Developing a Memory and Communication App for Persons Living With Dementia: An 8-Step Process.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.3928/19404921-20210825-02.

Integration of Health Information Technology and Promotion of Personhood in Family-Centered Dementia Care: Intervention Trial.

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) often result in communication deficits that can lead to negative health outcomes as well as complications for caregiving and clinical care. Although augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices have demonstrated efficacy in assisting persons living with dementia (PLWD) in communicating, few devices offer customization for the person's care preferences (e.g., clothing, food, activities) or are designed for integration into clinical care and caregiving. To address this issue, our research team is developing a novel electronic AAC prototype with a touchscreen to promote communication and personhood for PLWD. The current article describes the development of this technology and uses the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) 2013 Statement to describe the clinical trial that is planned to test its efficacy. TARGETS: PLWD and their care partners. INTERVENTION DESCRIPTION: Use of AAC Plus to promote communication and personhood for PLWD. MECHANISMS OF ACTION: AAC Plus will provide PLWD and care partners a way to communicate PLWD's daily preferences and provide clinical data for health care providers. OUTCOMES: Determine whether enhanced communication of daily preferences of PLWD will improve quality of life of PLWD and their care partners. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04571502 (Date of registration October 1, 2020). [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 14(5), 225-234.].

The effects of self-generated synchronous and asynchronous visual speech feedback on overt stuttering frequency.

PURPOSE: Relatively recent research documents that visual choral speech, which represents an externally generated form of synchronous visual speech feedback, significantly enhanced fluency in those who stutter. As a consequence, it was hypothesized that self-generated synchronous and asynchronous visual speech feedback would likewise enhance fluency. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of self-generated visual feedback (i.e., synchronous speech feedback with a mirror and asynchronous speech feedback via delayed visual feedback) on overt stuttering frequency in those who stutter. METHOD: Eight people who stutter (4 males, 4 females), ranging from 18 to 42 years of age participated in this study. Due to the nature of visual speech feedback, the speaking task required that participants recite memorized phrases in control and experimental speaking conditions so that visual attention could be focused on the speech feedback, rather than a written passage. During experimental conditions, participants recited memorized phrases while simultaneously focusing on the movement of their lips, mouth, and jaw within their own synchronous (i.e., mirror) and asynchronous (i.e., delayed video signal) visual speech feedback. RESULTS: Results indicated that the self-generated visual feedback speaking conditions significantly decreased stuttering frequency (Greenhouse-Geisser p=.000); post hoc orthogonal comparisons revealed no significant differences in stuttering frequency reduction between the synchronous and asynchronous visual feedback speaking conditions (p=.2554). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that synchronous and asynchronous self-generated visual speech feedback is associated with significant reductions in overt stuttering frequency. Study results were discussed relative to existing theoretical models of fluency-enhancement via speech feedback, such as the engagement of mirror neuron networks, the EXPLAN model, and the Dual Premotor System Hypothesis. Further research in the area of self-generated visual speech feedback, as well as theoretical constructs accounting for how exposure to a multi-sensory speech feedback enhances fluency, is warranted. LEARNING OUTCOMES: : Readers will be able to (1) discuss the multi-sensory nature of fluency-enhancing speech feedback, (2) compare and contrast synchronous and asynchronous self-generated and externally generated visual speech feedback, and (3) compare and contrast self-generated and externally generated visual speech feedback.

Functional communication in individuals with chronic severe aphasia using augmentative communication.

Intervention incorporating augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is often implemented with adults with aphasia, although studies do not always specify the approaches and strategies used. This study examined abilities of three individuals with chronic non-fluent aphasia (NA) using a dynamic display AAC device to enhance communication. The device, Dialect with Speaking Dynamically Pro, was tailored to each participant's skill level using a treatment protocol adapted from Koul, Corwin, and Hayes (2005). The primary caregiver was the spouse. Pre and post-treatment measures revealed improvement in quality and effectiveness of communication for all participants. Improved linguistic and cognitive functioning was observed for two participants. Results are discussed relative to use of a device with other adults with chronic NA.

Incidence of word finding deficits in normal aging.

The incidence and pattern of word finding deficits was investigated in a group of 50 non-neurologically-impaired older adults, ranging in age from 54 to 75. The Test of Adolescent/Adult Word Finding (TAWF; German, 1990) was administered to all individuals. Overall, 28% of the adults exhibited abnormal word finding standard scores on the TAWF. Specifically, 3 word finding profiles were observed: (1) normal psychometric scores and normal word retrieval performance across all subtests; (2) normal psychometric performance with selective impairment on picture naming of nouns, and (3) abnormal word finding standard scores with impaired performance on more than 1 subtest, which included picture naming of nouns as well as category naming. The most frequently occurring error type on picture naming of nouns was productions that were semantically related to the target. The results are discussed relative to the representation of information in semantic memory and its interaction with the lexicon.