Overview

In addition to conducting experimental research and clinical studies on the structures, functions and pathological conditions affecting the language and auditory systems, the Field of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences also aims at determining the scientifically and clinically closely related “eating” and “deglutition” functions, and the principles of higher brain functions. It involves interdisciplinary research on the disorders, mechanisms, evaluation, training, methods of treatment of those functions. By elucidating the mechanism of mutually associated disorders of various types, the Field of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences educates human resources capable of implementing effective treatments and support aimed at improving the QOL of people with disabilities in the speech, language, hearing, swallowing and/or cognitive functions.

Characteristics

Development of human resources equipped with professional expertise and applied skills

We promote basic and practical research and clinical studies. Our goal is to train human resources with deeper knowledge and applied skills.

Practice of wide-scope research rooted in clinical studies

We are engaged in wide-scope and clinically-rooted research themes. Hence, our research is not only limited to language and hearing disabilities or to the evaluation of the dysfunction and training.

Master’s Degree

Master of Rehabilitation Science (M.Rehab.Sc.) in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Examples of Research Topics

1. Research on the evaluation of patients with dementia through a structured interview of their caregivers
2. Study of the use of clinical diagnosis in the nursing care of patients with dementia
3. Phonological and prosodic analyses of children with typical development and children with developmental language disorder
4. Features of naming error in children with autism spectrum disorder
5. Features of naming error in children with intellectual disability
6. Treatment of phonological disorders based on distinctive features
7. Characteristics of children with functional articulation disorders
8. Experimental research on the awareness of educators or people in charge of childcare (or the present school teachers) on phonological disorders
9. Functional recovery in patients with dysphagia
10. Various problems related to the wearing of hearing aids in age-related hearing loss
11. Case study of aphasia, alexia, and agraphia after CVA
12. Development of an effective training method for higher brain dysfunction after brain damage
13. The posture of patients with dysphagia during assistance with feeding
14. The relationship between deglutition and breathing
15. Conditions for enjoying a meal
16. How to make food look delicious enough to be swallowed (pertaining to the color of the food about to be swallowed)
17. Oral care for patients with dysphagia, and its protective efficacy against aspiration pneumonia

Teaching Staff

Yutaka Yoshioka / Professor / Ph. D. (Chair)
Language acquisition in typically developmental children, Language acquisition in developmentally challenged children, Functional articulation disorder

Yuka Oishi / Professor / Ph. D.
Aphasiology, Neuropsychology, The development of the new treatment and rehabilitation for aphasia, alexia, agraphia

Toru Imamura / Professor / M. D., Ph. D.
Behavioral neurology, Clinical neuropsychology, Executive dysfunction in dementia, Diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies

Katsuro Sato / Professor / M. D., Ph. D.
Otolaryngology, Middle ear infectious disease, Head and neck tumor, Logopedics and phoniatrics

Nobuyuki Imai / Professor / Ph. D.
The analysis of the mechanism in mastication and swallowing, The development of the new treatment and rehabilitation for dysphagia, The relationship of oral health care and oral function, The relationship of oral function and systemic function

Makoto Uchiyama / Associate Professor / Ph. D.
Behavioral neurology, Clinical neuropsychology, Neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia