Publication: Phonatory Vocal Tract Stability in Stuttering Children before and after Fluency – Enhancing Therapy
Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
Stuttering is a complex disorder. Essentially, it is a neuromuscular disorder whose
core consists of tiny lags and disruptions in the timing of the complicated movements
required for speech.
Objective
The purpose of the current study was to collec and comparg jitters and shimmer values
in children who stutter before and aftea fluency – enhancing therapy.
Methods
Subjects consisted of 15 Iranian preschool girls with stutterg, and 15 Iranial preschool
girls without afflictions, matched according to age. Vocal jittering and shimmer
measurements of thesphonation of the children were compared before and after
therapy. Each subject phonated vowels nine times in a random order. Each phonation
was sustained for at least five seconds and was recorded. The middle three-second
portion of each recorded vowel phonation was subjected to jitter and shimmer analysis.
Results
On shimmer measures between pre-treatment and post treatment, significant
differences were found in all sustained vowels of persons who stutter group and means
of shimmer in post therapy were significantly lower than pre-treatment. Differences in
jitter measurements were not significant between pre-treatment and post-treatment
statuses and this parameter did not change after therapy.
Conclusion
The findings showed that therapy resulted in decreaseg irregularity in the amplitude
of vibrations (shimmer). In other words, the therapy increases the steady-state
of the laryngeal system. Moreover, this parameter may be used as an index for the
effectiveness of therapy.
Key Words
children, jitter, phonation, shimmer, stuttering, voice
Description
Dehqan A1, ali Dashti G2, Mirzadeh M3
1,2Department of Speech Therapy, 3 Computer software engineer, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran