Biomedical subjects

L E Bernstein

Publications and source records attributed to L E Bernstein.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1988

Speech training aids for hearing-impaired individuals: I. Overview and aims.

Prelingual profound deafness typically results in aberrant or unintelligible speech production. For approximately 70 years, researchers and engineers have attempted, with little success, to provide electronic aids for speech training. Recent computer and signal processing technology has provided the impetus for several groups to implement new speech training aids. Following a review of deaf speech characteristics, several current computer-based aids are described. Included among those reviewed are two interrelated speech training aids which resulted from collaboration among the authors.

Child↗

PubMed1988

Speech training aids for hearing-impaired individuals: II. Configuration of the Johns Hopkins aids.

Two interrelated personal computer (PC) based speech training aids have been developed: one for use in a school or clinic, the Speech Training Station (STS); and the other for the deaf child's home, the Speech Practice Station (SPS). The STS monitors speech production by microphone, electroglottograph, and pneumotachograph. The SPS system uses only the microphone input. Both systems utilize commercially available board-level hardware and a custom analog preprocessor board for the analysis of the acoustic and/or physiologic inputs. The school system has been used by speech therapists for diagnosis, training by game playing, and specification of exercises for the SPS. The home system provides directed speech practice between therapy sessions.

Child↗

PubMed1988

Speech training aids for hearing-impaired individuals: III. Preliminary observations in the clinic and childrens' homes.

Preliminary evaluation of 2 related computer-based speech training and practice aids for profoundly deaf children was conducted. The Speech Training Station (STS) uses both acoustic and physiological transducters for assessment and training in a school of clinic. The Speech Practice Station (SPS) uses the acoustic signal, and was designed primarily for use in the home. A series of games and activities was implemented on the 2 systems. Use of the STS was evaluated by 2 speech clinicians during a 15-month period. Fifteen children were subjects in the evaluation. The aid was found to be easily incorporated into clinic activities and useful for diagnosis and therapy. The SPS was evaluated during a 1-to-2-week period, during which it was placed in the homes of 5 profoundly deaf children. Using an activity log and questionnaire completed by the childrens' parents, usage statistics and impressions were obtained. Potential value and problems with such aids are discussed.

Child↗

PubMed1986

Child and adult vibrotactile thresholds for sinusoidal and pulsatile stimuli.

Three experiments were performed to obtain vibrotactile sensitivity thresholds from hearing children and adults, and from deaf children. An adaptive two-interval forced-choice procedure was used to obtain estimates of the 70.7% point on the psychometric sensitivity curve. When hearing children of 5-6 and 9-10 years of age and adults were tested with sinusoids and haversine pulse stimuli, at 10, 100, 160, and 250 Hz or pps, respectively, only the 10-Hz stimulus resulted in an age effect. For this stimulus, young children were significantly less sensitive than adults. When sinusoids were again tested at 20, 40, 80, and 160 Hz, a small overall effect of age was observed with a significant effect only at 20 Hz. Two prelingually profoundly deaf children were tested with haversine pulse trains at 10, 50, 100, 160, and 250 pps. Both children were at least as sensitive to the tactile stimulation as were the hearing children and adults. Pulsatile stimulation, compared to sinusoidal stimulation, exhibited relatively flat threshold versus frequency functions. The present results, demonstrating no age effect for pulsatile stimulation and similar performance for deaf and hearing children, suggest that pulsatile stimulation would be appropriate in vibrotactile speech communication aids for the deaf.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Speech perception development in language-impaired children: a 4-year follow-up study.

A group of specifically language-impaired (SLI) children was compared with a matched group of non-SLI children (i.e., children displaying normal language) on tests of speech perception and language ability. The tests were administered longitudinally at times separated by an interval of 4 years. Initially (i.e., Time 1), the groups differed significantly in discrimination, sequencing, and rate processing of and serial memory for synthesized /ba/ and /da/ stimuli. At Time 1, age effects were also observed among both groups of children. That is, performance improved as a function of increased age. At follow-up (i.e., Time 2), performance was at or near ceiling for subjects in both groups, indicating that perceptual development occurred in both groups of children. Results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that perceptual deficits play a causal role in specific language impairment.

Age Factors↗