Abstract
Objective: The purpose of the present study was to analyze the frequency and type of speech disfluencies in a relatively large group of individuals with Tourette's syndrome (TS) and to compare their results with similar speech data from a control group of unselected individuals. Method: Self-report data, as well as conversation and reading samples, were obtained from 69 children diagnosed with TS (mean age=12.49) and 27 control participants (mean age=10.9). Results: Self-report data on fluency difficulties did not reveal significant group differences; however, detailed analysis of fluency during reading and spontaneous speech revealed an overall higher level of more typical (normal) disfluencies in the TS group. No overall differences in less typical (stuttering) disfluencies were observed between the two groups of children. Conclusion: Results are discussed in light of previous studies proposing a common aetiology and neuropathological link between TS and developmental stuttering.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 97-102 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Psychosomatic Research |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2005 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors would like to thanks Jessica Steinman, Katie Sharpe, and Sophie Lafaille for their assistance in data collection and analysis. This research was supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Bluma Appel TS Research Fund awarded to the first and fourth authors, respectively.
Keywords
- Children
- Speech disfluencies
- Stuttering
- Tourette's syndrome