Speech fluency and rhythmic coordination in various patient populations

Temporal management and speech fluency in discourse can be impaired in individuals with speech and language disorders. To date, it is unclear how temporal organisation of speech is influenced by higher-order language functions like discourse planning abilities, as well as exterior communication demands (e.g., conversation partners). Studies on different populations with discourse impairments (e.g., traumatic brain injury) and fluency disorders (e.g., stuttering) promise for new insights in interdependencies of speech timing and discourse planning. The first aim of the project is to identify how discourse planning abilities impact temporal organisation in adult patients with traumatic brain injury. In a corpus of narrative production, we hypothesize that microstructure and fluency will vary in critical phases of discourse. The second aim is to examine how temporal organisation and speech fluency change during verbal interaction in children and adult participants who stutter. An additional aim is to investigate whether musical rhythmic abilities in children and adults predict the extent of rhythmic convergence in speech. Here, I will support ongoing laboratory experiments at UdeMs’ BRAMS laboratory. Overall, the project will reveal new insights into how discourse planning and context impact the temporal organisation of speech.

Faculty Supervisor:

Simone Falk

Student:

Partner:

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: