Lingual vibrotactile threshold shift differences between stutterers and normal speakers during magnitude-estimation scaling

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in tactile sensory system function between stutterers and normal speakers. This task was accomplished by studying possible tactile threshold shifts occurring during magnitude-estimation scaling of vibratory stimuli presented to the dorsal surface of the tongue. Ten normal speaking men (M age = 19.7 yr.) and 10 stutterers (M age = 25.9 yr.) participated. Analysis suggested that stutterers and normal speakers differ in terms of the responsiveness of the sensory mechanism for the lingual tactile threshold to vibratory stimulus intensities applied at suprathreshold levels. The stutterers and normal speakers performed similarly on all aspects of the magnitude-estimation scaling tasks, but the amount of threshold shift occurring during the scaling procedures was significantly greater for the stutterers at each suprathreshold intensity level employed.     

Comparison of lingual vibrotactile suprathreshold numerical responses in men and women: effects of threshold shift during magnitude-estimation scaling

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in tactile sensory system function between men and women. This task was accomplished by studying the effects of possible tactile threshold shifts occurring during magnitude-estimation scaling of vibratory stimuli presented to the dorsal surface of the tongue. 12 men (M age = 19.7 yr.) and 12 women (M age = 19.3 yr.) participated. Analysis suggested that men and women have tactile sensory systems that operate similarly at both threshold and suprathreshold levels of stimulation. Men and women do, however, choose to use consistently different numerical responses to suprathreshold stimuli, suggesting that environmental and/or cultural-educational influences may be involved in numerical decision-making aspects of the scaling process.     

Lingual vibrotactile threshold shift during magnitude-estimation scaling: effects on magnitude-estimation responses and scaling behavior across age

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of age on tactile threshold shifts occurring during magnitude-estimation scaling of vibratory stimuli presented to the dorsal surface of the tongue. Relationships of the lingual vibrotactile threshold shifts to suprathreshold stimulus intensity, magnitude-estimation responses, and over-all scaling behavior were explored. Three groups differing in mean age participated in this study (Group 1 8.05 yr., Group 2 19.46 yr., and Group 3 56.2 yr.). Each subject performed two magnitude-estimation tasks. In one task, threshold of sensitivity was measured after every suprathreshold numerical response to the subject. If a threshold shift was recorded, threshold was allowed to return to the pretest baseline level continuing to the next suprathreshold stimulus presentation. The results showed that threshold shift during magnitude-estimation scaling took place for all three age groups and that the shift was related to the intensity of the suprathreshold vibratory stimulus being applied to the tongue. They also showed that Group 2 (young adults) performed magnitude-estimation scaling differently when threshold shift was controlled than when it was not. The other two groups of subjects were not similarly affected.     

Lingual vibrotactile threshold and suprathreshold responses of normal-speaking black and white young adults.

A paradigm for studying oral sensory tactile function through use of single frequency vibration applied to the dorsal surface of the tongue was administered to a group of 10 young black women and 10 young white normal-speaking women. Analyses showed no differences between groups with regard to lingual vibrotactile threshold of sensitivity or suprathreshold magnitude-estimation scaling responses.     

Speech clarity/intelligibility: test-retest reliability of magnitude-estimation scaling

The reliability of magnitude-estimation scaling as a measure of overall clarity of speech was investigated. 40 subjects (M age = 19 yr.) provided magnitude-estimation responses for nine audiotaped versions of a nonsense sentence varying systematically in number of correct consonant phonemes. There was no significant difference in the magnitude-estimation responses of the subjects during two test sessions separated by one week. Analysis suggested that magnitude-estimation scaling is a reliable measure of speech clarity/intelligibility. This finding is discussed in relation to speech samples varying in aspects other than number of consonant phonemes correct and possible further clinical research applications.     

Vibrotactile threshold shift during magnitude-estimation scaling on the hand: effects on magnitude-estimation responses and scaling behavior

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether threshold shifts occurred during magnitude-estimation scaling of suprathreshold stimuli presented to the thenar eminence of the right hand. Possible relationships of the vibrotactile threshold shifts to suprathreshold stimulus intensity, magnitude-estimation responses, and over-all scaling behavior were explored. A single group of 14 subjects whose ages ranged from 18 to 22 yr. participated. Each subject performed two magnitude-estimation tasks. In one of the tasks threshold of sensitivity was determined after every suprathreshold numerical response of the subject. If a threshold shift was recorded, threshold was allowed to return to pretest baseline level before continuation to the next suprathreshold stimulus presentation. Analysis showed that threshold shift did occur during vibrotactile magnitude-estimation scaling on the hand and that it was related to suprathreshold stimulus intensity. Results also showed that the subjects' numerical magnitude-estimation responses and over-all scaling behavior in the form of power function exponents were not statistically different for the two scaling tasks.     

Effects of auditory masking on lingual vibrotactile magnitude-estimation scaling responses of young children

Studies of lingual vibrotactile magnitude-estimation scaling have focused primarily on the responses of normal young adults. Little is known about the scaling responses of young children to suprathreshold vibratory stimulation because of the complexities of the experimental procedure. Binaural auditory masking is one aspect of the procedure that has recently been studied in adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of binaural auditory masking on lingual vibrotactile magnitude-estimation responses of young children. Four children whose mean age was 4.6 yr. completed magnitude-estimation scaling tasks for eight lingual vibrotactile suprathreshold intensity levels (6, 10, 16, 20, 26, 30, 36, 40 dB SL) under masking and no masking conditions. Results suggest possible effects of auditory masking on the lingual vibrotactile magnitude-estimation scaling responses of these young children that have not been found for such responses of adults.     

Lingual vibrotactile threshold shift during magnitude-estimation scaling: effects on magnitude-estimation responses and scaling behavior

The purpose of the present study was to determine if lingual vibrotactile threshold shifts occurred during magnitude-estimation scaling of suprathreshold stimuli presented to the dorsal surface of the tongue. Possible relationships of the lingual vibrotactile threshold shifts to suprathreshold stimulus intensity, magnitude-estimation responses, and overall scaling behavior were explored. A single group of 24 subjects with an age range of 18 to 22 years participated in this study. Each subject performed two magnitude-estimation tasks. In one of the tasks, threshold of sensitivity was determined after every suprathreshold numerical response of the subject. If a threshold shift was recorded, threshold was allowed to return to the pretest baseline level before continuing to the next suprathreshold stimulus presentation. The results showed that threshold shift did occur during lingual vibrotactile magnitude-estimation scaling, and that it was related to suprathreshold stimulus intensity. The results also showed that the numerical magnitude-estimation responses of the subjects were different for the two scaling tasks. Overall scaling behavior of the subjects in the form of power-function exponents was not different for the two tasks.     

Comparison of orosensory confusions of hearing and hearing-impaired adults

The relation between orosensory perception and articulation in 38 normal hearing adults (mean age = 20.1 yr.) with no articulation problems and 63 hearing-impaired adults (mean age = 21.2 yr.) with articulation disorders was investigated. All adults were asked to identify as a visual-matching task the 20 National Institute of Dental Research orosensory forms with handles. Comparison of number and types of orosensory confusions of the participants showed no significant differences between the groups. Results could have been influenced by the test, the response sought, or the origin and nature of the articulation disorders of the hearing-impaired participants. Implications for further research are discussed.     

Lingual vibrotactile/auditory magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching: comparison of suprathreshold responses in men and women

The purpose of this study was to investigate the response patterns of men and women to suprathreshold lingual-vibrotactile and auditory stimulation. The psychophysical methods of magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching were used on a group of 10 men (M age = 19.6 yr.) and 10 women (M age = 20.2 yr.). Analysis showed that the men and women performed differently on the magnitude-estimation tasks and similarly on the cross-modal matching tasks. These results suggested that sex differences on suprathreshold psychophysical scaling may be related to the way men and women use numbers as opposed to possible differences in the perception of suprathreshold sensory stimuli by men and women.     

Effects of exposure to psychophysical scaling on lingual vibrotactile magnitude estimation and magnitude production

The purpose of the present study was to determine if the results obtained by the scaling methods of magnitude estimation and magnitude production could be influenced by providing subjects with prior exposure to psychophysical scaling in the form of magnitude estimation or magnitude production. Group 1 (n = 10, Mage = 21.1 yr.) performed lingual vibrotactile-magnitude estimation followed by lingual vibrotactile magnitude production. Group 2 (n = 10, Mage = 19.7 yr.) performed lingual vibrotactile-magnitude production (using the magnitude-estimation responses provided by Group 1), followed by lingual vibrotactile-magnitude estimation. For the magnitude estimations there was no over-all statistically significant difference between the two groups, but there was for the magnitude-production values. Magnitude-estimation scaling was apparently not influenced by prior exposure to magnitude production, while magnitude-production scaling was influenced by prior exposure to magnitude estimation. The results are discussed in terms of how subjective scaling behavior in psychophysical experimentation may be influenced by the interaction between an absolute internal scaling mechanism and parameters set by the experimenter, such as scaling method and range of stimulus intensity.     

Exposure effects on the psychophysical scaling methods of magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching for vibrotactile stimulation of the tongue and hand

The purpose of the present study was to investigate possible effects of exposure upon psychophysical scaling responses when vibrotactile magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching are conducted within the same experiment. Four groups of 10 subjects each, with an over-all age range of 18-23 yr., were employed. Groups 1 and 2 performed magnitude estimation for lingual vibrotaction and cross-modal matching with the lingual vibrotactile stimulus as the standard. Group 1 received the magnitude-estimation task first and Group 2 received the cross-modal-matching task first. Groups 3 and 4 performed magnitude estimation for vibrotaction applied to the thenar eminence of the hand and cross-modal matching with the vibrotactile stimulus applied to the thenar eminence of the hand as the standard. Group 3 received the magnitude-estimation task first and Group 4 received the cross-modal-matching task first. The psychophysical scaling methods of magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching showed very little exposure effect of one upon the other when used in the same experiment. Also, magnitude scaling responses tended to increase more rapidly with increases in vibrotactile stimulus intensity when the test site was the thenar eminence of the hand as opposed to the dorsum of the tongue.     

Magnitude estimation and magnitude production: stimulus frequency effects on magnitudes of lingual vibrotactile sensation

The methods of magnitude estimation and magnitude production were employed to investigate the effects of stimulus frequency on supra-threshold lingual-vibrotactile sensation-magnitude functions. The method of magnitude estimation was used to obtain numerical judgments of sensation magnitudes for nine stimulus intensities presented to the anterior dorsum of the tongue. The vibrotactile stimulus frequencies employed for 10 subjects (M age = 21.1 yr.) were 100, 250, and 400 Hz. The numerical responses obtained during the magnitude-estimation task were in turn used as stimuli to obtain magnitude-production values for the same three vibrotactile stimulus frequencies. The results appeared to present two suggestions. First, the effects of stimulus frequency on lingual vibrotactile-sensation magnitudes may be dependent on the psychophysical method used in any particular experiment. Second, lingual-vibrotactile magnitude-estimation scales may demonstrate asymptotic growth functions above about 25 dB sensation level. The limitation in the growth of sensation magnitude occurred for all three vibrotactile stimulus frequencies employed.     

Midline and off-midline tongue and right- and left-hand vibrotactile thresholds of stutterers and normal-speaking individuals

Vibrotactile thresholds for 7 male stutterers and 7 normal-speaking men (age range for both groups = 19 to 32 yr.) were obtained from the right, midline, and left sides of the lingual dorsum, and the thenar eminences of both hands. The stutterers showed slightly higher (less sensitive) mean thresholds than the normal speakers for all three lingual test sites. This was not the case for the thresholds obtained from both hands. The preliminary data suggest that oral peripheral sensory integrity might be somewhat different for stutterers than for normal-speaking individuals.     

Comparison of balance and gait in visually or hearing impaired children

The study was planned to evaluate the effect of loss of hearing and vision on balance and gait in 60 children, 20 of whom had hearing loss (M age = 9.3 yr., SD = 0.9), 20 who were visually impaired (M age = 12.2 yr., SD = 2.5), and 20 controls with no disability (M age = 9.4 yr., SD = 0.6). Standing Balance subtests of the Southern California Sensory Integration Tests were used. Gait analysis was conducted on a powdered surface. When the gait analysis results of the three groups of children were compared, statistically significant differences were noted. Scores for the hearing impaired group were more like those of the control group than those of the visually impaired group. Results show that children with visual impairment had more problems with balance and gait than controls.     

Perceptual skills of children with developmental coordination disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate whether children with a Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) experience problems in the processing of visual, proprioceptive or tactile information. Different aspects of visual perception were tested with the Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP-2), tactile perception was assessed with the Tactual Performance Test (TPT), and a manual pointing task was employed to measure the ability to use visual and proprioceptive information in goal-directed movements. Nineteen children with DCD and nineteen age and sex-matched controls participated in this study. Differences between groups were most pronounced in the subtests measuring visual-motor integration of the DTVP-2, and in two subtests measuring visual perception (visual closure and position in space). On average the children with DCD performed slightly below the norm for tactile perception, with only three children failing the norm. On the manual pointing task, children with DCD made inconsistent responses towards the targets in all three conditions (visual, visual-proprioceptive and proprioceptive condition). No significant differences between groups were found for absolute error. Inspection of the individual data revealed that only two children failed on the majority of perceptual tasks in the three modalities. Across tasks, no consistent pattern of deficits appeared, illustrating the heterogeneity of the problems of children with DCD.     

Tactile stimulation and interhemispheric communication by learning disabled children: an exploratory study

33 right-handed, learning disabled children aged 8-10 yr., 11-13 yr., and 14-16 yr. were presented a tactile discrimination task. Pairs of fabrics of different or the same texture were presented to the same hand (uncrossed condition) or alternating hands (crossed condition). Analysis indicated that the total number of crossed errors was significantly greater for the youngest children. There were no significant differences between the groups for the uncrossed condition. These results suggest that younger learning disabled children may experience greater difficulty on a task which required interhemispheric transfer.     

Spatial cognition and motor development: a study of children with spina bifida

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between motor development and spatial cognition. The sample was 20 children with Spina bifida (M age: 11.4 yr., SD = 1.7) and 20 healthy children as controls (M age: 11.8, SD = 1.8 yr.). An experimental assessment of motor development in spatial cognition in a simulated virtual maze by school-age children is lacking. In this study children with Spina bifida, who were impaired in walking since birth, completed four visuospatial tasks in a small-scale space (Mental Rotation, Water-Level Task, Embedded Figures Test, Visual Short-term Memory Test), and a spatial behaviour and knowledge task in a virtual maze. These children showed poorer performance than children in the control group on most measures. The results are discussed with respect to theoretical implications and further research.     

Attention of preschool children: electrodermal activity during auditory stimulation

Electrodermal activity during passive and active listening tasks of 43 healthy preschool children (aged 4 yr., 8 mo. to 6 yr., 5 mo.) was studied. The procedure included the following phases: baseline recording (3 min.), a passive listening task, instructions, and an active listening task. An increase in mean amplitude of skin conductance response (SCR) was found during the active listening task over the level for the passive listening task over 10 trials. On the passive listening task from Trial 1 to Trial 10, habituation of mean SCR amplitude occurred. The younger children, moreover, exhibited significantly greater habituation than the older children. Habituation of mean SCR amplitude did not occur during the active listening task. No significant difference was found in mean SCR amplitude during the active listening task for the two age groups. The children seemed to pay more attention during the active listening task than during the passive listening task. The younger children, moreover, are believed to have shorter attention spans.     

Auditory psychophysical scaling exposure effects: magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching

The purpose of the present study was to investigate possible effects of exposure upon suprathreshold psychological responses when auditory magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching with audition as the standard are conducted within the same experiment. Four groups of 10 subjects each whose over-all age range was 18 to 23 yr. were employed. During the cross-modal matching task the Groups 1 and 2 subjects adjusted a vibrotactile stimulus presented to the dorsal surface of the tongue and the Groups 3 and 4 subjects adjusted a vibrotactile stimulus presented to the thenar eminence of the right hand to match binaurally presented auditory stimuli. The magnitude-estimation task was conducted before the cross-modal matching task for Groups 1 and 3 and the cross-modal matching task was conducted before the magnitude-estimation task for Groups 2 and 4. The psychophysical methods of magnitude estimation and cross-modal matching showed no effect of one upon the other when used in the same experiment.