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Biomedical subjects

N J Lass

Publications and source records attributed to N J Lass.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Survey of services and practices of cleft palate-craniofacial teams.

Questionnaire data about services and practices of cleft palate-craniofacial teams were obtained from 63 teams in 35 states. Findings indicate the following: (1) research was the least frequently conducted activity, although 73 percent of the teams indicated that they conducted research; and (2) the majority of those responding regarded cinefluoroscopy, endoscopy, perceptual assessment, oral examination, and videoendoscopy as important procedures, yet most patients (90%) seen by these teams did not receive instrumental assessment of velopharyngeal function.

Attitude↗
PubMed1992

Medical students' knowledge of and exposure to cleft palate.

To compare the knowledge and experience of medical students in 1989 with that of those surveyed in 1973, a questionnaire about the various aspects of cleft palate was completed by 209 medical students from West Virginia University and the Louisiana State University Medical Center at Shreveport and New Orleans. Results revealed that 1989 students were more familiar with the embryology of cleft palate, racial and gender differences, and intellectual and psychologic issues (p less than .05). In contrast, the 1973 students were more able to define cleft palate, submucous cleft palate, and pharyngeal flap. There was no difference between the two groups of students in the amount of clinical exposure to cleft palate. These findings support the need for greater emphasis on cleft palate at the pre- and postdoctoral levels, as well as within continuing education programs. As part of current programs, the standard of practice of multidisciplinary team management for an individual with cleft palate should be underscored.

Cleft Palate↗
PubMed1991

Adolescents' perceptions of normal and voice-disordered children.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare adolescents' perceptions of the nonspeech characteristics of voice-disordered and normal speakers. Recordings of six three-word phrases produced by 16 speakers, eight voice-disordered and eight normal-speaking children, were presented to 19 adolescent students for judgments of nonspeech characteristics on a semantic differential scale containing 22 bipolar adjective pairs. Results of their ratings indicated that for 15 of the 22 pairs (68.2%) the normal speakers were judged more positively than the voice-disordered speakers. Moreover, for 9 of the 22 pairs (40.9%) the differences in listeners' ratings between the two speaker groups were statistically significant. Implications of these findings concerning developmental trends in the perception of voice disorders and their potential impact on mainstreaming in schools are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Dental students' knowledge of an exposure to cleft palate.

A questionnaire was administered to 108 dental students from West Virginia University to assess their knowledge of cleft palate. Results revealed areas of deficiency in basic knowledge and exposure to clefting. When these data were compared to those from an earlier study (Lass et al., 1973) differences were found of varying type. A comparison between dental and medical students revealed that the basic knowledge of cleft palate and associated problems were not different between the two groups. However, the dental students had done more reading than the medical students and had the topic of cleft palate included in their coursework.

Cleft Palate↗
PubMed1990

Speech-language pathologists' opinions on the management of velopharyngeal insufficiency.

A 16-item questionnaire designed to survey opinions on the management of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) was distributed to all members (N = 296) of the American Cleft Palate Association who were speech-language pathologists. Questionnaires were completed by 173 respondents (58.4 percent). There were differences of opinion among speech-language pathologists on various management issues related to VPI, including the value of instrumental assessment of VPI, the importance of oral examination of velopharyngeal function, and the effectiveness of speech therapy in the treatment of VPI. The implications of these findings for clinical training in VPI are discussed.

Adenoidectomy↗
PubMed1988

Listeners' perceptions of nonspeech characteristics of normal and dysarthric children.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare listeners' evaluations of nonspeech characteristics of dysarthric and normal speakers. A total of 16 speakers, eight cerebral-palsied and eight normal children ranging in age from 6 to 11 years, recorded six three-word phrases. The cerebral-palsied speakers were judged to have disorders in at least two of the three areas of articulation, phonation, and resonance, and all were judged to have an articulation disorder as one of the two disordered areas. All normal speakers were found to have normal speech characteristics. A master tape containing the 16 speakers' recordings was presented to 25 listeners, who were asked to rate each of the speakers on a 24-item semantic differential scale that contained polarized adjective pairs concerned with personality and physical-appearance traits. Results of their ratings indicated that for all but two of the 24 adjective pairs, the normal speakers were judged more favorably than the dysarthric speakers, and for all but one of the 24 adjective pairs there were significant differences in judges' ratings between the normal and dysarthric speakers. It appears, therefore, that dysarthric speech adversely affected listeners' perceptions of the dysarthric speakers' personality and physical-appearance characteristics.

Attitude↗
PubMed1986

The prevention of noise-induced hearing loss in the school-aged population: a school educational hearing conservation program.

A questionnaire assessing knowledge of hearing and hearing loss, and planned hearing conservation practices, was collected from 71 high school students before and after an educational hearing conservation program (HCP) consisting of a film, a lecture and a handout. An average increase of 16.7% correct responses from pre- to postexposure to the HCP was found. Moreover, substantial percentages of respondents stated that they now plan to use hearing protection devices and procedures, when appropriate, and about 80% stated they found the HCP helpful to them.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Survey of public awareness and knowledge of cleft palate.

The purpose of this survey was to determine the general public's awareness and knowledge of cleft palate. Telephone questionnaires were completed by a random sample of 1,200 persons, 200 in each of six cities within four states. The results indicated only limited information and awareness of cleft palate. Suggestions for improving general public awareness and educational programs are discussed.

Awareness↗
PubMed1986

Variable speech control vs Varispeech: does newer mean better?

Normal-hearing volunteers (N:30, aged 19-28 yrs) yielded intelligibility scores for W-22 word lists and CID sentences at 40 db re each S's SRT, and judgments on a 7-pt scale ("very pleasant"----"very unpleasant") for Sentence 3 of Fairbanks' "Rainbow Passage". Normal and time-altered speeds (60%: compression; 140%: expansion) were compared between the widely-used but obsolescent Lexicon Varispeech (VSp) unit vs the commercially available Variable Speech Control Model A-7 which incorporates a time-sampling technique similar to the VSp. With both VSp and VSC, intelligibility was nearly perfect at all three speeds, and thus both appear equally suitable for intelligibility studies, but at the 60% and 140% speeds the signal clarity was significantly preferable for the VSp system (p less than .01 in both cases), by .6 of a scale interval at 60% and 1.8 interval at 140%. Furthermore, the VSC does not operate beyond the 60-140% range, as occasionally may be desirable in research on the effects of time alteration on speech reception.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Correlational analysis of speakers' heights, weights, and temporal speech features.

Correlation coefficients on height, weight, and temporal features were computed separately for 15 female and 15 male speakers. With only one exception, speakers' heights and weights were not significantly correlated with their temporal characteristics. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Information and experience with cleft palate: students, parents, professionals.

More than 1,200 students, parents, and professionals completed a questionnaire designed to assess knowledge and experience with cleft palate. Professionals knew more about cleft palate and had had more experience with it than either parents or students. Parents, however, knew more about cleft palate and had had more experience with it than had students. There was also an apparent relationship between knowledge and experience because those who knew more about cleft palate had also had more experience and training. The results reemphasize the need for pre-professional and continuing-education programs.

Cleft Lip↗
PubMed1978

Spectrographic analysis of laryngeal air sac resonance in rhesus monkey.

Laryngeal air sacs are circular out-pocketings, located in the hyoid bone with their ostium in the midline of the anterior part of the larynx. From previous cadaver studies of the rhesus monkey it was deduced that the function of the air sac is to act as a resonating chamber. The present study was designed to test this hypothesis. Recordings were made of three rhesus monkeys before and after surgical removal of the air sac. Spectrographic analysis of the monkeys' vocalizations indicated that differences in formant frequency characteristics between pre-and post-surgical recordings were negligible. This finding suggests that the laryngeal air sac does not play an important role in the resonant properties of the monkeys' vocal tracts.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Correlational study of speakers' heights, weights, body surface areas, and speaking fundamental frequencies.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship among speakers' heights, weights, body surface areas, and speaking fundamental frequencies. The recordings of 30 speakers' readings of a standard prose passage were analyzed by means of the Fundamental Frequency Indicator (FFI) to obtain their speaking fundamental frequency characteristics. The speakers' heights and weights were obtained by means of standard measurement procuedures, and their body surface areas were calculated. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, computed separately for men and women, indicated that speakers' heights, weights, and body surface areas were not significantly correlated with their speaking fundamental frequencies; female speakers showed a slight negative correlation while male speakers showed a low, positive trend. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Body Height↗