Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between executive function (EF), stuttering, and comorbidity by examining children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) with and without comorbid conditions. Data from the National Health Interview Survey were used to examine behavioral manifestations of EF, such as inattention and self-regulation, in CWS and CWNS.MethodsThe sample included 2258 CWS (girls = 638, boys = 1620), and 117,725 CWNS (girls = 57,512; boys = 60,213). EF, and the presence of stuttering and comorbid conditions were based on parent report. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution of stuttering and comorbidity across group and sex. Regression analyses were to determine the effects of stuttering and comorbidity on EF, and the relationship between EF and socioemotional competence.ResultsResults point to weaker EF in CWS compared to CWNS. Also, having comorbid conditions was also associated with weaker EF. CWS with comorbidity showed the weakest EF compared to CWNS with and without comorbidity, and CWS without comorbidity. Children with stronger EF showed higher socioemotional competence. A majority (60.32%) of CWS had at least one other comorbid condition in addition to stuttering. Boys who stutter were more likely to have comorbid conditions compared to girls who stutter.ConclusionPresent findings suggest that comorbidity is a common feature in CWS. Stuttering and comorbid conditions negatively impact EF.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between executive function (EF), stuttering, and comorbidity by examining children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) with and without comorbid conditions
Prevalence of stuttering and comorbid conditions A total of 2258 CWS, and 117,725 CWNS aged between 3 and 17 years were identified in the sample
A majority (60.32%) of CWS had at least one other comorbid condition in addition to stuttering compared to CNWS where less than a third (26.44%) had one or more conditions
Summary
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between executive function (EF), stuttering, and comorbidity by examining children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) with and without comorbid conditions. EF supports language development (e.g., attention facilitates language learning), and (phonological) WM supports novel vocabulary acquisition by allowing children to attend to, analyze and hold linguistic representations and rules over time [for a review see 22–27]. In preschool- and school-age children, stronger WM, attention and inhibitory control are correlated with better expressive and receptive language skills [28,29,30,31]. This association may extend beyond childhood, as both children and adults with stronger EF are more successful in learning a new language [32]. Four- and 10-year olds who use self-talk during the Tower of London task (a commonly used measure of EF) showed faster performance and required a smaller number of moves to completion [36,37,38]
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