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Published on: October 18, 2011
A brief treatment program for acquired neurogenic stuttering following cyberknife radiation surgery: An experimental
L De Nil1, K Eloise2, N Moein3
1Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, ON M5G 1V7, Canada; Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, ON M5G 1V7, Canada.
Abstract:
Acquired neurogenic stuttering (ANS) is a speech fluency disorder that is characterized by speech disfluencies similar to those seen in developmental stuttering (DS). The disorder typically has an onset in adulthood following a neurological health condition such as stroke, brain trauma or neurodegenerative disease. This paper reports on an experimental brief virtual fluency treatment with an adult male who developed ANS following radiation surgery for the treatment of a brain tumour. Following the treatment, the participant showed a notable improvement in speech fluency, greater acceptance of residual stuttering, and higher quality of life associated with increased communication confidence and improved social integration. Evidence of quantitative and qualitative measures of speech improvement were supported by a perception study involving listeners with and without expertise in speech-language pathology. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of even short treatment protocols for ANS.
