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Curtis M, Bayat M, Garic D, Alfano AR, Hernandez M, Curzon M, Bejarano A, Tremblay P, Graziano P, Dick AS. Structural Development of Speech Networks in Young Children at Risk for Speech Disorder. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.23.609470. [PMID: 39229017 PMCID: PMC11370569 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.23.609470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Characterizing the structural development of the neural speech network in early childhood is important for understanding speech acquisition. To investigate speech in the developing brain, 94 children aged 4-7-years-old at risk for early speech disorder were scanned using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Additionally, each child completed the Syllable Repetition Task (SRT), a validated measure of phoneme articulation. The DWI data were modeled using multi-compartment restriction spectrum imaging (RSI) to measure restricted and hindered diffusion properties in both grey and white matter. Consequently, we analyzed the diffusion data using both whole brain analysis, and automated fiber quantification (AFQ) analysis to establish tract profiles for each of six fiber pathways thought to be important for supporting speech development. In the whole brain analysis, we found that SRT performance was associated with restricted diffusion in bilateral inferior frontal gyrus ( pars opercularis ), right pre-supplementary/ supplementary motor area (pre-SMA/SMA), and bilateral cerebellar grey matter ( p < .005). Age moderated these associations in left pars opercularis and frontal aslant tract (FAT). However, in both cases only the cerebellar findings survived a cluster correction. We also found associations between SRT performance and restricted diffusion in cortical association fiber pathways, especially left FAT, and in the cerebellar peduncles. Analyses using automatic fiber quantification (AFQ) highlighted differences in high and low performing children along specific tract profiles, most notably in left but not right FAT. These findings suggest that individual differences in speech performance are reflected in structural gray and white matter differences as measured by restricted and hindered diffusion metrics, and offer important insights into developing brain networks supporting speech in very young children.
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Liu W, Ma D, Cao C, Liu S, Ma X, Jia F, Li P, Zhang H, Liao Y, Qu H. Abnormal cerebral blood flow in children with developmental stuttering. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03359-1. [PMID: 38914760 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03359-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stuttering affects approximately 5% of children; however, its neurological basis remains unclear. Identifying imaging biomarkers could aid in early detection. Accordingly, we investigated resting-state cerebral blood flow (CBF) in children with developmental stuttering. METHODS Pulsed arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging was utilised to quantify CBF in 35 children with developmental stuttering and 27 healthy controls. We compared normalised CBF between the two groups and evaluated the correlation between abnormal CBF and clinical indicators. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, the stuttering group exhibited decreased normalised CBF in the cerebellum lobule VI bilaterally, right cuneus, and left superior occipital gyrus and increased CBF in the right medial superior frontal gyrus, left rectus, and left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus. Additionally, normalised CBF in the left cerebellum lobule VI and left superior occipital gyrus was positively correlated with stuttering severity. CONCLUSIONS Children who stutter display decreased normalised CBF primarily in the cerebellum and occipital gyrus, with increased normalised CBF in the frontal gyrus. Additionally, the abnormal CBF in the left cerebellum lobule VI and left superior occipital gyrus was associated with more severe symptoms, suggesting that decreased CBF in these areas may serve as a novel neuroimaging clue for stuttering. IMPACT Stuttering occurs in 5% of children and often extends into adulthood, which may negatively affect quality of life. Early detection and treatment are essential. We used pulsed arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging to visualise the resting-state cerebral blood flow (CBF) in children who stutter and healthy children. Normalised CBF was decreased in stutterers in the cerebellum and occipital gyrus and increased in the frontal gyrus. Stuttering severity was linked to abnormal normalised CBF in the left cerebellum lobule VI and left superior occipital gyrus, suggesting that CBF may serve as a novel neuroimaging clue for stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanqing Liu
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Dan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuanlong Cao
- The Fourth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, China
| | - Sai Liu
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - XinMao Ma
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Fenglin Jia
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Pei Li
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Liao
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China.
| | - Haibo Qu
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China.
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Cai H, Dong J, Mei L, Feng G, Li L, Wang G, Yan H. Functional and structural abnormalities of the speech disorders: a multimodal activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae075. [PMID: 38466117 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Speech disorders are associated with different degrees of functional and structural abnormalities. However, the abnormalities associated with specific disorders, and the common abnormalities shown by all disorders, remain unclear. Herein, a meta-analysis was conducted to integrate the results of 70 studies that compared 1843 speech disorder patients (dysarthria, dysphonia, stuttering, and aphasia) to 1950 healthy controls in terms of brain activity, functional connectivity, gray matter, and white matter fractional anisotropy. The analysis revealed that compared to controls, the dysarthria group showed higher activity in the left superior temporal gyrus and lower activity in the left postcentral gyrus. The dysphonia group had higher activity in the right precentral and postcentral gyrus. The stuttering group had higher activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus and lower activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus. The aphasia group showed lower activity in the bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus. Across the four disorders, there were concurrent lower activity, gray matter, and fractional anisotropy in motor and auditory cortices, and stronger connectivity between the default mode network and frontoparietal network. These findings enhance our understanding of the neural basis of speech disorders, potentially aiding clinical diagnosis and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Cai
- Key Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience of Language, Xi'an International Studies University, Xi'an 710128, China
| | - Jie Dong
- Key Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience of Language, Xi'an International Studies University, Xi'an 710128, China
| | - Leilei Mei
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University); School of Psychology; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Genyi Feng
- Imaging Department, Xi'an GEM Flower Changqing Hospital, Xi'an 710201, China
| | - Lili Li
- Speech Language Therapy Department, Shaanxi Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital, Xi'an 710065, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Imaging Department, Xi'an GEM Flower Changqing Hospital, Xi'an 710201, China
| | - Hao Yan
- Key Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience of Language, Xi'an International Studies University, Xi'an 710128, China
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Mollaei F, Basha Chinoor MA. Microstructural white matter changes underlying speech deficits in Parkinson's disease. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 249:105378. [PMID: 38198905 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Speech impairments are one of the common symptoms of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, little is known about the underlying neuroanatomical structural deficits specifically in the basal ganglia-thalamocortical (BGTC) loop in the speech deficits of PD. Here we investigated white matter differences in PD using probabilistic tractography. Diffusion tensor imaging data were downloaded from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database. We included three groups of participants: 20 PD individuals with speech deficits, 20 PD individuals without speech deficits, and 20 age- and gender-matched control participants. Overall, PD individuals with speech deficits had higher mean diffusivity in the BGTC pathway in the left hemisphere compared with PD individuals without speech deficits. The present study exhibits that there may be a distinct pathophysiological profile of white matter for speech deficits in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Mollaei
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Harry Pitt Building, Early Gate, Whiteknights, RG6 6ES Reading, England, United Kingdom; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamcis (CINN), University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, Early Gate, Whiteknights, RG6 6BE Reading, England, United Kingdom.
| | - Mohammed Asif Basha Chinoor
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Harry Pitt Building, Early Gate, Whiteknights, RG6 6ES Reading, England, United Kingdom; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamcis (CINN), University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, Early Gate, Whiteknights, RG6 6BE Reading, England, United Kingdom
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Neef NE, Chang SE. Knowns and unknowns about the neurobiology of stuttering. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002492. [PMID: 38386639 PMCID: PMC10883586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Stuttering occurs in early childhood during a dynamic phase of brain and behavioral development. The latest studies examining children at ages close to this critical developmental period have identified early brain alterations that are most likely linked to stuttering, while spontaneous recovery appears related to increased inter-area connectivity. By contrast, therapy-driven improvement in adults is associated with a functional reorganization within and beyond the speech network. The etiology of stuttering, however, remains enigmatic. This Unsolved Mystery highlights critical questions and points to neuroimaging findings that could inspire future research to uncover how genetics, interacting neural hierarchies, social context, and reward circuitry contribute to the many facets of stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E. Neef
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
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Yoshikawa Y, Kobayashi H, Sakai N, Ishiguro H, Kumazaki H. Therapeutic potential of robots for people who stutter: a preliminary study. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1298626. [PMID: 38283848 PMCID: PMC10811234 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1298626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Growing anecdotal evidence suggests the feasibility of robotic intervention for people who suffer from disorders related to state anxiety. Few studies have been conducted on utilizing robots for persons who stutter (PWS). The present study examines the feasibility of using a robot for speech therapy for PWS. Methods We prepared four settings (i.e., interviews with unfamiliar persons, interviews with unfamiliar communication robots, reading sentences aloud with a tandem robot that can utter the same words as a user by repeating the user's voice after a short delay, and reading sentences aloud while being alone). We assessed the potential of the robots as both interlocutors and practice partners in training with delayed auditory feedback (DAF) for PWS. Moreover, we assessed the relationship between the trait of stuttering and the participants' affinity to the robots. Results Eleven PWS participated in the study. Eight (72.7%) participants had fewer stuttering-related psychological symptoms when they communicated with robots than when they communicated with humans. Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant negative correlation between the Modified Erickson Communication Attitude scale (S-24) and the difference between the scores for stuttering-related psychological symptoms pertaining to the communication robot and humans (p < 0.01). Six participants (54.5%) had fewer stuttering-related psychological symptoms when they read aloud with the tandem robot than when they read aloud alone. There were significant positive correlations between S-24 and the differences between the scores for stuttering-related psychological symptoms when reading aloud with the tandem robot and those when reading aloud alone (p < 0.01). Discussion The communication robot and tandem utterance robot can sometimes be burdensome, although both robots were always easier to talk to for PWS in this preliminary study. The participants with positive speech-related attitudes were more inclined to decrease stuttering-related psychological symptoms when communicating with CommU than when communicating with humans. The participants whose speech-related attitudes were negative were more inclined to show a decrease in stuttering-related psychological symptoms when reading aloud with the tandem robot. Further studies are needed to provide more detailed information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichiro Yoshikawa
- Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kobayashi
- Department of Clinical Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Naomi Sakai
- Hearing and Speech Functions Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Sensory Functions, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Research Institute, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishiguro
- Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Kumazaki
- College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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Matsuhashi K, Itahashi T, Aoki R, Hashimoto RI. Meta-analysis of structural integrity of white matter and functional connectivity in developmental stuttering. Brain Res Bull 2023; 205:110827. [PMID: 38013029 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Developmental stuttering is a speech disfluency disorder characterized by repetitions, prolongations, and blocks of speech. While a number of neuroimaging studies have identified alterations in localized brain activation during speaking in persons with stuttering (PWS), it is unclear whether neuroimaging evidence converges on alterations in structural integrity of white matter and functional connectivity (FC) among multiple regions involved in supporting fluent speech. In the present study, we conducted coordinate-based meta-analyses according to the PRISMA guidelines for available publications that studied fractional anisotropy (FA) using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) for structural integrity and the seed-based voxel-wise FC analyses. The search retrieved 11 publications for the TBSS FA studies, 29 seed-based FC datasets from 6 publications for the resting-state, and 29 datasets from 6 publications for the task-based studies. The meta-analysis of TBSS FA revealed that PWS exhibited FA reductions in the middle and posterior segments of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus. Furthermore, the analysis of resting-state FC demonstrated that PWS had reduced FC in the right supplementary motor area and inferior parietal cortex, whereas an increase in FC was observed in the left cerebellum crus I. Conversely, we observed increased FC for task-based FC in regions implicated in speech production or sequential movements, including the anterior cingulate cortex, posterior insula, and bilateral cerebellum crus I in PWS. Functional network characterization of the altered FCs revealed that the sets of reduced resting-state and increased task-based FCs were largely distinct, but the somatomotor and striatum/thalamus networks were foci of alterations in both conditions. These observations indicate that developmental stuttering is characterized by structural and functional alterations in multiple brain networks that support speech fluency or sequential motor processes, including cortico-cortical and subcortical connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kengo Matsuhashi
- Department of Language Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Itahashi
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryuta Aoki
- Department of Language Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan; Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
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Caruso VC, Wray AH, Lescht E, Chang SE. Neural oscillatory activity and connectivity in children who stutter during a non-speech motor task. J Neurodev Disord 2023; 15:40. [PMID: 37964200 PMCID: PMC10647051 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-023-09507-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neural motor control rests on the dynamic interaction of cortical and subcortical regions, which is reflected in the modulation of oscillatory activity and connectivity in multiple frequency bands. Motor control is thought to be compromised in developmental stuttering, particularly involving circuits in the left hemisphere that support speech, movement initiation, and timing control. However, to date, evidence comes from adult studies, with a limited understanding of motor processes in childhood, closer to the onset of stuttering. METHODS We investigated the neural control of movement initiation in children who stutter and children who do not stutter by evaluating transient changes in EEG oscillatory activity (power, phase locking to button press) and connectivity (phase synchronization) during a simple button press motor task. We compared temporal changes in these oscillatory dynamics between the left and right hemispheres and between children who stutter and children who do not stutter, using mixed-model analysis of variance. RESULTS We found reduced modulation of left hemisphere oscillatory power, phase locking to button press and phase connectivity in children who stutter compared to children who do not stutter, consistent with previous findings of dysfunction within the left sensorimotor circuits. Interhemispheric connectivity was weaker at lower frequencies (delta, theta) and stronger in the beta band in children who stutter than in children who do not stutter. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings indicate weaker engagement of the contralateral left motor network in children who stutter even during low-demand non-speech tasks, and suggest that the right hemisphere might be recruited to support sensorimotor processing in childhood stuttering. Differences in oscillatory dynamics occurred despite comparable task performance between groups, indicating that an altered balance of cortical activity might be a core aspect of stuttering, observable during normal motor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria C Caruso
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Amanda Hampton Wray
- Department of Communication Science & Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Erica Lescht
- Department of Communication Science & Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
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Miller HE, Garnett EO, Heller Murray ES, Nieto-Castañón A, Tourville JA, Chang SE, Guenther FH. A comparison of structural morphometry in children and adults with persistent developmental stuttering. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad301. [PMID: 38025273 PMCID: PMC10653153 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This cross-sectional study aimed to differentiate earlier occurring neuroanatomical differences that may reflect core deficits in stuttering versus changes associated with a longer duration of stuttering by analysing structural morphometry in a large sample of children and adults who stutter and age-matched controls. Whole-brain T1-weighted structural scans were obtained from 166 individuals who stutter (74 children, 92 adults; ages 3-58) and 191 controls (92 children, 99 adults; ages 3-53) from eight prior studies in our laboratories. Mean size and gyrification measures were extracted using FreeSurfer software for each cortical region of interest. FreeSurfer software was also used to generate subcortical volumes for regions in the automatic subcortical segmentation. For cortical analyses, separate ANOVA analyses of size (surface area, cortical thickness) and gyrification (local gyrification index) measures were conducted to test for a main effect of diagnosis (stuttering, control) and the interaction of diagnosis-group with age-group (children, adults) across cortical regions. Cortical analyses were first conducted across a set of regions that comprise the speech network and then in a second whole-brain analysis. Next, separate ANOVA analyses of volume were conducted across subcortical regions in each hemisphere. False discovery rate corrections were applied for all analyses. Additionally, we tested for correlations between structural morphometry and stuttering severity. Analyses revealed thinner cortex in children who stutter compared with controls in several key speech-planning regions, with significant correlations between cortical thickness and stuttering severity. These differences in cortical size were not present in adults who stutter, who instead showed reduced gyrification in the right inferior frontal gyrus. Findings suggest that early cortical anomalies in key speech planning regions may be associated with stuttering onset. Persistent stuttering into adulthood may result from network-level dysfunction instead of focal differences in cortical morphometry. Adults who stutter may also have a more heterogeneous neural presentation than children who stutter due to their unique lived experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary E Miller
- Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Emily O Garnett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Heller Murray
- Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Alfonso Nieto-Castañón
- Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jason A Tourville
- Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Frank H Guenther
- Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Papadatou-Pastou M, Papadopoulou AK, Samsouris C, Mundorf A, Valtou MM, Ocklenburg S. Hand Preference in Stuttering: Meta-Analyses. Neuropsychol Rev 2023:10.1007/s11065-023-09617-z. [PMID: 37796428 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-023-09617-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Reduced hemispheric asymmetries, as well as their behavioral manifestation in the form of atypical handedness (i.e., non-right, left-, or mixed-handedness), are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, and several psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. One neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with reduced hemispheric asymmetries, but for which findings on behavioral laterality are conflicting, is stuttering. Here, we report a series of meta-analyses of studies that report handedness (assessed as hand preference) levels in individuals who stutter (otherwise healthy) compared to controls. For this purpose, articles were identified via a search in PubMed, Scopus, and PsycInfo (13 June 2023). On the basis of k = 52 identified studies totaling n = 2590 individuals who stutter and n = 17,148 controls, five random effects meta-analyses were conducted: four using the odds ratio [left-handers (forced choice); left-handers (extreme); mixed-handers; non-right-handers vs. total)] and one using the standardized difference in means as the effect size. We did not find evidence of a left (extreme)- or mixed-handedness difference or a difference in mean handedness scores, but evidence did emerge, when it came to left-handedness (forced-choice) and (inconclusively for) non-right-handedness. Risk-of-bias analysis was not deemed necessary in the context of these meta-analyses. Differences in hand skill or strength of handedness could not be assessed as no pertinent studies were located. Severity of stuttering could not be used s a moderator, as too few studies broke down their data according to severity. Our findings do not allow for firm conclusions to be drawn on whether stuttering is associated with reduced hemispheric asymmetries, at least when it comes to their behavioral manifestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marietta Papadatou-Pastou
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.
| | | | - Christos Samsouris
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Annakarina Mundorf
- Institute for Systems Medicine and Department of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Nilles C, Berg L, Fleming C, Martino D, Pringsheim T. Developmental stuttering, physical concomitants associated with stuttering, and Tourette syndrome: A scoping review. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2023; 77:105992. [PMID: 37393778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2023.105992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Developmental stuttering and Tourette syndrome (TS) are common neurodevelopmental disorders. Although disfluencies may co-occur in TS, their type and frequency do not always represent pure stuttering. Conversely, core symptoms of stuttering may be accompanied by physical concomitants (PCs) that can be confused for tics. This scoping review aimed to explore the similarities and differences between stuttering and tics in terms of epidemiology, comorbidities, phenomenology, evolution, physiopathology, and treatment. We also described the nature of PCs in stuttering and disfluencies in TS. METHODS A literature search on Medline, Embase and PsycInfo was executed in March 2022. From 426 studies screened, 122 were included in the review (a majority being narrative reviews and case reports). RESULTS TS and stuttering have several epidemiological, phenomenological, comorbidity, and management similarities suggesting shared risk factors and physiopathology (involving the basal ganglia and their connections with speech and motor control cortical regions). PCs in stuttering commonly involve the face (eyelids, jaw/mouth/lip movements) and sometimes the head, trunk and limbs. PCs can be present from early stages of stuttering and vary over time and within individuals. The function of PCs is unknown. Some individuals with TS have a distinct disfluency pattern, composed of a majority of typical disfluencies (mostly between-word disfluencies), and a mix of cluttering-like behaviors, complex phonic tics (e.g. speech-blocking tics, echolalia, palilalia), and rarely, atypical disfluencies. CONCLUSION Future investigations are warranted to better understand the complex relationships between tics and stuttering and address the management of disfluencies in TS and PCs in stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Nilles
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lindsay Berg
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Cassidy Fleming
- Pediatric Community Rehabilitation, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Davide Martino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tamara Pringsheim
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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12
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Franke M, Hoole P, Falk S. Temporal organization of syllables in paced and unpaced speech in children and adolescents who stutter. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2023; 76:105975. [PMID: 37247502 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2023.105975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Speaking with an external rhythm has a tremendous fluency-enhancing effect in people who stutter. The aim of the present study is to examine whether syllabic timing related to articulatory timing (c-center) would differ between children and adolescents who stutter and a matched control group in an unpaced vs. a paced condition. METHODS We recorded 48 German-speaking children and adolescents who stutter and a matched control group reading monosyllabic words with and without a metronome (unpaced and paced condition). Analyses were conducted on four minimal pairs that differed in onset complexity (simple vs. complex). The following acoustic correlates of a c-center effect were analyzed: vowel and consonant compression, acoustic intervals (time from c-center, left-edge, and right-edge to an anchor-point), and relative standard deviations of these intervals. RESULTS Both groups show acoustic correlates of a c-center effect (consonant compression, vowel compression, c-center organization, and more stable c-center intervals), independently of condition. However, the group who stutters had a more pronounced consonant compression effect. The metronome did not significantly affect syllabic organization but interval stability improved in the paced condition in both groups. CONCLUSION Children and adolescents who stutter and matched controls have a similar syllable organization, related to articulatory timing, regardless of paced or unpaced speech. However, consonant onset timing differs between the group who stutters and the control group; this is a promising basis for conducting an articulatory study in which articulatory (gestural) timing can be examined in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Franke
- Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany; Faculté des arts et des sciences - Départment de linguistique et de traduction, Université de Montréal, Canada,; International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montréal, Canada.
| | - Philip Hoole
- Institute for Phonetics and Speech Processing, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Falk
- Faculté des arts et des sciences - Départment de linguistique et de traduction, Université de Montréal, Canada,; International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montréal, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montréal, Canada
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13
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Chow HM, Garnett EO, Ratner NB, Chang SE. Brain activity during the preparation and production of spontaneous speech in children with persistent stuttering. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103413. [PMID: 37099876 PMCID: PMC10149502 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Speech production forms the basis for human verbal communication. Though fluent speech production is effortless and automatic for most people, it is disrupted in speakers who stutter, who experience difficulties especially during spontaneous speech and at utterance onsets. Brain areas comprising the basal ganglia thalamocortical (BGTC) motor loop have been a focus of interest in the context of stuttering, given this circuit's critical role in initiating and sequencing connected speech. Despite the importance of better understanding the role of the BGTC motor loop in supporting overt, spontaneous speech production, capturing brain activity during speech has been challenging to date, due to fMRI artifacts associated with severe head motions during speech production. Here, using an advanced technique that removes speech-related artifacts from fMRI signals, we examined brain activity occurring immediately before, and during, overt spontaneous speech production in 22 children with persistent stuttering (CWS) and 18 children who do not stutter (controls) in the 5-to-12-year age range. Brain activity during speech production was compared in two conditions: spontaneous speech (i.e., requiring language formulation) and automatic speech (i.e., overlearned word sequences). Compared to controls, CWS exhibited significantly reduced left premotor activation during spontaneous speech production but not during automatic speech. Moreover, CWS showed an age-related reduction in left putamen and thalamus activation during speech preparation. These results provide further evidence that stuttering is associated with functional deficits in the BGTC motor loop, which are exacerbated during spontaneous speech production.
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14
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Chow HM, Garnett EO, Koenraads SPC, Chang SE. Brain developmental trajectories associated with childhood stuttering persistence and recovery. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101224. [PMID: 36863188 PMCID: PMC9986501 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 5-8 % of preschool-age children, continuing into adulthood in 1 % of the population. The neural mechanisms underlying persistence and recovery from stuttering remain unclear and little information exists on neurodevelopmental anomalies in children who stutter (CWS) during preschool age, when stuttering symptoms typically first emerge. Here we present findings from the largest longitudinal study of childhood stuttering to date, comparing children with persistent stuttering (pCWS) and those who later recovered from stuttering (rCWS) with age-matched fluent peers, to examine the developmental trajectories of both gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) using voxel-based morphometry. A total of 470 MRI scans were analyzed from 95 CWS (72 pCWS and 23 rCWS) and 95 fluent peers between 3 and 12 years of age. We examined overall group and group by age interactions in GMV and WMV in preschool age (3-5 years old) and school age (6-12 years old) CWS and controls, controlling for sex, IQ, intracranial volume, and socioeconomic status. The results provide broad support for a possible basal ganglia-thalamocortical (BGTC) network deficit starting in the earliest phases of the disorder and point to normalization or compensation of earlier occurring structural changes associated with stuttering recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Ming Chow
- University of Delaware, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Newark, DE 19713, USA
| | - Emily O Garnett
- Department of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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15
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Shekari E, Nozari N. A narrative review of the anatomy and function of the white matter tracts in language production and comprehension. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1139292. [PMID: 37051488 PMCID: PMC10083342 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1139292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Much is known about the role of cortical areas in language processing. The shift towards network approaches in recent years has highlighted the importance of uncovering the role of white matter in connecting these areas. However, despite a large body of research, many of these tracts' functions are not well-understood. We present a comprehensive review of the empirical evidence on the role of eight major tracts that are hypothesized to be involved in language processing (inferior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, extreme capsule, middle longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, arcuate fasciculus, and frontal aslant tract). For each tract, we hypothesize its role based on the function of the cortical regions it connects. We then evaluate these hypotheses with data from three sources: studies in neurotypical individuals, neuropsychological data, and intraoperative stimulation studies. Finally, we summarize the conclusions supported by the data and highlight the areas needing further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Shekari
- Department of Neuroscience, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nazbanou Nozari
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC), Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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16
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Neef NE, Angstadt M, Koenraads SPC, Chang SE. Dissecting structural connectivity of the left and right inferior frontal cortex in children who stutter. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:4085-4100. [PMID: 36057839 PMCID: PMC10068293 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inferior frontal cortex pars opercularis (IFCop) features a distinct cerebral dominance and vast functional heterogeneity. Left and right IFCop are implicated in developmental stuttering. Weak left IFCop connections and divergent connectivity of hyperactive right IFCop regions have been related to impeded speech. Here, we reanalyzed diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data from 83 children (41 stuttering). We generated connection probability maps of functionally segregated area 44 parcels and calculated hemisphere-wise analyses of variance. Children who stutter showed reduced connectivity of executive, rostral-motor, and caudal-motor corticostriatal projections from the left IFCop. We discuss this finding in the context of tracing studies from the macaque area 44, which leads to the need to reconsider current models of speech motor control. Unlike the left, the right IFCop revealed increased connectivity of the inferior posterior ventral parcel and decreased connectivity of the posterior dorsal parcel with the anterior insula, particularly in stuttering boys. This divergent connectivity pattern in young children adds to the debate on potential core deficits in stuttering and challenges the theory that right hemisphere differences might exclusively indicate compensatory changes that evolve from lifelong exposure. Instead, early right prefrontal connectivity differences may reflect additional brain signatures of aberrant cognition-emotion-action influencing speech motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Neef
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mike Angstadt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Simone P C Koenraads
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CNRotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, 1026 Red Cedar Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Cognitive Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, 846 Service Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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17
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Evaluating the brainstem in children with breath-holding spells. North Clin Istanb 2022; 9:610-615. [PMID: 36685636 PMCID: PMC9833379 DOI: 10.14744/nci.2022.82085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Breath-holding spells (BHSs) are a non-epileptic paroxysmal phenomenon characterized by frequent apnea episodes, loss of consciousness, and changes in skin tone and postural tone triggered by negative stimuli of childhood. The pathophysiology of the disease remains unclear; autonomic dysregulation caused by delayed myelination is believed to play a role. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the brainstems of children with BHS using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and investigate the etiology of this phenomenon. METHODS The study group consisted of 16 children with a history of severe breath-holding episodes (accompanied by loss of consciousness and tonic contraction due to prolonged anoxic response) and 18 age-, gender-, and handedness-matched controls. All children underwent systemic, neurologic, and cardiologic evaluation, including complete blood count, blood biochemistry, serum iron and ferritin level, serum vitamin B12 level, electrocardiogram, and electroencephalograms. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a 1.5-Tesla Siemens Aera scanner (Siemens, Germany). RESULTS Evaluation of brainstem (midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata) volumes revealed no statistically significant differences between the BHS patient and control groups. In a voxel-wise analysis of DTI data, the BHS patient group had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values than the control group in the bilateral midbrain and medulla, right corticospinal tract, bilateral corpus callosum body and splenium, and left corpus callosum genu. In contrast, there were no significant differences in FA values in the pons, cerebellum, left corticospinal tract, and right corpus callosum genu. CONCLUSION Based on our findings, we think that patients with BHS should be treated with an approach similar to other neurodevelopmental diseases and that this study may help elucidate the pathophysiology and establish the groundwork for future studies on its treatment.
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18
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Differences in implicit motor learning between adults who do and do not stutter. Neuropsychologia 2022; 174:108342. [PMID: 35931135 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Implicit learning allows us to acquire complex motor skills through repeated exposure to sensory cues and repetition of motor behaviours, without awareness or effort. Implicit learning is also critical to the incremental fine-tuning of the perceptual-motor system. To understand how implicit learning and associated domain-general learning processes may contribute to motor learning differences in people who stutter, we investigated implicit finger-sequencing skills in adults who do (AWS) and do not stutter (ANS) on an Alternating Serial Reaction Time task. Our results demonstrated that, while all participants showed evidence of significant sequence-specific learning in their speed of performance, male AWS were slower and made fewer sequence-specific learning gains than their ANS counterparts. Although there were no learning gains evident in accuracy of performance, AWS performed the implicit learning task more accurately than ANS, overall. These findings may have implications for sex-based differences in the experience of developmental stuttering, for the successful acquisition of complex motor skills during development by individuals who stutter, and for the updating and automatization of speech motor plans during the therapeutic process.
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19
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Johnson CA, Liu Y, Waller N, Chang SE. Tract profiles of the cerebellar peduncles in children who stutter. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1773-1787. [PMID: 35220486 PMCID: PMC9743081 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02471-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar-cortical loops comprise critical neural circuitry that supports self-initiated movements and motor adjustments in response to perceived errors, functions that are affected in stuttering. It is unknown whether structural aspects of cerebellar circuitry are affected in stuttering, particularly in children close to symptom onset. Here we examined white matter diffusivity characteristics of the three cerebellar peduncles (CPs) based on diffusion MRI (dMRI) data collected from 41 children who stutter (CWS) and 42 controls in the 3-11 years range. We hypothesized that CWS would exhibit decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right CPs given the contralateral connectivity of the cerebellar-cortical loops and past reports of structural differences in left cortical areas in stuttering speakers. Automatic Fiber Quantification (AFQ) was used to track and segment cerebellar white matter pathways and to extract diffusivity measures. We found significant group differences for FA in the right inferior CP (ICP) only: controls showed significantly higher FA in the right ventral ICP compared to CWS, controlling for age, sex, and verbal IQ. Furthermore, FA of right ICP was negatively correlated with stuttering frequency in CWS. These results suggest an early developmental difference in the right ICP for CWS compared to age-matched peers, which may indicate an alteration in error processing, a function previously linked to the ICP. Lower FA here may impact error monitoring and sensory input processing to guide motor corrections. Further longitudinal investigations in children may provide additional insights into how CP development links to stuttering persistence and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A Johnson
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Yanni Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Noah Waller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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20
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Costa JB, Ritto AP, Juste F, Sassi FC, de Andrade CRF. Risk Factors for the Development of Persistent Stuttering: What Every Pediatrician Should Know. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095225. [PMID: 35564619 PMCID: PMC9101135 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Early identification and adequate treatment of children who stutter is important, since it has an impact on speech development. Considering the importance of aiding pediatricians to recognize children at risk for developing persistent stuttering, the aim of the present study was to correlate speech fluency characteristics of children, whose parents reported stuttering behaviors, to the risk factors of persistent stuttering. The participants were 419 children aged 2:0 to 11:11 years, who were divided into two groups: children with stuttering complaints (CSC), composed of children whose parents reported the presence of stuttering behaviors; and children with no stuttering complaint (CNSCs), composed of children with no stuttering behaviors. Risk variables were gathered based on a questionnaire answered by parents involving the following variables: sex, presence of family history of stuttering, whether stuttering behaviors were observed for more than 12 months, whether stuttering behaviors began before 5 years of age, increased effort to speak (i.e., syllable and sound repetitions and fixed articulatory positions), negative family attitude towards the child’s speech, and negative attitude towards the child’s own speech. The diagnosis of stuttering was determined by a formal speech assessment by a pathologist (SLP). The risk analysis indicated that increased effort to speak, negative family attitude towards the child’s speech, and complaints of stuttering for more than 12 months were associated with a higher risk of stuttering in children. Therefore, when pediatricians are faced with complaints about the presence of stuttering behaviors and these factors are present, they should immediately refer the patient to an SLP for specific assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Biancalana Costa
- Division of Oral Myology—Hospital das Clinicas, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-010, Brazil; (J.B.C.); (A.P.R.)
| | - Ana Paula Ritto
- Division of Oral Myology—Hospital das Clinicas, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-010, Brazil; (J.B.C.); (A.P.R.)
| | - Fabiola Juste
- Department of Physiotherapy, Speech-Language and Hearing Sciece and Occupational Therapy School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-010, Brazil; (F.J.); (F.C.S.)
| | - Fernanda Chiarion Sassi
- Department of Physiotherapy, Speech-Language and Hearing Sciece and Occupational Therapy School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-010, Brazil; (F.J.); (F.C.S.)
| | - Claudia Regina Furquim de Andrade
- Department of Physiotherapy, Speech-Language and Hearing Sciece and Occupational Therapy School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05403-010, Brazil; (F.J.); (F.C.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-11-3091-7455
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21
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Papadopoulou S, Pavlidou E, Argyris G, Flouda T, Koukoutsidi P, Krikonis K, Shah S, Chirosca-Vasileiou D, Boussios S. Epilepsy and Diagnostic Dilemmas: The Role of Language and Speech-Related Seizures. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12040647. [PMID: 35455763 PMCID: PMC9025095 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12040647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the impact of epilepsy on expressive language is heavily discussed, researched, and scientifically grounded, a limited volume of research points in the opposite direction. What about the causal relationship between disorder-related language activities and epileptic seizures? What are the possible diagnostic dilemmas that experts in the field of speech-language pathology, neurology, and related fields face? How far has research gone in investigating psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, the misdiagnosis of which can be a thorny issue for clinicians and a detrimental factor for the patients’ health? In order to address these questions, the study at hand focuses on a common, ever-intensified (by the COVID-19 pandemic) speech disorder—stuttering, and explores the pathophysiological and psychogenic background of the phenomenon. It also looks at the role of stuttering as a contributing factor to the appearance of epileptic seizures, in the hope of drawing attention to the complexity and importance of precise detection of stuttering-induced epilepsy, as a specific subcategory of language-induced epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soultana Papadopoulou
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University Hospital of Ioannina, 45111 Ioannina, Greece; (S.P.); (E.P.)
| | - Efterpi Pavlidou
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University Hospital of Ioannina, 45111 Ioannina, Greece; (S.P.); (E.P.)
| | | | | | - Panagiota Koukoutsidi
- School of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, University of Patras, 26331 Patras, Greece;
| | | | - Sidrah Shah
- Department of Palliative Care, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK;
| | - Dana Chirosca-Vasileiou
- Department of Neurology, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Windmill Road, Gillingham ME7 5NY, UK;
| | - Stergios Boussios
- Department of Medical Oncology, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Windmill Road, Gillingham ME7 5NY, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
- AELIA Organization, 9th Km Thessaloniki-Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Correspondence:
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22
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Zhao Y, Yang L, Gong G, Cao Q, Liu J. Identify aberrant white matter microstructure in ASD, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders: A meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 113:110477. [PMID: 34798202 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) usually present overlapping symptoms. Abnormal white matter (WM) microstructure has been found in these disorders. Identification of common and unique neural abnormalities across NDDs could provide further insight into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. METHODS We performed a voxel-based meta-analysis of whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other NDDs. A systematic literature search was conducted through March 2020 to identify studies that compared measures of WM microstructure between patients with NDDs and neurotypical controls. Peak voxel coordinates were meta-analyzed via anisotropic effect size-signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) as well as activation likelihood estimation (ALE). RESULTS Our final sample included a total of 4137 subjects from 66 studies across five NDDs. Fractional anisotropy (FA) reductions were found in the splenium of the CC in ADHD, and the genu and splenium of CC in ASD. And mean diffusivity (MD) increases were shown in posterior thalamic radiation in ASD. No consistent abnormalities were detected in specific learning disorder, motor disorder or communication disorder. Significant differences between child/adolescent and adult patients were found within the CC across NDDs, reflective of aberrant neurodevelopmental processes in NDDs. CONCLUSIONS The current study demonstrated atypical WM patterns in ASD, ADHD and other NDDs. Microstructural abnormalities in the splenium of the CC were possibly shared among ASD and ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilu Zhao
- The Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Li Yang
- The Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Qingjiu Cao
- The Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China.
| | - Jing Liu
- The Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China.
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23
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Novikova I, Krivonkin K. Contemporary Theories of Stuttering Development. КЛИНИЧЕСКАЯ И СПЕЦИАЛЬНАЯ ПСИХОЛОГИЯ 2022. [DOI: 10.17759/cpse.2022110301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The article presents a theoretical analysis of contemporary models of persistent stuttering development in children and adults at the current period of development of science. The accumulated amount of scientific knowledge suggests that stuttering has a neurological basis: it is associated with disorders in the structure and function of the brain. On this basis, there have been emerged models of stuttering that link the cause of a speech disorder with an unstable speech motor system. Theories and models of stuttering based on cognitive and language processing are likely to be useful in that they have explanatory power in relation to the mechanisms that play an important role in the production of key symptoms of stuttering. Considering that stuttering is a complex disorder, the logical result of this was the proposal of multifactorial models of impaired speech fluency. The presented overview may be useful to psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, speech therapists, teachers, and practitioners interacting with children and adults with stuttering and other speech fluency disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- I.A. Novikova
- Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov
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24
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Jossinger S, Sares A, Zislis A, Sury D, Gracco V, Ben-Shachar M. White matter correlates of sensorimotor synchronization in persistent developmental stuttering. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2022; 95:106169. [PMID: 34856426 PMCID: PMC8821245 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2021.106169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Individuals with persistent developmental stuttering display deficits in aligning motor actions to external cues (i.e., sensorimotor synchronization). Diffusion imaging studies point to stuttering-associated differences in dorsal, not ventral, white matter pathways, and in the cerebellar peduncles. Here, we studied microstructural white matter differences between adults who stutter (AWS) and fluent speakers using two complementary approaches to: (a) assess previously reported group differences in white matter diffusivity, and (b) evaluate the relationship between white matter diffusivity and sensorimotor synchronization in each group. METHODS Participants completed a sensorimotor synchronization task and a diffusion MRI scan. We identified the cerebellar peduncles and major dorsal- and ventral-stream language pathways in each individual and assessed correlations between sensorimotor synchronization and diffusion measures along the tracts. RESULTS The results demonstrated group differences in dorsal, not ventral, language tracts, in alignment with prior reports. Specifically, AWS had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left arcuate fasciculus, and significantly higher mean diffusivity (MD) in the bilateral frontal aslant tract compared to fluent speakers, while no significant group difference was detected in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. We also found significant group differences in both FA and MD of the left middle cerebellar peduncle. Comparing patterns of association with sensorimotor synchronization revealed a novel double dissociation: MD within the left inferior cerebellar peduncle was significantly correlated with mean asynchrony in AWS but not in fluent speakers, while FA within the left arcuate fasciculus was significantly correlated with mean asynchrony in fluent speakers, but not in AWS. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the view that stuttering involves altered connectivity in dorsal tracts and that AWS may rely more heavily on cerebellar tracts to process timing information. Evaluating microstructural associations with sensitive behavioral measures provides a powerful tool for discovering additional functional differences in the underlying connectivity in AWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivan Jossinger
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
| | - Anastasia Sares
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Avital Zislis
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Dana Sury
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Vincent Gracco
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montréal, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montréal, Canada; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel; The Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Thompson-Lake DGY, Scerri TS, Block S, Turner SJ, Reilly S, Kefalianos E, Bonthrone AF, Helbig I, Bahlo M, Scheffer IE, Hildebrand MS, Liégeois FJ, Morgan AT. Atypical development of Broca's area in a large family with inherited stuttering. Brain 2021; 145:1177-1188. [PMID: 35296891 PMCID: PMC9724773 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental stuttering is a condition of speech dysfluency, characterized by pauses, blocks, prolongations and sound or syllable repetitions. It affects around 1% of the population, with potential detrimental effects on mental health and long-term employment. Accumulating evidence points to a genetic aetiology, yet gene-brain associations remain poorly understood due to a lack of MRI studies in affected families. Here we report the first neuroimaging study of developmental stuttering in a family with autosomal dominant inheritance of persistent stuttering. We studied a four-generation family, 16 family members were included in genotyping analysis. T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted MRI scans were conducted on seven family members (six male; aged 9-63 years) with two age and sex matched controls without stuttering (n = 14). Using Freesurfer, we analysed cortical morphology (cortical thickness, surface area and local gyrification index) and basal ganglia volumes. White matter integrity in key speech and language tracts (i.e. frontal aslant tract and arcuate fasciculus) was also analysed using MRtrix and probabilistic tractography. We identified a significant age by group interaction effect for cortical thickness in the left hemisphere pars opercularis (Broca's area). In affected family members this region failed to follow the typical trajectory of age-related thinning observed in controls. Surface area analysis revealed the middle frontal gyrus region was reduced bilaterally in the family (all cortical morphometry significance levels set at a vertex-wise threshold of P < 0.01, corrected for multiple comparisons). Both the left and right globus pallidus were larger in the family than in the control group (left P = 0.017; right P = 0.037), and a larger right globus pallidus was associated with more severe stuttering (rho = 0.86, P = 0.01). No white matter differences were identified. Genotyping identified novel loci on chromosomes 1 and 4 that map with the stuttering phenotype. Our findings denote disruption within the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical network. The lack of typical development of these structures reflects the anatomical basis of the abnormal inhibitory control network between Broca's area and the striatum underpinning stuttering in these individuals. This is the first evidence of a neural phenotype in a family with an autosomal dominantly inherited stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas S Scerri
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville 3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville 305, Australia
| | - Susan Block
- Discipline of Speech Pathology, School of Allied Health, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora 3086, Australia
| | - Samantha J Turner
- Speech and Language, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville 3052, Australia
| | - Sheena Reilly
- Speech and Language, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville 3052, Australia,Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport 4215, Australia
| | - Elaina Kefalianos
- Speech and Language, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville 3052, Australia,Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia
| | | | - Ingo Helbig
- Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104USA,The Epilepsy NeuroGenetics Initiative, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104USA,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104USA,Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104USA
| | - Melanie Bahlo
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville 3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville 305, Australia
| | - Ingrid E Scheffer
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg 3084, Australia,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville 3052, Australia,Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville 3052, Australia,Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville 3052, Australia
| | - Michael S Hildebrand
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg 3084, Australia,Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville 3052, Australia
| | | | - Angela T Morgan
- Correspondence to: Angela T. Morgan Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Parkville 3052, Australia E-mail:
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Chow HM, Li H, Liu S, Frigerio-Domingues C, Drayna D. Neuroanatomical anomalies associated with rare AP4E1 mutations in people who stutter. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab266. [PMID: 34859215 PMCID: PMC8633735 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental stuttering is a common speech disorder with strong genetic underpinnings. Recently, stuttering has been associated with mutations in genes involved in lysosomal enzyme trafficking. However, how these mutations affect the brains of people who stutter remains largely unknown. In this study, we compared grey matter volume and white matter fractional anisotropy between a unique group of seven subjects who stutter and carry the same rare heterozygous AP4E1 coding mutations and seven unrelated controls without such variants. The carriers of the AP4E1 mutations are members of a large Cameroonian family in which the association between AP4E1 and persistent stuttering was previously identified. Compared to controls, mutation carriers showed reduced grey matter volume in the thalamus, visual areas and the posterior cingulate cortex. Moreover, reduced fractional anisotropy was observed in the corpus callosum, consistent with the results of previous neuroimaging studies of people who stutter with unknown genetic backgrounds. Analysis of gene expression data showed that these structural differences appeared at the locations in which expression of AP4E1 is relatively high. Moreover, the pattern of grey matter volume differences was significantly associated with AP4E1 expression across the left supratentorial regions. This spatial congruency further supports the connection between AP4E1 mutations and the observed structural differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Ming Chow
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19713, USA
- Katzin Diagnostic & Research PET/MR Center, Nemours/Alfred duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Section on Genetics of Communication Disorders, NIDCD/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hua Li
- Katzin Diagnostic & Research PET/MR Center, Nemours/Alfred duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Dennis Drayna
- Section on Genetics of Communication Disorders, NIDCD/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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de Ávila NDSF, Juste F, Costa JB, de Andrade CRF. Treatment clinical trial - three types - for children with fluency disorders and stuttering. Codas 2021; 34:e20200264. [PMID: 34705998 PMCID: PMC9851192 DOI: 10.1590/2317-1782/20212020264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To present a treatment clinical trial, involving three types of treatment for chronic developmental stuttering (CDS), to verify whether they present indicators and sufficient information to establish an effective and safe benefit-risk relationship. METHODS The study included 252 children between 2 and 12 years old, who underwent assessment and treatment for CDS. Among the selected children, 93 met the established inclusion criteria. After obtaining the scores for the risk of CDS (Protocol for the Risk of Developmental Stuttering), all children were assessed according to their fluency profile and the severity level of stuttering. The children underwent treatment for CDS Green, Yellow and Red Programs. The treatment chosen for each child was based on the analysis of the risk for CDS. RESULTS All therapeutic programs presented positive results in the post-treatment assessment considering the analyzed parameters, with the exception of word repetition, sound prolongation at the end of words, and intrusion of sounds/word segments. CONCLUSION The tested therapeutic programs - green, yellow, and red - were efficient for most of the participants. The direct intervention used in the Red Program was highly efficient in promoting fluent speech. This result suggests that for most of the patients with a higher risk of developing the chronic form of stuttering, the use of specific fluency promotion techniques is indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia dos Santos Fernandes de Ávila
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo – USP - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
| | - Fabiola Juste
- Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo – USP - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
| | - Julia Biancalana Costa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo – USP - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
| | - Claudia Regina Furquim de Andrade
- Departamento de Fisioterapia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo – USP - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
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Jackson ES, Wijeakumar S, Beal DS, Brown B, Zebrowski PM, Spencer JP. Speech planning and execution in children who stutter: Preliminary findings from a fNIRS investigation. J Clin Neurosci 2021; 91:32-42. [PMID: 34373047 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have investigated the neural mechanisms underlying speech production in children who stutter (CWS), despite the critical importance of understanding these mechanisms closer to the time of stuttering onset. The relative contributions of speech planning and execution in CWS therefore are also unknown. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, the current study investigated neural mechanisms of planning and execution in a small sample of 9-12 year-old CWS and controls (N = 12) by implementing two tasks that manipulated speech planning and execution loads. Planning was associated with atypical activation in bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and right supramarginal gyrus. Execution was associated with atypical activation in bilateral precentral gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus, as well as right supramarginal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus. The CWS exhibited some activation patterns that were similar to the adults who stutter (AWS) as reported in our previous study: atypical planning in frontal areas including left inferior frontal gyrus and atypical execution in fronto-temporo-parietal regions including left precentral gyrus, and right inferior frontal, superior temporal, and supramarginal gyri. However, differences also emerged. Whereas CWS and AWS both appear to exhibit atypical activation in right inferior and supramarginal gyri during execution, only CWS appear to exhibit this same pattern during planning. In addition, the CWS appear to exhibit atypical activation in left inferior frontal and right precentral gyri related to execution, whereas AWS do not. These preliminary results are discussed in the context of possible impairments in sensorimotor integration and inhibitory control for CWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Jackson
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, 665 Broadway, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10012, USA.
| | | | - Deryk S Beal
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Road Toronto, Ontario M4G 1R8, Canada; Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 160-500 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada
| | - Bryan Brown
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 239 Water Street, Eau Claire, WI 54702, USA
| | - Patricia M Zebrowski
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - John P Spencer
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Lawrence Stenhouse Building 0.09, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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Mollaei F, Mersov A, Woodbury M, Jobst C, Cheyne D, De Nil L. White matter microstructural differences underlying beta oscillations during speech in adults who stutter. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 215:104921. [PMID: 33550120 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The basal ganglia-thalamocortical (BGTC) loop may underlie speech deficits in developmental stuttering. In this study, we investigated the relationship between abnormal cortical neural oscillations and structural integrity alterations in adults who stutter (AWS) using a novel magnetoencephalography (MEG) guided tractography approach. Beta oscillations were analyzed using sensorimotor speech MEG, and white matter pathways were examined using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and probabilistic tractography in 11 AWS and 11 fluent speakers. TBSS analysis revealed overlap between cortical regions of increased beta suppression localized to the mouth motor area and a reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the AWS group. MEG-guided tractography showed reduced FA within the BGTC loop from left putamen to subject-specific MEG peak. This is the first study to provide evidence that structural abnormalities may be associated with functional deficits in stuttering and reflect a network deficit within the BGTC loop that includes areas of the left ventral premotor cortex and putamen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Mollaei
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, 500 University Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7, Canada; Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.
| | - Anna Mersov
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, 500 University Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7, Canada
| | - Merron Woodbury
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Cecilia Jobst
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Douglas Cheyne
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, 500 University Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7, Canada; Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2J7, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1W7, Canada
| | - Luc De Nil
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, 500 University Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7, Canada; Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7, Canada
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Elsherif MM, Wheeldon LR, Frisson S. Do dyslexia and stuttering share a processing deficit? JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2021; 67:105827. [PMID: 33444937 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2020.105827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study assessed the prevalence of childhood stuttering in adults with dyslexia (AWD) and the prevalence of dyslexia in adults who stutter (AWS). In addition, the linguistic profiles of 50 AWD, 30 AWS and 84 neurotypical adults were measured. We found that 17 out of 50 AWD (34 %) reported stuttering during childhood compared to 1 % of the neurotypical population. This was moderated by the severity of dyslexia: People with mild dyslexia showed a lower prevalence rate (15 %) of childhood stuttering than those with severe dyslexia (47 %). In addition, we observed that 50 % of the AWS (n = 30) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of dyslexia, even though they had never been diagnosed as dyslexic. Compared to neurotypical adults, phonological working memory, awareness, and retrieval were similarly reduced in AWS and AWD. The findings supports the view that stuttering and dyslexia may share a phonological deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud M Elsherif
- Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Linda R Wheeldon
- Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK; Department of Foreign Languages and Translation, University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Steven Frisson
- Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
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Kornisch M. Bilinguals who stutter: A cognitive perspective. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2021; 67:105819. [PMID: 33296800 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2020.105819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Brain differences, both in structure and executive functioning, have been found in both developmental stuttering and bilingualism. However, the etiology of stuttering remains unknown. The early suggestion that stuttering is a result of brain dysfunction has since received support from various behavioral and neuroimaging studies that have revealed functional and structural brain changes in monolinguals who stutter (MWS). In addition, MWS appear to show deficits in executive control. However, there is a lack of data on bilinguals who stutter (BWS). This literature review is intended to provide an overview of both stuttering and bilingualism as well as synthesize areas of overlap among both lines of research and highlight knowledge gaps in the current literature. METHODS A systematic literature review on both stuttering and bilingualism studies was conducted, searching for articles containing "stuttering" and/or "bilingualism" and either "brain", "executive functions", "executive control", "motor control", "cognitive reserve", or "brain reserve" in the PubMed database. Additional studies were found by examining the reference list of studies that met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS A total of 148 references that met the criteria for inclusion in this paper were used in the review. A comparison of the impact of stuttering or bilingualism on the brain are discussed. CONCLUSION Previous research examining a potential bilingual advantage for BWS is mixed. However, if such an advantage does exist, it appears to offset potential deficits in executive functioning that may be associated with stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Kornisch
- The University of Mississippi, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, 2301 South Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655, United States.
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Speech rate association with cerebellar white-matter diffusivity in adults with persistent developmental stuttering. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:801-816. [PMID: 33538875 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02210-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Speech rate is a basic characteristic of language production, which affects the speaker's intelligibility and communication efficiency. Various speech disorders, including persistent developmental stuttering, present altered speech rate. Specifically, adults who stutter (AWS) typically exhibit a slower speech rate compared to fluent speakers. Evidence from imaging studies suggests that the cerebellum contributes to the paced production of speech. People who stutter show structural and functional abnormalities in the cerebellum. However, the involvement of the cerebellar pathways in controlling speech rate remains unexplored. Here, we assess the association of the cerebellar peduncles with speech rate in AWS and control speakers. Diffusion MRI and speech-rate data were collected in 42 participants (23 AWS, 19 controls). We used deterministic tractography with Automatic Fiber segmentation and Quantification (AFQ) to identify the superior, middle, and inferior cerebellar peduncles (SCP, MCP, ICP) bilaterally, and quantified fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) along each tract. No significant differences were observed between AWS and controls in the diffusivity values of the cerebellar peduncles. However, AWS demonstrated a significant negative association between speech rate and FA within the left ICP, a major cerebellar pathway that transmits sensory feedback signals from the olivary nucleus into the cerebellum. The involvement of the ICP in controlling speech production in AWS is compatible with the view that stuttering stems from hyperactive speech monitoring, where even minor deviations from the speech plan are considered as errors. In conclusion, our findings suggest a plausible neural mechanism for speech rate reduction observed in AWS.
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Alqhazo M, Rashaid AB. Amino acids profiles of children who stutter compared to their fluent sibling. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2020; 24:301-308. [PMID: 32129116 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2020.1735447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: This study scrutinises the abundances of 9 neurological-related amino acids of the scalp hair of 35 (5 females, 30 males) children who stutter and 30 normally fluent children (age and sex matched).Methods: Samples of hair from children who stutter aged (5-9 years) were collected from Speech Clinic at King Abdullah Hospital. The control subjects were selected from the same families of children who stutter to exclude the effect of nutritional, environmental, and biological factors. Amino Acid Analyser was used to measure the concentrations of amino acids in acid hydrolysed hair samples.Results: results indicated that the concentrations of threonine, tyrosine, and isoleucine (p = 0.001, 0.001, 0.02 respectively) are lower in hair samples of people who stutter compared with samples of normal fluent speakers.Conclusion: The findings of this study could introduce a new treatment protocol including the supplementation of reduced nutritional elements.KEY POINTSConcentrations of amino acids (threonine, isoleucine, and tyrosine) in the hair samples of people who stutter were significantly lower than the concentrations in the hair samples of control group.Concentrations of amino acids (histidine and glutamate) in hair samples of people who stutter were lower than control group with low significant values.The concentrations of amino acids (phenylalanine, serine, glycine, aspartate, glutamate) were not significantly different between hair samples of stuttering group and control group.The findings of the current study will be helpful in designing a new treatment method based on the supplementation of deficient amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazin Alqhazo
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Ayat Bani Rashaid
- Department of Chemistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
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Koenraads SPC, van der Schroeff MP, van Ingen G, Lamballais S, Tiemeier H, Baatenburg de Jong RJ, White T, Franken MC, Muetzel RL. Structural brain differences in pre-adolescents who persist in and recover from stuttering. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 27:102334. [PMID: 32650280 PMCID: PMC7341447 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Brain (micro-)structural differences were found in pre-adolescents who stutter. Persistency was associated with marginally smaller left frontal gray matter volume. Recovery was associated with higher mean diffusivity in white matter tracts. Distinct brain structures implicated in persistence and recovery of stuttering.
Background Stuttering is a complex speech fluency disorder occurring in childhood. In young children, stuttering has been associated with speech-related auditory and motor areas of the brain. During transition into adolescence, the majority of children who stutter (75–80%) will experience remission of their symptoms. The current study evaluated brain (micro-)structural differences between pre-adolescents who persisted in stuttering, those who recovered, and fluently speaking controls. Methods This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based cohort in the Netherlands of children followed from pregnancy onwards. Neuroimaging was performed in 2211 children (mean age: 10 years, range 8–12), of whom 20 persisted in and 77 recovered from stuttering. Brain structure (e.g., gray matter) and microstructure (e.g., diffusion tensor imaging) differences between groups were tested using multiple linear regression. Results Pre-adolescents who persisted in stuttering had marginally lower left superior frontal gray matter volume compared to those with no history of stuttering (β −1344, 95%CI −2407;-280), and those who recovered (β −1825, 95%CI −2999;-650). Pre-adolescents who recovered, compared to those with no history of stuttering, had higher mean diffusivity in the forceps major (β 0.002, 95%CI 0.001;0.004), bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculi (β 0.001, 95%CI 0.000;0.001), left corticospinal tract (β 0.003, 95%CI 0.002;0.004), and right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (β 0.001, 95%CI 0.000;0.001). Conclusion Findings suggest that relatively small difference in prefrontal gray matter volume is associated with persistent stuttering, and alterations in white matter tracts are apparent in individuals who recovered. The findings further strengthen the potential relevance of brain (micro-)structure in persistence and recovery from stuttering in pre-adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- S P C Koenraads
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - M P van der Schroeff
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - G van Ingen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - S Lamballais
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - H Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - R J Baatenburg de Jong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - T White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M C Franken
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R L Muetzel
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Busan P, Del Ben G, Tantone A, Halaj L, Bernardini S, Natarelli G, Manganotti P, Battaglini PP. Effect of muscular activation on surrounding motor networks in developmental stuttering: A TMS study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 205:104774. [PMID: 32135384 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies regarding developmental stuttering (DS) suggest that motor neural networks are strongly affected. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to investigate neural activation of the primary motor cortex in DS during movement execution, and the influence of muscle representations involved in movements on "surrounding" ones. TMS was applied over the contralateral abductor digiti minimi (ADM) motor representation, at rest and during the movement of homologue first dorsal interosseous muscles (tonic contraction, phasic movements cued by acoustic signalling, and "self-paced" movements). Results highlighted a lower cortico-spinal excitability of ADM in the left hemisphere of stutterers, and an enhanced intracortical inhibition in their right motor cortex (in comparison to fluent speakers). Abnormal intracortical functioning was especially evident during phasic contractions cued by "external" acoustic signals. An exaggerated inhibition of muscles not directly involved in intended movements, in stuttering, may be useful to obtain more efficient motor control. This was stronger during contractions cued by "external" signals, highlighting mechanisms likely used by stutterers during fluency-evoking conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierpaolo Busan
- IRCCS Ospedale San Camillo, via Alberoni 70, 30126 Venice, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Del Ben
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, via Fleming 22, 34100 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Antonietta Tantone
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, via Fleming 22, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Livia Halaj
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, via Fleming 22, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Natarelli
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, via Venezia 8, 35100 Padua, Italy.
| | - Paolo Manganotti
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Piero Paolo Battaglini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, via Fleming 22, 34100 Trieste, Italy.
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Busan P. Developmental stuttering and the role of the supplementary motor cortex. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2020; 64:105763. [PMID: 32361030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2020.105763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Developmental stuttering is a frequent neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex neurobiological basis. Robust neural markers of stuttering include imbalanced activity of speech and motor related brain regions, and their impaired structural connectivity. The dynamic interaction of cortical regions is regulated by the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical system with the supplementary motor area constituting a crucial cortical site. The SMA integrates information from different neural circuits, and manages information about motor programs such as self-initiated movements, motor sequences, and motor learning. Abnormal functioning of SMA is increasingly reported in stuttering, and has been recently indicated as an additional "neural marker" of DS: anatomical and functional data have documented abnormal structure and activity of the SMA, especially in motor and speech networks. Its connectivity is often impaired, especially when considering networks of the left hemisphere. Compatibly, recent data suggest that, in DS, SMA is part of a poorly synchronized neural network, thus resulting in a likely substrate for the appearance of DS symptoms. However, as evident when considering neural models of stuttering, the role of SMA has not been fully clarified. Herein, the available evidence is reviewed, which highlights the role of the SMA in DS as a neural "hub", receiving and conveying altered information, thus "gating" the release of correct or abnormal motor plans.
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Gerwin KL, Weber C. Neural Indices Mediating Rhyme Discrimination Differ for Some Young Children Who Stutter Regardless of Eventual Recovery or Persistence. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:1053-1070. [PMID: 32302258 PMCID: PMC7242988 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Previous studies of neural processing of rhyme discrimination in 7- to 8-year-old children who stutter (CWS) distinguished children who had recovered, children who had persisted, and children who did not stutter (CWNS; Mohan & Weber, 2015). Here, we investigate neural processing mediating rhyme discrimination for early acquired real words in younger CWS and CWNS (4;1-6;0 years;months), when rhyming abilities are newly emerging, to examine possible relationships to eventual recovery (CWS-eRec) and persistence in stuttering (CWS-ePer). Method Children performed a rhyme discrimination task while their event-related brain potentials were recorded. CWNS, CWS-eRec, and CWS-ePer had similar speech and language abilities. Inclusionary criteria incorporated at least 70% accuracy for rhyme discrimination. Analyses focused on the mean amplitude of the N400 component elicited by rhyming and nonrhyming words in anterior and posterior regions of interest. Results CWNS, CWS-eRec, and CWS-ePer displayed a classic event-related potential rhyme effect for rhyme discrimination characterized by larger amplitude, posteriorly distributed N400s elicited by nonrhyming targets compared to rhyming targets. CWNS displayed a more robust anterior rhyme effect compared to the CWS groups with a larger amplitude N400 anteriorly for the rhyming targets. This effect was more consistent across individual CWNS than CWS. Conclusions The groups of CWNS, CWS-eRec, and CWS-ePer, who had all developed rhyming discrimination abilities, exhibited similar underlying neural processes mediating phonological processing of early acquired words for the classic central-parietal rhyme effect. However, individual variability of the anterior rhyme effect suggested differences in specific aspects of phonological processing for some CWS-eRec and CWS-ePer compared to CWNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn L. Gerwin
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | - Christine Weber
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
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Benito-Aragón C, Gonzalez-Sarmiento R, Liddell T, Diez I, d'Oleire Uquillas F, Ortiz-Terán L, Bueichekú E, Chow HM, Chang SE, Sepulcre J. Neurofilament-lysosomal genetic intersections in the cortical network of stuttering. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 184:101718. [PMID: 31669185 PMCID: PMC6938554 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.101718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The neurobiological underpinnings of stuttering, a speech disorder characterized by disrupted speech fluency, remain unclear. While recent developments in the field have afforded researchers the ability to pinpoint several genetic profiles associated with stuttering, how these specific genetic backgrounds impact neuronal circuits and how they generate or facilitate the emergence of stuttered speech remains unknown. In this study, we identified the large-scale cortical network that characterizes stuttering using functional connectivity MRI and graph theory. We performed a spatial similarity analysis that examines whether the topology of the stuttering cortical network intersects with genetic expression levels of previously reported genes for stuttering from the protein-coding transcriptome data of the Allen Human Brain Atlas. We found that GNPTG - a gene involved in the mannose-6-phosphate lysosomal targeting pathways - was significantly co-localized with the stuttering cortical network. An enrichment analysis demonstrated that the genes identified with the stuttering cortical network shared a significantly overrepresented biological functionality of Neurofilament Cytoskeleton Organization (NEFH, NEFL and INA). The relationship between lysosomal pathways, cytoskeleton organization, and stuttering, was investigated by comparing the genetic interactome between GNPTG and the neurofilament genes implicated in the current study. We found that genes of the interactome network, including CDK5, SNCA, and ACTB, act as functional links between lysosomal and neurofilament genes. These findings support the notion that stuttering is due to a lysosomal dysfunction, which has deleterious effects on the neurofilament organization of the speech neuronal circuits. They help to elucidate the intriguing, unsolved link between lysosomal mutations and the presence of stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Benito-Aragón
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; University of Navarra School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Ricardo Gonzalez-Sarmiento
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; University of Navarra School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Thomas Liddell
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; University of Exeter, Exeter, England, UK
| | - Ibai Diez
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Neurotechnology Laboratory, Tecnalia Health Department, Tecnalia, Derio, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Federico d'Oleire Uquillas
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura Ortiz-Terán
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elisenda Bueichekú
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Basic Psychology, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - Ho Ming Chow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA; Katzin Diagnostic and Research PET/MRI Center, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA; Cognitive Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jorge Sepulcre
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
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Iimura D, Asakura N, Sasaoka T, Inui T. Abnormal Sensorimotor Integration in Adults Who Stutter: A Behavioral Study by Adaptation of Delayed Auditory Feedback. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2440. [PMID: 31736833 PMCID: PMC6834693 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stuttering is a fluency disorder, partially alleviated during altered auditory feedback, suggesting abnormal sensorimotor integration in adults who stutter (AWS). As weighting of multiple integrating-information sources would be decided based on their reliabilities, the use of external (auditory feedback) and internal information (prediction of sensory consequences) could correlate with speech processing. We hypothesized that abnormal auditory-feedback processing in AWS could be related to decrease in internal processing precision. We used a perceptual-adaptation experiment of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) to verify the hypothesis. Seventeen AWS and 17 adults who do not stutter (ANS) were required to say "ah" and judge the simultaneity between their motor sensations and vocal sounds in each stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, or 150 ms) after inducing adaptation of DAF (three conditions with 0-, 66-, or 133-ms delay). While no adaptation occurred during the 0 ms condition, perceptual change in simultaneity judgment (adaptation effect) occurred during the 66 and 133 ms conditions. The simultaneity judgments following exposure in each SOA were fitted to the psychometric function in each condition for the AWS and ANS groups. We calculated the μ (signifying the point of subjective simultaneity and adaptation-effect degree) and σ (signifying the detecting precision) of each function and analyzed them by parametric analyses. For the μ, participant groups and adaptation conditions showed a significant interaction; the adaptation effect was greater in the AWS than in the ANS group. Additionally, the μ and σ were only positively correlated in the AWS group. The point of subjective simultaneity for auditory delay by inducing DAF was higher in AWS than in ANS, indicating that perception of simultaneity in AWS was influenced by DAF to a greater extent. Moreover, the significant positive correlation between the μ and σ in AWS showed that the more imprecise the internal auditory processing, the more AWS relied on auditory feedback. It is suggested that the reliability of internal information differed within the AWS group, and AWS with reduced internal reliability appeared to compensate by relying to a great extent on auditory feedback information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichi Iimura
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Domo-Work (Specified Nonprofit Corporation), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Asakura
- Center for Mathematical Modeling and Data Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takafumi Sasaoka
- Brain, Mind and KANSEI Sciences Research Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Toshio Inui
- Department of Psychology, Otemon Gakuin University, Osaka, Japan
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Garnett EO, Chow HM, Chang SE. Neuroanatomical Correlates of Childhood Stuttering: MRI Indices of White and Gray Matter Development That Differentiate Persistence Versus Recovery. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:2986-2998. [PMID: 31465710 PMCID: PMC6813035 DOI: 10.1044/2019_jslhr-s-csmc7-18-0356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Purpose We review two recent neuroanatomical studies of children who stutter (CWS), one that examines white matter integrity and the other that focuses on cortical gray matter morphology. In both studies, we sought to examine differences between children whose stuttering persists ("persistent"), children who recovered from stuttering ("recovered"), and their nonstuttering peers ("controls"). Method Both of the reviewed studies use data from a large pediatric sample spanning preschool- to school-age children (3-10 years old at initial testing). Study 1 focused on surface-based measures of cortical size (thickness) and shape (gyrification) using structural magnetic resonance imaging, whereas Study 2 utilized diffusion tensor imaging to examine white matter integrity. Results In both studies, the main difference that emerged between CWS and fluent peers encompassed left hemisphere speech motor areas that are interconnected via the arcuate fasciculus. In the case of white matter integrity, the temporoparietal junction and posterior superior temporal gyrus, both connected via the left arcuate fasciculus, and regions along the corpus callosum that contain fibers connecting bilateral motor regions were significantly decreased in white matter integrity in CWS compared to controls. In the morphometric study, children who would go on to have persistent stuttering specifically had lower cortical thickness in ventral motor and premotor areas of the left hemisphere. Conclusion These results point to aberrant development of cortical areas involved in integrating sensory feedback with speech movements in CWS and differences in interhemispheric connectivity between the two motor cortices. Furthermore, developmental trajectories in these areas seem to diverge between persistent and recovered cases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ho Ming Chow
- Katzin Diagnostic & Research PET/MRI Center, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing
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Max L, Daliri A. Limited Pre-Speech Auditory Modulation in Individuals Who Stutter: Data and Hypotheses. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:3071-3084. [PMID: 31465711 PMCID: PMC6813031 DOI: 10.1044/2019_jslhr-s-csmc7-18-0358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Purpose We review and interpret our recent series of studies investigating motor-to-auditory influences during speech movement planning in fluent speakers and speakers who stutter. In those studies, we recorded auditory evoked potentials in response to probe tones presented immediately prior to speaking or at the equivalent time in no-speaking control conditions. As a measure of pre-speech auditory modulation (PSAM), we calculated changes in auditory evoked potential amplitude in the speaking conditions relative to the no-speaking conditions. Whereas adults who do not stutter consistently showed PSAM, this phenomenon was greatly reduced or absent in adults who stutter. The same between-group difference was observed in conditions where participants expected to hear their prerecorded speech played back without actively producing it, suggesting that the speakers who stutter use inefficient forward modeling processes rather than inefficient motor command generation processes. Compared with fluent participants, adults who stutter showed both less PSAM and less auditory-motor adaptation when producing speech while exposed to formant-shifted auditory feedback. Across individual participants, however, PSAM and auditory-motor adaptation did not correlate in the typically fluent group, and they were negatively correlated in the stuttering group. Interestingly, speaking with a consistent 100-ms delay added to the auditory feedback signal-normalized PSAM in speakers who stutter, and there no longer was a between-group difference in this condition. Conclusions Combining our own data with human and animal neurophysiological evidence from other laboratories, we interpret the overall findings as suggesting that (a) speech movement planning modulates auditory processing in a manner that may optimize its tuning characteristics for monitoring feedback during speech production and, (b) in conditions with typical auditory feedback, adults who stutter do not appropriately modulate the auditory system prior to speech onset. Lack of modulation of speakers who stutter may lead to maladaptive feedback-driven movement corrections that manifest themselves as repetitive movements or postural fixations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludo Max
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT
| | - Ayoub Daliri
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
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Human GNPTAB stuttering mutations engineered into mice cause vocalization deficits and astrocyte pathology in the corpus callosum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:17515-17524. [PMID: 31405983 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901480116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stuttering is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that has been associated with mutations in genes involved in intracellular trafficking. However, the cellular mechanisms leading to stuttering remain unknown. Engineering a mutation in N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase subunits α and β (GNPTAB) found in humans who stutter into the mouse Gnptab gene resulted in deficits in the flow of ultrasonic vocalizations similar to speech deficits of humans who stutter. Here we show that other human stuttering mutations introduced into this mouse gene, Gnptab Ser321Gly and Ala455Ser, produce the same vocalization deficit in 8-day-old pup isolation calls and do not affect other nonvocal behaviors. Immunohistochemistry showed a marked decrease in staining of astrocytes, particularly in the corpus callosum of the Gnptab Ser321Gly homozygote mice compared to wild-type littermates, while the staining of cerebellar Purkinje cells, oligodendrocytes, microglial cells, and dopaminergic neurons was not significantly different. Diffusion tensor imaging also detected deficits in the corpus callosum of the Gnptab Ser321Gly mice. Using a range of cell type-specific Cre-drivers and a Gnptab conditional knockout line, we found that only astrocyte-specific Gnptab-deficient mice displayed a similar vocalization deficit. These data suggest that vocalization defects in mice carrying human stuttering mutations in Gnptab derive from abnormalities in astrocytes, particularly in the corpus callosum, and provide support for hypotheses that focus on deficits in interhemispheric communication in stuttering.
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Garnett EO, Chow HM, Nieto-Castañón A, Tourville JA, Guenther FH, Chang SE. Anomalous morphology in left hemisphere motor and premotor cortex of children who stutter. Brain 2019; 141:2670-2684. [PMID: 30084910 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the smooth flow of speech production. Stuttering onset occurs during a dynamic period of development when children first start learning to formulate sentences. Although most children grow out of stuttering naturally, ∼1% of all children develop persistent stuttering that can lead to significant psychosocial consequences throughout one's life. To date, few studies have examined neural bases of stuttering in children who stutter, and even fewer have examined the basis for natural recovery versus persistence of stuttering. Here we report the first study to conduct surface-based analysis of the brain morphometric measures in children who stutter. We used FreeSurfer to extract cortical size and shape measures from structural MRI scans collected from the initial year of a longitudinal study involving 70 children (36 stuttering, 34 controls) in the 3-10-year range. The stuttering group was further divided into two groups: persistent and recovered, based on their later longitudinal visits that allowed determination of their eventual clinical outcome. A region of interest analysis that focused on the left hemisphere speech network and a whole-brain exploratory analysis were conducted to examine group differences and group × age interaction effects. We found that the persistent group could be differentiated from the control and recovered groups by reduced cortical thickness in left motor and lateral premotor cortical regions. The recovered group showed an age-related decrease in local gyrification in the left medial premotor cortex (supplementary motor area and and pre-supplementary motor area). These results provide strong evidence of a primary deficit in the left hemisphere speech network, specifically involving lateral premotor cortex and primary motor cortex, in persistent developmental stuttering. Results further point to a possible compensatory mechanism involving left medial premotor cortex in those who recover from childhood stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily O Garnett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ho Ming Chow
- Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | | | - Jason A Tourville
- Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frank H Guenther
- Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soo-Eun Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Koenraads SPC, El Marroun H, Muetzel RL, Chang SE, Vernooij MW, Baatenburg de Jong RJ, White T, Franken MC, van der Schroeff MP. Stuttering and gray matter morphometry: A population-based neuroimaging study in young children. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 194:121-131. [PMID: 31085031 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Stuttering is a developmental speech disorder originating in early childhood. We aimed to replicate the association of stuttering and structural morphometry using a large, population-based prospective cohort, the Generation R Study, and explore the neurobiological mechanism of stuttering in children. Twenty-six children with a history of stuttering and 489 fluent speaking peers (ages 6-9) were included in the MRI sub-study. Cortical and subcortical regions of interest were analyzed using linear regression models. Compared to fluent speakers, children with a history of stuttering had less gray matter volume in the left inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area. Exploratory surface-based brain analysis showed thinner cortex in the left inferior frontal gyrus, and in bilateral frontal and parietal areas. These findings corroborate previous studies that reported aberrant brain morphometry in speech motor and auditory regions in children who stutter. Future research is needed to explore the causal nature of this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- S P C Koenraads
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - H El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R L Muetzel
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - S E Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - M W Vernooij
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R J Baatenburg de Jong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - T White
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M C Franken
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M P van der Schroeff
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Hosseini R, Walsh B, Tian F, Wang S. An fNIRS-Based Feature Learning and Classification Framework to Distinguish Hemodynamic Patterns in Children Who Stutter. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2019; 26:1254-1263. [PMID: 29877850 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2018.2829083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Stuttering is a communication disorder that affects approximately 1% of the population. Although 5-8% of preschool children begin to stutter, the majority will recover with or without intervention. There is a significant gap, however, in our understanding of why many children recover from stuttering while others persist and stutter throughout their lives. Detecting neurophysiological biomarkers of stuttering persistence is a critical objective of this paper. In this paper, we developed a novel supervised sparse feature learning approach to discover discriminative biomarkers from functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain imaging data recorded during a speech production experiment from 46 children in three groups: children who stutter ( ); children who do not stutter ( ); and children who recovered from stuttering ( ). We made an extensive feature analysis of the cerebral hemodynamics from fNIRS signals and selected a small number of important discriminative features using the proposed sparse feature learning framework. The selected features are capable of differentiating neural activation patterns between children who do and do not stutter with an accuracy of 87.5% based on a five-fold cross-validation procedure. The discovered set cerebral hemodynamics features are presented as a set of promising biomarkers to elucidate the underlying neurophysiology in children who have recovered or persisted in stuttering and to facilitate future data-driven diagnostics in these children.
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Mohammadi H, Papadatou-Pastou M. Cerebral laterality as assessed by hand preference measures and developmental stuttering. Laterality 2019; 25:127-149. [PMID: 31144576 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2019.1621329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The causes of developmental stuttering, a neurodevelopmental communicative disorder, have not been elucidated to date. Neuroimaging studies suggest that atypical cerebral laterality could be one of such causal factors. Moreover, handedness, a behavioural index for cerebral laterality, has been linked to stuttering and recovery from it. However, findings are conflicting, possibly due to sample selection procedures, which typically rely on self-reported stuttering, and to the fact that handedness is typically assessed with regards to its direction rather than degree. We investigated the possible relationship between handedness and stuttering. This is the first study where children who stutter (CWS) were selected using clinical criteria as well as speech samples and where a non-Western population was studied. Findings from 83 CWS aged 3-9 years (mean = 6.43, SD = 1.84) and 90 age- and sex-matched children who do not stutter (mean = 6.45, SD = 1.71) revealed no differences in their hand preference scores as evaluated by parent-completed Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, for both direction and degree. The severity of stuttering was not found to correlate with the degree of handedness. We suggest that parents and professionals not treat left- or mixed-hand preference as a reason for concern with regards to stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiwa Mohammadi
- Department of Neurology & Sleep Disorders Research Center, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Marietta Papadatou-Pastou
- School of Education, Faculty of Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Ajdacic-Gross V, Mutsch M, Rodgers S, Tesic A, Müller M, Seifritz E, Wagner EYN, von Känel R, Landolt MA, Steinemann N, von Wyl V, Castelao E, Strippoli MPF, Glaus J, Vandeleur C, Marques-Vidal PM, Vollenweider P, Preisig M. A step beyond the hygiene hypothesis-immune-mediated classes determined in a population-based study. BMC Med 2019; 17:75. [PMID: 30961604 PMCID: PMC6454751 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1311-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comorbidity patterns of childhood infections, atopic diseases, and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are related to immune system programming conditions. The aim of this study was to make a step beyond the hygiene hypothesis and to comprehensively classify these patterns with latent class analysis (LCA). A second aim was to characterize the classes by associations with immunological, clinical, and sociodemographic variables. METHODS LCA was applied to data from the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus study (N = 4874, age range 35-82 years) separately for men and women. It was based on survey information on chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, herpes simplex, pertussis, scarlet fever, hay fever, asthma, eczema, urticaria, drug allergy, interparental violence, parental maltreatment, and trauma in early childhood. Subsequently, we examined how immune-mediated classes were reflected in leukocyte counts, inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, hsCRP), chronic inflammatory diseases, and mental disorders, and how they differed across social classes and birth cohorts. RESULTS LCA results with five classes were selected for further analysis. Latent classes were similar in both sexes and were labeled according to their associations as neutral, resilient, atopic, mixed (comprising infectious and atopic diseases), and ACE class. They came across with specific differences in biomarker levels. Mental disorders typically displayed increased lifetime prevalence rates in the atopic, the mixed, and the ACE classes, and decreased rates in the resilient class. The same patterns were apparent in chronic inflammatory diseases, except that the ACE class was relevant specifically in women but not in men. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to systematically determine immune-mediated classes that evolve early in life. They display characteristic associations with biomarker levels and somatic and psychiatric diseases occurring later in life. Moreover, they show different distributions across social classes and allow to better understand the mechanisms beyond the changes in the prevalence of chronic somatic and psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 2019, CH-8021, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Margot Mutsch
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Rodgers
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 2019, CH-8021, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anja Tesic
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 2019, CH-8021, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 2019, CH-8021, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 2019, CH-8021, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - En-Young N Wagner
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roland von Känel
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus A Landolt
- University Children's Hospital Zurich and Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Child and Adolescent Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nina Steinemann
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Viktor von Wyl
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Enrique Castelao
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Research in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Pierre F Strippoli
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Research in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Glaus
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Research in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Switzerland
- Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Caroline Vandeleur
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Research in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Martin Preisig
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Research in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Switzerland
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48
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Neef NE, Anwander A, Bütfering C, Schmidt-Samoa C, Friederici AD, Paulus W, Sommer M. Structural connectivity of right frontal hyperactive areas scales with stuttering severity. Brain 2019; 141:191-204. [PMID: 29228195 PMCID: PMC5837552 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A neuronal sign of persistent developmental stuttering is the magnified coactivation of right frontal brain regions during speech production. Whether and how stuttering severity relates to the connection strength of these hyperactive right frontal areas to other brain areas is an open question. Scrutinizing such brain–behaviour and structure–function relationships aims at disentangling suspected underlying neuronal mechanisms of stuttering. Here, we acquired diffusion-weighted and functional images from 31 adults who stutter and 34 matched control participants. Using a newly developed structural connectivity measure, we calculated voxel-wise correlations between connection strength and stuttering severity within tract volumes that originated from functionally hyperactive right frontal regions. Correlation analyses revealed that with increasing speech motor deficits the connection strength increased in the right frontal aslant tract, the right anterior thalamic radiation, and in U-shaped projections underneath the right precentral sulcus. In contrast, with decreasing speech motor deficits connection strength increased in the right uncinate fasciculus. Additional group comparisons of whole-brain white matter skeletons replicated the previously reported reduction of fractional anisotropy in the left and right superior longitudinal fasciculus as well as at the junction of right frontal aslant tract and right superior longitudinal fasciculus in adults who stutter compared to control participants. Overall, our investigation suggests that right fronto-temporal networks play a compensatory role as a fluency enhancing mechanism. In contrast, the increased connection strength within subcortical-cortical pathways may be implied in an overly active global response suppression mechanism in stuttering. Altogether, this combined functional MRI–diffusion tensor imaging study disentangles different networks involved in the neuronal underpinnings of the speech motor deficit in persistent developmental stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Neef
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alfred Anwander
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christoph Bütfering
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Angela D Friederici
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Walter Paulus
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin Sommer
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Yang Y, Jia F, Fox PT, Siok WT, Tan LH. Abnormal neural response to phonological working memory demands in persistent developmental stuttering. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:214-225. [PMID: 30145850 PMCID: PMC6865627 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent developmental stuttering is a neurological disorder that commonly manifests as a motor problem. Cognitive theories, however, hold that poorly developed cognitive skills are the origins of stuttering. Working memory (WM), a multicomponent cognitive system that mediates information maintenance and manipulation, is known to play an important role in speech production, leading us to postulate that the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying stuttering may be associated with a WM deficit. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we aimed to elucidate brain mechanisms in a phonological WM task in adults who stutter and controls. A right-lateralized compensatory mechanism for a deficit in the rehearsal process and neural disconnections associated with the central executive dysfunction were found. Furthermore, the neural abnormalities underlying the phonological WM were independent of memory load. This study demonstrates for the first time the atypical neural responses to phonological WM in PWS, shedding new light on the underlying cause of stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive ScienceShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Center for Language and BrainShenzhen Institute of NeuroscienceShenzhenChina
| | - Fanlu Jia
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive ScienceShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Center for Language and BrainShenzhen Institute of NeuroscienceShenzhenChina
| | - Peter T. Fox
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive ScienceShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Center for Language and BrainShenzhen Institute of NeuroscienceShenzhenChina
- Research Imaging InstituteUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan AntonioTexas
| | - Wai Ting Siok
- Department of LinguisticsUniversity of Hong KongPokfulam RoadHong Kong
| | - Li Hai Tan
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive ScienceShenzhen UniversityShenzhenChina
- Center for Language and BrainShenzhen Institute of NeuroscienceShenzhenChina
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50
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Busan P, Del Ben G, Russo LR, Bernardini S, Natarelli G, Arcara G, Manganotti P, Battaglini PP. Stuttering as a matter of delay in neural activation: A combined TMS/EEG study. Clin Neurophysiol 2019; 130:61-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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