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Biomedical subjects

B Louw

Publications and source records attributed to B Louw.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[The occurrence of communicative acts of preschool Afrikaans-speaking hearing-impaired children ].

This study researches the occurrence of communicative acts of preschool Afrikaans-speaking hearing-impaired children. The relevance of communication and the incidence of verbal versus non-verbal communication behaviour was also measured. To this end communication samples (30 minutes each) were made of ten three-to-five year old severely hearing-impaired Afrikaans-speaking children in interaction with a familiar adult. The main conclusions of this study were: the subjects as a group are able to express a variety of communication acts appropriately, making use of both verbal and non-verbal behaviour. However, non-verbal behaviour predominates in the communicative behaviour of the group. Some of their verbal utterances are produced without voice.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1990

[The influence of otitis media on the central auditory abilities of children with sensory integration problems].

In recent literature otitis media is linked to speech and language problems, behavioural problems and learning disabilities. Until recently limited research has been done in order to determine the influence of otitis media on the central auditory abilities. The aim of this study was to determine whether otitis media has an influence on the central auditory abilities of children with sensory integration problems. Thirteen persons diagnosed as children with sensory integration problems were selected as subjects. They were divided into two groups, namely eight subjects with a history of otitis media (group A) and five subjects without a history of otitis media (group B). A test battery was compiled for evaluation of the central auditory abilities and was used on the subjects. In terms of group A deviating results were obtained on every subtest of the central auditory test battery which indicated a possible brainstem involvement. Group B obtained normal results in more or less all the tests. The results therefore suggest that chronic otitis media has an influence on the central auditory abilities, i.e. in terms of insufficient brainstem functioning. Implications for research and treatment were discussed.

Auditory Perceptual Disorders↗
PubMed1989

Screening for middle-ear disease in schools for hearing-impaired children.

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of middle-ear dysfunction in a group of hearing-impaired children attending schools for the deaf. Two groups of subjects between the ages of 4 and 16 years were selected. Group 1 consists of Caucasian and Group 2 of Negroid children. Otoscopic examinations, impedance and pure tone testing were performed on each child. The results indicated a prevalence of 43% failures on the impedance tests in the Caucasian group and 18% failures in the Negroid group. Chronic problems like perforations, otorrhoea, etc. were more common in Group 2. The results also suggest the existence of differences in the prevalence of middle-ear dysfunction between normal and hearing-impaired children.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1989

[Videofluoroscopic studies of the swallowing process in children with cerebral palsy].

The swallowing problems of cerebral palsied children are clinically evaluated by means of subjective criteria. Little research has been done to analyse these problems objectively and scientifically. The aim of this study was to analyse the swallowing patterns of cerebral palsied children in two age groups by means of videofluorography. Ten cerebral palsied children between the ages of four and thirteen years were selected as subjects. During the investigation they were asked to swallow a liquid and certain aspects of the oral preparatory, oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing were analysed. The results of the study indicated that swallowing problems do occur in cerebral palsied children, mainly during the oral phase, and in some cases take on the form of inadequate contact between the tongue and palate and poor control of the bolus. The group of younger children had more swallowing problems than the older group. In the former group the type of cerebral palsy did not seem to play any role in the swallowing problems which occurred while in the older group there were indications that the type of cerebral palsy could possibly play a role. The results of the study indicate that videofluorography can be implemented effectively to scientifically evaluate the swallowing problems of cerebral palsied children.

Adolescent↗