Research Labs
Aging and Adult Language Disorders Lab 2310V Health Sciences Building Lab Director: Heather Harris Wright, PhD Lab Personnel: Thomas West, Lab Manager Stephen Kintz, Graduate Research Associate The Aging and Adult Language Disorders Laboratory is concerned with the interaction between cognitive functions, such as memory, attention and executive functions, and language processing abilities in both healthy aging adults as well as individuals with aphasia.
Cleft Palate Speech Imaging and Visualization Lab 2310A & 2310B Health Sciences Building Lab Director: Jamie Perry, PhD The aims of the Cleft Palate Speech and Imaging and Visualization Laboratory are to improve our understanding of cleft palate speech. Most methodologies combine imaging technology with advanced 3D computer technology. The lab is equipped with a sound proof speech recording suite, computerized speech lab, visipitch, nasometer, phonatory aerodynamic system, EGG, and a multi-computing software system for data analyses. These tools allow us to examine the difference between individuals with normal anatomy and those with cleft palate. Researchers in this area will work closely with colleagues in the ECU school of medicine, dental school, and cleft palate craniofacial teams in the state of NC.
Clinical Auditory Research Lab 1310D Health Sciences Building Lab Director: Deborah Culbertson, PhD The lab includes a double-walled sound isolated sound booth, diagnostic audiometer, and access to otoacoustic emissions and middle ear analyzers. Current research includes a study of FM system benefit on auditory attention in children with and without ADHD, a normative study on pediatric speech recognition materials, and a study of hearing aid use and outcomes.
Electrophysiology Laboratory 2310E Health Sciences Building Lab Director: Andrew Stuart, PhD The Electrophysiology Laboratory contains a double-walled IAC test booth, and supporting electronic and computer equipment. This lab is designed and equipped to perform research projects involving brain mapping, as well as the investigation of evoked potentials. The Electrophysiology Laboratory is equipped with a complete evoked potential system to fill research and teaching needs. Included are a Neuroscan 32-channel PC-based EEG\Evoked Potential brain mapping system, a BioLogic Navigator Pro Windows-based system diagnostic ABR/ASSR system, and Vivosonic wireless OAE/ABR/ASSR instrument. Macintosh and PC computers are available for word processing, statistics, stimulus generation and graphics applications. Current and recent research includes investigating speech recognition in noise; contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions; the effect of alterations in auditory feedback on speech production; and real-ear output measures of fluency devices.
Psychoacoustic Laboratory 2310F Health Sciences Building Lab Director: Andrew Stuart, PhD The Psychoacoustic Laboratory contains a double-walled IAC test booth, and supporting electronic and computer equipment. A Tucker-Davis Complete Psychoacoustic system is housed in the laboratory. This system consists of digital signal processing platform (i.e., 2 channel synchronous 16 bit D/A and A/D for signal acquisition and play back, programmable attenuators, filters, and signal generators). The rack-mounted electronic components interface with a Pentium-based microcomputer and supporting psychophysical software. The psychoacoustic and support software allows for design and generation of complex auditory stimuli and for comprehensive forced choice paradigm psychoacoustic testing. This system allows implementation of a wide range of psychoacoustic experimental paradigms including those proposed for the present project. A Dell Pentium-based computer interfaces with the Tucker-Davis Psychoacoustic System. Current and recent research include investigating auditory long latency responses to tonal and speech stimuli; the effect of gender on the N1-P2 auditory complex while listening and speaking with altered auditory feedback; and auditory brainstem responses to air and bone conducted chirp and click stimuli in newborns.
Reading and Language Science Lab 2310P Health Sciences Building Lab Director: Marianna Walker, PhD In the Reading and Language Science Lab, research is conducted relating to various cognitive and linguistic processes involved in reading, naming, comprehension, memory, hemispheric processing, emotional processing, retrieval, and morphological, syntactic, and semantic processing. Within this lab, research has examined the effects of specific parameters of these processes on the development of reading, the influence on dyslexic and reading disorder subtypes including assessment and diagnosis, accelerated decoding and comprehension, and reading fluency of children, adolescents, and adults. The lab is equipped with a number of computers that contain SuperLab (Cedrus, 2012), a stimulus presentation software that facilitates and controls specific parameters within these investigations involving reading, language, and literacy.
Speech Science & Stuttering Lab 2310R Health Sciences Building Lab Director: Joe Kalinowski, PhD The Speech Science and Stuttering Laboratory uses state-of-the art software including, Praat, Audacity, and PeakPro 6 for the analysis and synthesis of speech signals for the purposes of research, teaching and clinical applications. The research aspect of the lab has produced numerous publications that examine various acoustic parameters of speech, speech perception and stuttering related research. Listening experiments are an essential component of the lab's mission. Stuttering research examines physiological, behavioral reposes to stuttering behavior and other disorders via Biopic (e.g., ECG, EDR, EMG, EOG, Respiration, Pulse) and eye gaze tracking via Applied Science Laboratories (ASL) eye-tracking D6 with Gaze tracker software (e.g. heat maps, pupil dilation, eye movement). Stuttering inhibition via altered feedback in the auditory (e.g. frequency-altered feedback, delayed feedback and numerous permutations) and visual modalities are examined using extensive digital signal processing equipment. Our team is creating Web and iPhone applications that will allow for greater dissemination of our work.
Tele-Audiology Lab Lab Directors: Gregg D. Givens, PhD Jianchu Yao, PhD Dept of Engineering The purpose of this laboratory is a multi-disciplinary approach involving Audiology and Engineering to extend applications of the Internet and other telecommunication means to the assessment of hearing. Newly developed innovative remote desktop and server-based applications to audiology show great promise to provide hearing health care to those without such resources. Multiple publications and patents have come from these efforts.
Voice and Swallowing Lab 2310J Health Sciences Building Lab Director: Kathy Cox, PhD The Voice and Swallowing Lab contains a variety of equipment useful in the assessment and treatment of voice and swallowing disorders, but also for research in these areas. The labs contain the Kay Elemetrics RLS 9100 Stroboscopy unit, the Swallowing Signals Lab, Voice Evaluation Suite, Surface Electromyography, and a Nasometer. Additionally, there are a variety of tools for perceptual assessment of voice, swallowing, and resonance. Lab researchers work closely with colleagues in the ECU School of Medicine and Eastern Carolina ENT – Head & Neck Surgery. Current research includes a study of adults pre-thyroidectomy as well as the study of instruction effects on voice assessment. |
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