Online evaluation of congenital amusia (tone deafness) in paediatric stuttering individuals

Abstract

Introduction: Congenital amusia is a neurological dysfunction which is defined as an anomaly in pitch processing. This dysfunction might negatively affect individuals' pitch perception in both musical contexts and in speaking.

Methods: In this study, an on-line MBEA test is used in order to evaluate musical pitch perception of 38 stutterers who receive speech therapy and 31 stutterers who do not receive speech therapy, in comparison with 70 fluent speaking individuals.

Results: Between online MBEA scores of speech therapy receiving group and non-speech therapy group, any statistically substantial relation could not be detected (p > .05). Speech therapy receiving group scored better in online MBEA test that non-speech therapy group. Especially, together with the decrease in intensity of stuttering, the mean average of the test increases. A statistically substantial relation between the online MBEA scores of stutterer groups and the control group has been detected (p > .05). A linear relationship was seen between patients' age and online MBEA scores, at the rate of 28.3%.

Conclusions: With accordance to findings in the study, it has been hypothesized that stuttering individuals might have problems in terms of musical pitch perception.

HIGHLIGHTS

Individuals who stuttering has tone deafness

The Tone Deafness Evaluation Test will be an alternate evaluation instrument for developmental stuttering.