Dysrhythmic Speech Is a Characteristic of Developmental Stuttering in Adults: A Quantitative Analysis Using Duration- and Interval-Based Rhythm Metrics.
Janina Boecher, Kathryn Franich, Ho Ming Chow, Evan Usler
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: Aberrant speech rhythm has previously been identified as a hallmark of stuttering. However, evidence of dysrhythmic speech in adults who stutter (AWS) has largely been limited to qualitative research. Here, we conduct a quantitative analysis of speech rhythm in AWS and adults who do not stutter (AWNS). We also investigate potential differences in speech rhythm as a likely marker of articulatory stability in speech preceding moments of stuttering-like disfluency versus not preceding moments of stuttering-like disfluency. We hope to establish rhythm of speech as a supplementary diagnostic criterion for the assessment of stuttering.
Method: Rhythm metrics were computed for speech produced by 16 self-identified AWS and 16 AWNS. Speech was recorded in reading and spontaneous speaking tasks. Following previous literature, we hypothesized that the nonstuttered utterances of AWS would be less rhythmic than those of AWNS. Furthermore, it was expected that speech rhythm would be disrupted immediately preceding the production of stuttering-like disfluency in AWS. We conducted statistical tests to determine differences in speech rhythm metrics between participant groups (i.e., AWS and AWNS) and utterance types (i.e., preceding stuttering-like disfluency and not preceding stuttering-like disfluency).
Results: Multiple metrics revealed reduced speech rhythmicity in AWS compared to AWNS for both nonstuttered oral reading and spontaneous speech tasks. Furthermore, speech rhythmicity in AWS was significantly reduced immediately preceding stuttering-like disfluency compared to not preceding stuttering-like disfluency in both the reading and spontaneous speech tasks.
Conclusions: We present quantitative evidence of reduced speech rhythm as a characteristic of developmental stuttering. AWS exhibited relatively less rhythmic speech overall and particularly immediately preceding a stuttering-like disfluency. This reduction in the temporal stability of speech may be interpreted as a sign of imminent breakdown in articulatory coordination. The potential significance of rhythm metrics to speech science and clinical diagnostics is discussed.
期刊介绍:
Mission: JSLHR publishes peer-reviewed research and other scholarly articles on the normal and disordered processes in speech, language, hearing, and related areas such as cognition, oral-motor function, and swallowing. The journal is an international outlet for both basic research on communication processes and clinical research pertaining to screening, diagnosis, and management of communication disorders as well as the etiologies and characteristics of these disorders. JSLHR seeks to advance evidence-based practice by disseminating the results of new studies as well as providing a forum for critical reviews and meta-analyses of previously published work.
Scope: The broad field of communication sciences and disorders, including speech production and perception; anatomy and physiology of speech and voice; genetics, biomechanics, and other basic sciences pertaining to human communication; mastication and swallowing; speech disorders; voice disorders; development of speech, language, or hearing in children; normal language processes; language disorders; disorders of hearing and balance; psychoacoustics; and anatomy and physiology of hearing.