processes and may operate directly at a presumptive site of language cortex or indirectly through intracortical networks. TMS has been used to create reversible "temporary lesions," similar to those produced by Wada tests and direct cortical electrical stimulation, in cerebral cortical areas subserving language function. Rapid-rate TMS over the left inferior frontal region blocks speech output in most subjects. However, the results are not those predicted from classic models of language organization. Speech arrest is obtained most easily over facial motor cortex, and true aphasia is rare, whereas right hemisphere or bilateral lateralization is unexpectedly prominent. A clinical role for these techniques is not yet fully established. Interfering with language comprehension and verbal memory is currently more difficult than blocking speech output, but numerous TMS studies have demonstrated facilitation of language-related tasks, including oral word association, story recall, digit span, and picture naming. Conversely, speech output also facilitates motor responses to TMS in the dominant hemisphere. Such new and often-unexpected findings may provide important insights into the organization of language.

Cerebral organization of oral and signed language responses: case study evidence from amytal and cortical stimulation studies.

PubMed

Mateer, C A; Rapport, R L; Kettrick, C

1984-01-01

A normally hearing left-handed patient familiar with American Sign Language (ASL) was assessed under sodium amytal conditions and with left cortical stimulation in both oral speech and signed English. Lateralization was mixed but complementary in each language mode: the right hemisphere perfusion severely disrupted motoric aspects of both types of language expression, the left hemisphere perfusion specifically disrupted features of grammatical and semantic usage in each mode of expression. Both semantic and syntactic aspects of oral and signed responses were altered during left posterior temporal-parietal stimulation. Findings are discussed in terms of the neurological organization of ASL and linguistic organization in cases of early left hemisphere damage.

Optimized FPGA Implementation of the Thyroid Hormone Secretion Mechanism Using CAD Tools.

PubMed

Alghazo, Jaafar M

2017-02-01

The goal of this paper is to implement the secretion mechanism of the Thyroid Hormone (TH) based on bio-mathematical differential eqs. (DE) on an FPGA chip. Hardware Descriptive Language (HDL) is used to develop a behavioral model of the mechanism derived from the DE. The Thyroid Hormone secretion mechanism is simulated with the interaction of the related stimulating and inhibiting hormones. Synthesis of the simulation is done with the aid of CAD tools and downloaded on a Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) Chip. The chip output shows identical behavior to that of the designed algorithm through simulation. It is concluded that the chip mimics the Thyroid Hormone secretion mechanism. The chip, operating in real-time, is computer-independent stand-alone system.

The ComAlong communication boards: parents' use and experiences of aided language stimulation.

PubMed

Jonsson, Anna; Kristoffersson, Lina; Ferm, Ulrika; Thunberg, Gunilla

2011-06-01

This study evaluated parents' use and experiences of the ComAlong communication boards, which were provided to them during a parental course on communication development, responsive strategies, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Quantitative and qualitative data was collected through a survey of 65 parents and an in-depth case study of four of the parents. Questionnaires, interviews, logbooks, and video recordings showed that parents used the ComAlong boards and experienced an increased understanding of augmentative and alternative communication. Most parents reported that their children showed an interest in the boards and that in some cases started to use the boards functionally in communication. Parents' views, in terms of gains and difficulties of using graphic communication at home, are discussed.

Language Learning and Control in Monolinguals and Bilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartolotti, James; Marian, Viorica

2012-01-01

Parallel language activation in bilinguals leads to competition between languages. Experience managing this interference may aid novel language learning by improving the ability to suppress competition from known languages. To investigate the effect of bilingualism on the ability to control native-language interference, monolinguals and bilinguals…

Effectiveness of aides in a perceptual motor training program for children with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Gersten, J W; Foppe, K B; Gersten, R; Maxwell, S; Mirrett, P; Gipson, M; Houston, H; Grueter, B

1975-03-01

A program for children with learning disabilities associated with perceptual deficits was designed that included elements of gross and fine motor coordination, visual and somatosensory perceptual training, dance, art, music and language. The effectiveness of nonprofessional "perceptual-aides," who were trained in this program, was evaluated. Twenty-eight children with learning disabilities associated with perceptual deficits were treated by occupational, physical, recreational and language therapists; and 27 similarly involved children were treated by two aides, under supervision, after training by therapists. Treatment in both groups was for four hours weekly over a four to seven month period. There was significant improvement in motor skills, visual and somatosensory perception, language and educational skills in the two programs. Although there was no significant difference between the two groups, there was a slight advantage to the aide program. The cost of the aide program was 10 percent higher than the therapist program during the first year, but 22 percent lower than the therapist program during the second year.

THE LANGUAGE OF BLACK GAY MEN’S SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: IMPLICATIONS FOR AIDS RISK REDUCTION

PubMed Central

Mays, Vickie M.; Cochran, Susan D.; Bellinger, George; Smith, Robert G.; Henley, Nancy; Daniels, Marlon; Tibbits, Thomas; Victorianne, Gregory D.; Osei, Olu Kwasi; Birt, Darryl K.

2011-01-01

The development of appropriate AIDS risk reduction interventions targeted at African-American gay men could be aided by an awareness of their terminology for specific sexual behaviors and types of sexual encounters. This paper explores similarities and differences between the HIV-related sexual language of Black and White gay men. While much of the vernacular is shared, differences in some terms and greater or lesser emphasis on others are apparent. PMID:25382870

Combined Dextroamphetamine and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Poststroke Aphasia.

PubMed

Keser, Zafer; Dehgan, Michelle Weber; Shadravan, Shaparak; Yozbatiran, Nuray; Maher, Lynn M; Francisco, Gerard E

2017-10-01

There is a growing need for various effective adjunctive treatment options for speech recovery after stroke. A pharmacological agent combined with noninvasive brain stimulation has not been previously reported for poststroke aphasia recovery. In this "proof of concept" study, we aimed to test the safety of a combined intervention consisting of dextroamphetamine, transcranial direct current stimulation, and speech and language therapy in subjects with nonfluent aphasia. Ten subjects with chronic nonfluent aphasia underwent two experiments where they received dextroamphetamine or placebo along with transcranial direct current stimulation and speech and language therapy on two separate days. The Western Aphasia Battery-Revised was used to monitor changes in speech performance. No serious adverse events were observed. There was no significant increase in blood pressure with amphetamine or deterioration in speech and language performance. Western Aphasia Battery-Revised aphasia quotient and language quotient showed a statistically significant increase in the active experiment. Comparison of proportional changes of aphasia quotient and language quotient in active experiment with those in placebo experiment showed significant difference. We showed that the triple combination therapy is safe and implementable and seems to induce positive changes in speech and language performance in the patients with chronic nonfluent aphasia due to stroke.

Translational Neuromodulation: Approximating Human Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocols In Rats

PubMed Central

Vahabzadeh-Hagh, Andrew M.; Muller, Paul A.; Gersner, Roman; Zangen, Abraham; Rotenberg, Alexander

2015-01-01

Objective Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a well-established clinical protocol with numerous potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Yet, much work remains in the elucidation of TMS mechanisms, optimization of protocols, and in development of novel therapeutic applications. As with many technologies, the key to these issues lies in the proper experimentation and translation of TMS methods to animal models, among which rat models have proven popular. A significant increase in the number of rat TMS publications has necessitated analysis of their relevance to human work. We therefore review the essential principles necessary for the approximation of human TMS protocols in rats as well as specific methods that addressed these issues in published studies. Materials and Methods We performed an English language literature search combined with our own experience and data. We address issues that we see as important in the translation of human TMS methods to rat models and provide a summary of key accomplishments in these areas. Results An extensive literature review illustrated the growth of rodent TMS studies in recent years. Current advances in the translation of single, paired-pulse, and repetitive stimulation paradigms to rodent models are presented. The importance of TMS in the generation of data for preclinical trials is also highlighted. Conclusions Rat TMS has several limitations when considering parallels between animal and human stimulation. However, it has proven to be a useful tool in the field of translational brain stimulation and will likely continue to aid in the design and implementation of stimulation protocols for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. PMID:22780329

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Behaviour and Electrophysiology of Language Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wirth, Miranka; Rahman, Rasha Abdel; Kuenecke, Janina; Koenig, Thomas; Horn, Helge; Sommer, Werner; Dierks, Thomas

2011-01-01

Excitatory anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS) over the left dorsal prefrontal cortex (DPFC) has been shown to improve language production. The present study examined neurophysiological underpinnings of this effect. In a single-blinded within-subject design, we traced effects of A-tDCS compared to sham stimulation over the left…

Bilingualism--A Sanguine Step in ELT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anil, Beena

2014-01-01

Bilingualism can be used as a teaching aid in teaching and learning English language in an Indian classroom and to improve the language accuracy, fluency, and clarity of learners. Bilingualism can aid the teaching and learning process productively in the classroom. In India, most of the students consider English as a subject rather than a tool of…

Computer Programming Languages and Expertise Needed by Practicing Engineers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doelling, Irvin

1980-01-01

Discussed is the present engineering computer environment of a large aerospace company recognized as a leader in the application and development of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing techniques. A review is given of the exposure spectrum of engineers to the world of computing, the computer languages used, and the career impacts…

Aids to English Language Teaching: Information Guide No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Council, London (England). English-Teaching Information Centre.

This is an annotated guide to English language instructional materials useful for both native and non-native speakers of English at primary and secondary levels. Materials relate to and are available in Great Britain; prices and addresses of publishers and suppliers are included. The sections cover: (1) Visual aids specifically designed for…

The Impact of Software on Associate Degree Programs in Electronic Engineering Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hata, David M.

1986-01-01

Assesses the range and extent of computer assisted instruction software available in electronic engineering technology education. Examines the need for software skills in four areas: (1) high-level languages; (2) assembly language; (3) computer-aided engineering; and (4) computer-aided instruction. Outlines strategies for the future in three…

An Electronic Finding Aid Using Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Encoded Archival Description (EAD).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, May

2000-01-01

Describes the development of electronic finding aids for archives at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign that used XML (extensible markup language) and EAD (encoded archival description) to enable more flexible information management and retrieval than using MARC or a relational database management system. EAD template is appended.…

Advertising for AIDS drugs: it's everywhere lately, but is it helpful?

PubMed

Mirken, B

1998-07-01

The recent proliferation of direct to consumer (DTC) advertisements for prescription drugs, including HIV/AIDS drugs, can present a confusing and unrealistic picture of treatment options and outcomes; however, supporters claim that it stimulates awareness of treatment options and encourages dialogue between doctors and patients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates DTC advertising, requires that manufacturers disclose a complete description of benefits and adverse effects, similar to the information on the product's label. This balance of information applies to the written portion of the ad, but not to the visual message, which is arguably the most powerful part of the advertisement. Many of the visuals in the AIDS drugs advertisements misconstrue the effect of the virus on the patients. However, the FDA has not yet developed restrictions to more accurately control the visual component of advertisements, in order to depict the downside of disease. Additionally, manufacturers whose advertisements match the wording on their labels have an easier time getting acceptance from the FDA, but use more technical language than the typical lay person can understand. Reliance on the FDA- approved label description, restricts the drug companies from promoting off-label uses of their products, and also does not allow for the constantly changing information of a drug's effectiveness.

AIDS education video: Karate Kids.

PubMed

Lowry, C

1993-01-01

Street Kids International, in cooperation with the World Health Organization and the National Film Board of Canada, has developed an animated action-adventure video, "Karate Kids," as part of a cross-cultural program of health education that concerns human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and targets street children in developing countries. Simple, but explicit, information is delivered during the 22-minute cartoon; the package also includes a training book for educators, and a pocket comic book. Distributed in 17 languages (it is readily adapted to new language versions, independent of the original producers) in over 100 countries, the video is shown in community theaters, hospitals, schools, and prisons, and out of the backs of trucks. It is easily copied, which is encouraged. After 3 years in distribution, field evaluation has demonstrated that the greatest strength of the video is its ability to stimulate discussion where no discussion was taking place before. Critics include those who believe there is no need for it and those who feel it should be used alone. The results of one evaluation study showed use of the video alone was insufficient; those of a cross-cultural participatory evaluation survey indicated a significant impact on knowledge and attitudes when the video was followed by discussion. Another significant aspect of the project is that it treats street children with respect; they are actors, not victims, who have legitimate needs and rights. They become visible in a world that is often unaware of them.

The Language Arts Curriculum Goes Hollywood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollock, Cristine O'Brien

1980-01-01

The use of Captioned Entertainment Films' movie classics as language arts aids for deaf students is discussed in terms of thought organization, reading skills, and language and composition development. (CL)

The Use of the Bilingual Aphasia Test for Assessment and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Modulate Language Acquisition in Minimally Verbal Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Harry D.; Hopp, Jenna P.

2011-01-01

Minimally verbal children with autism commonly demonstrate language dysfunction, including immature syntax acquisition. We hypothesised that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) should facilitate language acquisition in a cohort (n = 10) of children with immature syntax. We modified the English version of the Bilingual Aphasia Test (BAT)…

Beneficial effects of multisensory and cognitive stimulation on age-related cognitive decline in long-term-care institutions

PubMed Central

De Oliveira, Thaís Cristina Galdino; Soares, Fernanda Cabral; De Macedo, Liliane Dias E Dias; Diniz, Domingos Luiz Wanderley Picanço; Bento-Torres, Natáli Valim Oliver; Picanço-Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley

2014-01-01

The aim of the present report was to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of multisensory and cognitive stimulation on improving cognition in elderly persons living in long-term-care institutions (institutionalized [I]) or in communities with their families (noninstitutionalized [NI]). We compared neuropsychological performance using language and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test scores before and after 24 and 48 stimulation sessions. The two groups were matched by age and years of schooling. Small groups of ten or fewer volunteers underwent the stimulation program, twice a week, over 6 months (48 sessions in total). Sessions were based on language and memory exercises, as well as visual, olfactory, auditory, and ludic stimulation, including music, singing, and dance. Both groups were assessed at the beginning (before stimulation), in the middle (after 24 sessions), and at the end (after 48 sessions) of the stimulation program. Although the NI group showed higher performance in all tasks in all time windows compared with I subjects, both groups improved their performance after stimulation. In addition, the improvement was significantly higher in the I group than the NI group. Language tests seem to be more efficient than the MMSE to detect early changes in cognitive status. The results suggest the impoverished environment of long-term-care institutions may contribute to lower cognitive scores before stimulation and the higher improvement rate of this group after stimulation. In conclusion, language tests should be routinely adopted in the neuropsychological assessment of elderly subjects, and long-term-care institutions need to include regular sensorimotor, social, and cognitive stimulation as a public health policy for elderly persons. PMID:24600211

Vocabulary comprehension and strategies in name construction among children using aided communication.

PubMed

Deliberato, Débora; Jennische, Margareta; Oxley, Judith; Nunes, Leila Regina d'Oliveira de Paula; Walter, Cátia Crivelenti de Figueiredo; Massaro, Munique; Almeida, Maria Amélia; Stadskleiv, Kristine; Basil, Carmen; Coronas, Marc; Smith, Martine; von Tetzchner, Stephen

2018-03-01

Vocabulary learning reflects the language experiences of the child, both in typical and atypical development, although the vocabulary development of children who use aided communication may differ from children who use natural speech. This study compared the performance of children using aided communication with that of peers using natural speech on two measures of vocabulary knowledge: comprehension of graphic symbols and labeling of common objects. There were 92 participants not considered intellectually disabled in the aided group. The reference group consisted of 60 participants without known disorders. The comprehension task consisted of 63 items presented individually in each participant's graphic system, together with four colored line drawings. Participants were required to indicate which drawing corresponded to the symbol. In the expressive labelling task, 20 common objects presented in drawings had to be named. Both groups indicated the correct drawing for most of the items in the comprehension tasks, with a small advantage for the reference group. The reference group named most objects quickly and accurately, demonstrating that the objects were common and easily named. The aided language group named the majority correctly and in addition used a variety of naming strategies; they required more time than the reference group. The results give insights into lexical processing in aided communication and may have implications for aided language intervention.

Zielstrebiger Einsatz von Unterrichtsmitteln und Ausbau des Fachunterrichtsraumsystems (Goal-oriented Introduction of Teaching Aids and Development of Physical Area for Language Teaching)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffmann, Werner

1974-01-01

Contains remarks concerning lesson orientation in the use of the obligatory instructional aids and of reserves of teaching materials, also in relation to minimal requirements in the development of the physical teaching area for foreign language instruction. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Demonstration of the Instantaneous Pitch Period Indicator in Classrooms of Deaf Children. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolansky, Ladislav; And Others

A visual rhythm-intonation-duration display called Instantaneous Pitch-period Indicator (Amplitude-Intonation, Duration) (IPPI-AID) was used in several classrooms in a school for the deaf to determine its usefulness as an electromechanical aid for classroom language instruction with speech/language materials. It was found in all classroom levels,…

Guia para estudiantes: Ayuda economica, 2002-2003 (The Student Guide: Financial Aid, 2002-2003).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC. Student Financial Assistance.

This Spanish-language publication explains what federal student financial aid is and what types of student aid are available. The introductory section, "Student Aid at a Glance," presents information about what student aid is, who gets it, and how to get it. The second section discusses "Finding out about Student Aid." The next…

Evidence for a basal temporal visual language center: cortical stimulation producing pure alexia.

PubMed

Mani, J; Diehl, B; Piao, Z; Schuele, S S; Lapresto, E; Liu, P; Nair, D R; Dinner, D S; Lüders, H O

2008-11-11

Dejerine and Benson and Geschwind postulated disconnection of the dominant angular gyrus from both visual association cortices as the basis for pure alexia, emphasizing disruption of white matter tracts in the dominant temporooccipital region. Recently functional imaging studies provide evidence for direct participation of basal temporal and occipital cortices in the cognitive process of reading. The exact location and function of these areas remain a matter of debate. To confirm the participation of the basal temporal region in reading. Extraoperative electrical stimulation of the dominant hemisphere was performed in three subjects using subdural electrodes, as part of presurgical evaluation for refractory epilepsy. Pure alexia was reproduced during cortical stimulation of the dominant posterior fusiform and inferior temporal gyri in all three patients. Stimulation resulted in selective reading difficulty with intact auditory comprehension and writing. Reading difficulty involved sentences and words with intact letter by letter reading. Picture naming difficulties were also noted at some electrodes. This region is located posterior to and contiguous with the basal temporal language area (BTLA) where stimulation resulted in global language dysfunction in visual and auditory realms. The location corresponded with the visual word form area described on functional MRI. These observations support the existence of a visual language area in the dominant fusiform and occipitotemporal gyri, contiguous with basal temporal language area. A portion of visual language area was exclusively involved in lexical processing while the other part of this region processed both lexical and nonlexical symbols.

Involuntary switching into the native language induced by electrocortical stimulation of the superior temporal gyrus: a multimodal mapping study.

PubMed

Tomasino, Barbara; Marin, Dario; Canderan, Cinzia; Maieron, Marta; Budai, Riccardo; Fabbro, Franco; Skrap, Miran

2014-09-01

We describe involuntary language switching from L2 to L1 evoked by electro-stimulation in the superior temporal gyrus in a 30-year-old right-handed Serbian (L1) speaker who was also a late Italian learner (L2). The patient underwent awake brain surgery. Stimulation of other portions of the exposed cortex did not cause language switching as did not stimulation of the left inferior frontal gyrus, where we evoked a speech arrest. Stimulation effects on language switching were selective, namely, interfered with counting behaviour but not with object naming. The coordinates of the positive site were combined with functional and fibre tracking (DTI) data. Results showed that the language switching site belonged to a significant fMRI cluster in the left superior temporal gyrus/supramarginal gyrus found activated for both L1 and L2, and for both the patient and controls, and did not overlap with the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). This area, also known as Stp, has a role in phonological processing. Language switching phenomenon we observed can be partly explained by transient dysfunction of the feed-forward control mechanism hypothesized by the DIVA (Directions Into Velocities of Articulators) model (Golfinopoulos, E., Tourville, J. A., & Guenther, F. H. (2010). The integration of large-scale neural network modeling and functional brain imaging in speech motor control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language-specific strategy for programming hearing aids - A double-blind randomized controlled crossover study.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Nozomu; Suzuki, Nobuyoshi; Iwasaki, Satoshi; Ishikawa, Kazuha; Tsukiji, Hiroki; Higashino, Yoshie; Tabuki, Tomoko; Nakagawa, Takashi

2018-08-01

Voice-aligned compression (VAC) is a method used in Oticon's hearing aids to provide more comfortable hearing without sacrificing speech discrimination. The complex, non-linear compression curve for the VAC strategy is designed based on the frequency profile of certain spoken Western languages. We hypothesized that hearing aids could be further customized for Japanese-speaking users by modifying the compression curve using the frequency profile of spoken Japanese. A double-blind randomized controlled crossover study was performed to determine whether or not Oticon's modified amplification strategy (VAC-J) provides subjectively preferable hearing aids for Japanese-speaking hearing aid users compared to the same company's original amplification strategy (VAC). The participants were randomized to two groups. The VAC-first group received a pair of hearing aids programmed using the VAC strategy and wore them for three weeks, and then received a pair of hearing aids programmed using VAC-J strategy and wore them for three weeks. The VAC-J-first group underwent the same study, but they received hearing aids in the reverse sequence. A Speech, Spatial and Qualities (SSQ) questionnaire was administered before beginning to use the hearing aids, at the end of using the first pair of hearing aids, and at the end of using the second pair of hearing aids. Twenty-five participants that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria from January 1 to October 31, 2016, were randomized to two groups. Twenty-two participants completed the study. There were no statistically significant differences in the increment of SSQ scores between the participants when using the VAC- or the VAC-J-programmed hearing aids. However, participants preferred the VAC-J strategy to the VAC strategy at the end of the study, and this difference was statistically significant. Japanese-speaking hearing aid users preferred using hearing aids that were fitted with the VAC-J strategy. Our results show that the VAC strategy can be adjusted to the frequency profile of different languages and that participants expressed their subjective preference more clearly than was reflected in the SSQ scores. A similar language-specific strategy may improve user's satisfaction while using hearing devices, and this concept may be extended to implantable hearing devices. R000023191. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Author Languages, Authoring Systems, and Their Relation to the Changing Focus of Computer-Aided Language Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sussex, Roland

1991-01-01

Considers how the effectiveness of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has been hampered by language teachers who lack programing and software engineering expertise, and explores the limitations and potential contributions of author languages, programs, and environments in increasing the range of options for language teachers who are not…

The Use of Help Options in Multimedia Listening Environments to Aid Language Learning: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohsen, Mohammed Ali

2016-01-01

This paper provides a comprehensive review on the use of help options (HOs) in the multimedia listening context to aid listening comprehension (LC) and improve incidental vocabulary learning. The paper also aims to synthesize the research findings obtained from the use of HOs in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) literature and reveals the…

The Language Arts Link: A Sourcebook for HIV/AIDS Education in the English Classroom, Grades 11-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaBonte, Karen

Since exploration of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is crucial to teenagers' ability to develop healthy attitudes and behaviors, and since the language arts classroom is a natural arena for such exploration, this sourcebook presents ideas on how to bring this kind of discussion…

Cognitive and Language Acquisition in Typical and Aided Language Learning: A Review of Recent Evidence from an Aided Communication Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Janice; Goldbart, Juliet

2009-01-01

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a discipline that has seen recent developments as a consequence of the worldwide technological revolution. Children with complex communication needs, who benefit from such systems, are now afforded an opportunity to develop independent communication skills. The aim of this paper is to review…

Repeated mapping of cortical language sites by preoperative navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation compared to repeated intraoperative DCS mapping in awake craniotomy

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was recently described for mapping of human language areas. However, its capability of detecting language plasticity in brain tumor patients was not proven up to now. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate such data in order to compare rTMS language mapping to language mapping during repeated awake surgery during follow-up in patients suffering from language-eloquent gliomas. Methods Three right-handed patients with left-sided gliomas (2 opercular glioblastomas, 1 astrocytoma WHO grade III of the angular gyrus) underwent preoperative language mapping by rTMS as well as intraoperative language mapping provided via direct cortical stimulation (DCS) for initial as well as for repeated Resection 7, 10, and 15 months later. Results Overall, preoperative rTMS was able to elicit clear language errors in all mappings. A good correlation between initial rTMS and DCS results was observed. As a consequence of brain plasticity, initial DCS and rTMS findings only corresponded with the results obtained during the second examination in one out of three patients thus suggesting changes of language organization in two of our three patients. Conclusions This report points out the usefulness but also the limitations of preoperative rTMS language mapping to detect plastic changes in language function or for long-term follow-up prior to DCS even in recurrent gliomas. However, DCS still has to be regarded as gold standard. PMID:24479694

Brain Stimulation and the Role of the Right Hemisphere in Aphasia Recovery.

PubMed

Turkeltaub, Peter E

2015-11-01

Aphasia is a common consequence of left hemisphere stroke and causes a disabling loss of language and communication ability. Current treatments for aphasia are inadequate, leaving a majority of aphasia sufferers with ongoing communication difficulties for the rest of their lives. In the past decade, two forms of noninvasive brain stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation, have emerged as promising new treatments for aphasia. The most common brain stimulation protocols attempt to inhibit the intact right hemisphere based on the hypothesis that maladaptive activity in the right hemisphere limits language recovery in the left. There is now sufficient evidence to demonstrate that this approach, at least for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, improves specific language abilities in aphasia. However, the biological mechanisms that produce these behavioral improvements remain poorly understood. Taken in the context of the larger neurobiological literature on aphasia recovery, the role of the right hemisphere in aphasia recovery remains unclear. Additional research is needed to understand biological mechanisms of recovery, in order to optimize brain stimulation treatments for aphasia. This article summarizes the current evidence on noninvasive brain stimulation methods for aphasia and the neuroscientific considerations surrounding treatments using right hemisphere inhibition. Suggestions are provided for further investigation and for clinicians whose patients ask about brain stimulation treatments for aphasia.

Awake Craniotomy in Arteriovenous Malformation Surgery: The Usefulness of Cortical and Subcortical Mapping of Language Function in Selected Patients.

PubMed

Gamble, Alexander J; Schaffer, Sarah G; Nardi, Dominic J; Chalif, David J; Katz, Jeffery; Dehdashti, Amir R

2015-11-01

Awake craniotomy for removal of intra-axial lesions is a well-established procedure. Few studies, however, have investigated the usefulness of this approach for resection of arteriovenous malformations adjacent to eloquent language areas. We demonstrate our experience by using cortical stimulation mapping and report for the first time on the usefulness of subcortical stimulation with interrogation of language function during resection of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) located near language zones. Patients undergoing awake craniotomy for AVMs located in language zones and at least 5 mm away from the closest functional magnetic resonance imaging activation were analyzed. During surgery, cortical bipolar stimulation at 50 Hz, with an intensity of 2 mA, increased to a maximum of 10 mA was performed in the region around the AVM before claiming it negative for language function. In positive language site, the area was restimulated 3 times to confirm the functional deficit. The AVM resection was started based on cortical mapping findings. Further subcortical stimulation performed in concert with speech interrogation by the neuropsychologist continued at key points throughout the resection as feasible. The usefulness of cortical and subcortical stimulation in addition to patient outcomes was analyzed. Between March 2009 and September 2014, 42 brain AVM resections were performed. Four patients with left-sided language zone AVMs underwent awake craniotomy. The AVM locations were fronto-opercular in 2 patients and posterior temporal in 2. The AVM Spetzler-Martin grades were II (2 patients) and III (2 patients). In 1 patient, complete speech arrest was noticed during mapping of the peri-malformation zone, which was not breached during resection. In a second patient who initially demonstrated negative cortical mapping, a speech deficit was noticed during resection and subcortical stimulation. This guided the approach to protect and avoid the sensitive zone. This patient experienced mild postoperative expressive dysphasia that improved to normal within 6 weeks. Complete resection was achieved in all 4 patients. There were no other complications and no permanent neurological morbidity, resulting in good outcome in all 4 patients. Language mapping, both cortical and subcortical during AVM resection, may be valuable in a very select group of AVMs in language zones. Defining safe margins and feedback to the surgeon may provide the highest chances of a surgical cure while minimizing the risk of incurring a language deficit. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Intralaminar Thalamic Stimulation on Language Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhatnagar, Subhash C.; Mandybur, George T.

2005-01-01

Fifteen neurosurgical subjects, who were undergoing thalamic chronic electrode implants as a treatment for dyskinesia and chronic pain, were evaluated on a series of neurolinguistic functions to determine if the stimulation of the centromedianum nucleus of the thalamus affected language and cognitive processing. Analysis of the data revealed that…

Does State Aid Stimulate Public Library Expenditures? Evidence from Pennsylvania's Enhancement Aid Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stine, William F.

2006-01-01

Pennsylvania public libraries began receiving increased allotments of state aid in 2000. In the first two years of enhancement aid, total state aid received by Pennsylvania libraries more than doubled. This reversed the trend of little growth in the years preceding 2000. The enhancement aid program also redesigned certain categories of state aid…

Idaho's Three-Tiered System for Speech-Language Paratherapist Training and Utilization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longhurst, Thomas M.

1997-01-01

Discusses the development and current implementation of Idaho's three-tiered system of speech-language paratherapists. Support personnel providing speech-language services to learners with special communication needs in educational settings must obtain one of three certification levels: (1) speech-language aide, (2) associate degree…

Intraoperative dorsal language network mapping by using single-pulse electrical stimulation.

PubMed

Yamao, Yukihiro; Matsumoto, Riki; Kunieda, Takeharu; Arakawa, Yoshiki; Kobayashi, Katsuya; Usami, Kiyohide; Shibata, Sumiya; Kikuchi, Takayuki; Sawamoto, Nobukatsu; Mikuni, Nobuhiro; Ikeda, Akio; Fukuyama, Hidenao; Miyamoto, Susumu

2014-09-01

The preservation of language function during brain surgery still poses a challenge. No intraoperative methods have been established to monitor the language network reliably. We aimed to establish intraoperative language network monitoring by means of cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs). Subjects were six patients with tumors located close to the arcuate fasciculus (AF) in the language-dominant left hemisphere. Under general anesthesia, the anterior perisylvian language area (AL) was first defined by the CCEP connectivity patterns between the ventrolateral frontal and temporoparietal area, and also by presurgical neuroimaging findings. We then monitored the integrity of the language network by stimulating AL and by recording CCEPs from the posterior perisylvian language area (PL) consecutively during both general anesthesia and awake condition. High-frequency electrical stimulation (ES) performed during awake craniotomy confirmed language function at AL in all six patients. Despite an amplitude decline (≤32%) in two patients, CCEP monitoring successfully prevented persistent language impairment. After tumor removal, single-pulse ES was applied to the white matter tract beneath the floor of the removal cavity in five patients, in order to trace its connections into the language cortices. In three patients in whom high-frequency ES of the white matter produced naming impairment, this "eloquent" subcortical site directly connected AL and PL, judging from the latencies and distributions of cortico- and subcortico-cortical evoked potentials. In conclusion, this study provided the direct evidence that AL, PL, and AF constitute the dorsal language network. Intraoperative CCEP monitoring is clinically useful for evaluating the integrity of the language network. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Integrating Best Practices in Language Intervention and Curriculum Design to Facilitate First Words

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lederer, Susan Hendler

2014-01-01

For children developing language typically, exposure to language through the natural, general language stimulation provided by families, siblings, and others is sufficient enough to facilitate language learning (Bloom & Lahey, 1978; Nelson, 1973; Owens, 2008). However, children with language delays (even those who are receptively and…

Cross-Modal Recruitment of Auditory and Orofacial Areas During Sign Language in a Deaf Subject.

PubMed

Martino, Juan; Velasquez, Carlos; Vázquez-Bourgon, Javier; de Lucas, Enrique Marco; Gomez, Elsa

2017-09-01

Modern sign languages used by deaf people are fully expressive, natural human languages that are perceived visually and produced manually. The literature contains little data concerning human brain organization in conditions of deficient sensory information such as deafness. A deaf-mute patient underwent surgery of a left temporoinsular low-grade glioma. The patient underwent awake surgery with intraoperative electrical stimulation mapping, allowing direct study of the cortical and subcortical organization of sign language. We found a similar distribution of language sites to what has been reported in mapping studies of patients with oral language, including 1) speech perception areas inducing anomias and alexias close to the auditory cortex (at the posterior portion of the superior temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus); 2) speech production areas inducing speech arrest (anarthria) at the ventral premotor cortex, close to the lip motor area and away from the hand motor area; and 3) subcortical stimulation-induced semantic paraphasias at the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus at the temporal isthmus. The intraoperative setup for sign language mapping with intraoperative electrical stimulation in deaf-mute patients is similar to the setup described in patients with oral language. To elucidate the type of language errors, a sign language interpreter in close interaction with the neuropsychologist is necessary. Sign language is perceived visually and produced manually; however, this case revealed a cross-modal recruitment of auditory and orofacial motor areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EXPERIMENTATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE EFFECTIVE METHODS OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES BY MAKING EXTENSIVE USE OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL AIDS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LEWIS, EARL N.

AN EXPERIMENT WAS DESIGNED TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT PROPER USE OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL AIDS CAN RELIEVE THE TEACHER OF A GREAT DEAL OF THE ROUTINE WORK OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES. HE WOULD THUS BE ALLOWED TO EXTEND HIMSELF EITHER QUANTITATIVELY OR QUALITATIVELY IN HIS WORK. THIS EXPERIMENT USES THE QUALITATIVE APPROACH. THREE GROUPS OF…

Pragmatic Abilities of Children with Hearing Loss Using Cochlear Implants or Hearing Aids Compared to Hearing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Most, Tova; Shina-August, Ella; Meilijson, Sara

2010-01-01

This study characterized the profile of pragmatic abilities among 24 children with hearing loss (HL) aged 6.3-9.4 years, 13 using hearing aids (HAs) and 11 using cochlear implants (CIs), in comparison to those of 13 hearing children with similar chronological and language ages. All the children with HL used spoken language, attended regular…

The Role of Language and Education in Eradicating HIV/AIDS in Africa: Evidence from Parents, Teachers, and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okebukola, Foluso O.; Adegbite, Hassan H.; Owolabi, Tunde

2013-01-01

The study focuses on the eradication and reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDS (human immune virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome) as one of the main thrusts of Africa's 21st Century Development Goals. It investigates the significant role which language and education can play in fast tracking the attainment of this goal using a three-pronged…

Money for Language: Indigenous Language Funding in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahboob, Ahmar; Jacobsen, Britt; Kemble, Melissa; Xu, Zichen Catherine

2017-01-01

This paper examines how language development aid is managed and distributed via grant programs administered by federal and state Aboriginal affairs departments across Australia. While these departments are not the only organisations offering grants for development and language-related projects in Australia, they are in a good position to…

Intelligent CAI: An Author Aid for a Natural Language Interface.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Richard R.; Brown, John Seely

This report addresses the problems of using natural language (English) as the communication language for advanced computer-based instructional systems. The instructional environment places requirements on a natural language understanding system that exceed the capabilities of all existing systems, including: (1) efficiency, (2) habitability, (3)…

NATAL-74; Towards a Common Programming Language for CAL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brahan, J. W.; Colpitts, B. A.

NATAL-74 is a programing language designed for Canadian computer aided learning (CAL) programs. The language has two fundamental elements: the UNIT provides the interface between the student and the subject matter, and the PROCEDURE element embodies teaching strategy. Desirable features of several programing languages have been adapted to cope…

Theory-of-mind development in oral deaf children with cochlear implants or conventional hearing aids.

PubMed

Peterson, Candida C

2004-09-01

In the context of the established finding that theory-of-mind (ToM) growth is seriously delayed in late-signing deaf children, and some evidence of equivalent delays in those learning speech with conventional hearing aids, this study's novel contribution was to explore ToM development in deaf children with cochlear implants. Implants can substantially boost auditory acuity and rates of language growth. Despite the implant, there are often problems socialising with hearing peers and some language difficulties, lending special theoretical interest to the present comparative design. A total of 52 children aged 4 to 12 years took a battery of false belief tests of ToM. There were 26 oral deaf children, half with implants and half with hearing aids, evenly divided between oral-only versus sign-plus-oral schools. Comparison groups of age-matched high-functioning children with autism and younger hearing children were also included. No significant ToM differences emerged between deaf children with implants and those with hearing aids, nor between those in oral-only versus sign-plus-oral schools. Nor did the deaf children perform any better on the ToM tasks than their age peers with autism. Hearing preschoolers scored significantly higher than all other groups. For the deaf and the autistic children, as well as the preschoolers, rate of language development and verbal maturity significantly predicted variability in ToM, over and above chronological age. The finding that deaf children with cochlear implants are as delayed in ToM development as children with autism and their deaf peers with hearing aids or late sign language highlights the likely significance of peer interaction and early fluent communication with peers and family, whether in sign or in speech, in order to optimally facilitate the growth of social cognition and language.

Assessing Pictures through Children's Responses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Legenza, Alice; Knafle, June D.

Two studies concerning the language-stimulation value of pictures for children were conducted. The first study tested the validity of a formula that classifies pictures as having high, medium, or low potency, based on the amount of language they stimulate in viewers. (The formula takes into account factors such as the number of animals, people,…

Language Acquisition in a Child with Cornelia De Lange Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodban, Marjorie T.

The paper describes a successful attempt to stimulate expressive language in Becky, a young child with Cornelia de Lange syndrome, a condition characterized by moderate to severe mental retardation, dwarfed stature, and excessive body hair. The child participated in infant stimulation and individual speech therapy and her expressive output has…

Conduction aphasia as a function of the dominant posterior perisylvian cortex. Report of two cases.

PubMed

Quigg, Mark; Geldmacher, David S; Elias, W Jeff

2006-05-01

Assessment of eloquent functions during brain mapping usually relies on testing reading, speech, and comprehension to uncover transient deficits during electrical stimulation. These tests stem from findings predicted by the Geschwind-Wernicke hypothesis of receptive and expressive cortices connected by white matter tracts. Later work, however, has emphasized cortical mechanisms of language function. The authors report two cases that demonstrate that conduction aphasia is cortically mediated and can be inadequately assessed if not specifically evaluated during brain mapping. To determine the distribution of language on the dominant cortex, electrical cortical stimulation was performed in two cases by using implanted subdural electrodes during brain mapping before epilepsy surgery. A transient isolated deficit in repetition of language was reported during stimulation of the posterior portion of the dominant superior temporal gyrus in one patient and during stimulation of the supramarginal gyrus in the other patient. These cases demonstrate a localization of language repetition to the posterior perisylvian cortex. Brain mapping of this region should include assessment of verbal repetition to avoid potential deficits resembling conduction aphasia.

Asymmetric Hearing During Development: The Aural Preference Syndrome and Treatment Options.

PubMed

Gordon, Karen; Henkin, Yael; Kral, Andrej

2015-07-01

Deafness affects ∼2 in 1000 children and is one of the most common congenital impairments. Permanent hearing loss can be treated by fitting hearing aids. More severe to profound deafness is an indication for cochlear implantation. Although newborn hearing screening programs have increased the identification of asymmetric hearing loss, parents and caregivers of children with single-sided deafness are often hesitant to pursue therapy for the deaf ear. Delayed intervention has consequences for recovery of hearing. It has long been reported that asymmetric hearing loss/single-sided deafness compromises speech and language development and educational outcomes in children. Recent studies in animal models of deafness and in children consistently show evidence of an "aural preference syndrome" in which single-sided deafness in early childhood reorganizes the developing auditory pathways toward the hearing ear, with weaker central representation of the deaf ear. Delayed therapy consequently compromises benefit for the deaf ear, with slow rates of improvement measured over time. Therefore, asymmetric hearing needs early identification and intervention. Providing early effective stimulation in both ears through appropriate fitting of auditory prostheses, including hearing aids and cochlear implants, within a sensitive period in development has a cardinal role for securing the function of the impaired ear and for restoring binaural/spatial hearing. The impacts of asymmetric hearing loss on the developing auditory system and on spoken language development have often been underestimated. Thus, the traditional minimalist approach to clinical management aimed at 1 functional ear should be modified on the basis of current evidence. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Hardware synthesis from DDL. [Digital Design Language for computer aided design and test of LSI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, A. M.; Shiva, S. G.

1981-01-01

The details of the digital systems can be conveniently input into the design automation system by means of Hardware Description Languages (HDL). The Computer Aided Design and Test (CADAT) system at NASA MSFC is used for the LSI design. The Digital Design Language (DDL) has been selected as HDL for the CADAT System. DDL translator output can be used for the hardware implementation of the digital design. This paper addresses problems of selecting the standard cells from the CADAT standard cell library to realize the logic implied by the DDL description of the system.

The Differential Effect of Three Naturalistic Language Interventions on Language Use in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingersoll, Brooke

2011-01-01

Naturalistic interventions show promise for improving language in children with autism. Specific interventions differ in direct elicitation of child language and indirect language stimulation, and thus may produce different language outcomes. This study compared the effects of responsive interaction, milieu teaching, and a combined intervention on…

Gestalt Imagery: A Critical Factor in Language Comprehension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Nanci

1991-01-01

Lack of gestalt imagery (the ability to create imaged wholes) can contribute to language comprehension disorder characterized by weak reading comprehension, weak oral language comprehension, weak oral language expression, weak written language expression, difficulty following directions, and a weak sense of humor. Sequential stimulation using an…

Language Delays and Child Depressive Symptoms: the Role of Early Stimulation in the Home.

PubMed

Herman, Keith C; Cohen, Daniel; Owens, Sarah; Latimore, Tracey; Reinke, Wendy M; Burrell, Lori; McFarlane, Elizabeth; Duggan, Anne

2016-07-01

The present study investigated the role of early stimulation in the home and child language delays in the emergence of depressive symptoms. Data were from a longitudinal study of at-risk children in Hawaii (n = 587). Low learning stimulation in the home at age 3 and language delays in first grade both significantly increased risk for child depressive symptoms in third grade. Structural equation modeling supported the hypothesized path models from home learning environment at age 3 to depressive symptoms in third grade controlling for a host of correlated constructs (maternal depression, child temperament, and child internalizing symptoms). Total language skills in the first grade mediated the effect of home learning environment on depressive symptoms. The study and findings fit well with a nurturing environment perspective. Implications for understanding the etiology of child depression and for designing interventions and prevention strategies are discussed.

Speech, stone tool-making and the evolution of language.

PubMed

Cataldo, Dana Michelle; Migliano, Andrea Bamberg; Vinicius, Lucio

2018-01-01

The 'technological hypothesis' proposes that gestural language evolved in early hominins to enable the cultural transmission of stone tool-making skills, with speech appearing later in response to the complex lithic industries of more recent hominins. However, no flintknapping study has assessed the efficiency of speech alone (unassisted by gesture) as a tool-making transmission aid. Here we show that subjects instructed by speech alone underperform in stone tool-making experiments in comparison to subjects instructed through either gesture alone or 'full language' (gesture plus speech), and also report lower satisfaction with their received instruction. The results provide evidence that gesture was likely to be selected over speech as a teaching aid in the earliest hominin tool-makers; that speech could not have replaced gesturing as a tool-making teaching aid in later hominins, possibly explaining the functional retention of gesturing in the full language of modern humans; and that speech may have evolved for reasons unrelated to tool-making. We conclude that speech is unlikely to have evolved as tool-making teaching aid superior to gesture, as claimed by the technological hypothesis, and therefore alternative views should be considered. For example, gestural language may have evolved to enable tool-making in earlier hominins, while speech may have later emerged as a response to increased trade and more complex inter- and intra-group interactions in Middle Pleistocene ancestors of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens; or gesture and speech may have evolved in parallel rather than in sequence.

Non-invasive Brain Stimulation in the Treatment of Post-stroke and Neurodegenerative Aphasia: Parallels, Differences, and Lessons Learned

PubMed Central

Norise, Catherine; Hamilton, Roy H.

2017-01-01

Numerous studies over the span of more than a decade have shown that non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, namely transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), can facilitate language recovery for patients who have suffered from aphasia due to stroke. While stroke is the most common etiology of aphasia, neurodegenerative causes of language impairment—collectively termed primary progressive aphasia (PPA)—are increasingly being recognized as important clinical phenotypes in dementia. Very limited data now suggest that (NIBS) may have some benefit in treating PPAs. However, before applying the same approaches to patients with PPA as have previously been pursued in patients with post-stroke aphasia, it will be important for investigators to consider key similarities and differences between these aphasia etiologies that is likely to inform successful approaches to stimulation. While both post-stroke aphasia and the PPAs have clear overlaps in their clinical phenomenology, the mechanisms of injury and theorized neuroplastic changes associated with the two etiologies are notably different. Importantly, theories of plasticity in post-stroke aphasia are largely predicated on the notion that regions of the brain that had previously been uninvolved in language processing may take on new compensatory roles. PPAs, however, are characterized by slow distributed degeneration of cellular units within the language system; compensatory recruitment of brain regions to subserve language is not currently understood to be an important aspect of the condition. This review will survey differences in the mechanisms of language representation between the two etiologies of aphasia and evaluate properties that may define and limit the success of different neuromodulation approaches for these two disorders. PMID:28167904

Lexical and Grammatical Abilities in Deaf Italian Preschoolers: The Role of Duration of Formal Language Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rinaldi, Pasquale; Caselli, Cristina

2009-01-01

We evaluated language development in deaf Italian preschoolers with hearing parents, taking into account the duration of formal language experience (i.e., the time elapsed since wearing a hearing aid and beginning language education) and different methods of language education. Twenty deaf children were matched with 20 hearing children for age and…

Adult English Language Learners' Perceptions of Audience Response Systems (Clickers) as Communication Aides: A Q-Methodology Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Lisa Ann; Shepard, MaryFriend

2013-01-01

This study explored the perceptions of adult English language learners about audience response systems (clickers) as tools to facilitate communication. According to second language acquisition theory, learners' receptive capabilities in the early stages of second language acquisition surpass expressive capabilities, often rendering them silent in…

An Automatic Reference Aid for Improving EFL Learners' Formulaic Expressions in Productive Language Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Mei-Hua; Huang, Chung-Chi; Huang, Shih-Ting; Chang, Jason S.; Liou, Hsien-Chin

2014-01-01

Formulaic language is important to language acquisition; however, English language learners are often reported to have problems with formulaic expressions. Several lists of formulaic sequences have been proposed, mainly for developing teaching and testing materials. However, their limited numbers and insufficient usage information seem unable to…

Computer Assisted Language Learning. Routledge Studies in Computer Assisted Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennington, Martha

2011-01-01

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is an approach to language teaching and learning in which computer technology is used as an aid to the presentation, reinforcement and assessment of material to be learned, usually including a substantial interactive element. This books provides an up-to date and comprehensive overview of…

The link between form and meaning in American Sign Language: lexical processing effects.

PubMed

Thompson, Robin L; Vinson, David P; Vigliocco, Gabriella

2009-03-01

Signed languages exploit iconicity (the transparent relationship between meaning and form) to a greater extent than spoken languages. where it is largely limited to onomatopoeia. In a picture-sign matching experiment measuring reaction times, the authors examined the potential advantage of iconicity both for 1st- and 2nd-language learners of American Sign Language (ASL). The results show that native ASL signers are faster to respond when a specific property iconically represented in a sign is made salient in the corresponding picture, thus providing evidence that a closer mapping between meaning and form can aid in lexical retrieval. While late 2nd-language learners appear to use iconicity as an aid to learning sign (R. Campbell, P. Martin, & T. White, 1992), they did not show the same facilitation effect as native ASL signers, suggesting that the task tapped into more automatic language processes. Overall, the findings suggest that completely arbitrary mappings between meaning and form may not be more advantageous in language and that, rather, arbitrariness may simply be an accident of modality. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Tadpole Tales and Other Totally Terrific Treats for Readers Theatre.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredericks, Anthony D.

Readers theater is a storytelling device that stimulates the imagination and promotes all of the language arts. Readers theater is an oral interpretation of a piece of literature read in a dramatic style. It involves and motivates students, energizes the language arts program, and stimulates learning. Geared for children in grades 1-4, this book…

AN INVESTIGATION OF DIFFERENTIAL BINAURAL STIMULATION IN THE TEACHING OF A FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VAN RIPER, CHARLES

THIS STUDY DETERMINED WHETHER OR NOT DIFFERENTIAL BINAURAL STIMULATIONS CAN BE USED EFFECTIVELY TO IMPROVE PRONUNCIATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING. THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO DETERMINE WHAT EFFECT HEARING SIMULTANEOUSLY THE TEACHER'S VOICE IN ONE EAR AND HIS OWN VOICE IN THE OTHER WOULD HAVE ON A STUDENT'S ABILITY TO COMPARE THE DIFFERENCES IN…

Baseline Performance Predicts tDCS-Mediated Improvements in Language Symptoms in Primary Progressive Aphasia

PubMed Central

McConathey, Eric M.; White, Nicole C.; Gervits, Felix; Ash, Sherry; Coslett, H. Branch; Grossman, Murray; Hamilton, Roy H.

2017-01-01

Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by insidious irreversible loss of language abilities. Prior studies suggest that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) directed toward language areas of the brain may help to ameliorate symptoms of PPA. In the present sham-controlled study, we examined whether tDCS could be used to enhance language abilities (e.g., picture naming) in individuals with PPA variants primarily characterized by difficulties with speech production (non-fluent and logopenic). Participants were recruited from the Penn Frontotemporal Dementia Center to receive 10 days of both real and sham tDCS (counter-balanced, full-crossover design; participants were naïve to stimulation condition). A battery of language tests was administered at baseline, immediately post-tDCS (real and sham), and 6 weeks and 12 weeks following stimulation. When we accounted for individuals’ baseline performance, our analyses demonstrated a stratification of tDCS effects. Individuals who performed worse at baseline showed tDCS-related improvements in global language performance, grammatical comprehension and semantic processing. Individuals who performed better at baseline showed a slight tDCS-related benefit on our speech repetition metric. Real tDCS may improve language performance in some individuals with PPA. Severity of deficits at baseline may be an important factor in predicting which patients will respond positively to language-targeted tDCS therapies. Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02928848 PMID:28713256

First Aid Lessons. Correlated Conversation for Use with "You Can Give First Aid." Workplace Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cacy, Roselynn; Smith, Polly

This unit contains lesson plans designed to teach first aid skills to adults with limited language skills. The lesson plans were developed, using the Laubach literacy method, for a workplace literacy project in Anchorage, Alaska. The lesson plans, which are correlated with the book, "You Can Give First Aid," include conversational skills…

Short-term anomia training and electrical brain stimulation.

PubMed

Flöel, Agnes; Meinzer, Marcus; Kirstein, Robert; Nijhof, Sarah; Deppe, Michael; Knecht, Stefan; Breitenstein, Caterina

2011-07-01

Language training success in chronic aphasia remains only moderate. Electric brain stimulation may be a viable way to enhance treatment efficacy. In a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover trial, we assessed if anodal transcranial direct current stimulation compared to cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation and sham stimulation over the right temporo-parietal cortex would improve the success of short-term high-frequency anomia training. Twelve chronic poststroke aphasia patients were studied. Naming outcome was assessed after training and 2 weeks later. All training conditions led to a significant increase in naming ability, which was retained for at least 2 weeks after the end of the training. Application of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation significantly enhanced the overall training effect compared to sham stimulation. Baseline naming ability significantly predicted anodal transcranial direct current stimulation effects. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation applied over the nonlanguage dominant hemisphere can enhance language training outcome in chronic aphasia. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT00822068.

Transcranial direct-current stimulation induced in stroke patients with aphasia: a prospective experimental cohort study.

PubMed

Santos, Michele Devido; Gagliardi, Rubens José; Mac-Kay, Ana Paula Machado Goyano; Boggio, Paulo Sergio; Lianza, Roberta; Fregni, Felipe

2013-01-01

Previous animal and human studies have shown that transcranial direct current stimulation can induce significant and lasting neuroplasticity and may improve language recovery in patients with aphasia. The objective of the study was to describe a cohort of patients with aphasia after stroke who were treated with transcranial direct current stimulation. Prospective cohort study developed in a public university hospital. Nineteen patients with chronic aphasia received 10 transcranial direct current stimulation sessions lasting 20 minutes each on consecutive days, using a current of 2 mA. The anode was positioned over the supraorbital area and the cathode over the contralateral motor cortex. The following variables were analyzed before and after the 10 neuromodulation sessions: oral language comprehension, copying, dictation, reading, writing, naming and verbal fluency. There were no adverse effects in the study. We found statistically significant differences from before to after stimulation in relation to simple sentence comprehension (P = 0.034), naming (P = 0.041) and verbal fluency for names of animals (P = 0.038). Improved scores for performing these three tasks were seen after stimulation. We observed that excitability of the primary motor cortex through transcranial direct current stimulation was associated with effects on different aspects of language. This can contribute towards future testing in randomized controlled trials.

Speech-Language Therapy (For Parents)

MedlinePlus

... pictures, books, objects, or ongoing events to stimulate language development. The therapist may also model correct vocabulary and ... topic for: Parents Kids Teens Delayed Speech or Language Development Stuttering Cleft Lip and Palate Hearing Evaluation in ...

Language learning without control: the role of the PFC.

PubMed

Friederici, Angela D; Mueller, Jutta L; Sehm, Bernhard; Ragert, Patrick

2013-05-01

Learning takes place throughout lifetime but differs in infants and adults because of the development of the PFC, a brain region responsible for cognitive control. To test this hypothesis, adults were investigated in a language learning paradigm under inhibitory, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation over PFC. The experiment included a learning session interspersed with test phases and a test-only session. The stimulus material required the learning of grammatical dependencies between two elements in a novel language. In a parallel design, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation over the left PFC, right PFC, or sham stimulation was applied during the learning session but not during the test-only session. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during both sessions. Whereas no ERP learning effects were observed during the learning session, different ERP learning effects as a function of prior stimulation type were found during the test-only session, although behavioral learning success was equal across conditions. With sham stimulation, the ERP learning effect was reflected in a centro-parietal N400-like negativity indicating lexical processes. Inhibitory stimulation over the left PFC, but not over the right PFC, led to a late positivity similar to that previously observed in prelinguistic infants indicating associative learning. The present data demonstrate that adults can learn with and without cognitive control using different learning mechanisms. In the presence of cognitive control, adult language learning is lexically guided, whereas it appears to be associative in nature when PFC control is downregulated.

Describing the trajectory of language development in the presence of severe-to-profound hearing loss: a closer look at children with cochlear implants versus hearing aids.

PubMed

Yoshinaga-Itano, Christine; Baca, Rosalinda L; Sedey, Allison L

2010-10-01

The objective of this investigation was to describe the language growth of children with severe or profound hearing loss with cochlear implants versus those children with the same degree of hearing loss using hearing aids. A prospective longitudinal observation and analysis. University of Colorado Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences. There were 87 children with severe-to-profound hearing loss from 48 to 87 months of age. All children received early intervention services through the Colorado Home Intervention Program. Most children received intervention services from a certified auditory-verbal therapist or an auditory-oral therapist and weekly sign language instruction from an instructor who was deaf or hard of hearing and native or fluent in American Sign Language. The Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language, 3rd Edition, and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition, were the assessment tools for children 4 to 7 years of age. The expressive language subscale of the Minnesota Child Development was used in the infant/toddler period (birth to 36 mo). Average language estimates at 84 months of age were nearly identical to the normative sample for receptive language and 7 months delayed for expressive vocabulary. Children demonstrated a mean rate of growth from 4 years through 7 years on these 2 assessments that was equivalent to their normal-hearing peers. As a group, children with hearing aids deviated more from the age equivalent trajectory on the Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language, 3rd Edition, and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition, than children with cochlear implants. When a subset of children were divided into performance categories, we found that children with cochlear implants were more likely to be "gap closers" and less likely to be "gap openers," whereas the reverse was true for the children with hearing aids for both measures. Children who are educated through oral-aural combined with sign language instruction can achieve age-appropriate language levels on expressive vocabulary and receptive syntax ages 4 through 7 years. However, it is easier to maintain a constant rate of development rather than to accelerate from birth through 84 months of age, which represented approximately 80% of our sample. However, acceleration of language development is possible in some children and could result from cochlear implantation.

Conversational Interaction and the Development of Conversational Competence in Additional Languages in Higher Education: Considerations for Students, Language Centres, and Language Policy Developers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Stephan; Blondel, Valérie; Mall-Grob, Beatrice

2017-01-01

This article addresses the questions: why is the development of conversational competence important within higher education? And how might this goal be pursued? We offer answers that may aid a broad range of stakeholders (language learners, course designers, lecturers, language development managers, and policy makers) in thinking through these…

Language ability in children with permanent hearing impairment: the influence of early management and family participation.

PubMed

Watkin, Peter; McCann, Donna; Law, Catherine; Mullee, Mark; Petrou, Stavros; Stevenson, Jim; Worsfold, Sarah; Yuen, Ho Ming; Kennedy, Colin

2007-09-01

The goal was to examine the relationships between management after confirmation, family participation, and speech and language outcomes in the same group of children with permanent childhood hearing impairment. Speech, oral language, and nonverbal abilities, expressed as z scores and adjusted in a regression model, and Family Participation Rating Scale scores were assessed at a mean age of 7.9 years for 120 children with bilateral permanent childhood hearing impairment from a 1992-1997 United Kingdom birth cohort. Ages at institution of management and hearing aid fitting were obtained retrospectively from case notes. Compared with children managed later (> 9 months), those managed early (< or = 9 months) had higher adjusted mean z scores for both receptive and expressive language, relative to nonverbal ability, but not for speech. Compared with children aided later, a smaller group of more-impaired children aided early did not have significantly higher scores for these outcomes. Family Participation Rating Scale scores showed significant positive correlations with language and speech intelligibility scores only for those with confirmation after 9 months and were highest for those with late confirmed, severe/profound, permanent childhood hearing impairment. Early management of permanent childhood hearing impairment results in improved language. Family participation is also an important factor in cases that are confirmed late, especially for children with severe or profound permanent childhood hearing impairment.

Stroke rehabilitation using noninvasive cortical stimulation: aphasia.

PubMed

Mylius, Veit; Zouari, Hela G; Ayache, Samar S; Farhat, Wassim H; Lefaucheur, Jean-Pascal

2012-08-01

Poststroke aphasia results from the lesion of cortical areas involved in the motor production of speech (Broca's aphasia) or in the semantic aspects of language comprehension (Wernicke's aphasia). Such lesions produce an important reorganization of speech/language-specific brain networks due to an imbalance between cortical facilitation and inhibition. In fact, functional recovery is associated with changes in the excitability of the damaged neural structures and their connections. Two main mechanisms are involved in poststroke aphasia recovery: the recruitment of perilesional regions of the left hemisphere in case of small lesion and the acquisition of language processing ability in homotopic areas of the nondominant right hemisphere when left hemispheric language abilities are permanently lost. There is some evidence that noninvasive cortical stimulation, especially when combined with language therapy or other therapeutic approaches, can promote aphasia recovery. Cortical stimulation was mainly used to either increase perilesional excitability or reduce contralesional activity based on the concept of reciprocal inhibition and maladaptive plasticity. However, recent studies also showed some positive effects of the reinforcement of neural activities in the contralateral right hemisphere, based on the potential compensatory role of the nondominant hemisphere in stroke recovery.

Assistive technology to help persons in a minimally conscious state develop responding and stimulation control: Performance assessment and social rating.

PubMed

Lancioni, Giulio E; Singh, Nirbhay N; O'Reilly, Mark F; Sigafoos, Jeff; D'Amico, Fiora; Buonocunto, Francesca; Navarro, Jorge; Lanzilotti, Crocifissa; Fiore, Piero; Megna, Marisa; Damiani, Sabino

2015-01-01

Post-coma persons in a minimally conscious state (MCS) and with extensive motor impairment and lack of speech tend to be passive and isolated. This study aimed to (a) further assess a technology-aided approach for fostering MCS participants' responding and stimulation control and (b) carry out a social validation check about the approach. Eight MCS participants were exposed to the aforementioned approach according to an ABAB design. The technology included optic, pressure or touch microswitches to monitor eyelid, hand or finger responses and a computer system that allowed those responses to produce brief periods of positive stimulation during the B (intervention) phases of the study. Eighty-four university psychology students and 42 care and health professionals were involved in the social validation check. The MCS participants showed clear increases in their response frequencies, thus producing increases in their levels of environmental stimulation input, during the B phases of the study. The students and care and health professionals involved in the social validation check rated the technology-aided approach more positively than a control condition in which stimulation was automatically presented to the participants. A technology-aided approach to foster responding and stimulation control in MCS persons may be effective and socially desirable.

Foreign Language Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawyer, Jesse O.

1964-01-01

This brief review of research in foreign language instruction during 1961-63 summarizes, compares, and interprets related studies dealing withsuch topics as (1) the effects and value of foreign language instruction at different educational levels, (2) methods and materials, (3) testing, and (4) electromechanical aids, such as the language…

Programming Language CAMIL II: Implementation and Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Edward

A reimplementation of Computer assisted/managed instruction language (CAMIL) for qualitative and quantitative improvements in the software is presented. The reformatted language is described narratively, and major components of the system software are indicated and discussed. Authoring aids and imbedded support facilities are also described, and…

Teaching Film with Blinders On: The Importance of Knowing the Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakely, Richard

1984-01-01

Suggests the use of foreign films as a teaching aid for foreign language study. However, a thorough knowledge of the film's oral language (or languages) and culture is essential as a first step toward a clear understanding of the film's visual aesthetic. A dependence on subtitles or dubbing is discouraged, due to frequent errors and…

Art Education, Literacy, and English Language Learners: Visual Arts Curriculum to Aid Literacy Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renish, Angela J.

2016-01-01

Nineteen students whose first language is not English (English Language Learners, ELL) participated in an action research study that focused on the marriage of an art education curriculum and literacy practice. The study introduced students to the consistent use of language in art education as a means to discuss, inform, explain, and demonstrate…

Taking Sides: An Integrative Review of the Impact of Laterality and Polarity on Efficacy of Therapeutic Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Anomia in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia

PubMed Central

Sandars, Margaret; Cloutman, Lauren; Woollams, Anna M.

2016-01-01

Anomia is a frequent and persistent symptom of poststroke aphasia, resulting from damage to areas of the brain involved in language production. Cortical neuroplasticity plays a significant role in language recovery following stroke and can be facilitated by behavioral speech and language therapy. Recent research suggests that complementing therapy with neurostimulation techniques may enhance functional gains, even amongst those with chronic aphasia. The current review focuses on the use of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) as an adjunct to naming therapy for individuals with chronic poststroke aphasia. Our survey of the literature indicates that combining therapy with anodal (excitatory) stimulation to the left hemisphere and/or cathodal (inhibitory) stimulation to the right hemisphere can increase both naming accuracy and speed when compared to the effects of therapy alone. However, the benefits of tDCS as a complement to therapy have not been yet systematically investigated with respect to site and polarity of stimulation. Recommendations for future research to help determine optimal protocols for combined therapy and tDCS are outlined. PMID:26819777

Rehabilitation and return-to-sports activity after debridement and bone marrow stimulation of osteochondral talar defects.

PubMed

van Eekeren, Inge C M; Reilingh, Mikel L; van Dijk, C Niek

2012-10-01

An osteochondral defect (OD) is a lesion involving the articular cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone. ODs of the talus can severely impact on the quality of life of patients, who are usually young and athletic. The primary treatment for ODs that are too small for fixation, consists of arthroscopic debridement and bone marrow stimulation. This article delineates levels of activity, determines times for return to activity and reviews the factors that affect rehabilitation after arthroscopic debridement and bone marrow stimulation of a talar OD. Articles for review were obtained from a search of the MEDLINE database up to January 2012 using the search headings 'osteochondral defects', 'bone marrow stimulation', 'sports/activity', 'rehabilitation', various other related factors and 'talus'. English-, Dutch- and German-language studies were evaluated.The review revealed that there is no consensus in the existing literature about rehabilitation times or return-to-sports activity times, after treatment with bone marrow stimulation of ODs in the talus. Furthermore, scant research has been conducted on these issues. The literature also showed that potential factors that aid rehabilitation could include youth, lower body mass index, smaller OD size, mobilization and treatment with growth factors, platelet-rich plasma, biphosphonates, hyaluronic acid and pulse electromagnetic fields. However, most studies have been conducted in vitro or on animals. We propose a scheme, whereby return-to-sports activity is divided into four phases of increasing intensity: walking, jogging, return to non-contact sports (running without swerving) and return to contact sports (running with swerving and collision). We also recommend that research, conducted on actual sportsmen, of recovery times after treatment of talar ODs is warranted.

Distribution and Network of Basal Temporal Language Areas: A Study of the Combination of Electric Cortical Stimulation and Diffusion Tensor Imaging.

PubMed

Enatsu, Rei; Kanno, Aya; Ookawa, Satoshi; Ochi, Satoko; Ishiai, Sumio; Nagamine, Takashi; Mikuni, Nobuhiro

2017-10-01

The basal temporal language area (BTLA) is considered to have several functions in language processing; however, its brain network is still unknown. This study investigated the distribution and networks of the BTLA using a combination of electric cortical stimulation and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). 10 patients with intractable focal epilepsy who underwent presurgical evaluation with subdural electrodes were enrolled in this study (language dominant side: 6 patients, language nondominant side: 4 patients). Electric stimulation at 50 Hz was applied to the electrodes during Japanese sentence reading, morphograms (kanji) reading, and syllabograms (kana) reading tasks to identify the BTLA. DTI was used to identify the subcortical fibers originating from the BTLA found by electric stimulation. The BTLA was found in 6 patients who underwent implantation of the subdural electrodes in the dominant hemisphere. The BTLA was located anywhere between 20 mm and 56 mm posterior to the temporal tips. In 3 patients, electric stimulation of some or all areas within the BTLA induced disturbance in reading of kanji words only. DTI detected the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) in all patients and the uncinate fasciculus (UF) in 1 patient, originating from the BTLA. ILF was detected from both kanji-specific areas and kanji-nonspecific areas. This study indicates that the network of the BTLA is a part of a ventral stream and is mainly composed of the ILF, which acts as a critical structure for lexical retrieval. ILF is also associated with the specific processing of kanji words. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Rubric for Extracting Idea Density from Oral Language Samples

PubMed Central

Chand, Vineeta; Baynes, Kathleen; Bonnici, Lisa M.; Farias, Sarah Tomaszewski

2012-01-01

While past research has demonstrated that low idea density (ID) scores from natural language samples correlate with late life risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease pathology, there are no published rubrics for collecting and analyzing language samples for idea density to verify or extend these findings into new settings. This paper outlines the history of ID research and findings, discusses issues with past rubrics, and then presents an operationalized method for the systematic measurement of ID in language samples, with an extensive manual available as a supplement to this article (Analysis of Idea Density, AID). Finally, reliability statistics for this rubric in the context of dementia research on aging populations and verification that AID can replicate the significant association between ID and late life cognition are presented. PMID:23042498

The Accessibility, Usability, and Reliability of Chinese Web-Based Information on HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Niu, Lu; Luo, Dan; Liu, Ying; Xiao, Shuiyuan

2016-08-20

The present study was designed to assess the quality of Chinese-language Internet-based information on HIV/AIDS. We entered the following search terms, in Chinese, into Baidu and Sogou: "HIV/AIDS", "symptoms", and "treatment", and evaluated the first 50 hits of each query using the Minervation validation instrument (LIDA tool) and DISCERN instrument. Of the 900 hits identified, 85 websites were included in this study. The overall score of the LIDA tool was 63.7%; the mean score of accessibility, usability, and reliability was 82.2%, 71.5%, and 27.3%, respectively. Of the top 15 sites according to the LIDA score, the mean DISCERN score was calculated at 43.1 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 37.7-49.5). Noncommercial websites showed higher DISCERN scores than commercial websites; whereas commercial websites were more likely to be found in the first 20 links obtained from each search engine than the noncommercial websites. In general, the HIV/AIDS related Chinese-language websites have poor reliability, although their accessibility and usability are fair. In addition, the treatment information presented on Chinese-language websites is far from sufficient. There is an imperative need for professionals and specialized institutes to improve the comprehensiveness of web-based information related to HIV/AIDS.

Introduction to Computer Aided Instruction in the Language Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughett, Harvey L.

The first half of this book focuses on the rationale, ideas, and information for the use of technology, including microcomputers, to improve language teaching efficiency. Topics discussed include foreign language computer assisted instruction (CAI), hardware and software selection, computer literacy, educational computing organizations, ease of…

Temporal lobe stimulation reveals anatomic distinction between auditory naming processes.

PubMed

Hamberger, M J; Seidel, W T; Goodman, R R; Perrine, K; McKhann, G M

2003-05-13

Language errors induced by cortical stimulation can provide insight into function(s) supported by the area stimulated. The authors observed that some stimulation-induced errors during auditory description naming were characterized by tip-of-the-tongue responses or paraphasic errors, suggesting expressive difficulty, whereas others were qualitatively different, suggesting receptive difficulty. They hypothesized that these two response types reflected disruption at different stages of auditory verbal processing and that these "subprocesses" might be supported by anatomically distinct cortical areas. To explore the topographic distribution of error types in auditory verbal processing. Twenty-one patients requiring left temporal lobe surgery underwent preresection language mapping using direct cortical stimulation. Auditory naming was tested at temporal sites extending from 1 cm from the anterior tip to the parietal operculum. Errors were dichotomized as either "expressive" or "receptive." The topographic distribution of error types was explored. Sites associated with the two error types were topographically distinct from one another. Most receptive sites were located in the middle portion of the superior temporal gyrus (STG), whereas most expressive sites fell outside this region, scattered along lateral temporal and temporoparietal cortex. Results raise clinical questions regarding the inclusion of the STG in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery and suggest that more detailed cortical mapping might enable better prediction of postoperative language decline. From a theoretical perspective, results carry implications regarding the understanding of structure-function relations underlying temporal lobe mediation of auditory language processing.

Repetitive deep transcranial magnetic stimulation improves verbal fluency and written language in a patient with primary progressive aphasia-logopenic variant (LPPA).

PubMed

Trebbastoni, Alessandro; Raccah, Ruggero; de Lena, Carlo; Zangen, Abraham; Inghilleri, Maurizio

2013-07-01

To date, no therapies are available for the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (LPPA). Even though deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may improve cognitive functions in some neurodegenerative disorders, no previous studies investigated its effects in patients with LPPA. Our aim was to investigate the effects on cognitive function of high frequency rTMS (hf-rTMS) delivered over the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) through a coil designed for deep rTMS, compared to a SHAM stimulation, in a right-handed patient with LPPA. The patient presented a progressive language impairment (phonological errors in speech and naming, impaired single word retrieval and sentences repetition) and predominant left perisylvian atrophy and hypoperfusion. He received four stimulation cycles (two REAL and two SHAM) each of whom lasted 20 min for 5 consecutive days. Patient's performances in frontal, visuo-spatial and linguistic tasks were evaluated before and after each stimulation session. Test scores after REAL were compared with those obtained at baseline and after SHAM. We found a temporary and highly significant improvement in the linguistic skills (both oral and written tasks) but not in the other cognitive domains tested, after REAL, but not SHAM stimulations. Hf-rTMS delivered over the DLPFC could improve language in LPPA by enhancing long-term potentiation and synaptic plasticity within the stimulated and interconnected areas involved in language network. Our findings might prompt future researches into the feasibility and efficacy of deep hf-rTMS as a therapeutic tool in progressive aphasia syndromes and other neurodegenerative disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In Vitro Evaluation of a Program for Machine-Aided Indexing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacquemin, Christian; Daille, Beatrice; Royaute, Jean; Polanco, Xavier

2002-01-01

Presents the human evaluation of ILIAD, a program for machine-aided indexing that was designed to assist expert librarians in computer-aided indexing and document analysis. Topics include controlled indexing and free indexing; natural language and concept-based information retrieval; evaluation methodology; syntactic variations; and a comparison…

Defying Definition: Rethinking Education Aid Relationships in Solomon Islands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spratt, Rebecca

2016-01-01

The discourse of aid--its language, structures and practice--powerfully ascribes roles and attributes to those involved in aid relationships such as developed/developing, partner, recipient/donor etcetera. This discourse is driven by a complex system of diverse and often competing ideas, values, actors and relationships, within which individuals…

Guia para estudiantes: Ayuda economica del Departamento de Educacion de los Estados Unidos, 2003-2004 (The Student Guide: Financial Aid from the U.S. Department of Education, 2003-2004).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Federal Student Aid (ED), Washington, DC.

This Spanish language publication explains what federal student financial aid is and the types of student financial aid that are available. The guide opens with an overview of federal student financial aid, and then discusses how to find out about student aid. A section of general information discusses eligibility and dependency. Types of federal…

TMS uncovers details about sub-regional language-specific processing networks in early bilinguals.

PubMed

Hämäläinen, Sini; Mäkelä, Niko; Sairanen, Viljami; Lehtonen, Minna; Kujala, Teija; Leminen, Alina

2018-05-01

Despite numerous functional neuroimaging and intraoperative electrical cortical mapping studies aimed at investigating the cortical organisation of native (L1) and second (L2) language processing, the neural underpinnings of bilingualism remain elusive. We investigated whether the neural network engaged in speech production over the bilateral posterior inferior frontal gyrus (pIFG) is the same (i.e., shared) or different (i.e., language-specific) for the two languages of bilingual speakers. Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over the left and right posterior inferior gyrus (pIFG), while early simultaneous bilinguals performed a picture naming task with their native languages. An ex-Gaussian distribution was fitted to the naming latencies and the resulting parameters were compared between languages and across stimulation conditions. The results showed that although the naming performance in general was highly comparable between the languages, TMS produced a language-specific effect when the pulses were delivered to the left pIFG at 200 ms poststimulus. We argue that this result causally demonstrates, for the first time, that even within common language-processing areas, there are distinct language-specific neural populations for the different languages in early simultaneous bilinguals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcranial direct current stimulation in post stroke aphasia and primary progressive aphasia: Current knowledge and future clinical applications.

PubMed

Sebastian, Rajani; Tsapkini, Kyrana; Tippett, Donna C

2016-06-13

The application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in chronic post stroke aphasia is documented in a substantial literature, and there is some new evidence that tDCS can augment favorable language outcomes in primary progressive aphasia. Anodal tDCS is most often applied to the left hemisphere language areas to increase cortical excitability (increase the threshold of activation) and cathodal tDCS is most often applied to the right hemisphere homotopic areas to inhibit over activation in contralesional right homologues of language areas. Outcomes usually are based on neuropsychological and language test performance, following a medical model which emphasizes impairment of function, rather than a model which emphasizes functional communication. In this paper, we review current literature of tDCS as it is being used as a research tool, and discuss future implementation of tDCS as an adjuvant treatment to behavioral speech-language pathology intervention. We review literature describing non-invasive brain stimulation, the mechanism of tDCS, and studies of tDCS in aphasia and neurodegenerative disorders. We discuss future clinical applications. tDCS is a promising adjunct to traditional speech-language pathology intervention to address speech-language deficits after stroke and in the neurodegenerative disease, primary progressive aphasia. Limited data are available regarding how performance on these types of specific tasks translates to functional communication outcomes.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Post Stroke Aphasia and Primary Progressive Aphasia: Current Knowledge and Future Clinical Applications

PubMed Central

Sebastian, Rajani; Tsapkini, Kyrana; Tippett, Donna C.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND The application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in chronic post stroke aphasia is documented in a substantial literature, and there is some new evidence that tDCS can augment favorable language outcomes in primary progressive aphasia. Anodal tDCS is most often applied to the left hemisphere language areas to increase cortical excitability (increase the threshold of activation) and cathodal tDCS is most often applied to the right hemisphere homotopic areas to inhibit over activation in contralesional right homologues of language areas. Outcomes usually are based on neuropsychological and language test performance, following a medical model which emphasizes impairment of function, rather than a model which emphasizes functional communication. OBJECTIVE In this paper, we review current literature of tDCS as it is being used as a research tool, and discuss future implementation of tDCS as an adjuvant treatment to behavioral speech-language pathology intervention. METHODS We review literature describing non-invasive brain stimulation, the mechanism of tDCS, and studies of tDCS in aphasia and neurodegenerative disorders. We discuss future clinical applications. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS tDCS is a promising adjunct to traditional speech-language pathology intervention to address speech-language deficits after stroke and in the neurodegenerative disease, primary progressive aphasia. Limited data are available regarding how performance on these types of specific tasks translates to functional communication outcomes. PMID:27314871

Semiotics and Foreign Language Pedagogy: A Much Neglected Area.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, James W.

This essay develops a framework for the application of semiotics to foreign language (FL) pedagogy. The state of the art and rationale of applied semiotics are discussed. The teacher will find that the semiotic approach aids in the teaching of languages by making the student aware of what is going on in a language act and thus, through redundancy,…

Improvement of white matter and functional connectivity abnormalities by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in crossed aphasia in dextral.

PubMed

Lu, Haitao; Wu, Haiyan; Cheng, Hewei; Wei, Dongjie; Wang, Xiaoyan; Fan, Yong; Zhang, Hao; Zhang, Tong

2014-01-01

As a special aphasia, the occurrence of crossed aphasia in dextral (CAD) is unusual. This study aims to improve the language ability by applying 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). We studied multiple modality imaging of structural connectivity (diffusion tensor imaging), functional connectivity (resting fMRI), PET, and neurolinguistic analysis on a patient with CAD. Furthermore, we applied rTMS of 1 Hz for 40 times and observed the language function improvement. The results indicated that a significantly reduced structural and function connectivity was found in DTI and fMRI data compared with the control. The PET imaging showed hypo-metabolism in right hemisphere and left cerebellum. In conclusion, one of the mechanisms of CAD is that right hemisphere is the language dominance. Stimulating left Wernicke area could improve auditory comprehension, stimulating left Broca's area could enhance expression, and the results outlasted 6 months by 1 Hz rTMS balancing the excitability inter-hemisphere in CAD.

Knowing English Grammar--An Important Aid in Second Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleary, Colin

2004-01-01

This article discusses a small-scale study that explored students', teachers', and university lecturers' beliefs about the value of studying English grammar in foreign and second language learning. A major debate in second language acquisition literature has been concerned with experiential (implicit) learning as opposed to analytical (explicit)…

Parenting Curriculum for Language Minority Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holt, Grace D.

The curriculum consists of a workbook for language minority parents learning English as a Second Language and parenting skills, and a teaching activities guide for instructors. The guide, developed for both literate and non-literate adults, serves three purposes: (1) as a visual aid for the classroom, with pictures introducing English in…

Where Is Logo Taking Our Kids?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mace, Scott

1984-01-01

Discusses various aspects, features, and uses of the Logo programing language. A comparison (in chart format) of several Logo languages is also included, providing comments on the language as well as producer, current price, number of sprites and turtles, computer needed, and whether debugging aids and list operations are included. (JN)

American Language Review, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Ben, Ed.

2000-01-01

The six issues of this journal cover a variety of topics of interest to the second language professional. Among the topics covered are the following: "virtual" classrooms, staff development, traveling with students, learner self-testing, advice on how to find a job on the Web, online pronunciation aids, language teaching strategies for deaf…

Hemispheric language dominance measured by repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation and postoperative course of language function in brain tumor patients.

PubMed

Ille, Sebastian; Kulchytska, Nataliia; Sollmann, Nico; Wittig, Regina; Beurskens, Eva; Butenschoen, Vicki M; Ringel, Florian; Vajkoczy, Peter; Meyer, Bernhard; Picht, Thomas; Krieg, Sandro M

2016-10-01

The resection of left-sided perisylvian brain lesions harbors the risk of postoperative aphasia. Because it is known that language function can shift between hemispheres in brain tumor patients, the preoperative knowledge of the patient's language dominance could be helpful. We therefore investigated the hemispheric language dominance by repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and surgery-related deficits of language function. We pooled the bicentric language mapping data of 80 patients undergoing the resection of left-sided perisylvian brain lesions in our two university neurosurgical departments. We calculated error rates (ERs; ER = errors per stimulations) for both hemispheres and defined the hemispheric dominance ratio (HDR) as the quotient of the left- and right-sided ER (HDR >1= left dominant; HDR <1= right dominant). The course of the patient's language function was evaluated and correlated with the preoperative HDR. Only three of 80 patients (4%) presented with permanent surgery-related aphasia and 24 patients (30%) with transient surgery-related aphasia. The mean HDR (± standard deviation) of patients with new aphasia after five days was significantly higher (1.68±1.07) than the HDR of patients with no new language deficit (1.37±1.08) (p=0.0482). With a predefined cut-off value of 0.5 for HDR, we achieved a sensitivity for predicting new aphasia of 100%. A higher preoperative HDR significantly correlates with an increased risk for transient aphasia. Moreover, the intensive preoperative workup in this study led to a considerably low rate of permanent aphasia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methotrexate induces poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-dependent, caspase 3-independent apoptosis in subsets of proliferating CD4+ T cells.

PubMed

Nielsen, C H; Albertsen, L; Bendtzen, K; Baslund, B

2007-05-01

The mechanism of action of methotrexate (MTX) in autoimmune diseases (AID) is unclear. A pro-apoptotic effect has been demonstrated in mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), but studies employing conventional antigens have disputed a pro-apoptotic effect. CD4+ T helper (Th) cells play a significant role in most AID. We therefore examined directly, by flow cytometry, the uptake of MTX by the T helper (Th) cells stimulated for 6 days with Candida albicans (CA) or tetanus toxoid (TT), and its consequences with respect to induction of apoptosis. While none of the resting Th cells took up MTX, nearly all the dividing Th cells did, and this abrogated further cell division. Among dividing Th cells, MTX induced an approximately sixfold increase over baseline levels in the proportion of apoptotic cells. This proportion could be reverted to baseline by the addition of folic acid. Exposure of CA-stimulated PBMC to MTX significantly increased their level of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and a similar tendency was observed in TT-stimulated cells. Unlike CA and TT, the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) induced proliferation of both CD4- and CD4+ T cells, and induced apoptosis in both undivided and divided Th cells. PHA-induced apoptosis involved activation of caspase-3 and the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in addition to PARP cleavage, suggesting that PHA induces apoptosis via different pathways than CA and TT. We suggest that the latter are more representative of stimulation with self-antigens in AID, and that a pro-apoptotic effect of MTX on self-antigen-stimulated Th cells contributes to the effect of MTX in the treatment of AID.

47 CFR 20.19 - Hearing aid-compatible mobile handsets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... required to include this language in the packaging material for handsets that incorporate a Wi-Fi air... aid compatibility with respect to Wi-Fi operation. (iii) Each manufacturer and service provider shall...

47 CFR 20.19 - Hearing aid-compatible mobile handsets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... required to include this language in the packaging material for handsets that incorporate a Wi-Fi air... aid compatibility with respect to Wi-Fi operation. (iii) Each manufacturer and service provider shall...

47 CFR 20.19 - Hearing aid-compatible mobile handsets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... required to include this language in the packaging material for handsets that incorporate a Wi-Fi air... aid compatibility with respect to Wi-Fi operation. (iii) Each manufacturer and service provider shall...

Aerospace Activities and Language Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Robert M.; Piper, Martha

1975-01-01

Describes how science activities can be used to stimulate language development in the elementary grades. Two aerospace activities are described involving liquid nitrogen and the launching of a weather balloon which integrate aerospace interests into the development of language skills. (BR)

Jenny's ABC's: AIDS, Blood, and Children. A Guide for Adults To Read with Elementary Age Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Christine

This guide, written in simple language appropriate for young children, uses a direct, conversational style to explain Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), how safely and comfortably to be with individuals who have AIDS, and how to avoid contracting the disease. The text is in the voice of an 11-year-old girl whose uncle died of AIDS. It…

Seven-star needle stimulation improves language and social interaction of children with autistic spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Chan, Agnes S; Cheung, Mei-Chun; Sze, Sophia L; Leung, Winnie W

2009-01-01

This is a randomized controlled trial that aimed to evaluate the effect of the Seven-star Needle Stimulation treatment on children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Thirty-two children with ASD were assigned randomly into the treatment and control groups. Children in the treatment group underwent 30 sessions of stimulation over 6 weeks, while children in the control group were on a waiting list and did not receive treatment during this period of time. Intervention consisted of a treatment regime comprising of 30 sessions of Seven-star Needle Stimulation, delivered over 6 weeks. Each session lasted 5 to 10 min, children in the treatment group were stimulated at the front and back sides of their body and the head by using Seven-star Needles. The change in the children's behavior was evaluated using parents' report and neurophysiological changes were measured by quantitative EEG (qEEG). Results showed that the treatment group demonstrated significant improvement in language and social interaction, but not in stereotyped behavior or motor function, compared to the control group. qEEG spectral amplitudes in the treatment, but not in the control group, were also reduced significantly. The results suggested that Seven-star Needle Stimulation might be an effective intervention to improve language and social functioning of children with ASD.

How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications.

PubMed

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Weitz, Edmund; Karp, Peter D; Wahlestedt, Claes

2018-05-01

We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the 'programmable programming language'. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology.

A Common Programming Language for the Department of Defense--Background and Technical Requirements

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

Method Findings I. Introduction A. The Problem 1. Software Costs 2. Programming Language 3. Lack of Comrr.onality 4. Common Language 5...accessible soft- ware tools and aids. There are a number of widely held perceptions about the ill effects of the lack of programming language ...cost- effective (at lea~t during development) than de- velopi~g a new programming language specialized to the project. On the other hand,

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Post-stroke Chronic Aphasia: The Impact of Baseline Severity and Task Specificity in a Pilot Sample

PubMed Central

Norise, Catherine; Sacchetti, Daniela; Hamilton, Roy

2017-01-01

Emerging evidence suggests that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve aspects of language production in persons with chronic non-fluent aphasia due to left hemisphere stroke. However, to date, studies exploring factors that predict response to tDCS in this or any patient population remain sparse, as are studies that investigate the specific aspects of language performance that are most responsive to stimulation. The current study explored factors that could predict recovery of language fluency and which aspects of language fluency could be expected to improve with the identified factor(s). We report nine patients who demonstrated deficits in fluency as assessed using the Cookie Theft picture description task of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination. In the treatment condition, subjects received a 2.0 mA current through 5 cm × 5 cm electrodes for 20 min at a site previously shown to elicit a patient-dependent optimal response to tDCS. They were then tested 2-weeks and 2-months after treatment. In the sham condition, a subset of these subjects were tested on the same protocol with sham instead of real tDCS. The current study assessed language fluency improvements in measures of production at the word-level and sentence level, grammatical accuracy, and lexical selection as a function of baseline aphasia severity. A more severe baseline language profile was associated with larger improvements in fluency at the word-level after real tDCS but not sham stimulation. These improvements were maintained at the 2-week follow-up. The results suggest that for at least some outcome measures, baseline severity may be an important factor in predicting the response to tDCS in patients with chronic non-fluent aphasia. Moving forward, the ability to identify patient factors that can predict response could help refine strategies for the administration of therapeutic tDCS, focusing attention on those patients most likely to benefit from stimulation. PMID:28611609

Adaptive Plasticity in the Healthy Language Network: Implications for Language Recovery after Stroke

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Across the last three decades, the application of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has substantially increased the current knowledge of the brain's potential to undergo rapid short-term reorganization on the systems level. A large number of studies applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the healthy brain to probe the functional relevance and interaction of specific areas for different cognitive processes. NIBS is also increasingly being used to induce adaptive plasticity in motor and cognitive networks and shape cognitive functions. Recently, NIBS has been combined with electrophysiological techniques to modulate neural oscillations of specific cortical networks. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in the use of NIBS to modulate neural activity and effective connectivity in the healthy language network, with a special focus on the combination of NIBS and neuroimaging or electrophysiological approaches. Moreover, we outline how these results can be transferred to the lesioned brain to unravel the dynamics of reorganization processes in poststroke aphasia. We conclude with a critical discussion on the potential of NIBS to facilitate language recovery after stroke and propose a phase-specific model for the application of NIBS in language rehabilitation. PMID:27830094

Stereotactic probability and variability of speech arrest and anomia sites during stimulation mapping of the language dominant hemisphere.

PubMed

Chang, Edward F; Breshears, Jonathan D; Raygor, Kunal P; Lau, Darryl; Molinaro, Annette M; Berger, Mitchel S

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE Functional mapping using direct cortical stimulation is the gold standard for the prevention of postoperative morbidity during resective surgery in dominant-hemisphere perisylvian regions. Its role is necessitated by the significant interindividual variability that has been observed for essential language sites. The aim in this study was to determine the statistical probability distribution of eliciting aphasic errors for any given stereotactically based cortical position in a patient cohort and to quantify the variability at each cortical site. METHODS Patients undergoing awake craniotomy for dominant-hemisphere primary brain tumor resection between 1999 and 2014 at the authors' institution were included in this study, which included counting and picture-naming tasks during dense speech mapping via cortical stimulation. Positive and negative stimulation sites were collected using an intraoperative frameless stereotactic neuronavigation system and were converted to Montreal Neurological Institute coordinates. Data were iteratively resampled to create mean and standard deviation probability maps for speech arrest and anomia. Patients were divided into groups with a "classic" or an "atypical" location of speech function, based on the resultant probability maps. Patient and clinical factors were then assessed for their association with an atypical location of speech sites by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS Across 102 patients undergoing speech mapping, the overall probabilities of speech arrest and anomia were 0.51 and 0.33, respectively. Speech arrest was most likely to occur with stimulation of the posterior inferior frontal gyrus (maximum probability from individual bin = 0.025), and variance was highest in the dorsal premotor cortex and the posterior superior temporal gyrus. In contrast, stimulation within the posterior perisylvian cortex resulted in the maximum mean probability of anomia (maximum probability = 0.012), with large variance in the regions surrounding the posterior superior temporal gyrus, including the posterior middle temporal, angular, and supramarginal gyri. Patients with atypical speech localization were far more likely to have tumors in canonical Broca's or Wernicke's areas (OR 7.21, 95% CI 1.67-31.09, p < 0.01) or to have multilobar tumors (OR 12.58, 95% CI 2.22-71.42, p < 0.01), than were patients with classic speech localization. CONCLUSIONS This study provides statistical probability distribution maps for aphasic errors during cortical stimulation mapping in a patient cohort. Thus, the authors provide an expected probability of inducing speech arrest and anomia from specific 10-mm 2 cortical bins in an individual patient. In addition, they highlight key regions of interindividual mapping variability that should be considered preoperatively. They believe these results will aid surgeons in their preoperative planning of eloquent cortex resection.

Student Proficiency in Spanish Taught by Native and Nonnative Spanish Instructors: A Quantitative Correlational Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopczynski, Karolina

2010-01-01

Foreign language educators as well as educators from other disciplines agree that learning any foreign language improves student language skills and stimulates creative thinking and flexibility to use the language. The purpose of the current quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationship between student proficiency in Spanish…

Helping people in a minimally conscious state develop responding and stimulation control through a microswitch-aided program.

PubMed

Lancioni, Giulio E; Singh, Nirbhay N; O'Reilly, Mark F; Sigafoos, Jeff; D'Amico, Fiora; Buonocunto, Francesca; Navarro, Jorge; Lanzilotti, Crocifissa; Fiore, Pietro; Megna, Marisa; Damiani, Sabino; Marvulli, Riccardo

2017-06-01

Postcoma persons in a minimally conscious state (MCS) and with extensive motor impairment cannot independently access and control environmental stimulation. Assessing the effects of a microswitch-aided program aimed at helping MCS persons develop responding and stimulation control and conducting a social validation/evaluation of the program. A single-subject ABAB design was used for each participant to determine the impact of the program on his or her responding. Staff interviews were used for the social validation/evaluation of the program. Rehabilitation and care facilities that the participants attended. Eleven MCS persons with extensive motor impairment and lack of speech or any other functional communication. For each participant, baseline (A) phases were alternated with intervention (B) phases during which the program was used. The program relied on microswitches to monitor participants' specific responses (e.g., prolonged eyelid closures) and on a computer system to enable those responses to control stimulation. In practice, the participants could use a simple response such as prolonged eyelid closure to generate a new stimulation input. Sixty-six staff people took part in the social validation of the program. They were to compare the program to basic and elaborate forms of externally controlled stimulation, scoring each of them on a six-item questionnaire. All participants showed increased response frequencies (and thus higher levels of independent stimulation input/control) during the B phases of the study. Their frequencies for each intervention phase more than doubled their frequencies for the preceding baseline phase with the difference between the two being clearly significant (P<0.01). Staff involved in the social validation procedure provided significantly higher scoring (P<0.01) for the program on five of the six questionnaire items. A microswitch-aided program can be an effective and socially acceptable tool in the work with MCS persons. The participants and staff's data can be taken as an encouragement for the use of a microswitch-aided program within care and rehabilitation settings for MCS persons.

Language mapping with navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation in pediatric and adult patients undergoing epilepsy surgery: Comparison with extraoperative direct cortical stimulation.

PubMed

Lehtinen, Henri; Mäkelä, Jyrki P; Mäkelä, Teemu; Lioumis, Pantelis; Metsähonkala, Liisa; Hokkanen, Laura; Wilenius, Juha; Gaily, Eija

2018-06-01

Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) is becoming increasingly popular in noninvasive preoperative language mapping, as its results correlate well enough with those obtained by direct cortical stimulation (DCS) during awake surgery in adult patients with tumor. Reports in the context of epilepsy surgery or extraoperative DCS in adults are, however, sparse, and validation of nTMS with DCS in children is lacking. Furthermore, little is known about the risk of inducing epileptic seizures with nTMS in pediatric epilepsy patients. We provide the largest validation study to date in an epilepsy surgery population. We compared language mapping with nTMS and extraoperative DCS in 20 epilepsy surgery patients (age range 9-32 years; 14 children and adolescents). In comparison with DCS, sensitivity of nTMS was 68%, specificity 76%, positive predictive value 27%, and negative predictive value 95%. Age, location of ictal-onset zone near or within DCS-mapped language areas or severity of cognitive deficits had no significant effect on these values. None of our patients had seizures during nTMS. Our study suggests that nTMS language mapping is clinically useful and safe in epilepsy surgery patients, including school-aged children and patients with extensive cognitive dysfunction. Similar to in tumor surgery, mapping results in the frontal region are most reliable. False negative findings may be slightly more likely in epilepsy than in tumor surgery patients. Mapping results should always be verified by other methods in individual patients.

Theoretical Implementations of Various Mobile Applications Used in English Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small, Melissa

2014-01-01

This review of the theoretical framework for Mastery Learning Theory and Sense of Community theories is provided in conjunction with a review of the literature for mobile technology in relation to language learning. Although empirical research is minimal for mobile phone technology as an aid for language learning, the empirical research that…

Film Analysis through Linguistic Base

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanriverdi, Belgin

2007-01-01

Studies made in the last few years show that using films in language classrooms is an effective way in teaching a foreign language. Well-chosen films can serve as a valuable pedagogical aid, both for classroom use and self-study. This article is about using films in language classrooms through a specially designed course, whose outline description…

Incorporating Computer-Aided Language Sample Analysis into Clinical Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Lisa Hammett; Hendricks, Sean; Cook, Colleen

2010-01-01

Purpose: During the evaluation of language abilities, the needs of the child are best served when multiple types and sources of data are included in the evaluation process. Current educational policies and practice guidelines further dictate the use of authentic assessment data to inform diagnosis and treatment planning. Language sampling and…

Meaning-Making in Online Language Learner Interactions via Desktop Videoconferencing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satar, H. Müge

2016-01-01

Online language learning and teaching in multimodal contexts has been identified as one of the key research areas in computer-aided learning (CALL) (Lamy, 2013; White, 2014). This paper aims to explore meaning-making in online language learner interactions via desktop videoconferencing (DVC) and in doing so illustrate multimodal transcription and…

Hey, I Got Sump'n To Tell You, An' It Cool! A Class for Children with Severe Language Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monaco, Joan L.; Zaslow, Elinor L.

Discussed is an experimental demonstration class for children exhibiting severe language disabilities. Staff includes teacher-therapist, classroom aide, psychologist, audiologist, speech and language pathologists, and occupational therapist. A theoretical framework is provided through discussion of phonological, semantic and syntactic aspects of…

Language Coordinators Resource Kit. Section Ten: Picture Bank.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Washington, DC. Information Collection and Exchange Div.

The guide is one section of a resource kit designed to assist Peace Corps language instruction coordinators in countries around the world in understanding the principles underlying second language learning and teaching and in organizing instructional programs. This section contains a collection of pictures that can be used as visual aids in…

Learning in Parallel: Using Parallel Corpora to Enhance Written Language Acquisition at the Beginning Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bluemel, Brody

2014-01-01

This article illustrates the pedagogical value of incorporating parallel corpora in foreign language education. It explores the development of a Chinese/English parallel corpus designed specifically for pedagogical application. The corpus tool was created to aid language learners in reading comprehension and writing development by making foreign…

An evaluation of the documented requirements of the SSP UIL and a review of commercial software packages for the development and testing of UIL prototypes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Esther Naomi

1986-01-01

A review was conducted of software packages currently on the market which might be integrated with the interface language and aid in reaching the objectives of customization, standardization, transparency, reliability, maintainability, language substitutions, expandability, portability, and flexibility. Recommendations are given for best choices in hardware and software acquisition for inhouse testing of these possible integrations. Software acquisition in the line of tools to aid expert-system development and/or novice program development, artificial intelligent voice technology and touch screen or joystick or mouse utilization as well as networking were recommended. Other recommendations concerned using the language Ada for the user interface language shell because of its high level of standardization, structure, and ability to accept and execute programs written in other programming languages, its DOD ownership and control, and keeping the user interface language simple so that multiples of users will find the commercialization of space within their realm of possibility which is, after all, the purpose of the Space Station.

The Effectiveness of Three Reading Approaches and an Oral Language Stimulation Program with Disadvantaged Children in the Primary Grades: A Follow-Up Report After the Third Grade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Lloyd M.; Bruininks, Robert H.

The Cooperative Reading Project was a 2-year study designed to test the effectiveness of three initial reading approaches and an oral language stimulation program with inner-city Southern disadvantaged children. This followup study looked for differences among the treatment groups after pupils had completed their third school year. The 354…

Computer Aided Creativity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proctor, Tony

1988-01-01

Explores the conceptual components of a computer program designed to enhance creative thinking and reviews software that aims to stimulate creative thinking. Discusses BRAIN and ORACLE, programs intended to aid in creative problem solving. (JOW)

How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications

PubMed Central

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Weitz, Edmund; Karp, Peter D; Wahlestedt, Claes

2018-01-01

Abstract We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the ‘programmable programming language’. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology. PMID:28040748

Measurement of stapes vibration in Human temporal bones by round window stimulation using a 3-coil transducer.

PubMed

Shin, Dong Ho; Kim, Dong Wook; Lim, Hyung Gyu; Jung, Eui Sung; Seong, Ki Woong; Lee, Jyung Hyun; Kim, Myoung Nam; Cho, Jin Ho

2014-01-01

Round window placement of a 3-coil transducer offers a new approach for coupling an implantable hearing aid to the inner ear. The transducer exhibits high performance at low-frequencies. One remarkable feature of the 3-coil transducer is that it minimizes leakage flux. Thus, the transducer, which consists of two permanent magnets and three coils, can enhance vibrational displacement. In human temporal bones, stapes vibration was observed by laser Doppler vibrometer in response to round window stimulation using the 3-coil transducer. Coupling between the 3-coil transducer and the round window was connected by a wire-rod. The stimulation created stapes velocity when the round window stimulated. Performance evaluation was conducted by measuring stapes velocity. To verify the performance of the 3-coil transducer, stapes velocity for round window and tympanic membrane stimulation were compared, respectively. Stapes velocity by round window stimulation using the 3-coil transducer was approximately 14 dB higher than that achieved by tympanic membrane stimulation. The study shows that 3-coil transducer is suitable for implantable hearing aids.

PRN 2001-1: First Aid Statements on Pesticide Product Labels

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This PR notice is intended to provide guidance for what the Agency believes is the most updated appropriate first aid language for pesticide product labels to ensure that they continue to adequately protect the public.

Mapping of cortical language function by functional magnetic resonance imaging and repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation in 40 healthy subjects.

PubMed

Sollmann, Nico; Ille, Sebastian; Boeckh-Behrens, Tobias; Ringel, Florian; Meyer, Bernhard; Krieg, Sandro M

2016-07-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is considered to be the standard method regarding non-invasive language mapping. However, repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) gains increasing importance with respect to that purpose. However, comparisons between both methods are sparse. We performed fMRI and rTMS language mapping of the left hemisphere in 40 healthy, right-handed subjects in combination with the tasks that are most commonly used in the neurosurgical context (fMRI: word-generation = WGEN task; rTMS: object-naming = ON task). Different rTMS error rate thresholds (ERTs) were calculated, and Cohen's kappa coefficient and the cortical parcellation system (CPS) were used for systematic comparison of the two techniques. Overall, mean kappa coefficients were low, revealing no distinct agreement. We found the highest agreement for both techniques when using the 2-out-of-3 rule (CPS region defined as language positive in terms of rTMS if at least 2 out of 3 stimulations led to a naming error). However, kappa for this threshold was only 0.24 (kappa of <0, 0.01-0.20, 0.21-0.40, 0.41-0.60, 0.61-0.80 and 0.81-0.99 indicate less than chance, slight, fair, moderate, substantial and almost perfect agreement, respectively). Because of the inherent differences in the underlying physiology of fMRI and rTMS, the different tasks used and the impossibility of verifying the results via direct cortical stimulation (DCS) in the population of healthy volunteers, one must exercise caution in drawing conclusions about the relative usefulness of each technique for language mapping. Nevertheless, this study yields valuable insights into these two mapping techniques for the most common language tasks currently used in neurosurgical practice.

Conocimiento de Transmision de SIDA y Percepcion Hacia los Ninos con SIDA en el Salon de Clases de los Maestros de Educacion Especial (Knowledge of AIDS Transmission and Special Education Teachers' Attitudes towards Children with AIDS in the Classroom).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez de Williams, Milka

This Spanish-language master's thesis presents a study which measured special education teachers' knowledge of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) virus transmission and their attitudes toward children with AIDS in schools. Attitudes were then related to social variables such as sex, teacher's age, and knowing someone with AIDS. A survey of…

Setup presentation and clinical outcome analysis of treating highly language-eloquent gliomas via preoperative navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation and tractography.

PubMed

Sollmann, Nico; Kelm, Anna; Ille, Sebastian; Schröder, Axel; Zimmer, Claus; Ringel, Florian; Meyer, Bernhard; Krieg, Sandro M

2018-06-01

OBJECTIVE Awake surgery combined with intraoperative direct electrical stimulation (DES) and intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is considered the gold standard for the resection of highly language-eloquent brain tumors. Different modalities, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or magnetoencephalography (MEG), are commonly added as adjuncts for preoperative language mapping but have been shown to have relevant limitations. Thus, this study presents a novel multimodal setup consisting of preoperative navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) and nTMS-based diffusion tensor imaging fiber tracking (DTI FT) as an adjunct to awake surgery. METHODS Sixty consecutive patients (63.3% men, mean age 47.6 ± 13.3 years) suffering from highly language-eloquent left-hemispheric low- or high-grade glioma underwent preoperative nTMS language mapping and nTMS-based DTI FT, followed by awake surgery for tumor resection. Both nTMS language mapping and DTI FT data were available for resection planning and intraoperative guidance. Clinical outcome parameters, including craniotomy size, extent of resection (EOR), language deficits at different time points, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score, duration of surgery, and inpatient stay, were assessed. RESULTS According to postoperative evaluation, 28.3% of patients showed tumor residuals, whereas new surgery-related permanent language deficits occurred in 8.3% of patients. KPS scores remained unchanged (median preoperative score 90, median follow-up score 90). CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to present a clinical outcome analysis of this very modern approach, which is increasingly applied in neurooncological centers worldwide. Although human language function is a highly complex and dynamic cortico-subcortical network, the presented approach offers excellent functional and oncological outcomes in patients undergoing surgery of lesions affecting this network.

Hearsay: A Text for Listening. English for Special Purposes Series: Nursing Aide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Marybeth; Hubbard, Katherine E.

This is the student handbook for the listening comprehension portion of a course in English as a second language for adult nursing aide students. Eleven units cover basic nursing skills. Each unit consists of combinations of stories, lectures, and dictations read by the teacher often with visual aids. There are "practice listening" sessions and…

Teacher's Manual for Hearsay. English for Special Purposes Series: Nursing Aide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Marybeth; Hubbard, Katherine E.

This is the teacher's manual for the listening comprehension portion of a course in English as a second language for adult nursing aide students. Eleven units cover basic nursing skills. Each unit consists of combinations of stories, lectures, and dictations read by the teacher, often with visual aids. There are "practice listening" sessions and…

Reference Manual. English for Special Purposes Series: Nursing Aide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Marybeth

A variety of reference aids are included in this supplement to a course in English as a second language for nursing aides. Maps of the imaginary geographic locations used in the course are provided. The bulk of the volume presents charts, lists, and illustrations designed to reinforce knowledge of basic vocabulary. Topics covered include numbers,…

Intraoperative language localization in multilingual patients with gliomas.

PubMed

Bello, Lorenzo; Acerbi, Francesco; Giussani, Carlo; Baratta, Pietro; Taccone, Paolo; Songa, Valeria; Fava, Marica; Stocchetti, Nino; Papagno, Costanza; Gaini, Sergio M

2006-07-01

Intraoperative localization of speech is problematic in patients who are fluent in different languages. Previous studies have generated various results depending on the series of patients studied, the type of language, and the sensitivity of the tasks applied. It is not clear whether languages are mediated by multiple and separate cortical areas or shared by common areas. Globally considered, previous studies recommended performing a multiple intraoperative mapping for all the languages in which the patient is fluent. The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of performing an intraoperative multiple language mapping in a group of multilingual patients with a glioma undergoing awake craniotomy for tumor removal and to describe the intraoperative cortical and subcortical findings in the area of craniotomy, with the final goal to maximally preserve patients' functional language. Seven late, highly proficient multilingual patients with a left frontal glioma were submitted preoperatively to a battery of tests to evaluate oral language production, comprehension, and repetition. Each language was tested serially starting from the first acquired language. Items that were correctly named during these tests were used to build personalized blocks to be used intraoperatively. Language mapping was undertaken during awake craniotomies by the use of an Ojemann cortical stimulator during counting and oral naming tasks. Subcortical stimulation by using the same current threshold was applied during tumor resection, in a back and forth fashion, and the same tests. Cortical sites essential for oral naming were found in 87.5% of patients, those for the first acquired language in one to four sites, those for the other languages in one to three sites. Sites for each language were distinct and separate. Number and location of sites were not predictable, being randomly and widely distributed in the cortex around or less frequently over the tumor area. Subcortical stimulations found tracts for the first acquired language in four patients and for the other languages in three patients. Three of these patients decreased their fluency immediately after surgery, affecting the first acquired language, which fully recovered in two patients and partially in one. The procedure was agile and well tolerated by the patients. These findings show that multiple cortical and subcortical language mapping during awake craniotomy for tumor removal is a feasible procedure. They support the concept that intraoperative mapping should be performed for all the languages in which the patient is fluent in to preserve functional integrity.

The Effects of Dual-Language Support on the Language Skills of Bilingual Children with Hearing Loss Who Use Listening Devices Relative to Their Monolingual Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunta, Ferenc; Douglas, Michael

2013-01-01

Purpose: The present study investigated the effects of supporting both English and Spanish on language outcomes in bilingual children with hearing loss (HL) who used listening devices (cochlear implants and hearing aids). The English language skills of bilingual children with HL were compared to those of their monolingual English-speaking peers'…

Artificial intelligence programming languages for computer aided manufacturing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rieger, C.; Samet, H.; Rosenberg, J.

1979-01-01

Eight Artificial Intelligence programming languages (SAIL, LISP, MICROPLANNER, CONNIVER, MLISP, POP-2, AL, and QLISP) are presented and surveyed, with examples of their use in an automated shop environment. Control structures are compared, and distinctive features of each language are highlighted. A simple programming task is used to illustrate programs in SAIL, LISP, MICROPLANNER, and CONNIVER. The report assumes reader knowledge of programming concepts, but not necessarily of the languages surveyed.

Schematization and Sentence Processing by Foreign Language Learners: A Reading-Time Experiment and a Stimulated-Recall Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tode, Tomoko

2012-01-01

This article examines how learners of English as a foreign language process reduced relative clauses (RRCs) from the perspective of usage-based language learning, which posits that language knowledge forms a hierarchy from item-based knowledge consisting only of entrenched frequent exemplars to more advanced schematized knowledge. Twenty-eight…

Efficacy of a Self-Monitoring Tool for Improving the Quality of the Language Environment in the Preschool Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strasser, Katherine; Mendive, Susana; Vergara, Daniela; Darricades, Michelle

2018-01-01

Research Findings: This study evaluated the impact of a self-monitoring intervention on preschool teachers' use of language and on children's language growth. Nineteen classrooms from Santiago de Chile participated (10 intervention, 9 control). Twice a week, intervention teachers filled out a checklist to monitor the language stimulation they…

Factors Associated with Speech-Sound Stimulability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lof, Gregory L.

1996-01-01

This study examined stimulability in 30 children (ages 3 to 5) with articulation impairments. Factors found to relate to stimulability were articulation visibility, the child's age, the family's socioeconomic status, and the child's overall imitative ability. Perception, severity, otitis media history, language abilities, consistency of…

Language Planning for the 21st Century: Revisiting Bilingual Language Policy for Deaf Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knoors, Harry; Marschark, Marc

2012-01-01

For over 25 years in some countries and more recently in others, bilingual education involving sign language and the written/spoken vernacular has been considered an essential educational intervention for deaf children. With the recent growth in universal newborn hearing screening and technological advances such as digital hearing aids and…

Training and Research in Phonetics for Spanish as a Second Language with Technological Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanco Canales, Ana

2013-01-01

Foreign language acquisition must inevitably start with phonetics, an aspect of language whose importance is matched only by its neglect. Different research has shown how the systematic teaching of pronunciation is beneficial not only because it aids the comprehension of messages and their expression, but also because it diminishes the anxiety…

Visual Aids and Multimedia in Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halwani, Noha

2017-01-01

Education involves more than simply passing the final test. Rather, it is the process of educating an entire generation. This research project focused on language learners of English as a Second Language. This action research was conducted in an ESL classroom in H. Frank Carey High School, one of five high schools in the Sewanhaka Central District…

How Can Comorbidity with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Aid Understanding of Language and Speech Disorders?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomblin, J. Bruce; Mueller, Kathyrn L.

2012-01-01

This article provides a background for the topic of comorbidity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and spoken and written language and speech disorders that extends through this issue of "Topics in Language Disorders." Comorbidity is common within developmental disorders and may be explained by many possible reasons. Some of these can be…

LANGUAGE ARTS LABORATORY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ROBERTS, HERMESE E.

THE LANGUAGE ARTS LABORATORY WAS ESTABLISHED TO IMPROVE READING ABILITY AND OTHER LANGUAGE ARTS SKILLS AS AN AID IN THE PREVENTION OF DROPOUTS. THE LABORATORY WAS OPERATED ON A SUMMER SCHEDULE WITH A FLEXIBLE PROGRAM OF FROM 45 MINUTES TO 2 1/2 HOURS DAILY. ALL PUPILS WERE 14 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, AND EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO IMPROVE THEIR READING…

Discursive Enactments of the World Health Organization's Policies: Competing Cultural Models in Tanzanian HIV/AIDS Prevention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Christina

2010-01-01

In the healthcare arena, language policy-related research has thus far been limited to questions about "language access," i.e., whether individuals are supplied with health information in their languages, and whether interpreters for doctor-patient consultations are provided (Martinez 2008; Ngo-Metzger et al. 2003; Partida 2007; Vahabi…

Melodies That Help: The Relation between Language Aptitude and Musical Intelligence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fonseca-Mora, M. C.; Toscano-Fuentes, C.; Wermke, K.

2011-01-01

Music and rhythm have been defined as powerful aids to language learning, memory, and recall. But is this due to structural and motivational properties of instrumental music and songs, or is there a relation between learners' language aptitude and musical intelligence? It seems that everyone who feels motivated to do it is able to learn other…

Aid-To-Education Programs of Some Leading Business Concerns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Financial Aid to Education, New York, NY.

The Council for Financial Aid to Education is a nonprofit research and service organization established to stimulate voluntary support of higher education from major private sources, particularly the business community. This case book describes how businesses can establish an aid-to-education program and what types of support there are. It also…

Federal Student Aid and Tuition Growth: Examining the Relationship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauptman, Arthur M.; Krop, Cathy S.

A debate has raged over the effect of federal student aid on tuition growth. Former Secretary of Education, William Bennett claimed that colleges and universities explicitly take federal aid into account in setting tuition and other charges, thereby stimulating tuition increases that are higher than the rate of inflation. An alternative view is…

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and language

PubMed Central

Monti, Alessia; Ferrucci, Roberta; Fumagalli, Manuela; Mameli, Francesca; Cogiamanian, Filippo; Ardolino, Gianluca; Priori, Alberto

2013-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive neuromodulation technique inducing prolonged brain excitability changes and promoting cerebral plasticity, is a promising option for neurorehabilitation. Here, we review progress in research on tDCS and language functions and on the potential role of tDCS in the treatment of post-stroke aphasia. Currently available data suggest that tDCS over language-related brain areas can modulate linguistic abilities in healthy individuals and can improve language performance in patients with aphasia. Whether the results obtained in experimental conditions are functionally important for the quality of life of patients and their caregivers remains unclear. Despite the fact that important variables are yet to be determined, tDCS combined with rehabilitation techniques seems a promising therapeutic option for aphasia. PMID:23138766

Research Review: Structural Language in Autistic Spectrum Disorder--Characteristics and Causes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boucher, Jill

2012-01-01

Background: Structural language anomalies or impairments in autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are theoretically and practically important, although underrecognised as such. This review aims to highlight the ubiquitousness of structural language anomalies and impairments in ASD, and to stimulate investigation of their immediate causes and…

Indigenous Education and Grassroots Language Planning in the USA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarty, Teresa L.; Watahomigie, Lucille J.

1999-01-01

Indigenous literacy affirms indigenous identity; connects native speakers to the culture and each other; and stimulates other, more diffuse forces for language maintenance. Collaborative, grassroots Native language programs in the United States, New Zealand, Hawaii, Canada, and Puerto Rico are described. Immersion and literacy programs include…

Lexical Specificity Training Effects in Second Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janssen, Caressa; Segers, Eliane; McQueen, James M.; Verhoeven, Ludo

2015-01-01

Children who start formal education in a second language may experience slower vocabulary growth in that language and subsequently experience disadvantages in literacy acquisition. The current study asked whether lexical specificity training can stimulate bilingual children's phonological awareness, which is considered to be a precursor to…

[Effect of rehabilitation for prelingual deaf children who use cochlear implants in conjunction with hearing aids in the opposite ears].

PubMed

Tian, Yanjing; Zhou, Huifang; Zhang, Jing; Yang, Dong; Xu, Yi; Guo, Yuxi

2012-10-01

To compare the effect of rehabilitation of prelingual deaf children who used a cochlear implant (CI) in one ear and a hearing aids in the opposite ear while the hearing level of the opposite ears are different. Hearing ability, language ability and learning ability was included in the content. The aim of this research is to investigate better style of rehabilitation, and to offer the best help to the prelingual deaf children. Accord ing to the hearing level of the ear opposite to the one wearing a cochlear implant and whether the opposite ear wear a hearing aid or not, 30 prelingual deaf children were divided into three groups, including cochlear implant with opposite severe hearing loss and hearing aid ear (CI+SHA), cochlear implant with opposite profound hearing loss and hearing aid ear (CI+PHA), cochlear implant only (CI). The effect of rehabilitation was assessed in six different times (3,6,9,12,15 and 18 months after the cochlear implants and hearing aids began to work). The longer time the rehabilitation spends, the better the hearing ability,language ability and the learning ability were. The hearing ability of CI+SHA was better than those of CI+PHA (P<0.05) and CI (P<0.05). The language ability and learning ability of CI-SHA was nearly equal to those of the other two groups. The prelingual deaf children should take much more time on rehabilitation. The effect of rehabilitation for prelingual deaf children who used cochlear implant in one ear and hearing aid in the other depend on the residual hearing level of the other ear. If a prelingual deaf children still has any residual hearing level in the ear opposite to the cochlear implant ear, it is better for him/her to wear a hearing aid in the ear.

Alternatives in Aural Rehabilitation: Provider Training of Nonaudiologists in the Delivery of Hearing-Aid Supportive Services to Older Persons with Hearing Loss.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Karen; Dancer, Jess

1987-01-01

Describes program in which American Speech-Language-Hearing Association certified audiologists train protocol providers to assist older hearing-aid users in adjusting to using hearing aids on a daily basis. Training emphasizes empathy, effective communication skills, knowledge of the interaction of aging and hearing loss, phases outlined in…

Communications Skills Training in Bi-Lateral Aid Projects. Report on the Dunford House Seminar (England, United Kingdom, July 15-25, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgs, David, Ed.

Proceedings of a seminar on communications skills training for English-as-a-Second-Language teachers in the context of aid projects overseas are presented in the form of papers, presentations, and summary narrative. They include: "Educational Project Management: Survey of Communications Skills Requirements in Aid Projects in Indonesia"…

Software For Computer-Aided Design Of Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wette, Matthew

1994-01-01

Computer Aided Engineering System (CAESY) software developed to provide means to evaluate methods for dealing with users' needs in computer-aided design of control systems. Interpreter program for performing engineering calculations. Incorporates features of both Ada and MATLAB. Designed to be flexible and powerful. Includes internally defined functions, procedures and provides for definition of functions and procedures by user. Written in C language.

The Language of Caring: Nurse's Aides' Use of Family Metaphors Conveys Affective Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berdes, Celia; Eckert, John M.

2007-01-01

Purpose: Using a conceptual framework from the field of care work and the theory of boundary work, we explore the use of family metaphors by nurse's aides to describe their affective care for nursing home residents. We focus on how nurse's aides can express affective care in spite of experiencing racial abuse. Methods: Using the technique of…

Effects of audio-visual aids on foreign language test anxiety, reading and listening comprehension, and retention in EFL learners.

PubMed

Lee, Shu-Ping; Lee, Shin-Da; Liao, Yuan-Lin; Wang, An-Chi

2015-04-01

This study examined the effects of audio-visual aids on anxiety, comprehension test scores, and retention in reading and listening to short stories in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Reading and listening tests, general and test anxiety, and retention were measured in English-major college students in an experimental group with audio-visual aids (n=83) and a control group without audio-visual aids (n=94) with similar general English proficiency. Lower reading test anxiety, unchanged reading comprehension scores, and better reading short-term and long-term retention after four weeks were evident in the audiovisual group relative to the control group. In addition, lower listening test anxiety, higher listening comprehension scores, and unchanged short-term and long-term retention were found in the audiovisual group relative to the control group after the intervention. Audio-visual aids may help to reduce EFL learners' listening test anxiety and enhance their listening comprehension scores without facilitating retention of such materials. Although audio-visual aids did not increase reading comprehension scores, they helped reduce EFL learners' reading test anxiety and facilitated retention of reading materials.

Establishing a Framework for the Study of English.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolf, Leonard; Velder, Milton

1970-01-01

This 2-week unit uses visuals of a recent space walk as the basis for an introductory study of the nature of language. The aims of the unit are (1) to show pupils how language operates, (2) to stimulate awareness of the importance of basic language skills, (3) to develop an increased desire in using language effectively, and (4) to acquaint…

The Accessibility, Usability, and Reliability of Chinese Web-Based Information on HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Niu, Lu; Luo, Dan; Liu, Ying; Xiao, Shuiyuan

2016-01-01

Objective: The present study was designed to assess the quality of Chinese-language Internet-based information on HIV/AIDS. Methods: We entered the following search terms, in Chinese, into Baidu and Sogou: “HIV/AIDS”, “symptoms”, and “treatment”, and evaluated the first 50 hits of each query using the Minervation validation instrument (LIDA tool) and DISCERN instrument. Results: Of the 900 hits identified, 85 websites were included in this study. The overall score of the LIDA tool was 63.7%; the mean score of accessibility, usability, and reliability was 82.2%, 71.5%, and 27.3%, respectively. Of the top 15 sites according to the LIDA score, the mean DISCERN score was calculated at 43.1 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 37.7–49.5). Noncommercial websites showed higher DISCERN scores than commercial websites; whereas commercial websites were more likely to be found in the first 20 links obtained from each search engine than the noncommercial websites. Conclusions: In general, the HIV/AIDS related Chinese-language websites have poor reliability, although their accessibility and usability are fair. In addition, the treatment information presented on Chinese-language websites is far from sufficient. There is an imperative need for professionals and specialized institutes to improve the comprehensiveness of web-based information related to HIV/AIDS. PMID:27556475

CCCTC-Binding Factor Locks Premature IgH Germline Transcription and Restrains Class Switch Recombination

PubMed Central

Marina-Zárate, Ester; Pérez-García, Arantxa; Ramiro, Almudena R.

2017-01-01

In response to antigenic stimulation B cells undergo class switch recombination (CSR) at the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) to replace the primary IgM/IgD isotypes by IgG, IgE, or IgA. CSR is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) through the deamination of cytosine residues at the switch (S) regions of IgH. B cell stimulation promotes germline transcription (GLT) of specific S regions, a necessary event prior to CSR because it facilitates AID access to S regions. Here, we show that CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF)-deficient mice are severely impaired in the generation of germinal center B cells and plasma cells after immunization in vivo, most likely due to impaired cell survival. Importantly, we find that CTCF-deficient B cells have an increased rate of CSR under various stimulation conditions in vitro. This effect is not secondary to altered cell proliferation or AID expression in CTCF-deficient cells. Instead, we find that CTCF-deficient B cells harbor an increased mutation frequency at switch regions, probably reflecting an increased accessibility of AID to IgH in the absence of CTCF. Moreover, CTCF deficiency triggers premature GLT of S regions in naïve B cells. Our results indicate that CTCF restricts CSR by enforcing GLT silencing and limiting AID access to IgH. PMID:28928744

Results on the spatial resolution of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for cortical language mapping during object naming in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Sollmann, Nico; Hauck, Theresa; Tussis, Lorena; Ille, Sebastian; Maurer, Stefanie; Boeckh-Behrens, Tobias; Ringel, Florian; Meyer, Bernhard; Krieg, Sandro M

2016-10-24

The spatial resolution of repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for language mapping is largely unknown. Thus, to determine a minimum spatial resolution of rTMS for language mapping, we evaluated the mapping sessions derived from 19 healthy volunteers for cortical hotspots of no-response errors. Then, the distances between hotspots (stimulation points with a high error rate) and adjacent mapping points (stimulation points with low error rates) were evaluated. Mean distance values of 13.8 ± 6.4 mm (from hotspots to ventral points, range 0.7-30.7 mm), 10.8 ± 4.8 mm (from hotspots to dorsal points, range 2.0-26.5 mm), 16.6 ± 4.8 mm (from hotspots to apical points, range 0.9-27.5 mm), and 13.8 ± 4.3 mm (from hotspots to caudal points, range 2.0-24.2 mm) were measured. According to the results, the minimum spatial resolution of rTMS should principally allow for the identification of a particular gyrus, and according to the literature, it is in good accordance with the spatial resolution of direct cortical stimulation (DCS). Since measurement was performed between hotspots and adjacent mapping points and not on a finer-grained basis, we only refer to a minimum spatial resolution. Furthermore, refinement of our results within the scope of a prospective study combining rTMS and DCS for resolution measurement during language mapping should be the next step.

A natural language-based presentation of cognitive stimulation to people with dementia in assistive technology: A pilot study.

PubMed

Dethlefs, Nina; Milders, Maarten; Cuayáhuitl, Heriberto; Al-Salkini, Turkey; Douglas, Lorraine

2017-12-01

Currently, an estimated 36 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. In the absence of a cure, non-pharmacological interventions, such as cognitive stimulation, which slow down the rate of deterioration can benefit people with dementia and their caregivers. Such interventions have shown to improve well-being and slow down the rate of cognitive decline. It has further been shown that cognitive stimulation in interaction with a computer is as effective as with a human. However, the need to operate a computer often represents a difficulty for the elderly and stands in the way of widespread adoption. A possible solution to this obstacle is to provide a spoken natural language interface that allows people with dementia to interact with the cognitive stimulation software in the same way as they would interact with a human caregiver. This makes the assistive technology accessible to users regardless of their technical skills and provides a fully intuitive user experience. This article describes a pilot study that evaluated the feasibility of computer-based cognitive stimulation through a spoken natural language interface. Prototype software was evaluated with 23 users, including healthy elderly people and people with dementia. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

To think or not to think: two pathways towards persuasion by short films on AIDS prevention.

PubMed

Igartua, Juan José; Cheng, Lifen; Lopes, Orquídea

2003-01-01

Health messages are designed to stimulate an active cognitive process in those audiences generally with little involvement. The Elaboration Likelihood Model by Petty and Cacioppo sustains that subjects with high involvement and those with low involvement react differently to the persuasive message to which they are exposed. One efficient way to capture the attention of the low involvement audiences is to insert the messages within an entertainment context. Our study attempted to analyze affective and cognitive processes to explain the impact of these new formats, fictional shorts for HIV/AIDS prevention. A 2 x 2 factorial design was used, with involvement in the AIDS issue (high/low) and the type of format (musical/dialogue) as independent variables. The finding showed the better the quality of the short (with dialogue style) the more negative affectivity was stimulated, also the more cognitive processing was induced, and a more favorable attitude towards preventive behavior was stimulated.

Haptic-assistive technologies for audition and vision sensory disabilities.

PubMed

Sorgini, Francesca; Caliò, Renato; Carrozza, Maria Chiara; Oddo, Calogero Maria

2018-05-01

The aim of this review is to analyze haptic sensory substitution technologies for deaf, blind and deaf-blind individuals. The literature search has been performed in Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar databases using selected keywords, analyzing studies from 1960s to present. Search on databases for scientific publications has been accompanied by web search for commercial devices. Results have been classified by sensory disability and functionality, and analyzed by assistive technology. Complementary analyses have also been carried out on websites of public international agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and of associations representing sensory disabled persons. The reviewed literature provides evidences that sensory substitution aids are able to mitigate in part the deficits in language learning, communication and navigation for deaf, blind and deaf-blind individuals, and that the tactile sense can be a means of communication to provide some kind of information to sensory disabled individuals. A lack of acceptance emerged from the discussion of capabilities and limitations of haptic assistive technologies. Future researches shall go towards miniaturized, custom-designed and low-cost haptic interfaces and integration with personal devices such as smartphones for a major diffusion of sensory aids among disabled. Implications for rehabilitation Systematic review of state of the art of haptic assistive technologies for vision and audition sensory disabilities. Sensory substitution systems for visual and hearing disabilities have a central role in the transmission of information for patients with sensory impairments, enabling users to interact with the not disabled community in daily activities. Visual and auditory inputs are converted in haptic feedback via different actuation technologies. The information is presented in the form of static or dynamic stimulation of the skin. Their effectiveness and ease of use make haptic sensory substitution systems suitable for patients with different levels of disabilities. They constitute a cheaper and less invasive alternative to implantable partial sensory restitution systems. Future researches are oriented towards the optimization of the stimulation parameters together with the development of miniaturized, custom-designed and low-cost aids operating in synergy in networks, aiming to increase patients' acceptability of these technologies.

Creative Writing for Language, Content and Literacy Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guillén, María Teresa Fleta; Bermejo, María Luisa García

2011-01-01

This paper reports on pedagogies that promote language, content and literacy in English by stimulating learners' creativity. The starting point to promote creativity among learners was music and art. There seems to be a natural connection between music, language and thinking which suggests that incorporating musical experiences into daily…

Taiwanese-Guoyu Bilingual Children and Adults' Sibilant Fricative Production Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Ya-ting

2012-01-01

How bilinguals' two languages interact with each other has stimulated considerable research. However, little of this research has focused on objective measures of speech production. This study aims to investigate bilinguals' production of Guoyu and Taiwanese voiceless sibilant fricatives to see how language contact and language dominance influence…

Stories That Sing: Stimulating Oral Language in Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huffine, Karen; Ellis, DiAnn

Research indicates the importance of the relationship between music, adult/child interaction, language practice, rhythm, repetition, familiarity of content, and story time, and a child's oral language development. Folk songs that have been illustrated and put into book form--"stories that sing"--can be used by parents and teachers to…

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THREE READING APPROACHES AND AN ORAL LANGUAGE STIMULATION PROGRAM WITH DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN THE PRIMARY GRADES--AN INTERIM REPORT AFTER ONE YEAR OF THE COOPERATIVE READING PROJECT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DUNN, LLOYD M.; AND OTHERS

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THREE APPROACHES TO TEACHING BEGINNING READING AND THE INFLUENCE OF AN ORAL LANGUAGE STIMULATION PROGRAM ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IS REPORTED IN THE FIRST-YEAR REPORT OF A 2-YEAR INTERVENTION STUDY. SUBJECTS WERE 608 FIRST-GRADE PUPILS FROM 12 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN AN INNER-CITY AREA. THE THREE EXPERIMENTAL…

Difference of auditory brainstem responses by stimulating to round and oval window in animal experiments.

PubMed

Lee, Jyung Hyun; Park, Hyo Soon; Wei, Qun; Kim, Myoung Nam; Cho, Jin-Ho

2017-01-02

ABSTACT To ensure the safety and efficacy of implantable hearing aids, animal experiments are an essential developmental procedure, in particular, auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) can be used to verify the objective effectiveness of implantable hearing aids. This study measured and compared the ABRs generated when applying the same vibration stimuli to an oval window and round window. The ABRs were measured using a TDT system 3 (TDT, USA), while the vibration stimuli were applied to a round window and oval window in 4 guinea pigs using a piezo-electric transducer with a proper contact tip. A paired t-test was used to determine any differences between the ABR amplitudes when applying the stimulation to an oval window and round window. The paired t-test revealed a significant difference between the ABR amplitudes generated by the round and oval window stimulation (t = 10.079, α < .0001). Therefore, the results confirmed that the biological response to round window stimulation was not the same as that to oval window stimulation.

Audiovisual spoken word recognition as a clinical criterion for sensory aids efficiency in Persian-language children with hearing loss.

PubMed

Oryadi-Zanjani, Mohammad Majid; Vahab, Maryam; Bazrafkan, Mozhdeh; Haghjoo, Asghar

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to examine the role of audiovisual speech recognition as a clinical criterion of cochlear implant or hearing aid efficiency in Persian-language children with severe-to-profound hearing loss. This research was administered as a cross-sectional study. The sample size was 60 Persian 5-7 year old children. The assessment tool was one of subtests of Persian version of the Test of Language Development-Primary 3. The study included two experiments: auditory-only and audiovisual presentation conditions. The test was a closed-set including 30 words which were orally presented by a speech-language pathologist. The scores of audiovisual word perception were significantly higher than auditory-only condition in the children with normal hearing (P<0.01) and cochlear implant (P<0.05); however, in the children with hearing aid, there was no significant difference between word perception score in auditory-only and audiovisual presentation conditions (P>0.05). The audiovisual spoken word recognition can be applied as a clinical criterion to assess the children with severe to profound hearing loss in order to find whether cochlear implant or hearing aid has been efficient for them or not; i.e. if a child with hearing impairment who using CI or HA can obtain higher scores in audiovisual spoken word recognition than auditory-only condition, his/her auditory skills have appropriately developed due to effective CI or HA as one of the main factors of auditory habilitation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactive Light Stimulus Generation with High Performance Real-Time Image Processing and Simple Scripting.

PubMed

Szécsi, László; Kacsó, Ágota; Zeck, Günther; Hantz, Péter

2017-01-01

Light stimulation with precise and complex spatial and temporal modulation is demanded by a series of research fields like visual neuroscience, optogenetics, ophthalmology, and visual psychophysics. We developed a user-friendly and flexible stimulus generating framework (GEARS GPU-based Eye And Retina Stimulation Software), which offers access to GPU computing power, and allows interactive modification of stimulus parameters during experiments. Furthermore, it has built-in support for driving external equipment, as well as for synchronization tasks, via USB ports. The use of GEARS does not require elaborate programming skills. The necessary scripting is visually aided by an intuitive interface, while the details of the underlying software and hardware components remain hidden. Internally, the software is a C++/Python hybrid using OpenGL graphics. Computations are performed on the GPU, and are defined in the GLSL shading language. However, all GPU settings, including the GPU shader programs, are automatically generated by GEARS. This is configured through a method encountered in game programming, which allows high flexibility: stimuli are straightforwardly composed using a broad library of basic components. Stimulus rendering is implemented solely in C++, therefore intermediary libraries for interfacing could be omitted. This enables the program to perform computationally demanding tasks like en-masse random number generation or real-time image processing by local and global operations.

Enhancing picture naming with transcranial magnetic stimulation.

PubMed

Mottaghy, Felix M; Sparing, Roland; Töpper, Rudolf

2006-01-01

The enhancement of cognitive function in healthy subjects by medication, training or intervention yields increasing political, social and ethical attention. In this paper facilitatory effects of single-pulse TMS and repetitive TMS on a simple picture naming task are presented. A significant shortening of picture naming latencies was observed after single-pulse TMS over Wernicke's area. The accuracy of the response was not affected by this speed effect. After TMS over the dominant motor cortex or over the non-dominant temporal lobe, however, no facilitation of picture naming was observed. In the rTMS experiments only rTMS of Wernicke's area had an impact on picture naming latencies resulting in a shortening of naming latencies without affecting the accuracy of the response. rTMS over the visual cortex, Broca's area or over the corresponding sites in the non-dominant hemisphere had no effect. Single-pulse TMS is able to facilitate lexical processes due to a general preactivation of language-related neuronal networks when delivered over Wernicke's area. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over Wernicke's area also leads to a brief facilitation of picture naming possibly by shortening linguistic processing time. Whether TMS or rTMS can be used to aid linguistic therapy in the rehabilitation phase of aphasic patients should be subject of further investigations.

The lexical development of children with hearing impairment and associated factors.

PubMed

Penna, Leticia Macedo; Lemos, Stela Maris Aguiar; Alves, Cláudia Regina Lindgren

2014-01-01

This study aimed at analyzing the association between the lexical development of children with hearing impairment and their psychosocial and socioeconomic characteristics and medical history. An analytic transversal study was conducted in an Auditive Health Attention Service. One hundred and ten children from 6 to 10 years old using hearing aids and presenting hearing loss that ranged from light to deep levels were evaluated. All children were subjected to oral, written language and auditory perception tests. Parents answered a structured questionnaire to collect data from their medical history and socioeconomic status, and questionnaires about the features of the family environment and psychosocial characteristics. Multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression, being the initial model composed by variables with p<0,20 in the univariate analysis. In the final model, we adopted a significance level of 5%. The final model of the multivariate analysis showed an association between the performance on the vocabulary test and the results of phonemic discrimination test (OR=0.81; 95%CI 0.73-0.89). The results show the importance of stimulating the auditory processing, particularly the phonemic discrimination skill, throughout the rehabilitation process of children with hearing impairment. This stimulation can enhance lexical development and minimize the metalanguage and learning difficulties often observed in these children.

The Language Development Project; A Pilot Study in Language Learning. A New York State Urban Aid Project. End-Year Report, June 30, 1969.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY.

The format of this report is similar to that of other reports on The Language Development Project. See AL 002 352 and 354 for descriptions of the project and the format of the reports. [Not available in hard copy due to marginal legibility of the original document.] (DO)

Model for Bilingual Language Skill Building. Bilingual/Bicultural Education. Series No. 3. Indochinese Refugee Education Guides.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Applied Linguistics, Arlington, VA.

This guide is designed to aid the teacher who has both Vietnamese and native American children in the classroom. It presents some language learning strategies based on a collection of Vietnamese folktales which have been adapted for elementary school children. It is divided into four parts: (1) suggested language/ cultural learning activities; (2)…

Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by EAP Learners: The Case of the Students of Social Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haghi, Eshrat Bazarmaj; Pasand, Parastou Gholami

2013-01-01

The significance of using language learning strategies in general and vocabulary learning strategies in particular is quite clear to both language learners and language specialists. Being familiar with and making use of a range of different vocabulary learning strategies is a great aid for EAP learners in dealing with unknown words. The present…

The Use of Computer-Based Simulation to Aid Comprehension and Incidental Vocabulary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohsen, Mohammed Ali

2016-01-01

One of the main issues in language learning is to find ways to enable learners to interact with the language input in an involved task. Given that computer-based simulation allows learners to interact with visual modes, this article examines how the interaction of students with an online video simulation affects their second language video…

Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Right Wernicke's Area Improves Comprehension in Subacute Stroke Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

You, Dae Sang; Kim, Dae-Yul; Chun, Min Ho; Jung, Seung Eun; Park, Sung Jong

2011-01-01

Previous studies have shown the appearance of right-sided language-related brain activity in right-handed patients after a stroke. Non-invasive brain stimulation such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have been shown to modulate excitability in the brain. Moreover, rTMS and…

The effects of combined application of transcranial magnetic stimulation and language training on children with language retardation.

PubMed

Qiu, Aizhen; Li, Xinjian; Yang, Zhongxiu; Li, Zhilin; Wang, Jiping; Yuan, Huanxia; Jin, Xin

2016-10-28

The objective of the present manuscript was to explore the effects of combined application of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and language training on children with language retardation. Forty-five children with language retardation were selected as subjects and randomly divided into the treatment group with 24 patients and the control group with 21 patients. The control group was treated with traditional language training, while the treatment group was treated with TMS combined with language training. According to Gesell pediatric neuropsychological development schedules, the development quotient of children in the two groups were observed and compared before and after two courses of treatment. The evaluation of mouth movement was conducted with Dr. Speech supervised by East China Normal University. Development quotient scores and mouth movement evaluation scores of all Gesell parameters of children in the two groups after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment (P<0.05). The body movement ability, linguistic competence, development quotient scores, and mouth movement evaluation scores in the treatment group after treatment were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The combined application of TMS and language training can effectively improve linguistic competence, action ability, and mouth movement in children with language retardation.

[Defining AIDS terminology. A practical approach].

PubMed

Locutura, Jaime; Almirante, Benito; Berenguer, Juan; Muñoz, Agustín; Peña, José María

2003-01-01

Since the appearance of AIDS, the study of this disease has generated a large amount of information and an extensive related vocabulary comprised of new terms or terms borrowed from other scientific fields. The urgent need to provide names for newly described phenomena and concepts in this field has resulted in the application of terms that are not always appropriate from the linguistic and scientific points of view. We discuss the difficulties in attempting to create adequate AIDS terminology in the Spanish language, considering both the general problems involved in building any scientific vocabulary and the specific problems inherent to this activity in a field whose defining illness has important social connotations. The pressure exerted by the predominance of the English language in reporting scientific knowledge is considered, and the inappropriate words most often found in a review of current literature are examined. Finally, attending to the two most important criteria for the creation of new scientific terms, accuracy and linguistic correction, we propose some well thought-out alternatives that conform to the essence of the Spanish language.

Psycholinguistic Descriptions and Their Relevance to Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vejleskov, Hans

1976-01-01

Article deals with the Osgood model of sign learning...and the Chomskian approach. Both...approaches are discussed in terms of their appropriateness with respect to teachers' questions about language development and language stimulation. (Author)

[Does the individual adaptation of standardized speech paradigmas for clinical functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) effect the localization of the language-dominant hemisphere and of Broca's and Wernicke's areas].

PubMed

Konrad, F; Nennig, E; Ochmann, H; Kress, B; Sartor, K; Stippich, C

2005-03-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) localizes Broca's area (B) and Wernicke's area (W) and the hemisphere dominant for language. In clinical fMRI, adapting the stimulation paradigms to each patient's individual cognitive capacity is crucial for diagnostic success. To interpret clinical fMRI findings correctly, we studied the effect of varying frequency and number of stimuli on functional localization, determination of language dominance and BOLD signals. Ten volunteers (VP) were investigated at 1.5 Tesla during visually triggered sentence generation using a standardized block design. In four different measurements, the stimuli were presented to each VP with frequencies of 1/1 s, (1/2) s, (1/3) s and (1/6) s. The functional localizations and the correlations of the measured BOLD signals to the applied hemodynamic reference function (r) were almost independent from frequency and number of the stimuli in both hemispheres, whereas the relative BOLD signal changes (DeltaS) in B and W increased with the stimulation rate, which also changed the lateralization indices. The strongest BOLD activations were achieved with the highest stimulation rate or with the maximum language production task, respectively. The adaptation of language paradigms necessary in clinical fMRI does not alter the functional localizations but changes the BOLD signals and language lateralization which should not be attributed to the underlying brain pathology.

The Role of Linguistics and Linguistic Analysis in Programs under Title VI of the National Defense Education Act of 1958: A Statement by the Committee on Language Programs, American Council of Learned Societies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, John B.; And Others

Concentrating on five ways in which foreign language teaching can be aided by linguistic science, the Committee on Language Programs, established by the American Council of Learned Societies, expresses its support of the National Defense Education Act of 1958, Title VI; and the Language Development Section of the Department of Health, Education,…

Recognition and localization of speech by adult cochlear implant recipients wearing a digital hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear (bimodal hearing).

PubMed

Potts, Lisa G; Skinner, Margaret W; Litovsky, Ruth A; Strube, Michael J; Kuk, Francis

2009-06-01

The use of bilateral amplification is now common clinical practice for hearing aid users but not for cochlear implant recipients. In the past, most cochlear implant recipients were implanted in one ear and wore only a monaural cochlear implant processor. There has been recent interest in benefits arising from bilateral stimulation that may be present for cochlear implant recipients. One option for bilateral stimulation is the use of a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the opposite nonimplanted ear (bimodal hearing). This study evaluated the effect of wearing a cochlear implant in one ear and a digital hearing aid in the opposite ear on speech recognition and localization. A repeated-measures correlational study was completed. Nineteen adult Cochlear Nucleus 24 implant recipients participated in the study. The participants were fit with a Widex Senso Vita 38 hearing aid to achieve maximum audibility and comfort within their dynamic range. Soundfield thresholds, loudness growth, speech recognition, localization, and subjective questionnaires were obtained six-eight weeks after the hearing aid fitting. Testing was completed in three conditions: hearing aid only, cochlear implant only, and cochlear implant and hearing aid (bimodal). All tests were repeated four weeks after the first test session. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Significant effects were further examined using pairwise comparison of means or in the case of continuous moderators, regression analyses. The speech-recognition and localization tasks were unique, in that a speech stimulus presented from a variety of roaming azimuths (140 degree loudspeaker array) was used. Performance in the bimodal condition was significantly better for speech recognition and localization compared to the cochlear implant-only and hearing aid-only conditions. Performance was also different between these conditions when the location (i.e., side of the loudspeaker array that presented the word) was analyzed. In the bimodal condition, the speech-recognition and localization tasks were equal regardless of which side of the loudspeaker array presented the word, while performance was significantly poorer for the monaural conditions (hearing aid only and cochlear implant only) when the words were presented on the side with no stimulation. Binaural loudness summation of 1-3 dB was seen in soundfield thresholds and loudness growth in the bimodal condition. Measures of the audibility of sound with the hearing aid, including unaided thresholds, soundfield thresholds, and the Speech Intelligibility Index, were significant moderators of speech recognition and localization. Based on the questionnaire responses, participants showed a strong preference for bimodal stimulation. These findings suggest that a well-fit digital hearing aid worn in conjunction with a cochlear implant is beneficial to speech recognition and localization. The dynamic test procedures used in this study illustrate the importance of bilateral hearing for locating, identifying, and switching attention between multiple speakers. It is recommended that unilateral cochlear implant recipients, with measurable unaided hearing thresholds, be fit with a hearing aid.

Graphs as a Visual Aid in English for Special Purposes. Lenguas para objetivos especificos (Languages for Special Purposes), No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stark, Merritt W.; Stark, Kathleen LaPiana

Visual aids have been developed to strengthen non-English speaking students' ability to speak and write English effectively in their subject areas. Among these aids, graphs have been valuable for economics students because they readily illustrate the nature of the relationship between two sets of numbers. Frequently, the ability to analyze graphs…

Investigating executive functions in children with severe speech and movement disorders using structured tasks.

PubMed

Stadskleiv, Kristine; von Tetzchner, Stephen; Batorowicz, Beata; van Balkom, Hans; Dahlgren-Sandberg, Annika; Renner, Gregor

2014-01-01

Executive functions are the basis for goal-directed activity and include planning, monitoring, and inhibition, and language seems to play a role in the development of these functions. There is a tradition of studying executive function in both typical and atypical populations, and the present study investigates executive functions in children with severe speech and motor impairments who are communicating using communication aids with graphic symbols, letters, and/or words. There are few neuropsychological studies of children in this group and little is known about their cognitive functioning, including executive functions. It was hypothesized that aided communication would tax executive functions more than speech. Twenty-nine children using communication aids and 27 naturally speaking children participated. Structured tasks resembling everyday activities, where the action goals had to be reached through communication with a partner, were used to get information about executive functions. The children (a) directed the partner to perform actions like building a Lego tower from a model the partner could not see and (b) gave information about an object without naming it to a person who had to guess what object it was. The executive functions of planning, monitoring, and impulse control were coded from the children's on-task behavior. Both groups solved most of the tasks correctly, indicating that aided communicators are able to use language to direct another person to do a complex set of actions. Planning and lack of impulsivity was positively related to task success in both groups. The aided group completed significantly fewer tasks, spent longer time and showed more variation in performance than the comparison group. The aided communicators scored lower on planning and showed more impulsivity than the comparison group, while both groups showed an equal degree of monitoring of the work progress. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that aided language tax executive functions more than speech. The results may also indicate that aided communicators have less experience with these kinds of play activities. The findings broaden the perspective on executive functions and have implications for interventions for motor-impaired children developing aided communication.

Investigating executive functions in children with severe speech and movement disorders using structured tasks

PubMed Central

Stadskleiv, Kristine; von Tetzchner, Stephen; Batorowicz, Beata; van Balkom, Hans; Dahlgren-Sandberg, Annika; Renner, Gregor

2014-01-01

Executive functions are the basis for goal-directed activity and include planning, monitoring, and inhibition, and language seems to play a role in the development of these functions. There is a tradition of studying executive function in both typical and atypical populations, and the present study investigates executive functions in children with severe speech and motor impairments who are communicating using communication aids with graphic symbols, letters, and/or words. There are few neuropsychological studies of children in this group and little is known about their cognitive functioning, including executive functions. It was hypothesized that aided communication would tax executive functions more than speech. Twenty-nine children using communication aids and 27 naturally speaking children participated. Structured tasks resembling everyday activities, where the action goals had to be reached through communication with a partner, were used to get information about executive functions. The children (a) directed the partner to perform actions like building a Lego tower from a model the partner could not see and (b) gave information about an object without naming it to a person who had to guess what object it was. The executive functions of planning, monitoring, and impulse control were coded from the children's on-task behavior. Both groups solved most of the tasks correctly, indicating that aided communicators are able to use language to direct another person to do a complex set of actions. Planning and lack of impulsivity was positively related to task success in both groups. The aided group completed significantly fewer tasks, spent longer time and showed more variation in performance than the comparison group. The aided communicators scored lower on planning and showed more impulsivity than the comparison group, while both groups showed an equal degree of monitoring of the work progress. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that aided language tax executive functions more than speech. The results may also indicate that aided communicators have less experience with these kinds of play activities. The findings broaden the perspective on executive functions and have implications for interventions for motor-impaired children developing aided communication. PMID:25249999

Testing a Spanish-language colorectal cancer screening decision aid in Latinos with limited English proficiency: results from a pre-post trial and four month follow-up survey.

PubMed

Reuland, Daniel S; Ko, Linda K; Fernandez, Alicia; Braswell, Laura C; Pignone, Michael

2012-06-12

Compared with non-Latinos, Latinos in the US have low rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and low rates of knowledge regarding CRC screening tests and guidelines. Spanish speaking Latinos have particularly low CRC screening rates and screening knowledge. Our purpose was twofold: (1) to evaluate the effect of a computer-based, Spanish-language CRC screening decision aid on screening knowledge, intent to obtain screening, and screening self-efficacy in a community sample of Latinos with limited English proficiency (LEP); and (2) to survey these decision aid viewers at four months to determine their rates of CRC discussions with a health care provider as well as their rates of screening test completion. We recruited 50-75 year old Latinos with LEP who were not current with CRC. Participants screening viewed a 14 minute multimedia decision aid that addresses CRC screening rationale, recommendations, and options. We conducted an uncontrolled (pre-post) study in which we assessed screening knowledge, self-efficacy, and intent at baseline and immediately after decision aid viewing. We also conducted a follow-up telephone survey of participants at four months to examine rates of patient-provider screening discussions and test completion. Among n = 80 participants, knowledge scores increased from 20% (before) to 72% (after) decision aid viewing (absolute difference [95%CI]: 52% [46, 59]). The proportion with high screening self-efficacy increased from 67% to 92% (25% [13, 37]); the proportion with high screening intent increased from 63% to 95% (32% [21, 44]). We reached 68 (85%) of 80 participants eligible for the follow-up survey. Of these 36 (53%) reported discussing screening with a provider and 13 (19%) completed a test. Viewing a Spanish-language decision aid increased CRC screening knowledge, self-efficacy, and intent among Latinos with LEP. Decision aid viewing appeared to promote both CRC screening discussions with health care providers and test completion. The decision aid may be an effective tool for promoting CRC screening and reducing screening disparities in this population.

How Effective Are Pictures in Basal Readers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Legenza, Alice; Knafle, June D.

1978-01-01

When a formula for assessing the language stimulation value of pictures was applied to several basal readers, the results indicated that most of the pictures were of low potency or stimulation potential. (MKM)

Balancing the presentation of information and options in patient decision aids: an updated review.

PubMed

Abhyankar, Purva; Volk, Robert J; Blumenthal-Barby, Jennifer; Bravo, Paulina; Buchholz, Angela; Ozanne, Elissa; Vidal, Dale Colins; Col, Nananda; Stalmeier, Peep

2013-01-01

Standards for patient decision aids require that information and options be presented in a balanced manner; this requirement is based on the argument that balanced presentation is essential to foster informed decision making. If information is presented in an incomplete/non-neutral manner, it can stimulate cognitive biases that can unduly affect individuals' knowledge, perceptions of risks and benefits, and, ultimately, preferences. However, there is little clarity about what constitutes balance, and how it can be determined and enhanced. We conducted a literature review to examine the theoretical and empirical evidence related to balancing the presentation of information and options. A literature search related to patient decision aids and balance was conducted on Medline, using MeSH terms and PubMed; this search supplemented the 2011 Cochrane Collaboration's review of patient decision aids trials. Only English language articles relevant to patient decision making and addressing the balance of information and options were included. All members of the team independently screened clusters of articles; uncertainties were resolved by seeking review by another member. The team then worked in sub-groups to extract and synthesise data on theory, definitions, and evidence reported in these studies. A total of 40 articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, six explained the rationale for balancing the presentation of information and options. Twelve defined "balance"; the definition of "balance" that emerged is as follows: "The complete and unbiased presentation of the relevant options and the information about those options-in content and in format-in a way that enables individuals to process this information without bias". Ten of the 40 articles reported assessing the balance of the relevant decision aid. All 10 did so exclusively from the users' or patients' perspective, using a five-point Likert-type scale. Presenting information in a side-by-side display form was associated with more respondents (ranging from 70% to 96%) judging the information as "balanced". There is a need for comparative studies investigating different ways to improve and measure balance in the presentation of information and options in patient decision aids.

Balancing the presentation of information and options in patient decision aids: an updated review

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Standards for patient decision aids require that information and options be presented in a balanced manner; this requirement is based on the argument that balanced presentation is essential to foster informed decision making. If information is presented in an incomplete/non-neutral manner, it can stimulate cognitive biases that can unduly affect individuals’ knowledge, perceptions of risks and benefits, and, ultimately, preferences. However, there is little clarity about what constitutes balance, and how it can be determined and enhanced. We conducted a literature review to examine the theoretical and empirical evidence related to balancing the presentation of information and options. Methods A literature search related to patient decision aids and balance was conducted on Medline, using MeSH terms and PubMed; this search supplemented the 2011 Cochrane Collaboration’s review of patient decision aids trials. Only English language articles relevant to patient decision making and addressing the balance of information and options were included. All members of the team independently screened clusters of articles; uncertainties were resolved by seeking review by another member. The team then worked in sub-groups to extract and synthesise data on theory, definitions, and evidence reported in these studies. Results A total of 40 articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, six explained the rationale for balancing the presentation of information and options. Twelve defined “balance”; the definition of “balance” that emerged is as follows: “The complete and unbiased presentation of the relevant options and the information about those options—in content and in format—in a way that enables individuals to process this information without bias”. Ten of the 40 articles reported assessing the balance of the relevant decision aid. All 10 did so exclusively from the users’ or patients’ perspective, using a five-point Likert-type scale. Presenting information in a side-by-side display form was associated with more respondents (ranging from 70% to 96%) judging the information as “balanced”. Conclusion There is a need for comparative studies investigating different ways to improve and measure balance in the presentation of information and options in patient decision aids. PMID:24625214

Machine Aids to Translation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brinkmann, Karl-Heinz

1981-01-01

Describes the TEAM Program System of the Siemens Language Services Department, particularly the main features of its terminology data bank. Discusses criteria to which stored terminology must conform and methods of data bank utilization. Concludes by summarizing the consequences that machine-aided translation development has had for the…

How Does Short-Term Foreign Language Immersion Stimulate Language Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, Baron L.; Hughes, Haning Z.

2014-01-01

The events of September 11, 2001, shocked the nation and forced the United States government to acknowledge its tremendously inadequate capability in foreign language proficiency and global cultural awareness. Post 9/11 military operations reinforced the reality that the Department of Defense (DoD) needs a significantly improved capability in…

Assessing Language Dominance with Functional MRI: The Role of Control Tasks and Statistical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodoo-Schittko, Frank; Rosengarth, Katharina; Doenitz, Christian; Greenlee, Mark W.

2012-01-01

There is a discrepancy between the brain regions revealed by functional neuroimaging techniques and those brain regions where a loss of function, either by lesion or by electrocortical stimulation, induces language disorders. To differentiate between essential and non-essential language-related processes, we investigated the effects of linguistic…

Investigating What Second Language Learners Do and Monitor under Careful Online Planning Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmadian, Mohammad Javad; Tavakoli, Mansoor

2014-01-01

This study used quantitative analyses complemented by the retrospective data obtained through a stimulated recall procedure to address three interrelated issues: (a) whether second language learners use online planning opportunities to carefully plan their speech to enhance the quality of the language they produce, (b) what kinds of self-repair…

Fantasy Play, Language and Cognitive Ability of Four-Year-Old Children in Guyana, South America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taharally, L. C.

1991-01-01

Investigates the effect of stimulation of fantasy play on the level of symbolic play, language, and cognitive ability of four-year olds in Guyanan nursery schools. Concludes that provision of opportunities for fantasy play can have positive effects on symbolic play and language. (Author/BB)

Don Quixote Meets "Ser" and "Estar": Multiple Perspectives on Language Learning in Spanish Literature Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polio, Charlene; Zyzik, Eve

2009-01-01

This multiple case study examines language-focused instruction in 3 university Spanish literature classes to examine the students' and instructors' perspectives on language learning in this context. The classes were studied for a semester through observations, instructor interviews and stimulated recalls, and student questionnaires. Among the…

Getting Started: Overcoming "Writer's Block" in EFL Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renner, Christopher E.

1992-01-01

Second language learners need to be given tools with which they can make language learning a personal experience. In writing, this means that they are given the skills needed to collect, organize, and present information that stimulates acquisition of new vocabulary and production of authentic writing that encourages language-related risk-taking.…

Brain Mechanisms Underlying Speech and Language; Conference Proceedings (Princeton, New Jersey, November 9-12, 1965).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darley, Frederic L., Ed.

The conference proceedings of scientists specializing in language processes and neurophysiological mechanisms are reported to stimulate a cross-over of interest and research in the central brain phenomena (reception, understanding, retention, integration, formulation, and expression) as they relate to speech and language. Eighteen research reports…

Write Makes Might: A Case for the Neglected Skill.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Annelise M.

Of all the language skills, writing is the most difficult challenge for language teachers because students have less experience with written expression. Stimulated by audio-visual materials throughout their lives, students are novices in the discipline of writing. Making writing an ongoing part of foreign language acquisition from the first day in…

Effects of thalamic deep brain stimulation on spontaneous language production.

PubMed

Ehlen, Felicitas; Vonberg, Isabelle; Kühn, Andrea A; Klostermann, Fabian

2016-08-01

The thalamus is thought to contribute to language-related processing, but specifications of this notion remain vague. An assessment of potential effects of thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) on spontaneous language may help to delineate respective functions. For this purpose, we analyzed spontaneous language samples from thirteen (six female / seven male) patients with essential tremor treated with DBS of the thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) in their respective ON vs. OFF conditions. Samples were obtained from semi-structured interviews and examined on multidimensional linguistic levels. In the VIM-DBS ON condition, participants used a significantly higher proportion of paratactic as opposed to hypotactic sentence structures. This increase correlated negatively with the change in the more global cognitive score, which in itself did not change significantly. In conclusion, VIM-DBS appears to induce the use of a simplified syntactic structure. The findings are discussed in relation to concepts of thalamic roles in language-related cognitive behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

El Profesor de Idiomas: El Teatro, Los Titeres Y Los Sketches (The Language Teacher: The Theater, the Puppets, and the Sketches).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galvez Touzet, Teresa

This guide in Spanish for the foreign language teacher suggests that more emphasis be placed on theater and art in the second language classroom. Easy methods for creating functional and attractive visual aids for the classroom are described. This guide for elementary school teachers describes: (1) easy theatrical techniques that can be used daily…

Language Laboratory Facilities: Technical Guide for the Selection, Purchase, Use, and Maintenance. New Media for Instruction, 4. Bulletin, 1963, No. 37. OE-21024

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Alfred S.

1963-01-01

During the past fifteen years, educators and electronics specialists have been experimenting with language facilities, usually by modifying equipment components which were originally designed for other purposes. The rapid growth, wide diversity, and newness of these electronic aids to language learning have created the need for a study of the most…

Only in the Language Laboratory: Dynamic Stress Matching as an Aid to the Development of Listening Comprehension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanderplank, Robert N.

1980-01-01

An experiment was carried out at the University of Edinburgh to discover ways in which students might be helped to understand spoken language and to become more confident in their interactions in the language. As a result of the experiment findings, materials were designed to train students to perceive stress patterns, to internalize stress-timing…

Toward an Understanding of (EM)Power(Ment) for HIV/AIDS Prevention with Adolescent Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutierrez, Lorraine; Oh, Hyun Joo; Gillmore, Mary Rogers

Preventing the spread of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) among women is a national priority. In the United States, AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death among young adult women, and their rate of infection is four times higher than men. This article was developed to help stimulate interest in the power dynamics of relationships and…

A proposal for the development of national certification standards for patient decision aids in the US.

PubMed

Elwyn, Glyn; Burstin, Helen; Barry, Michael J; Corry, Maureen P; Durand, Marie Anne; Lessler, Daniel; Saigal, Christopher

2018-04-27

Efforts to implement the use of patient decision aids to stimulate shared decision making are gaining prominence. Patient decision aids have been designed to help patients participate in making specific choices among health care options. Because these tools clearly influence decisions, poor quality, inaccurate or unbalanced presentations or misleading tools are a risk to patients. As payer interest in these tools increases, so does the risk that patients are harmed by the use of tools that are described as patient decision aids yet fail to meet established standards. To address this problem, the National Quality Forum (NQF) in the USA convened a multi-stakeholder expert panel in 2016 to propose national standards for a patient decision aid certification process. In 2017, NQF established an Action Team to foster shared decision making, and to call for a national certification process as one recommendation among others to stimulate improvement. A persistent barrier to the setup of a national patient decision aids certification process is the lack of a sustainable financial model to support the work. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Marking Advanced Essays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donley, Michael

1978-01-01

A list of points to aid essay writers is suggested as the basis of a marking system for the teacher of English as a foreign language. The checklist, obtained from a book on higher education by Ruth Beard, can be adapted to the English as a foreign language situation. (SW)

DI: An interactive debugging interpreter for applicative languages

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Skedzielewski, S.K.; Yates, R.K.; Oldehoeft, R.R.

1987-03-12

The DI interpreter is both a debugger and interpreter of SISLAL programs. Its use as a program interpreter is only a small part of its role; it is designed to be a tool for studying compilation techniques for applicative languages. DI interprets dataflow graphs expressed in the IF1 and IF2 languages, and is heavily instrumented to report the activity of dynamic storage activity, reference counting, copying and updating of structured data values. It also aids the SISAL language evaluation by providing an interim execution vehicle for SISAL programs. DI provides determinate, sequential interpretation of graph nodes for sequential and parallelmore » operations in a canonical order. As a debugging aid, DI allows tracing, breakpointing, and interactive display of program data values. DI handles creation of SISAL and IF1 error values for each data type and propagates them according to a well-defined algebra. We have begun to implement IF1 optimizers and have measured the improvements with DI.« less

Impairment of preoperative language mapping by lesion location: a functional magnetic resonance imaging, navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation, and direct cortical stimulation study.

PubMed

Ille, Sebastian; Sollmann, Nico; Hauck, Theresa; Maurer, Stefanie; Tanigawa, Noriko; Obermueller, Thomas; Negwer, Chiara; Droese, Doris; Boeckh-Behrens, Tobias; Meyer, Bernhard; Ringel, Florian; Krieg, Sandro M

2015-08-01

Language mapping by repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is increasingly used and has already replaced functional MRI (fMRI) in some institutions for preoperative mapping of neurosurgical patients. Yet some factors affect the concordance of both methods with direct cortical stimulation (DCS), most likely by lesions affecting cortical oxygenation levels. Therefore, the impairment of the accuracy of rTMS and fMRI was analyzed and compared with DCS during awake surgery in patients with intraparenchymal lesions. Language mapping was performed by DCS, rTMS, and fMRI using an object-naming task in 27 patients with left-sided perisylvian lesions, and the induced language errors of each method were assigned to the cortical parcellation system. Subsequently, the receiver operating characteristics were calculated for rTMS and fMRI and compared with DCS as ground truth for regions with (w/) and without (w/o) the lesion in the mapped regions. The w/ subgroup revealed a sensitivity of 100% (w/o 100%), a specificity of 8% (w/o 5%), a positive predictive value of 34% (w/o: 53%), and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 100% (w/o: 100%) for the comparison of rTMS versus DCS. Findings for the comparison of fMRI versus DCS within the w/ subgroup revealed a sensitivity of 32% (w/o: 62%), a specificity of 88% (w/o: 60%), a positive predictive value of 56% (w/o: 62%), and a NPV of 73% (w/o: 60%). Although strengths and weaknesses exist for both rTMS and fMRI, the results show that rTMS is less affected by a brain lesion than fMRI, especially when performing mapping of language-negative cortical regions based on sensitivity and NPV.

Toll-like receptor 7 cooperates with IL-4 in activated B cells through antigen receptor or CD38 and induces class switch recombination and IgG1 production.

PubMed

Tsukamoto, Yumiko; Nagai, Yoshinori; Kariyone, Ai; Shibata, Takuma; Kaisho, Tsuneyasu; Akira, Shizuo; Miyake, Kensuke; Takatsu, Kiyoshi

2009-04-01

IL-4 and 8-mercaptoguanosine (8-SGuo) stimulation of CD38-activated B cells induces mu to gamma1 class switch recombination (CSR) at the DNA level leading to a high level of IgG1 production. Although some of signaling events initiated by IL-4 in activated B cells have been characterized, the involvement of TLR/MyD88 and Btk pathway in IL-4-dependent mu to gamma1 CSR has not been thoroughly evaluated. In this study, we characterized receptors for 8-SGuo and differential roles of 8-SGuo and IL-4 in the induction and mu to gamma1 CSR and IgG1 production. The role of TLR7 and MyD88 in 8-SGuo-induced AID expression and mu to gamma1 CSR was documented, as 8-SGuo did not act on CD38-stimulated splenic B cells from Tlr7(-/-) and Myd88(-/-) mice. CD38-activated B cells from Btk-deficient mice failed to respond to TLR7 ligands for the AID expression and CSR, indicating that Btk is also indispensable for the system. Stimulation of CD38-activated B cells with 8-SGuo induced significant AID expression and DNA double strand breaks, but IL-4 stimulation by itself did not trigger mu to gamma1 CSR. Intriguingly, the mu to gamma1 CSR in the B cells stimulated with CD38 and 8-SGuo totally depends on IL-4 stimulation. Similar results were obtained in the activated B cells through BCR and loxoribine, a well-known TLR7 ligand, in place of 8-SGuo. In vivo administration of TLR7 ligand and anti-CD38 antibody induced the generation of CD138(+) IgG1(+) cells. These results indicate that TLR7 is a receptor for 8-SGuo and plays an essential role in the AID and Blimp-1 expression; however it is not enough to complete mu to gamma1 CSR in CD38-activated B cells. IL-4 may be required for the induction of DNA repair system together with AID for the completion of CSR.

Development of a KSC test and flight engineering oriented computer language, Phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, C. W.; Kinney, E. L.; Gyure, J.

1970-01-01

Ten, primarily test oriented, computer languages reviewed during the phase 1 study effort are described. Fifty characteristics of ATOLL, ATLAS, and CLASP are compared. Unique characteristics of the other languages, including deficiencies, problems, safeguards, and checking provisions are identified. Programming aids related to these languages are reported, and the conclusions resulting from this phase of the study are discussed. A glossary and bibliography are included. For the reports on phase 2 of the study, see N71-35027 and N71-35029.

Decision aids for patients.

PubMed

Lenz, Matthias; Buhse, Susanne; Kasper, Jürgen; Kupfer, Ramona; Richter, Tanja; Mühlhauser, Ingrid

2012-06-01

Patients want to be more involved in medical decision-making. To this end, some decision aids are now available. We present an overview of this subject, in which we explain the terms "shared decision-making", "decision aid", and "evidence-based patient information" and survey information on the available decision aids in German and other languages on the basis of a literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycInfo and a current Cochrane Review. We also searched the Internet for providers of decision aids in Germany. Decision aids exist in the form of brochures, decision tables, videos, and computer programs; they address various topics in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. They typically contain information on the advantages and disadvantages of the available options, as well as guidance for personal decision-making. They can be used alone or as a part of structured counseling or patient education. Minimal quality standards include an adequate evidence base, completeness, absence of bias, and intelligibility. Our search revealed 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of decision aids in German and 106 RCTs of decision aids in other languages. These trials studied the outcome of the use of decision aids not just with respect to clinical developments, but also with respect to patient knowledge, adherence to treatment regimens, satisfaction, involvement in decision-making, autonomy preference, and decisional conflicts. Only a small fraction of the available decision aids were systematically developed and have been subjected to systematic evaluation. Patients are still not receiving the help in decision-making to which medical ethics entitles them. Structures need to be put in place for the sustainable development, evaluation and implementation of high-quality decision aids.

Restoration of hearing by hearing aids: conventional hearing aids – implantable hearing aids – cochlear implants – auditory brainstem implants

PubMed Central

Leuwer, R.; Müller, J.

2005-01-01

Aim of this report is to explain the current concept of hearing restoration using hearing aids. At present the main issues of conventional hearing aids are the relative benefits of analogue versus digital devices and different strategies for the improvement of hearing in noise. Implantable hearing aids provide a better sound quality and less distortion. The lack of directional microphones is the major disadvantage of the partially implantable hearing aids commercially available. Two different clinical studies about fully implantable hearing aids have been started in 2004. One of the most-promising developments seems to be the electric-acoustic stimulation. PMID:22073051

Transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of primary progressive aphasia: An open-label pilot study.

PubMed

Gervits, Felix; Ash, Sharon; Coslett, H Branch; Rascovsky, Katya; Grossman, Murray; Hamilton, Roy

2016-11-01

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by gradual deterioration of language function. We investigated whether two weeks of daily transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment would improve language abilities in six people with a non-fluent form of PPA. tDCS was applied in an unblinded trial at an intensity of 1.5mA for 20min/day over 10days. At the time of stimulation, patients were engaged in narrating one of several children's wordless picture stories. A battery of neuropsychological assessments was administered four times: at baseline, immediately following the 2-week stimulation period, and then 6-weeks and 12-weeks following the end of stimulation. We observed improvement in linguistic performance in the domains of speech production and grammatical comprehension. Our encouraging results indicate that larger, sham-controlled studies of tDCS as a potential intervention for PPA are warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neurocognitive Effects of HIV Infection on Young Children: Implications for Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landry, Kris; Smith, Tina

1998-01-01

Describes the various direct and indirect effects of HIV and AIDS on children's development and the implications for early intervention assessment. HIV and AIDS effects include disorganization during the neonatal period, failure to thrive, motor difficulties, cognitive dysfunction, expressive language behavior, attention problems, and…

Teacher Aide Individually Prescribed Instructional Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livingston Univ., AL. Coll. of Education.

This document contains 59 individually prescribed instructional modules for use in teacher aide education programs. Each module has six sections: 1) Behavioral objectives, 2) purpose, 3) performance criteria, 4) experiences, 5) resources, and 6) taxonomy. The subjects covered include the use of instructional equipment such as language master,…

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70)-stimulated deoxycytidine deaminases from a human lymphoma cell but not the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) from Ramos 6.4 human Burkitt's lymphoma cells

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Deoxycytidine deaminase enzyme activity was reduced in lysates of human leukemic THP1 cells 24 h after transfection with siRNA designed to inhibit cell synthesis of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70)1a and Hsp701b. The cytidine deaminase enzyme activity from the cell lysates was purified from an affinity column which contained bound single-stranded oligodeoxycytidylic acid. Deficient enzyme activity in certain elution fractions from the siRNA-transfected cells was restored by including recombinant HSP 70 in the assays. Enzyme activity in some other fractions was increased after siRNA transfection. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is a central factor in the immune response. A more specific assay for AID was used to study the influence of Hsp70 on AID activity. Unlike Hsp70's ability to stimulate certain enzymes of DNA base excision repair and other cytidine deaminases, it had little effect on AID activity in vitro, or was weakly inhibitory. PMID:20680536

Electrophysiological study of the basal temporal language area: a convergence zone between language perception and production networks.

PubMed

Trébuchon-Da Fonseca, Agnès; Bénar, Christian-G; Bartoloméi, Fabrice; Régis, Jean; Démonet, Jean-François; Chauvel, Patrick; Liégeois-Chauvel, Catherine

2009-03-01

Regions involved in language processing have been observed in the inferior part of the left temporal lobe. Although collectively labelled 'the Basal Temporal Language Area' (BTLA), these territories are functionally heterogeneous and are involved in language perception (i.e. reading or semantic task) or language production (speech arrest after stimulation). The objective of this study was to clarify the role of BTLA in the language network in an epileptic patient who displayed jargonaphasia. Intracerebral evoked related potentials to verbal and non-verbal stimuli in auditory and visual modalities were recorded from BTLA. Time-frequency analysis was performed during ictal events. Evoked potentials and induced gamma-band activity provided direct evidence that BTLA is sensitive to language stimuli in both modalities, 350 ms after stimulation. In addition, spontaneous gamma-band discharges were recorded from this region during which we observed phonological jargon. The findings emphasize the multimodal nature of this region in speech perception. In the context of transient dysfunction, the patient's lexical semantic processing network is disrupted, reducing spoken output to meaningless phoneme combinations. This rare opportunity to study the BTLA "in vivo" demonstrates its pivotal role in lexico-semantic processing for speech production and its multimodal nature in speech perception.

AIDS education in an Islamic nation: content analysis of Farsi-language AIDS-education materials in Iran.

PubMed

Kalkhoran, Sara; Hale, Lauren

2008-09-01

Inconsistent statistics about the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Iran and misinformation about HIV/AIDS among Iranian adolescents necessitate proper understanding and knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. This is particularly important since many issues related to HIV/AIDS, such as sex, homosexuality, and drug use, are taboo topics in the Islamic world. We analyzed Farsi-language educational and informational small media items to ascertain the nature of HIV/AIDS-related material available in society. While all of the documents mentioned sexual contact as a means of transmitting the virus, and the majority (87%) mentioned condom use as a preventive means, mention of homosexuality (43%) and prostitution (17%) was lacking in most. Thus, mention of "safe sex" strategies was not avoided due to fear of promoting sex outside of marriage, as has been noted in other Islamic nations. Mention of intravenous drug use in 90% of the documents shows an acknowledgment of the drug problem in the nation, and an effort to curb its harmful sequelae. Therefore, while certain issues such as sex, condoms, and drug use were well represented in the documents analyzed, additional inclusion of topics such as homosexuality and prostitution, issues already discussed infrequently in society, can help to better educate the population and curb the spread of this life-threatening disease.

Binaural Hearing Ability With Bilateral Bone Conduction Stimulation in Subjects With Normal Hearing: Implications for Bone Conduction Hearing Aids.

PubMed

Zeitooni, Mehrnaz; Mäki-Torkko, Elina; Stenfelt, Stefan

The purpose of this study is to evaluate binaural hearing ability in adults with normal hearing when bone conduction (BC) stimulation is bilaterally applied at the bone conduction hearing aid (BCHA) implant position as well as at the audiometric position on the mastoid. The results with BC stimulation are compared with bilateral air conduction (AC) stimulation through earphones. Binaural hearing ability is investigated with tests of spatial release from masking and binaural intelligibility level difference using sentence material, binaural masking level difference with tonal chirp stimulation, and precedence effect using noise stimulus. In all tests, results with bilateral BC stimulation at the BCHA position illustrate an ability to extract binaural cues similar to BC stimulation at the mastoid position. The binaural benefit is overall greater with AC stimulation than BC stimulation at both positions. The binaural benefit for BC stimulation at the mastoid and BCHA position is approximately half in terms of decibels compared with AC stimulation in the speech based tests (spatial release from masking and binaural intelligibility level difference). For binaural masking level difference, the binaural benefit for the two BC positions with chirp signal phase inversion is approximately twice the benefit with inverted phase of the noise. The precedence effect results with BC stimulation at the mastoid and BCHA position are similar for low frequency noise stimulation but differ with high-frequency noise stimulation. The results confirm that binaural hearing processing with bilateral BC stimulation at the mastoid position is also present at the BCHA implant position. This indicates the ability for binaural hearing in patients with good cochlear function when using bilateral BCHAs.

Increasing productivity of the McAuto CAD/CAE system by user-specific applications programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plotrowski, S. M.; Vu, T. H.

1985-01-01

Significant improvements in the productivity of the McAuto Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD/CAE) system were achieved by applications programming using the system's own Graphics Interactive Programming language (GRIP) and the interface capabilities with the main computer on which the system resides. The GRIP programs for creating springs, bar charts, finite element model representations and aiding management planning are presented as examples.

Optimal timing of pulse onset for language mapping with navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

PubMed

Krieg, Sandro M; Tarapore, Phiroz E; Picht, Thomas; Tanigawa, Noriko; Houde, John; Sollmann, Nico; Meyer, Bernhard; Vajkoczy, Peter; Berger, Mitchel S; Ringel, Florian; Nagarajan, Srikantan

2014-10-15

Within the primary motor cortex, navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has been shown to yield maps strongly correlated with those generated by direct cortical stimulation (DCS). However, the stimulation parameters for repetitive nTMS (rTMS)-based language mapping are still being refined. For this purpose, the present study compares two rTMS protocols, which differ in the timing of pulse train onset relative to picture presentation onset during object naming. Results were the correlated with DCS language mapping during awake surgery. Thirty-two patients with left-sided perisylvian tumors were examined by rTMS prior to awake surgery. Twenty patients underwent rTMS pulse trains starting at 300 ms after picture presentation onset (delayed TMS), whereas another 12 patients received rTMS pulse trains starting at the picture presentation onset (ONSET TMS). These rTMS results were then evaluated for correlation with intraoperative DCS results as gold standard in terms of differential consistencies in receiver operating characteristics (ROC) statistics. Logistic regression analysis by protocols and brain regions were conducted. Within and around Broca's area, there was no difference in sensitivity (onset TMS: 100%, delayed TMS: 100%), negative predictive value (NPV) (onset TMS: 100%, delayed TMS: 100%), and positive predictive value (PPV) (onset TMS: 55%, delayed TMS: 54%) between the two protocols compared to DCS. However, specificity differed significantly (onset TMS: 67%, delayed TMS: 28%). In contrast, for posterior language regions, such as supramarginal gyrus, angular gyrus, and posterior superior temporal gyrus, early pulse train onset stimulation showed greater specificity (onset TMS: 92%, delayed TMS: 20%), NPV (onset TMS: 92%, delayed TMS: 57%) and PPV (onset TMS: 75%, delayed TMS: 30%) with comparable sensitivity (onset TMS: 75%, delayed TMS: 70%). Logistic regression analysis also confirmed the greater fit of the predictions by rTMS that had the pulse train onset coincident with the picture presentation onset when compared to the delayed stimulation. Analyses of differential disruption patterns of mapped cortical regions were further able to distinguish clusters of cortical regions standardly associated with semantic and pre-vocalization phonological networks proposed in various models of word production. Repetitive nTMS predictions by both protocols correlate well with DCS outcomes especially in Broca's region, particularly with regard to TMS negative predictions. With this study, we have demonstrated that rTMS stimulation onset coincident with picture presentation onset improves the accuracy of preoperative language maps, particularly within posterior language areas. Moreover, immediate and delayed pulse train onsets may have complementary disruption patterns that could differentially capture cortical regions causally necessary for semantic and pre-vocalization phonological networks. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Knowledge-based machine indexing from natural language text: Knowledge base design, development, and maintenance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Genuardi, Michael T.

1993-01-01

One strategy for machine-aided indexing (MAI) is to provide a concept-level analysis of the textual elements of documents or document abstracts. In such systems, natural-language phrases are analyzed in order to identify and classify concepts related to a particular subject domain. The overall performance of these MAI systems is largely dependent on the quality and comprehensiveness of their knowledge bases. These knowledge bases function to (1) define the relations between a controlled indexing vocabulary and natural language expressions; (2) provide a simple mechanism for disambiguation and the determination of relevancy; and (3) allow the extension of concept-hierarchical structure to all elements of the knowledge file. After a brief description of the NASA Machine-Aided Indexing system, concerns related to the development and maintenance of MAI knowledge bases are discussed. Particular emphasis is given to statistically-based text analysis tools designed to aid the knowledge base developer. One such tool, the Knowledge Base Building (KBB) program, presents the domain expert with a well-filtered list of synonyms and conceptually-related phrases for each thesaurus concept. Another tool, the Knowledge Base Maintenance (KBM) program, functions to identify areas of the knowledge base affected by changes in the conceptual domain (for example, the addition of a new thesaurus term). An alternate use of the KBM as an aid in thesaurus construction is also discussed.

Lateralization of cerebral blood flow velocity changes during auditory stimulation: a functional transcranial Doppler study.

PubMed

Carod Artal, Francisco Javier; Vázquez Cabrera, Carolina; Horan, Thomas Anthony

2004-01-01

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) permits the assessment of cognitively induced cerebral blood flow velocity (BFV) changes. We sought to investigate the lateralization of BFV acceleration induced by auditory stimulation and speech in a normal population. TCD monitoring of BFV in the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) was performed in 30 normal right-handed volunteers (average age = 31.7 years). Noise stimulation, speech, and instrumental music were administered during 60 sec to both ears by means of earphones. Auditory stimulation induced a significant BFV increase in the ipsilateral MCA compared to BFV during the preceding rest periods. Left MCA BFV increased by an average of 7.1% (noise), 8.4% (language), and 5.2% (melody) over baseline values, and right MCA BFV increased 5.1%, 3.1%, and 4.2%, respectively. Speech stimulation produced a significant increase in BFV in the left hemisphere MCA (from 49.86 to 54.03 cm/sec; p < .0001). Left MCA BFV response to speech stimulation may reflect the dominance of the left hemisphere in language processing by right-handed individuals. Due to the high temporal resolution of TCD we were able show a habituation effect during the 60-sec stimulation period.

Functional language shift to the right hemisphere in patients with language-eloquent brain tumors.

PubMed

Krieg, Sandro M; Sollmann, Nico; Hauck, Theresa; Ille, Sebastian; Foerschler, Annette; Meyer, Bernhard; Ringel, Florian

2013-01-01

Language function is mainly located within the left hemisphere of the brain, especially in right-handed subjects. However, functional MRI (fMRI) has demonstrated changes of language organization in patients with left-sided perisylvian lesions to the right hemisphere. Because intracerebral lesions can impair fMRI, this study was designed to investigate human language plasticity with a virtual lesion model using repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Fifteen patients with lesions of left-sided language-eloquent brain areas and 50 healthy and purely right-handed participants underwent bilateral rTMS language mapping via an object-naming task. All patients were proven to have left-sided language function during awake surgery. The rTMS-induced language errors were categorized into 6 different error types. The error ratio (induced errors/number of stimulations) was determined for each brain region on both hemispheres. A hemispheric dominance ratio was then defined for each region as the quotient of the error ratio (left/right) of the corresponding area of both hemispheres (ratio >1 = left dominant; ratio <1 = right dominant). Patients with language-eloquent lesions showed a statistically significantly lower ratio than healthy participants concerning "all errors" and "all errors without hesitations", which indicates a higher participation of the right hemisphere in language function. Yet, there was no cortical region with pronounced difference in language dominance compared to the whole hemisphere. This is the first study that shows by means of an anatomically accurate virtual lesion model that a shift of language function to the non-dominant hemisphere can occur.

HIV/AIDS and disability: a pilot survey of HIV/AIDS knowledge among a deaf population in Swaziland.

PubMed

Groce, Nora; Yousafzai, Aisha; Dlamini, Phindile; Zalud, Sarah; Wirz, Shelia

2006-12-01

This study sought to establish whether there were measurable differences in the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS between hearing individuals and individuals who identified themselves as deaf sign language users in Swaziland. A cross-sectional survey of 191 rural and urban hearing and deaf adults was undertaken in Swaziland in December 2003. A structured questionnaire was administered, seeking to establish whether there were statistically significant differences between hearing and deaf populations in their level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS symptoms, transmission and prevention, as well as differences in sources of information about HIV/AIDS. Additional questions were asked regarding whether there were differences in accessibility of HIV testing services and HIV/AIDS-related healthcare for the two groups. Significant differences in levels of knowledge about HIV/AIDS were identified between the hearing and deaf respondents. The deaf population was significantly more likely (P<0.05) to believe in incorrect modes of HIV transmission (e.g. hugging and airborne transmission) and HIV prevention (e.g. avoiding sharing utensils and eating healthy foods). Almost all of the deaf respondents (99%) reported difficulties in communicating with healthcare facility staff, which may result in less use of HIV voluntary counseling and testing services. This paper reports the results of this study, and discusses the need for targeted HIV/AIDS education campaigns and improved accessibility in healthcare facilities for deaf sign language users in countries such as Swaziland.

TEACHING DEAF CHILDREN TO TALK.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

EWING, ALEXANDER; EWING, ETHEL C.

DESIGNED AS A TEXT FOR AUDIOLOGISTS AND TEACHERS OF HEARING IMPAIRED CHILDREN, THIS BOOK PRESENTS BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT SPOKEN LANGUAGE, HEARING, AND LIPREADING. METHODS AND RESULTS OF EVALUATING SPOKEN LANGUAGE OF AURALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WITHOUT USING READING OR WRITING ARE REPORTED. VARIOUS TYPES OF INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP HEARING AIDS ARE…

Individualization of Foreign Language Learning in America, V.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bockman, John F., Ed.; Gougher, Ronald L., Ed.

This newsletter contains a series of brief reports concerning methods of individualizing language learning and describes several ongoing experiments. The first article illustrates how individualized achievement charts aid in determining students' instructional needs. Group work and oral testing are discussed as a means of individualizing a course…

Job Language Performance Requirements for MOS 15E PERSHING Missile Crewman.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-04-12

DATA GATHERING TASK OBSERVATION STRUCTURAL PRIORITIZATION PORN INVENTORYq CHECKLIST FIGUJRE 2 In order to establish Job Language Performance Requirements...Profanity F. Shop talk/slang G. Non-standard English Media of Instruction I. Other Comments: A. 𔄁ilms B. Video cassettes C. Graphic Training Aids

Costless Aids for Language Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moody, K. W.

Intended primarily for language teachers in underfinanced school districts or underdeveloped countries where educational resources are scarce, this article suggests ways and means of using material resources as instructional realia. The author proposes several principles on which the use of audiovisual materials in the classroom should be based.…

Noise reduction improves memory for target language speech in competing native but not foreign language speech.

PubMed

Ng, Elaine Hoi Ning; Rudner, Mary; Lunner, Thomas; Rönnberg, Jerker

2015-01-01

A hearing aid noise reduction (NR) algorithm reduces the adverse effect of competing speech on memory for target speech for individuals with hearing impairment with high working memory capacity. In the present study, we investigated whether the positive effect of NR could be extended to individuals with low working memory capacity, as well as how NR influences recall performance for target native speech when the masker language is non-native. A sentence-final word identification and recall (SWIR) test was administered to 26 experienced hearing aid users. In this test, target spoken native language (Swedish) sentence lists were presented in competing native (Swedish) or foreign (Cantonese) speech with or without binary masking NR algorithm. After each sentence list, free recall of sentence final words was prompted. Working memory capacity was measured using a reading span (RS) test. Recall performance was associated with RS. However, the benefit obtained from NR was not associated with RS. Recall performance was more disrupted by native than foreign speech babble and NR improved recall performance in native but not foreign competing speech. Noise reduction improved memory for speech heard in competing speech for hearing aid users. Memory for native speech was more disrupted by native babble than foreign babble, but the disruptive effect of native speech babble was reduced to that of foreign babble when there was NR.

Space Derived Health Aids (PRN, Neuropacemaker)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

St. Jude Medical's (formerly known as Pacesetter Systems, Inc.) Programmable Rechargeable Neuropacemaker (PRN) is an implantable human tissue stimulator designed to provide relief to patients with disorders treatable by electrical stimulation. Examples are back, leg, and arm pain, cancer pain and multiple sclerosis.

Early Language Stimulation of Down's Syndrome Babies: A Study on the Optimum Age To Begin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aparicio, Maria Teresa Sanz; Balana, Javier Menendez

2002-01-01

Examined the marked delay in language acquisition suffered by babies with Down Syndrome and how early treatment affects the subsequent observed development among 36 subjects in Spain. Found statistically significant differences in language acquisitions in favor of newborns, compared with 90-day-old through 18-month-old infants who experienced…

New Perspectives on Teaching and Learning Modern Languages. Modern Languages in Practice, 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Simon, Ed.

This book comprises a series of newly commissioned chapters designed to stimulate debate about what kind of language-teaching is appropriate for the new millennium, what skills learners will need to cope with the technological and linguistic demands, and how the two can be synthesized. Collectively, the contributors seek a convergence of views…

Differential effects of bihemispheric and unihemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation in young and elderly adults in verbal learning.

PubMed

Fiori, Valentina; Nitsche, Michael; Iasevoli, Luigi; Cucuzza, Gabriella; Caltagirone, Carlo; Marangolo, Paola

2017-03-15

For the past few years, the potential of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the treatment of several pathologies has been investigated. In the language domain, several studies, in healthy and brain-damaged populations, have already shown that tDCS is effective in enhancing naming, repetition and semantic word generation. In those studies, different tDCS electrode configurations have been tested, however, a direct comparison between different montages in verbal learning has never been conducted. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of bihemispheric and unihemispheric tDCS on verbal learning task performance in two groups (young vs. elderly). Fifteen healthy volunteers participated per group. Each participant received three stimulation conditions: unihemispheric anodal tDCS over the left temporal area, bihemispheric tDCS over the left (anodal) and right (cathodal) temporal areas and a sham condition. During active stimulation, tDCS (20min, 2mA) was applied while each participant learned twenty pseudowords (arbitrarily assigned to corresponding pictures). No significant differences were found between the three conditions for the young group with regard to accuracy and vocal reaction times. In contrast, in the elderly group, real stimulation improved performance compared to sham but bihemispheric tDCS was more efficient than unilateral stimulation. These results suggest that bihemispheric stimulation is more effective in improving language learning but this effect is age-dependent. The hypothesis is advanced that cortical changes in the course of aging might differentially impact on tDCS efficacy on behavioral performance. These data may also have implications for treatment of stroke patients with language impairment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear Frequency Compression in Hearing Aids: Impact on Speech and Language Development

PubMed Central

Bentler, Ruth; Walker, Elizabeth; McCreery, Ryan; Arenas, Richard M.; Roush, Patricia

2015-01-01

Objectives The research questions of this study were: (1) Are children using nonlinear frequency compression (NLFC) in their hearing aids getting better access to the speech signal than children using conventional processing schemes? The authors hypothesized that children whose hearing aids provided wider input bandwidth would have more access to the speech signal, as measured by an adaptation of the Speech Intelligibility Index, and (2) are speech and language skills different for children who have been fit with the two different technologies; if so, in what areas? The authors hypothesized that if the children were getting increased access to the speech signal as a result of their NLFC hearing aids (question 1), it would be possible to see improved performance in areas of speech production, morphosyntax, and speech perception compared with the group with conventional processing. Design Participants included 66 children with hearing loss recruited as part of a larger multisite National Institutes of Health–funded study, Outcomes for Children with Hearing Loss, designed to explore the developmental outcomes of children with mild to severe hearing loss. For the larger study, data on communication, academic and psychosocial skills were gathered in an accelerated longitudinal design, with entry into the study between 6 months and 7 years of age. Subjects in this report consisted of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children recruited at the North Carolina test site. All had at least at least 6 months of current hearing aid usage with their NLFC or conventional amplification. Demographic characteristics were compared at the three age levels as well as audibility and speech/language outcomes; speech-perception scores were compared for the 5-year-old groups. Results Results indicate that the audibility provided did not differ between the technology options. As a result, there was no difference between groups on speech or language outcome measures at 4 or 5 years of age, and no impact on speech perception (measured at 5 years of age). The difference in Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language and mean length of utterance scores for the 3-year-old group favoring the group with conventional amplification may be a consequence of confounding factors such as increased incidence of prematurity in the group using NLFC. Conclusions Children fit with NLFC had similar audibility, as measured by a modified Speech Intelligibility Index, compared with a matched group of children using conventional technology. In turn, there were no differences in their speech and language abilities. PMID:24892229

Nonlinear frequency compression in hearing aids: impact on speech and language development.

PubMed

Bentler, Ruth; Walker, Elizabeth; McCreery, Ryan; Arenas, Richard M; Roush, Patricia

2014-01-01

The research questions of this study were: (1) Are children using nonlinear frequency compression (NLFC) in their hearing aids getting better access to the speech signal than children using conventional processing schemes? The authors hypothesized that children whose hearing aids provided wider input bandwidth would have more access to the speech signal, as measured by an adaptation of the Speech Intelligibility Index, and (2) are speech and language skills different for children who have been fit with the two different technologies; if so, in what areas? The authors hypothesized that if the children were getting increased access to the speech signal as a result of their NLFC hearing aids (question 1), it would be possible to see improved performance in areas of speech production, morphosyntax, and speech perception compared with the group with conventional processing. Participants included 66 children with hearing loss recruited as part of a larger multisite National Institutes of Health-funded study, Outcomes for Children with Hearing Loss, designed to explore the developmental outcomes of children with mild to severe hearing loss. For the larger study, data on communication, academic and psychosocial skills were gathered in an accelerated longitudinal design, with entry into the study between 6 months and 7 years of age. Subjects in this report consisted of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children recruited at the North Carolina test site. All had at least at least 6 months of current hearing aid usage with their NLFC or conventional amplification. Demographic characteristics were compared at the three age levels as well as audibility and speech/language outcomes; speech-perception scores were compared for the 5-year-old groups. Results indicate that the audibility provided did not differ between the technology options. As a result, there was no difference between groups on speech or language outcome measures at 4 or 5 years of age, and no impact on speech perception (measured at 5 years of age). The difference in Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language and mean length of utterance scores for the 3-year-old group favoring the group with conventional amplification may be a consequence of confounding factors such as increased incidence of prematurity in the group using NLFC. Children fit with NLFC had similar audibility, as measured by a modified Speech Intelligibility Index, compared with a matched group of children using conventional technology. In turn, there were no differences in their speech and language abilities.

Student Performance in Computer-Assisted Instruction in Programming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friend, Jamesine E.; And Others

A computer-assisted instructional system to teach college students the computer language, AID (Algebraic Interpretive Dialogue), two control programs, and data collected by the two control programs are described. It was found that although first response errors were often those of AID syntax, such errors were easily corrected. Secondly, while…

AIDS Elementary/Intermediate Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellogg, Nancy Rader

This Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Curriculum was developed for intermediate elementary (5th, 6th, and 7th grade) students. It is an integrated unit that encompasses health, science, social studies, math, and language arts. The curriculum is comprised of nine class activities designed to meet the following objectives: (1) to determine…

Software Engineering Techniques for Computer-Aided Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibrahim, Bertrand

1989-01-01

Describes the process for developing tutorials for computer-aided learning (CAL) using a programing language rather than an authoring system. The workstation used is described, the use of graphics is discussed, the role of a local area network (LAN) is explained, and future plans are discussed. (five references) (LRW)

Language Mapping with Navigated Repetitive TMS: Proof of Technique and Validation

PubMed Central

Tarapore, Phiroz E.; Findlay, Anne M.; Honma, Susanne M.; Mizuiri, Danielle; Houde, John F.; Berger, Mitchel S.; Nagarajan, Srikantan S.

2013-01-01

Objective Lesion-based mapping of speech pathways has been possible only during invasive neurosurgical procedures using direct cortical stimulation (DCS). However, navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) may allow for lesion-based interrogation of language pathways noninvasively. Although not lesion-based, magnetoencephalographic imaging (MEGI) is another noninvasive modality for language mapping. In this study, we compare the accuracy of nTMS and MEGI with DCS. Methods Subjects with lesions around cortical language areas underwent preoperative nTMS and MEGI for language mapping. nTMS maps were generated using a repetitive TMS protocol to deliver trains of stimulations during a picture naming task. MEGI activation maps were derived from adaptive spatial filtering of beta-band power decreases prior to overt speech during picture naming and verb generation tasks. The subjects subsequently underwent awake language mapping via intraoperative DCS. The language maps obtained from each of the 3 modalities were recorded and compared. Results nTMS and MEGI were performed on 12 subjects. nTMS yielded 21 positive language disruption sites (11 speech arrest, 5 anomia, and 5 other) while DCS yielded 10 positive sites (2 speech arrest, 5 anomia, and 3 other). MEGI isolated 32 sites of peak activation with language tasks. Positive language sites were most commonly found in the pars opercularis for all three modalities. In 9 instances the positive DCS site corresponded to a positive nTMS site, while in 1 instance it did not. In 4 instances, a positive nTMS site corresponded to a negative DCS site, while 169 instances of negative nTMS and DCS were recorded. The sensitivity of nTMS was therefore 90%, specificity was 98%, the positive predictive value was 69% and the negative predictive value was 99% as compared with intraoperative DCS. MEGI language sites for verb generation and object naming correlated with nTMS sites in 5 subjects, and with DCS sites in 2 subjects. Conclusion Maps of language function generated with nTMS correlate well with those generated by DCS. Negative nTMS mapping also correlates with negative DCS mapping. In our study, MEGI lacks the same level of correlation with intraoperative mapping; nevertheless it provides useful adjunct information in some cases. nTMS may offer a lesion-based method for noninvasively interrogating language pathways and be valuable in managing patients with peri-eloquent lesions. PMID:23702420

Parenting Supports for Early Vocabulary Development: Specific Effects of Sensitivity and Stimulation through Infancy

PubMed Central

Vallotton, Claire; Mastergeorge, Ann; Foster, Tricia; Decker, Kalli B.; Ayoub, Catherine

2016-01-01

Growing recognition of disparities in early childhood language environments prompt examination of parent-child interactions which support vocabulary. Research links parental sensitivity and cognitive stimulation to child language, but has not explicitly contrasted their effects, nor examined how effects may change over time. We examined maternal sensitivity and stimulation throughout infancy using two observational methods – ratings of parents’ interaction qualities, and coding of discrete parenting behaviors - to assess the relative importance of these qualities to child vocabulary over time, and determine whether mothers make related changes in response to children’s development. Participants were 146 infants and mothers, assessed when infants were 14, 24, and 36 months. At 14 months, sensitivity had a stronger effect on vocabulary than did stimulation, but the effect of stimulation grew throughout toddlerhood. Mothers’ cognitive stimulation grew over time, whereas sensitivity remained stable. While discrete parenting behaviors changed with child age, there was no evidence of trade-offs between sensitive and stimulating behaviors, and no evidence that sensitivity moderated the effect of stimulation on child vocabulary. Findings demonstrate specificity of timing in the link between parenting qualities and child vocabulary which could inform early parent interventions, and supports a reconceptualization of the nature and measurement of parental sensitivity. PMID:28111526

Sight and Sound: The Sensible and Sensitive Use of Audio-Visual Aids. Reports of the Working Committees of the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 1969.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edgerton, Mills F., Jr., Ed.

Included in this volume are the reports dealing with the effective use of audiovisual media in foreign language instruction and developed by the working committees of the sixteenth annual Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Six individuals prepared the media descriptions and selected the demonstrations described in the…

Machine-Assisted Translation in West Germany

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-03-04

the Ger- man, English , French or Russian languages are recorded, where it is known that they have been used in translation or teaching assignments...German literary language encompasses about 300,000 words, English about 600,000, and the vocabulary of a person of average education is about...Terminology Recording and Evaluation Method ) was developed in the language service of the Siemens company in Munich as an aid for in-house application

World Bank Contribution to Building National HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity in Africa: Going beyond Indicator Development and Conceptual Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, David

2004-01-01

International commitment to the human immunodeficiency virus-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic has grown rapidly in recent years, stimulated by the leadership of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and its cosponsors and supported by a range of new mechanisms. These include the World Bank's Multi-Country…

Temporally Regular Musical Primes Facilitate Subsequent Syntax Processing in Children with Specific Language Impairment.

PubMed

Bedoin, Nathalie; Brisseau, Lucie; Molinier, Pauline; Roch, Didier; Tillmann, Barbara

2016-01-01

Children with developmental language disorders have been shown to be also impaired in rhythm and meter perception. Temporal processing and its link to language processing can be understood within the dynamic attending theory. An external stimulus can stimulate internal oscillators, which orient attention over time and drive speech signal segmentation to provide benefits for syntax processing, which is impaired in various patient populations. For children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and dyslexia, previous research has shown the influence of an external rhythmic stimulation on subsequent language processing by comparing the influence of a temporally regular musical prime to that of a temporally irregular prime. Here we tested whether the observed rhythmic stimulation effect is indeed due to a benefit provided by the regular musical prime (rather than a cost subsequent to the temporally irregular prime). Sixteen children with SLI and 16 age-matched controls listened to either a regular musical prime sequence or an environmental sound scene (without temporal regularities in event occurrence; i.e., referred to as "baseline condition") followed by grammatically correct and incorrect sentences. They were required to perform grammaticality judgments for each auditorily presented sentence. Results revealed that performance for the grammaticality judgments was better after the regular prime sequences than after the baseline sequences. Our findings are interpreted in the theoretical framework of the dynamic attending theory (Jones, 1976) and the temporal sampling (oscillatory) framework for developmental language disorders (Goswami, 2011). Furthermore, they encourage the use of rhythmic structures (even in non-verbal materials) to boost linguistic structure processing and outline perspectives for rehabilitation.

Control of Task Sequences: What Is the Role of Language?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayr, Ulrich; Kleffner-Canucci, Killian; Kikumoto, Atsushi; Redford, Melissa A.

2014-01-01

It is almost a truism that language aids serial-order control through self-cuing of upcoming sequential elements. We measured speech onset latencies as subjects performed hierarchically organized task sequences while "thinking aloud" each task label. Surprisingly, speech onset latencies and response times (RTs) were highly synchronized,…

Working with Students Who Are Late-Deafened. PEPNet Tipsheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Mary

2010-01-01

Late-deafness means deafness that happened postlingually, any time after the development of speech and language in a person who has identified with hearing society through schooling, social connections, etc. Students who are late-deafened cannot understand speech without visual aids such as speechreading, sign language, and captioning (although…

The Testing Effect: An Intervention on Behalf of Low-Skilled Comprehenders in General Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyburn, Daniel T.; Pazicni, Samuel; Benassi, Victor A.; Tappin, Elizabeth M.

2014-01-01

Past work has demonstrated that language comprehension ability correlates with general chemistry course performance with medium effect sizes. We demonstrate here that language comprehension's strong cognitive grounding can be used to inform effective and equitable pedagogies, namely, instructional interventions that differentially aid low-skilled…

El Dinero [Money]: A Culture Unit for Foreign Language Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enwall, Beverly

This curriculum guide offers materials designed to acquaint students with aspects of Hispanic culture and language. Situations, pattern practices, visual aids, dialogues, games, literary passages, and authentic media advertisements, all closely revolving around the concept of "El Dinero" (Money), are employed to this end. Suggestions for…

Phonological and Non-Phonological Language Skills as Predictors of Early Reading Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batson-Magnuson, LuAnn

2010-01-01

Accurate prediction of early childhood reading performance could help identify at-risk students, aid in the development of evidence-based intervention strategies, and further our theoretical understanding of reading development. This study assessed the validity of the Developmental Indicator for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL) language-based…

Using Linguistic Structures as a Framework for Social Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartoonian, H. Michael

Analysis of the relationship between language and ethics can provide insight into social institutions, social discourse, and social action. Further, synthesis of language and social education can aid educators as they develop curriculum which deals with communication and reasoning in social decision making. Ethics is interpreted to include the…

Intercultural Competence from Theory to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Lynne B.; Comenale, Rebecca

2013-01-01

GLASPORT first convened in October 2009 with funding provided by a Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant. The grant proposal was submitted by then Glastonbury Assistant Superintendent of Schools (and former Foreign Language Director) Christine Brown. The committee was charged with two ambitious objectives: (1) to aid in the development…

The Diagnostic Conference Planning Questionnaire for Speech-Language Pathology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houle, Gail Ruppert

1990-01-01

The article describes a tool to increase professional effectiveness in supervisory conferencing in speech-language pathology based on the dual areas of role expectations for clinicians and personal needs as derived from Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The conferencing questionnaire aids in recognizing the needs of the supervisee, stating problems,…

A functional language approach in high-speed digital simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ercegovac, M. D.; Lu, S.-L.

1983-01-01

A functional programming approach for a multi-microprocessor architecture is presented. The language, based on Backus FP, its intermediate form and the translation process are discussed and illustrated with an example. The approach allows performance analysis to be performed at a high level as an aid in program partitioning.

Data management and language enhancement for generalized set theory computer language for operation of large relational databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finley, Gail T.

1988-01-01

This report covers the study of the relational database implementation in the NASCAD computer program system. The existing system is used primarily for computer aided design. Attention is also directed to a hidden-surface algorithm for final drawing output.

Computer-Aided Advisement Language at the University of South Carolina.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bays, Carter

1984-01-01

A passive computer application using student course transcripts to group and arrange specific degree requirements to produce an advising worksheet is described, and the language used by a math department for this purpose is outlined. A sample advisement form resulting from the program is reproduced. (MSE)

Bild- und Tontraeger im Fremdsprachenunterricht. Eine rentable Investition? (Visual and Sound Media in Foreign Language Teaching--A Profitable Investment?)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macht, Konrad

1978-01-01

Discusses a "rational concept" of integration of audiovisual teaching aids into the foreign language teaching process that would be based on a positive evaluation of teacher-centered instruction. Offers a model for integration of human and technical media. (IFS/WGA)

Found in Translation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrol, Gareth; Conklin, Kathy; Gyllstad, Henrik

2016-01-01

Formulaic language represents a challenge to even the most proficient of language learners. Evidence is mixed as to whether native and nonnative speakers process it in a fundamentally different way, whether exposure can lead to more nativelike processing for nonnatives, and how L1 knowledge is used to aid comprehension. In this study we…

Designing Online Assignments for Japanese Language Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsurutani, Chiharu; Imura, Taeko

2015-01-01

An increasing number of language educators are taking a blended approach to their teaching in order to enhance students' learning experiences and outcomes. During recent years, online tools have become a valuable resource, aiding teachers in course delivery and assessment. Blended learning, which is campus-based learning supported by online…

Resource Room for the Speech Handicapped. (School Year 1974-1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman-Dresner, Toby

Thirty-two junior high school students with severe communication defects were provided with speech therapy--which included videotape feedback techniques, phonic mirror, tape recorder, "s" meter, pitch meter, language master, bicom, and other sensory aids--in the Speech and Language Resource Room (Queens, New York). Evaluation procedures included…

Hemodynamic and Electrophysiological Connectivity in the Language System: Simultaneous Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Electrocorticography Recordings during Cortical Stimulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sato, Yosuke; Oishi, Makoto; Fukuda, Masafumi; Fujii, Yukihiko

2012-01-01

We applied near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings during cortical stimulation to a temporal lobe epilepsy patient who underwent subdural electrode implantation. Using NIRS, changes in blood concentrations of oxyhemoglobin (HbO[subscript 2]) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) during cortical stimulation of the left…

Morphology, morphometry and probability mapping of the pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus: an in vivo MRI analysis.

PubMed

Tomaiuolo, F; MacDonald, J D; Caramanos, Z; Posner, G; Chiavaras, M; Evans, A C; Petrides, M

1999-09-01

The pars opercularis occupies the posterior part of the inferior frontal gyrus. Electrical stimulation or damage of this region interferes with language production. The present study investigated the morphology and morphometry of the pars opercularis in 108 normal adult human cerebral hemispheres by means of magnetic resonance imaging. The brain images were transformed into a standardized proportional steoreotaxic space (i.e. that of Talairach and Tournoux) in order to minimize interindividual brain size variability. There was considerable variability in the shape and location of the pars opercularis across brains and between cerebral hemispheres. There was no significant difference or correlation between left and right hemisphere grey matter volumes. There was also no significant difference between sex and side of asymmetry of the pars opercularis. A probability map of the pars opercularis was constructed by averaging its location and extent in each individual normalized brain into Talairach space to aid in localization of activity changes in functional neuroimaging studies.

Application programs written by using customizing tools of a computer-aided design system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, X.; Huang, R.; Juricic, D.

1995-12-31

Customizing tools of Computer-Aided Design Systems have been developed to such a degree as to become equivalent to powerful higher-level programming languages that are especially suitable for graphics applications. Two examples of application programs written by using AutoCAD`s customizing tools are given in some detail to illustrate their power. One tool uses AutoLISP list-processing language to develop an application program that produces four views of a given solid model. The other uses AutoCAD Developmental System, based on program modules written in C, to produce an application program that renders a freehand sketch from a given CAD drawing.

Ethnicity, socioeconomic characteristics and knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about HIV among Yunnanese Chinese, Hmong, Lahu and Northern Thai in a north-western Thailand border district

PubMed Central

Kunstadter, Peter

2013-01-01

Data from ethnically diverse north-western Thailand with recent migrants from Myanmar (Burma) and China allow testing of hypotheses concerning between- and within-community differences in predominantly Yunnanese Chinese, Hmong and Lahu ethnic minority villages versus ethnic majority Thai villages. Topics include knowledge of HIV transmission, prevention and treatment, avoidance of people infected with HIV and constraints to use of health services. Respondents include women with one or more children under age five and their husbands/partners. Ethnicity is consistently associated with socioeconomic characteristics, knowledge of HIV transmission, prevention and treatment, avoidance of people living with HIV and AIDS, and constraints to use of services. Chinese community residents had the lowest levels of knowledge of HIV, especially with regard to mother-to-child transmission, the most intent to avoid contact with people living with HIV and AIDS, and the highest levels of constraints to using services, including ineligibility for government healthcare and limited Thai language ability. Associations of counselling with Thai language ability, and more knowledge and less avoidance of people living with HIV and AIDS, suggest that language-appropriate health education may help overcome disparities. PMID:23930982

Cultural and linguistic adaptation of a multimedia colorectal cancer screening decision aid for Spanish-speaking Latinos.

PubMed

Ko, Linda K; Reuland, Daniel; Jolles, Monica; Clay, Rebecca; Pignone, Michael

2014-01-01

As the United States becomes more linguistically and culturally diverse, there is a need for effective health communication interventions that target diverse, vulnerable populations, including Latinos. To address such disparities, health communication interventionists often face the challenge to adapt existing interventions from English into Spanish in a way that retains essential elements of the original intervention while also addressing the linguistic needs and cultural perspectives of the target population. The authors describe the conceptual framework, context, rationale, methods, and findings of a formative research process used in creating a Spanish-language version of an evidence-based (English language) multimedia colorectal cancer screening decision aid. The multistep process included identification of essential elements of the existing intervention, literature review, assessment of the regional context and engagement of key stakeholders, and solicitation of direct input from target population. The authors integrated these findings in the creation of the new adapted intervention. They describe how they used this process to identify and integrate sociocultural themes such as personalism (personalismo), familism (familismo), fear (miedo), embarrassment (verguenza), power distance (respeto), machismo, and trust (confianza) into the Spanish-language decision aid.

Communication and education as vaccine against the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Africa.

PubMed

Soola, E O

1991-01-01

Attention is focused on the segmentation of the audience (urban, rural, urban slum) and messages, and on how appropriate communication and educational strategies can be adopted to create awareness of AIDS among the African population. It is important to determine the scope, nature, and content of the message in addition to the delivery of these messages through proper channels. Channels of communication vary in reach and influence, and different segments of the population vary in the capacity to absorb information. Rural people are considered susceptible because of their penchant for continually using injections for treatment of any ailment; the source of concern is unsterilized needles and syringes. The semantics of AIDs is discussed to emphasize the problem of how to identify AIDs among the multiplicity of languages in individual countries. For instance, in Nigeria there may be 150-400 languages, and these languages lack systematically developed metalanguage and specialized vocabularies. The view that local language use must be one way, linear is accepted, and the difficulties surmounted. Local languages may be used to transmit information of a nontechnical nature. The literate minority should have access to detailed information on causes, modes of transmission, symptoms, treatment or management, but not everyone needs this extent of detail. The rural and urban residents should know about the incurability of the disease, the mode of transmission, its symptoms, and what should be done if someone is suspected of having an HIV infection. Already the Hausa of Nigeria have a term for AIDs, Karya-Garkuwa, which suggests a disease that breaks down the mechanism of the biological functioning of the body. Communicators must be knowledgeable and able to effectively transmit facts not myths. Of the 3 modes of transmission (sex, blood, mother to child), sexual transmission is the most important. Blood routes are through transfusions, contaminated blood products for hemophilia patients, contaminated needles and syringes of intravenous drug users, unsterilized needles and syringes used for medical treatment, knives for circumcision or body marking, razor blades in barber shops, and toothbrushes. All media should be used as well as community based informal and political channels. Traditional communication modes in rural areas are required. A multidisciplinary team of experts in modern and traditional media and instructional communication design and operation is needed.

Dual language versus English-only support for bilingual children with hearing loss who use cochlear implants and hearing aids.

PubMed

Bunta, Ferenc; Douglas, Michael; Dickson, Hanna; Cantu, Amy; Wickesberg, Jennifer; Gifford, René H

2016-07-01

There is a critical need to understand better speech and language development in bilingual children learning two spoken languages who use cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing aids (HAs). The paucity of knowledge in this area poses a significant barrier to providing maximal communicative outcomes to a growing number of children who have a hearing loss (HL) and are learning multiple spoken languages. In fact, the number of bilingual individuals receiving CIs and HAs is rapidly increasing, and Hispanic children display a higher prevalence of HL than the general population of the United States. In order to serve better bilingual children with CIs and HAs, appropriate and effective therapy approaches need to be designed and tested, based on research findings. This study investigated the effects of supporting both the home language (Spanish) and the language of the majority culture (English) on language outcomes in bilingual children with HL who use CIs and HAs as compared to their bilingual peers who receive English-only support. Retrospective analyses of language measures were completed for two groups of Spanish- and English-speaking bilingual children with HL who use CIs and HAs matched on a range of demographic and socio-economic variables: those with dual-language support versus their peers with English-only support. Dependent variables included scores from the English version of the Preschool Language Scales, 4th Edition. Bilingual children who received dual-language support outperformed their peers who received English-only support at statistically significant levels as measured by Total Language and Expressive Communication as raw and language age scores. No statistically significant group differences were found on Auditory Comprehension scores. In addition to providing support in English, encouraging home language use and providing treatment support in the first language may help rather than hinder development of both English and the home language in bilingual children with HL who use CIs and HAs. In fact, dual-language support may yield better overall and expressive English language outcomes than English-only support for this population. © 2016 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

The Quasi-Business Letter: Passport to Foreign Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lalande, John F.

1979-01-01

Suggests having foreign language students write business letters to stimulate interest in developing writing skills. This project gives the students the opportunity of travelling abroad vicariously and to collect souvenirs while improving their communication skills in the foreign language. (CFM)

Do sign language videos improve Web navigation for Deaf Signer users?

PubMed

Fajardo, Inmaculada; Parra, Elena; Cañas, José J

2010-01-01

The efficacy of video-based sign language (SL) navigation aids to improve Web search for Deaf Signers was tested by two experiments. Experiment 1 compared 2 navigation aids based on text hyperlinks linked to embedded SL videos, which differed in the spatial contiguity between the text hyperlink and SL video (contiguous vs. distant). Deaf Signers' performance was similar in Web search using both aids, but a positive correlation between their word categorization abilities and search efficiency appeared in the distant condition. In Experiment 2, the contiguous condition was compared with a text-only hyperlink condition. Deaf Signers became less disorientated (used shorter paths to find the target) in the text plus SL condition than in the text-only condition. In addition, the positive correlation between word categorization abilities and search only appeared in the text-only condition. These findings suggest that SL videos added to text hyperlinks improve Web search efficiency for Deaf Signers.

Transcranial direct current stimulation over Broca's region improves phonemic and semantic fluency in healthy individuals.

PubMed

Cattaneo, Z; Pisoni, A; Papagno, C

2011-06-02

Previous studies have demonstrated that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be proficiently used to modulate attentional and cognitive functions. For instance, in the language domain there is evidence that tDCS can fasten picture naming in both healthy individuals and aphasic patients, or improve grammar learning. In this study, we investigated whether tDCS can be used to increase healthy subjects' performance in phonemic and semantic fluency tasks, that are typically used in clinical assessment of language. Ten healthy individuals performed a semantic and a phonemic fluency task following anodal tDCS applied over Broca's region. Each participant underwent a real and a sham tDCS session. Participants were found to produce more words following real anodal tDCS both in the phonemic and in the semantic fluency. Control experiments ascertained that this finding did not depend upon unspecific effects of tDCS over levels of general arousal or attention or upon participants' expectations. These data confirm the efficacy of tDCS in transiently improving language functions by showing that anodal stimulation of Broca's region can enhance verbal fluency. Implications of these results for the treatment of language functions in aphasia are considered. Copyright © 2011 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional Language Shift to the Right Hemisphere in Patients with Language-Eloquent Brain Tumors

PubMed Central

Krieg, Sandro M.; Sollmann, Nico; Hauck, Theresa; Ille, Sebastian; Foerschler, Annette; Meyer, Bernhard; Ringel, Florian

2013-01-01

Objectives Language function is mainly located within the left hemisphere of the brain, especially in right-handed subjects. However, functional MRI (fMRI) has demonstrated changes of language organization in patients with left-sided perisylvian lesions to the right hemisphere. Because intracerebral lesions can impair fMRI, this study was designed to investigate human language plasticity with a virtual lesion model using repetitive navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Experimental design Fifteen patients with lesions of left-sided language-eloquent brain areas and 50 healthy and purely right-handed participants underwent bilateral rTMS language mapping via an object-naming task. All patients were proven to have left-sided language function during awake surgery. The rTMS-induced language errors were categorized into 6 different error types. The error ratio (induced errors/number of stimulations) was determined for each brain region on both hemispheres. A hemispheric dominance ratio was then defined for each region as the quotient of the error ratio (left/right) of the corresponding area of both hemispheres (ratio >1  =  left dominant; ratio <1  =  right dominant). Results Patients with language-eloquent lesions showed a statistically significantly lower ratio than healthy participants concerning “all errors” and “all errors without hesitations”, which indicates a higher participation of the right hemisphere in language function. Yet, there was no cortical region with pronounced difference in language dominance compared to the whole hemisphere. Conclusions This is the first study that shows by means of an anatomically accurate virtual lesion model that a shift of language function to the non-dominant hemisphere can occur. PMID:24069410

An Outline of the Structure of Shilha. American Council of Learned Societies Program in Oriental Languages, Publications Series B - Aids - Number 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Applegate, Joseph R.

Shilha, which is spoken in southwest Morocco, is one of the most widely distributed of the Berber languages. The dialect described in the work is found in the area extending from Agadir to Ifni and as far east as Taroudant. This study provides a general description of the structure of the language by examing the phonology, morphology, major form…

Dual language versus English only support for bilingual children with hearing loss who use cochlear implants and hearing aids

PubMed Central

Bunta, Ferenc; Douglas, Michael; Dickson, Hanna; Cantu, Amy; Wickesberg, Jennifer; Gifford, René H.

2015-01-01

Background There is a critical need to better understand speech and language development in bilingual children learning two spoken languages who use cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing aids (HAs). The paucity of knowledge in this area poses a significant barrier to providing maximal communicative outcomes to a growing number of children who have a hearing loss and are learning multiple spoken languages. In fact, the number of bilingual individuals receiving CIs and HAs is rapidly increasing, and Hispanic children display a higher prevalence of hearing loss than the general population of the United States (e.g., Mehra, Eavey, & Keamy, 2009). In order to better serve bilingual children with CIs and HAs, appropriate and effective therapy approaches need to be designed and tested, based on research findings. Aims This study investigated the effects of supporting both the home language (Spanish) and the language of the majority culture (English) on language outcomes in bilingual children with hearing loss (HL) who use CIs and HAs as compared to their bilingual peers who receive English only support. Methods and Procedures Retrospective analyses of language measures were completed for two groups of Spanish-and English-speaking bilingual children with HL who use CIs and HAs matched on a range of demographic and socio-economic variables: those with dual language support versus their peers with English only support. Dependent variables included scores from the English version of the Preschool Language Scales, 4th edition. Results Bilingual children who received dual language support outperformed their peers who received English only support at statistically significant levels as measured by Total Language and Expressive Communication as raw and language age scores. No statistically significant group differences were found on Auditory Comprehension scores. Conclusions In addition to providing support in English, encouraging home language use and providing treatment support in the first language may help rather than hinder development of both English and the home language in bilingual children with hearing loss who use CIs and HAs. In fact, dual language support may yield better overall and expressive English language outcomes than English only support for this population. PMID:27017913

Minimalism through intraoperative functional mapping.

PubMed

Berger, M S

1996-01-01

Intraoperative stimulation mapping may be used to avoid unnecessary risk to functional regions subserving language and sensori-motor pathways. Based on the data presented here, language localization is variable in the entire population, with only certainty existing for the inferior frontal region responsible for motor speech. Anatomical landmarks such as the anterior temporal tip for temporal lobe language sites and the posterior aspect of the lateral sphenoid wing for the frontal lobe language zones are unreliable in avoiding postoperative aphasias. Thus, individual mapping to identify essential language sites has the greatest likelihood of avoiding permanent deficits in naming, reading, and motor speech. In a similar approach, motor and sensory pathways from the cortex and underlying white matter may be reliably stimulated and mapped in both awake and asleep patients. Although these techniques require an additional operative time and equipment nominally priced, the result is often gratifying, as postoperative morbidity has been greatly reduced in the process of incorporating these surgical strategies. The patients quality of life is improved in terms of seizure control, with or without antiepileptic drugs. This avoids having to perform a second costly operative procedure, which is routinely done when extraoperative stimulation and recording is done via subdural grids. In addition, an aggressive tumor resection at the initial operation lengthens the time to tumor recurrence and often obviates the need for a subsequent reoperation. Thus, intraoperative functional mapping may be best alluded to as a surgical technique that results in "minimalism in the long term".

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on behaviour and electrophysiology of language production.

PubMed

Wirth, Miranka; Rahman, Rasha Abdel; Kuenecke, Janina; Koenig, Thomas; Horn, Helge; Sommer, Werner; Dierks, Thomas

2011-12-01

Excitatory anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS) over the left dorsal prefrontal cortex (DPFC) has been shown to improve language production. The present study examined neurophysiological underpinnings of this effect. In a single-blinded within-subject design, we traced effects of A-tDCS compared to sham stimulation over the left DPFC using electrophysiological and behavioural correlates during overt picture naming. Online effects were examined during A-tDCS by employing the semantic interference (SI-)Effect - a marker that denotes the functional integrity of the language system. The behavioural SI-Effect was found to be reduced, whereas the electrophysiological SI-Effect was enhanced over left compared to right temporal scalp-electrode sites. This modulation is suggested to reflect a superior tuning of neural responses within language-related generators. After -(offline) effects of A-tDCS were detected in the delta frequency band, a marker of neural inhibition. After A-tDCS there was a reduction in delta activity during picture naming and the resting state, interpreted to indicate neural disinhibition. Together, these findings demonstrate electrophysiological modulations induced by A-tDCS of the left DPFC. They suggest that A-tDCS is capable of enhancing neural processes during and after application. The present functional and oscillatory neural markers could detect positive effects of prefrontal A-tDCS, which could be of use in the neuro-rehabilitation of frontal language functions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language Development Resources for Bilingual Bicultural Education: An Aid to Primary Teachers of Mexican American Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dissemination and Assessment Center for Bilingual Education, Austin, TX.

This resource guide is designed as an aid to primary teachers of Mexican-American children. Besides including basic introductory material, the volume provides suggestions for parent involvement, classroom learning activity centers, and extensive resource materials. Classroom learning activity centers include: Art, Book, Communication, Discussion,…

Educational Television Via Satellite: Studies of Antecedents and Projects, Preliminary Plan. Volume One.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comision Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales, Buenos Aires (Argentina).

A proposed satellite-aided educational television (ETV) system for Argentina is described in this Spanish-language report. The requirements and advantages of such a system are discussed, and some other studies of satellite-aided ETV are summarized. International and legal considerations, and problems of integrating existing Argentine TV stations…

Training and Utilizing Teaching Aides for Trainable Mentally Retarded Children. Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joiner, Lee M.

Evaluated was a program utilizing aides to assist in the instruction of 40 trainable mentally retarded children in the areas of self help skills, arts and crafts, motor development, and language development. Evaluation was by an external observer for the purpose of providing program planning information. Approximately 70 questions were formulated…

The Potential of Crossword Puzzles in Aiding English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merkel, Warren

2016-01-01

In an academic environment, teachers utilize crossword puzzles to help students learn or remember terminology. Outside the classroom, typically in daily newspapers, crosswords aid in vocabulary development, used as a learning tool, a leisure activity, or both. However, both the content and the grid structure of the crosswords in these two…

HIV/AIDS and Infections - Multiple Languages

MedlinePlus

... Mandarin dialect) (简体中文) Chinese, Traditional (Cantonese dialect) (繁體中文) Japanese (日本語) Korean (한국어) Russian (Русский) Spanish (español) HealthReach ... Chinese, Traditional (Cantonese dialect)) MP4 Healthy Roads Media Japanese (日本語) Expand Section How do you get AIDS? - ...

Word Sorts for General Music Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardany, Audrey Berger

2015-01-01

Word sorts are standard practice for aiding children in acquiring skills in English language arts. When included in the general music classroom, word sorts may aid students in acquiring a working knowledge of music vocabulary. The author shares a word sort activity drawn from vocabulary in John Lithgow's children's book "Never Play…

Language and Memory Improvements following tDCS of Left Lateral Prefrontal Cortex.

PubMed

Hussey, Erika K; Ward, Nathan; Christianson, Kiel; Kramer, Arthur F

2015-01-01

Recent research demonstrates that performance on executive-control measures can be enhanced through brain stimulation of lateral prefrontal regions. Separate psycholinguistic work emphasizes the importance of left lateral prefrontal cortex executive-control resources during sentence processing, especially when readers must override early, incorrect interpretations when faced with temporary ambiguity. Using transcranial direct current stimulation, we tested whether stimulation of left lateral prefrontal cortex had discriminate effects on language and memory conditions that rely on executive-control (versus cases with minimal executive-control demands, even in the face of task difficulty). Participants were randomly assigned to receive Anodal, Cathodal, or Sham stimulation of left lateral prefrontal cortex while they (1) processed ambiguous and unambiguous sentences in a word-by-word self-paced reading task and (2) performed an n-back memory task that, on some trials, contained interference lure items reputed to require executive-control. Across both tasks, we parametrically manipulated executive-control demands and task difficulty. Our results revealed that the Anodal group outperformed the remaining groups on (1) the sentence processing conditions requiring executive-control, and (2) only the most complex n-back conditions, regardless of executive-control demands. Together, these findings add to the mounting evidence for the selective causal role of left lateral prefrontal cortex for executive-control tasks in the language domain. Moreover, we provide the first evidence suggesting that brain stimulation is a promising method to mitigate processing demands encountered during online sentence processing.

Language and Memory Improvements following tDCS of Left Lateral Prefrontal Cortex

PubMed Central

Hussey, Erika K.; Ward, Nathan; Christianson, Kiel; Kramer, Arthur F.

2015-01-01

Recent research demonstrates that performance on executive-control measures can be enhanced through brain stimulation of lateral prefrontal regions. Separate psycholinguistic work emphasizes the importance of left lateral prefrontal cortex executive-control resources during sentence processing, especially when readers must override early, incorrect interpretations when faced with temporary ambiguity. Using transcranial direct current stimulation, we tested whether stimulation of left lateral prefrontal cortex had discriminate effects on language and memory conditions that rely on executive-control (versus cases with minimal executive-control demands, even in the face of task difficulty). Participants were randomly assigned to receive Anodal, Cathodal, or Sham stimulation of left lateral prefrontal cortex while they (1) processed ambiguous and unambiguous sentences in a word-by-word self-paced reading task and (2) performed an n-back memory task that, on some trials, contained interference lure items reputed to require executive-control. Across both tasks, we parametrically manipulated executive-control demands and task difficulty. Our results revealed that the Anodal group outperformed the remaining groups on (1) the sentence processing conditions requiring executive-control, and (2) only the most complex n-back conditions, regardless of executive-control demands. Together, these findings add to the mounting evidence for the selective causal role of left lateral prefrontal cortex for executive-control tasks in the language domain. Moreover, we provide the first evidence suggesting that brain stimulation is a promising method to mitigate processing demands encountered during online sentence processing. PMID:26528814

[A comparison of time resolution among auditory, tactile and promontory electrical stimulation--superiority of cochlear implants as human communication aids].

PubMed

Matsushima, J; Kumagai, M; Harada, C; Takahashi, K; Inuyama, Y; Ifukube, T

1992-09-01

Our previous reports showed that second formant information, using a speech coding method, could be transmitted through an electrode on the promontory. However, second formant information can also be transmitted by tactile stimulation. Therefore, to find out whether electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve would be superior to tactile stimulation for our speech coding method, the time resolutions of the two modes of stimulation were compared. The results showed that the time resolution of electrical promontory stimulation was three times better than the time resolution of tactile stimulation of the finger. This indicates that electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve is much better for our speech coding method than tactile stimulation of the finger.

Innovations in Second Language Research Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gass, Susan M.

2001-01-01

Focuses on two approaches to research in second language acquisition: (1) various types of acceptability judgments or probes aimed at assessing acquisition of syntactic structure; and (2) various types of stimulated recall designed to gather learners' accounts of their own thought processes. (Author/VWL)

Guatemalan Linguistics Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linguistic Reporter, 1974

1974-01-01

The general goals of the Guatemalan technical institution, the Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin, are to: create a national technical resource institution in linguistics and Mayan languages; enable Indians to influence programs for their communities; and stimulate the study of Mayan languages and their use as communication medium. (SW)

Social Studies: A Primary Activities Handbook/A Language Arts Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg.

Learning activities and teaching methods based on the social science disciplines and language arts skills are presented to aid classroom teachers in grades one through three as they develop and implement social studies education programs. Major objectives of the handbook are to identify social studies concepts which are within the realm of…

Strengthening Higher Education: Simplify Student Aid & Emphasize Vital Science, Math, and Language Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkowitz, Peter

2007-01-01

Higher education in America faces such formidable problems as unaffordable tuition, lack of accountability, students ill-prepared for college, declining enrollment in math and science, and too few graduates fluent in critical foreign languages. This Opportunity 08 position paper recommends that the next President should take the following steps to…

National Security Education Act of 1991: Summary and Analysis. CRS Report for Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddle, Wayne Clifton

This report analyzes and summarizes the National Security Education Act of 1991 (NSEA) which authorizes a new program of aid for foreign language and area studies. The report discusses the legislation's aim to increase future national security through enhanced foreign language abilities and knowledge of other countries, the NSEA's authorized…

Songs as an Aid for Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schon, Daniele; Boyer, Maud; Moreno, Sylvain; Besson, Mireille; Peretz, Isabelle; Kolinsky, Regine

2008-01-01

In previous research, Saffran and colleagues [Saffran, J. R., Aslin, R. N., & Newport, E. L. (1996). Statistical learning by 8-month-old infants. Science, 274, 1926-1928; Saffran, J. R., Newport, E. L., & Aslin, R. N. (1996). Word segmentation: The role of distributional cues. "Journal of Memory and Language," 35, 606-621.] have shown that adults…

Aspects of Video Movie English Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, David John

1999-01-01

A discussion of the use of movies on videotape in the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classroom begins with a brief review of the history and emergence of videotape recordings as a popular technology. The advantages of video as a language teaching aid are then examined, including its instructional flexibility, exposure to paralinguistic…

A Functional Specification for a Programming Language for Computer Aided Learning Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).

In 1972 there were at least six different course authoring languages in use in Canada with little exchange of course materials between Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) centers. In order to improve facilities for producing "transportable" computer based course materials, a working panel undertook the definition of functional requirements of a user…

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Reflections on Speech-Language Pathologists' Image as Advocates, Activists, and Aides

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donaldson, Amy L.; Chabon, Shelly; Lee-Wilkerson, Dorian; Kapantzoglou, Maria

2017-01-01

Traditionally speech-language pathology, along with other educational and rehabilitation-based professions, has approached disability from a deficits-based or medical-model perspective with an aim toward normalizing or ameliorating a child's atypical behaviors or performance. However, an alternative perspective rooted in a social model of…

A Guide to Courseware Authoring Options in ESL/FL Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampson, S. L.

A guide to courseware authoring aids for computer-assisted language instruction (CALIS) gives suggestions for the selection and use of programing options and provides an annotated listing of those options. Introductory sections discuss the use of computer-assisted language teaching, the selection of quality courseware, the types of authoring aids…

The Negotiation Model in Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC): Negotiation in Task-Based Email Exchanges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitade, Keiko

2006-01-01

Based on recent studies, computer-mediated communication (CMC) has been considered a tool to aid in language learning on account of its distinctive interactional features. However, most studies have referred to "synchronous" CMC and neglected to investigate how "asynchronous" CMC contributes to language learning. Asynchronous CMC possesses…

Foreign-Language Grammar Instruction via the Mother Tongue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paradowski, Michal B.

2007-01-01

The chapter reports the results of a controlled experiment which suggest that foreign-language grammar instruction that forges explicit connections with the grammar of the students' mother tongue aids learning, at least as far as students' application of discrete-point grammar rules is concerned. (Contains 2 figures and 3 notes.) [This document…

Language Practice with Multimedia Supported Web-Based Grammar Revision Material

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baturay, Meltem Huri; Daloglu, Aysegul; Yildirim, Soner

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of elementary-level English language learners towards web-based, multimedia-annotated grammar learning. WEBGRAM, a system designed to provide supplementary web-based grammar revision material, uses audio-visual aids to enrich the contextual presentation of grammar and allows learners to…

The Development of Spoken Language in Deaf Children: Explaining the Unexplained Variance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musselman, Carol; Kircaali-Iftar, Gonul

1996-01-01

This study compared 20 young deaf children with either exceptionally good or exceptionally poor spoken language for their hearing loss, age, and intelligence. Factors associated with high performance included earlier use of binaural ear-level aids, better educated mothers, auditory/verbal or auditory/oral instruction, reliance on spoken language…

Italian Culture through Audio-Visual Aids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mollica, Anthony

The language teacher automatically teaches culture when he teaches language, but there are many ways in which the Italian teacher can specifically bring culture to the Italian classroom. Through use of vocabulary certain differences in culture can be made clear to students. Dialogues should be used to reveal major areas of contrast and similarity…

Use of an Automatic Problem Generator to Teach Basic Skills in a First Course in Assembly Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benander, Alan; And Others

1989-01-01

Discussion of the use of computer aided instruction (CAI) and instructional software in college level courses highlights an automatic problem generator, AUTOGEN, that was written for computer science students learning assembly language. Design of the software is explained, and student responses are reported. (nine references) (LRW)

Construct Equivalence of a National Certification Examination that Uses Dual Languages and Audio Assistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shudong; Wang, Ning; Hoadley, David

2007-01-01

This study used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the comparability of the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP[TM]) test scores across language and administration condition groups for calibration and validation samples that were randomly drawn from the same population. Fit statistics supported both the calibration and…

Recognition and Localization of Speech by Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients Wearing a Digital Hearing Aid in the Nonimplanted Ear (Bimodal Hearing)

PubMed Central

Potts, Lisa G.; Skinner, Margaret W.; Litovsky, Ruth A.; Strube, Michael J; Kuk, Francis

2010-01-01

Background The use of bilateral amplification is now common clinical practice for hearing aid users but not for cochlear implant recipients. In the past, most cochlear implant recipients were implanted in one ear and wore only a monaural cochlear implant processor. There has been recent interest in benefits arising from bilateral stimulation that may be present for cochlear implant recipients. One option for bilateral stimulation is the use of a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the opposite nonimplanted ear (bimodal hearing). Purpose This study evaluated the effect of wearing a cochlear implant in one ear and a digital hearing aid in the opposite ear on speech recognition and localization. Research Design A repeated-measures correlational study was completed. Study Sample Nineteen adult Cochlear Nucleus 24 implant recipients participated in the study. Intervention The participants were fit with a Widex Senso Vita 38 hearing aid to achieve maximum audibility and comfort within their dynamic range. Data Collection and Analysis Soundfield thresholds, loudness growth, speech recognition, localization, and subjective questionnaires were obtained six–eight weeks after the hearing aid fitting. Testing was completed in three conditions: hearing aid only, cochlear implant only, and cochlear implant and hearing aid (bimodal). All tests were repeated four weeks after the first test session. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Significant effects were further examined using pairwise comparison of means or in the case of continuous moderators, regression analyses. The speech-recognition and localization tasks were unique, in that a speech stimulus presented from a variety of roaming azimuths (140 degree loudspeaker array) was used. Results Performance in the bimodal condition was significantly better for speech recognition and localization compared to the cochlear implant–only and hearing aid–only conditions. Performance was also different between these conditions when the location (i.e., side of the loudspeaker array that presented the word) was analyzed. In the bimodal condition, the speech-recognition and localization tasks were equal regardless of which side of the loudspeaker array presented the word, while performance was significantly poorer for the monaural conditions (hearing aid only and cochlear implant only) when the words were presented on the side with no stimulation. Binaural loudness summation of 1–3 dB was seen in soundfield thresholds and loudness growth in the bimodal condition. Measures of the audibility of sound with the hearing aid, including unaided thresholds, soundfield thresholds, and the Speech Intelligibility Index, were significant moderators of speech recognition and localization. Based on the questionnaire responses, participants showed a strong preference for bimodal stimulation. Conclusions These findings suggest that a well-fit digital hearing aid worn in conjunction with a cochlear implant is beneficial to speech recognition and localization. The dynamic test procedures used in this study illustrate the importance of bilateral hearing for locating, identifying, and switching attention between multiple speakers. It is recommended that unilateral cochlear implant recipients, with measurable unaided hearing thresholds, be fit with a hearing aid. PMID:19594084

Computer Skill Acquisition and Retention: The Effects of Computer-Aided Self-Explanation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chi, Tai-Yin

2016-01-01

This research presents an experimental study to determine to what extent computer skill learners can benefit from generating self-explanation with the aid of different computer-based visualization technologies. Self-explanation was stimulated with dynamic visualization (Screencast), static visualization (Screenshot), or verbal instructions only,…

Language mapping with verbs and sentences in awake surgery: a review.

PubMed

Rofes, Adrià; Miceli, Gabriele

2014-06-01

Intraoperative language mapping in awake surgery is typically conducted by asking the patient to produce automatic speech and to name objects. These tasks might not map language with sufficient accuracy, as some linguistic processes can only be triggered by tasks that use verbs and sentences. Verb and sentence processing tasks are currently used during surgery, albeit sparsely. Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science records were searched to retrieve studies focused on language mapping with verbs/sentences in awake surgery. We review the tasks reported in the published literature, spell out the language processes assessed by each task, list the cortical and subcortical regions whose stimulation inhibited language processing, and consider the types of errors elicited by stimulation in each region. We argue that using verb tasks allows a more thorough evaluation of language functions. We also argue that verb tasks are preferable to object naming tasks in the case of frontal lesions, as lesion and neuroimaging data demonstrate that these regions play a critical role in verb and sentence processing. We discuss the clinical value of these tasks and the current limitations of the procedure, and provide some guidelines for their development. Future research should aim toward a differentiated approach to language mapping - one that includes the administration of standardized and customizable tests and the use of longitudinal neurocognitive follow-up studies. Further work will allow researchers and clinicians to understand brain and language correlates and to improve the current surgical practice.

Interactive Light Stimulus Generation with High Performance Real-Time Image Processing and Simple Scripting

PubMed Central

Szécsi, László; Kacsó, Ágota; Zeck, Günther; Hantz, Péter

2017-01-01

Light stimulation with precise and complex spatial and temporal modulation is demanded by a series of research fields like visual neuroscience, optogenetics, ophthalmology, and visual psychophysics. We developed a user-friendly and flexible stimulus generating framework (GEARS GPU-based Eye And Retina Stimulation Software), which offers access to GPU computing power, and allows interactive modification of stimulus parameters during experiments. Furthermore, it has built-in support for driving external equipment, as well as for synchronization tasks, via USB ports. The use of GEARS does not require elaborate programming skills. The necessary scripting is visually aided by an intuitive interface, while the details of the underlying software and hardware components remain hidden. Internally, the software is a C++/Python hybrid using OpenGL graphics. Computations are performed on the GPU, and are defined in the GLSL shading language. However, all GPU settings, including the GPU shader programs, are automatically generated by GEARS. This is configured through a method encountered in game programming, which allows high flexibility: stimuli are straightforwardly composed using a broad library of basic components. Stimulus rendering is implemented solely in C++, therefore intermediary libraries for interfacing could be omitted. This enables the program to perform computationally demanding tasks like en-masse random number generation or real-time image processing by local and global operations. PMID:29326579

Praxis language reference manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, J.H.

1981-01-01

This document is a language reference manual for the programming language Praxis. The document contains the specifications that must be met by any compiler for the language. The Praxis language was designed for systems programming in real-time process applications. Goals for the language and its implementations are: (1) highly efficient code generated by the compiler; (2) program portability; (3) completeness, that is, all programming requirements can be met by the language without needing an assembler; and (4) separate compilation to aid in design and management of large systems. The language does not provide any facilities for input/output, stack and queuemore » handling, string operations, parallel processing, or coroutine processing. These features can be implemented as routines in the language, using machine-dependent code to take advantage of facilities in the control environment on different machines.« less

Expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase gene in B lymphocytes of patients with common variable immunodeficiency.

PubMed

Abolhassani, Hassan; Farrokhi, Amir Salek; Pourhamdi, Shabnam; Mohammadinejad, Payam; Sadeghi, Bamdad; Moazzeni, Seyed-Mohammad; Aghamohammadi, Asghar

2013-08-01

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by reduced serum level of IgG, IgA or IgM and recurrent bacterial infections. Class switch recombination (CSR) as a critical process in immunoglobulin production is defective in a group of CVID patients. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) protein is an important molecule involving CSR process. The aim of this study was to investigate the AID gene mRNA production in a group of CVID patients indicating possible role of this molecule in this disorder. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 29 CVID patients and 21 healthy controls were isolated and stimulated by CD40L and IL-4 to induce AID gene expression. After 5 days AID gene mRNA production was investigated by real time polymerase chain reaction. AID gene was expressed in all of the studied patients. However the mean density of extracted AID mRNA showed higher level in CVID patients (230.95±103.04 ng/ml) rather than controls (210.00±44.72 ng/ml; P=0.5). CVID cases with lower level of AID had decreased total level of IgE (P=0.04) and stimulated IgE production (P=0.02); while cases with increased level of AID presented higher level of IgA (P=0.04) and numbers of B cells (P=0.02) and autoimmune disease (P=0.02). Different levels of AID gene expression may have important roles in dysregulation of immune system and final clinical presentation in CVID patients. Therefore investigating the expression of AID gene can help in classifying CVID patients.

Audiovisual sentence repetition as a clinical criterion for auditory development in Persian-language children with hearing loss.

PubMed

Oryadi-Zanjani, Mohammad Majid; Vahab, Maryam; Rahimi, Zahra; Mayahi, Anis

2017-02-01

It is important for clinician such as speech-language pathologists and audiologists to develop more efficient procedures to assess the development of auditory, speech and language skills in children using hearing aid and/or cochlear implant compared to their peers with normal hearing. So, the aim of study was the comparison of the performance of 5-to-7-year-old Persian-language children with and without hearing loss in visual-only, auditory-only, and audiovisual presentation of sentence repetition task. The research was administered as a cross-sectional study. The sample size was 92 Persian 5-7 year old children including: 60 with normal hearing and 32 with hearing loss. The children with hearing loss were recruited from Soroush rehabilitation center for Persian-language children with hearing loss in Shiraz, Iran, through consecutive sampling method. All the children had unilateral cochlear implant or bilateral hearing aid. The assessment tool was the Sentence Repetition Test. The study included three computer-based experiments including visual-only, auditory-only, and audiovisual. The scores were compared within and among the three groups through statistical tests in α = 0.05. The score of sentence repetition task between V-only, A-only, and AV presentation was significantly different in the three groups; in other words, the highest to lowest scores belonged respectively to audiovisual, auditory-only, and visual-only format in the children with normal hearing (P < 0.01), cochlear implant (P < 0.01), and hearing aid (P < 0.01). In addition, there was no significant correlationship between the visual-only and audiovisual sentence repetition scores in all the 5-to-7-year-old children (r = 0.179, n = 92, P = 0.088), but audiovisual sentence repetition scores were found to be strongly correlated with auditory-only scores in all the 5-to-7-year-old children (r = 0.943, n = 92, P = 0.000). According to the study's findings, audiovisual integration occurs in the 5-to-7-year-old Persian children using hearing aid or cochlear implant during sentence repetition similar to their peers with normal hearing. Therefore, it is recommended that audiovisual sentence repetition should be used as a clinical criterion for auditory development in Persian-language children with hearing loss. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Global walks teach teens to fight HIV/AIDS epidemic. Organization supported entirely by volunteers.

PubMed

Chittick, John

2002-09-01

AIDS Alert asked John Chittick, EdD, executive director of TeenAIDS-PeerCorps Inc., a nonprofit organization in Boston, to discuss the global walks he founded and an abstract he presented at the 14th International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain. According to the abstract, global walks began in 1999 with Chittick spreading the word by foot about HIV/AIDS in 40 countries to teen volunteers, who, in turn, were expected to educate their peers about HIV prevention. Within two years, the global walk had reached 75,000 youth, who taught HIV prevention through such techniques as Stop Action Theater, street outreach 'AIDS Attacks,' and 'AIDS Comics,' which were drawn by teens. Also, there is a Teen Advice Column available in multiple languages on the Internet.

Mirth and laughter elicited during brain stimulation.

PubMed

Fernández-Baca Vaca, Guadalupe; Lüders, Hans O; Basha, Maysaa Merhi; Miller, Jonathan P

2011-12-01

There are few reports of laughter and/or mirth evoked by electrical stimulation of the brain. In this study, we present a patient with intractable epilepsy in whom mirth and laughter was consistently produced during stimulation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (opercular part) using stereotactically placed depth electrodes. A review of the literature shows that cortical sites that produce mirth when stimulated are located in the dominant hemisphere close to language areas or cortical negative motor areas.

Improve Your Image: The Effective Use of the OHP. Pathfinder 15. A CILT Series for Language Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tierney, Daniel; Humphreys, Fay

The overhead projector (OHP) is described as one of the simplest and most versatile resources available to the language teacher, yet one that is frequently undervalued and underutilized. It can be used to support classroom practice in many ways: enhancing and expanding group and pair work; stimulating the use of target language by pupils; ensuring…

The Role of Ethnic Differences, Structural Background and Process Characteristics in the Family in Preschool Children's Language Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loboda, Liudmila; Vogelbacher, Markus; Gawlitzek, Ira

2017-01-01

Whereas recent research has shown a positive correlation between stimulating family activities and children's skills, little is known about the mediating role of the parenting style in the effect of the familial socioeconomic status (SES) and the influence of the family language on children's language proficiency. Our aim is to investigate the…

Will They Catch Up? The Role of Age at Cochlear Implantation in the Spoken Language Development of Children with Severe to Profound Hearing Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholas, Johanna Grant; Geers, Ann E.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The authors examined the benefits of younger cochlear implantation, longer cochlear implant use, and greater pre-implant aided hearing to spoken language at 3.5 and 4.5 years of age. Method: Language samples were obtained at ages 3.5 and 4.5 years from 76 children who received an implant by their 3rd birthday. Hierarchical linear modeling…

Automatic translation among spoken languages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter, Sharon M.; Costigan, Kelly

1994-01-01

The Machine Aided Voice Translation (MAVT) system was developed in response to the shortage of experienced military field interrogators with both foreign language proficiency and interrogation skills. Combining speech recognition, machine translation, and speech generation technologies, the MAVT accepts an interrogator's spoken English question and translates it into spoken Spanish. The spoken Spanish response of the potential informant can then be translated into spoken English. Potential military and civilian applications for automatic spoken language translation technology are discussed in this paper.

Research with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Treatment of Aphasia

PubMed Central

Martin, Paula I; Naeser, Margaret A.; Ho, Michael; Treglia, Ethan; Kaplan, Elina; Baker, Errol H.; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro

2010-01-01

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used to improve language behavior, including naming, in stroke patients with chronic, nonfluent aphasia. Part 1 of this paper reviews functional imaging studies related to language recovery in aphasia. Part 2 reviews the rationale for using rTMS to treat nonfluent aphasia (based on functional imaging); and presents our current rTMS protocol. We present language results from our rTMS studies, and imaging results from overt naming fMRI scans obtained pre- and post- a series of rTMS treatments. Part 3 presents results from a pilot study where rTMS treatments were followed immediately by constraint-induced language therapy. Part 4 reviews our diffusion tensor imaging study that examined possible connectivity of arcuate fasciculus to different parts of Broca’s area (pars triangularis, PTr; pars opercularis, POp); and to ventral premotor cortex (vPMC). The potential role of mirror neurons in R POp and vPMC in aphasia recovery is discussed. PMID:19818232

Augmentation of spelling therapy with transcranial direct current stimulation in primary progressive aphasia: Preliminary results and challenges.

PubMed

Tsapkini, Kyrana; Frangakis, Constantine; Gomez, Yessenia; Davis, Cameron; Hillis, Argye E

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects language functions and often begins in the fifth or sixth decade of life. The devastating effects on work and family life call for the investigation of treatment alternatives. In this article, we present new data indicating that neuromodulatory treatment, using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with a spelling intervention, shows some promise for maintaining or even improving language, at least temporarily, in PPA. The main aim of the present article is to determine whether tDCS plus spelling intervention is more effective than spelling intervention alone in treating written language in PPA. We also asked whether the effects of tDCS are sustained longer than the effects of spelling intervention alone. We present data from six PPA participants who underwent anodal tDCS or sham plus spelling intervention in a within-subject crossover design. Each stimulation condition lasted 3 weeks or a total of 15 sessions with a 2-month interval in between. Participants were evaluated on treatment tasks as well as on other language and cognitive tasks at 2-week and 2-month follow-up intervals after each stimulation condition. All participants showed improvement in spelling (with sham or tDCS). There was no difference in the treated items between the two conditions. There was, however, consistent and significant improvement for untrained items only in the tDCS plus spelling intervention condition. Furthermore, the improvement lasted longer in the tDCS plus spelling intervention condition compared to sham plus spelling intervention condition. Neuromodulation with tDCS offers promise as a means of augmenting language therapy to improve written language function at least temporarily in PPA. The consistent finding of generalisation of treatment benefits to untreated items and the superior sustainability of treatment effects with tDCS justifies further investigations. However, the small sample size still requires caution in interpretation. Present interventions need to be optimised, and particular challenges, such as ways to account for the variable effect of degeneration in each individual, are discussed.

The Selling of Student Loans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, Kelly

2007-01-01

Twenty years ago, a U.S. Senate aide walked into a bank in Maine and saw a sign that read "Take out a student loan today, get a toaster." The aide, concerned that students would be tempted to take out loans they did not need, drafted legislation barring lenders from offering "inducements" to borrow. That language was added to the Higher Education…

Siren Songs and a Skeptic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, George M.

This paper reports on an on-going experiment in computer-aided language instruction. In 1972, a class of beginning German students at the Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota volunteered to test two pedagogic theories: (1) Could a computer-aided course be used by a class and an instructor who knew nothing of computers and who had to rely…

Caesy: A software tool for computer-aided engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wette, Matt

1993-01-01

A new software tool, Caesy, is described. This tool provides a strongly typed programming environment for research in the development of algorithms and software for computer-aided control system design. A description of the user language and its implementation as they currently stand are presented along with a description of work in progress and areas of future work.

Role of Assessment Conversations in a Technology-Aided Classroom with English Language Learners: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menon, Preetha

2018-01-01

This article is drawn from a study conducted to explore how assessment conversations, a type of informal formative assessment, can support science learning in a technology-aided seventh-grade classroom in Northern California. The classroom setting where the study took place used interactive whiteboards in conjunction with the inquiry-based…

Visual-spatial memory may be enhanced with theta burst deep brain stimulation of the fornix: a preliminary investigation with four cases.

PubMed

Miller, Jonathan P; Sweet, Jennifer A; Bailey, Christopher M; Munyon, Charles N; Luders, Hans O; Fastenau, Philip S

2015-07-01

Memory loss after brain injury can be a source of considerable morbidity, but there are presently few therapeutic options for restoring memory function. We have previously demonstrated that burst stimulation of the fornix is able to significantly improve memory in a rodent model of traumatic brain injury. The present study is a preliminary investigation with a small group of cases to explore whether theta burst stimulation of the fornix might improve memory in humans. Four individuals undergoing stereo-electroencephalography evaluation for drug-resistant epilepsy were enrolled. All participants were implanted with an electrode into the proximal fornix and dorsal hippocampal commissure on the language dominant (n = 3) or language non-dominant (n = 1) side, and stimulation of this electrode reliably produced a diffuse evoked potential in the head and body of the ipsilateral hippocampus. Each participant underwent testing of verbal memory (Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test), visual-spatial memory (Medical College of Georgia Complex Figure Test), and visual confrontational naming (Boston Naming Test Short Form) once per day over at least two consecutive days using novel test forms each day. For 50% of the trials, the fornix electrode was continuously stimulated using a burst pattern (200 Hz in 100 ms trains, five trains per second, 100 µs, 7 mA) and was compared with sham stimulation. Participants and examiners were blinded to whether stimulation was active or not, and the order of stimulation was randomized. The small sample size precluded use of inferential statistics; therefore, data were analysed using descriptive statistics and graphic analysis. Burst stimulation of the fornix was not perceived by any of the participants but was associated with a robust reversible improvement in immediate and delayed performance on the Medical College of Georgia Complex Figure Test. There were no apparent differences on either Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test or Boston Naming Test. There was no apparent relationship between performance and side of stimulation (language dominant or non-dominant). There were no complications. Preliminary evidence in this small sample of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy suggests that theta burst stimulation of the fornix may be associated with improvement in visual-spatial memory. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Teaching French via Driver Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berwald, Jean-Pierre

1980-01-01

Driver instruction through the medium of a foreign language is useful in teaching vocabulary, grammar, and culture. The maps, driving manuals, and cars stimulate discussion and communication. Course techniques can include Asher's concept of Total Physical Response wherein students act in response to commands in the foreign language. (PMJ)

Building Spoken Language in the First Plane

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bettmann, Joen

2016-01-01

Through a strong Montessori orientation to the parameters of spoken language, Joen Bettmann makes the case for "materializing" spoken knowledge using the stimulation of real objects and real situations that promote mature discussion around the sensorial aspect of the prepared environment. She lists specific materials in the classroom…

Organizational Issues in International and Second Language Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adelman, Clifford

One of 10 studies commissioned to investigate research needs and to stimulate planning activities, this paper concerns the structures, processes, interrelationships, governance, finance, and workforces of institutions and organizations as they are engaged in international and second language education. After noting the field of instruction and…

Teaching Intercultural Communicative Competence: The Perspective of Foreign Language Graduate Student Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghanem, Carla

2017-01-01

Cultural awareness and intercultural competence (IC) of students in foreign language (FL) instruction have been widely examined (e.g. Byram, 1997; Belz, 2002). The importance of the FL teacher in aiding students' IC development is less extensively researched, however. Author (2014), Kohler (2015), Sercu et al. (2005) and Sercu (2006) are a few…

The Film and the ESL Program: To View or Not to View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordwell, Constance

1969-01-01

This paper discusses the acquisition of second-language skills through the use of visual aids. In teaching English as a second language, pictures, slides, and film loops are usually presented with appropriate, and more or less predictable, spoken or written English. These visual images, however, may arouse interests beyond the answers provided by…

Learning Achievement Packages, Language Arts--Spanish Grammar.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrade, Magdalena; Sones, Mary

This set of three Spanish curriculum units is part of a series developed as part of a Spanish-English bilingual project and designed to deal with special language difficulties in grades 7-12 and adult education classes. These units are intended to aid the first- or second-year student in specific problem areas: capital letters, dictionary use, and…

Spanish-Language Health Communication Teaching Aids. A List of Printed Materials and Their Sources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isquith, Robert N., Comp.; Webb, Charles T., Comp.

Over 450 Spanish printed materials about the various aspects of health and their sources are listed in this publication. Italics are used to indicate either the translation of Spanish titles or the titles of English-language editions. Publications with bilingual texts are shown by hyphenated titles. Information about the distribution of materials…

Small Schools Student Learning Objectives, 9-12: Mathematics, Reading, Reading in the Content Areas, Language Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, JoAnne, Ed.; Hartl, David, Ed.

Designed by Washington curriculum specialists and secondary teachers to assist teachers in small schools with the improvement of curriculum and instruction and to aid smaller districts lacking curriculum personnel to comply with Washington's Student Learning Objectives Law, this handbook contains learning objectives in the areas of language arts,…

Design Features of a Friendly Software Environment for Novice Programmers. Technical Report No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenstadt, Marc

This paper describes the results of a 6-year period of design, implementation, testing, and iterative redesign of a programming language, user aids, and curriculum materials for use by psychology students learning how to write simple computer programs. The SOLO language, which was the resulting product, is primarily a simple, database…

Sociocultural Theory as an Approach to Aid EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behroozizad, Sorayya; Nambiar, Radha M. K.; Amir, Zaini

2014-01-01

Learning English as a foreign language (EFL) has long been regarded a challenging task. Said challenge is clearly evident in the many studies attempting to delineate some of the major problems faced by EFL learners while trying to uncover both the sources and the solutions. This paper turns to the Vygotskian approach to language learning, in…

Construct Equivalence of a National Certification Examination that Uses Dual Languages and Audio Assistant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shudong; Wang, Ning; Hoadley, David

This study examined the comparability of scores on the National Nurses Aides Assessment Program (NNAAP) test across language and administration condition groups for calibration and validation samples that were randomly drawn from the same population. A sample of 20,568 candidate responses to 1 test form was used. This examination is given in…

A Case Study of Chinese University English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Students' Attitudes toward Learning Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Kenneth Michael

2010-01-01

This qualitative case study investigates Chinese university English in the context of foreign language (EFL) learners' attitudes about video-aided instruction (VAI), video recording instruction, and mobile phone instruction (learning technologies). When I was working as an English teacher in Mainland China, several instructors and students stated…

Teaching and Learning Science with Understanding to Limited English Proficient Students: Excellence through Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutman, Francis X.; Guzman, Ana

This paper, which considers effective science teaching and learning for limited English proficient (LEP) students in U.S. schools, is based on the assumption that science and English language can be effectively learned together without excessive emphasis on students' native language, although teachers and aides who have knowledge of LEP students'…

The Arabic Language; Its Role in History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chejne, Anwar G.

This book reviews the position Arabic has traditionally occupied in Arab-Muslim society, and its role in the task of building a nation state. The work is aimed to aid students of Arabic and Arabic lore and add to a greater understanding of the historical factors which made Arabic a revered language in Arabic-Muslim cultural and religious…

Teaching Arabic with Technology at BYU: Learning from the Past to Bridge to the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Michael D.; Browne, Jeremy M.

2004-01-01

Reporting in 1971 on research related to computer-based methods for teaching the Arabic writing system, Bunderson and Abboud cited the potential that computers have for language learning, a largely unfulfilled potential even in 2004. After a review of the relevant historical background for the justification of computer-aided language learning…

EduSpeak[R]: A Speech Recognition and Pronunciation Scoring Toolkit for Computer-Aided Language Learning Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franco, Horacio; Bratt, Harry; Rossier, Romain; Rao Gadde, Venkata; Shriberg, Elizabeth; Abrash, Victor; Precoda, Kristin

2010-01-01

SRI International's EduSpeak[R] system is a software development toolkit that enables developers of interactive language education software to use state-of-the-art speech recognition and pronunciation scoring technology. Automatic pronunciation scoring allows the computer to provide feedback on the overall quality of pronunciation and to point to…

The Si's and Nein's of Computer-Aided Language Translation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldsborough, Reid

2009-01-01

The Internet is an American invention, and though it has spread around the world, the bulk of the communication conducted through it is still in English. Even so, depending on what one is searching for, he/she can come across web pages, blogs, and other content in many other languages. To deal with this multilingualism, various free…

As the Rez Turns: Anomalies within and beyond the Boundaries of a Pueblo Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debenport, Erin

2011-01-01

After initial instruction in written and spoken Tiwa, young adult participants in the summer language program at San Antonio Pueblo began authoring their own pedagogical materials as a learning activity. Charged with writing pedagogical dialogues to aid in language learning, the students created "the first Native soap opera," as the…

Guidelines for Nonsexist Use of Language in NCTE Publications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, IL.

Written in response to a resolution passed at the 1974 convention of the National Council of Teachers of English, these guidelines are based on the assumption that the sexist usage of language aids in arbitrary assignation of roles to both men and women and would be better omitted. Although directed specifically to editors, these guidelines for…

Japanese Language School: Aid or Hindrance to the Americanization of Japanese Americans in Hawaii?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoho, Alan R.

A study examined the experiences of 60 Japanese immigrants to Hawaii (Niseis), aged 61-80, who attended Japanese-language schools as children. Using a case study oral history approach, the study gathered oral testimonies through semi-structured interviews. Historical documents were also used as primary sources of information about the schools.…

Chemical Markup, XML and the World-Wide Web. 8. Polymer Markup Language.

PubMed

Adams, Nico; Winter, Jerry; Murray-Rust, Peter; Rzepa, Henry S

2008-11-01

Polymers are among the most important classes of materials but are only inadequately supported by modern informatics. The paper discusses the reasons why polymer informatics is considerably more challenging than small molecule informatics and develops a vision for the computer-aided design of polymers, based on modern semantic web technologies. The paper then discusses the development of Polymer Markup Language (PML). PML is an extensible language, designed to support the (structural) representation of polymers and polymer-related information. PML closely interoperates with Chemical Markup Language (CML) and overcomes a number of the previously identified challenges.

Cultural and Linguistic Adaptation of a Multimedia Colorectal Cancer Screening Decision Aid for Spanish Speaking Latinos

PubMed Central

Ko, Linda K.; Reuland, Daniel; Jolles, Monica; Clay, Rebecca; Pignone, Michael

2014-01-01

As the United States becomes more linguistically and culturally diverse, there is a need for effective health communication interventions that target diverse and most vulnerable populations. Latinos also have the lowest colorectal (CRC) screening rates of any ethnic group in the U.S. To address such disparities, health communication interventionists are often faced with the challenge to adapt existing interventions from English into Spanish in a way that retains essential elements of the original intervention while also addressing the linguistic needs and cultural perspectives of the target population. We describe the conceptual framework, context, rationale, methods, and findings of a formative research process used in creating a Spanish language version of an evidenced-based (English language) multimedia CRC screening decision aid. Our multi-step process included identification of essential elements of the existing intervention, literature review, assessment of the regional context and engagement of key stakeholders, and solicitation of direct input from target population. We integrated these findings in the creation of the new adapted intervention. We describe how we used this process to identify and integrate socio-cultural themes such as personalism (personalismo), familism (familismo), fear (miedo), embarrassment (verguenza), power distance (respeto), machismo, and trust (confianza) into the Spanish language decision aid. PMID:24328496

Language Learning and Control in Monolinguals and Bilinguals

PubMed Central

Bartolotti, James; Marian, Viorica

2012-01-01

Parallel language activation in bilinguals leads to competition between languages. Experience managing this interference may aid novel language learning by improving the ability to suppress competition from known languages. To investigate the effect of bilingualism on the ability to control native-language interference, monolinguals and bilinguals were taught an artificial language designed to elicit between-language competition. Partial activation of interlingual competitors was assessed with eye-tracking and mouse-tracking during a word recognition task in the novel language. Eye-tracking results showed that monolinguals looked at competitors more than bilinguals, and for a longer duration of time. Mouse-tracking results showed that monolinguals’ mouse-movements were attracted to native-language competitors, while bilinguals overcame competitor interference by increasing activation of target items. Results suggest that bilinguals manage cross-linguistic interference more effectively than monolinguals. We conclude that language interference can affect lexical retrieval, but bilingualism may reduce this interference by facilitating access to a newly-learned language. PMID:22462514

Direct evidence from intraoperative electrocortical stimulation indicates shared and distinct speech production center between Chinese and English languages.

PubMed

Wu, Jinsong; Lu, Junfeng; Zhang, Han; Zhang, Jie; Yao, Chengjun; Zhuang, Dongxiao; Qiu, Tianming; Guo, Qihao; Hu, Xiaobing; Mao, Ying; Zhou, Liangfu

2015-12-01

Chinese processing has been suggested involving distinct brain areas from English. However, current functional localization studies on Chinese speech processing use mostly "indirect" techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography, lacking direct evidence by means of electrocortical recording. In this study, awake craniotomies in 66 Chinese-speaking glioma patients provide a unique opportunity to directly map eloquent language areas. Intraoperative electrocortical stimulation was conducted and the positive sites for speech arrest, anomia, and alexia were identified separately. With help of stereotaxic neuronavigation system and computational modeling, all positive sites elicited by stimulation were integrated and a series of two- and three-dimension Chinese language probability maps were built. We performed statistical comparisons between the Chinese maps and previously derived English maps. While most Chinese speech arrest areas located at typical language production sites (i.e., 50% positive sites in ventral precentral gyrus, 28% in pars opercularis and pars triangularis), which also serve English production, an additional brain area, the left middle frontal gyrus (Brodmann's areas 6/9), was found to be unique in Chinese production (P < 0.05). Moreover, Chinese speakers' inferior ventral precentral gyrus (Brodmann's area 6) was used more than that in English speakers. Our finding suggests that Chinese involves more perisylvian region (extending to left middle frontal gyrus) than English. This is the first time that direct evidence supports cross-cultural neurolinguistics differences in human beings. The Chinese language atlas will also helpful in brain surgery planning for Chinese-speakers. Copyright © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The State-of-the-Art in Natural Language Understanding.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-28

driven text analysis. If we know a story is about a restaurant, we expect that we may encounter a waitress, menu, table, a bill, food , and other... Pront aids for Data Bases During the 70’s a number of natural language data base front ends apreared: LUNPLR Woods et al 19721 has already been briefly...like to loo.< it inr. ui4 : 3D ’-- "-: handling of novel language, especially netaphor; az-I i,?i nn rti inriq, -mlerstanding systems: the handling of

DBPQL: A view-oriented query language for the Intel Data Base Processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishwick, P. A.

1983-01-01

An interactive query language (BDPQL) for the Intel Data Base Processor (DBP) is defined. DBPQL includes a parser generator package which permits the analyst to easily create and manipulate the query statement syntax and semantics. The prototype language, DBPQL, includes trace and performance commands to aid the analyst when implementing new commands and analyzing the execution characteristics of the DBP. The DBPQL grammar file and associated key procedures are included as an appendix to this report.

Transcending the language barrier--creation of a multilingual dermatology website.

PubMed

Ali, Saba M; Hinckley, Michael R; Feldman, Steven R

2007-05-01

In a linguistically diverse society, healthcare professionals must overcome the daunting task of effectively communicating with patients who speak a different language. In effort to aid healthcare professionals and their patients, an on-line dermatology patient education resource was created with links to various skin related topics in over 30 languages. The development of the on-line resource, key features of the information available on the website, and limitations experienced during its creation are discussed in the article.

Toward Beijing: linking HIV / AIDS to other women's issues is imperative.

PubMed

Forrest, K

1995-01-01

The senior advisor to the AIDSCAP Women's Initiative, Dr. E. Maxine Ankrah, is actively lobbying to secure the inclusion of HIV/AIDS language in the draft platform of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace scheduled for September 1995 in Beijing. She organized the only workshop on HIV/AIDS at the preparatory meeting in New York in March 1995. It examined the effects of poverty on the expanding epidemic among females. Workshop presentations included international perspectives on: the effect of structural adjustment programs on women's vulnerability; the relationship between poverty, female prostitution, and AIDS; credit schemes and education to empower rural women; reproductive rights; ethnic issues; and the need for women to help women. Obstacles that obscured the relationships between HIV/AIDS and other women's issues have been: that AIDS was initially defined as a medical problem; that risk groups were narrowly defined; and the emphasis on behavior that blames persons infected with HIV. Despite earlier obstacles, the draft platform has several sections with HIV/AIDS language. Strategic Objective C.3: Undertake Multi-Sectoral Initiatives Sensitive to Women's Life Situations addresses the HIV pandemic and other sexual and reproductive health issues. Some of the actions called for in this objective are involvement of women in decision making, expansion of peer education and outreach, and supporting research of woman-controlled prevention methods. AIDSCAP Women's Initiative and other nongovernmental organizations will work together focus attention on HIV/AIDS in Beijing. AIDSCAP plans to have resource publications available in Beijing as well as to host networking sessions. Unless it is waived, the policy prohibiting HIV-infected persons from entering China will preclude HIV-infected women from taking part in the Conference.

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on language improvement and cortical activation in nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia.

PubMed

Wang, Jie; Wu, Dongyu; Chen, Yan; Yuan, Ying; Zhang, Meikui

2013-08-09

We investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on language improvement and cortical activation in nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA). A 67-year-old woman diagnosed as nfvPPA received sham-tDCS for 5 days over the left posterior perisylvian region (PPR) in the morning and over left Broca's area in the afternoon in Phases A1 and A2, and tDCS for 5 days with an anodal electrode over the left PPR in the morning and over left Broca's area in the afternoon in Phases B1 and B2. Auditory word comprehension, picture naming, oral word reading and word repetition subtests of the Psycholinguistic Assessment in Chinese Aphasia (PACA) were administered before and after each phase. The EEG nonlinear index of approximate entropy (ApEn) was calculated before Phase A1, and after Phases B1 and B2. Our findings revealed that the patient improved greatly in the four subtests after A-tDCS and ApEn indices increased in stimulated areas and non-stimulated areas. We demonstrated that anodal tDCS over the left PPR and Broca's area can improve language performance of nfvPPA. tDCS may be used as an alternative therapeutic tool for PPA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of tDCS in Aphasia Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review of the Behavioral Interventions Implemented With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Language Recovery.

PubMed

Galletta, Elizabeth E; Conner, Peggy; Vogel-Eyny, Amy; Marangolo, Paola

2016-12-01

The purpose of this article is to review the behavioral treatments used in aphasia rehabilitation research that have been combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Although tDCS in aphasia treatment has shown promise, the results have not been conclusive, and their interpretation is further compounded by the heterogeneity of study characteristics. Because implementing a behavioral task during brain stimulation has been shown to be pivotal to the adjuvant effects of tDCS, we analyze the behavioral treatments that have been paired with tDCS. A computerized database search (PubMed) was completed to document and review aphasia treatment studies that combine behavioral treatment with noninvasive brain stimulation in the form of tDCS. Two authors reviewed each aphasia tDCS article published between 2008 and 2015 and evaluated (a) the behavioral interventions for aphasia that have been combined with tDCS, and (b) the methodological variables that may have influenced language outcomes in the tDCS aphasia literature. A review of the behavioral treatments implemented in tDCS aphasia rehabilitation studies highlights several methodological considerations for future investigations. Impairment-focused and pragmatic treatments have been implemented in tDCS aphasia research studies. No one behavioral approach stands out as the best treatment to combine with tDCS for the promotion of language recovery.

Beneficial effects of multisensory and cognitive stimulation in institutionalized elderly: 12-months follow-up

PubMed Central

Dias E Dias de Macedo, Liliane; De Oliveira, Thaís Cristina Galdino; Soares, Fernanda Cabral; Bento-Torres, João; Bento-Torres, Natáli Valim Oliver; Anthony, Daniel Clive; Picanço-Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley

2015-01-01

We previously demonstrated the beneficial effects of a multisensory and cognitive stimulation program, consisting of 48 sessions, twice a week, to improve the cognition of elderly subjects living either in long-term care institutions (institutionalized – I) or in communities with their families (noninstitutionalized – NI). In the present study, we evaluated these subjects after the end of the intervention and compared the rate of age-related cognitive decline of those living in an enriched community environment (NI group, n=15, 74.1±3.9 years old) with those living in the impoverished environment of long-term care institutions (I group, n=20, 75.1±6.8 years old). Both groups participated fully in our stimulation program. Over 1 year, we conducted revaluations at five time points (2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, and 12 months) after the completion of the intervention. Both elderly groups were evaluated with the mini-mental state examination and selected language tests. Progressive cognitive decline was observed in both groups over the period. Indeed, it took only 4–6 months after the end of the stimulation program for significant reductions in language test scores to become apparent. However, earlier reductions in test scores were mainly associated with I group, and linguistic prosody test scores were significantly affected by institutionalization and time, two variables that interacted and reduced these scores. Moreover, I group reduced the Montréal cognitive assessment battery language tests scores 4 months before NI group. It remains to be investigated what mechanisms may explain the earlier and more intense language losses in institutionalized elderly. PMID:26316730

Combining functional neuroimaging with off-line brain stimulation: modulation of task-related activity in language areas.

PubMed

Andoh, Jamila; Paus, Tomás

2011-02-01

Repetitive TMS (rTMS) provides a noninvasive tool for modulating neural activity in the human brain. In healthy participants, rTMS applied over the language-related areas in the left hemisphere, including the left posterior temporal area of Wernicke (LTMP) and inferior frontal area of Broca, have been shown to affect performance on word recognition tasks. To investigate the neural substrate of these behavioral effects, off-line rTMS was combined with fMRI acquired during the performance of a word recognition task. Twenty right-handed healthy men underwent fMRI scans before and after a session of 10-Hz rTMS applied outside the magnetic resonance scanner. Functional magnetic resonance images were acquired during the performance of a word recognition task that used English or foreign-language words. rTMS was applied over the LTMP in one group of 10 participants (LTMP group), whereas the homologue region in the right hemisphere was stimulated in another group of 10 participants (RTMP group). Changes in task-related fMRI response (English minus foreign languages) and task performances (response time and accuracy) were measured in both groups and compared between pre-rTMS and post-rTMS. Our results showed that rTMS increased task-related fMRI response in the homologue areas contralateral to the stimulated sites. We also found an effect of rTMS on response time for the LTMP group only. These findings provide insights into changes in neural activity in cortical regions connected to the stimulated site and are consistent with a hypothesis raised in a previous review about the role of the homologue areas in the contralateral hemisphere for preserving behavior after neural interference.

Combining Voxel-based Lesion-symptom Mapping (VLSM) With A-tDCS Language Treatment: Predicting Outcome of Recovery in Nonfluent Chronic Aphasia.

PubMed

Campana, Serena; Caltagirone, Carlo; Marangolo, Paola

2015-01-01

Most of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) studies in aphasia have already shown that significant changes in language performance could be improved by increased monitoring of the perilesional cortex in the left lesioned hemisphere with excitatory anodal tDCS (A-tDCS). However, no report to date has investigated which areas may be less predictable or may play a major role in the recovery from language impairment after brain stimulation. We investigated the relationship between the localization of damage in the left hemisphere and the amount of language recovery after A-tDCS. We conducted a Voxel-lesion mapping-symptom (VLSM) analysis on twenty non-fluent aphasics who underwent a language treatment in concomitance with left A-tDCS delivered over the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and a sham condition. Significant changes in language performance before and after the two conditions were examined in three language tasks (picture description, noun and verb naming). VLSM analysis revealed that damage to distinct left hemispheric structures and, in particular, to the basal ganglia, the insula and the superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, resulted in lower responses to A-tDCS in all language measures. Beneficial effects after A-tDCS over the left IFG depend on the anatomical integrity of different left subcortical structures among which are the white matter language pathways. Future studies combining different approaches on larger samples of subjects will further elucidate our understanding of how the human brain responds to tDCS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacotherapy and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Tutorial for Speech-Language Pathologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Self, Trisha L.; Hale, LaDonna S.; Crumrine, Daiquirie

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this tutorial is to provide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with general information regarding the most commonly prescribed medications for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; e.g., central nervous system stimulants, noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors, alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, antipsychotics,…

Language and Related Approaches to the Writing Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seesholtz, Melvin C.

Providing instruction in language theory is an innovative technique for use in remedial and other composition courses in the two-year college. Such innovations provide intellectually stimulating material to students who lose interest when confronted with traditional grammar and composition. Students are acquainted with American Edited English in…

Pedagogical Technology of Improving the Students' Viability Levels in the Process of Mastering Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dmitrienko, Nadezhda; Ershova, Svetlana; Konovalenko, Tatiana; Kutsova, Elvira; Yurina, Elena

2015-01-01

The article points out that the process of mastering foreign language stimulates students' personal, professional and cultural growth, improving linguistic, communicative competences and viability levels. A proposed pedagogical technology of modeling different communicative situations has a serious synergetic potential for students' self organized…

Self-Assessment and Peer-Assessment in an EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamini, Morteza; Tahmasebi, Soheila

2012-01-01

Salient in an EFL teaching context is students' dissatisfaction with their final scores especially in oral courses. This study tried to bridge the gap between students' and teachers' rating system through alternatives to existing measurement methods. Task-based language assessment has stimulated language teachers to question the way through which…

The SKI-HI Program: A Descriptive Update, 1986.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce, Sandy; And Others

This document provides updated information on the SKI-HI program model which presently serves over 2000 young hearing impaired children in 35 states and Canada. The program focuses on training parents in the skills needed to maximize language stimulation and minimize language deprivation. Among 14 educational and philosophical underpinnings of the…

Esperanto and Older People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gal, Ilona

1978-01-01

Research has indicated that the elderly retain the ability to learn, and specifically to learn new languages. Furthermore, the increasingly greater proportion of old people in the population demands that their need for continued intellectual stimulation be met. In the absence of explicit motives for learning an ethnic language, Esperanto is a good…

Prosody and Formulaic Language in Treatment-Resistant Depression: Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridges, Kelly A.

2014-01-01

Communication, specifically the elements crucial for normal social interaction, can be significantly affected in psychiatric illness, especially depression. Of specific importance are prosody (an aspect of speech that carries emotional valence) and formulaic language (non-novel linguistic segments that are prevalent in naturalistic conversation).…

Tandem Translation Classroom: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Dohun; Koh, Taejin

2018-01-01

The transition to student-centred learning, advances in teleconferencing tools, and active international student exchange programmes have stimulated tandem learning in many parts of the world. This pedagogical model is based on a mutual language exchange between tandem partners, where each student is a native speaker in the language the…

Preoperative Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Tractography to Guide Endoscopic Cystoventriculostomy: A Technical Note and Case Report.

PubMed

Hendrix, Philipp; Senger, Sebastian; Griessenauer, Christoph J; Simgen, Andreas; Linsler, Stefan; Oertel, Joachim

2018-01-01

To report a technique for endoscopic cystoventriculostomy guided by preoperative navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) and tractography in a patient with a large speech eloquent arachnoid cyst. A 74-year old woman presented with a seizure and subsequent persistent anomic aphasia from a progressive left-sided parietal arachnoid cyst. An endoscopic cystoventriculostomy and endoscope-assisted ventricle catheter placement were performed. Surgery was guided by preoperative nTMS and tractography to avoid eloquent language, motor, and visual pathways. Preoperative nTMS motor and language mapping were used to guide tractography of motor and language white matter tracts. The ideal locations of entry point and cystoventriculostomy as well as trajectory for stent-placement were determined preoperatively with a pseudo-3-dimensional model visualizing eloquent language, motor, and visual cortical and subcortical information. The early postoperative course was uneventful. At her 3-month follow-up visit, her language impairments had completely recovered. Additionally, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated complete collapse of the arachnoid cyst. The combination of nTMS and tractography supports the identification of a safe trajectory for cystoventriculostomy in eloquent arachnoid cysts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brain stimulation over Broca’s area differentially modulates naming skills in neurotypical adults and individuals with Asperger’s syndrome

PubMed Central

Fecteau, Shirley; Agosta, Sara; Oberman, Lindsay; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro

2012-01-01

In the present study we tested the hypothesis that, in subjects with Asperger’s syndrome (ASP), the dynamics of language-related regions might be abnormal, so that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over Broca’s area leads to differential behavioral effects as seen in neurotypical controls. We conducted a five-stimulation-site, double-blind, multiple crossover, pseudo-randomized, sham-controlled study in 10 individuals with ASP and 10 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects. Object naming was assessed before and after low-frequency rTMS of the left pars opercularis, left pars triangularis, right pars opercularis and right pars triangularis, and sham stimulation, as guided stereotaxically by each individual’s brain magnetic resonance imaging. In ASP participants, naming improved after rTMS of the left pars triangularis as compared with sham stimulation, whereas rTMS of the adjacent left opercularis lengthened naming latency. In healthy subjects, stimulation of parts of Broca’s area did not lead to significant changes in naming skills, consistent with published data. Overall, these findings support our hypothesis of abnormal language neural network dynamics in individuals with ASP. From a methodological point of view, this work illustrates the use of rTMS to study the dynamics of brain–behavior relations by revealing the differential behavioral impact of non-invasive brain stimulation in a neuropsychiatric disorder. PMID:21676037

Epidural electrical stimulation to improve chronic poststroke aphasia: a 5-year follow-up.

PubMed

Balossier, Anne; Etard, Olivier; Descat, Chloé; Vivien, Denis; Emery, Evelyne

2012-07-01

Aphasia is an incapacitating deficit experienced by almost 25% of patients after a left hemispheric ischemic stroke. Spontaneous recovery is considered to be limited to a period of 3 to 6 months. Although speech therapy performed during the first weeks may speed up this process and enhance its outcome, beyond this period it fails to change the global prognosis. We report a case of an unusual recovery of nonfluent chronic poststroke aphasia subsequent to extradural cortical stimulation. A right-handed woman experienced aphasia and drug-resistant central poststroke facial pain after a left superficial Sylvian ischemic stroke at the age of 58 years old. Four years after the stroke, the patient was included in a clinical trial to establish the efficiency of epidural electric stimulation on neuropathic pain. As an improvement in her language performance was noted, a speech evaluation was added to the initial protocol to quantify the benefit. Twelve months after the surgical implantation, pain and language performance were assessed in a double-blind manner during two consecutive 1-month periods when the stimulator was randomly enabled or disabled. The same evaluation was performed after 5 years of stimulation. Eventually, epidural electric stimulation significantly and sustainably improved her lexical access and speech fluency. Cortical stimulation may offer a new approach for the treatment of late chronic poststroke aphasia. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reading Right: A Text for Reading, Volume 1. English for Special Purposes Series: Nursing Aide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubbard, Katherine E.

This is the first of four volumes devoted to reading instruction, in a series of materials for teaching English as a second language to adult nursing aide students. The two units included deal principally with survival skills. The first unit is an introduction to Mahimahi Island, the imaginary quasi-Hawaiian locale used throughout the series. The…

Financial Aid for Students Workbook, 1994-95 School Year = Ayuda Financiera para Estudiantes, Libreta del Ano Escolar 1994-95.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Student Aid Commission, Sacramento.

Presented in both English and Spanish language formats, this workbook explains how California residents can qualify for and obtain student financial aid in the form of federal and state grants and loans, work-study programs, institutional grants, federal campus-based programs, and the Federal Family Education Loan Program loans. A calendar of…

Languaging for Life: African Youth Talk Back to HIV/AIDS Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Bonny; Mutonyi, Harriet

2010-01-01

In this article, we present a case study, undertaken in Uganda, in which 12 young people debated and critiqued four research articles on HIV/AIDS relevant to Ugandan youth. The rationale for the study was to provide students with the opportunity to respond to health research that had a direct bearing on their lives. It also complements applied…

Preliminary Investigation of Visual Attention to Human Figures in Photographs: Potential Considerations for the Design of Aided AAC Visual Scene Displays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, Krista M.; Light, Janice

2011-01-01

Purpose: Many individuals with complex communication needs may benefit from visual aided augmentative and alternative communication systems. In visual scene displays (VSDs), language concepts are embedded into a photograph of a naturalistic event. Humans play a central role in communication development and might be important elements in VSDs.…

Learning about HIV/AIDS in Uganda: Digital Resources and Language Learner Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Bonny; Jones, Shelley; Ahimbisibwe, Daniel

2011-01-01

While the HIV/AIDS epidemic has wrought havoc in the lives of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa, access to information about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of the disease remains a challenge for many, and particularly for young people. This article reports on an action research study undertaken in a rural Ugandan village in 2006.…

A Language Translator for a Computer Aided Rapid Prototyping System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

PROBLEM ................... S B. THE TRADITIONAL "WATERFALL LIFE CYCLE" .. ............... 14 C. RAPID PROTOTYPING...feature of everyday life for almost the entire industrialized world. Few governments or businesses function without the aid of computer systems. Com...engineering. B. TIE TRADITIONAL "WATERFALL LIFE CYCLE" I. Characteristics The traditional method of software engineering is the "waterfall life cycle

Efficacy of an HIV/AIDS and HIV testing video for Spanish-speaking Latinos in healthcare and non-healthcare settings

PubMed Central

Merchant, Roland C.; Clark, Melissa A.; Santelices, Claudia A.; Liu, Tao; Cortés, Dharma E.

2014-01-01

We assessed the efficacy of a Spanish-language HIV/AIDS and HIV testing video as a substitute for comparable orally-delivered information in healthcare and non-health care settings for Spanish-speakers regardless of health literacy level. In a non-inferiority clinical trial, Spanish-speaking Latinos from an emergency department, a clinic, and community-based organizations were randomly assigned to receive HIV/AIDS and HIV testing information orally or from a video. Comprehension of the information was measured using a questionnaire. Of the 150 participants, 39% met criteria for lower health literacy and 75% previously had been tested for HIV. Mean scores on the questionnaire for the video (20.4; 95% CI: 19.5∼21.3) and the orally-delivered information arms (20.6; 95% CI: 19.7∼21.5) were similar (Δ = -0.15; 95% CI: -1.4∼1.1). Mean scores among lower health literacy participants also were similar (18.3 (video) vs. 19.6 (in-person); p<0.30). This Spanish-language video is a viable substitute for orally-delivered HIV/AIDS and HIV testing information. PMID:25179540

Presurgical language fMRI: Clinical practices and patient outcomes in epilepsy surgical planning.

PubMed

Benjamin, Christopher F A; Li, Alexa X; Blumenfeld, Hal; Constable, R Todd; Alkawadri, Rafeed; Bickel, Stephan; Helmstaedter, Christoph; Meletti, Stefano; Bronen, Richard; Warfield, Simon K; Peters, Jurriaan M; Reutens, David; Połczyńska, Monika; Spencer, Dennis D; Hirsch, Lawrence J

2018-03-12

The goal of this study was to document current clinical practice and report patient outcomes in presurgical language functional MRI (fMRI) for epilepsy surgery. Epilepsy surgical programs worldwide were surveyed as to the utility, implementation, and efficacy of language fMRI in the clinic; 82 programs responded. Respondents were predominantly US (61%) academic programs (85%), and evaluated adults (44%), adults and children (40%), or children only (16%). Nearly all (96%) reported using language fMRI. Surprisingly, fMRI is used to guide surgical margins (44% of programs) as well as lateralize language (100%). Sites using fMRI for localization most often use a distance margin around activation of 10mm. While considered useful, 56% of programs reported at least one instance of disagreement with other measures. Direct brain stimulation typically confirmed fMRI findings (74%) when guiding margins, but instances of unpredicted decline were reported by 17% of programs and 54% reported unexpected preservation of function. Programs reporting unexpected decline did not clearly differ from those which did not. Clinicians using fMRI to guide surgical margins do not typically map known language-critical areas beyond Broca's and Wernicke's. This initial data shows many clinical teams are confident using fMRI not only for language lateralization but also to guide surgical margins. Reported cases of unexpected language preservation when fMRI activation is resected, and cases of language decline when it is not, emphasize a critical need for further validation. Comprehensive studies comparing commonly-used fMRI paradigms to predict stimulation mapping and post-surgical language decline remain of high importance. © 2018 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language Mapping in Multilingual Patients: Electrocorticography and Cortical Stimulation During Naming

PubMed Central

Cervenka, Mackenzie C.; Boatman-Reich, Dana F.; Ward, Julianna; Franaszczuk, Piotr J.; Crone, Nathan E.

2011-01-01

Multilingual patients pose a unique challenge when planning epilepsy surgery near language cortex because the cortical representations of each language may be distinct. These distinctions may not be evident with routine electrocortical stimulation mapping (ESM). Electrocorticography (ECoG) has recently been used to detect task-related spectral perturbations associated with functional brain activation. We hypothesized that using broadband high gamma augmentation (HGA, 60–150 Hz) as an index of cortical activation, ECoG would complement ESM in discriminating the cortical representations of first (L1) and second (L2) languages. We studied four adult patients for whom English was a second language, in whom subdural electrodes (a total of 358) were implanted to guide epilepsy surgery. Patients underwent ECoG recordings and ESM while performing the same visual object naming task in L1 and L2. In three of four patients, ECoG found sites activated during naming in one language but not the other. These language-specific sites were not identified using ESM. In addition, ECoG HGA was observed at more sites during L2 versus L1 naming in two patients, suggesting that L2 processing required additional cortical resources compared to L1 processing in these individuals. Post-operative language deficits were identified in three patients (one in L2 only). These deficits were predicted by ECoG spectral mapping but not by ESM. These results suggest that pre-surgical mapping should include evaluation of all utilized languages to avoid post-operative functional deficits. Finally, this study suggests that ECoG spectral mapping may potentially complement the results of ESM of language. PMID:21373361

Kansas Center for Research in Early Childhood Education Annual Report, FY 1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horowitz, Frances D.

This monograph is a collection of papers describing a series of loosely related studies of visual attention, auditory stimulation, and language discrimination in young infants. Titles include: (1) Infant Attention and Discrimination: Methodological and Substantive Issues; (2) The Addition of Auditory Stimulation (Music) and an Interspersed…

Validation of 2 Spanish-Language Scales to Assess HIV-Related Stigma in Communities.

PubMed

Franke, Molly F; Nelson, Adrianne K; Muñoz, Maribel; Cruz, Janeth Santa; Atwood, Sidney; Lecca, Leonid; Shin, Sonya S

2015-01-01

We report the psychometric properties of 2 Spanish-language scales designed to measure (1) opinions about HIV in the community and particularly among health care workers and (2) observed acts of stigma toward people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) by health care workers. The Opinions about HIV Scale included 3 components (policy, avoidance, and empathy) and 9 items, while an adapted version of the HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument-Nurse, designed to capture acts of stigma, included 2 components (discrimination related to clinical care and refusal to share or exchange food/gifts). Scales demonstrated good reliability and construct validity. Relative to community health workers, treatment supporters were more likely to have stigmatizing opinions related to avoidance and empathy. We offer 2 Spanish-language scales that could be used to identify populations with high levels of stigmatizing opinions and behaviors toward PLWHA. Formal training of health care workers, especially treatment supporters, may raise awareness and reduce stigma toward HIV. © The Author(s) 2014.

Automating software design system DESTA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovitsky, Vladimir A.; Pearce, Patricia D.

1992-01-01

'DESTA' is the acronym for the Dialogue Evolutionary Synthesizer of Turnkey Algorithms by means of a natural language (Russian or English) functional specification of algorithms or software being developed. DESTA represents the computer-aided and/or automatic artificial intelligence 'forgiving' system which provides users with software tools support for algorithm and/or structured program development. The DESTA system is intended to provide support for the higher levels and earlier stages of engineering design of software in contrast to conventional Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems which provide low level tools for use at a stage when the major planning and structuring decisions have already been taken. DESTA is a knowledge-intensive system. The main features of the knowledge are procedures, functions, modules, operating system commands, batch files, their natural language specifications, and their interlinks. The specific domain for the DESTA system is a high level programming language like Turbo Pascal 6.0. The DESTA system is operational and runs on an IBM PC computer.

HIV/AIDS, chronic diseases and globalisation.

PubMed

Colvin, Christopher J

2011-08-26

HIV/AIDS has always been one of the most thoroughly global of diseases. In the era of widely available anti-retroviral therapy (ART), it is also commonly recognised as a chronic disease that can be successfully managed on a long-term basis. This article examines the chronic character of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and highlights some of the changes we might expect to see at the global level as HIV is increasingly normalised as "just another chronic disease". The article also addresses the use of this language of chronicity to interpret the HIV/AIDS pandemic and calls into question some of the consequences of an uncritical acceptance of concepts of chronicity.

Effectiveness of the Peabody Language Development Kits with Educable Mentally Retarded Children: A Report After Two and One-Half Years. IMRID Papers and Reports, Volume V, No. 15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Lloyd M.; And Others

To determine the effectiveness of the Peabody Language Development Kits over an extended period (2.5 years) with educable mentally retarded (EMR) children, daily oral language stimulation lessons using Levels One and Two of the kit were given to 27 classes for the EMR in schools with culturally disadvantaged populations. Results showed the…

Teaching Mathematics Bilingually for Kindergarten Students with Teaching Aids Based on Local Wisdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambarini, Ririn; Setyaji, Arso; Suneki, Sri

2018-01-01

Language and Mathematics are both skills and knowledge that need to master well so that it can be the provision for students' future life when mingling with the community or society. Because of that the integration of teaching both language and Mathematics in bilingual Math learning will give many benefits to the students. They will learn not only…

Learning and retention of emergency first aid skills in a violent, developing South African township.

PubMed

Sun, Jared H; Wallis, Lee A

2013-02-01

Community members in developing areas can effectively learn first responder training, and skill decay afterwards is not continuous. It is critical that training be done in the trainees' primary language, even if they speak other languages fluently. Making first responder training obligatory for employees and students may be an effective way to generate first responders.

Toward Validation of Tests for Teachers in Spanish/English Bilingual Education Programs. Research and Development Memorandum No. 151.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merino, Barbara J.; Politzer, Robert L.

This memorandum reports the validation of the SCRDT Tests for Teachers in Spanish/English Bilingual Education Programs. The tests, which are designed for elementary and secondary teachers and aides, measure knowledge of methods used in teaching English as a second language (ESL), teaching Spanish as a second language (SSL), and teaching reading in…

Communication Strategies in Primary Schools in Botswana: Interventions Using Cooks, Teacher Aides and Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mokibelo, Eureka B.

2016-01-01

This paper examines the micro planning activities that schools engage in to address learners' needs to make education work in rural primary schools of Botswana. The national language plan prescribes the use of English and Setswana only as languages of instruction at the primary school level. However, this plan is not practical in some regions…

A Comparison of Foreign Language Teaching Methods: Total Physical Response versus Song/Chants with Kindergartners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omari, Deena Rae

Several teaching methods aid young children in learning foreign languages, all of which include continuous repetition and review of learned information. The two methods used in this study were Total Physical Response (TPR) and songs/chants. The TPR method used a gesture for each vocabulary card, and the songs/chants method incorporated Spanish…

Structure of the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) for Computational Tools: Citizenship and Social Inclusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guimaraes, Cayley; Antunes, Diego R.; de F. Guilhermino Trindade, Daniela; da Silva, Rafaella A. Lopes; Garcia, Laura Sanchez

This work presents a computational model (XML) of the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), based on its phonology. The model was used to create a sample of representative signs to aid the recording of a base of videos whose aim is to support the development of tools to support genuine social inclusion of the deaf.

Television Subtitles and Literacy: Where Do We Go from Here?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hefer, Esté

2013-01-01

Subtitling is a valuable tool for improving literacy and aiding language learning, but what happens when people are unable to read the subtitles? In a recent study on the reading of second language subtitles, participants were shown a subtitled short film while their eye movements were recorded by an SMI iViewX Hi-Speed eye tracker. It was found…

Bibliography on the Semantics of Human Language. Linguistic Bibliography Series, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofmann, Thomas R.

This bibliography, prepared and stored on a computer, is intended to aid in locating works on the semantics of human language. As a reference bibliography, it presents as many different places and modes of publication as possible, and includes as wide a range of subjects as possible. It is intended to cover all of linguistic semantics, with…

Official English? No! TESOL's Recommendations for Countering the Official English Movement in the U.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dicker, Susan J.; And Others

This manual was written to encourage and aid Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and their affiliates to respond to the official English movement that is currently raging in the United States. It includes a copy of the 1987 "TESOL Resolution on Language Rights." Specific articles include: (1) "A Brief History…

SCDC Spanish Curricula Units. Language Arts Strand, Unit 9, Grade 3, Supplement & Ditto Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spanish Curricula Development Center, Miami Beach, FL.

Two readers, supplementary illustrations, and a ditto pack constitute this supplement to unit nine's language arts for third graders. Visual aids and materials for both seatwork for students and for class activities are presented; the teacher's guide to the unit provides the timetable for presentation. Kits 33 and 34 are based on the reader…

Enhancing Japanese University Students' English-Language Presentation Skills with Mobile-Video Recordings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toland, Sean H.; Mills, Daniel J.; Kohyama, Megumi

2016-01-01

In universities throughout Japan, English language learners are required to stand in front of their peers and make a presentation with the aid of software such as Microsoft PowerPoint. This type of public speaking activity can often be an anxiety-inducing, glorified reading or memorization exercise of text-heavy slides that fails to meet the…

Learning Language for Work and Life: The Linguistic Socialization of Immigrant Canadians Seeking Careers in Healthcare.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duff, Patricia A.; Wong, Ping; Early, Margaret

2002-01-01

Discusses research in English-as-a-Second-Language in the workplace, identifying gaps in the existing literature and promising directions for new explorations. Reports on a qualitative study conducted in one type of program for immigrant women and men in Western Canada seeking to become long-term resident care aides or home support workers.…

Instructional Strategies Used in Direct AAC Interventions with Children to Support Graphic Symbol Learning: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Yvonne; McCleary, Muireann; Smith, Martine

2018-01-01

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) refers to a wide range of aided and unaided modes that are employed with a diverse group of people to support a range of language and communication outcomes. Children whose comprehension of spoken language greatly exceeds their ability to express themselves within that modality can be described as…

Language planning for the 21st century: revisiting bilingual language policy for deaf children.

PubMed

Knoors, Harry; Marschark, Marc

2012-01-01

For over 25 years in some countries and more recently in others, bilingual education involving sign language and the written/spoken vernacular has been considered an essential educational intervention for deaf children. With the recent growth in universal newborn hearing screening and technological advances such as digital hearing aids and cochlear implants, however, more deaf children than ever before have the potential for acquiring spoken language. As a result, the question arises as to the role of sign language and bilingual education for deaf children, particularly those who are very young. On the basis of recent research and fully recognizing the historical sensitivity of this issue, we suggest that language planning and language policy should be revisited in an effort to ensure that they are appropriate for the increasingly diverse population of deaf children.

Promoting Physical Activity in People with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities through a Basic Technology-Aided Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Alberti, Gloria; Perilli, Viviana; Zimbaro, Carmen; Boccasini, Adele; Mazzola, Carlo; Russo, Roberto

2018-01-01

This study assessed a technology-aided program (monitoring responding, and ensuring preferred stimulation and encouragements) for promoting physical activity with 11 participants with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Each participant was provided with an exercise device (e.g. a static bicycle and a stepper) and exposed to…

Bulletin of Prosthetics Research. Rehabilitative Engineering Research and Development, Volume 18, Number 2, Fall 1981,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

of 140 beats per minute Upper limb prosthetic terminal devices have remained un- could either crutch walk at 60 meters per minute or run at 134...Responses During Binaural Stimulation, TN. Decker and S.W. Howe; J. Functional Effectiveness of a Myo-Electric Prosthesis Compared Acoust. Soc. Amer., 69(4...were whether the aid(s) should be fitted monaurally, binaurally or fitted with hearing aids. Of these, roughly 9,000 were CROS. About 95 percent of

Safety of union home care aides in Washington State.

PubMed

Schoenfisch, Ashley L; Lipscomb, Hester; Phillips, Leslie E

2017-09-01

A rate-based understanding of home care aides' adverse occupational outcomes related to their work location and care tasks is lacking. Within a 30-month, dynamic cohort of 43 394 home care aides in Washington State, injury rates were calculated by aides' demographic and work characteristics. Injury narratives and focus groups provided contextual detail. Injury rates were higher for home care aides categorized as female, white, 50 to <65 years old, less experienced, with a primary language of English, and working through an agency (versus individual providers). In addition to direct occupational hazards, variability in workload, income, and supervisory/social support is of concern. Policies should address the roles and training of home care aides, consumers, and managers/supervisors. Home care aides' improved access to often-existing resources to identify, manage, and eliminate occupational hazards is called for to prevent injuries and address concerns related to the vulnerability of this needed workforce. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Thinking in Italian: Problem-Solving Activities for the Italian Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danesi, Marcel

1985-01-01

Looks at devices that stimulate intralinguistic thinking patterns, that is, patterns that can only be induced by the structures and forms of the target language without any dependency upon native-language patterns. Focuses on problem-solving activities that help the learner develop modes of thought that can be solved "Italian." (SED)

Mechanisms of Aphasia Recovery after Stroke and the Role of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Roy H.; Chrysikou, Evangelia G.; Coslett, Branch

2011-01-01

One of the most frequent symptoms of unilateral stroke is aphasia, the impairment or loss of language functions. Over the past few years, behavioral and neuroimaging studies have shown that rehabilitation interventions can promote neuroplastic changes in aphasic patients that may be associated with the improvement of language functions. Following…

Towards a New Functional Anatomy of Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poeppel, David; Hickok, Gregory

2004-01-01

The classical brain-language model derived from the work of Broca, Wernicke, Lichtheim, Geschwind, and others has been useful as a heuristic model that stimulates research and as a clinical model that guides diagnosis. However, it is now uncontroversial that the classical model is (i) empirically wrong in that it cannot account for the range of…

Astra's Magic Math. Teacher's Manual, Manipulatives, and Student Worksheets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Judith; And Others

Astra's Magic Math is a beginning multi-sensory program that attempts to teach basic math skills through 22 sequentially developed self-contained units designed to combine manipulation, writing, and language activities. The units are first introduced to the large group to stimulate interest and develop concepts through oral language. Children then…

Night Shift: Ideas and Strategies for Homework. Pathfinder 20. A CILT Series for Language Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckland, David; Short, Mike

A variety of ideas and strategies for homework assignments that can be stimulating and useful to second language learners are presented. Underlying principles are that homework can: give control; develop confidence; promote creativity; support differentiation by task and outcome; encourage pupil independence; support parent-school communication;…

Forum Commentary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanno, Yasuko

2014-01-01

Social class has been underresearched in the field of applied linguistics. The central goal of this forum was to stimulate more conversation about social class as it impacts language learning and teaching. In this article, I comment on 3 salient themes that have emerged in the 5 articles: (1) agency and structure in language learning and teaching,…

Does the Left Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus Play a Role in Language? A Brain Stimulation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mandonnet, Emmanuel; Nouet, Aurelien; Gatignol, Peggy; Capelle, Laurent; Duffau, Hugues

2007-01-01

Although advances in diffusion tensor imaging have enabled us to better study the anatomy of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), its function remains poorly understood. Recently, it was suggested that the subcortical network subserving the language semantics could be constituted, in parallel with the inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus, by…

The Theory and Practice of Teaching English for Special Purposes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruickshank, Donald W.

English for special purposes (ESP) is the fastest growing facet of language teaching, led by the efforts of British and American linguists. The learner-centered orientation in English-as-a-second-language instruction and the expressed need of people around the world have stimulated development in the field. ESP courses are generally either…

Duolingo: A Mobile Application to Assist Second Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nushi, Musa; Eqbali, Mohamad Hosein

2017-01-01

Technology is changing the way languages are taught and learned. It has provided teachers with new facilities and approaches to teaching that can stimulate learners' interest while challenging their intellect (Blake, 2013, 2016; Stanley, 2013). As an example, new smartphone applications are being developed that make the task of learning ever more…

Promoting an Interest in Language To Stimulate College Students' Vocabulary Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wellington, Kathy

1999-01-01

Describes using the book "The Professor and the Madman" (which tells the story of how the "Oxford English Dictionary" came into being) in a college or developmental reading class. Notes it motivates students to take greater interest in language and work on expanding their vocabularies, thus promoting vocabulary development and…

Environmental Activities for People Who Use English as a Foreign Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perlow, Ruth

This booklet is intended for use by educators interested in developing environmental vocabulary and stimulating environmental awareness in adults and adolescents who use English as a foreign language. Activity participants are engaged in discussion and analysis, games, field trips, story reading, and projects. Activities are separated into 12…

The Role of NIE in Foreign Language Dissemination and Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eddy, Peter A.

One of 10 studies commissioned to investigate research needs and to stimulate planning activities, this paper reviews program evaluation in foreign language education (FLED), and offers a number of recommendations to improve present practice. It begins by noting that very little FLED program evaluation is taking place today, and by arguing that…

Material Culture of Multilingualism and Affectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aronin, Larissa

2012-01-01

Affectivity is an important dimension in humans' social and individual lives. It is either a stimulating or hindering aspect of language learning. This article aims to draw attention to material culture as a powerful, but mostly neglected source of data on the use and acquisition of languages, and demonstrates the close and intricate links between…

A role for the RNA pol II–associated PAF complex in AID-induced immune diversification

PubMed Central

Willmann, Katharina L.; Milosevic, Sara; Pauklin, Siim; Schmitz, Kerstin-Maike; Rangam, Gopinath; Simon, Maria T.; Maslen, Sarah; Skehel, Mark; Robert, Isabelle; Heyer, Vincent; Schiavo, Ebe; Reina-San-Martin, Bernardo

2012-01-01

Antibody diversification requires the DNA deaminase AID to induce DNA instability at immunoglobulin (Ig) loci upon B cell stimulation. For efficient cytosine deamination, AID requires single-stranded DNA and needs to gain access to Ig loci, with RNA pol II transcription possibly providing both aspects. To understand these mechanisms, we isolated and characterized endogenous AID-containing protein complexes from the chromatin of diversifying B cells. The majority of proteins associated with AID belonged to RNA polymerase II elongation and chromatin modification complexes. Besides the two core polymerase subunits, members of the PAF complex, SUPT5H, SUPT6H, and FACT complex associated with AID. We show that AID associates with RNA polymerase-associated factor 1 (PAF1) through its N-terminal domain, that depletion of PAF complex members inhibits AID-induced immune diversification, and that the PAF complex can serve as a binding platform for AID on chromatin. A model is emerging of how RNA polymerase II elongation and pausing induce and resolve AID lesions. PMID:23008333

Effect of Subliminal Stimulation of Symbiotic Fantasies on College Student Self-Disclosure in Group Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linehan, Edward; O'Toole, James

1982-01-01

Studied subliminal symbiotic stimulation as a treatment aid in conjunction with counselor self-disclosures in group counseling. Results showed that subliminal exposure to MOMMY AND I ARE ONE stimulus would lead to more client self-disclosures in group counseling. Suggests impact of symbiotic stimulus can be affected by counselor behavior. (RC)

A Case Study Assessing the Auditory and Speech Development of Four Children Implanted with Cochlear Implants by the Chronological Age of 12 Months

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Children with severe hearing loss most likely receive the greatest benefit from a cochlear implant (CI) when implanted at less than 2 years of age. Children with a hearing loss may also benefit greater from binaural sensory stimulation. Four children who received their first CI under 12 months of age were included in this study. Effects on auditory development were determined using the German LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire, closed- and open-set monosyllabic word tests, aided free-field, the Mainzer and Göttinger speech discrimination tests, Monosyllabic-Trochee-Polysyllabic (MTP), and Listening Progress Profile (LiP). Speech production and grammar development were evaluated using a German language speech development test (SETK), reception of grammar test (TROG-D) and active vocabulary test (AWST-R). The data showed that children implanted under 12 months of age reached open-set monosyllabic word discrimination at an age of 24 months. LiP results improved over time, and children recognized 100% of words in the MTP test after 12 months. All children performed as well as or better than their hearing peers in speech production and grammar development. SETK showed that the speech development of these children was in general age appropriate. The data suggests that early hearing loss intervention benefits speech and language development and supports the trend towards early cochlear implantation. Furthermore, the data emphasizes the potential benefits associated with bilateral implantation. PMID:23509653

A case study assessing the auditory and speech development of four children implanted with cochlear implants by the chronological age of 12 months.

PubMed

May-Mederake, Birgit; Shehata-Dieler, Wafaa

2013-01-01

Children with severe hearing loss most likely receive the greatest benefit from a cochlear implant (CI) when implanted at less than 2 years of age. Children with a hearing loss may also benefit greater from binaural sensory stimulation. Four children who received their first CI under 12 months of age were included in this study. Effects on auditory development were determined using the German LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire, closed- and open-set monosyllabic word tests, aided free-field, the Mainzer and Göttinger speech discrimination tests, Monosyllabic-Trochee-Polysyllabic (MTP), and Listening Progress Profile (LiP). Speech production and grammar development were evaluated using a German language speech development test (SETK), reception of grammar test (TROG-D) and active vocabulary test (AWST-R). The data showed that children implanted under 12 months of age reached open-set monosyllabic word discrimination at an age of 24 months. LiP results improved over time, and children recognized 100% of words in the MTP test after 12 months. All children performed as well as or better than their hearing peers in speech production and grammar development. SETK showed that the speech development of these children was in general age appropriate. The data suggests that early hearing loss intervention benefits speech and language development and supports the trend towards early cochlear implantation. Furthermore, the data emphasizes the potential benefits associated with bilateral implantation.

Before the N400: effects of lexical-semantic violations in visual cortex.

PubMed

Dikker, Suzanne; Pylkkanen, Liina

2011-07-01

There exists an increasing body of research demonstrating that language processing is aided by context-based predictions. Recent findings suggest that the brain generates estimates about the likely physical appearance of upcoming words based on syntactic predictions: words that do not physically look like the expected syntactic category show increased amplitudes in the visual M100 component, the first salient MEG response to visual stimulation. This research asks whether violations of predictions based on lexical-semantic information might similarly generate early visual effects. In a picture-noun matching task, we found early visual effects for words that did not accurately describe the preceding pictures. These results demonstrate that, just like syntactic predictions, lexical-semantic predictions can affect early visual processing around ∼100ms, suggesting that the M100 response is not exclusively tuned to recognizing visual features relevant to syntactic category analysis. Rather, the brain might generate predictions about upcoming visual input whenever it can. However, visual effects of lexical-semantic violations only occurred when a single lexical item could be predicted. We argue that this may be due to the fact that in natural language processing, there is typically no straightforward mapping between lexical-semantic fields (e.g., flowers) and visual or auditory forms (e.g., tulip, rose, magnolia). For syntactic categories, in contrast, certain form features do reliably correlate with category membership. This difference may, in part, explain why certain syntactic effects typically occur much earlier than lexical-semantic effects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Small-Group Phonological Awareness Training for Pre-Kindergarten Children with Hearing Loss Who Wear Cochlear Implants and/or Hearing Aids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werfel, Krystal L.; Douglas, Michael; Ackal, Leigh

2016-01-01

This case report details a year-long phonological awareness (PA) intervention for pre-kindergarten children with hearing loss (CHL) who use listening and spoken language. All children wore cochlear implants and/or hearing aids. Intervention occurred for 15 min/day, 4 days per week across the pre-kindergarten school year and was delivered by…

An Analysis of the Effects of Functional Communication and a Voice Output Communication Aid for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olive, Melissa L.; Lang, Russell B.; Davis, Tonya N.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Functional Communication Training (FCT) and a Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA) on the challenging behavior and language development of a 4-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder. The participant's mother implemented modified functional analysis (FA) and intervention procedures in…

Reading Right: A Text for Reading, Volume 4. English for Special Purposes Series: Nursing Aide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubbard, Katherine E.

This is the last of four volumes devoted to reading instruction, in a series of materials for teachinq English as a second language to adult nursing aide students. The four units deal principally with survival skills, but much material on nursing is interspersed. The units cover the use of the library, observing and reporting, looking for a job,…

The Influence of Hearing Aid Use on Outcomes of Children with Mild Hearing Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Elizabeth A.; Holte, Lenore; McCreery, Ryan W.; Spratford, Meredith; Page, Thomas; Moeller, Mary Pat

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study examined the effects of consistent hearing aid (HA) use on outcomes in children with mild hearing loss (HL). Method: Five- or 7-year-old children with mild HL were separated into 3 groups on the basis of patterns of daily HA use. Using analyses of variance, we compared outcomes between groups on speech and language tests and a…

Vernon A. Walters: Pathfinder of the Intelligence Profession

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-03

administrations and has served in military and civilian capacities in ten administrations, including 13 successive years in the Executive Office of the...where his career as Presidential Aide, Interpreter and masterful trouble-shooter began. This assignment led to service in these capacities with every...General Walters. To say that he had a fantastic capacity for foreign languages certainly is an understatement. General Goodpaster, a former Aide to

The Efficacy of the Initial Teaching Alphabet and the Peabody Language Development Kit with Grade One Disadvantaged Children: After One Year. IMRID Papers and Reports, Volume III, No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Lloyd M.; Mueller, Max W.

The purpose of this study was to investigate, with underprivileged first-grade children, the efficacy of the Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.) in teaching beginning reading and of the Peabody Language Development Kit (PLDK) in stimulating oral language and verbal intelligence. From 17 classes in nine schools, four groups, consisting of 100, 104,…

Teaching reflection: Speech & language therapy students using visual clues for reflection.

PubMed

Schaub-de Jong, M A; van der Schans, C P

2010-11-01

Reflection is an essential tool for the development of professional behaviour. Central to all reflection methods is language, either written or spoken. As the use of language is not easy for all students, especially those learning in a language other than their native tongue, it is essential that teachers use alternative methods to stimulate reflection. To identify the benefits that speech and language therapy students perceive in an educational approach that combines pictures and drawings as a stimulus for reflecting on professional experiences. During an international course twenty-two students of various nationalities participated in a two-hour session and reflected on professional experiences. To stimulate reflection, drawings and pictures were used. All the students were asked to evaluate this educational approach by responding to five open-ended questions. Their responses were coded and analyzed. Students' comments fell into three categories of perceived benefits: (1) educational approach benefits; (2) personal benefits; and (3) professional benefits. Almost all the students reported that the nature of the reflection exercises helped them verbalize their experiences after the profession-related exercises. This study provides evidence that visualizing as a first step towards verbalizing experiences can foster learning through reflection. It provides students with greater opportunities to verbalize awareness, especially within a group of students who may have difficulty expressing themselves in a non-native language.

Infant Stimulation: A Review for Educators and Primary Care Personnel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Children's Centre, Paris (France).

The value of infant stimulation is stressed in a report on the characteristics of infant development. The following five areas of development are discussed: sensorimotor, language, mental, emotional, and social. Stages of development during the first year in each of the areas are surveyed, and traditions in different countries are highlighted to…

Cardiovascular Risk of Stimulant Treatment in Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Update and Clinical Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammerness, Paul G.; Perrin, James M.; Shelley-Abrahamson, Rachel; Wilens, Timothy E.

2011-01-01

Objective: This review provides an update on the cardiovascular impact of therapeutic stimulant-class medication for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Relevant clinical literature was ascertained using PubMed searches limited to human studies and the English language as of May 2011. Current…

Intraoperative cortico-cortical evoked potentials for the evaluation of language function during brain tumor resection: initial experience with 13 cases.

PubMed

Saito, Taiichi; Tamura, Manabu; Muragaki, Yoshihiro; Maruyama, Takashi; Kubota, Yuichi; Fukuchi, Satoko; Nitta, Masayuki; Chernov, Mikhail; Okamoto, Saori; Sugiyama, Kazuhiko; Kurisu, Kaoru; Sakai, Kuniyoshi L; Okada, Yoshikazu; Iseki, Hiroshi

2014-10-01

The objective in the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEP) monitoring for the intraoperative assessment of speech function during resection of brain tumors. Intraoperative monitoring of CCEP was applied in 13 patients (mean age 34 ± 14 years) during the removal of neoplasms located within or close to language-related structures in the dominant cerebral hemisphere. For this purpose strip electrodes were positioned above the frontal language area (FLA) and temporal language area (TLA), which were identified with direct cortical stimulation and/or preliminary mapping with the use of implanted chronic subdural grid electrodes. The CCEP response was defined as the highest observed negative peak in either direction of stimulation. In 12 cases the tumor was resected during awake craniotomy. An intraoperative CCEP response was not obtained in one case because of technical problems. In the other patients it was identified from the FLA during stimulation of the TLA (7 cases) and from the TLA during stimulation of the FLA (5 cases), with a mean peak latency of 83 ± 15 msec. During tumor resection the CCEP response was unchanged in 5 cases, decreased in 4, and disappeared in 3. Postoperatively, all 7 patients with a decreased or absent CCEP response after lesion removal experienced deterioration in speech function. In contrast, in 5 cases with an unchanged intraoperative CCEP response, speaking abilities after surgery were preserved at the preoperative level, except in one patient who experienced not dysphasia, but dysarthria due to pyramidal tract injury. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The time required to recover speech function was also significantly associated with the type of intraoperative change in CCEP recordings (p < 0.01) and was, on average, 1.8 ± 1.0, 5.5 ± 1.0, and 11.0 ± 3.6 months, respectively, if the response was unchanged, was decreased, or had disappeared. Monitoring CCEP is feasible during the resection of brain tumors affecting language-related cerebral structures. In the intraoperative evaluation of speech function, it can be a helpful adjunct or can be used in its direct assessment with cortical and subcortical mapping during awake craniotomy. It can also be used to predict the prognosis of language disorders after surgery and decide on the optimal resection of a neoplasm.

Deblurring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gevins, A.; Le, J.; Leong, H.; McEvoy, L. K.; Smith, M. E.

1999-01-01

In most instances, traditional EEG methodology provides insufficient spatial detail to identify relationships between brain electrical events and structures and functions visualized by magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography. This article describes a method called Deblurring for increasing the spatial detail of the EEG and for fusing neurophysiologic and neuroanatomic data. Deblurring estimates potentials near the outer convexity of the cortex using a realistic finite element model of the structure of a subject's head determined from their magnetic resonance images. Deblurring is not a source localization technique and thus makes no assumptions about the number or type of generator sources. The validity of Deblurring has been initially tested by comparing deblurred data with potentials measured with subdural grid recordings. Results suggest that deblurred topographic maps, registered with a subject's magnetic resonance imaging and rendered in three dimensions, provide better spatial detail than has heretofore been obtained with scalp EEG recordings. Example results are presented from research studies of somatosensory stimulation, movement, language, attention and working memory. Deblurred ictal EEG data are also presented, indicating that this technique may have future clinical application as an aid to seizure localization and surgical planning.

Electrical stimulation of the motor cortex enhances treatment outcome in post-stroke aphasia.

PubMed

Meinzer, Marcus; Darkow, Robert; Lindenberg, Robert; Flöel, Agnes

2016-04-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation has shown promise to improve recovery in patients with post-stroke aphasia, but previous studies have only assessed stimulation effects on impairment parameters, and evidence for long-term maintenance of transcranial direct current stimulation effects from randomized, controlled trials is lacking. Moreover, due to the variability of lesions and functional language network reorganization after stroke, recent studies have used advanced functional imaging or current modelling to determine optimal stimulation sites in individual patients. However, such approaches are expensive, time consuming and may not be feasible outside of specialized research centres, which complicates incorporation of transcranial direct current stimulation in day-to-day clinical practice. Stimulation of an ancillary system that is functionally connected to the residual language network, namely the primary motor system, would be more easily applicable, but effectiveness of such an approach has not been explored systematically. We conducted a randomized, parallel group, sham-controlled, double-blind clinical trial and 26 patients with chronic aphasia received a highly intensive naming therapy over 2 weeks (8 days, 2 × 1.5 h/day). Concurrently, anodal-transcranial direct current stimulation was administered to the left primary motor cortex twice daily at the beginning of each training session. Naming ability for trained items (n = 60 pictures that could not be named during repeated baseline assessments), transfer to untrained items (n = 284 pictures) and generalization to everyday communication were assessed immediately post-intervention and 6 months later. Naming ability for trained items was significantly improved immediately after the end of the intervention in both the anodal (Cohen's d = 3.67) and sham-transcranial direct current stimulation groups (d = 2.10), with a trend for larger gains in the anodal-transcranial direct current stimulation group (d = 0.71). Treatment effects for trained items were significantly better maintained in the anodal-transcranial direct current stimulation group 6 months later (d = 1.19). Transfer to untrained items was significantly larger in the anodal-transcranial direct current stimulation group after the training (d = 1.49) and during the 6 month follow-up assessment (d = 3.12). Transfer effects were only maintained in the anodal-transcranial direct current stimulation group. Functional communication was significantly more improved in the anodal-transcranial direct current stimulation group at both time points compared to patients treated with sham-transcranial direct current stimulation (d = 0.75-0.99). Our results provide the first evidence from a randomized, controlled trial that transcranial direct current stimulation can improve both function and activity-related outcomes in chronic aphasia, with medium to large effect sizes, and that these effects are maintained over extended periods of time. These effects were achieved with an easy-to-implement and thus clinically feasible motor-cortex montage that may represent a promising 'backdoor' approach to improve language recovery after stroke. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Atypical cerebral language dominance in a right-handed patient: An anatomoclinical study.

PubMed

De Witte, Elke; Van Hecke, Wim; Dua, Guido; De Surgeloose, Didier; Moens, Maarten; Mariën, Peter

2014-02-01

Approximately 97% of the right-handers has left hemisphere language dominance. Within the language dominant hemisphere Broca's area is of crucial importance for a variety of linguistic functions. As a result, tumour resection in and around Broca's area is controversial. However, studies showed that by means of Direct Electrical Stimulation (DES) tumour resection in this region can be safely performed. We report unexpected anatomoclinical findings in a right-handed patient who underwent tumour resection in the left prefrontal lobe. Language functions in this right-handed patient were extensively examined in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative phase by means of a standardised battery of neurolinguistic and neurocognitive tests. Results obtained in the pre- and postoperative phase are compared. In addition, intraoperative DES findings and postoperative functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) results are reported. Tumour resection near Broca's area was safely performed since no positive language sites were found during intraoperative DES. Since no linguistic deficits occurred in the pre-, intra-, or postoperative phase, atypical language dominance was suspected. Neuropsychological investigations, however, disclosed permanent executive dysfunction. Postoperative fMRI and DTI confirmed right cerebral language dominance as well as a crossed cerebro-cerebellar functional link with the left cerebellar hemisphere. Atypical right hemisphere language dominance in this right-handed patient is reflected by: (1) the total absence of language problems in the pre-, intra- and postoperative phase, (2) absence of positive stimulation sites during DES, (3) a clearly more pronounced arcuate fasciculus in the right cerebral hemisphere (DTI), (4) a crossed functional connection between the right cerebrum and the left cerebellum (fMRI). Two hypothetical explanations for the pattern of crossed cerebral language dominance are put forward: (1) preoperative brain plasticity mechanisms inducing a shift of language functions to the right hemisphere or (2) right hemisphere language dominance as a maturational variant. This case with atypical cerebral language dominance shows that although DES is the 'gold standard' to identify eloquent language regions and their pathways, fMRI and DTI are important adjuncts to guide surgery, to identify language lateralisation and to study anatomoclinical correlations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Music as Means To Enhance Cultural Awareness and Literacy in the Foreign Language Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Failoni, Judith Weaver

1993-01-01

The use of music in the foreign language classroom offers a unique approach to enhance students' awareness of another culture, and also can aid in the practice of communication skills. Music provides an interesting mirror of the history, literature, and culture of a country, that can be seen in song texts and in musical style. Musical styles and…

Altering the Prosodic Features of Motherese to Promote Joint Attention in Language-Delayed Children. EBP Briefs. Volume 12, Issue 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredman, Traci

2017-01-01

Clinical Question: For children ages birth to 3 years diagnosed with a language delay or disorder, to what extent does the prosodic component of motherese aid in establishing joint attention (JA)? Method: Systematic Review. Study Sources: ASHA, Web of Science, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EBSCO, PubMed, PsycINFO, and ERIC. Search Terms: motherese, infant…