Motor sequence learning, retention and transfer in children who stutter

口吃儿童的运动序列学习、保留和迁移

• 批准号: 105626-2009
• 负责人: DeNil, Luc
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=521980
• 关键词: Motor; sequence; learning; retention; transfer

Speech is one of the most intricate motor behaviours in humans characterized by very fast and precise articulatory movements. The sensorimotor mechanisms that control speech and its development are not well understood. They are investigated using typical as well as disordered speech production in adults and children. The current proposal focuses on speech production in children who stutter, which is a developmental disorder, typically first diagnosed in prepubescent children, characterized by disruptions of speech fluency. Because it is characterized by both fluent and disfluent speech, the severity of which can be manipulated, it constitutes a natural model for studying speech production and its perturbations. Previous research completed by our group has shown that stuttering adults show a deficit in their ability to acquire novel motor sequences. Because this is apparent in both speech and nonspeech behaviour we have hypothesized the presence of a generalized motor deficit. This observation allows us to use nonspeech motor tasks to gain insight into processes that are important for speech production also. However, data obtained in adults may not necessarily be relevant to younger children who are still developing their motor skills. We plan to extend our earlier research by investigating speech and nonspeech motor learning in children who do and do not stutter. A number of studies will be completed investigating children's abilities to learn novel speech and nonspeech (finger tapping) sequences. Motor practice will be presented either explicitly (children are told what to practice) or implicitly (children are not aware of the practice task). In addition, experiments are proposed which manipulate the frequency of feedback provided during task completion. Finally, a functional magnetic resonance imaging study is proposed to analyze the neural processes underlying motor learning in children. The results from this study will allow us to contribute to the understanding of the development of speech motor control processes and to gain a deeper understanding in the processes that may underlie disordered speech.

言语是人类最复杂的运动行为之一，其特征是非常快速和精确的发音运动。控制语言及其发展的感觉运动机制还没有很好的理解。他们调查使用典型的，以及在成人和儿童的言语生产紊乱。目前的建议侧重于口吃儿童的言语产生，口吃是一种发育障碍，通常首先在青春期前的儿童中被诊断出来，其特征是言语流畅性中断。因为它的特点是流利和不流利的讲话，其中的严重性可以操纵，它构成了一个自然的模型，研究语音生产及其扰动。我们小组以前完成的研究表明，口吃的成年人在获得新的运动序列的能力方面存在缺陷。因为这在言语和非言语行为中都很明显，我们假设存在广泛的运动缺陷。这一观察使我们能够使用非言语运动任务来深入了解对言语产生也很重要的过程。然而，在成人中获得的数据可能不一定与仍在发展运动技能的幼儿相关。我们计划通过调查口吃和不口吃儿童的言语和非言语运动学习来扩展我们早期的研究。 一些研究将完成调查儿童的能力，学习新的语音和非语音（手指敲击）序列。运动练习将以明确的方式（告诉孩子们练习什么）或隐含的方式（孩子们不知道练习任务）呈现。此外，实验提出操纵任务完成过程中提供的反馈的频率。最后，一个功能磁共振成像研究提出了分析儿童运动学习的神经过程。 这项研究的结果将使我们能够有助于理解言语运动控制过程的发展，并更深入地了解可能导致言语障碍的过程。