title: Increased motor preparation activity during fluent single word production in DS: A correlate for stuttering frequency and severity.
abstract: Abnormal speech motor preparation is suggested to be a neural characteristic of stuttering. One of the neurophysiological substrates of motor preparation is the contingent negative variation (CNV). The CNV is an event-related, slow negative potential that occurs between two defined stimuli. Unfortunately, CNV tasks are rarely studied in developmental stuttering (DS). Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate motor preparation in DS by use of a CNV task. Twenty five adults who stutter (AWS) and 35 fluent speakers (FS) were included. They performed a picture naming task while an electro-encephalogram was recorded. The slope of the CNV was evaluated at frontal, central and parietal electrode sites. In addition, a correlation analysis was performed with stuttering severity and frequency measures. There was a marked increase in CNV slope in AWS as compared to FS. This increase was observed over the entire scalp with respect to stimulus onset, and only over the right hemisphere with respect to lip movement onset. Moreover, strong positive correlations were found between CNV slope and stuttering frequency and severity. As the CNV is known to reflect the activity in the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical-network, the present findings confirm an increased activation of this loop during speech motor preparation in stuttering. The more a person stutters, the more neurons of this cortical-subcortical network seem to be activated. Because this increased CNV slope was observed during fluent single word production, it is discussed whether or not this observation refers to a successful compensation strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1K12A, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: sarah.vanhoutte@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vanhoutte
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1K12A, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1K12A, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: patrick.santens@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santens
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: marjan.cosyns@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosyns
authors.affiliation: MEDISIP, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University-iMINDS Medical IT Department, Ghent University Hospital, 185, 5-Blok B, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: pieter.vanmierlo@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Mierlo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1K12A, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Physical Therapy and Motor Rehabilitation, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: katja.batens@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Batens
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Faculty of Education, Health and Social Work, University College Ghent, Keramiekstraat 80, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: paul.corthals@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corthals
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1K12A, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: miet.deletter@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Miet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Letter
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: john.vanborsel@ugent.be.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Borsel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013342:Stuttering / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Basal ganglia; Compensation; Contingent negative variation; Dopamine; Motor preparation; Stuttering frequency; Stuttering severity