Acquired Stuttering in Parkinson's Disease

BackgroundParkinson's disease frequently causes communication impairments, but knowledge about the occurrence of new-onset stuttering is limited. ObjectivesTo determine the presence of acquired neurogenic stuttering and its relationship with cognitive and motor functioning in individuals with Parkinson's disease. MethodConversation, picture description, and reading samples were collected from 100 people with Parkinson's disease and 25 controls to identify the presence of stuttered disfluencies (SD) and their association with neuropsychological test performance and motor function. ResultsParticipants with Parkinson's disease presented with twice as many stuttered disfluencies during conversation (2.2% +/- 1.8%SD) compared to control participants (1.2% +/- 1.2%SD; P < 0.01). 21% of people with Parkinson's disease (n = 20/94) met the diagnostic criterion for stuttering, compared with 1/25 controls. Stuttered disfluencies also differed significantly across speech tasks, with more disfluencies during conversation compared to reading (P < 0.01). Stuttered disfluencies in those with Parkinson's disease were associated with longer time since disease onset (P < 0.01), higher levodopa equivalent dosage (P < 0.01), and lower cognitive (P < 0.01) and motor scores (P < 0.01). ConclusionOne in five participants with Parkinson's disease presented with acquired neurogenic stuttering, suggesting that speech disfluency assessment, monitoring and intervention should be part of standard care. Conversation was the most informative task for identifying stuttered disfluencies. The frequency of stuttered disfluencies was higher in participants with worse motor functioning, and lower cognitive functioning. This challenges previous suggestions that the development of stuttered disfluencies in Parkinson's disease has purely a motoric basis.

Automated summary

New-onset stuttering occurs in individuals with Parkinson's disease and is related to cognitive and motor functioning. People with Parkinson's disease have a higher occurrence of stuttering during conversation compared to controls. The frequency of stuttering is associated with disease onset, medication dosage, and cognitive and motor scores.