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Modifications in aerodynamic variables by persons who stutter under fluency-evoking conditions
S V Stager1, D W Denman, C L Ludlow
1Voice and Speech Section, NIDCD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|August 1, 1997
Summary
Fluency-evoking conditions improved speech for people who stutter by altering aerodynamic variables like peak flow and pressure. These changes, not linked to speech intensity, correlated with better fluency.
Area of Science:
- Speech and Hearing Sciences
- Acoustic Phonetics
- Speech Motor Control
Background:
- Stuttering is a speech disorder affecting fluency.
- Aerodynamic and acoustic properties of speech can be altered by fluency-evoking conditions.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for speech therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- Compare aerodynamic effects of fluency-evoking conditions in people who stutter versus those who don't.
- Investigate the role of speech intensity in aerodynamic changes.
- Relate aerodynamic modifications to fluency improvements in stuttering.
Main Methods:
- Ten people who stutter and 12 controls read words under four conditions: choral reading (CR), metronome-pacing (MET), delayed auditory feedback (DAF), and noise (NOISE).
- Measured aerodynamic variables (e.g., airflow, intraoral pressure, closure duration) and speech rate.
- Analyzed only fluently produced words from participants who stutter.
Main Results:
- All participants who stutter showed improved fluency across all conditions.
- Both groups exhibited significant changes in peak flow, vowel intensity, and pressure rise time, indicating condition effects independent of stuttering.
- Reduced peak flow and peak pressure correlated with greater fluency improvements in those who stutter.
Conclusions:
- Fluency-evoking conditions impact speech aerodynamics similarly in people who stutter and those who don't.
- Changes in peak flow and pressure, not speech intensity, are linked to fluency gains in stuttering.
- These findings offer insights into the mechanisms underlying fluency and inform therapeutic strategies.