Speech and Nonspeech Parameters in the Clinical Assessment of Dysarthria: A Dimensional Analysis.

Nonspeech (or paraspeech) parameters are widely used in clinical assessment of speech impairment in persons with dysarthria (PWD). Virtually every standard clinical instrument used in dysarthria diagnostics includes nonspeech parameters, often in considerable numbers. While theoretical considerations have challenged the validity of these measures as markers of speech impairment, only a few studies have directly examined their relationship to speech parameters on a broader scale. This study was designed to investigate how nonspeech parameters commonly used in clinical dysarthria assessment relate to speech characteristics of dysarthria in individuals with movement disorders. Maximum syllable repetition rates, accuracies, and rates of isolated and repetitive nonspeech oral-facial movements and maximum phonation times were compared with auditory-perceptual and acoustic speech parameters. Overall, 23 diagnostic parameters were assessed in a sample of 130 patients with movement disorders of six etiologies. Each variable was standardized for its distribution and for age and sex effects in 130 neurotypical speakers. Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to examine the factor structure underlying the diagnostic parameters. In the first analysis, we tested the hypothesis that nonspeech parameters combine with speech parameters within diagnostic dimensions representing domain-general motor control principles. In a second analysis, we tested the more specific hypotheses that diagnostic parameters split along effector (lip vs. tongue) or functional (speed vs. accuracy) rather than task boundaries. Our findings contradict the view that nonspeech parameters currently used in dysarthria diagnostics are congruent with diagnostic measures of speech characteristics in PWD.

Rostral Anterior Cingulate Glutamine/Glutamate Disbalance in Major Depressive Disorder Depends on Symptom Severity.

BACKGROUND: Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) show glutamatergic deficits in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex. The glutamine/glutamate (Gln/Glu) ratio was proposed to be connected to glutamatergic cycling, which is hypothesized to be dysregulated in MDD. As an indicator of regional metabolite status, this ratio might be a robust state marker sensitive to clinical heterogeneity. METHODS: Thirty-two MDD patients (mean age 40.88 ± 13.66 years, 19 women) and control subjects (mean age 33.09 ± 8.24 years, 19 women) were compared for pregenual anterior cingulate cortex levels of Gln/Glu, Gln/total creatine (tCr), Glu/tCr, and gamma-aminobutyric acid/tCr as determined by high-field magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We tested if symptom severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and anhedonia (Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale) influence the relation of metabolites to clinical symptoms. RESULTS: MDD patients showed higher Gln/Glu. This was driven by marginally higher Gln/tCr and nonsignificantly lower Glu/tCr. Groups defined by severity moderated relationship between Gln/Glu and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Moreover, severe cases differed from both control subjects and moderate cases. Groups defined by the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale also displayed differential relationship between Gln/Glu and levels of anhedonia, predominantly driven by Gln/tCr. CONCLUSIONS: We elaborate previous accounts of metabolite deficits in the anterior cingulate cortex toward increased Gln/Glu. There is a moderated relationship between severity and the ratio, which suggests consideration of different mechanisms or disease state for the respective subgroups in future studies.

Gauging the Auditory Dimensions of Dysarthric Impairment: Reliability and Construct Validity of the Bogenhausen Dysarthria Scales (BoDyS).

Purpose: Standardized clinical assessment of dysarthria is essential for management and research. We present a new, fully standardized dysarthria assessment, the Bogenhausen Dysarthria Scales (BoDyS). The measurement model of the BoDyS is based on auditory evaluations of connected speech using 9 scales (traits) assessed by 4 elicitation methods. Analyses of the BoDyS' reliability and construct validity were performed to test this model, with the aim of gauging the auditory dimensions of speech impairment in dysarthria. Method: Interrater agreement was examined in 70 persons with dysarthria. Construct validity was examined in 190 persons with dysarthria using a multitrait-multimethod design with confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Interrater agreement of < 1 on a 5-point scale was found in 91% of cases across listener pairs and scales. Average reliability was .85. Inspection of the multitrait-multimethod matrix pointed at a high convergent and discriminant validity. Modeling of the BoDyS trait and method factors using confirmatory factor analysis yielded high goodness of fit. Model coefficients confirmed high discriminant and convergent validity and revealed meaningful relationships between scales and methods. Conclusions: The 9 auditory scales of the BoDyS provide a reliable and valid profile of dysarthric impairment. They permit standardized measurement of clinically relevant dimensions of dysarthric speech.

PetriJet Platform Technology: An Automated Platform for Culture Dish Handling and Monitoring of the Contents.

Due to the size of the required equipment, automated laboratory systems are often unavailable or impractical for use in small- and mid-sized laboratories. However, recent developments in automation engineering provide endless possibilities for incorporating benchtop devices. Here, the authors describe the development of a platform technology to handle sealed culture dishes. The programming is based on the Petri net method and implemented via Codesys V3.5 pbF. The authors developed a system of three independent electrical driven axes capable of handling sealed culture dishes. The device performs two difference processes. First, it automatically obtains an image of every processed culture dish. Second, a server-based image analysis algorithm provides the user with several parameters of the cultivated sample on the culture dish. For demonstration purposes, the authors developed a continuous, systematic, nondestructive, and quantitative method for monitoring the growth of a hairy root culture. New results can be displayed with respect to the previous images. This system is highly accurate, and the results can be used to simulate the growth of biological cultures. The authors believe that the innovative features of this platform can be implemented, for example, in the food industry, clinical environments, and research laboratories.

Anatomical shape analysis of the mandible in Caucasian and Chinese for the production of preformed mandible reconstruction plates.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze statistical shapes of the outer mandible contour of Caucasian and Chinese people, offering data for the production of preformed mandible reconstruction plates. METHODS: A CT-database of 925 Caucasians (male: n=463, female: n=462) and 960 Chinese (male: n=469, female: n=491) including scans of unaffected mandibles were used and imported into the 3D modeling software Voxim (IVS-Solutions, Chemnitz, Germany). Anatomical landmarks (n=22 points for both sides) were set using the 3D view along the outer contour of the mandible at the area where reconstruction plates are commonly located. We used morphometric methods for statistical shape analysis. RESULTS: We found statistical relevant differences between populations including a distinct discrimination given by the landmarks at the mandible. After generating a metric model this shape information which separated the populations appeared to be of no clinical relevance. The metric size information given by ramus length however provided a profound base for the production of standard reconstruction plates. CONCLUSION: Clustering by ramus length into three sizes and calculating means of these size-clusters seem to be a good solution for constructing preformed reconstruction plates that will fit a vast majority.

Phytochemical and antimicrobial characterization of Macleaya cordata herb.

Macleaya cordata (plume poppy) is a source of bioactive compounds, mainly isoquinoline alkaloids which are used in phytopreparations with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. In this study, the alkaloids sanguinarine, chelerythrine, their dihydro derivatives, protopine and allocryptopine and phenolics, gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, m-hydroxybenzoic, gentisic, p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic and sinapic acids were determined in extracts prepared from M. cordata aerial part, seeds, and seed capsules using HPLC with UV detection and/or LC/MS with electrospray ionization. The highest content of sanguinarine and chelerythrine was found in capsules. Protopine and allocryptopine were major alkaloids in leaves including footstalks. The seed oil contained dihydrosanguinarine, dihydrochelerythrine and twelve fatty acids of which linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids predominated. In addition, sanguinarine reductase, a key enzyme in sanguinarine/dihydrosanguinarine equilibrium in plants, was found for the first time, in the soluble proteins of leaves. Finally, extracts were tested for antimicrobial activity using the microdilution method on standard reference bacterial strains.