How does sintactic complexity affect the onset and progression of stuttering in individuals?5 answersSyntactic complexity does not consistently affect the onset and progression of stuttering in individuals. Research indicates that while some individuals may experience increased dysfluency with higher syntactic complexity, others do not show a significant impact. Additionally, adults who stutter may exhibit slower speech initiation with more complex sentences and benefit more from sentence-structure priming compared to fluent adults. The relationship between syntactic complexity and stuttering is complex, with varying effects observed across different age groups and language abilities. Overall, the influence of syntactic complexity on stuttering onset and progression appears to be multifaceted and not universally conclusive, highlighting the need for further research to fully understand this relationship.
What are the prevalence rates of stuttering among different age groups and genders?4 answersThe prevalence rates of stuttering vary among different age groups and genders. In children aged 3 to 17 years, males exhibit higher prevalence rates compared to females, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1 overall. Stuttering peaks at around 5 years of age in both boys and girls, with prevalence rates of 0.89% for boys and 0.40% for girls at this age. However, by adulthood, the prevalence of stuttering is substantially higher in men compared to women, with a ratio of 4:1 or greater. Overall, up to 5% of children aged 3 to 6 years experience stuttering, with a higher incidence rate in males (4:1). The majority of children experiencing stuttering in early childhood will have a spontaneous recovery before reaching school age, with only about 1% of the general population having persistent developmental stuttering after puberty.
Why do stuttered patients stutter on inital consonant clusters?5 answersStuttered patients may stutter on initial consonant clusters because the production of two consonants with the same place of articulation across a syllable boundary puts higher demands on motor planning and/or initiation than producing the same cluster at the end of a syllable. This is particularly true for persons who stutter (PWS). Stuttering is associated with the initial position of syllables, words, and sentences, and beginning stutterers have the greatest difficulty with frequently occurring pronouns and conjunctions that are located at the beginning of sentences. Stuttering patterns often involve repetition and prolongation of sounds, with a strong tendency for various stuttering behaviors to be aligned into a definite sequence. Stuttering on initial sounds is common, and stutterers may continue to stutter on words they have already said.
What are the causes of stuttering?5 answersStuttering is a speech disorder characterized by disruptions in the flow of speech, such as repetitions, prolongations, and blockages. The causes of stuttering can be categorized into developmental, psychogenic, neurogenic, and genetic factors. Developmental stuttering is the most common type and occurs during the child's language and speech development. It is believed to be influenced by structural abnormalities in specific regions of the brain and changes in their interconnections. Psychogenic stuttering can be triggered by psychological factors such as depression, anger, and anxiety. Neurogenic stuttering can be acquired due to conditions like stroke, brain tumor, and trauma, and is associated with overactive presynaptic dopamine systems in the brain. Genetic factors have also been implicated in stuttering, with mutations in genes like GNPTAB, GNPTG, and NAGPA disrupting the lysosomal targeting pathway and contributing to the disorder.
Why does the person with a stutter need to identify their own stuttering patterns?2 answersThe person with a stutter needs to identify their own stuttering patterns for several reasons. Firstly, understanding their own stuttering patterns can help individuals with stuttering develop positive identities around their stuttering and lessen the negative impact it has on their lives. Additionally, identifying their stuttering patterns can aid in raising awareness about the causes and consequences of stuttering among family members and society, leading to better support and understanding. Furthermore, recognizing their own stuttering patterns can assist speech-language pathologists in tailoring therapy approaches to address individual goals and preferences for stuttering management. Lastly, analyzing pre-speech facial activity in individuals who stutter can provide insights into predicting and detecting stuttering, potentially facilitating early intervention and automated assessment of stuttering.
How does phonetic difficulty affect stuttering in English?5 answersPhonetic difficulty affects stuttering in English differently based on age and word type. Older speakers who stutter experience more difficulty on content words than function words, while younger speakers do not show this difference. The relationship between stuttering rate and phonetic complexity was examined separately for function and content words in different age groups. It was found that stuttering rate on content words of older speakers, but not younger speakers, was related to the index of phonetic complexity. Additionally, factors such as consonant by manner, consonant by place, word length, and contiguous consonant clusters were found to be most likely to lead to stuttering in English. However, disfluency on function words in early childhood appears to be responsive to factors other than phonetic complexity.