Cognitive-Linguistic Processes in Developmental Stuttering

描述（由申请人提供）：关于认知语言过程在发展性口吃中的作用的知识库存在显着差距。缩小这一差距至关重要，因为这样做可以更彻底地了解这种疾病的性质和病因，这是推进儿童口吃治疗的先决条件。因此， 拟议研究的长期目标是确定认知语言过程在发展性口吃中的作用。该应用的目的是确定执行功能和注意力的一般领域过程对发展性口吃的贡献的性质和程度，以及这些过程如何与口语处理相互作用。中心假设是，与发育正常的同龄人相比，口吃的学龄前儿童在执行功能和注意力的一般领域表现出弱点，并且这些弱点与口语过程相互作用，对言语产生的流畅性产生负面影响。该假设基于从研究者实验室和其他地方获得的初步数据。拟议研究的理由是，对口吃的根本性质的透彻理解将为后续研究奠定基础，以开发新的个体化治疗方法，从而显着改善口吃儿童的生活。中心假设将在三个具体目标上进行检验：（1）确定中枢执行功能（抑制、工作记忆、认知灵活性）在发展性口吃中的作用； (2) 确定注意力方面在发展性口吃中的作用； (3) 确定语义和语音口语过程如何与发展性口吃中的执行功能和注意力相互作用。对于每个目标，将使用发展认知心理学的有根据的经验方法的新颖改编来检验中心假设。该方法具有创新性，因为这些方法以前从未应用于同期学龄前口吃儿童群体的发育性口吃研究。所提出的研究意义重大，因为它将提供一个解释框架，以便更好地理解多种因素在发育性口吃中的作用，并有助于建立典型发育中领域通用过程的模型。这些知识最终将导致开发出更有效、创新的方法来治疗儿童口吃。 公共健康相关性：发育性口吃是一种人们知之甚少的沟通障碍，可能会对患有该障碍的人的生活质量产生有害影响。拟议的研究与公共卫生相关，因为它的重点是增进我们对发育性口吃的根本性质和病因学的理解，这对于开发治疗该疾病的新方法至关重要。因此，拟议的研究与 NIDCD 的使命相关，因为它将贡献新知识，改善口吃者的生活。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is a significant gap in the knowledge base concerning the role of cognitive-linguistic processes in developmental stuttering. It is critical t close this gap because doing so will lead to a more thorough understanding of the nature and etiology of the disorder, a prerequisite for advancing the treatment of childhood stuttering. Thus, the long-term goal of the proposed research is to determine the role of cognitive- linguistic processes in developmental stuttering. The objective of this application is to determine the nature and extent to which the domain-general processes of executive function and attention contribute to developmental stuttering and how these processes interact with spoken language processing. The central hypothesis is that preschool children who stutter, when compared to their typically-developing peers, exhibit weaknesses in the domain-general components of executive function and attention, and that these weaknesses interact with spoken language processes to negatively impact the fluency of speech production. This hypothesis is based on preliminary data obtained from the investigator's laboratory and elsewhere. The rationale for the proposed research is that a thorough understanding of the underlying nature of stuttering will set the stage for subsequent research to develop new individualized treatment approaches that will significantly improve the lives of children who stutter. The central hypothesis will be tested in three specific aims: (1) Identify the role of central executive functions (inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility) in developmental stuttering; (2) Determine the role of aspects of attention in developmental stuttering; and (3) Determine how semantic and phonological spoken word processes interact with executive function and attention in developmental stuttering. For each aim, novel adaptations of well-grounded empirical methods from developmental cognitive psychology will be used to test the central hypothesis. The approach is innovative because these methods have never before been applied to the study of developmental stuttering in a contemporaneous cohort of preschool children who stutter. The proposed research is significant because it will provide an explanatory framework for better understanding the role of multiple factors in developmental stuttering and contribute to models of domain-general processes in typical development. This knowledge will ultimately lead to the development of more effective, innovative approaches for treating childhood stuttering. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Developmental stuttering is a poorly understood communication disorder that can have a deleterious effect on the quality of life of those who struggle with the disorder. The proposed research is relevant to public health because it focuses on advancing our understanding of the underlying nature and etiology of developmental stuttering, which is essential to the development of novel approaches for treating the disorder. Thus, the proposed research is relevant to NIDCD's mission because it will contribute new knowledge that will improve the lives of individuals who stutter.