An active inference account of stuttering behavior

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Speech-language pathology
• Cognitive science

Background:

• Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting speech fluency.
• Existing models do not fully integrate neurobiological and behavioral aspects.
• Active inference offers a framework for understanding perception-action cycles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an interpretation of stuttering behavior using the active inference framework.
• To conceptualize stuttering as a disruption in speech production's perception-action cycle.
• To explain the neurobiological underpinnings of stuttering through predictive processing.

Main Methods:

• Application of active inference principles to stuttering.
• Hypothesizing mechanisms involving sensory precision and prediction error dynamics.
• Integrating neurobiological, psychological, and behavioral dimensions.

Main Results:

• Stuttering may arise from aberrant sensory precision and prediction error dynamics.
• Proposed mechanisms include mistimed precision dynamics and excessive attentional focus.
• The framework explains contextual variability and adaptation effects in stuttering.

Conclusions:

• Active inference provides a unified account of stuttering as a synaptopathy.
• This perspective highlights the role of neural oscillations, prediction error, and hierarchical integration.
• The proposed framework may guide innovative research and therapeutic strategies for stuttering.