STUTTERING AND AUDITORY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDER

The observation that delayed side-tone affects speech fluency has renewed interest in the possibility of a neurophysiological factor in stuttering. This investigation was designed to explore the possibility that stutterers have an auditory central nervous system disorder.

Thirty stutterers and 10 non-stutterers were equated on the basis of age, auditory acuity, and intelligence. Tests of personality and motor coordination, and tests for pure-tone-loudness balances, the median plane localization of pure tones, and the discrimination of monaurally- and binaurally-presented distorted speech were administered.

Findings did not support the hypothesis that stutterers have an auditory central nervous system disorder.