Variations in the Relative Speeds of Orofacial Structures With Stuttering Severity

Stuttering can be characterized in part as a disorder in the coordination of different muscle systems. In light of basic aspects of orofacial physiology and development, the speeds of the lips and tongue relative to the jaw may be an important dimension for evaluating motor coordination among person...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of speech, language, and hearing research language, and hearing research, 2000-12, Vol.43 (6), p.1524-1531
Main Authors: McClean, Michael D, Runyan, Charles M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Biomechanical Phenomena
Electromagnetism
Face
Female
Humans
Language and communication disorders
Lip - physiopathology
Male
Mandible - physiopathology
Measurement
Medical sciences
Mouth
Movement
Movement - physiology
Physiological aspects
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Severity of Illness Index
Speech disorders
Stomatognathic System - physiopathology
Stuttering
Stuttering - diagnosis
Stuttering - physiopathology
Tongue
Tongue - physiopathology
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Summary:Stuttering can be characterized in part as a disorder in the coordination of different muscle systems. In light of basic aspects of orofacial physiology and development, the speeds of the lips and tongue relative to the jaw may be an important dimension for evaluating motor coordination among persons who stutter (PWS). To test this idea, an electromagnetic system was used to obtain measures of lip, tongue, and jaw speed in 38 adults (29 PWS and 9 normally fluent speakers, NFS) as they repeated a simple speech utterance at a normal rate. Using categorical ratings of stuttering severity, ratios of tongue speed to jaw speed were significantly greater in PWS rated as severe, compared to NFS and other PWS. Significant increases in lower lip-to-jaw and tongue-to-jaw speed ratios with stuttering severity were also reflected in correlation analyses relating speed ratios to a continuous measure of stuttering severity. These trends in speed ratio were related to increases in lower lip and tongue speed and decreases in jaw speed with stuttering severity. Sources of the speed differences are discussed in relation to underlying muscle activity, motor compensation processes in adults, and the development of orofacial motor control in children who stutter.
ISSN:1092-4388
1558-9102
DOI:10.1044/jslhr.4306.1524