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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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Effects of Binaural Beat Stimulation in Adults with Stuttering. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020309. [PMID: 36831852 PMCID: PMC9954735 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, several studies have demonstrated a link between stuttering and abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) β-power in cortex. Effects of exposure to binaural stimuli were studied in adults with stuttering (AWS, n = 6) and fluent participants (n = 6) using EEG, ECG, and speech analysis. During standard reading tasks without stimulation, in controls but not in the AWS group, EEG β-power was significantly higher in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere. After stimulation, the power of the β-band in AWS participants in the left hemisphere increased 1.54-fold. The average β-band power within the left frontotemporal area and temporoparietal junction of the cortex after stimulation in AWS participants shows an increase by 1.65-fold and 1.72-fold, respectively. The rate of disfluency dropped significantly immediately after stimulation (median 74.70% of the baseline). Similarly, the speech rate significantly increased immediately after stimulation (median 133.15%). We show for the first time that auditory binaural beat stimulation can improve speech fluency in AWS, and its effect is proportional to boost in EEG β-band power in left frontotemporal and temporoparietal junction of cortex. Changes in β-power were detected immediately after exposure and persisted for 10 min. Additionally, these effects were accompanied by a reduction in stress levels.
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G D, B H S, Gajbe U, Singh BR, Sawal A, Balwir T. The Role of Basal Ganglia and Its Neuronal Connections in the Development of Stuttering: A Review Article. Cureus 2022; 14:e28653. [PMID: 36196326 PMCID: PMC9525748 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.28653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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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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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: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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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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: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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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Busan P, Moret B, Masina F, Del Ben G, Campana G. Speech Fluency Improvement in Developmental Stuttering Using Non-invasive Brain Stimulation: Insights From Available Evidence. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:662016. [PMID: 34456692 PMCID: PMC8386014 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.662016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental stuttering (DS) is a disturbance of the normal rhythm of speech that may be interpreted as very debilitating in the most affected cases. Interventions for DS are historically based on the behavioral modifications of speech patterns (e.g., through speech therapy), which are useful to regain a better speech fluency. However, a great variability in intervention outcomes is normally observed, and no definitive evidence is currently available to resolve stuttering, especially in the case of its persistence in adulthood. In the last few decades, DS has been increasingly considered as a functional disturbance, affecting the correct programming of complex motor sequences such as speech. Compatibly, understanding of the neurophysiological bases of DS has dramatically improved, thanks to neuroimaging, and techniques able to interact with neural tissue functioning [e.g., non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS)]. In this context, the dysfunctional activity of the cortico-basal-thalamo-cortical networks, as well as the defective patterns of connectivity, seems to play a key role, especially in sensorimotor networks. As a consequence, a direct action on the functionality of "defective" or "impaired" brain circuits may help people who stutter to manage dysfluencies in a better way. This may also "potentiate" available interventions, thus favoring more stable outcomes of speech fluency. Attempts aiming at modulating (and improving) brain functioning of people who stutter, realized by using NIBS, are quickly increasing. Here, we will review these recent advancements being applied to the treatment of DS. Insights will be useful not only to assess whether the speech fluency of people who stutter may be ameliorated by acting directly on brain functioning but also will provide further suggestions about the complex and dynamic pathophysiology of DS, where causal effects and "adaptive''/''maladaptive" compensation mechanisms may be strongly overlapped. In conclusion, this review focuses future research toward more specific, targeted, and effective interventions for DS, based on neuromodulation of brain functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Giovanni Del Ben
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gianluca Campana
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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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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Ferreira TNM, Rodrigues LRP, Correia DV, Andrade SMMDS, Alves GADS, Rosa MRDD. Temporal processing skills in people who stutter. REVISTA CEFAC 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0216/202123313620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Purpose: to investigate the auditory skills of temporal resolution and ordering in people who stutter. Methods: an observational, cross-sectional, analytical, and comparative research between study and control groups conducted at a speech-language-hearing teaching clinic of an academic institution, comprising people who stutter (who attended a public outreach program) and volunteers without communicative disorders, for 13 months. The procedures used were auditory perception anamnesis, acoustic immittance, and pure-tone and speech audiometry to discharge hearing changes. The participants who met the eligibility criteria had their resolution and ordering skills assessed with the Gaps-in-Noise, Random Gap Detection, Pitch Pattern Sequence, and Duration Pattern Sequence tests and the data obtained were entered into a spreadsheet for descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Results: the study group presented changes in temporal resolution and ordering. A statistically significant difference was also verified comparing the assessment findings of the study and control groups, in all the assessment tests. Conclusion: temporal resolution and ordering changes were observed in the people presented with stuttering, regardless of sex or chronological age.
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Tezel-Bayraktaroglu O, Bayraktaroglu Z, Demirtas-Tatlidede A, Demiralp T, Oge AE. Neuronavigated rTMS inhibition of right pars triangularis anterior in stuttering: Differential effects on reading and speaking. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 210:104862. [PMID: 32979643 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging studies show an overactivation of speech and language related homologous areas of the right hemisphere in persons who stutter. In this study, we inhibited Broca's homologues using 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and assessed its effects on stuttering severity. The investigated cortical areas included pars opercularis (BA44), anterior and posterior pars triangularis (BA45), mouth area on the primary motor cortex (BA4). We collected reading and speaking samples before and after rTMS sessions and calculated the percentage of syllables stuttered. Only right anterior pars triangularis stimulation induced significant changes in speech fluency. Notably, the effects were differential for reading and speaking conditions. Overall, our results provide supportive evidence that right anterior BA45 may be a critical region for stuttering. The observed differential effects following the inhibition of right anterior BA45 merits further study of contributions of this region on different language domains in persons who stutter.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zubeyir Bayraktaroglu
- Istanbul Medipol University, International School of Medicine, Department of Physiology, 34815 Beykoz, Istanbul, Turkey; Istanbul Medipol University, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Restorative and Regenerative Medicine Research Center (REMER), functional Imaging and Cognitive Affective Neuroscience Laboratory (fINCAN), 34810 Beykoz, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Asli Demirtas-Tatlidede
- Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, 34093 Capa, Istanbul, Turkey; Bahcesehir University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, 34734 Kadikoy, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Tamer Demiralp
- Istanbul University, Hulusi Behcet Life Sciences Research Laboratory-Neuroimaging Unit, 34093 Capa, Istanbul, Turkey; Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, 34093 Capa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - A Emre Oge
- Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, 34093 Capa, Istanbul, Turkey
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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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12
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Takeuchi H, Taki Y, Nouchi R, Yokoyama R, Kotozaki Y, Nakagawa S, Sekiguchi A, Iizuka K, Yamamoto Y, Hanawa S, Araki T, Miyauchi CM, Sakaki K, Nozawa T, Ikeda S, Yokota S, Daniele M, Sassa Y, Kawashima R. Association of iron levels in hair with brain structures and functions in young adults. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2020; 58:126436. [PMID: 31760327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2019.126436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Iron plays a critical role in normal brain functions and development, but it has also been known to have adverse neurological effects. METHODS Here, we investigated the associations of iron levels in hair with regional gray matter volume (rGMV), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and cognitive differences in a study cohort of 590 healthy young adults. RESULTS Our findings showed that high iron levels were associated with lower rGMV in areas including the hippocampus, lower rCBF in the anterior and posterior parts of the brain, greater FA in areas including the part of the splenium of the corpus callosum, lower MD in the overlapping area including the splenium of the corpus callosum, as well as greater MD in the left hippocampus and areas including the frontal lobe. CONCLUSION These results are compatible with the notion that iron plays diverse roles in neural mechanisms in healthy young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hikaru Takeuchi
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Yasuyuki Taki
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Division of Medical Neuroimaging Analysis, Department of Community Medical Supports, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Rui Nouchi
- Creative Interdisciplinary Research Division, Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Human and Social Response Research Division, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | - Yuka Kotozaki
- Division of Clinical research, Medical-Industry Translational Research Center, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Seishu Nakagawa
- Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sekiguchi
- Division of Medical Neuroimaging Analysis, Department of Community Medical Supports, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kunio Iizuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuki Yamamoto
- Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Sugiko Hanawa
- Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | - Carlos Makoto Miyauchi
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohei Sakaki
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takayuki Nozawa
- Research Center for the Earth Inclusive Sensing Empathizing with Silent Voices, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Ikeda
- Department of Ubiquitous Sensing, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Susumu Yokota
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Magistro Daniele
- Department of Sport Science, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Yuko Sassa
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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13
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Wang W, Wei L, Chen N, Jones JA, Gong G, Liu H. Decreased Gray-Matter Volume in Insular Cortex as a Correlate of Singers' Enhanced Sensorimotor Control of Vocal Production. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:815. [PMID: 31427924 PMCID: PMC6688740 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has shown enhanced sensorimotor control of vocal production as a consequence of extensive singing experience. The neural basis of this ability, however, is poorly understood. Given that the insula mediates motor aspects of vocal production, the present study investigated structural plasticity in insula induced by singing experience and its link to auditory feedback control of vocal production. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to examine the differences in gray matter (GM) volume in the insula of 21 singers and 21 non-singers. An auditory feedback perturbation paradigm was used to examine the differences in auditory-motor control of vocal production between singers and non-singers. Both groups vocalized sustained vowels while hearing their voice unexpectedly pitch-shifted −50 or −200 cents (200 ms duration). VBM analyses showed that singers exhibited significantly lower GM volumes in the bilateral insula than non-singers. When exposed to pitch perturbations in voice auditory feedback, singers involuntarily compensated for pitch perturbations in voice auditory feedback to a significantly lesser degree than non-singers. Moreover, across the two sizes of pitch perturbations, the magnitudes of vocal compensations were positively correlated with the total regional GM volumes in the bilateral insula. These results indicate that extensive singing training leads to decreased GM volumes in insula and suggest that morphometric plasticity in insula contributes to the enhanced sensorimotor control of vocal production observed in singers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenda Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lirao Wei
- Department of Music, Guangdong University of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jeffery A Jones
- Psychology Department and Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hanjun Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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14
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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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15
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Montag C, Bleek B, Reuter M, Müller T, Weber B, Faber J, Markett S. Ventral striatum and stuttering: Robust evidence from a case-control study applying DARTEL. Neuroimage Clin 2019; 23:101890. [PMID: 31255948 PMCID: PMC6606830 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
A prominent theory of developmental stuttering highlights (dys-)function of the basal ganglia (and in particular the ventral striatum) as a main neural mechanism behind this speech disorder. Although the theory is intriguing, studies on gray matter volume differences in the basal ganglia between people who stutter and control persons have reported heterogeneous findings, either showing more or less gray matter volume of the aforementioned brain structure across the brain's hemispheres. Moreover, some studies did not observe any differences at all. From today's perspective several of the earlier studies are rather underpowered and also used less powerful statistical approaches to investigate differences in brain structure between people who stutter and controls. Therefore, the present study contrasted a comparably larger sample of n = 36 people who stutter with n = 34 control persons and applied the state of the art DARTEL algorithm (Diffeomorphic Anatomical Registration Through Exponentiated Lie algebra) to analyze the available brain data. In the present data set stuttering was associated with higher gray matter volume of the right caudate and putamen region of the basal ganglia in patients. Our observation strongly supports a recent finding reporting a larger nucleus accumbens in the right hemisphere in people who stutter when compared to control persons. The present findings are discussed in the context of both compensatory effects of the brain and putative therapeutic effects due to treatment of stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Germany.
| | - Benjamin Bleek
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin Reuter
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Center for Economics and Neuroscience (CENs), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thilo Müller
- Department for the Treatment of Stuttering, LVR Clinic Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd Weber
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience (CENs), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department for NeuroCognition, Life & Brain Center, Germany; Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University Hospital of Bonn, Germany
| | - Jennifer Faber
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sebastian Markett
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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16
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Ikeda S, Takeuchi H, Taki Y, Nouchi R, Yokoyama R, Nakagawa S, Sekiguchi A, Iizuka K, Hanawa S, Araki T, Miyauchi CM, Sakaki K, Nozawa T, Yokota S, Magistro D, Kawashima R. Neural substrates of self- and external-preoccupation: A voxel-based morphometry study. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01267. [PMID: 31004413 PMCID: PMC6576210 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Self- and external-preoccupation have been linked to psychopathological states. The neural substrates underlying self- and external-preoccupation remain unclear. In the present study, we aim to provide insight into the information-processing mechanisms associated with self- and external-preoccupation at the structural level. METHODS To investigate the neural substrates of self- and external-preoccupation, we acquired high-resolution T1-weighted structural images and Preoccupation Scale scores from 1,122 young subjects. Associations between regional gray matter volume (rGMV) and Preoccupation Scale subscores for self- and external-preoccupation were estimated using voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS Significant positive associations between self-preoccupation and rGMV were observed in widespread brain areas such as the bilateral precuneus and posterior cingulate gyri, structures known to be associated with self-triggered self-reference during rest. Significant negative associations between external-preoccupation and rGMV were observed only in the bilateral cerebellum, regions known to be associated with behavioral addiction, sustained attention, and reward system. CONCLUSION Our results reveal distinct neural substrates for self- and external-preoccupation at the structural level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeyuki Ikeda
- Department of Ubiquitous Sensing, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hikaru Takeuchi
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Taki
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Division of Medical Neuroimaging Analysis, Department of Community Medical Supports, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Rui Nouchi
- Smart Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Yokoyama
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Seishu Nakagawa
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sekiguchi
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kunio Iizuka
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Sugiko Hanawa
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Araki
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Carlos Makoto Miyauchi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kohei Sakaki
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takayuki Nozawa
- Department of Ubiquitous Sensing, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Susumu Yokota
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Daniele Magistro
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Department of Ubiquitous Sensing, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Smart Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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17
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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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18
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Bowers A, Bowers LM, Hudock D, Ramsdell-Hudock HL. Phonological working memory in developmental stuttering: Potential insights from the neurobiology of language and cognition. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2018; 58:94-117. [PMID: 30224087 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The current review examines how neurobiological models of language and cognition could shed light on the role of phonological working memory (PWM) in developmental stuttering (DS). Toward that aim, we review Baddeley's influential multicomponent model of PWM and evidence for load-dependent differences between children and adults who stutter and typically fluent speakers in nonword repetition and dual-task paradigms. We suggest that, while nonword repetition and dual-task findings implicate processes related to PWM, it is unclear from behavioral studies alone what mechanisms are involved. To address how PWM could be related to speech output in DS, a third section reviews neurobiological models of language proposing that PWM is an emergent property of cyclic sensory and motor buffers in the dorsal stream critical for speech production. We propose that anomalous sensorimotor timing could potentially interrupt both fluent speech in DS and the emergent properties of PWM. To further address the role of attention and executive function in PWM and DS, we also review neurobiological models proposing that prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia (BG) function to facilitate working memory under distracting conditions and neuroimaging evidence implicating the PFC and BG in stuttering. Finally, we argue that cognitive-behavioral differences in nonword repetition and dual-tasks are consistent with the involvement of neurocognitive networks related to executive function and sensorimotor integration in PWM. We suggest progress in understanding the relationship between stuttering and PWM may be accomplished using high-temporal resolution electromagnetic experimental approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Bowers
- University of Arkansas, Epley Center for Health Professions, 606 N. Razorback Road, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States.
| | - Lisa M Bowers
- University of Arkansas, Epley Center for Health Professions, 606 N. Razorback Road, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States.
| | - Daniel Hudock
- Idaho State University, 650 Memorial Dr. Bldg. 68, Pocatello, ID 83201, United States.
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19
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Piispala J, Starck T, Jansson-Verkasalo E, Kallio M. Decreased occipital alpha oscillation in children who stutter during a visual Go/Nogo task. Clin Neurophysiol 2018; 129:1971-1980. [PMID: 30029047 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2018.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Our goal was to discover attention- and inhibitory control-related differences in the main oscillations of the brain of children who stutter (CWS) compared to typically developed children (TDC). METHODS We performed a time-frequency analysis using wavelets, fast Fourier transformation (FFT) and the Alpha/Theta power ratio of EEG data collected during a visual Go/Nogo task in 7-9 year old CWS and TDC, including also the time window between consecutive tasks. RESULTS CWS showed significantly reduced occipital alpha power and Alpha/Theta ratio in the "resting" or preparatory period between visual stimuli especially in the Nogo condition. CONCLUSIONS The CWS demonstrate reduced inhibition of the visual cortex and information processing in the absence of visual stimuli, which may be related to problems in attentional gating. SIGNIFICANCE Occipital alpha oscillation is elementary in the control and inhibition of visual attention and the lack of occipital alpha modulation indicate fundamental differences in the regulation of visual information processing in CWS. Our findings support the view of stuttering as part of a wide-ranging brain dysfunction most likely involving also attentional and inhibitory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Piispala
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland; Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Tuomo Starck
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland; Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Eira Jansson-Verkasalo
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland.
| | - Mika Kallio
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland; Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Finland.
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20
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Jenson D, Reilly KJ, Harkrider AW, Thornton D, Saltuklaroglu T. Trait related sensorimotor deficits in people who stutter: An EEG investigation of μ rhythm dynamics during spontaneous fluency. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 19:690-702. [PMID: 29872634 PMCID: PMC5986168 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Stuttering is associated with compromised sensorimotor control (i.e., internal modeling) across the dorsal stream and oscillations of EEG mu (μ) rhythms have been proposed as reliable indices of anterior dorsal stream processing. The purpose of this study was to compare μ rhythm oscillatory activity between (PWS) and matched typically fluent speakers (TFS) during spontaneously fluent overt and covert speech production tasks. Independent component analysis identified bilateral μ components from 24/27 PWS and matched TFS that localized over premotor cortex. Time-frequency analysis of the left hemisphere μ clusters demonstrated significantly reduced μ-α and μ-β ERD (pCLUSTER < 0.05) in PWS across the time course of overt and covert speech production, while no group differences were found in the right hemisphere in any condition. Results were interpreted through the framework of State Feedback Control. They suggest that weak forward modeling and evaluation of sensory feedback across the time course of speech production characterizes the trait related sensorimotor impairment in PWS. This weakness is proposed to represent an underlying sensorimotor instability that may predispose the speech of PWS to breakdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Jenson
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dept. of Audiology and Speech Pathology, United States.
| | - Kevin J Reilly
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dept. of Audiology and Speech Pathology, United States
| | - Ashley W Harkrider
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dept. of Audiology and Speech Pathology, United States
| | - David Thornton
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dept. of Audiology and Speech Pathology, United States
| | - Tim Saltuklaroglu
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dept. of Audiology and Speech Pathology, United States
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21
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Etchell AC, Civier O, Ballard KJ, Sowman PF. A systematic literature review of neuroimaging research on developmental stuttering between 1995 and 2016. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2018; 55:6-45. [PMID: 28778745 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2017.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Stuttering is a disorder that affects millions of people all over the world. Over the past two decades, there has been a great deal of interest in investigating the neural basis of the disorder. This systematic literature review is intended to provide a comprehensive summary of the neuroimaging literature on developmental stuttering. It is a resource for researchers to quickly and easily identify relevant studies for their areas of interest and enable them to determine the most appropriate methodology to utilize in their work. The review also highlights gaps in the literature in terms of methodology and areas of research. METHODS We conducted a systematic literature review on neuroimaging studies on developmental stuttering according to the PRISMA guidelines. We searched for articles in the pubmed database containing "stuttering" OR "stammering" AND either "MRI", "PET", "EEG", "MEG", "TMS"or "brain" that were published between 1995/01/01 and 2016/01/01. RESULTS The search returned a total of 359 items with an additional 26 identified from a manual search. Of these, there were a total of 111 full text articles that met criteria for inclusion in the systematic literature review. We also discuss neuroimaging studies on developmental stuttering published throughout 2016. The discussion of the results is organized first by methodology and second by population (i.e., adults or children) and includes tables that contain all items returned by the search. CONCLUSIONS There are widespread abnormalities in the structural architecture and functional organization of the brains of adults and children who stutter. These are evident not only in speech tasks, but also non-speech tasks. Future research should make greater use of functional neuroimaging and noninvasive brain stimulation, and employ structural methodologies that have greater sensitivity. Newly planned studies should also investigate sex differences, focus on augmenting treatment, examine moments of dysfluency and longitudinally or cross-sectionally investigate developmental trajectories in stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Etchell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, MI, United States; Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Oren Civier
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel; Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Kirrie J Ballard
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Paul F Sowman
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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22
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Misaghi E, Zhang Z, Gracco VL, De Nil LF, Beal DS. White matter tractography of the neural network for speech-motor control in children who stutter. Neurosci Lett 2018; 668:37-42. [PMID: 29309858 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental speech disorder with a phenotype characterized by speech sound repetitions, prolongations and silent blocks during speech production. Developmental stuttering affects 1% of the population and 5% of children. Neuroanatomical abnormalities in the major white matter tracts, including the arcuate fasciculus, corpus callosum, corticospinal, and frontal aslant tracts (FAT), are associated with the disorder in adults who stutter but are less well studied in children who stutter (CWS). We used deterministic tractography to assess the structural connectivity of the neural network for speech production in CWS and controls. CWS had higher fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity in the right FAT than controls. Our findings support the involvement of the corticostriatal network early in persistent developmental stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Misaghi
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Zhaoran Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Vincent L Gracco
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CN, USA
| | - Luc F De Nil
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Deryk S Beal
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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23
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van de Vorst R, Gracco VL. Atypical non-verbal sensorimotor synchronization in adults who stutter may be modulated by auditory feedback. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2017; 53:14-25. [PMID: 28870331 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate if non-verbal sensorimotor synchronization abilities in adult individuals who stutter (IWS) differ from non-stuttering controls (NS) under various performance conditions (tempo, auditory feedback, use of hands [single/both] and rhythm). METHODS Participants were 11 IWS (5 males, 6 females, Mean age=25.8, SD=8.7) and 11 age- and gender-matched controls (Mean age=24.4, SD=8.4). During the experiment, participants were asked to prepare three melodies and subsequently perform them with a metronome at different rates and auditory feedback modalities (non-altered and suppressed). For each task/condition we tracked timing asynchrony related to the steady metronome beat. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Overall, IWS displayed significantly higher timing asynchrony. Of all conditions, auditory-feedback distinguished IWS from NS most strongly, a subgroup of IWS significantly benefitting from the absence of auditory feedback. In addition, IWS showed a non-significant trend of higher negative mean asynchrony (NMA) and were more affected by the slower rate and increased rhythmic complexity and occasionally suggested poorer beat perception. These results suggest aberrant timing of sensorimotor network interaction associated with the origin of developmental stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert van de Vorst
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, 3640 rue de la Montagne, Montreal, H3G 2A8, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1G1, Canada.
| | - Vincent L Gracco
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, 3640 rue de la Montagne, Montreal, H3G 2A8, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1G1, Canada; Haskins Laboratories, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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Global associations between regional gray matter volume and diverse complex cognitive functions: evidence from a large sample study. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10014. [PMID: 28855703 PMCID: PMC5577279 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10104-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Correlations between regional gray matter volume (rGMV) and psychometric test scores have been measured to investigate the neural bases for individual differences in complex cognitive abilities (CCAs). However, such studies have yielded different rGMV correlates of the same CCA. Based on the available evidence, we hypothesized that diverse CCAs are all positively but only weakly associated with rGMV in widespread brain areas. To test this hypothesis, we used the data from a large sample of healthy young adults [776 males and 560 females; mean age: 20.8 years, standard deviation (SD) = 0.8] and investigated associations between rGMV and scores on multiple CCA tasks (including non-verbal reasoning, verbal working memory, Stroop interference, and complex processing speed tasks involving spatial cognition and reasoning). Better performance scores on all tasks except non-verbal reasoning were associated with greater rGMV across widespread brain areas. The effect sizes of individual associations were generally low, consistent with our previous studies. The lack of strong correlations between rGMV and specific CCAs, combined with stringent corrections for multiple comparisons, may lead to different and diverse findings in the field.
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Qiao J, Wang Z, Zhao G, Huo Y, Herder CL, Sikora CO, Peterson BS. Functional neural circuits that underlie developmental stuttering. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179255. [PMID: 28759567 PMCID: PMC5536300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify differences in functional and effective brain connectivity between persons who stutter (PWS) and typically developing (TD) fluent speakers, and to assess whether those differences can serve as biomarkers to distinguish PWS from TD controls. We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data in 44 PWS and 50 TD controls. We then used Independent Component Analysis (ICA) together with Hierarchical Partner Matching (HPM) to identify networks of robust, functionally connected brain regions that were highly reproducible across participants, and we assessed whether connectivity differed significantly across diagnostic groups. We then used Granger Causality (GC) to study the causal interactions (effective connectivity) between the regions that ICA and HPM identified. Finally, we used a kernel support vector machine to assess how well these measures of functional connectivity and granger causality discriminate PWS from TD controls. Functional connectivity was stronger in PWS compared with TD controls in the supplementary motor area (SMA) and primary motor cortices, but weaker in inferior frontal cortex (IFG, Broca’s area), caudate, putamen, and thalamus. Additionally, causal influences were significantly weaker in PWS from the IFG to SMA, and from the basal ganglia to IFG through the thalamus, compared to TD controls. ICA and GC indices together yielded an accuracy of 92.7% in classifying PWS from TD controls. Our findings suggest the presence of dysfunctional circuits that support speech planning and timing cues for the initiation and execution of motor sequences in PWS. Our high accuracy of classification further suggests that these aberrant brain features may serve as robust biomarkers for PWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Qiao
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Technology, Institute of Data Science and Technology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Zhishun Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail: (ZW); (GZ)
| | - Guihu Zhao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- * E-mail: (ZW); (GZ)
| | - Yuankai Huo
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Carl L. Herder
- American Institute for Stuttering, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Chamonix O. Sikora
- American Institute for Stuttering, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Bradley S. Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
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Abstract
Stuttering affects nearly 1% of the population worldwide and often has life-altering negative consequences, including poorer mental health and emotional well-being, and reduced educational and employment achievements. Over two decades of neuroimaging research reveals clear anatomical and physiological differences in the speech neural networks of adults who stutter. However, there have been few neurophysiological investigations of speech production in children who stutter. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we examined hemodynamic responses over neural regions integral to fluent speech production including inferior frontal gyrus, premotor cortex, and superior temporal gyrus during a picture description task. Thirty-two children (16 stuttering and 16 controls) aged 7–11 years participated in the study. We found distinctly different speech-related hemodynamic responses in the group of children who stutter compared to the control group. Whereas controls showed significant activation over left dorsal inferior frontal gyrus and left premotor cortex, children who stutter exhibited deactivation over these left hemisphere regions. This investigation of neural activation during natural, connected speech production in children who stutter demonstrates that in childhood stuttering, atypical functional organization for speech production is present and suggests promise for the use of fNIRS during natural speech production in future research with typical and atypical child populations.
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Neumann K, A. Euler H, Bosshardt HG, Cook S, Sandrieser P, Sommer M. The Pathogenesis, Assessment and Treatment of Speech Fluency Disorders. DEUTSCHES ARZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 114:383-390. [PMID: 28655373 PMCID: PMC5504509 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2017] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 1% of children and adolescents, 0.2% of women, and 0.8% of men suffer from stuttering, and lesser numbers from cluttering. Persistent speech fluency disorders often cause lifelong problems in communication and social participation. METHODS In an interdisciplinary, evidence and consensus based clinical practice guideline, the current understanding of the nature, identification, diagnosis, and treatment of stuttering and cluttering was summarized. A systematic review of the literature was carried out to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of treatments for stuttering. Evidence is lacking on the etiology, pathogenesis, evaluation, and treatment of cluttering. RESULTS In view of the fact that common (developmental, idiopathic) stuttering is associated with structural and functional changes of the brain, the guideline recommends that it should be called "originary neurogenic non-syndromic stuttering." Heritability estimates for this disorder range from 70% to over 80%. For preschool children, the Lidcombe therapy has the best evidence of efficacy (Cohen's d = 0.72-1.00). There is also strong evidence for an indirect treatment approach. For children aged 6 to 12, there is no solid evidence for the efficacy of any treatment. For adolescents and adults, there is good evidence with high effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.75-1.63) for speech restructuring methods such as fluency shaping; weak evidence with intermediate effect sizes for stuttering modification (Cohen's d = 0.56-0.65); and weak evidence for combined speech restructuring and stuttering modification. The evidence does not support the efficacy of pharmacotherapy, rhythmic speaking, or breathing regulation as the sole or main form of treatment, or that of hypnosis or eclectic, unspecified stuttering therapies. CONCLUSION Stuttering is often treated in Germany with therapies for which there is inadequate evidence, and the initiation of treatment is often unnecessarily delayed. The guideline presents treatment methods whose efficacy is supported by the current evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Neumann
- Department of Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology, Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, St. Elisabeth-Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum
| | - Harald A. Euler
- Department of Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology, Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, St. Elisabeth-Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum
| | | | | | | | - Martin Sommer
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Göttingen
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Saltuklaroglu T, Harkrider AW, Thornton D, Jenson D, Kittilstved T. EEG Mu (µ) rhythm spectra and oscillatory activity differentiate stuttering from non-stuttering adults. Neuroimage 2017; 153:232-245. [PMID: 28400266 PMCID: PMC5569894 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stuttering is linked to sensorimotor deficits related to internal modeling mechanisms. This study compared spectral power and oscillatory activity of EEG mu (μ) rhythms between persons who stutter (PWS) and controls in listening and auditory discrimination tasks. EEG data were analyzed from passive listening in noise and accurate (same/different) discrimination of tones or syllables in quiet and noisy backgrounds. Independent component analysis identified left and/or right μ rhythms with characteristic alpha (α) and beta (β) peaks localized to premotor/motor regions in 23 of 27 people who stutter (PWS) and 24 of 27 controls. PWS produced μ spectra with reduced β amplitudes across conditions, suggesting reduced forward modeling capacity. Group time-frequency differences were associated with noisy conditions only. PWS showed increased μ-β desynchronization when listening to noise and early in discrimination events, suggesting evidence of heightened motor activity that might be related to forward modeling deficits. PWS also showed reduced μ-α synchronization in discrimination conditions, indicating reduced sensory gating. Together these findings indicate spectral and oscillatory analyses of μ rhythms are sensitive to stuttering. More specifically, they can reveal stuttering-related sensorimotor processing differences in listening and auditory discrimination that also may be influenced by basal ganglia deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Saltuklaroglu
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, 578 South Stadium Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Ashley W Harkrider
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, 578 South Stadium Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
| | - David Thornton
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, 578 South Stadium Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - David Jenson
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, 578 South Stadium Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Tiffani Kittilstved
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, 578 South Stadium Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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Sowman PF, Ryan M, Johnson BW, Savage G, Crain S, Harrison E, Martin E, Burianová H. Grey matter volume differences in the left caudate nucleus of people who stutter. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2017; 164:9-15. [PMID: 27693846 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The cause of stuttering has many theoretical explanations. A number of research groups have suggested changes in the volume and/or function of the striatum as a causal agent. Two recent studies in children and one in adults who stutter (AWS) report differences in striatal volume compared that seen in controls; however, the laterality and nature of this anatomical volume difference is not consistent across studies. The current study investigated whether a reduction in striatal grey matter volume, comparable to that seen in children who stutter (CWS), would be found in AWS. Such a finding would support claims that an anatomical striatal anomaly plays a causal role in stuttering. We used voxel-based morphometry to examine the structure of the striatum in a group of AWS and compared it to that in a group of matched adult control subjects. Results showed a statistically significant group difference for the left caudate nucleus, with smaller mean volume in the group of AWS. The caudate nucleus, one of three main structures within the striatum, is thought to be critical for the planning and modulation of movement sequencing. The difference in striatal volume found here aligns with theoretical accounts of stuttering, which suggest it is a motor control disorder that arises from deficient articulatory movement selection and sequencing. Whilst the current study provides further evidence of a striatal volume difference in stuttering at the group level compared to controls, the significant overlap between AWS and controls suggests this difference is unlikely to be diagnostic of stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F Sowman
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Australia; Perception and Action Research Centre, Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia.
| | - Margaret Ryan
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Australia
| | - Blake W Johnson
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Australia
| | - Greg Savage
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Australia; Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Stephen Crain
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Australia; Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Elisabeth Harrison
- Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Erin Martin
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Hana Burianová
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia
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30
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Piispala J, Määttä S, Pääkkönen A, Bloigu R, Kallio M, Jansson-Verkasalo E. Atypical brain activation in children who stutter in a visual Go/Nogo task: An ERP study. Clin Neurophysiol 2017; 128:194-203. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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31
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Kronfeld-Duenias V, Amir O, Ezrati-Vinacour R, Civier O, Ben-Shachar M. Dorsal and ventral language pathways in persistent developmental stuttering. Cortex 2016; 81:79-92. [PMID: 27179916 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Mock JR, Foundas AL, Golob EJ. Cortical activity during cued picture naming predicts individual differences in stuttering frequency. Clin Neurophysiol 2016; 127:3093-3101. [PMID: 27472545 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Developmental stuttering is characterized by fluent speech punctuated by stuttering events, the frequency of which varies among individuals and contexts. Most stuttering events occur at the beginning of an utterance, suggesting neural dynamics associated with stuttering may be evident during speech preparation. METHODS This study used EEG to measure cortical activity during speech preparation in men who stutter, and compared the EEG measures to individual differences in stuttering rate as well as to a fluent control group. Each trial contained a cue followed by an acoustic probe at one of two onset times (early or late), and then a picture. There were two conditions: a speech condition where cues induced speech preparation of the picture's name and a control condition that minimized speech preparation. RESULTS Across conditions stuttering frequency correlated to cue-related EEG beta power and auditory ERP slow waves from early onset acoustic probes. CONCLUSIONS The findings reveal two new cortical markers of stuttering frequency that were present in both conditions, manifest at different times, are elicited by different stimuli (visual cue, auditory probe), and have different EEG responses (beta power, ERP slow wave). SIGNIFICANCE The cue-target paradigm evoked brain responses that correlated to pre-experimental stuttering rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R Mock
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.
| | - Anne L Foundas
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Edward J Golob
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
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Piispala J, Kallio M, Bloigu R, Jansson-Verkasalo E. Delayed N2 response in Go condition in a visual Go/Nogo ERP study in children who stutter. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2016; 48:16-26. [PMID: 27498891 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The main aim of the study was to investigate the attentional and inhibitory abilities and their underlying processes of children who stutter by using behavioural measurement and event-related potentials (ERP) in a visual Go/Nogo paradigm. METHODS Participants were 11 children who stutter (CWS; mean age 8.1, age range 6.3-9.5 years) and 19 typically developed children (TDC; mean age 8.1, age range 5.8-9.6 years). They performed a visual Go/Nogo task with simultaneous EEG recording to obtain ERP responses. RESULTS Results showed that CWS had longer N2 and P3 latencies in the Go condition compared to the TDC. In contrast, the groups did not differ significantly in the Nogo condition or behavioural measures. CONCLUSIONS Our findings did not confirm less efficient inhibitory control in CWS but suggest atypical attentional processing such as stimulus evaluation and response selection. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES The reader will be able to (a) describe recent findings on attention and inhibitory control in children who stutter, (b) describe the measurement of attentional processing, including inhibitory control, and (c) describe the findings on attentional processing in children who stutter as indexed by the event-related potentials in a visual Go/Nogo paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Piispala
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland; Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Mika Kallio
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland; Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Risto Bloigu
- Medical Informatics and Statistics Research Group, University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Eira Jansson-Verkasalo
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland.
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Halag-Milo T, Stoppelman N, Kronfeld-Duenias V, Civier O, Amir O, Ezrati-Vinacour R, Ben-Shachar M. Beyond production: Brain responses during speech perception in adults who stutter. Neuroimage Clin 2016; 11:328-338. [PMID: 27298762 PMCID: PMC4893016 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2016.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Developmental stuttering is a speech disorder that disrupts the ability to produce speech fluently. While stuttering is typically diagnosed based on one's behavior during speech production, some models suggest that it involves more central representations of language, and thus may affect language perception as well. Here we tested the hypothesis that developmental stuttering implicates neural systems involved in language perception, in a task that manipulates comprehensibility without an overt speech production component. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals in adults who do and do not stutter, while they were engaged in an incidental speech perception task. We found that speech perception evokes stronger activation in adults who stutter (AWS) compared to controls, specifically in the right inferior frontal gyrus (RIFG) and in left Heschl's gyrus (LHG). Significant differences were additionally found in the lateralization of response in the inferior frontal cortex: AWS showed bilateral inferior frontal activity, while controls showed a left lateralized pattern of activation. These findings suggest that developmental stuttering is associated with an imbalanced neural network for speech processing, which is not limited to speech production, but also affects cortical responses during speech perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tali Halag-Milo
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel; The Cognitive Science Program, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Nadav Stoppelman
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Vered Kronfeld-Duenias
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Oren Civier
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Ofer Amir
- The Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ruth Ezrati-Vinacour
- The Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel; Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
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Mock JR, Foundas AL, Golob EJ. Speech preparation in adults with persistent developmental stuttering. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 149:97-105. [PMID: 26197258 PMCID: PMC4586364 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/16/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Motor efference copy conveys movement information to sensory areas before and during vocalization. We hypothesized speech preparation would modulate auditory processing, via motor efference copy, differently in men who stutter (MWS) vs. fluent adults. Participants (n=12/group) had EEG recorded during a cue-target paradigm with two conditions: speech which allowed for speech preparation, while a control condition did not. Acoustic stimuli probed auditory responsiveness between the cue and target. MWS had longer vocal reaction times (p<0.01) when the cue-target differed (10% of trials), suggesting a difficulty of rapidly updating their speech plans. Acoustic probes elicited a negative slow wave indexing motor efference copy that was smaller in MWS vs. fluent adults (p<0.03). Current density responses in MWS showed smaller left prefrontal responses and auditory responses that were delayed and correlated to stuttering rate. Taken together, the results provide insight into the cortical mechanisms underlying atypical speech planning and dysfluencies in MWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R Mock
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, United States.
| | - Anne L Foundas
- Department of Neurology at University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine, United States
| | - Edward J Golob
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, United States
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36
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Beal DS, Lerch JP, Cameron B, Henderson R, Gracco VL, De Nil LF. The trajectory of gray matter development in Broca's area is abnormal in people who stutter. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:89. [PMID: 25784869 PMCID: PMC4347452 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition and mastery of speech-motor control requires years of practice spanning the course of development. People who stutter often perform poorly on speech-motor tasks thereby calling into question their ability to establish the stable neural motor programs required for masterful speech-motor control. There is evidence to support the assertion that these neural motor programs are represented in the posterior part of Broca’s area, specifically the left pars opercularis. Consequently, various theories of stuttering causation posit that the disorder is related to a breakdown in the formation of the neural motor programs for speech early in development and that this breakdown is maintained throughout life. To date, no study has examined the potential neurodevelopmental signatures of the disorder across pediatric and adult populations. The current study aimed to fill this gap in our knowledge. We hypothesized that the developmental trajectory of cortical thickness in people who stutter would differ across the lifespan in the left pars opercularis relative to a group of control participants. We collected structural magnetic resonance images from 116 males (55 people who stutter) ranging in age from 6 to 48 years old. Differences in cortical thickness across ages and between patients and controls were investigated in 30 brain regions previously implicated in speech-motor control. An interaction between age and group was found for the left pars opercularis only. In people who stutter, the pars opercularis did not demonstrate the typical maturational pattern of gradual gray matter thinning with age across the lifespan that we observed in control participants. In contrast, the developmental trajectory of gray matter thickness in other regions of interest within the neural network for speech-motor control was similar for both groups. Our findings indicate that the developmental trajectory of gray matter in left pars opercularis is abnormal in people who stutter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deryk S Beal
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada ; Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto, ON, Canada ; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Brodie Cameron
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Rhaeling Henderson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Vincent L Gracco
- Haskins Laboratories New Haven, CT, USA ; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Luc F De Nil
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
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Daliri A, Prokopenko RA, Flanagan JR, Max L. Control and prediction components of movement planning in stuttering versus nonstuttering adults. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2014; 57:2131-41. [PMID: 25203459 PMCID: PMC4270877 DOI: 10.1044/2014_jslhr-s-13-0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Stuttering individuals show speech and nonspeech sensorimotor deficiencies. To perform accurate movements, the sensorimotor system needs to generate appropriate control signals and correctly predict their sensory consequences. Using a reaching task, we examined the integrity of these control and prediction components separately for movements unrelated to the speech motor system. METHOD Nine stuttering and 9 nonstuttering adults made fast reaching movements to visual targets while sliding an object under the index finger. To quantify control, we determined initial direction error and end point error. To quantify prediction, we calculated the correlation between vertical and horizontal forces applied to the object-an index of how well vertical force (preventing slip) anticipated direction-dependent variations in horizontal force (moving the object). RESULTS Directional and end point error were significantly larger for the stuttering group. Both groups performed similarly in scaling vertical force with horizontal force. CONCLUSIONS The stuttering group's reduced reaching accuracy suggests limitations in generating control signals for voluntary movements, even for nonorofacial effectors. Typical scaling of vertical force with horizontal force suggests an intact ability to predict the consequences of planned control signals. Stuttering may be associated with generalized deficiencies in planning control signals rather than predicting the consequences of those signals.
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The frontal aslant tract underlies speech fluency in persistent developmental stuttering. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:365-81. [PMID: 25344925 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0912-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Jansson-Verkasalo E, Eggers K, Järvenpää A, Suominen K, Van den Bergh B, De Nil L, Kujala T. Atypical central auditory speech-sound discrimination in children who stutter as indexed by the mismatch negativity. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2014; 41:1-11. [PMID: 25066139 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Recent theoretical conceptualizations suggest that disfluencies in stuttering may arise from several factors, one of them being atypical auditory processing. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate whether speech sound encoding and central auditory discrimination, are affected in children who stutter (CWS). METHODS Participants were 10 CWS, and 12 typically developing children with fluent speech (TDC). Event-related potentials (ERPs) for syllables and syllable changes [consonant, vowel, vowel-duration, frequency (F0), and intensity changes], critical in speech perception and language development of CWS were compared to those of TDC. RESULTS There were no significant group differences in the amplitudes or latencies of the P1 or N2 responses elicited by the standard stimuli. However, the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) amplitude was significantly smaller in CWS than in TDC. For TDC all deviants of the linguistic multifeature paradigm elicited significant MMN amplitudes, comparable with the results found earlier with the same paradigm in 6-year-old children. In contrast, only the duration change elicited a significant MMN in CWS. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that central auditory speech-sound processing was typical at the level of sound encoding in CWS. In contrast, central speech-sound discrimination, as indexed by the MMN for multiple sound features (both phonetic and prosodic), was atypical in the group of CWS. Findings were linked to existing conceptualizations on stuttering etiology. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES The reader will be able (a) to describe recent findings on central auditory speech-sound processing in individuals who stutter, (b) to describe the measurement of auditory reception and central auditory speech-sound discrimination, (c) to describe the findings of central auditory speech-sound discrimination, as indexed by the mismatch negativity (MMN), in children who stutter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eira Jansson-Verkasalo
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, Logopedics, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland.
| | - Kurt Eggers
- Department of Speech-Language Therapy and Audiology, Thomas More University College Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Anu Järvenpää
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland.
| | - Kalervo Suominen
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland.
| | - Bea Van den Bergh
- Department of Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Luc De Nil
- School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto, Canada; Experimental Otorinolaryngology, Department of Neurosciences, University of Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Teija Kujala
- Cicero Learning, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.
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Abstract
For functional neuroimaging studies of stuttering, two challenges are (1) the elicitation of naturally stuttered versus fluent speech and (2) the separation of activation associated with abnormal motor execution from activation that reflects the cognitive substrates of stuttering. This paper reports on a proof-of-concept study, in which a single-subject approach was applied to address these two issues. A stuttering speaker used his insight into his own stuttering behavior to create a list of stutter-prone words versus a list of "fluent" words. He was then matched to a non-stuttering speaker, who imitated the specific articulatory and orofacial motor pattern of the stuttering speaker. Both study participants performed a functional MRI experiment of single word reading, each being presented with the same lexical items. Results suggest that the generally observed right-hemisphere lateralization appears to reflect a true neural correlate of stuttering. Some of the classically reported activation associated with stuttering appears to be driven more by nonspecific motor patterns than by cognitive substrates of stuttering, while anterior cingulate activation may reflect awareness of (upcoming) dysfluencies. This study shows that it is feasible to match stuttering speakers' utterances more closely to simulated stutters for the investigation of neural correlates of real stuttering. Significant main effects and contrast effects were obtained for the differences between fluent and stuttered speech, and right-hemisphere lateralization associated with real stuttered speech was shown in a single subject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk-Bart den Ouden
- a Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders , University of South Carolina , Columbia , SC , USA
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41
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Abstract
The areas of academic interest (sciences or humanities) and area of study have been known to be associated with a number of factors associated with autistic traits. However, despite the vast amount of literature on the psychological and physiological characteristics associated with faculty membership, brain structural characteristics associated with faculty membership have never been investigated directly. In this study, we used voxel-based morphometry to investigate differences in regional gray matter volume (rGMV)/regional white matter volume (rWMV) between science and humanities students to test our hypotheses that brain structures previously robustly shown to be altered in autistic subjects are related to differences in faculty membership. We examined 312 science students (225 males and 87 females) and 179 humanities students (105 males and 74 females). Whole-brain analyses of covariance revealed that after controlling for age, sex, and total intracranial volume, the science students had significantly larger rGMV in an anatomical cluster around the medial prefrontal cortex and the frontopolar area, whereas the humanities students had significantly larger rWMV in an anatomical cluster mainly concentrated around the right hippocampus. These anatomical structures have been linked to autism in previous studies and may mediate cognitive functions that characterize differences in faculty membership. The present results may support the ideas that autistic traits and characteristics of the science students compared with the humanities students share certain characteristics from neuroimaging perspectives. This study improves our understanding of differences in faculty membership which is the link among cognition, biological factors, disorders, and education (academia).
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Connally EL, Ward D, Howell P, Watkins KE. Disrupted white matter in language and motor tracts in developmental stuttering. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2014; 131:25-35. [PMID: 23819900 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/18/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
White matter tracts connecting areas involved in speech and motor control were examined using diffusion-tensor imaging in a sample of people who stutter (n=29) who were heterogeneous with respect to age, sex, handedness and stuttering severity. The goals were to replicate previous findings in developmental stuttering and to extend our knowledge by evaluating the relationship between white matter differences in people who stutter and factors such as age, sex, handedness and stuttering severity. We replicated previous findings that showed reduced integrity in white matter underlying ventral premotor cortex, cerebral peduncles and posterior corpus callosum in people who stutter relative to controls. Tractography analysis additionally revealed significantly reduced white matter integrity in the arcuate fasciculus bilaterally and the left corticospinal tract and significantly reduced connectivity within the left corticobulbar tract in people who stutter. Region-of-interest analyses revealed reduced white matter integrity in people who stutter in the three pairs of cerebellar peduncles that carry the afferent and efferent fibers of the cerebellum. Within the group of people who stutter, the higher the stuttering severity index, the lower the white matter integrity in the left angular gyrus, but the greater the white matter connectivity in the left corticobulbar tract. Also, in people who stutter, handedness and age predicted the integrity of the corticospinal tract and peduncles, respectively. Further studies are needed to determine which of these white matter differences relate to the neural basis of stuttering and which reflect experience-dependent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Connally
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK.
| | - David Ward
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Whiteknights Road, Reading RG6 6AL, UK.
| | - Peter Howell
- Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences Department, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK.
| | - Kate E Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK.
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Cai S, Tourville JA, Beal DS, Perkell JS, Guenther FH, Ghosh SS. Diffusion imaging of cerebral white matter in persons who stutter: evidence for network-level anomalies. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:54. [PMID: 24611042 PMCID: PMC3920071 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in brain white matter have been a main focus of recent neuroimaging studies on stuttering. However, no prior study has examined brain connectivity on the global level of the cerebral cortex in persons who stutter (PWS). In the current study, we analyzed the results from probabilistic tractography between regions comprising the cortical speech network. An anatomical parcellation scheme was used to define 28 speech production-related ROIs in each hemisphere. We used network-based statistic (NBS) and graph theory to analyze the connectivity patterns obtained from tractography. At the network-level, the probabilistic corticocortical connectivity from the PWS group were significantly weaker than that from persons with fluent speech (PFS). NBS analysis revealed significant components in the bilateral speech networks with negative correlations with stuttering severity. To facilitate comparison with previous studies, we also performed tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and regional fractional anisotropy (FA) averaging. Results from tractography, TBSS and regional FA averaging jointly highlight the importance of several regions in the left peri-Rolandic sensorimotor and premotor areas, most notably the left ventral premotor cortex (vPMC) and middle primary motor cortex, in the neuroanatomical basis of stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanqing Cai
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston UniversityBoston, MA, USA
| | - Jason A. Tourville
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston UniversityBoston, MA, USA
| | - Deryk S. Beal
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Joseph S. Perkell
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston UniversityBoston, MA, USA
| | - Frank H. Guenther
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston UniversityBoston, MA, USA
| | - Satrajit S. Ghosh
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
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Daliri A, Prokopenko RA, Max L. Afferent and efferent aspects of mandibular sensorimotor control in adults who stutter. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2013; 56:1774-88. [PMID: 23816664 PMCID: PMC3795963 DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2013/12-0134)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Individuals who stutter show sensorimotor deficiencies in speech and nonspeech movements. For the mandibular system, the authors dissociated the sense of kinesthesia from the efferent control component to examine whether kinesthetic integrity itself is compromised in stuttering or whether deficiencies occur only when generating motor commands. METHOD The authors investigated 11 stuttering and 11 nonstuttering adults' kinesthetic sensitivity threshold and kinesthetic accuracy for passive jaw movements as well as their minimal displacement threshold and positioning accuracy for active jaw movements. They also investigated the correlation with an anatomical index of jaw size. RESULTS The groups showed no statistically significant differences on sensory measures for passive jaw movements. Although some stuttering individuals performed more poorly than any nonstuttering participants on the active movement tasks, between-group differences for active movements were not statistically significant. Unlike fluent speakers, however, the stuttering group showed a statistically significant correlation between mandibular size and performance in the active and passive near-threshold tasks. CONCLUSIONS Previously reported minimal-movement differences were not replicated. Instead, stuttering individuals' performance varied with anatomical properties. These correlational results are consistent with the hypothesis that stuttering participants generate and perceive movements on the basis of less accurate internal models of the involved neuromechanical systems.
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Abstract
Affecting 1% of the general population, stuttering impairs the normally effortless process of speech production, which requires precise coordination of sequential movement occurring among the articulatory, respiratory, and resonance systems, all within millisecond time scales. Those afflicted experience frequent disfluencies during ongoing speech, often leading to negative psychosocial consequences. The aetiology of stuttering remains unclear; compared to other neurodevelopmental disorders, few studies to date have examined the neural bases of childhood stuttering. Here we report, for the first time, results from functional (resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging) and structural connectivity analyses (probabilistic tractography) of multimodal neuroimaging data examining neural networks in children who stutter. We examined how synchronized brain activity occurring among brain areas associated with speech production, and white matter tracts that interconnect them, differ in young children who stutter (aged 3-9 years) compared with age-matched peers. Results showed that children who stutter have attenuated connectivity in neural networks that support timing of self-paced movement control. The results suggest that auditory-motor and basal ganglia-thalamocortical networks develop differently in stuttering children, which may in turn affect speech planning and execution processes needed to achieve fluent speech motor control. These results provide important initial evidence of neurological differences in the early phases of symptom onset in children who stutter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo-Eun Chang
- 1 Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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46
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Takeuchi H, Taki Y, Nouchi R, Sekiguchi A, Kotozaki Y, Miyauchi CM, Yokoyama R, Iizuka K, Hashizume H, Nakagawa S, Kunitoki K, Sassa Y, Kawashima R. Regional gray matter density is associated with achievement motivation: evidence from voxel-based morphometry. Brain Struct Funct 2012; 219:71-83. [PMID: 23212300 PMCID: PMC3889816 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-012-0485-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Achievement motivation can be defined as a recurrent need to improve one's past performance. Despite previous functional imaging studies on motivation-related functional activation, the relationship between regional gray matter (rGM) morphology and achievement motivation has never been investigated. We used voxel-based morphometry and a questionnaire (achievement motivation scale) to measure individual achievement motivation and investigated the association between rGM density (rGMD) and achievement motivation [self-fulfillment achievement motivation (SFAM) and competitive achievement motivation (CAM) across the brain in healthy young adults (age 21.0 ± 1.8 years, men (n = 94), women (n = 91)]. SFAM and rGMD significantly and negatively correlated in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). CAM and rGMD significantly and positively correlated in the right putamen, insula, and precuneus. These results suggest that the brain areas that play central roles in externally modulated motivation (OFC and putamen) also contribute to SFAM and CAM, respectively, but in different ways. Furthermore, the brain areas in which rGMD correlated with CAM are related to cognitive processes associated with distressing emotions and social cognition, and these cognitive processes may characterize CAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hikaru Takeuchi
- Smart Ageing International Research Center, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan,
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A voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis of regional grey and white matter volume abnormalities within the speech production network of children who stutter. Cortex 2012; 49:2151-61. [PMID: 23140891 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2012.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Revised: 06/23/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It is well documented that neuroanatomical differences exist between adults who stutter and their fluently speaking peers. Specifically, adults who stutter have been found to have more grey matter volume (GMV) in speech relevant regions including inferior frontal gyrus, insula and superior temporal gyrus (Beal et al., 2007; Song et al., 2007). Despite stuttering having its onset in childhood only one study has investigated the neuroanatomical differences between children who do and do not stutter. Chang et al. (2008) reported children who stutter had less GMV in the bilateral inferior frontal gyri and middle temporal gyrus relative to fluently speaking children. Thus it appears that children who stutter present with unique neuroanatomical abnormalities as compared to those of adults who stutter. In order to better understand the neuroanatomical correlates of stuttering earlier in its development, near the time of onset, we used voxel-based morphometry to examine volumetric differences between 11 children who stutter and 11 fluent children. Children who stutter had less GMV in the bilateral inferior frontal gyri and left putamen but more GMV in right Rolandic operculum and superior temporal gyrus relative to fluent children. Children who stutter also had less white matter volume bilaterally in the forceps minor of the corpus callosum. We discuss our findings of widespread anatomic abnormalities throughout the cortical network for speech motor control within the context of the speech motor skill limitations identified in people who stutter (Namasivayam and van Lieshout, 2008; Smits-Bandstra et al., 2006).
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48
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Takeuchi H, Taki Y, Nouchi R, Sekiguchi A, Kotozaki Y, Miyauchi CM, Yokoyama R, Iizuka K, Hashizume H, Nakagawa S, Kunitoki K, Sassa Y, Kawashima R. A voxel-based morphometry study of gray and white matter correlates of a need for uniqueness. Neuroimage 2012; 63:1119-26. [PMID: 22926287 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2012] [Revised: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
People appear to derive intrinsic satisfaction from the perception that they are unique, special, and separable from the masses, which is referred to as a need for uniqueness (NFU). NFU is a universal human trait, along with a tendency to conform to the beliefs and attitudes of others and social norms. We used voxel-based morphometry and a questionnaire to determine individual NFU and its association with brain structures in healthy men (94) and women (91; age, 21.3 ± 1.9 years). Individual NFU was associated with smaller gray matter volume of a cluster that included areas in (a) the left middle temporal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and left superior temporal sulcus (STS); (b) the dorsal part of the anterior cingulate gyrus and the anterior part of the middle cingulate gyrus; and (c) the right inferior frontal gyrus and the ventral part of the precentral gyrus. Individual NFU was also associated with larger white matter concentration of a cluster that mainly included the body of the corpus callosum. These findings demonstrated that variations in NFU reflect the gray and white matter structures of focal regions. These findings suggest a biological basis for individual NFU, distributed across different gray and white matter areas of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hikaru Takeuchi
- Smart Ageing International Research Center, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
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Cai S, Beal DS, Ghosh SS, Tiede MK, Guenther FH, Perkell JS. Weak responses to auditory feedback perturbation during articulation in persons who stutter: evidence for abnormal auditory-motor transformation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41830. [PMID: 22911857 PMCID: PMC3402433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous empirical observations have led researchers to propose that auditory feedback (the auditory perception of self-produced sounds when speaking) functions abnormally in the speech motor systems of persons who stutter (PWS). Researchers have theorized that an important neural basis of stuttering is the aberrant integration of auditory information into incipient speech motor commands. Because of the circumstantial support for these hypotheses and the differences and contradictions between them, there is a need for carefully designed experiments that directly examine auditory-motor integration during speech production in PWS. In the current study, we used real-time manipulation of auditory feedback to directly investigate whether the speech motor system of PWS utilizes auditory feedback abnormally during articulation and to characterize potential deficits of this auditory-motor integration. Twenty-one PWS and 18 fluent control participants were recruited. Using a short-latency formant-perturbation system, we examined participants' compensatory responses to unanticipated perturbation of auditory feedback of the first formant frequency during the production of the monophthong [ε]. The PWS showed compensatory responses that were qualitatively similar to the controls' and had close-to-normal latencies (∼150 ms), but the magnitudes of their responses were substantially and significantly smaller than those of the control participants (by 47% on average, p<0.05). Measurements of auditory acuity indicate that the weaker-than-normal compensatory responses in PWS were not attributable to a deficit in low-level auditory processing. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that stuttering is associated with functional defects in the inverse models responsible for the transformation from the domain of auditory targets and auditory error information into the domain of speech motor commands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanqing Cai
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
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Ingham RJ, Grafton ST, Bothe AK, Ingham JC. Brain activity in adults who stutter: similarities across speaking tasks and correlations with stuttering frequency and speaking rate. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2012; 122:11-24. [PMID: 22564749 PMCID: PMC3372660 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2011] [Revised: 04/03/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Many differences in brain activity have been reported between persons who stutter (PWS) and typically fluent controls during oral reading tasks. An earlier meta-analysis of imaging studies identified stutter-related regions, but recent studies report less agreement with those regions. A PET study on adult dextral PWS (n=18) and matched fluent controls (CONT, n=12) is reported that used both oral reading and monologue tasks. After correcting for speech rate differences between the groups the task-activation differences were surprisingly small. For both analyses only some regions previously considered stutter-related were more activated in the PWS group than in the CONT group, and these were also activated during eyes-closed rest (ECR). In the PWS group, stuttering frequency was correlated with cortico-striatal-thalamic circuit activity in both speaking tasks. The neuroimaging findings for the PWS group, relative to the CONT group, appear consistent with neuroanatomic abnormalities being increasingly reported among PWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger J Ingham
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, United States.
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