 |  | HIV and Aids Part 2 | HIV and Aids Part 2
Overview
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus transmitted through sexual contact, shared needles, and from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding. It belongs to the Retroviridae family. All patients who are diagnosed with HIV should be initiated on ART as soon as possible.
HIV can also lead to complications like dementia and chronic diarrhea with weight loss (HIV wasting syndrome).
Exceptions to this include patients presenting with cryptococcal meningitis (CM) or central nervous system tuberculosis (tuberculous meningitis (TBM) or tuberculoma).
| 3 | | R485.00 |  |
 |  | Ebola Virus Infection | Ebola Virus Infection
Overview Ebola virus is one of at least 30 known viruses capable of causing viral hemorrhagic fever syndrome. The genus Ebolavirus currently is classified into 5 separate species: Sudan ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus, Tai Forest (Ivory Coast) ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, and Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, involving Zaire ebolavirus, was the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history.
As of September 17, 2019, an active outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had resulted in 3,034 confirmed and 111 probable cases of Ebola virus disease, including 2,103 attributable deaths. An experimental vaccine has been credited with limiting the outbreak’s scope.
| 3 | | R500.00 |  |
 |  | Neural Changes in Children with Residual Speech Sound Disorder After Ultrasound Biofeedback Speech Therapy | Neural Changes in Children with Residual Speech Sound Disorder After Ultrasound Biofeedback Speech Therapy
Neural Changes in Children with Residual Speech Sound Disorder After Ultrasound Biofeedback Speech Therapy
Overview Speech production involves coordination of multiple, complex linguistic and physiological processes that are mediated by the brain. Neuroimaging research has computationally and anatomically identified a network of neural correlates for these processes. Consistently, speech production tasks have been shown to rely on inferior frontal and superior temporal cortices, as well as precentral gyrus, inferior parietal cortex, and basal ganglia (Guenther, 2006; Irwin et al., 2011). However, less is known about potential differences in neural mechanisms associated with speech sound disorders, or how these mechanisms may change with behavioural therapy. The purpose of this study is to explore neural activity and neural connectivity during a simple speech production task for children with residual speech sound disorders (RSSD) before and after treatment Children with residual speech sound disorders (RSSD) have shown differences in neural function for speech production, as compared to their typical peers; however, information about how these differences may change over time and relative to speech therapy is needed. To address this gap, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine functional activation and connectivity on adaptations of the syllable repetition task (SRT-Early Sounds and SRT-Late Sounds) in children with RSSD before and after a speech therapy program. In conclusion, RSSD and treatment with ultrasound visual feedback may thus be associated with neural differences in speech motor and visual association pro-cesses recruited for speech production.
Journal Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Researc Volume 66 Issue 9
| 3 | | R475.00 |  |
 |  | Effectiveness of speech therapy in treating vocal blocking tics in children with Tourette syndrome: Two case reports | Effectiveness of speech therapy in treating vocal blocking tics in children with Tourette syndrome: Two case reports
Effectiveness of speech therapy in treating vocal blocking tics in children with Tourette syndrome: Two case reports
Overview A tic is a sudden, rapid, recurrent, and non-rhythmic motor movement or vocalization, which can be distinguished from other involuntary movements by its typical clinical characteristics. Tics are commonly sparse, but in some patients, they can be almost continuous. The frequency, intensity, number, complexity, and type of tics typically “wax and wane.” Tics can be situational, and they can be temporarily controlled. There is often a premonitory urge or tension preceding tics, which means a person’s ability to sense in advance that a tic is about to occur. The level of this urge varies across patients. Tourette syndrome is characterized by at least two motor tics and one vocal tic, which persist for over a year. Infrequently, tics can manifest as blocking tics in speech when they prevent a person from starting to speak or interrupt their speech flow. Vocal blocking tics (VBTs) resemble stuttering, and they can be difficult to differentiate from each other. A previous report described two patients with severe VBTs who did not benefit from stuttering-therapy-based speech therapy and were treated effectively with cannabis-based medicine. Here, we present the cases of two patients, seven- and nine-year-old boys, who benefited from speech therapy in which stuttering therapy techniques were used. Detailed descriptions of the interventions are included. Further research is needed to test the effectiveness of speech therapy in treating VBTs in a larger group of children with Tourette syndrome.
Journal Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
| 3 | | R475.00 |  |
 |  | Social Communication Delay in an Unbiased Sample of Preschoolers with the FMR1 Premutation | Social Communication Delay in an Unbiased Sample of Preschoolers with the FMR1 Premutation
Social Communication Delay in an Unbiased Sample of Preschoolers with the FMR1 Premutation
Overview The FMR1 premutation (FXpm) involves CGG expansions of 55-200 repeats and is linked to health issues like FXTAS and FXPOI. FXTAS affects 40% of males and 15% of females with FXpm, while FXPOI affects 20%-30% of affected women. Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, mood disorders, and social challenges are also common in FXpm individuals. Despite its prevalence in the general population (1:151-291 females and 1:468-845 males), most FXpm carriers remain unaware of their genetic status due to lack of population screening. Understanding the clinical phenotype during childhood has been limited, thus hindering the development of clinical guidelines for screening and intervention. This study aims to explore the social communication profile of children with the FXpm, given that social communication difficulties in adults with FXpm are well-documented and linked to reduced psychosocial functioning. By characterizing these challenges during early childhood, the study seeks to emphasize the importance of early screening and intervention to improve outcomes.
Journal Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
| 3 | | R485.00 |  |
 |  | An Assessment of Hearing Health Care Needs in Rural West Central and South Alabama | An Assessment of Hearing Health Care Needs in Rural West Central and South Alabama
An Assessment of Hearing Health Care Needs in Rural West Central and South Alabama
Overview
Not surprisingly, as people age, the prevalence of hearing loss increases. In the United States, roughly 40% of adults over the age of 40 years’ experience hearing loss (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2017). Globally, research has demonstrated that from 1990 to 2019, the years lived with dis-ability (YLD) attributable to hearing loss increased by 73.6% (GBD 2019 Hearing Loss Collaborators, 2021). Age-related hearing loss was the third largest cause of global YLD, after lower back pain and migraine, compared with other disease categories. It was ranked first among sensory disorders (GBD 2019 Hearing Loss Collaborators, 2021). Hearing loss has become a significant public health concern because of its association with physical health, cognition, and emotional well-being. Age-related hearing loss is the third leading cause of global years lived with disability after lower back pain and migraine. Among other sensory disorders, hearing loss is ranked first. To help mitigate these health concerns, access to affordable hearing health care across rural and urban communities will be necessary. For this study, the needs of rural communities and their residents with hearing loss were explored. Individual interviews and focus group discussions with 26 adults with hearing loss, 14 friends and family of those with hearing loss, and 25 community members who worked and lived in rural communities were conducted. It was concluded that future care mitigating health concerns for adults with hearing loss living in rural communities will involve inter professional collaboration and increased access to hearing health care.
Journal
American Journal of Audiology
| 3 | | R485.00 |  |
 |  | Dementia and Hearing Aid Use and Cessation: A National Study | Dementia and Hearing Aid Use and Cessation: A National Study
Dementia and Hearing Aid Use and Cessation: A National Study
Overview Hearing loss is common among older adults, affecting about two-thirds of those aged 70 and over, and up to 80% of those over 80. While often considered a benign aspect of aging, hearing loss is linked to significant health issues such as cognitive decline, poor mental health, and decreased physical function. The primary treatment for hearing loss in the United States is the use of hearing aids. However, the effectiveness of hearing aids in individuals with dementia is less clear, with limited national data on their use and cessation. This study utilized data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study to track hearing aid use among participants over a nine-year period. Researchers aimed to determine whether individuals with dementia were more likely to stop using hearing aids compared to those without dementia. They employed generalized estimating equations logistic regression to account for loss to follow-up and conducted supplemental analyses to examine the impact of caregiving and environmental factors on hearing aid cessation. The findings indicated that older adults with dementia were more likely to discontinue hearing aid use over time, particularly within the first year of adoption. This suggests that dementia significantly influences the continued use of hearing aids. The study highlights the need for strategies to support hearing aid use among those with dementia, such as self-management programs or education for caregivers, to improve communication for individuals facing both hearing loss and cognitive decline.
Journal American Journal of Audiology
| 3 | | R485.00 |  |
 |  | Hyperacusis Diagnosis and Management in the United States: Clinical Audiology Practice Patterns | Hyperacusis Diagnosis and Management in the United States: Clinical Audiology Practice Patterns
Hyperacusis Diagnosis and Management in the United States: Clinical Audiology Practice Patterns
Overview This study surveyed U.S. clinical audiologists to understand their practices regarding hyperacusis, a condition characterized by reduced tolerance to sound. Key findings include: • 15.2% of adults and 17.1% of children experience hyperacusis. • Hyperacusis involves discomfort, negative emotional reactions, and sometimes physical pain in response to sound. • Clinical audiologists lack uniform education on hyperacusis and face barriers to evidence-based diagnosis and management. • Effective management requires a multidisciplinary approach. The survey results aim to improve educational programs and develop systematic clinical protocols for hyperacusis management.
Journal American Journal of Audiology
| 3 | | R485.00 |  |
 |  | Effectiveness of remotely delivered speech therapy in persons with Parkinson’s disease – a randomised controlled trial | Effectiveness of remotely delivered speech therapy in persons with Parkinson’s disease – a randomised controlled trial
Effectiveness of remotely delivered speech therapy in persons with Parkinson’s disease – a randomised controlled trial
Overview Evidence supports the benefits of speech therapy in Parkinson's disease, but multiple in-person treatments present challenges for patients. This study assessed the effectiveness of remotely delivered and personalized speech therapy on improving quality of life and speech quality for individuals with Parkinson's disease. Up to 70% of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) may face issues with speech intelligibility due to hypokinetic dysarthria, impacting social interaction and quality of life. Hypokinetic speech is characterized by a soft, monotonous voice and small articulation movements, which deteriorate when fatigued. Since pharmacological treatment offers limited improvement, speech therapy is the preferred option to enhance speech quality and intelligibility. It is considered an integral part of comprehensive care for PD at all stages of the disease. Recent systematic reviews indicate increasing evidence for the effectiveness of speech therapy in PD. However, further research is required to explore its full potential due to limitations in previous studies, including small sample sizes and short follow-up periods. Additionally, outcome measures used in prior studies were suboptimal due to their limited clinical relevance. Generalizability was also restricted because most participants had mild to moderate PD, excluding those with more advanced stages of the disease. Personalized remote speech therapy improved communication-related quality of life, though it did not enhance overall quality of life. Journal eClinicalMedicine Volume 11 Issue 76
| 3 | | R460.00 |  |
| | Profiles of Dysarthria and Dysphagia in Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis | Profiles of Dysarthria and Dysphagia in Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Profiles of Dysarthria and Dysphagia in Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Overview While dysarthria and dysphagia are known bulbar manifestations of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the relative prevalence of speech and swallowing impairments and whether these bulbar symptoms emerge at the same time point or progress at similar rates is not yet clear. Dysphagia and dysarthria were instrumentally confirmed in 68% and 78% of individuals with ALS, respectively. Over half of the individuals with ALS in this study demonstrated both dysphagia and dysarthria. Of those with only one bulbar impairment, speech was twice as likely to be the first bulbar symptom to degrade. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine the longitudinal progression of bulbar impairments in this patient population.
Journal Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
| 3 | | R425.00 |  |
| | An Implicit–Explicit Framework for Intervention Methods in Developmental Language Disorder | An Implicit–Explicit Framework for Intervention Methods in Developmental Language Disorder
An Implicit–Explicit Framework for Intervention Methods in Developmental Language Disorder
Overview
The growing interest in framing intervention approaches as either implicit or explicit calls for a discussion of what makes intervention approaches engage each of these learning systems, with the goal of achieving a shared framework. This tutorial presents evidence for the interaction between implicit and explicit learning systems, and it highlights the intervention characteristics that promote implicit or explicit learning as well as outcome measures that tap into implicit or explicit knowledge. This framework is then applied to eight common intervention approaches and notable combinations of approaches to unpack their differential engagement of implicit and explicit learning.
Many intervention characteristics (e.g., instructions, elicitation techniques, feedback) can be manipulated to move an intervention along the implicit–explicit continuum. Given the bias for using explicit learning strategies that develops throughout childhood and into adulthood, clinicians should be aware that most interventions (even those that promote implicit learning) will engage the explicit learning system. However, increased awareness of the implicit and explicit learning systems and their cognitive demands will allow clinicians to choose the most appropriate intervention for the target behaviour.
| 3 | | R485.00 |  |
| | Comorbidity and Severity in Childhood Apraxia of Speech: A Retrospective Chart Review | Comorbidity and Severity in Childhood Apraxia of Speech: A Retrospective Chart Review
Comorbidity and Severity in Childhood Apraxia of Speech: A Retrospective Chart Review
Overview
The purpose of this study was to investigate comorbidity prevalence and patterns in childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and their relationship to severity. In this retroactive cross-sectional study, medical communication-related comorbidities were regressed on CAS severity as rated by speech-language pathologists during diagnosis. The relationship between CAS severity and the presence of four common comorbid conditions was also examined using ordinal or multinomial regressions. Children with comorbid intellectual disability (78.1%), receptive language impairment (72.5%), and nonspeech apraxia (37.3%; including limb, nonspeech oromotor, and oculomotor these comorbidities. However, children with comorbid autism spectrum disorder (33.6%) were no more likely to have severe CAS than children without autism.
Comorbidity appears to be the rule, rather than the exception, for children with CAS. Comorbid intellectual disability, receptive language impairment, and nonspeech apraxia confer additional risk for more severe forms of CAS. Findings are limited by being from a convenience sample of participants but inform future models of comorbidity.
| 3 | | R425.00 |  |
| | Factors Affecting the Use of Speech Testing in Adult Audiology | Factors Affecting the Use of Speech Testing in Adult Audiology
Factors Affecting the Use of Speech Testing in Adult Audiology
The aim of this study was to evaluate hearing health care professionals’ (HHPs) speech testing practices in routine adult audiology services and better understand the facilitators and barriers to speech testing provision.
Results from this study found that the percentage of U.K. HHPs making use of speech tests was low compared to that of other countries. HHPs recognized different benefits of speech testing in audiology practice, but the barriers limiting uptake were often driven by factors derived from decision makers rather than clinical rationale. Privately funded HHPs used speech tests more frequently than those working in the public sector where time and resources are under greater pressure and governed by guidance that does not include a recommendation for speech testing. Therefore, the inclusion of speech testing in national clinical guidelines could increase the consistency of use and facilitate the comparison of practice trends across centres.
Journal American Journal of Audiology
| 3 | | R485.00 |  |
| | Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Dizziness in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Dizziness in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Dizziness in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Extensive studies indicate that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) involves human sensory systems. A lack of discussion, however, exists given the auditory–vestibular system involvement in CoV disease 2019 (COVID-19). The present systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to determine the event rate (ER) of hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley) and World Health Organization updates were searched using combined keywords: ‘COVID-19,’ ‘SARS-CoV-2,’ ‘pandemic,’ ‘auditory dysfunction,’ ‘hearing loss,’ ‘tinnitus,’ ‘vestibular dysfunction,’ ‘dizziness,’ ‘vertigo,’ and ‘otologic symptoms.’ Twelve papers met the eligibility criteria and were included in the study. These papers were single group prospective, cross-sectional, or retrospective studies on otolaryngologic, neurologic, or general clinical symptoms of COVID-19 and had used subjective assessments for data collection (case histories/medical records). The results of the meta-analysis demonstrate that the ER of hearing loss (3.1%, CIs: 0.01–0.09), tinnitus (4.5%, CIs: 0.012–0.153), and dizziness (12.2%, CIs: 0.070–0.204) is statistically significant in patients with COVID-19 (Z = -4.469, p = 0.001).
Journal
The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences Inc.
| 3 | | R465.00 |  |
| | Ototoxicity Monitoring in South African Cancer Facilities: A National Survey | Ototoxicity Monitoring in South African Cancer Facilities: A National Survey
Ototoxicity Monitoring in South African Cancer Facilities: A National Survey
National information regarding ototoxicity monitoring practices is limited for patients undergoing chemotherapy in South Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the national status of ototoxicity monitoring implemented in private and public cancer facilities, the knowledge and ototoxicity monitoring approaches implemented, and reported challenges.
All public oncology units reported that ototoxicity monitoring only occurs on referral and is not standard practice. All private oncology units indicated that monitoring is on a patient self-referral basis when symptoms occur. Poor awareness of ototoxicity monitoring best practice guidelines was reported by all oncology units and 14% of audiology referral clinics. Audiology referral clinics reported adequate knowledge of ototoxicity protocols although they are not widely used with only 43% following best practice guidelines.
The most prominent challenges reported by participants was referral system (67% oncology units; 57% audiology referral clinics), environmental noise (83% oncology units; 86% audiology referral clinics) and the compromised status of cancer patients (67% oncology units; 57% audiology referral clinics).
Journal South African Journal of Communication Disorders
| 3 | | R420.00 |  |
| | Five-Minute Cognitive Test as A New Quick Screening of Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly | Five-Minute Cognitive Test as A New Quick Screening of Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly
Five-Minute Cognitive Test as A New Quick Screening of Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly
Overview
As old population is dramatically growing, the detection of early cognitive deficit will become increasingly crucial. Effective cognitive screening test with quick and convenient merits will ensure recognition of early cognitive deficit and timely intervention. This study aims to develop a new evaluation method for quickly and conveniently screening cognitive impairment in the elderly.
The five-minute cognitive test (FCT) was designed to capture deficits in five domains of cognitive abilities, including episodic memory, language fluency, time orientation, visuospatial function, and executive function. Subsequently, FCT efficiencies in differentiating normally cognitive ability from cognitive impairment were explored and compared with that of the Mini-Mental Status Evaluation (MMSE). Equipercentile equating method was utilized to create a crosswalk between scores of the FCT and MMSE. Further, the association of scores of the FCT and MMSE with hippocampal volumes was investigated.
Many screening tools are currently available, but no tools meet the four important requirements for widespread use in clinical practice or large-scale epidemiological studies — that is, capture a clinically acceptable range of cognitive domains, take short time to administrate (around 5 minutes), have high accuracy for detecting cognitive impairment, and incorporate visual recall, which is the earliest deficits in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. The FCT is a novel, reliable, and valid cognitive screening test for the detection of dementia at early stages.
Journal
JKL International LLC Aging and Disease Volume 10, Number 6 URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6844584/pdf/ad-10-6-1258.pdf
| 3 | | R425.00 |  |
| | Exercise Interventions in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care: An overview of the evidence and recommendations for implementation | Exercise Interventions in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care: An overview of the evidence and recommendations for implementation
Exercise Interventions in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care: An overview of the evidence and recommendations for implementation
Overview
The poor physical health of people with mental illness has long been established. A 15–20-year mortality gap arises from factors such as the likelihood of developing noncommunicable diseases, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, reduced access to and provision of physical health care, and side-effects of medication.
This has been labeled an international human rights scandal, since a large proportion of this risk is preventable. In recognition of these disparities, international health bodies have produced guidance to address poor physical health, including the World Health Organization, World Psychiatric Association, and a Lancet Psychiatry Commission.
The use of physical activity interventions in mental health care for adults has a large academic evidence base and numerous examples of real-world implementation. However, the use of physical activity within mental health care for children and young people (CYP) has received less attention to date.
The key conclusions from this article, suggest there is an increasingly strong evidence base for the benefits of using physical activity interventions to improve, prevent, and manage physical and mental health outcomes in CYP with mental illness. However, more work needs to be done to improve the evidence base, refine its implementation into standard mental health care, and develop strategies for large-scale dissemination of such interventions across various care and cultural contexts.
The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health JCPP Advances
| 3 | | R485.00 |  |
| | Implementation of Real-Time Speech Separation Model Using Time-Domain Audio Separation Network (TasNet) and Dual-Path Recurrent Neural Network (DPRNN) | Implementation of Real-Time Speech Separation Model Using Time-Domain Audio Separation Network (TasNet) and Dual-Path Recurrent Neural Network (DPRNN)
Implementation of Real-Time Speech Separation Model Using Time-Domain Audio Separation Network (TasNet) and Dual-Path Recurrent Neural Network (DPRNN)
Overview The purpose of this research is to develop a model that can perform real-time speaker independent multi-talker speech separation task in time-domain using Time-Domain Audio Separation Network (TasNet) and Dual-Path Recurrent Neural Network (DPRNN). This research conducted experiments on some RNN architectures, number of batch size, and optimizers as hyperparameters in order to implement TasNet and DPRNN. This research also tried to analyse the impact of these hyperparameters setup on model performance. The expected result of this research was a more accurate model and lower latency to complete speaker independent multi-talker speech separation task in real-time than previous research model
Authors Alfian Wijayakusumaa, Davin Reinaldo Gozalia, Anthony Widjajaa, Hanry Ham Journal Procedia Computer Science
| 3 | | R410.00 |  |
| | A call to action for the inclusion of ENT/Audiology services in the public health approach to addressing non-communicable diseases in the Pacific Islands | A call to action for the inclusion of ENT/Audiology services in the public health approach to addressing non-communicable diseases in the Pacific Islands
A call to action for the inclusion of ENT/Audiology services in the public health approach to addressing non-communicable diseases in the Pacific Islands
Overview According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the single largest cause of premature mortality in the Pacific Islands. A major strategy among Pacific nations is the implementation of the WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource Settings. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers are the major NCDs that may be prevented or managed through modifications in health behaviours such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and the harmful use of alcohol. The development of hearing loss is gradual, and initial hearing difficulties may be attributed to other causes by caregivers, such as lack of attention or poor concentration. Improvements in public health education and inclusion of routine ear/hearing health assessments in the care plan of people living with NCDs should reduce the burden of hearing disability in this population. Auditory rehabilitation services for people living with both NCDs and a hearing disorder should positively contribute to their quality of life, thus further reducing the burden of disability. This commentary argues that a public health approach to reducing permanent hearing impairment should similarly be adopted for adults, specifically through the inclusion of clinical and public health ENT/Audiology services within the existing strategic framework aimed at reducing the burden of NCDs in the Pacific Islands. This approach aligns with the World Report on Hearing which was launched on the March 3, 2021. Using the Pacific Island context as an example, this commentary further contributes to the discussion on prevention/management of NCDs as an avoidable cause of hearing disability among older adults.
Authors Annette Kaspar, Sione Pifeleti Journal Public Health in Practice
| 3 | | R435.00 |  |
| | Severe Distress – COVID 19 | Severe Distress – COVID 19
Severe Distress – COVID 19
Overview Since the emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection in December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread across the globe. The clinical spectrum of patients with COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic or mild symptoms to critical disease with a high risk of mortality. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the illness associated with the novel coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was initially noted during an outbreak of respiratory illness in the population of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, China. The first cases were seen in November 2019, with COVID-19 quickly spreading throughout the city. The World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of the outbreak on December 31, 2019. The cases continued to spread outside of the area and then across the world. COVID-19 was reported as a global health emergency by the end of January 2020. As the worldwide case numbers increased, the WHO declared on March 11, 2020, that COVID-19 had reached the pandemic stage.
The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
| 3 | | R425.00 |  |
| | Singing in different rooms: Common or individual adaptation patterns to the acoustic conditions? | Singing in different rooms: Common or individual adaptation patterns to the acoustic conditions?
Singing in different rooms: Common or individual adaptation patterns to the acoustic conditions?
Overview:
A classical singing performance occurring in different rooms is likely to vary for different reasons. This study investigates to which extent this variation is due to different acoustic conditions. To analyse the performance of four singers rendering four musical pieces in eight different rooms, room acoustical parameters were used to predict musical performance features extracted from recordings based on linear mixed-effects models.
Considering the common behaviour of all singers, only a small proportion of the variance in performance can be explained. Instead, rather individual patterns indicate that each singer developed a specific strategy of adaptation to the varying acoustic environment.
Authors:
Paul Luizard, Jochen Steffens, and Stefan Weinzierl
Article:
Citation: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 147, EL132 (2020); doi: 10.1121/10.0000715
| 3 | | R410.00 |  |
| | The Effect of Hearing Aid Use on Cognition in Older Adults: Can We Delay Decline or Even Improve Cognitive Function? | The Effect of Hearing Aid Use on Cognition in Older Adults: Can We Delay Decline or Even Improve Cognitive Function?
The Effect of Hearing Aid Use on Cognition in Older Adults: Can We Delay Decline or Even Improve Cognitive Function?
Overview: Hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor for dementia in older adults. Whether hearing aid use can delay the onset of cognitive decline is unknown. Participants in this study (aged 62–82 years) were assessed before and 18 months after hearing aid fitting on hearing, cognitive function, speech perception, quality of life, physical activity, loneliness, isolation, mood, and medical health.
At baseline, multiple linear regression showed hearing loss and age predicted significantly poorer executive function performance, while tertiary education predicted significantly higher executive function and visual learning performance. At 18 months after hearing aid fitting, speech perception in quiet, self-reported listening disability and quality of life had significantly improved. Group mean scores across the cognitive test battery showed no significant decline, and executive function significantly improved.
Authors: Julia Sarant, David Harris, Peter Busby, Paul Maru, Adrian Schembri, Ulrike Lemke and Stefan Launer
Article: J. Clin. Med. 2020
| 3 | | R380.00 |  |
| | Mixed-methods research: A tutorial for speech-language therapists and audiologists in South Africa | Mixed-methods research: A tutorial for speech-language therapists and audiologists in South Africa
Mixed-methods research: A tutorial for speech-language therapists and audiologists in South Africa
Overview
The aim of this tutorial is to increase awareness of the value of MMR, especially for readers less familiar with this research approach. A literature review was conducted to provide an overview of the key issues in MMR. The tutorial discusses the various issues to be considered in the critical appraisal of MMR, followed by an explanation of the process of conducting MMR. A critical review describes the strengths and challenges in MMR. MMR is less commonly used or published in the fields of speech-language therapy and audiology.
Researchers, SLTs and audiologists are encouraged to make use of MMR to address the complex research issues in the multicultural, multifaceted South African context. It was concluded that MMR makes an important contribution to the understanding of individuals with communication disorders, and in turn, researchers in the two disciplinary fields of speech-language therapy and audiology can contribute to the development of this research approach. MMR is well suited to the complexity of South African contexts and its populations, as it can provide multiple perspectives of a topic.
Acknowledgement
Authors Anna-Marie Wium and Brenda Louw
Journal South African Journal of Communication Disorders
| 3 | | R410.00 |  |