Autonomic nervous system activity of preschool-age children who stutter

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate potential differences in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity to emotional stimuli between preschool-age children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS). Methods Participants were 20 preschool-age CWS (15 male) and 21 preschool-age CWNS (11 male). Participants were exposed to two emotion-inducing video clips (negative and positive) with neutral clips used to establish pre-and post-arousal baselines, and followed by age-appropriate speaking tasks. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) – often used as an index of parasympathetic activity – and skin conductance level (SCL) – often used as an index of sympathetic activity – were measured while participants listened to/watched the audio-video clip presentation and performed a speaking task. Results CWS, compared to CWNS, displayed lower amplitude RSA at baseline and higher SCL during a speaking task following the positive, compared to the negative, condition. During speaking, only CWS had a significant positive relation between RSA and SCL. Conclusion Present findings suggest that preschool-age CWS, when compared to their normally fluent peers, have a physiological state that is characterized by a greater vulnerability to emotional reactivity (i.e., lower RSA indexing less parasympathetic tone) and a greater mobilization of resources in support of emotional reactivity (i.e., higher SCL indexing more sympathetic activity) during positive conditions. Thus, while reducing stuttering to a pure physiological process is unwarranted, the present findings suggest that parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activity is involved.

Emotional Diathesis, Emotional Stress, and Childhood Stuttering

“…H = Hypothesis; solid arrow = significant path relations; dotted arrow = nonsignificant path relations. Buhr, et al (2014) reported that preschool-age CWS displayed a significant positive relation between parasympathetic activity indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia and sympathetic activity indexed by SCL. In other words, for young CWS, both parasympathetic and sympathetic activities were coactivated (i.e., higher sympathetic activity and higher parasympathetic), which is not typically expected.…”

“…We speculate that such changes may be one possible mediator between emotional diathesis or emotional stress and stuttering. Given that sympathetic arousal has been reported to be associated with emotional diathesis (Fowles, Kochanska, & Murray, 2000;Jones, Buhr, et al, 2014) as well as emotional stress (Kreibig, 2010) and that sympathetic arousal has been studied in relation to stuttering (e.g., Adams & Moore, 1972;Ickes & Pierce, 1973;Jones, Buhr, et al, 2014;Weber & Smith, 1990), such speculation seems reasonable, and sympathetic arousal may one good candidate for a mediator. Such mediation possibly accounts for, at least in part, how emotional diathesis and/or emotional stress may be associated with stuttering.…”

“…Participants were part of an ongoing series of empirical investigations of linguistic and emotional contributors to developmental stuttering (e.g., Arnold et al, 2011;Clark, Conture, Frankel, & Walden, 2012;Clark, Conture, Walden, & Lambert, 2013K. Johnson et al, 2010;Jones, Buhr, et al, 2014;Ntourou et al, 2013;Tumanova, Conture, Lambert, & Walden, 2014;Zengin-Bolatkale, Conture, & Walden, 2015) conducted by the Vanderbilt University Developmental Stuttering Project. The study's protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Vanderbilt University.…”

“…For example, one possible factor that could suppress the influence of sympathetic arousal on stuttering would be parasympathetic activity (i.e., physiological correlate of emotion regulation) that may occur concurrently with sympathetic arousal (Alm, 2004;Berntson, Cacioppo, & Quigley, 1991;Jones, Buhr, et al, 2014). For the present study, therefore, the mediational analysis was performed on the basis of this more recent reasoning.…”

Speech-Language Dissociations, Distractibility, and Childhood Stuttering

“…Data were previously collected as part of an ongoing series of empirical investigations of linguistic and emotional associates of childhood stuttering conducted by Vanderbilt University's Developmental Stuttering Project (e.g., Arnold, Conture, Key, & Walden, 2011;Choi, Conture, Walden, Lambert, & Tumanova, 2013;Clark, Conture, Frankel, & Walden, 2012;Johnson, Walden, Conture, & Karrass, 2010;Jones et al, 2014;Millager et al, 2014;Richels et al, 2010;Walden et al, 2012). Children were paid volunteers whose caregivers learned of the study from (a) a free monthly parent magazine circulated throughout middle Tennessee, (b) a local health care provider, or (c) self-or professional referral to the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Hearing and Speech Center for an evaluation.…”