PURPOSE:To analyze whether children with phonological disorder present alterations in the neural coding of speech, using Frequency Following Response (FFR) under monaural and binaural conditions. METHODS:This is an analytical, observational, cross-sectional study with a sample of 21 children with phonological disorders and 21 with typical development. They underwent the following procedures: medical history survey, phonological assessment, inspection of the external auditory canal, and audiological and electrophysiological evaluation, performed in one or two sessions. FFR was performed with the speech stimulus /da/, in two sweeps of 3000 stimuli at 80 dB HL, with a rate of 10.9 stimuli/second, a duration of 40 ms, and an analysis window of 74.677 ms. RESULTS:Children with phonological disorders presented higher latency values in all conditions than those with typical development, with statistical significance in the latency of wave V, and lower amplitudes than those with typical development, although without statistical significance. In terms of stimulus presentation, the binaural condition showed significantly larger amplitudes than the monaural conditions, suggesting the presence of a binaural summation effect. CONCLUSION:Children with phonological disorders present alterations in speech encoding, evidenced by delays in FFR responses under both monaural and binaural conditions.
PURPOSE:Considering the clinical need for greater assessment efficiency, this study aimed to present the short version of the MBGR Protocol, addressing the stages of content-based validity evidence and response process validation. METHODS:A preliminary version of the reduced MBGR Protocol was developed based on the original version and subjected to the Delphi methodology. Content validation was conducted in two rounds, using a Likert scale to assess the relevance and representativeness of the items. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated. For the response process validation, 11 speech- language pathologists (SLPs) were trained, and the protocol was applied to 11 patients, with video recording. Subsequently, the professionals completed a questionnaire, and the responses were analyzed and discussed with an expert committee. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the reduced and original versions, using paired t-tests or the Wilcoxon test, with a significance level set at p<0.05. RESULTS:The initial proposal of the reduced protocol included 36 items. Of the 11 invited experts, seven analyzed and provided feedback on each item, leading to the exclusion of 17 items. The content validity evidence yielded a global CVI of 87%. During the response process evaluation, the SLPs reported adequate understanding and applicability of the short version. Most professionals considered the original protocol too extensive and the reduced version more feasible for clinical practice. The suggestions were mostly incorporated by the authors, resulting in adjustments and exclusions that finalized the reduced protocol, with a total score ranging from 0 to 137 points. CONCLUSION:The reduced version of the MBGR Protocol demonstrated evidence of content validity and response process validation, resulting in a final version with a shorter application time, making it more suitable for clinical use.
PURPOSE:To investigate whether the method of introducing complementary feeding (CF) is related to pediatric feeding disorders (PFD) in the first year of life. METHODS:Clinical trial with 128 mother-child pairs randomized into intervention groups by CF methods: traditional, Baby-Led Introduction to Solids (BLISS), or mixed. The intervention was carried out at the infants' 5 and a half months of age in an experimental kitchen with meals prepared according to the randomized method. Follow-up was conducted at their 7 and 9 months of age. At 12 months, the Brazilian Child Feeding Scale (EBAI) was applied to screen for PFD. This study was registered in the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC). RESULTS:PFD was present in 16 (12.5%) children: 5 (3.9%) from the traditional method (3 with mild PFD and 2 with severe PFD), 9 (7%) from the BLISS method (5 with mild PFD, 2 with moderate PFD, and 2 with severe PFD), and 2 (1.6%) from the mixed method (both with mild PFD). In the analysis of the 14 EBAI questions, the responses tended towards the adequate and/or favorable aspects across all CF methods, with no statistically significant differences. CONCLUSION:PFD was not influenced by the CF method in the study sample.
PURPOSE:To provide a word bank based on familiarity and representativeness for the 18- to 36-month age group, considering the Brazilian cultural context. METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study with a quantitative design. The questionnaire, sent to expert judges, was based on the list of words and sentences from the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDIs). Three groups of experts participated: experienced speech therapists, speech therapists, and mothers with no training in the area. The questionnaire included 21 questions on familiarity and 13 on representation, which were answered using a Likert scale on familiarity (familiar or unfamiliar) and representativeness (representation by pictures or not). The responses were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and visually represented through word clouds. RESULTS:According to the criteria, only those that met the mean values were selected, leaving a total of 146 words. Based on the list from the MB-CDIs inventory adapted to Portuguese, the words were organized by category to generate the word bank, called the Word Bank for Childhood Language Development (BPDLI): A Validated Instrument for Brazilian Portuguese. CONCLUSION:This work provides a validated tool that can be used in clinical language assessment and intervention at early ages, allowing for greater sensitivity to the child's cultural and family context. This word bank also has therapeutic potential for approaches to phonology, narrative language, and augmentative and alternative communication.
PURPOSE:To assess the self-perception of health and disability of individuals with bilateral hearing loss (HL) before and after one year of using hearing aids, using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). METHODS:Longitudinal, observational and analytical-descriptive study, approved by the research ethics committee under opinion number 6.767.314, in which 15 individuals diagnosed with mild to severe hearing loss and wearing bilateral hearing aids (HA) were assessed. The WHODAS 2.0 was applied at the time of fitting and reapplied after one year of use. The mean scores in the six domains of the instrument (cognition, mobility, self-care, getting along, life activities and participation) were statistically analyzed. RESULTS:A reduction in disability was observed after using HA, with an average reduction of 12% in WHODAS scores. Domains such as cognition, self-care, and participation showed statistical differences. CONCLUSION:WHODAS 2.0 proved effective in assessing and monitoring disability and its impact on the functioning of individuals with HL, being sensitive to changes promoted by the use of HA, despite the absence of statistical significance in some variables.
