The Relationship Between Auditory-Motor Integration, Interoceptive Awareness, and Self-Reported Stuttering Severity

Abstract

Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental speech disorder associated with motor timing that differs from non-stutterers. While neurodevelopmental disorders impacted by timing are associated with compromised auditory-motor integration and interoception, the interplay between those abilities and stuttering remains unexplored. Here, we studied the relationships between speech auditory-motor synchronization (a proxy for auditory-motor integration), interoceptive awareness, and self-reported stuttering severity using remotely delivered assessments. Results indicate that in general, stutterers and non-stutterers exhibit similar auditory-motor integration and interoceptive abilities. However, while speech auditory-motor synchrony (i.e., integration) and interoceptive awareness were not related, speech synchrony was inversely related to the speaker’s perception of stuttering severity as perceived by others, and interoceptive awareness was inversely related to self-reported stuttering impact. These findings support claims that stuttering is a heterogeneous, multi-faceted disorder such that uncorrelated auditory-motor integration and interoception measurements predicted different aspects of stuttering, suggesting two unrelated sources of timing differences associated with the disorder.

Speech's syllabic rhythm and articulatory features produced under different auditory feedback conditions identify Parkinsonism

“…Condition 4 also involves no auditory feedback but provides the subject with an external cue of the target rate. Previous research indicates that individual differences in white matter structures connecting auditory and frontal regions lead to quantitative differences in speech syllabic rhythm behaviors under this condition 29 , and the level of synchronization between produced and perceived speech has been proposed as a marker for different types of stuttering disorders 30 .…”

Cortical tracking of speech is reduced in adults who stutter when listening for speaking

“…Compatibly, audio-motor interactions seem to be bi-directionally impaired in DS (Chang et al, 2016; Daliri & Max, 2015, 2018; Halag-Milo et al, 2016; Kim et al, 2020). From a behavioral point of view, malfunctioning of predictive timing during auditory-motor coupling in people who stutter can lead to some differences when compared to fluent speakers (e.g., Falk et al, 2015; however, works reporting no overt differences in auditory-motor integration are also available, e.g., Assaneo et al, 2022).…”

“…Similarly, audio-motor interactions appear to be bi-directionally impaired in DS, with deficits in properly integrating auditory feedback in speech production (Bradshaw et al, 2021; Chang et al, 2016; Daliri & Max, 2015, 2018; Halag-Milo et al, 2016; Hesse, 2023; Kim et al, 2020). From a behavioral point of view, conflicting results have been reported, with some studies finding malfunctioning of predictive timing during auditory-motor coupling in people who stutter can lead to some differences when compared to fluent speakers (Falk et al, 2015) and others reporting no overt differences in auditory-motor integration (Assaneo et al, 2022). Therefore, audio-motor interaction seems instrumental for effective speech production and to be inefficient in DS.…”