"Analysis of parameters for the estimation of loudness from tone-burst otoacoustic emissions" by Audiology Assistant Professor Michael Epstein and Ph.D. Candidate Ikaro Silva was published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.  

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 125, Issue 6, pp. 3855-3864 (June 2009)

http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=JASMAN000125000006003855000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=Yes&type=ALERT

Abstract:
There is evidence that tone-burst otoacoustic emissions (TBOAEs) might be useful for estimating loudness. However, within-listener comparisons between loudness and TBOAE measurements are an essential prerequisite to determine appropriate analysis parameters for loudness estimation from TBOAE measurements. The purpose of the present work was to collect TBOAE measurements and loudness estimates across a wide range of levels in the same listeners. Therefore, TBOAEs were recorded for 1- and 4-kHz stimuli and then analyzed using a wide range of parameters to determine which parameter set yielded the lowest mean-square-error estimation of loudness with respect to a psychoacoustical, cross-modality-matching procedure and the inflected exponential (INEX) loudness model. The present results show strong agreement between 1-kHz loudness estimates derived from TBOAEs and loudness estimated using cross-modality matching (CMM), with TBOAE estimation accounting for almost 90% of the CMM variance. Additionally, the results indicate that analysis parameters may vary within a reasonable range without compromising the results (i.e., the estimates exhibit some parametric robustness). The lack of adequate parametric optimization for TBOAEs at 4 kHz suggests that measurements at this frequency are strongly contaminated by ear-canal resonances, meaning that deriving loudness estimates from TBOAEs at this frequency is significantly more challenging than at 1 kHz.

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"Binaural Loudness Summation for Speech and Tones Presented via Earphones and Loudspeakers" by Michael Epstein and Mary Florentine has been published in the April 2009 issue of Ear and Hearing.

http://www.ear-hearing.com/pt/re/earhearing/abstract.00003446-200904000-00008.htm;jsessionid=JX2MQZh9g1LtgJGl1xG3Ly7s6VSnDbjyJXM6P6S1hyfyhTkxF5l7!285259918!181195628!8091!-1

Two hypotheses were tested: Binaural loudness summation is less for (1) speech from a visually present talker than for recorded speech or tones and (2) sounds presented via loudspeakers than for sounds presented via earphones. Monitored live voice spondees, recorded spondees, and tones were presented monaurally and binaurally to eight listeners via earphones and loudspeakers. Results support both hypotheses. Binaural loudness summation was significantly less for: Monitored live voice spondees than for recorded spondees or tones, and less for loudspeaker presentation than for earphone presentation. Conclusions support loudness assessment for hearing-aid fittings. A subjective effect may result from expectations about loudness, termed Binaural Loudness Constancy.

In November, Dr. Rupal Patel and Catherine Mcnab presented a 15 minute technical presentation in Chicago at the 2008 ASHA presentation on research conducted in the Northeastern University CADLab (Communication Analysis and Design Laboratory).

This study examined the effect of contrastive stress drills on vowel formants in speakers with dysarthria due to cerebral palsy. Data from a previous study which examined the abilities of twelve speakers with dysarthria and twelve healthy controls to mark contrastive stress within phrases were acoustically analyzed to examine changes in vowel formants in stressed and unstressed words. Results indicated that, across all vowels, first formant (F1) values increased for speakers with dysarthria to a greater extent than for healthy controls. Implications for intervention are discussed.

On December 18^th 2008, Ruth MarguIies-Hochman conducted an in-service training/workshop for Early Interventionists from a variety of disciplines as part of the Continuing Education and Professional Development program at Thom Child and Family Services Program in Natick. Approximately 30 to 40 clinicians were in attendance at the program which reviewed communication acquisition milestones, 'red flags' and markers for delay/disorder. The in-service training also covered evidence-based intervention methodologies for the 0 to 3 population.

http://www.asha.org/about/publications/leader-online/archives/2008/080527/080527c.htm

Nine-year-old Aaron faces some daunting challenges on his road to a good education. He comes from a low-income neighborhood in the heart of Baltimore, where he attends a school with such low performance that it is under a state consent decree, a mechanism for mandating school-wide improvement.

In the face of these environmental challenges, Aaron's speech-language difficulties might seem less important. But Aaron is lucky to attend a school that provides adequate speech-language services, unlike most high-need schools—those with a large percentage of students from low-income families or located in certain rural areas—that have difficulty attracting and retaining qualified speech-language pathologists.