Editorial

EDITORIAL

Claudia Regina Furquim de Andrade

Professora Titular, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo

Dear Readers,

The last number of 2009. This editorial and our guest editorial, with the copy of the written text authorized by its' author Prof. Maurício Rocha e Silva, editor of Clinics Journal, entitled "O NOVO QUALIS, QUE NÃO TEM NADA A VER COM A CIÊNCIA DO BRASIL. CARTA ABERTA AO PRESIDENTE DA CAPES" (THE NEW QUALIS THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BRAZILIAN SCIENCE. OPEN LETTER TO THE CAPES' PRESIDENT) has the purpose to discuss the indexed Brazilian scientific production.

Prof. Manurício describes in an honest and sincere manner the feeling, I believe, of all scientific editors of Brazilian journals, about the criteria adopted by CAPES for the composition of the Qualis. What should I feel then, the editor of the best and most indexed Brazilian journal of a still not consolidated science such as the Speech-Language and Hearing Science. This is what I now want to share with you.

Regarding the assessment of journals, Prof. Maurício has already said it all. I want to briefly talk about the impact factor of authors of the national Speech-Language and Hearing Science, now susceptible to assessment after the indexation of Pró-Fono Journal in Scopus database. The H Factor was developed in the USA, almost 5 years ago, to consolidated authors' productivity. It is based on the citation of authors' own publications. It is an index of performance and recognition. Variables that have an influence over this index are: field of knowledge; period; number of citations of a text and number of articles. Although it is known that the H Factor is only fair and susceptible to comparison among similar groups, and that for the emerging sciences and younger researchers the impact factor is evidently smaller when compared to researchers of areas with high numbers of publications and citations, the H Factor has been constantly used to appraise a few people and sciences in detriment of others.

The Speech-Language and Hearing Science is a young science, with few specific indexed journals, with sub-areas that are vaguely defined and with few qualified researchers. As an illustration of the impact factor of speech-language pathologists and audiologists, I did a research on the impact factors of 41 Brazilian researchers who are relevant to this field of knowledge. Overall, the results were:

. the higher impact index was of 4;

. when comparing the sub-areas (language, audiology and voice/oral motricity), no language researcher presented impact 4, the higher impact in this area was 3. In audiology, three researchers presented impact 4 and two presented impact 3. Regarding voice/oral motricity, two researchers presented impact 4 and one impact 3;

. 75.6% of the researchers have impact up to 2.

Well, the explanation is the same: a young area, with few journals, Pró-Fono Journal having a recent indexation. More physiological areas (audiology and voice/oral motricity) present better citation indexes when compared to language. (limitations due to language also implies in limitations in citations). Taking into account an observation made by Prof. Maurício, if we can cite an international article why cite a national one? Now this is my question: if we do not cite ourselves that is, if we do not recognize what we do in our country, should we expect foreigners to do so?

Let's get down do work, shall we? I hope that our goal in 2010 will be to believe more in our national production, so we can value the work of our colleagues.

In this number of our Journal we are publishing 10 original articles.

According to Fortunato-Tavares et al. (2009), few studies investigate the correlation between temporal processing (TP) and language disorders. Based on this fact, the authors developed a study with the purpose of analyzing the correlation between TP (frequency pattern test - FPT) and language processing (syntactic processing). Participants of this study were sixteen children with typical language development and seven children diagnosed with SLI. All participants were submitted to FPTs and Syntactic Comprehension Tests (SCT). The results indicate that FPT is positively correlated with syntactic complexity abilities. The authors suggest that a low performance in the FPT can additionally indicate deficits in complex linguistic processing.

The purpose of the study presented by Magliaro et al. (2009) was to characterize the cognitive potential - P300 in right-handed individuals with right hemisphere ischemic lesion, and to compare such data to those obtained in normal individuals. In order to do this, anamnesis, conventional audiologic assessment and cognitive potential (P300) were carried out in 17 subjects with right hemisphere lesions (research group) and in 25 normal individuals (control group), aged between 20 and 70 years. Based on the obtained results, the authors conclude that right-handed individuals with right hemisphere lesion and normal hearing presented electrophysiological hearing results indicative of central auditory nervous system deficits. Alterations were observed in regions generating this potential (cortical and subcortical areas). Hearing difficulties were not perceived by these individuals, suggesting that this signal can probably be related to an auditory heminegligence.

Almeida et al. (2009) presented a research that had as a purpose to compare tinnitus severity by self-report measures pre and post nutritional intervention, using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Participants of this study were 21 individuals of both genders (ages ranging from 40 to 82 years). Inclusion criteria involved the presence of tinnitus and metabolic disorder diagnosed by laboratory exams. All subjects were submitted to a nutritional intervention program. Audiological evaluation and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory were applied pre and post intervention. According to the results, the authors conclude that a direct relation exists between tinnitus and metabolic disorders, and that a significant improvement of the tinnitus can be obtained with a nutritional intervention.

Phonological therapy in children with phonological disorders was the theme of the study presented by Pagliarin et al. (2009). The authors compared the efficacy of three contrastive approach models in three different severities of phonological disorder. Participants of the study were nine subjects with phonological disorders, who were evaluated prior to and after phonological therapy. Three groups, with three subjects each, were determined for treatment. Each group was treated using a different therapy model - Minimal Opposition, Maximal Oppositions/Empty Set and Multiple Opposition. The results indicate that all therapy models were effective in the treatment of different severities of phonological disorders observing the best performance in children with severe and moderate-severe disorder.

The purpose of the research presented by Quintas et al. (2009) was to correlate symbolic play and aspects of child development in deaf children and in hearing children. Participants of the study were 32 children, of both genders, who were submitted to the Evaluation of Symbolic Maturation and to the Denver Developmental Screening Test II. Sixteen participants presented moderate to profound sensory-neural hearing loss (research group) and 16 children had normal hearing (control group). Based on the obtained results, the authors conclude that the groups presented a similar performance for symbolic play. However, in a qualitative analysis, the RG presented less complex symbolic play than the CG.

Miilher and Fernandes (2009) performed a study in which they analyzed the development of grammatical, functional and lexical aspects of autistic spectrum children in three different moments: initial assessment, after six and twelve months of language therapy. Participants of this study were ten boys with ages between 2:7 and 11:2 years, with psychiatric diagnosis within the autistic spectrum. Although the results indicate that there were no statistically significant differences among the studied variables during the course of 12 months, the authors indicate the existence of associations among the variables. The authors conclude that there are associations between grammatical and pragmatic performances.

The purpose of the study presented by Medeiros et al. (2009) was to analyze the relationship between the duration of breastfeeding, artificial feeding and sucking habits, and of these parameters with the orofacial motor performance. Participants of the study were 176 children aged 6 to 12 years. All subjects were submitted to an orofacial myofunctional clinical examination. After the analysis of the results, the authors conclude that the duration of natural breastfeeding presented a positive effect over the mobility of the orofacial structures. Deleterious effects of the prolonged duration of artificial feeding and sucking habits in the oral motor control were confirmed.

Ávila et al. (2009) characterized, according to the variables of public or private school and literacy, the types of errors in word reading presented by 151 typical elementary/middle school students considered competent readers by their teachers. Participants had ages ranging between 8 and 12 years and were enrolled in the 4th to the 7th grade of public and private schools. The results indicate that reading errors are part of the learning process of orthographic decoding rules. These errors are progressively overcome with literacy. The domain of orthographic decoding independent of the context occurred more prematurely than that which is dependent of the grapheme context.

The purpose of the study presented by Behlau et al. (2009) to present the validation process of three voice self-assessment instruments for the Brazilian Portuguese language: Voice-Related Quality of Life - V-RQOL, Voice Handicap Index - VHI and, Voice Activity and Participation Profile - VAPP. These instruments received respectively the following names: Qualidade de Vida em Voz - QVV, Índice de Desvantagem Vocal - IDV and Perfil de Participação e Atividades Vocais - PPAV, The three questionnaires were validated following the guidelines suggested by the Scientific Advisory Committee of Medical Outcomes Trust - SAC. The authors conclude that the Brazilian versions of the V-RQOL, VHI and VAPP demonstrated to be valid, reliable and sensitive instruments that specifically assess patients who present voice problems. Besides that, the authors point that these instruments can be used in the assessment of the life quality related to voice, as well as for the analysis of treatment outcomes.

Finally, Fernandes and Russo (2009) argue that many situations may raise difficulties when obtaining hearing thresholds for each ear separately. These situations demand the use of masking. Based on this, the purpose of the study presented by these authors was to evaluate the feasibility of two clinical masking methods, plateau and optimized, in the testing of hearing thresholds. Participants of the study were 40 individuals (aged 15 to 65 years), with either unilateral or bilateral hearing losses. All participants underwent air and bone conduction pure tone audiometry for both ears, with and without the use of the two masking methods, considering unilateral, bilateral, symmetrical and bone-only patterns. The results indicate that the plateau method can be used for all patterns and the optimized method is the most effective for unilateral and bilateral patterns.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Regards,

Claudia

Referências Bibliográficas

Ávila CRB, Kida ASB, Carvalho CAF, Paolucci JF. Tipologia de erros de leitura de escolares brasileiros considerados bons leitores. 2009 out-dez;21(4):320-5.

• Almeida TAS, Samelli AG, Mecca FDN, Martino E de, Paulino AM. Sensação subjetiva do zumbido pré e pós intervenção nutricional em alterações metabólicas. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):291-6.
• Behlau M, Oliveira G, Santos LMA, Ricarte A. Validação no Brasil de protocolos de auto-avaliação do impacto de uma disfonia. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):326-32.
• Fernandes KCS, Russo ICP. Mascaramento clínico: aplicabilidade dos métodos platô e otimizado na pesquisa dos limiares auditivos. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):333-8.
• Fortunato-Tavares T, Rocha CN, Andrade CRF de, Befi-Lopes DM, Schochat E, Hestvik A, Schwartz RG. Processamento linguístico e processamento auditivo temporal em crianças com distúrbio específico de linguagem. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):279-84.
• Magliaro FCL, Matas SLA, Matas CG. Potencial Cognitivo P300 em pacientes com lesão isquêmica do hemisfério direito. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):285-90.
• Medeiros APM, Ferreira JTL, Felício CM de. Correlação entre métodos de aleitamento, hábitos de sucção e comportamentos orofaciais. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):315-9.
• Miilher LP, Fernandes FDM. Habilidades pragmáticas, vocabulares e gramaticais em crianças com transtornos do espectro autístico. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):309-14.
• Pagliarin KC, Mota HB, Keske-Soares M. Análise da eficácia terapêutica em três modelos fonológicos de abordagem contrastiva. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):297-302.
• Quintas TA, Curti LM, Goulart BNG, Chiari BM. Caracterização do jogo simbólico em deficientes auditivos: estudo de casos e controles. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica. 2009 out-dez;21(4):303-8.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  15 Jan 2010
• Date of issue
  Dec 2009