Carol A Boliek, PhD, BS

Email

cboliek@ualberta.ca

Educational Background

Carol completed a BS in Child Development from Colorado State University, a PhD in School Psychology - Developmental Neuropsychology from the University of Northern Colorado,  a Postdoctoral Fellowship emphasizing the electrophysiological correlates of speech perception in infants, children, and young adults from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and a second Postdoctoral Fellowship in speech physiology and developmental speech motor control from the University of Arizona. 

Research Program

Her primary research focus is on the developmental aspects of speech motor control in healthy children children with neurogenic communication disorders. Specifically, her studies address the development of the respiratory subsystem and its coordination with the other speech subsystems for vocalization and speech.  More recently, Dr. Boliek has employed structural and functional neuroimaging methodology to explore neural changes following intensive voice treatment (LSVT LOUD) with children who have motor speech disorders secondary to cerebral palsy.   In addition, she has established a series of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) protocols to prime or enhance speech motor control.

Selected publications

Boliek, C.A., Bakhtiari R., Pedersen L., Esch J.R., Cummine J. (2018).  Differential cortical control of chest wall muscles during pressure- and volume-related expiratory tasks and the effects of acute expiratory threshold loading. Motor Control. Jun 15:1-21. doi: 10.1123/mc.2016-0055. [Epub ahead of print]

Reed, A., Cummine, J., Bakhtiari, R., Fox, C.M., Boliek, C. (2017). Changes in white matter integrity following intensive voice treatment (LSVT LOUD®) in children with cerebral palsy and motor speech disorders. Developmental Neuroscience, 39, 460-471.

Bakhtiari, R., Cummine, J., Reed, A., Fox, C.M., Chouinard, B., Cribben, I., Boliek, C.A. (2017). Changes in brain activity following intensive voice treatment in children with cerebral palsy. Human Brain Mapping, 38, 4413-4429.

Boliek, C.A. & Fox, C.M. (2016). Therapeutic Effects of Intensive Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD®) for Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy and Dysarthria: A Phase I Treatment Validation Study. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 38,4413-4429.

Cummine, J., Cribben, I., Luu, C., Kim, E., Bahktiari, R., Georgiou, G., & Boliek, C.A., (2016). Understanding the Role of Speech Production in Reading: Evidence for a Print-to-Speech Neural Network Using Graphical Analysis. Neuropsychology, 30: 385-397.

Clair-Auger, J.M., Gan, L.S., Norton, J.A., & Boliek, C.A. (2015). Simultaneous measurement of breathing kinematics and surface electromyography of chest wall muscles during maximum performance and speech tasks in children: Methodological considerations. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 67: 202-211. 

Boliek, C.A., Harris, J.A., Sadowski, D.C., Paslawski, T., Jones, K.E., Gan, L.S., & Rieger, J.M. (2015). Pharyngeal stimulation in head and neck cancer patients with dysphagia: Functional outcomes and transcranial magnetic stimulation motor evoked potentials. International Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 1: 1-6.

Cummine, J., Dai, W. Borowsky, R., Gould, L. & Boliek, C. (2015). Investigating the ventral-lexical, dorsal sublexical model of basic reading processes using diffusion tensor imaging. Brain Structure and Function, 220: 445-455.

Boliek, C.A. & Fox, C.M. (2014). Individual and environmental contributions to treatment outcomes following a neuroplasticity-principled speech treatment (LSVT LOUD) in children with dysarthria secondary to cerebral palsy: A case study review. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 16: 372-385.

Bakhtiari, R., Boliek, C.A., Cummine, J.(2014). Investigating the contribution of ventral-lexical and dorsal-sublexical pathways during reading in bilinguals. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 8: 1-10.

Elfring, T., Boliek C.A., Winget, M., Paulsen, C., Seikaly, H., Rieger, J.M.(2014). The relationship between lingual and hypoglossal nerve function and quality of life in head and neck cancer. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 41: 133-140.

Tomczak, C. R., Greidanus, K.R. & Boliek, C. A.(2013). Modulation of chest wall intermuscular coherence: Effects of lung volume excursion. Journal of Neurophysiology. 110: 680-687.

Cummine, J. & Boliek, C.A. (2013). Understanding white matter integrity stability for bilinguals on language status and reading performance. Brain Structure and Function. 218: 595–601.

Fox, C.M., & Boliek, C. A.(2012). Intensive voice treatment (LSVT LOUD) for children with cerebral palsy and dysarthria. Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. 55: 930-945.

Current projects

1.  Neuromuscular Control of Vocal Loudness in Children and Adults as a Function of Cue 

2.  Emergence and Refinement of Respiratory Chest Wall Intermuscular Coherence Associated With Speech and Non-Speech Tasks in Children and Adolescents 

3.  Neural Correlates of Intensive Voice Treatment Effects On Children With Cerebral Palsy 

4.  The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Speech and Language Processing in Healthy Adults

5.  The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Overt Reading Speed of Words Varying in Imageability in Healthy Adults 

Collaborationa

1.  Dr. Jacqueline Cummine - Communication Sciences and Disorders UofA
2.  Dr. Jana Rieger - Communication Sciences and Disorders UofA
3.  Dr. Ivor Cribben - Finance and Statistical Analysis UofA
4.  Dr. Ignatius Nip - Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University
5.  Dr. Marc Joanisse - Psychology and Brain Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario
6.  Dr. Cynthia Fox - LSVT Global, Tucson, Arizona
7.  Dr. Jenny Hoit - Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona

Dr. Boliek teaches in the areas of paediatric speech physiology, speech science, and normal aspects of infant/child development.