Abstract
Respiratory disturbances frequently accompany stuttering. Their influence
on lung ventilation can be assessed by measurement of the end-tidal CO2
concentration (EtCO2). The effectiveness of the CO2-based visual feedback
method of breath regulation (VF) designed for stuttering therapy was
tested in this study. The aim of the study was to answer the question if
the VF helps to reduce respiratory disturbances in stuttering and increase
speech fluency. 20 stuttering volunteers aged 13-45 years took part in the
3-parts test consisting of: 1. speaking without any techniques improving
speech fluency, 2. learning the VF method, 3. VF-assisted speaking. The
CO2/time signal and an acoustic signal of an utterance were recorded
during the test. Significant increase of FE - the factor of breath
ergonomics during speaking (based on both signals), from 47% to 71% (P <
0.01), and significant decrease of %SS - the percent of syllables
stuttered, from 14% to 10% (P < 0.01) were received for VF-assisted
utterances compared to the utterances without VF assistance. The results
indicate that the VF can help to eliminate respiratory disturbances in
stuttering and increase speech fluency.
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