Speech rate association with cerebellar white-matter diffusivity in adults with persistent developmental stuttering

Jossinger, Sivan; Kronfeld-Duenias, Vered; Zislis, Avital; Amir, Ofer; Ben-Shachar, Michal

doi:10.1007/s00429-020-02210-7

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…-27 years, N = 17; control group age range: 14-27 years, N = 13)(Watkins et al, 2007), and in another, no differences were found between the stuttering and control groups, but the left ICP FA was negatively correlated with speech rate in adults who stutter (age range: 19-52 years, N = 23; control group age range: 19-53 years, N = 19)(Jossinger et al, 2021). The discrepancies reported by the studies mentioned above may be explained by differences in the age range of participants examined, varying statistical power to detect group differences, as well as differing scanning protocols and dMRI analysis methods applied in the analyses (for a discussion of the latter point, see Jossinger, 2021).Concerning age, Jossinger et al (2021) point out that group differences reported byConnally et al (2014) for FA of the ICP decreased dramatically with age.…”

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confidence: 85%

“…Tracking proceeded in both directions along the principal diffusion axes and stopped when FA estimated at the current position dropped below 0.10 or when the angle between the last path segment and next step direction was greater than 30°. Fiber tract segmentation was based on waypoint ROIs, which were rst de ned on the JHU MNI T1 template and then back-transformed to each participants' native space (Bruckert et al, 2019;Jossinger et al, 2021). The core of the tract was calculated by de ning 30 sample points along the tract and computing the robust mean position of the corresponding sample points.…”

Section: Tract Identi Cation and Segmentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Connally et al ( 2014) also showed a signi cant age effect in the FA of the ICP: FA in ICP increased with age (14-42 years) in speakers who stutter only, whereas there were no such age correlations in the controls. Another study found that while FA of the left ICP was associated with speech rate in adults who stutter, adults who stutter did not differ from controls in overall structural measures of any of the cerebellar peduncles (Jossinger et al, 2021). Both the inferior and middle cerebellar peduncles carry afferent signals from speech motor control substrates in the brainstem and the cerebral cortex, respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…AFQ also allows examining diffusion measurements at different locations on the tracts rather than just the mean across the entire tract. While this method has been applied to study adults who stutter (Jossinger et al, 2021;Kronfeld-Duenias et al, 2016a, 2016b, it has not yet been applied to study white matter tracts in children who stutter who are relatively close to stuttering onset. Using this method, we examined ve major cerebellar white matter tracts in children who stutter and their age-matched peers to compare diffusion properties at anatomically equivalent locations of each tract.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…from the right SCP, and 2 from the left SCP analyses. Diffusion properties (FA, MD) were calculated at 30 equidistant nodes along the central portion of each ber tract bounded by the same two waypoint ROIs used for tract segmentation(Bruckert et al, 2019;Jossinger et al, 2021;Yeatman et al, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Tract profiles of the cerebellar peduncles in children who stutter

et al. 2022

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Cerebellar-cortical loops comprise critical neural circuitry that supports self-initiated movements and motor adjustments in response to perceived errors, functions that are affected in stuttering. It is unknown whether structural aspects of cerebellar circuitry are affected in stuttering, in particular in children close to symptom onset. Here we examined white matter diffusivity characteristics of the three cerebellar peduncles (CP) based on diffusion MRI (dMRI) data collected from 41 children who stutter (CWS) and 42 controls in the 3-11 year range. We hypothesized that CWS would exhibit decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right CPs given the contralateral connectivity of the cerebellar-cortical loops and past reports of structural differences in left cortical areas in stuttering speakers. Automatic Fiber Quanti cation (AFQ) was used to track and segment cerebellar white matter pathways and to extract diffusivity measures. We found signi cant group differences for FA in the right Inferior CP (ICP) only: controls showed signi cantly higher FA in the right ventral ICP compared to CWS, controlling for age, sex, and verbal IQ. Furthermore, FA of right ICP was negatively correlated with stuttering frequency in CWS. These results suggest an early developmental difference in the right ICP for CWS compared to age-matched peers, which may indicate an alteration in error processing, a function previously linked to the ICP. Lower FA here may impact error monitoring and sensory input processing to guide motor corrections. Further longitudinal investigations in children may provide additional insights into how CP development links to stuttering persistence and recovery.

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confidence: 85%

Section: Tract Identi Cation and Segmentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Tract profiles of the cerebellar peduncles in children who stutter

et al. 2022

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White matter tract strength correlates with therapy outcome in persistent developmental stuttering

Neef

Korzeczek

Primaßin

et al. 2022

Human Brain Mapping

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Persistent stuttering is a prevalent neurodevelopmental speech disorder, which presents with involuntary speech blocks, sound and syllable repetitions, and sound prolongations. Affected individuals often struggle with negative feelings, elevated anxiety, and low self‐esteem. Neuroimaging studies frequently link persistent stuttering with cortical alterations and dysfunctional cortico‐basal ganglia‐thalamocortical loops; dMRI data also point toward connectivity changes of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and the frontal aslant tract (FAT). Both tracts are involved in speech and language functions, and the FAT also supports inhibitory control and conflict monitoring. Whether the two tracts are involved in therapy‐associated improvements and how they relate to therapeutic outcomes is currently unknown. Here, we analyzed dMRI data of 22 patients who participated in a fluency‐shaping program, 18 patients not participating in therapy, and 27 fluent control participants, measured 1 year apart. We used diffusion tractography to segment the SLF and FAT bilaterally and to quantify their microstructural properties before and after a fluency‐shaping program. Participants learned to speak with soft articulation, pitch, and voicing during a 2‐week on‐site boot camp and computer‐assisted biofeedback‐based daily training for 1 year. Therapy had no impact on the microstructural properties of the two tracts. Yet, after therapy, stuttering severity correlated positively with left SLF fractional anisotropy, whereas relief from the social–emotional burden to stutter correlated negatively with right FAT fractional anisotropy. Thus, posttreatment, speech motor performance relates to the left dorsal stream, while the experience of the adverse impact of stuttering relates to the structure recently associated with conflict monitoring and action inhibition.

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