Movement Learning in Children who Stammer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Study of Motor Learning in Children who Stutter
IRAS ID
258043
Contact name
Fiona Hobler
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Toronto
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 13 days
Research summary
It is estimated that 360 million people experience stammering at some point in their lives. Stammering is a speech disorder that not only affects a person’s ability to communicate fluently and confidently, but can also have a significant impact on
their quality of life and mental health. Developmental stammering typically emerges in early childhood; however, 20% of individuals will continue to be affected by this disorder into adulthood. After decades of research, the causes of this speech disorder and the reasons for its persistence are still not clear.
We do know from the study of movement behaviour in this population that children who stammer are slower and more unstable in their speech movements. Adults who stammer have shown difficulties in planning and coordinating their movements, along with impairments in learning and combining multiple movements efficiently, in speech as well as on finger sequencing tasks.
Although the ability to learn these movements has not yet been studied in children who stammer, research has shown that young children can have difficulties directing their attention, which is vital to successful learning.
This study expands on research being conducted in Canada to further investigate movement learning in children who stammer living in the UK. Children between the ages of 4 and 6 years, as well as 9 and 11 years of age, will be invited to participate in this study involving finger movement tasks. This research will also look at the effects of attention on this type of movement learning.
Generalised difficulties in learning movements and the level of information that is provided during this process will give us a better understanding of the movement disorder that underlies developmental stammering. It may also inform speech and language therapists about factors that influence the assessment and treatment of children who stammer at different stages of development.REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
19/NI/0067
Date of REC Opinion
19 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion