Surface electrodes were used to describe the perioral reflexes in seven stutterers and five nonstutterers and electromyographic (EMG) recordings were obtained at electrode sites associated with the orbicularis oris inferior muscle and the depressor labia inferior muscle. A difference was noted in the pattern of reflex response between the two…

Surface electrodes were used to describe the perioral reflexes in seven stutterers and five nonstutterers and electromyographic (EMG) recordings were obtained at electrode sites associated with the orbicularis oris inferior muscle and the depressor labia inferior muscle. A difference was noted in the pattern of reflex response between the two…

This paper argues against definitions of stuttering which imply that all within-word disfluencies are stuttering and no between-word disfluencies are stuttering. The paper calls for a definition of stuttering that is not contradicted by available empirical information or clinical experience and is logically consistent. (JDD)

Speech-related reaction time measures and fluency-related measures of 24 adult stutterers and a like number of nonstutterers were assessed to determine their diagnostic discriminative power. Findings suggested that both fluency failures and the duration of laryngeal adjustment time are useful diagnostic measures for discriminating stutterers from…

The authors of a research report (1999) on the diagnosis of stuttering in young children respond to a critical letter by questioning the accuracy, validity, credibility, and internal consistency of the letter writer's criticisms. The reply goes on to clarify the evaluation of stuttering-like disfluencies and single-syllable word repetitions in…

This letter critiques a research report (Ambrose and Yairi, 1999) on diagnosis of stuttering in young children, especially the methodological issues concerned with subject selection criteria that excluded borderline cases and the use of a weighting procedure to eliminate group overlap. Also noted is the failure to distinguish between stuttering…

This response to a letter (EC 627 691) critical of the authors' research report (1999) on the diagnosis of stuttering in young children defends their subject selection criteria, justifies their use of a weighted measure of stuttering-like disfluencies, and notes continuing disagreement concerning the difference between stuttering and disfluency.…

The paper argues that listeners are unable to judge unit-by-unit occurrences of stuttering acceptably. Reasons for this state of affairs and its implications for therapy, theory, and research are analyzed. An alternative speech production definition with its implications is proposed, and a diagnostic method of validating authentic stuttering is…

Preschool children (n=27) were followed for 2 to 12 years after stuttering onset. Findings indicated a marked deceleration in the mean frequency of stuttering-like disfluencies. Most of the reduction took place early, especially near the end of the first year postonset. Chronic and recovering stutterers could be distinguished by 20 months…

Four experienced stuttering researchers viewed videodisks of spontaneous speech from chronic stutterers and attempted to locate the precise onset and offset of individual stuttering events. Results showed interjudge disagreements that challenge the reliability and validity of onset and offset judgments. Highly agreed stuttering events were…

Utterances from stuttering and normally speaking children, aged two through four years, were analyzed by clinicians specializing in stuttering, general clinicians, and university students (total n=25). Results indicated that the validity of the data language used by researchers to describe stuttered and normal speech in early childhood may be…

Interviews with parents of 87 preschool children within a year of a stuttering diagnosis found that onset tended to occur earlier than was previously thought and was sudden and/or severe in many cases; about twice as many boys as girls stuttered; and there was a positive relationship between severe stuttering and sudden onset. (DB)

Dialysis encephalopathy is a progressive neurological disorder occurring after long-term hemodialysis in some renal failure patients. Accumulation of aluminum in the brain is suspected as its cause, and the use of reverse osmosis of the dialysis water and administration of desferrioxamine to the patient have been successful in reducing the…

A response is presented to commentaries (EC 232 375-377) on two papers (EC 232 373 and EC 232 374), focusing on research methodology on stuttering, the impact of improving intrajudge and interjudge agreement, the importance of studying stuttering as a private experience rather than an acoustical event, and speakers' experience of loss of control…