Immediate effect of delayed auditory feedback on stuttering-like disfluencies

Abstract

Objective: to describe the immediate effects of delayed auditory feedback on stuttering-like disfluencies in people who stutter. Methods: a cross-sectional and experimental study. The effect of delayed auditory feedback was analyzed in thirty individuals, from eight to 46 years old, diagnosed with persistent developmental stuttering. Participants should present at least 3% of stuttering-like disfluencies and mild stuttering according to the Stuttering Severity Instrument. The following procedures were used: audiological evaluation, fluency evaluation in two listening situations - with Non-altered and delayed auditory feedback - and the Stuttering Severity Instrument. The Fono Tools software was used to cause the delay effect. Data analysis was performed using pertinent statistical tests. Results: there was no decrease in most stuttering-like disfluencies. There was a statistically significant reduction in word repetition and flow of syllables per minute. Conclusion: the delay in auditory feedback caused, as an immediate effect, the reduction of word repetition and speech rate, in syllables per minute.

Immediate Effects of Altered Auditory Feedback on Associated Motor Behaviors of People Who Stutter

“…Results revealed that there was no significant decrease in most stuttering-like disfluencies except in word repetitions with the device in place when compared to no device. Design differences existed between Armson and Stuart [19] and Buzzeti and Oliveira's [20] investigations in comparison to other investigations that may have contributed to the differences in the results. First, the age of participants in Buzzeti's and Oliveira's [20] study were 8-46.11mos, whereas in other studies [14,15] the participants were adults.…”

“…Design differences existed between Armson and Stuart [19] and Buzzeti and Oliveira's [20] investigations in comparison to other investigations that may have contributed to the differences in the results. First, the age of participants in Buzzeti's and Oliveira's [20] study were 8-46.11mos, whereas in other studies [14,15] the participants were adults. Second, the condition examined in Armson's and Stuart's [19] investigation was frequency altered feedback whereas in other studies [9,14,15] both a delayed auditory feedback and frequency-altered feedback were investigated.…”

“…They specifically assessed the effect of frequency-altered feedback during monologue and reported no statistically significant differences in the frequency of stuttering of 10 out of 12 participants. Buzzeti and Oliveira [20] explored the immediate effects of delayed auditory feedback on stuttering-like disfluencies in thirty individuals who stutter with and without the use of delayed auditory feedback. Results revealed that there was no significant decrease in most stuttering-like disfluencies except in word repetitions with the device in place when compared to no device.…”

Impact of auditory feedback alterations in individuals with stuttering

“…A recent study of individuals with different stuttering severities showed that the delayed auditory feedback resulted in a reduction of word repetition frequency and articulatory speed, without impairing the flow of information. 40 …”