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Lingual vibrotactile threshold shift differences between stutterers and normal speakers during magnitude-estimation
D Fucci1, L Petrosino, S Schuster
1School of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Ohio University, Athens 45701.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|August 1, 1991
Summary
Stutterers exhibit altered tactile sensory function in the tongue compared to normal speakers. This difference was observed in tactile threshold shifts during vibratory stimulation, indicating unique sensory processing in stuttering individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Sensory Physiology
Background:
- Stuttering is a complex speech disorder potentially involving altered sensory processing.
- The tactile sensory system, particularly in the tongue, plays a crucial role in speech articulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate functional differences in the tactile sensory system between individuals who stutter and normal speakers.
- To examine tactile threshold shifts in response to vibratory stimuli on the tongue during magnitude-estimation scaling.
Main Methods:
- Participants included 10 adult men who stutter and 10 age-matched normal speaking men.
- Vibratory stimuli were applied to the dorsal surface of the tongue.
- Magnitude-estimation scaling was used to assess tactile threshold shifts at various suprathreshold intensity levels.
Main Results:
- Both groups performed similarly on the magnitude-estimation scaling tasks.
- A significantly greater tactile threshold shift was observed in stutterers compared to normal speakers.
- This suggests differential responsiveness of the lingual tactile sensory mechanism to vibratory stimuli in stutterers.
Conclusions:
- Individuals who stutter demonstrate distinct tactile sensory system function compared to normal speakers.
- Altered processing of vibratory stimuli on the tongue may be a characteristic of stuttering.
- Further research is warranted to explore the implications of these sensory differences in speech production.