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Bite-block perturbation in people who stutter: immediate compensatory and delayed adaptive processes
Aravind Kumar Namasivayam1, Pascal van Lieshout, Luc De Nil
1Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Canada. a.namasivayam@utoronto.ca
Journal of Communication Disorders
|April 15, 2008
Summary
This study found that bite-blocks did not worsen speech control for people who stutter (PWS). PWS may use distinct motor strategies to manage bite-block effects during fast speech.
Area of Science:
- Speech motor control
- Stuttering research
- Articulatory kinematics
Background:
- Understanding sensory-motor mechanisms in stuttering is crucial.
- Previous research suggests motor control differences in people who stutter (PWS).
- Bite-block perturbation is a tool to probe speech motor adjustments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sensory-motor responses to bite-block perturbation in PWS versus people who do not stutter (PNS).
- To examine lip kinematics and coordination under varying speech rates and bite-block conditions.
- To explore potential differences in motor control strategies between PWS and PNS.
Main Methods:
- Recorded lip kinematic and coordination data from 5 PWS and 5 PNS.
- Participants produced bi-syllabic nonwords at normal and fast rates.
- Speech was assessed in jaw-free, immediate bite-block, and accommodation conditions.
Main Results:
- Bite-blocks affected lip kinematics similarly in both groups at normal rates.
- At fast rates, PWS showed increased upper lip amplitude and peak velocity.
- Bite-blocks altered coordination in PNS, and decreased variability in both groups at fast rates.
Conclusions:
- Bite-block perturbation did not reveal limitations in individual articulatory control for PWS.
- PWS may employ specific motor control strategies to compensate for bite-block effects, especially under increased speech rate demands.
- Findings support the role of distinct motor control strategies in PWS compared to PNS when facing articulatory challenges.
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