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Kinematic analysis of multiple movement coordination during speech in stutterers
A J Caruso1, J H Abbs, V L Gracco
1Speech Motor Control Laboratories, Waisman Center, Madison, Wisconsin.
Brain : a Journal of Neurology
|April 1, 1988
Summary
Stuttering is not a general coordination issue but a specific problem with sequencing speech movements. This finding challenges previous hypotheses about motor coordination in stutterers.
Area of Science:
- Neurolinguistics
- Speech Motor Control
- Developmental Disorders
Background:
- Stuttering is a complex speech disorder with debated origins.
- Previous theories suggested general neuromotor coordination deficits in stutterers.
- Understanding the specific motor control issues in stuttering is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether stuttering involves a general impairment in the neuromotor coordination of multiple speech movements.
- To examine upper lip (UL), lower lip (LL), and jaw (J) kinematics in stutterers and normal speakers during nonstuttered speech.
- To identify specific coordination deficits, if any, associated with stuttering.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative analysis of UL, LL, and J kinematics during nonstuttered speech.
- Application of established coordination indices from studies of gait, reaching, grasping, and speech.
- Comparison of coordination measures between stutterers and normal speakers.
Main Results:
- Two coordination measures, dynamic movement composition and intermovement motor equivalence, showed no significant differences between stutterers and normal speakers.
- Stutterers exhibited significant differences in the sequencing of UL, LL, and J movement onsets and velocity peaks compared to normal speakers.
- These findings indicate a specific deficit in the temporal coordination of speech movements in stutterers.
Conclusions:
- Stuttering is not characterized by general problems in the coordination of speech movements.
- The findings suggest a specific impairment in the sequencing aspect of multiple movement coordination in stuttering.
- This challenges prior hypotheses and points towards a targeted deficit in motor planning or execution related to speech timing.
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