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Purpose: To collect the semantic association norms of 96 Brazilian Portuguese words for further application in the formulation of a speech recognition test using sentences with controlled word predictability., Methods: Study participants were 67 volunteers aged 18 to 27 years. A semantic association task with word class delimitation was used., Results: The mean sizes of the total and meaning sets were larger in the second recall to both verb and noun classes. The prevalent semantic association strength in the first recall was strong to the first word and moderate to the second word. In the second recall, the prevalent semantic association strength was moderate to both the first and second words. Significant negative correlation was observed between association strength and total and meaning set sizes., Conclusion: The semantic association norms of 96 Brazilian Portuguese words were collected as proposed and resulted in semantic associates for each target word in the verb and noun classes that were used in a speech recognition assessment considering sentences with controlled word predictability.

Purpose: To describe the judgement of the concreteness of a set of 162 Brazilian Portuguese words, prior to the elaboration of a speech recognition test, as well as to verify the influence of variables such as the frequency of occurrence of the words and age and undergraduate program year of the participants on the concreteness ratings., Methods: Fifty undergraduate Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students from a public university rated the concreteness of a set of 162 words using a seven-point scale where the lowest concreteness degree was represented by number one and the highest by number seven. Participants were free to choose any number in the scale., Results: The results showed a tri-modal distribution of values, suggesting the classification of three categories, according to the concreteness rating. The low concreteness category ranged from 1.76 to 3.45; the medium concreteness category, from 3.46 to 4.95; and the high concreteness rating, from 4.96 to 6.70. Positive correlation was found between the concreteness rating and the coefficient of variation, whereby the higher the rating attributed to a word, the lesser variation in the responses. No significant correlation was found between concreteness ratings and the frequency of occurrence of words. The influence of age and undergraduate year was significant for some correlations., Conclusion: Results showed three concreteness categories, and suggest that concreteness can be considered an independent attribute of words, since their frequency of occurrence, as well as participants' age and undergraduate program year did not influence the ratings attributed. The words classified in the high concreteness category were subsequently used for the elaboration of a speech recognition test.

Background: speech perception of elderly, in silence and in the presence of background noise., Aim: to characterize and compare the hearing abilities of elderly in a monaural speech perception test, in the presence and absence of background noise (Speech Discrimination Test - SDT and Speech Perception in Noise - SPIN)., Method: Participants of this study were 55 subjects of both genders, 60 years old or above, distributed in two groups: Control Group (CG), constituted by elders with no hearing loss and Study Group (SG), constituted by elders with symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. The SPIN test was used, initially with the presentation of a word list in silence and later in the presence of Speech Noise., Results: no difference was observed between genders in the SDT and the SPIN test. Correlation with age was observed only in the SDT for SG. A significant difference was observed when comparing the performance of the groups in the SDT and SPIN test. Regarding the presence of substitutions in the articulation of words, it was observed that it occurred in both groups and was more frequent in SPIN test, especially for the SG., Conclusion: the presence of the noise during the production of speech sounds is disadvantageous for elders, independently of the presence of hearing loss, but having a higher impact for those with hearing loss problems.

Unlabelled: Implementing rehabilitation programs to hearing impaired adults is of great importance, mainly in the elderly population, and it is necessary to add them to the routine of outpatient care programs., Aim: to present a group care program for elderly patients who are fitted with hearing aids., Material and Method: to carry out a pilot study of clinical and experimental type, with the participation of 40 elderly users of hearing aids donated by the government, distributed within six groups, with maximum of eight participants jointly with their respective companions. Program consisted of three meetings every fifteen days, where information and education on the proper use hearing aids was transmitted., Results: Most of the patients participated actively in the meetings spontaneously giving their opinion or answering questions when so requested. All elderly had been informed as to the importance of accepting their auditory deficiency and on the need to be motivated towards using hearing aids. Moreover, listening to depositions of other elderly users seemed to facilitate understanding of their own difficulties and stimulated them in the process of getting used to the sound amplification., Conclusion: Groups structure facilitated interaction among aged ones, helping them to clarify communication doubts and strategies and, consequently, it promoted their adaptation.

Unlabelled: Increased life expectancy raises demands for special attention for the elderly population; speech, language and hearing science deals with their communication disorders. Hearing loss is a common disorder affecting this age group. It is known that the auditory feedback system is essential to human vocalizing, as it organizes voice production., Aim: To assess and correlate the hearing system and the Fundamental Frequency (F0) of women who have variable degrees of sensorineural hearing loss., Material and Method: a cross-sectional descriptive study. 30 women with a mean age of 75.95 (SD = 7,41) were included. Inclusion criteria were: symmetric sensorineural hearing loss, a high-frequency sloping configuration, and a type A tympanogram. Subjects underwent Pure Tone Audiometry, a Word Recognition Test, Tympanometry, and Voice Assessment., Results: Patients with higher degrees of hearing loss showed an increased fundamental frequency., Conclusion: In aged individuals with hearing loss, audiovocal monitoring is altered, resulting in voice parameter changes.

Background: Functional evaluation of the facial movements in patients with facial paralysis following a stroke., Aim: To evaluate the function of the facial muscles of patients after central facial paralysis following a stroke., Method: Nine patients referred by the Neurology Service were evaluated. The evaluation focused on spontaneous, voluntary and reflex movements., Results: Reflex and voluntary movement of the eyelid and forehead were preserved in all patients. However, spontaneous and voluntary movements of the lips and nose were limited according to the location and extension of lesion., Conclusion: The symptoms of central facial paralysis, in which paralysis only of voluntary movements of the lower two-thirds of the face is expected, occurred in the minority of the patients.

Background: Cardio-facial-cutaneous syndrome., Aim: To describe the clinical findings of a patient with cardio-facial-cutaneous syndrome and to characterize her communication., Method: To investigate the following areas: genetic, speech-language and hearing, otolaryngological, and psychological., Results: Cardiac, cutaneous, and craniofacial alterations were observed, as well as cognitive deficits and significant language impairment with the absence of oral speech., Conclusion: The importance of assessing these patients is highlighted, for diagnostic and intervention purposes, so that the work developed in the speech and language therapy can be better directed.