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Chenausky KV, Maffei M, Tager-Flusberg H, Green JR. Review of methods for conducting speech research with minimally verbal individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Augment Altern Commun 2023; 39:33-44. [PMID: 36345836 PMCID: PMC10364318 DOI: 10.1080/07434618.2022.2120071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this paper was to review best-practice methods of collecting and analyzing speech production data from minimally verbal autistic speakers. Data on speech production data in minimally verbal individuals are valuable for a variety of purposes, including phenotyping, clinical assessment, and treatment monitoring. Both perceptual ("by ear") and acoustic analyses of speech can reveal subtle improvements as a result of therapy that may not be apparent when correct/incorrect judgments are used. Key considerations for collecting and analyzing speech production data from this population are reviewed. The definition of "minimally verbal" that is chosen will vary depending on the specific hypotheses investigated, as will the stimuli to be collected and the task(s) used to elicit them. Perceptual judgments are ecologically valid but subject to known sources of bias; therefore, training and reliability procedures for perceptual analyses are addressed, including guidelines on how to select vocalizations for inclusion or exclusion. Factors to consider when recording and acoustically analyzing speech are also briefly discussed. In summary, the tasks, stimuli, training methods, analysis type(s), and level of detail that yield the most reliable data to answer the question should be selected. It is possible to obtain rich high-quality data even from speakers with very little speech output. This information is useful not only for research but also for clinical decision-making and progress monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen V. Chenausky
- MGH Institute of Health Professions, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marc Maffei
- MGH Institute of Health Professions, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jordan R. Green
- MGH Institute of Health Professions, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Speech and Hearing Biosciences and Technology Program, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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Peter B. A case with cardiac, skeletal, speech, and motor traits narrows the subtelomeric 19p13.3 microdeletion region to 46 kb. Am J Med Genet A 2023; 191:120-129. [PMID: 36271830 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Subtelomeric 19p13.3 deletions have been associated with diverse anatomical and developmental phenotypes. A recent study of eight patients with subtelomeric interstitial 19p13.3 microdeletions at 0.3-1.4 Mb (hg 19) showed associations with growth restrictions, skeletal deformities, craniofacial anomalies, congenital heart defects, renal malformations, hernias, immune system deficits, fine and gross motor delays, speech delays, and developmental and learning delays. The authors defined two small regions of overlap containing four and 11 genes, respectively, with potential haploinsufficiency. Here, we present a new case with a de novo 184 kb deletion containing eight genes, three of which fall into the second previously identified small region of overlap, reducing the shared region to 46 kb. Phenotypic traits include most of the core findings in the previously reported cases but not growth restrictions, craniofacial anomalies, renal malformation, and learning disability. A closer look at the speech and motor delays reveals apraxic speech and discoordination in the fine and gross motor domain, consistent with cerebellar involvement across motor systems. Findings are consistent with a role of AZU1 in the observed immune deficiencies and PTBP1 in the observed skeletal, abdominal, speech, language, motor, and sensory traits. This case thus contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the subtelomeric 19p13.3 deletion region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate Peter
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Bruce L, Peter B. Three children with different de novo BCL11A variants and diverse developmental phenotypes, but shared global motor discoordination and apraxic speech: Evidence for a functional gene network influencing the developing cerebellum and motor and auditory cortices. Am J Med Genet A 2022; 188:3401-3415. [PMID: 35856171 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BCL11A is implicated in BCL11A-Related Intellectual Development Disorder (BCL11A-IDD). Previously reported cases had various types of BCL11A variants (copy-number variations [CNVs], singlenucleotide variants [SNVs]). Phenotypes included global, cognitive, and motor delays, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), craniofacial dysmorphology, and speech and language delays described generally, with only two reports specifying childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Here, we present three additional children with CAS and de novo BCL11A variants, a p.Ala182Thr nonconservative missense and a p.GLu611.Ter nonsense variant, both in exon 4, and a 106 kb deletion harboring exons 1 and 2. All three children have fine and gross motor discoordination, feeding difficulties, and visual motor disorders. Intellectual and learning disabilities and disordered language skills were seen only in the child with the missense variant and the child with the deletion. These findings align with, and expand, previous findings in that BCL11A variants have significant and highly penetrant apraxic effects across motor systems, consistent with cerebellar involvement. The deletion of exons 1 and 2 is the smallest BCL11A CNV with the full phenotypic expression reported to date. The present results support previous findings in that BCL11A-IDD can result from BCL11A variants regardless of type (deletion, SNVs). A gene expression study shows that BCL11 is expressed highly in the early developing cerebellum and primary motor and auditory cortices. Significant co-expression rates in these regions with genes previously implicated in disorders of spoken language and in ASD support the phenotypic overlaps in children with BCL11A-IDD, CAS, and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel Bruce
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Beate Peter
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Finestack LH, Potter N, VanDam M, Davis J, Bruce L, Scherer N, Eng L, Peter B. Feasibility of a Proactive Parent-Implemented Communication Intervention Delivered via Telepractice for Children With Classic Galactosemia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2022; 31:2527-2538. [PMID: 36251874 PMCID: PMC9911118 DOI: 10.1044/2022_ajslp-22-00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study evaluated the feasibility of Babble Boot Camp (BBC) for use with infants with classic galactosemia (CG) starting at less than 6 months of age. BBC is a parent-implemented intervention delivered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) entirely via telepractice with the potential to increase access to early preventative interventions. We evaluated BBC feasibility based on acceptability, implementation, and practicality. METHOD We obtained data from 16 parents of infants with CG (mean age at enrollment = 3.38 months) involved in a large randomized clinical trial of BBC. BBC uses a teach-model-coach-review approach to provide parents with strategies to support their child's communication development. Families completed, on average, eighty-one 15-min sessions over a 20-month intervention period. We drew data from surveys completed by parents at the end of the intervention period, intervention logs maintained by the SLPs, and intervention fidelity checks completed by research assistants. RESULTS Data drawn from parent surveys, intervention logs, and intervention fidelity checks revealed high parent acceptability, high rates of completion and compliance, and low costs in terms of parent and clinician time. CONCLUSION Results suggest that BBC is feasible for families of infants with CG, warranting further examination of BBC across a broader range of children with CG as well as other infants who are at predictable risk for speech and language impairment.
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Peter B, Davis J, Cotter S, Belter A, Williams E, Stumpf M, Bruce L, Eng L, Kim Y, Finestack L, Stoel-Gammon C, Williams D, Scherer N, VanDam M, Potter N. Toward Preventing Speech and Language Disorders of Known Genetic Origin: First Post-Intervention Results of Babble Boot Camp in Children With Classic Galactosemia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2021; 30:2616-2634. [PMID: 34665663 PMCID: PMC9135004 DOI: 10.1044/2021_ajslp-21-00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Babble Boot Camp (BBC) is a package of proactive activities and routines designed to prevent speech and language disorders in infants at predictable risk. It is implemented via parent training and currently undergoing clinical trial in children with a newborn diagnosis of classic galactosemia (CG), a metabolic disease with high risk of speech and language disorders. The purpose of this study is to provide updates to a previous pilot study and to present the first set of post-intervention results. Method The intervention and data collection occurred during child ages < 6-24 months, with follow-up assessments of speech and language at ages 2.5 and 3.5 years. Treatment targets included earliest vocalization rates, babble complexity, speech production accuracy, and vocabulary and syntactic growth. The oldest 15 children with CG (including three untreated controls) completed the first set of follow-up assessments. Aggregate data up to 10 months were available for 17 treated children with CG, six untreated children with CG, and six typical controls. Results At ages 7-9 months, babbling complexity, as measured with mean babbling level, was higher in the treated children with CG than in the untreated children with CG and the typical controls. Prior to 24 months of age, the treated children with CG had greater expressive but not receptive vocabulary sizes than an untreated control. Follow-up testing showed typical language scores for all 12 treated children with CG and typical articulation scores for 11 of these, whereas one of three untreated children with CG had low articulation and expressive language scores. Conclusions The BBC appears to be a viable intervention to support the speech and expressive language development of children with GC. Future studies will evaluate the relative contributions of the earliest and later BBC components to outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate Peter
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Saint Louis University, MO
| | - Jennifer Davis
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Sarah Cotter
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Alicia Belter
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Emma Williams
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Melissa Stumpf
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Laurel Bruce
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Linda Eng
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Yookyung Kim
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Lizbeth Finestack
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis
| | - Carol Stoel-Gammon
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Delaney Williams
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane
| | - Nancy Scherer
- Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - Mark VanDam
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane
| | - Nancy Potter
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane
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Zhao TC, Boorom O, Kuhl PK, Gordon R. Infants' neural speech discrimination predicts individual differences in grammar ability at 6 years of age and their risk of developing speech-language disorders. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100949. [PMID: 33823366 PMCID: PMC8047161 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The 'sensitive period' for phonetic learning posits that between 6 and 12 months of age, infants' discrimination of native and nonnative speech sounds diverge. Individual differences in this dynamic processing of speech have been shown to predict later language acquisition up to 30 months of age, using parental surveys. Yet, it is unclear whether infant speech discrimination could predict longer-term language outcome and risk for developmental speech-language disorders, which affect up to 16 % of the population. The current study reports a prospective prediction of speech-language skills at a much later age-6 years-old-from the same children's nonnative speech discrimination at 11 months-old, indexed by MEG mismatch responses. Children's speech-language skills at 6 were comprehensively evaluated by a speech-language pathologist in two ways: individual differences in spoken grammar, and the presence versus absence of speech-language disorders. Results showed that the prefrontal MEG mismatch response at 11 months not only significantly predicted individual differences in spoken grammar skills at 6 years, but also accurately identified the presence versus absence of speech-language disorders, using a machine-learning classification. These results represent new evidence that advance our theoretical understanding of the neurodevelopmental trajectory of language acquisition and early risk factors for developmental speech-language disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Christina Zhao
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Olivia Boorom
- Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Reyna Gordon
- Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Delnoy B, Coelho AI, Rubio-Gozalbo ME. Current and Future Treatments for Classic Galactosemia. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11020075. [PMID: 33525536 PMCID: PMC7911353 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11020075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Type I (classic) galactosemia, galactose 1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (GALT)-deficiency is a hereditary disorder of galactose metabolism. The current therapeutic standard of care, a galactose-restricted diet, is effective in treating neonatal complications but is inadequate in preventing burdensome complications. The development of several animal models of classic galactosemia that (partly) mimic the biochemical and clinical phenotypes and the resolution of the crystal structure of GALT have provided important insights; however, precise pathophysiology remains to be elucidated. Novel therapeutic approaches currently being explored focus on several of the pathogenic factors that have been described, aiming to (i) restore GALT activity, (ii) influence the cascade of events and (iii) address the clinical picture. This review attempts to provide an overview on the latest advancements in therapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Delnoy
- Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.D.); (A.I.C.)
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ana I. Coelho
- Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.D.); (A.I.C.)
| | - Maria Estela Rubio-Gozalbo
- Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands; (B.D.); (A.I.C.)
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-43-3872920
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