title: Verbal implicit sequence learning in persons who stutter and persons with Parkinson's disease.
abstract: The authors investigated the integrity of implicit learning systems in 14 persons with Parkinson's disease (PPD), 14 persons who stutter (PWS), and 14 control participants. In a 120-min session participants completed a verbal serial reaction time task, naming aloud 4 syllables in response to 4 visual stimuli. Unbeknownst to participants, the syllables formed a repeating 8-item sequence. PWS and PPD demonstrated slower reaction times for early but not late learning trials relative to controls reflecting delays but not deficiencies in general learning. PPD also demonstrated less accuracy in general learning relative to controls. All groups demonstrated similar limited explicit sequence knowledge. Both PWS and PPD demonstrated significantly less implicit sequence learning relative to controls, suggesting that stuttering may be associated with compromised functional integrity of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loop.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301, USA. smsmitsbandstra@stcloudstate.edu
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smits-Bandstra
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gracco
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D018450:Disease Progression; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012691:Serial Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D013342:Stuttering / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents