A case for genetics education: collaborating with speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

Because speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists (AUDs) are among the first referrals for parents of children exhibiting feeding, speech, language, hearing, and balance difficulties, it is important for SLP and AUD professionals to recognize genetic causes of and contributions to complex and Mendelian communication disorders. We review genetics in the curricula of speech-language pathology and audiology programs and obstacles to its integration throughout curricula. We present suggestions about how SLPs and AUDs can aid in diagnosis and contribute their clinical expertise in characterizing phenotypes, followed with a review of a new genetics-education website developed by the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG), the University of Cincinnati, and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. The need to integrate genetics content into curricula and continuing education across disciplines is clear, as is the need for and benefit of multidisciplinary collaboration in patient care. The NCHPEG site for speech-language pathology and audiology begins to address those needs and may serve as a practical model for future multidisciplinary collaborations between genetics professionals and other health professions.

'What's his name?' A comparison of elderly participants' and undergraduate students' misnamings.

This study examined the effects of age on the types of errors produced when recalling names of faces. The types of errors included confusions (errors within the target set), intrusions (errors outside the target set), errors phonologically similar to the target, errors not phonologically similar to the target, and errors containing the same number of syllables as the target name. Participants included 49 elderly adults (57-85 years) and 48 undergraduate students (18-44 years). Age group had a significant effect on the number of name errors produced (n=681 for elderly and n=422 for undergraduates). Elderly participants produced more confusions than their younger counterparts; however, younger participants produced significantly more intrusions. The age groups also differed in their production of error names that were phonologically similar to the target name. The elderly participants produced more errors that were not phonologically similar to the target than the young adults. The results are discussed with regard to theories of name-face association and tip-of-the-tongue phenomena.

The influence of learning style and cognitive ability on recall of names and faces in an older population.

The present study examined whether, for older adults, a verbal or imagery cognitive style is associated with recall of names and faces learned in an experimental condition. Cognitive abilities that are represented in current models of face recognition and name recall were also examined. Those abilities included picture naming, verbal fluency (i.e., naming items within a given category), vocabulary comprehension, visual memory, and the learning of unassociated word pairs. Fifty older adults attempted to learn first and last names of 20 student actors and actresses pictured on videotapes (40 names total). On average, participants learned the most first names, followed by last names, and the fewest full names. The greater the number of responses on a questionnaire associated with an imagery cognitive style, the more the names of faces were correctly identified by participants. There was no significant relationship between a verbal cognitive style and the number of names and faces recalled. As for cognitive abilities, all of the abilities measured--with the exception of vocabulary comprehension--were significantly associated with the number of names and faces learned. A regression analysis indicated that the best predictor of successful name-face learning was the participants' ability to learn and recall 5 unrelated word pairs. When that cognitive measure was deleted from the regression analysis, delayed visual memory and verbal fluency were the next best predictors of the older adults' ability to learn names and faces.

Perseverative writing errors in a patient with Alzheimer's disease.

This study reports the writing performance of a dysgraphic patient with Alzheimer's disease and moderate dementia who frequently perseverated on strokes and letters. Letter formation errors were also frequently produced. Oral spelling was superior to written spelling. The habitual style of writing (cursive writing) was significantly more prone to perseverations than writing in uppercase letters, a form of writing less frequently used by the patient. Central (linguistic) spelling processes were relatively preserved. The pattern of preserved and impaired functions is consistent with impairment of the peripheral mechanism that generates the graphic motor patterns code. We suggest that damage to the peripheral orthographic mechanism may cause deficits in some patients with Alzheimer's disease.