Finger Sequence Learning in Adults Who Stutter

Korzeczek, Alexandra; Cholin, Joana; Jorschick, Annett; Hewitt, Manuel; Sommer, Martin

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01543

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 49 publications

(111 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This was supported by a later study of the learning of non-words in adults (Namasivayam and van Lieshout, 2008). However, these results were contradicted by two recent studies of finger sequence learning, in adults (Korzeczek et al, 2020) and children (Tendera et al, 2020), reporting no group difference in sequence learning. Instead, the latter study found indications of more general fine motor difficulties.…”

Section: Automatization Of Motor Sequences and Speechmentioning

confidence: 77%

The Dopamine System and Automatization of Movement Sequences: A Review With Relevance for Speech and Stuttering

Alm

2021

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The last decades of research have gradually elucidated the complex functions of the dopamine system in the vertebrate brain. The multiple roles of dopamine in motor function, learning, attention, motivation, and the emotions have been difficult to reconcile. A broad and detailed understanding of the physiology of cerebral dopamine is of importance in understanding a range of human disorders. One of the core functions of dopamine involves the basal ganglia and the learning and execution of automatized sequences of movements. Speech is one of the most complex and highly automatized sequential motor behaviors, though the exact roles that the basal ganglia and dopamine play in speech have been difficult to determine. Stuttering is a speech disorder that has been hypothesized to be related to the functions of the basal ganglia and dopamine. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the current understanding of the cerebral dopamine system, in particular the mechanisms related to motor learning and the execution of movement sequences. The primary aim was not to review research on speech and stuttering, but to provide a platform of neurophysiological mechanisms, which may be utilized for further research and theoretical development on speech, speech disorders, and other behavioral disorders. Stuttering and speech are discussed here only briefly. The review indicates that a primary mechanism for the automatization of movement sequences is the merging of isolated movements into chunks that can be executed as units. In turn, chunks can be utilized hierarchically, as building blocks of longer chunks. It is likely that these mechanisms apply also to speech, so that frequent syllables and words are produced as motor chunks. It is further indicated that the main learning principle for sequence learning is reinforcement learning, with the phasic release of dopamine as the primary teaching signal indicating successful sequences. It is proposed that the dynamics of the dopamine system constitute the main neural basis underlying the situational variability of stuttering.

show abstract

Section: Automatization Of Motor Sequences and Speechmentioning

confidence: 77%

The Dopamine System and Automatization of Movement Sequences: A Review With Relevance for Speech and Stuttering

Alm

2021

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Falk et al ( 2015 ) investigated timing control in finger tapping to periodic tone sequences and a musical beat and showed that children and adolescents who stutter showed poorer synchronization to both metronome and musical stimuli than fluent controls. Conversely, some recent studies have reported no differences in finger sequence learning (Korzeczek et al, 2020 ) or manual tasks using the Purdue Pegboard Test (Werle et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Performance of Bimanual Finger Coordination Tasks in Speakers Who Stutter

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental speech disorder characterized by the symptoms of speech repetition, prolongation, and blocking. Stuttering-related dysfluency can be transiently alleviated by providing an external timing signal such as a metronome or the voice of another person. Therefore, the existence of a core motor timing deficit in stuttering has been speculated. If this is the case, then motoric behaviors other than speech should be disrupted in stuttering. This study examined motoric performance on four complex bimanual tasks in 37 adults who stutter and 31 fluent controls. Two tasks utilized bimanual rotation to examine motor dexterity, and two tasks used the bimanual mirror and parallel tapping movements to examine timing control ability. Video-based analyses were conducted to determine performance accuracy and speed. The results showed that individuals who stutter performed worse than fluent speakers on tapping tasks but not on bimanual rotation tasks. These results suggest stuttering is associated with timing control for general motor behavior.

show abstract