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基础存在显著差距。缩小这一差距是至关重要的，因为这样做将导致对这种疾病的性质和病因的更彻底的理解，这是推进儿童口吃治疗的先决条件。因此，在本发明中， 这项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。本申请的目的是确定执行功能和注意力的域一般过程的性质和程度，有助于发展性口吃，以及这些过程如何与口语处理相互作用。核心假设是，学龄前儿童口吃，当与他们的典型发展的同龄人相比，表现出执行功能和注意力的领域一般组成部分的弱点，这些弱点与口语过程相互作用，对语音产生的流畅性产生负面影响。这一假设是基于从研究者实验室和其他地方获得的初步数据。拟议研究的基本原理是，对口吃潜在性质的透彻理解将为后续研究奠定基础，以开发新的个性化治疗方法，从而显着改善口吃儿童的生活。中心假设将在三个特定的目标进行测试：（1）确定中央执行功能（抑制，工作记忆，认知灵活性）在发展性口吃中的作用;（2）确定注意力在发展性口吃中的作用;（3）确定语义和语音口语单词过程如何与发展性口吃中的执行功能和注意力相互作用。对于每一个目标，来自发展认知心理学的有充分依据的经验方法的新改编将被用来测试中心假设。这种方法是创新的，因为这些方法以前从未被应用到发展性口吃的研究在同一时期的学龄前儿童谁口吃。这项研究具有重要意义，因为它将为更好地理解多种因素在发展性口吃中的作用提供一个解释性框架，并有助于建立典型发展中的领域一般过程模型。这些知识将最终导致开发更有效，创新的方法来治疗儿童口吃。 公共卫生相关性：发展性口吃是一种人们知之甚少的交流障碍，它会对那些与这种障碍作斗争的人的生活质量产生有害影响。拟议的研究与公共卫生有关，因为它侧重于促进我们对发展性口吃的潜在性质和病因的理解，这对于开发治疗这种疾病的新方法至关重要。因此，拟议的研究与NIDCD的使命相关，因为它将提供新的知识，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.