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Biomedical subjects

H L Morris

Publications and source records attributed to H L Morris.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Perception of syllable stress in esophageal speech.

This study is part of a larger investigation designed to assess the ability of esophageal speakers to effect systematic changes in listener perceptions of syllable stress. Ten male functional esophageal speakers and ten normal speakers were instructed to produce 25 repetitions of the disyllable/mama/ using five different conditions of syllable stress, ranging from strong first syllable stress through strong second syllable stress. Nine normal listeners judged both relative and absolute syllable stress of the disyllables, using a nine-point scale for each syllable. The results indicated that highly reliable judgments can be made when judging relative and absolute syllable stress in disyllables produced by both normal and esophageal speakers. In response to experimenter direction, both normal and esophageal speakers are able to effect systematic changes of direction and degree in listener perceptions of relative stress.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Assessment of velopharyngeal competence: a long-term process.

This study compared longitudinally perceptual ratings of articulation defectiveness, nasality, and velopharyngeal competency in 13 subjects who required secondary palatal management after age 10 with a second group. Perceptual data when examined longitudinally did not adequately discriminate between subjects who at one time achieved velopharyngeal closure but who ultimately required secondary management and those patients who needed no further treatment. A decrease in articulation scores and an increase in severity of nasality and articulation defectiveness over time indicate that patients are at risk for secondary management. Evaluation of lateral x-rays indicated that those in the group that required secondary operations demonstrated more variability in velopharyngeal closure than those in the comparison group, who required no secondary operations and that adenoidal involution did not appear to be a significant factor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

A study of cleft palate speakers with marginal velopharyngeal competence.

This study was designed as a partial test of a previously hypothesized model for a subgroup of cleft speakers who show marginal velopharyngeal competence during speech. Specifically, speakers in the model were hypothesized to show minimal but consistent nasalization of speech by several criteria. Fifty-two subjects were selected because they met one of the criteria for the model, lateral x-ray films on /s/ that showed touch closure or a small velopharyngeal opening. The subjects were then examined by the other five criteria used for defining the hypothesized model, and were found to meet, in the majority, fewer than three. These findings indicate that lateral x-ray films are not sufficient for identifying this diagnostic subgroup, if it exists. Another possible conclusion is that the model proposed is too simplistic and that cleft palate speakers with marginal velopharyngeal competency typically show more variability in speech performance than was originally implied in the model.

Child↗
PubMed1986

Contribution of selected variables to the prediction of speech proficiency for adolescents with cleft lip and palate.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative contribution of clinical data obtained during speech examinations at age 4 years and at each subsequent age through 13 years to the prediction of judged speech proficiency at age 14 years for children with unilateral cleft of the lip and palate. Psychological scale values of speech proficiency were obtained for 50 adolescents and used as the dependent variable in each analysis. The 16 independent variables used in the analysis at age 4 years included four nonspeech variables (gender, type and age of primary surgery, and pharyngeal flap surgery) and 12 speech measures obtained from speech examination. In subsequent analyses at ages 5 through 13 years, the rate of change between adjacent age levels for each of the 12 speech measures was also included, for a total of 28 independent variables. The data were analyzed using the MAXR stepwise regression procedure, first for the total group of subjects and then separately for males and females. The results of this investigation indicated that a large percentage of the variance in judged speech proficiency at age 14 years can be accounted for, using clinical data obtained for speech examinations at ages 4 through 13 years. When the regression analyses were performed for the total group of subjects at ages 4 through 13 years, the most efficient set of predictors accounted for 50 to 75 percent of the variance in the dependent variable. The variable of gender was identified as the single most important predictor in nine of the 10 regression analyses, alone accounting for at least 40 percent of the variance in judged speech proficiency. When the regression analyses were performed separately for males and females, approximately 50 to 80 percent of the variance was accounted for in judged speech proficiency for males and 50 to 90 percent for females using one, two, or three of the independent variables. The most efficient set of predictors varied across age levels for both groups. In addition, these predictors differed between males and females.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Relationships between the perception of nasalization and speech movements in speakers with cleft palate.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between several temporal measures of speech movements and perceived nasalization in speakers with cleft palate. Four adult subjects with repaired cleft palate were filmed using high-speed (100 frames/s) cinefluorography as they produced target syllables embedded in a carrier phrase. Perceived nasalization of each extracted acoustic target syllable was rated by 18 trained judges. Movements of the tongue tip, tongue dorsum, jaw, velar knee, velar tip, and posterior pharyngeal wall were plotted over time. Time of movement onsets and movement offsets was identified from the plots. Voice onset and offset times were identified from the synchronized acoustic recordings. The findings indicate that normally expected velopharyngeal movements occurred near the time of jaw-lowering onset during nasalized CVC and CVN productions in two subjects who were judged to exhibit high levels of nasalization. The other two subjects showed no velopharyngeal movements during the CVC production. It is speculated that velopharyngeal movements normally expected in CVC utterances may be avoided by some speakers with cleft palate in order to minimize perceptible nasalization.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Late results of primary veloplasty: the Marburg Project.

Forty-five randomly selected patients with unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate, all operated upon by Dr. Wolfram Schweckendiek were evaluated by three American specialists to assess the validity of primary veloplasty. Examination revealed an unusually high incidence of short palate and poor mobility of the soft palate. Facial growth was found to be highly acceptable in the majority of the patients. Unusually high incidence of velopharyngeal incompetence was found in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Reliability of the nasopharyngeal fiberscope (NPF) for assessing velopharyngeal function.

Simultaneous side-view nasopharyngeal fiberscopic (NPF) and lateral cinefluoroscopic (cine) recordings were taken for two normal subjects to determine the stability of NPF placement for the study of velopharyngeal function, and the reliability and validity of NPF findings. The results indicate that the NPF was highly stable during the several velopharyngeal activities examined, the NPF tip maintaining a relatively constant relationship within the vertebral complex. Therefore, it seems likely that similar NPF views are obtained on different occasions with a subject. The findings also indicate that measurements can be made from NPF still photos for several aspects of the velopharyngeal mechanism. However, measurements of the left lateral wall movement were not reliable. Measurement of velar movement from NPF correlated well with cine measures of velar movement, indicating validity of that NPF measure.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Reliability of the nasopharyngeal fiberscope (NPF) for assessing velopharyngeal function: analysis by judgment.

The reliability and validity of data about velopharyngeal function obtained with the nasopharyngeal fiberscope was assessed in normal subjects. The experimental design included data reduction procedures that are likely to have clinical utility (clinical ratings). The results indicated that relative velar movement and size of the velopharyngeal port may be reliably and validly estimated using the procedures. However NPF estimates of lateral pharyngeal wall movement were not reliable. Finally, the data indicated that velar movement and size of V-P port were consistent within subjects and tasks across data collection sessions. Data about consistency of lateral wall movement across sessions was inconclusive, however. Additional research involving similar procedures with subjects who have morphologic deficits is indicated.

Cineradiography↗
PubMed1981

Verbal communication skills of six children wit craniofacial anomalies.

The verbal communication skills of six children with craniofacial syndromes were examined. The subjects were four girls with Apert syndrome, a boy with Crouzon disease, and a fifth girl with Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome. They ranged in age from six to sixteen years. Each of the six subjects demonstrated oral structural anomalies and at least a mild communication problem. Sample size precluded the formation of judgments relative to the population as a whole or to particular subgroups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Simultaneous assessment of pharyngeal wall and velar displacement for selected speech sounds.

Velar and pharyngeal wall displacements were studied simultaneously by using conventional lateral-view radiography and frontal-view tomography. Twenty-five normal adult male and female subjects were utilized. Major results pertaining to lateral pharyngeal wall displacements during speech include the following. 1) At more superior levels of the pharynx, greater mesial displacements occurred for nonnasal compared to nasal speech sounds and no significant differences were noted among the nonnasal speech sounds studied. 2) At an inferior level of the pharynx, mesial displacements were greater for low vowels compared to the other speech sounds studied but some lateral (outward) movements were observed during high vowel production for some subjects. 3) Greatest mesial displacements for all subjects ad speech sounds studied occurred at the level of and just below the plane of the hard palate. Low correlations between velar and lateral pharyngeal wall displacements were obtained for most subjects. The results do not support the hypothesis that the levator veli palatini muscle is solely involved in both velar and lateral pharyngeal wall movements.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

The structure and function of interdisciplinary health teams.

A useful definition of the function of the interdisciplinary health team includes issues of goal identification, efficiency, effectiveness, practicality, and relevance. Criteria for determining the structure of the team involve the specific objectives to be met, administrative systems that are available, creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and professional esteem, and maintaining a proper arena for intellectual growth. Teamwork has certain disadvantages, however, and is probably not for everyone.

Communication↗
PubMed1979

Prevalence of voice quality deviations in the normal adult population.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of voice quality deviations in a normal adult population. One-hundred twelve subjects, aged 17 to 80, read a short paragraph aloud into a high-fidelity tape recorder and completed a case history questionnaire. A group of 11 pretrained judges rated overall performance of each taped sample on a seven-point equal-appearing intervals scale, then designated those quality components which contributed toward deviant ratings. Eighty-two percent of the group received a mean severity rating lower than 1.99; 16% had a rating between 2.00 and 2.99; and 2% was assigned a mean rating higher than 3.00.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Patterns of articulation abilities in speakers with cleft palate.

The purpose of this study was to report the articulation scores of 351 subjects with cleft palate from the ages of 2-6 to 18-0. Analysis of the data indicate that, as a group, subjects with cleft palate are retarded in articulation skills. However, they continue to improve in this regard past the age at which normal speakers have achieved articulation maturation. This information should be compared with that acquired from other centers in order to determine how typical these findings are.

Adolescent↗