Stuttering is a fluency disorder with an incidence rate of 3% and a prevalence of 1%. Several theories accounting for stuttering within a motor framework have been proposed. Studies of speech motor performance in adults who stutter have resulted in the identification of poor speech motor coordination and, arguably, immature speech motor learning systems as factors contributing to the observed differences between persons who stutter and typically fluent speakers. Presently, there are also several theories and some empirical support for the role of phonological skills in stuttering. Recent findings, although limited to adults, suggest altered dynamics between the linguistic-phonemic and the speech motor systems in persons who stutter. The three experiments outlined in this proposal are designed to test emerging interactions between the linguistic-phonemic and speech motor systems in children and adults who stutter using nonwords. Participants are 3 age groups of children who stutter and a group of young adults who stutter matched in age and sex to typically fluent speakers. In Experiment 1 the time course of monitoring word- and segment-sized units will be investigated using rhyme and phoneme monitoring during silent naming. In addition, changes in general processing speed with age will be tested by comparing performance in the verbal tasks with a nonverbal tone monitoring task. In Experiment 2 changes in movement execution and coordination with the production of nonwords varying in syllable and phonemic complexity will be investigated in the stuttering and nonstuttering groups. In Experiment 3 speech motor practice and learning effects associated with repeated production of lengthy nonwords will be investigated. The central tenets tested are: a) The time course of emergence of stable dynamics between the linguistic-phonemic and speech motor systems in PWS is protracted compared to typically fluent speakers;b) The altered course of evolving dynamics will result in a speech motor system that is destabilized by increasing nonword complexity and that exhibits limited improvements in practice and learning- induced movement stability and coordination. The proposed experiments will elucidate emerging dynamics between the linguistic-phonemic and speech motor systems using nonwords in children and adults who stutter, thus offering an opportunity to study the speech planning and production processes implicated in stuttering causation.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed experiments will test the time course of acquisition of linguistic-phonemic skills and the changes in movement execution and coordination in children and adults who stutter compared to fluent speakers. The use of nonwords to test such skills allows the study of the effects of phonemic complexity on movement coordination while limiting influences of the semantic/lexical variables. The findings will elucidate the nature of interactions between the linguistic-phonemic and speech motor systems in persons who stutter.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
5R03DC010047-02
Application #
8080868
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZDC1-SRB-Y (53))
Program Officer
Shekim, Lana O
Project Start
2010-06-07
Project End
2014-05-31
Budget Start
2012-06-01
Budget End
2013-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$143,823
Indirect Cost
$43,823
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
555917996
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi; Donohue, Cara (2016) Effects of concurrent task demands on language planning in fluent children and adults. Appl Psycholinguist 37:1311-1336
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi; Weisberg, Sanford (2014) Practice and retention of nonwords in adults who stutter. J Fluency Disord 41:55-71
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi; Byrd, Courtney (2013) Nonword repetition and phoneme elision skills in school-age children who do and do not stutter. Int J Lang Commun Disord 48:625-39
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi; Brady, Alison; Stein, Jillian (2013) A preliminary investigation of phonological encoding skills in children who stutter. J Fluency Disord 38:45-58
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi; Weisberg, Sanford (2013) The effects of cognitive: linguistic variables and language experience on behavioural and kinematic performances in nonword learning. J Psycholinguist Res 42:175-90
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi (2013) Nonword repetition and nonword reading abilities in adults who do and do not stutter. J Fluency Disord 38:275-89
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi; Byrd, Courtney T (2013) A preliminary investigation of segmentation and rhyme abilities of children who stutter. J Fluency Disord 38:222-34
Carroll, Rebecca; Ruigendijk, Esther (2013) The effects of syntactic complexity on processing sentences in noise. J Psycholinguist Res 42:139-59
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi; Weber-Fox, Christine (2012) Cross-sectional study of phoneme and rhyme monitoring abilities in children between 7 and 13 years. Appl Psycholinguist 33:253-279
Sasisekaran, Jayanthi; Munson, Benjamin (2012) Effects of repeated production on vowel distinctiveness within nonwords. J Acoust Soc Am 131:EL336-41

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