Frequency Of Disfluencies Research Articles

Speech disfluencies in typically developing Finnish-speaking children – preliminary results

ABSTRACT We investigated the speech disfluencies of 54 typically fluent Finnish-speaking children: 14 children randomly selected from a longitudinal study (age levels 2, 3, and 4 years), and 40 children from a cross-sectional study (age levels 6, 7, 8, and 9 years). Speech samples, collected during a semi-structured conversation, were analysed for disfluencies per 100 words and 100 syllables. No significant within-age effect was found for the total frequency of disfluencies or disfluency types among the 2- to 4-year-olds. Across the 6- to 9-year-olds, between-group differences were found for the total frequency and type of disfluencies. Clinically relevant was that the criterion to distinguish normally fluent children from those who stutter, i.e., <3 stuttering-like disfluencies (SLD) per 100 syllables, was applicable in all age groups whereas the criterion <3SLD per 100 words was not. Consequently, these preliminary results suggest that different guidelines are needed for defining normal disfluency from stuttering in different languages.

The effect of cognitive load on temporal and disfluency patterns of speech

AbstractThis paper investigates how variation in the complexity of speech tasks is reflected in the temporal characteristics and disfluency patterns of speech. We examined temporal characteristics (speech rate, global articulation rate, ratio of pauses, frequency of pauses, and mean duration of pauses) and disfluency markers (overall frequency of disfluencies; frequency of filled pauses, filler words, whole-word repetitions, part-word repetitions, broken words, prolonged sounds, and revisions; frequency of disfluency clusters) in four speech production tasks (consecutive interpreting, sight translation, spontaneous speech and extemporaneous speech) with twelve speakers.Our hypothesis, according to which the examined parameters will differ across the four tasks, was partly confirmed by the data; even though not all speech tasks differed significantly in all the examined parameters, our investigation revealed that there were significant differences between some tasks in four parameters, and between others in nine out of the fourteen parameters examined. Our data also suggest that in terms of the temporal characteristics and disfluency markers examined, the four tasks can be represented on a continuum based on the cognitive load associated with each task. At one end of the continuum and generating the least cognitive load is spontaneous speech, and at the other, generating the most cognitive load, is sight translation.

Disfluency Characteristics of 4- and 5-Year-Old Children Who Stutter and Their Relationship to Stuttering Persistence and Recovery.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to document disfluency behaviors expressed by 4- and 5-year-old children who stutter and to identify whether stuttering characteristics at this age are predictive of later stuttering recovery or persistence. Method We analyzed spontaneous speech samples from 47 children diagnosed with developmental stuttering when they were 4-5 years old. Based on their eventual diagnosis made the final year of participation in the longitudinal study when the children were 6-9 years old, the children were divided into two groups: children who eventually recovered from stuttering (n = 29) and children who were persisting (n = 18). We calculated a composite weighted stuttering-like disfluency (SLD) index of overall severity that considers the frequency, type, and number of repetition units of SLDs. The frequency and type of typical disfluencies were also examined. Results Higher weighted SLD scores at ages 4-5 years were associated with a higher probability of persistent stuttering. The weighted SLD also significantly discriminated between children who would eventually be diagnosed as persisting or recovered from stuttering. The frequency and type of typical disfluency did not distinguish the two groups of children; however, children who were persisting had significantly higher frequencies of part-word repetitions and dysrhythmic phonations (i.e., blocks, prolongations, and broken words) and maximum number of part-word repetitions compared to children who eventually recovered from stuttering. Conclusions Previous findings in younger, 2- to 3-year-old children who stutter did not suggest a relationship between the severity and type of children's SLDs and their eventual stuttering outcome. Yet, by the age of 4-5 years, we found that the weighted SLD, a clinically applicable tool, may be used to help identify children at greater risk for stuttering persistence. We propose that the weighted SLD be considered, along with other predictive factors, when assessing risk of stuttering persistence in 4- and 5-year-old children who are stuttering.

Disfluencies and Strategies Used by People Who Stutter During a Working Memory Task.

Purpose Working memory (WM) deficits are implicated in various communication disorders, including stuttering. The reading span test (RST) measures WM capacity with the dual task of reading sentences aloud and remembering target words. This study demonstrates a difference in strategy between people who stutter (PWS) and people who do not stutter (PWNS) in performing the RST. The impact of the effective strategy and the stuttering-like disfluencies during the RST were investigated. Method Twenty-six PWS and 24 people who do not stutter performed the RST and a simple reading aloud task. After the RST, they were asked which strategy ("imagery" or "rehearsal") they had used in order to remember the target words during the task. Results The proportion of those who used an "imagery" strategy during the RST was significantly smaller in the PWS group. However, the RST scores of those who used an "imagery" strategy were significantly higher than the RST scores of those who used a "rehearsal" strategy in both groups. The "rehearsal" users were asked to undertake one more RST with an "imagery" strategy, which resulted in an increased score for both groups. The disfluency frequency of the PWS group was significantly reduced during the RST than during the oral reading task, irrespective of the employed strategy. Conclusions PWS tended to use the less effective verbal "rehearsal" strategy during the RST. The differential effects of switching strategies on the measured WM capacity and on the disfluency rate suggest that the enhanced fluency during the RST would be mostly attributable to the reduced attention to speech motor control. Therefore, the use of the "imagery" strategy and focusing on the contents of communication, away from speech motor control, should help PWS communicate better in daily conversation.

Classifying Disfluencies in Preschool- and School-Age Spanish–English Bilinguals Who Do Not Stutter: An Exploratory Study

Purpose This exploratory study examined the language skills and the type and frequency of disfluencies in the spoken narrative production of Spanish–English bilingual children who do not stutter. Method A cross-sectional sample of 29 bilingual students (16 boys and 13 girls) enrolled in grades prekindergarten through Grade 4 produced a total of 58 narrative retell language samples in English and Spanish. Key outcome measures in each language included the percentage of normal (%ND) and stuttering-like (%SLD) disfluencies, percentage of words in mazes (%MzWds), number of total words, number of different words, and mean length of utterance in words. Results Cross-linguistic, pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences with medium effect sizes for %ND and %MzWds (both lower for English) as well as for number of different words (lower for Spanish). On average, the total percentage of mazed words was higher than 10% in both languages, a pattern driven primarily by %ND; %SLDs were below 1% in both languages. Multiple linear regression models for %ND and %SLD in each language indicated that %MzWds was the primary predictor across languages beyond other language measures and demographic variables. Conclusions The findings extend the evidence base with regard to the frequency and type of disfluencies that can be expected in bilingual children who do not stutter in grades prekindergarten to Grade 4. The data indicate that %MzWds and %ND can similarly index the normal disfluencies of bilingual children during narrative production. The potential clinical implications of the findings from this study are discussed.

An Introductory Examination of Speech Disfluencies in Spanish–English Bilingual Children Who Do and Do Not Stutter During Narratives

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the frequency and type of speech disfluencies (stuttering-like and nonstuttering-like) in bilingual Spanish–English (SE) children who stutter (CWS) to SE children who do not stutter (CWNS) during narrative samples elicited in Spanish and English to provide further diagnostic information for this population and preliminary data toward an expansion of this study. Method Participants included six bilingual SE children (three CWS, three CWNS) ranging in age from 5 years to 7;5 (years;months) and recruited from the surrounding Houston, Texas area. Participants provided a narrative sample in English and Spanish. The frequency of speech disfluencies was tabulated, and mean length of utterance was measured for each sample. Results Results indicate that both talker groups exceed the diagnostic criteria typically used for developmental stuttering. Regardless of the language being spoken, CWS participants had a frequency of stuttering-like speech disfluencies that met or exceeded the diagnostic criteria for developmental stuttering that is based on monolingual English speakers. The CWNS participants varied in meeting the criteria depending on the language being spoken, with one of the three CWNS exceeding the criteria in both languages and one exceeding the criteria for percentage of stuttering-like speech disfluencies in one language. Conclusion Findings from this study contribute to the development of more appropriate diagnostic criteria for bilingual SE-speaking children to aid in the reduction of misdiagnoses of stuttering in this population.

Clinical Success Using the Audio-Visual Feedback Training for Cluttering

Purpose Among the best strategies to address inadequate speech monitoring skills and other parameters of communication in people with cluttering (PWC) is the relatively new but very promising auditory–visual feedback (AVF) training ( van Zaalen &amp; Reichel, 2015 ). This study examines the effects of AVF training on articulatory accuracy, pause duration, frequency, and type of disfluencies of PWC, as well as on the emotional and cognitive aspects that may be present in clients with this communication disorder ( Reichel, 2010 ; van Zaalen &amp; Reichel, 2015 ). Methods In this study, 12 male adolescents and adults—6 with phonological and 6 with syntactic cluttering—were provided with weekly AVF training for 12 weeks, with a 3-month follow-up. Data was gathered on baseline (T0), Week 6 (T1), Week 12 (T2), and after follow-up (T3). Spontaneous speech was recorded and analyzed by using digital audio-recording and speech analysis software known as Praat ( Boersma &amp; Weenink, 2017 ). Results The results of this study indicated that PWC demonstrated significant improvements in articulatory rate measurements and in pause duration following the AVF training. In addition, the PWC in the study reported positive effects on their ability to retell a story and to speak in more complete sentences. PWC felt better about formulating their ideas and were more satisfied with their interactions with people around them. Conclusions The AVF training was found to be an effective approach for improving monitoring skills of PWC with both quantitative and qualitative benefits in the behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social domains of communication.

Speech disfluencies in bilingual Yiddish-Dutch speaking children

ABSTRACTIn this study, we investigated the frequency and types of stuttering-like (SLD) and other (OD) disfluencies in 59 typically developing bilingual Yiddish-Dutch (YD) speaking children. Participants were divided in two age categories: 6.01–7.07 and 9.00–10.04-year-olds. All children (1) were successive, bilingual YD speaking, (2) had Yiddish as their dominant language and (3) were sufficiently intelligible in both languages. A conversation sample of at least 300 syllables was collected in each of the two languages. The main findings in this study were (a) the total amount of SLD as well as OD were significantly higher in the non-dominant language. For the SLD, this was mainly caused by the higher frequency of monosyllabic word and syllable repetitions. For the OD, almost all disfluency types seem to have contributed to this. (b) The total amount of OD was significantly higher in the older group of bilingual YD children than in the younger group. This was primarily due to higher frequencies of phrase repetitions, lexical revisions and unfinished words. (c) The monolingual diagnostic guideline of three SLD per 100 words as a means to label stuttering cannot be used in this bilingual population. The majority of the non-stuttering children scored higher than the standard 3% SLD in both languages. In the dominant Yiddish language, 27 children (46%) scored above this percentage, in the non-dominant Dutch language, 46 children (78%).We conclude that bilingual YD-speaking children have a higher frequency of speech disfluencies in comparison to monolingual children. Consequently, monolingual stuttering guidelines cannot be used in this bilingual population.

Disfluency clusters in speakers with and without neurogenic stuttering following traumatic brain injury

PurposeAnalyze the characteristics and rate of disfluency clusters in adults with and without neurogenic stuttering after traumatic brain injury (TBI). MethodTwenty adults with TBI participated in this study, including 10 with neurogenic stuttering (Group B) and 10 without -stuttering (Group A). Disfluency clusters in speech samples were classified into three types: Stuttering-like (SLD), other (OD), and mixed (MIX). ResultsSpeakers with and without neurogenic stuttering produced the same mean number of disfluency clusters. In addition, the mean length of clusters did not differ between these speaker groups although the longest clusters did. The most frequently occurring cluster type for people with neurogenic stuttering was MIX and OD for people without stuttering. Although the speakers in Group A produced stuttering-like disfluencies, these never occurred together to form a SLD type cluster. For Group B, the starter units of the clusters were usually stuttering-like disfluencies, while for Group A, the starter units were mostly interruptions. ConclusionsCompared to non-stuttering speakers, stuttering after TBI did not increase the number of clusters, but rather lengthened them. In speakers with neurogenic stuttering, the number and length of clusters were related to the manifestation of other communication deficits, not to the frequency of stuttering-like disfluencies. Still, SLD clusters occurred only in those people with neurogenic stuttering. These findings raise questions about the nature of both neurogenic stuttering and the dynamics of disfluency clustering.

Tavallista sujumattomuutta: Aikuisten puheen sujuvuuden kvantitatiivinen analyysi

Tutkimus käsittelee suomenkielisten aikuisten puheen tyypillisiä sujumattomuuksia ja niiden normaalivariaatiota. Henkilöt (N = 70) olivat neurologisesti terveitä, eikä heillä ollut diagnosoituja puheen tai kielen häiriöitä. Heidän sarjakuvakerrontaan perustuvien audioaineistojen transkriptioista analysoitiin puhenopeuden ja artikulaationopeuden lisäksi 10 puheen sujuvuutta kuvaavaa muuttujaa. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin muuttujien yleisyyttä, niiden keskinäisiä suhteita sekä sujumattomuuksien vaikutusta sujumattomuusprosenttiin. Sujumattomuusprosentin keskiarvo oli koko aineistossa 2,3 % (vv = 0,0–7,8 %), ja sitä selittivät vahvimmin muuttujat korjaus ja sanan toisto sekä epäröinti, joka oli myös yleisin sujumattomuustyyppi. Sujumattomuusprosentin mukaan jaetuissa puhujaryhmissä sujumattomuuden tyyppi muuttui sujumattomuusprosentin kasvaessa. Sujumattomuuksista muodostui neljä faktoria: sujumattomuudet, jotka liittyivät 1) kielelliseen muotoiluun, 2) viestin suunnitteluun, 3) viestin jatkuvuuden ylläpitoon ja 4) artikulaatioon. Sujumattomuusprosenttia selittivät parhaiten sujumattomuudet, jotka liittyivät kielelliseen muotoiluun sekä ilmaisun jatkuvuuden ylläpitoon. Tulokset vahvistivat ajatusta puheen sujuvuudesta jatkumona sekä toivat esiin sujumattomuuksien laajan variaation niin määrällisesti kuin laadullisestikin. Tämän aineiston normaalivariaatiota voidaan käyttää sekä häiriödiagnostiikan että kuntoutustavoitteiden asettamisen tukena. Lisäksi tutkimuksen tulokset toimivat vertailupohjana tuleville tutkimuksille.

Curvilinear Association Between Language Disfluency and FMR1 CGG Repeat Size Across the Normal, Intermediate, and Premutation Range.

Historically, investigations of FMR1 have focused almost exclusively on the clinical effects of CGG expansion within the categories of the premutation (55–200 CGG repeats) and fragile X syndrome (>200 CGG repeats). However, emerging evidence suggests that CGG-dependent phenotypes may occur across allele sizes traditionally considered within the “normal” range. This study adopted an individual-differences approach to determine the association between language production ability and CGG repeat length across the full range of normal, intermediate, and premutation alleles. Participants included 61 adult women with CGG repeats within the premutation (n = 37), intermediate (i.e., 41–54 repeats; n = 2), or normal (i.e., 6–40 repeats; n = 22) ranges. All participants were the biological mothers of a child with a developmental disorder, to control for the potential effects of parenting stress. Language samples were collected and the frequency of language disfluencies (i.e., interruptions in the flow of speech) served as an index of language production skills. Verbal inhibition skills, measured with the Hayling Sentence Completion Test, were also measured and examined as a correlate of language disfluency, consistent with theoretical work linking language disfluency with inhibitory deficits (i.e., the Inhibition Deficit Hypothesis). Blood samples were collected to determine FMR1 CGG repeat size. A general linear model tested CGG repeat size of the larger allele (allele-2) as the primary predictor of language disfluency, covarying for education level, IQ, age, and CGG repeats on the other allele. A robust curvilinear association between CGG length and language disfluency was detected, where low-normal (∼ <25 repeats) and mid-premutation alleles (∼90–110 repeats) were linked with higher rates of disfluency. Disfluency was not associated with inhibition deficits, which challenges prior theoretical work and suggests that a primary language deficit could account for elevated language disfluency in FMR1-associated conditions. Findings suggest CGG-dependent variation in language production ability, which was evident across individuals with and without CGG expansions on FMR1.

Effect of delayed auditory feedback on stuttering with and without central auditory processing disorders.

To verify the effect of delayed auditory feedback on speech fluency of individuals who stutter with and without central auditory processing disorders. The participants were twenty individuals with stuttering from 7 to 17 years old and were divided into two groups: Stuttering Group with Auditory Processing Disorders (SGAPD): 10 individuals with central auditory processing disorders, and Stuttering Group (SG): 10 individuals without central auditory processing disorders. Procedures were: fluency assessment with non-altered auditory feedback (NAF) and delayed auditory feedback (DAF), assessment of the stuttering severity and central auditory processing (CAP). Phono Tools software was used to cause a delay of 100 milliseconds in the auditory feedback. The "Wilcoxon Signal Post" test was used in the intragroup analysis and "Mann-Whitney" test in the intergroup analysis. The DAF caused a statistically significant reduction in SG: in the frequency score of stuttering-like disfluencies in the analysis of the Stuttering Severity Instrument, in the amount of blocks and repetitions of monosyllabic words, and in the frequency of stuttering-like disfluencies of duration. Delayed auditory feedback did not cause statistically significant effects on SGAPD fluency, individuals with stuttering with auditory processing disorders. The effect of delayed auditory feedback in speech fluency of individuals who stutter was different in individuals of both groups, because there was an improvement in fluency only in individuals without auditory processing disorder.

The role of auditory temporal cues in the fluency of stuttering adults

ABSTRACT Purpose: to compare the frequency of disfluencies and speech rate in spontaneous speech and reading in adults with and without stuttering in non-altered and delayed auditory feedback (NAF, DAF). Methods: participants were 30 adults: 15 with Stuttering (Research Group - RG), and 15 without stuttering (Control Group - CG). The procedures were: audiological assessment and speech fluency evaluation in two listening conditions, normal and delayed auditory feedback (100 milliseconds delayed by Fono Tools software). Results: the DAF caused a significant improvement in the fluency of spontaneous speech in RG when compared to speech under NAF. The effect of DAF was different in CG, because it increased the common disfluencies and the total of disfluencies in spontaneous speech and reading, besides showing an increase in the frequency of stuttering-like disfluencies in reading. The intergroup analysis showed significant differences in the two speech tasks for the two listening conditions in the frequency of stuttering-like disfluencies and in the total of disfluencies, and in the flows of syllable and word-per-minute in the NAF. Conclusion: the results demonstrated that delayed auditory feedback promoted fluency in spontaneous speech of adults who stutter, without interfering in the speech rate. In non-stuttering adults an increase occurred in the number of common disfluencies and total of disfluencies as well as reduction of speech rate in spontaneous speech and reading.

INFLUENCE OF LENGTH OF SENTENCES ON THE FREQUENCY OF SPEECH DISFLUENCIES IN CHILDREN WHO STUTTER

The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether the length of sentences has influence on the frequency of speech disfluencies for children who stutter. The participants included 30 children who stutter 19 male participants and 13 female participants, whose age ranged between 4 years and 8 months to 6 years and 11 months (56 to 83 months of age). Research was conducted in kindergartens and primary schools in Tuzla Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina2 . The test consisted of 36 sentences. In relation to the length, sentences were divided into three groups: in the first group there were 9 sentences which included 3 to 5 words, in the second group, there were 14 sentences which included 6 to 8 words and in the third group there were 13 sentences which included 9 to 11 words. Testing was conducted so that the examiner was pronouncing one sentence after which the participant repeated the same sentence. Each participant was requested to repeat exactly what he/she had heard. Speech and language pathologist has recorded all speech disfluencies in all sentences. The results showed that the sentences containing 9 to 11 words had most effects on the overall dynamics of speech disfluencies in children who stutter. The results suggest that during the process of assessment and diagnosis of children who stutter, it should be required to assess the child's ability to use complex linguistic statements and to assess the frequency of disfluencies in relation to the complexity of the sentences. Precision diagnostics would provide guidelines for the treatment of stuttering in terms of implementation of approaches and strategies which include language treatment and gradually increasing the length and complexity of statements of children who stutter during speech.

Cued self-awareness and speech fluency

The present study investigated the potential influence of cued attention to self on speaking behavior. Forty-five undergraduate participants completed three tasks: watching a movie clip, telling a story, and completing button-pressing tasks, including a cognitive Stroop-like task. Each task was presented to participants in the presence and absence of video of their own behavior. During each task, indicators of autonomic arousal were acquired, including skin conductance and heart rate. Results showed that autonomic arousal was greater during speaking than movie-watching, and Stroop compared to baseline tasks. The presence of the video resulted in reduced performance, as marked by a greater frequency of speech disfluencies during speaking and increased reaction time during button-pressing tasks. However, the presence of the video was not associated with greater autonomic arousal. Results indicate that cued attention to self can lead to performance decrements, but not increases in autonomic arousal.

Fluency aspects of oral narrative task in del22q11.2 syndrome.

To investigate the fluency aspects of the oral narrative task in individuals with del22q11.2 syndrome and compare them with those of individuals with typical language development. Fifteen individuals diagnosed with del22q11.2 syndrome, both genders, aged 7-17 years participated in this study. They were compared with 15 individuals with typical language development, with similar gender and chronological age profiles. The oral narrative was elicited using the book "Frog, Where Are You?", and the fluency aspects were analyzed according to speech rate and type and frequency of disfluency (typical and stuttering). The number and duration of pauses were also investigated. The data were statistically analyzed. The group with del22q11.2 syndrome showed a higher average when compared with the group without the syndrome for the percentage of typical disfluencies, mainly hesitation and revision. The group presenting the syndrome also showed a higher average for stuttering disfluencies, with pause as the most frequent disfluency. With respect to speech rate, the group with the syndrome presented a lower average for the number of words and syllables per minute. Individuals with del22q11.2 syndrome showed greater difficulties of narration than their peers. The fluency aspects of the oral narrative task in subjects with del22q11.2 syndrome were similar to those of individuals with typical language development regarding the presence of hesitation, revision, and pause, but they were different with respect to frequency of disfluency, which was higher in individuals with the syndrome.

Developing and Using Big Data Archives to Quantify Disfluency and Stuttering in Bilingual Children.

Worldwide, bilingualism is the rule rather than the exception, and yet we have surprisingly little research data on the fluency development of bilingual children, and even less information on their potential risk for stuttering. Many variables influence a bilingual child's language, speech, and fluency development (e.g., amount of exposure to each language); controlling these variables in research studies necessitates large numbers of bilingual participants. The frequency and types of typical disfluencies in the speech of young children are also varied. In addition, stuttering is also variable in its presentation, and when we assess bilingual children for the presence of stuttering we are adding yet another layer of complexity. This article reviews research on typical disfluencies in monolingual and bilingual speakers, and how this information might be useful clinically. We provide examples from our laboratory to illustrate how computerized language analysis (CLAN) can be used over time to track the behaviors of research participants. We also present data on the identification of stuttering in bilingual children. We discuss challenges to studying bilingual speakers and how big data initiatives such as TalkBank address these challenges to increase our understanding of bilingual fluency development.

Comparação da leitura de escolares com gagueira em duas condições de escuta: habitual e atrasada

RESUMO Objetivo: comparar os efeitos imediatos do atraso na retroalimentação auditiva na tarefa de leitura oral em escolares com gagueira do desenvolvimento persistente. Métodos: estudo aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética da Instituição (n°0714/2013). Participaram 16 escolares, com idade de 8 a 17 anos, sendo 11 do gênero masculino e 5 do feminino, separados em dois Grupos Experimentais (GE1 e GE2) de 8 participantes cada; o GE1 composto de participantes com gagueira moderada e o GE2 com gagueira grave ou muito grave. Os procedimentos utilizados foram: avaliação audiológica, avaliação da fluência na fala espontânea e avaliação da fluência na leitura oral em duas condições de escuta: com Retroalimentação Auditiva Habitual - RAH e atrasada - RAA. O software Fono Tools junto com o Adaptador Andrea PureAudio USB-AS e microfone auricular Karsect HT-2 foram utilizados para provocar o efeito da RAA e gravar a fala. Resultados: o efeito da retroalimentação auditiva atrasada ocasionou redução das disfluências típicas da gagueira em ambos os grupos, porém a frequência de outras disfluências aumentou no grupo de gagueira moderada e diminuiu no grupo com gagueira grave/muito grave e, desta forma, o total de disfluências apresentou uma diminuição mais significativa no GE2. A diferença foi estatisticamente significante apenas na comparação intergrupos das disfluências típicas da gagueira, na situação de retroalimentação auditiva habitual. Conclusões: o atraso na retroalimentação auditiva não ocasionou efeitos significantes na leitura em ambos os grupos, entretanto há uma tendência do efeito ser considerado positivo para o grupo com gagueira grave/muito grave.

Gagueira desenvolvimental persistente familial: disfluências e prevalência

Resumo: OBJETIVO: caracterizar e comparar a frequência das disfluências da fala de adultos com gagueira desenvolvimental persistente familial do sexo masculino e feminino, a severidade do distúrbio e determinar a prevalência familial e a razão entre gêneros da gagueira nos familiares dos probandos. MÉTODOS: participaram 30 adultos com gagueira (18 a 53 anos), divididos em dois grupos, sendo 20 do sexo masculino e 10 do sexo feminino. Os procedimentos realizados foram: história clínica e familial, avaliação da fluência e Instrumento de Severidade da Gagueira. RESULTADOS: as porcentagens de disfluências típicas da gagueira (p=0,352), de outras disfluências (p=0,947) e do total das disfluências (p=0,522) foram semelhantes entre os grupos masculino e feminino. A média de disfluências típicas da gagueira foi 5,23% e de outras disfluências 5,50%. O subtipo leve foi manifestado pela maioria dos participantes (83,3%). Os familiares do gênero masculino apresentaram maior risco de apresentar gagueira (p&lt;0,001). Do total de 1002 familiares, 85 apresentaram gagueira. No total de familiares afetados (n=85), 53 eram do sexo masculino e 32 do feminino. CONCLUSÃO: não houve diferenças entre os grupos masculino e feminino nas medidas analisadas. Quanto à frequência das disfluências, aproximadamente metade do total das disfluências foi caracterizada como disfluências típicas da gagueira. O subtipo de gagueira desenvolvimental persistente familial foi caracterizado principalmente por um distúrbio classificado quanto à severidade como leve. O risco dos familiares dos probandos afetados foi de 8,5%. A gagueira afetou mais pessoas do gênero masculino em relação ao feminino, numa proporção de 3,72:1.

Speech-Language Dissociations, Distractibility, and Childhood Stuttering.

This study investigated the relation among speech-language dissociations, attentional distractibility, and childhood stuttering. Participants were 82 preschool-age children who stutter (CWS) and 120 who do not stutter (CWNS). Correlation-based statistics (Bates, Appelbaum, Salcedo, Saygin, & Pizzamiglio, 2003) identified dissociations across 5 norm-based speech-language subtests. The Behavioral Style Questionnaire Distractibility subscale measured attentional distractibility. Analyses addressed (a) between-groups differences in the number of children exhibiting speech-language dissociations; (b) between-groups distractibility differences; (c) the relation between distractibility and speech-language dissociations; and (d) whether interactions between distractibility and dissociations predicted the frequency of total, stuttered, and nonstuttered disfluencies. More preschool-age CWS exhibited speech-language dissociations compared with CWNS, and more boys exhibited dissociations compared with girls. In addition, male CWS were less distractible than female CWS and female CWNS. For CWS, but not CWNS, less distractibility (i.e., greater attention) was associated with more speech-language dissociations. Last, interactions between distractibility and dissociations did not predict speech disfluencies in CWS or CWNS. The present findings suggest that for preschool-age CWS, attentional processes are associated with speech-language dissociations. Future investigations are warranted to better understand the directionality of effect of this association (e.g., inefficient attentional processes → speech-language dissociations vs. inefficient attentional processes ← speech-language dissociations).