Electromyography and diadochokinesia--a study with fluent and stuttering children.

Background: electromyography and diadochokinesia.

Aim: to analyze the oral movement rate in children with persistent developmental stuttering and in normally fluent children during the repetition of articulatory segments (diadochokinesia - DDK).

Method: participants of the study were 50 children, with no distinction of gender and race, enrolled in public schools (primary and junior) of São Paulo city and Great São Paulo, whose families agreed, through informed consent, with the research procedures. The research group (GI) consisted of 19 children diagnosed as stutterers. The control group (GII) consisted of 31 fluent children.

Results: the results of the study indicate that there were great similarities in performance in the DDK tasks for both groups. Standard deviation values were high for both groups.

Conclusion: statistically significant differences were observed for the ability of sequential movement, i.e. when looking at ANOVA results the group of fluent children presented a better ability to move their articulators rapidly when producing sequential segments (pa/ta/ka).