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[Speech and non-speech activities in stuttering: a preliminary study].
Claudia Regina Furquim de Andrade1, Fernanda Chiarion Sassi, Fabiola Staróbole Juste
1Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil. clauan@usp.br
Pro-Fono : Revista De Atualizacao Cientifica
|April 15, 2008
Summary
Individuals who stutter show delayed speech reaction times and atypical muscle activation during non-verbal tasks, suggesting motor control issues. Speech tasks showed similar muscle activity between fluent and stuttering groups.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Biomedical Engineering
Context:
- Stuttering is a speech disorder affecting motor control.
- Understanding muscle activation patterns is crucial for stuttering research.
Purpose:
- To compare muscle activation in fluent and stuttering individuals during speech and non-speech tasks.
- To investigate motor timing and coordination in stuttering.
Summary:
- Surface electromyography (sEMG) measured muscle activity in six adults (three fluent, three stuttering).
- Stuttering individuals exhibited longer speech reaction times and atypical muscle activity during non-verbal tasks compared to rest.
- Muscle activity during verbal tasks was similar between groups, but non-verbal task findings suggest motor control differences.
Impact:
- Findings suggest potential timing and coordination deficits in motor processes for individuals who stutter.
- This research could inform therapeutic interventions for stuttering by targeting motor control.
- Highlights the complexity of muscle activation patterns in stuttering beyond overt speech production.
