Faculty Collaboration Database

Profiles of verbal working memory growth predict speech and language development in children with cochlear implants. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2013 Jun;56(3):805-25

Date

01/01/2013

Pubmed ID

23275401

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3700625

DOI

10.1044/1092-4388(2012/11-0356)

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84879546501 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   47 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: Verbal short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) skills predict speech and language outcomes in children with cochlear implants (CIs) even after conventional demographic, device, and medical factors are taken into account. However, prior research has focused on single end point outcomes as opposed to the longitudinal process of development of verbal STM/WM and speech-language skills. In this study, the authors investigated relations between profiles of verbal STM/WM development and speech-language development over time.

METHOD: Profiles of verbal STM/WM development were identified through the use of group-based trajectory analysis of repeated digit span measures over at least a 2-year time period in a sample of 66 children (ages 6-16 years) with CIs. Subjects also completed repeated assessments of speech and language skills during the same time period.

RESULTS: Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal STM (digit span forward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and language comprehension skills over time. Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal WM (digit span backward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and spoken word recognition skills over time.

CONCLUSION: Different patterns of development of verbal STM/WM capacity predict the dynamic process of development of speech and language skills in this clinical population.

Author List

Kronenberger WG, Pisoni DB, Harris MS, Hoen HM, Xu H, Miyamoto RT

Author

Michael S. Harris MD Associate Professor in the Otolaryngology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Child
Child Language
Cochlear Implantation
Cochlear Implants
Deafness
Executive Function
Female
Humans
Language Development
Male
Memory, Short-Term
Predictive Value of Tests
Verbal Learning