Project Details
Projekt
Timing Difficulties in Developmental Language Disorder and Stuttering: The Role of Dysfunctional Synchronization of Brain Rhythms
Subject Area
Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
Term
since 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 546844207
Speech and language disorders are among the most prevalent developmental disorders in childhood. Approximately 11.5 % of 5–9-year olds receive according therapy. Despite of therapy, many deficits persist into adulthood, compromising academic success and overall quality of life. Thus, a better understanding of the underlying deficits is of great importance to reduce the burden on the public health system. Our proposal aims to further specify the underlying neurobiological deficits in Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and stuttering. Together, these two deficits account for the majority of speech therapies prescribed. Our focus is on timing, that is, the temporal organization of speech perception and production. It is already known that DLD and stuttering are associated with behavioral timing difficulties. In DLD, these are receptive in nature, found particularly in the auditory processing of temporal modulations. In stuttering, the difficulties are found the domain of production instead. Persons who stutter fail to initiate and maintain a regular speech rhythm. Our central hypothesis is that distinct electrophysiological deficits underlie both types of timing difficulties. Specifically, through multiple magnetoencephalography experiments, we aim to show that deficits in the synchronization of neural oscillations are present in both populations. In DLD, our hypothesis is that there is defective external synchronization of oscillations with acoustic modulations and temporal phonological features. In stuttering, our hypothesis is that defective internal synchronization impairs the cooperation of auditory and motor cortices. Confirmation of these hypotheses would be an important step toward future operationalization of temporal acoustic and linguistic patterns in the context of evidence-based therapy.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
Co-Investigators
Professor Dr. Joachim Gross; Professorin Dr. Katrin Neumann
