Phonetic encoding and attention in stuttering and cluttering.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Phoneme monitoring, syllable detection, phonetic encoding and divided attention in adults who clutter, adults who stutter and fluent controls
IRAS ID
155350
Contact name
Jess Bretherton-Furness
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Reading
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 16 days
Research summary
Cluttering is a disorder of fluency where a person’s speech is characterised as: too fast, too irregular, or both. The segments of rapid and/or irregular speech rate must further be accompanied by one or more of the following: (a) excessive ‘normal’ disfluencies; (b) excessive collapsing or deletion of syllables; and/or abnormal pauses, syllable stress, or speech rhythm.” (St. Louis & Schulte, 2011). There are similarities between cluttering and stuttering but also stark contrasts e.g. stuttering is characterised by a slow rate of speech and word/sound fears and avoidance whereas those who clutter have rapid speech and no word/sound avoidance (Ward, 2007). Further differences regarding recovery, secondary behaviours and co-morbid disorders also exist. Despite these differences the disorders have often been confused in the literature and by clinicians, however, this is beginning to change with our knowledge base growing. There is particular debate as to whether language and attention disturbances can be seen as a core part of cluttering, or rather as a common co-morbidity. The present study follows a pilot study conducted by the researchers looking at the language skills of those who clutter and how they differ to fluent speakers. Now we wish to focus on phonetic encoding (the ability to select the correct speech sounds and apply the correct syllable structure to words) and attention. Tasks proposed will address phonological encoding skills which have been implicated as being impaired in adults who stutter (De Nil & Sasisekaran 2006, Howell, 2004, Packman, Code & Onslow 2007; Perkins, Kent & Curlee 1991; Postma & Kolk 1993 Wingate, 1988). However, it is not known if this is also the case for adults who clutter. It has further been speculated that those who clutter have attention difficulties (Daly 1996, Ward 2006, Weiss 1964) but we have little data to support this view.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/1394
Date of REC Opinion
12 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion