Future research should incorporate randomised-controlled designs to establish optimal treatment intensity that is specific to each of the speech disorders.

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In this experiment, we investigated the role of practice variability (constant versus variable practice) and practice schedule (random versus blocked practice) on spatial and temporal learning of a speech task as a function of aging. The participants were 80 healthy individuals (40–80 years) with no history of cognitive, sensory, or motor disorders. A median split was performed to divide the participants into older and younger groups. The median split was at 59 years of age, thus placing 40 participants in each age group. The participants were assigned to one of four practice groups and practiced a nonmeaningful phrase for two consecutive days. On the third day, the participants reproduced the speech phrase without practice. Data analysis revealed that older participants involved in constant practice demonstrated superior temporal learning of the speech task over participants on variable practice. Older participants on random practice demonstrated better spatial learning of the speech task than did participants on blocked practice. In contrast, there was no effect of practice conditions on spatial and temporal learning outcomes in the younger group. The findings indicate that practice variability and practice schedule influence different aspects of a complex speech-motor learning task among older adults but not among younger adults.

ObjectivePrevious surveys in the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), and Canada have indicated that most of the speech-language pathologists (SLPs) tend to use non-speech oral-motor exercises (NSOMEs) on a regular basis to treat speech disorders. At present, there is considerable debate regarding the clinical effectiveness of NSOMEs. The current study aimed to investigate the pattern and extent of usage of NSOMEs among Indian SLPs.MethodAn online survey intended to elicit information regarding the use of NSOMEs was sent to 505 members of the Indian Speech and Hearing Association. The questionnaire consisted of three sections. The first section solicited demographic information, the second and third sections solicited information from participants who did and did not prefer to use NSOMEs, respectively. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the responses that were clinically relevant.ResultsA total of 127 participants responded to the survey. Ninety-one percent of the participants who responded to the survey indicated that they used NSOMEs.ConclusionThe results suggested that the percentage of SLPs preferring to use NSOMEs is similar to the findings of surveys conducted in the USA, the UK, and Canada. The Indian SLPs continue to use NSOMEs based on a multitude of beliefs. It is important for SLPs to incorporate the principles of evidence-based practice while using NSOMEs to provide high quality clinical care.

This study involved an acoustic and perceptual analysis of the speech produced by a 31-year-old female following total glossectomy. Speech samples were collected on three occasions within the first 3 months following glossectomy. Vowel articulation was examined acoustically as a function of vowel space and the Euclidean distance separating corner vowels. Perceptual analyses involved presentation of the participant's CV productions to 30 healthy adult listeners who made forced-choice identifications of consonant type. Acoustic analysis revealed improvements in vowel space area and an increase in the Euclidean distances. The perceptual results revealed a statistically significant deterioration in consonants over the 3-month period with anterior sounds being perceived more correctly than medial and posterior sounds. The current study highlights the variable nature of speech following glossectomy, with greater improvements in vowel articulation compared to consonant articulation during the earliest stages of surgical recovery.