Executive function and childhood stuttering: Parent ratings and evidence from a behavioral task

Ntourou, Katerina; Anderson, Julie D.; Wagovich, Stacy A.

doi:10.1016/j.jfludis.2017.12.001

Cited by 33 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 102 publications

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“…It would also be worthwhile to add inhibitory control and working memory tasks to better understand EF. These are the concepts that are encompassed in EF and have been examined independently in other studies (Wolfe and Bell, 2004; Oyoun et al, 2010; Eggers et al, 2013; Ntourou et al, 2017). The DD-S model predicts that emotional reactivity and emotion regulation influence the frequency and severity of stuttering in preschool-age children, so it would be appropriate for future research to examine these factors simultaneously.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Temperament, Executive Functioning, and Anxiety in School-Age Children Who Stutter

2019

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The purpose of this study was to examine temperament dimensions, executive functioning ability, and anxiety levels in school-age children who stutter and their non-stuttering peers. Participants were 100 Portuguese children aged 7 to 12 years (M = 9.13; SD = 1.70), including 50 children who stutter and 50 children who do not stutter. Analyses, which were performed separately for younger and older participants, sought to identify correlations between key variables. Temperament was evaluated through a parent questionnaire, executive functioning was evaluated through children’s responses on a performance test, and anxiety level was assessed through a self-perception scale. On the temperament measure, comparisons between children who stutter and their non-stuttering peers revealed that older children who stutter exhibited significantly higher scores on the Anger/Frustration, Impulsivity, and Sadness subscales, and lower averages on the Attention/Focusing, Perceptual sensitivity, and Soothability/Falling Reactivity subscales. On the executive functioning task, comparisons revealed that the group of younger children who stutter exhibited significantly higher average execution times than their non-stuttering peers. There were no statistically significant differences in anxiety between children who stutter and children who do not stutter, and there were no statistically significant correlations between temperament factors and measures of executive functioning. Children who stutter experienced lower ability to orient attention and greater emotional reactivity compared with their non-stuttering peers. Significant correlations were found between executive functioning and age and among the temperament factors themselves. These results, which support the need for a multidimensional view of stuttering, were interpreted in the context of the Dual Diathesis – Stressor model. Findings indicate that temperament and executive functioning abilities may contribute to the development of stuttering.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Temperament, Executive Functioning, and Anxiety in School-Age Children Who Stutter

2019

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“…EF was also measured using parent reports. Although previous studies have utilized behavior as a proxy for EF in CWS [e.g., 100 , 102 , 116 ] and CWNS [e.g., 70 , 71 , 75 ]; and found higher sensitivity for detecting differences between CWS and CWNS [ 153 ], more research is need to determine how parent reports map onto outcomes in standardized EF tests for CWS. Stuttering was not operationally defined in the survey.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notably, a study by Ntourou, Anderson and Wagovich [ 153 ] reported better sensitivity for detecting differences in EF between CWS and CWNS using an indirect measure, i.e., the BRIEF parent report [ 75 ]. CWS received lower parent ratings for WM, inhibitory control, and attentional control compared to CWNS [ 153 ]. Further, the likelihood of CWS meeting the clinically significant criteria for EF difficulties were 2.5 to 7 times higher than for CWNS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between stuttering, comorbid conditions and executive function in children: a population-based study

2020

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Background The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between executive function (EF), stuttering, and comorbidity by examining children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) with and without comorbid conditions. Data from the National Health Interview Survey were used to examine behavioral manifestations of EF, such as inattention and self-regulation, in CWS and CWNS. Methods The sample included 2258 CWS (girls = 638, boys = 1620), and 117,725 CWNS (girls = 57,512; boys = 60,213). EF, and the presence of stuttering and comorbid conditions were based on parent report. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution of stuttering and comorbidity across group and sex. Regression analyses were to determine the effects of stuttering and comorbidity on EF, and the relationship between EF and socioemotional competence. Results Results point to weaker EF in CWS compared to CWNS. Also, having comorbid conditions was also associated with weaker EF. CWS with comorbidity showed the weakest EF compared to CWNS with and without comorbidity, and CWS without comorbidity. Children with stronger EF showed higher socioemotional competence. A majority (60.32%) of CWS had at least one other comorbid condition in addition to stuttering. Boys who stutter were more likely to have comorbid conditions compared to girls who stutter. Conclusion Present findings suggest that comorbidity is a common feature in CWS. Stuttering and comorbid conditions negatively impact EF.

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“…Findings from studies of inhibition based on parent report have also been contradictory, with some reporting that the parents of CWS rate their children lower in inhibition than the parents of CWNS 40,41 and others finding no differences. 42,43 However, when data from these studies are combined in the form of a meta-analysis, the resulting effect size is statistically significant and negative, revealing that the parents of CWS rate their children, on average, almost half a standard deviation below the mean of CWNS. 23 Furthermore, even though Ntourou et al 43 failed to find differences between parent-reported inhibition in 75 CWS and 75 CWNS based on the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Preschool Version (BRIEF-P 44 ), 17.3% of the CWS exhibited clinically significant difficulties with inhibition compared to 6.7% of the CWNS, a significant difference that represents a two- to threefold increase in risk for CWS.…”

Section: The Inhibition Skills Of Cwsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Executive Function in Developmental Stuttering

Anderson

Ofoe

2019

Semin Speech Lang

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Developmental stuttering is a complex disorder and children who stutter form a heterogeneous group. Most contemporary researchers would agree that multiple factors, including those associated with linguistic, motor, sensory, and emotional processes, are likely involved in its development and/or maintenance. There is growing evidence, however, that cognitive processes also play a role. In this article, we briefly review behavioral and parent-report studies of executive function in children who stutter, the findings of which have generally suggested that these skills may be challenging for at least some children who stutter. We then consider how deficits in executive function could provide an explanatory account for not only the multifactorial nature of developmental stuttering but also the considerable amount of variability that exists among individuals who stutter.

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Executive function and childhood stuttering: Parent ratings and evidence from a behavioral task

Abstract: CWS have more difficulty with EF in everyday life and may experience early delays in their ability to integrate aspects of attention and EF compared to CWNS.

Cited by 33 publications

References 102 publications

Temperament, Executive Functioning, and Anxiety in School-Age Children Who Stutter

Temperament, Executive Functioning, and Anxiety in School-Age Children Who Stutter

Associations between stuttering, comorbid conditions and executive function in children: a population-based study

The Role of Executive Function in Developmental Stuttering

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