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To analyze speech and linguistic features in children with articulation disorder characterized by consonant and vowel phonological errors.
Between February 2007 and June 2015, 117 children who showed articulation disorder were selected for the study. Based on comprehensive speech and language assessments, the subjects were classified into articulation dysfunction (AD), or AD overlapping with language delay. Detailed information of articulation, including percentage of consonants correct (PCC) and normal percentage of variable consonants derived from the Assessment of Phonology and Articulation for Children test, were compared between the two groups.
Totally, 55 children were diagnosed as AD and 62 as AD with language delay. Mean PCC was not significantly different between the two groups. In both groups, the acquisition order of consonants followed the universal developmental sequence. However, differences were observed in the nasal & plosive consonants abnormality between the two groups. When adjusted to their delayed language level in AD with language delay group, 53% of children had appropriate articulation function for their expressive language level.
Speech and linguistic characteristics in children with articulation disorder were variable. Therefore, comprehensive assessment is required in children with inaccurate pronunciation, and a proper treatment plan based on the results of assessment should be followed.
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Apraxia of speech (AOS) is the impairment of motor programming. However, the exact nature of this deficit remains unclear. In particular, AOS without other speech-language deficit is called pure AOS, but it is very rare. When diagnosing AOS, the characteristic of articulation is considered a crucial criterion, which has been proposed for differentiating AOS from phonological and dysarthric disorders. The present study reports on pure AOS in a 37-year-old right-handed male after a left insular, front, temporal infarction. This report may be useful for further AOS study and diagnosis in the clinical setting.
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Upper limb amputations usually leave a significant functional limitation in activities of daily living for the amputees despite the use of a conventional prosthesis. New developments in prosthetic design have greatly increased the rehabilitation potential for active individuals with the upper limb amputation. The application of external power to artificial hands and elbow, and elimination of the control cables, the most unpopular feature of body-powered arms, has had a great impact on upper-limb prosthetics in the last two decades. We applied a myoelectric hand to a traumatic amputee with wrist disarticulation. As a result, it was possible to provide a considerable improvement in function and cosmesis with this new device.
Further research will undoubtly improve the appearance, function and durability of the present electrically powered myoelectrical hand, making them even more acceptable and useful to the upper limb amputees.
There have been a many reports of observational analysis on hip disarticulation prosthetic ambulation, but not a scientific analysis by a computerized motion analyzer. We present to share with our professional colleague our invaluable experience gained from the study on the gait analysis of a left hip disarticulation prosthetic gait.
Using a Vicon 370 three dimensional gait analysis system, the gait analysis was performed in a left hip disarticulation patient fitted with a left Canadian type hip disarticulation prosthesis.
In linear parameters, the cadence showed 79 steps/min, the gait speed was 0.68 m/sec, and the double support phase was 25.27% of a total gait cycle. In kinematics, the maximal pelvic tilt angle showed 29.92o at pre-swing phase, and significantly increased as compared with normal person. Hip motion change remained flexed, and maximal knee flexion angle disclosed 22.07o at the terminal stage of initial swing phase. In kinetics, the hip extension moment on initial contact stage was 0.089 NM/kg, which was impaired being compared with normal person.
In conclusion, the increased pelvic tilt which implies that initiation of a prosthetic gait for hip disarticulation comes from a forward swing of the pelvis on the affected side, and an overall decrease of gait parameters accounts for the degree of disability of hip disarticulation amputee.
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