Bihemispheric Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation* on Speech Fluency

Percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) was calculated as the number of stuttered syllables divided by the total number of syllables produced, multiplied by 100. Repetitions, prolongations, syllable repetitions, tense pauses and pre-speech sound blocking were defined as moments of disfluency. Whole-word and whole-phrase repetitions were included in the total syllable count but were not counted as stuttered syllables.Video recordings have been used in assessment procedures and pre-speech sound blocking identified by postural fixations. For both reading and speaking measures, the first 300 syllables were used for analysis (syllable count ranged from 139-490 syllables).

Percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) was calculated as the number of stuttered syllables divided by the total number of syllables produced, multiplied by 100. Repetitions, prolongations, syllable repetitions, tense pauses and pre-speech sound blocking were defined as moments of disfluency. Whole-word and whole-phrase repetitions were included in the total syllable count but were not counted as stuttered syllables.Video recordings have been used in assessment procedures and pre-speech sound blocking identified by postural fixations. For both reading and speaking measures, the first 300 syllables were used for analysis (syllable count ranged from 139-490 syllables).

Percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) was calculated as the number of stuttered syllables divided by the total number of syllables produced, multiplied by 100. Repetitions, prolongations, syllable repetitions, tense pauses and pre-speech sound blocking were defined as moments of disfluency. Whole-word and whole-phrase repetitions were included in the total syllable count but were not counted as stuttered syllables.Video recordings have been used in assessment procedures and pre-speech sound blocking identified by postural fixations. For both reading and speaking measures, the first 300 syllables were used for analysis (syllable count ranged from 139-490 syllables).

Percentage of syllables stuttered (%SS) was calculated as the number of stuttered syllables divided by the total number of syllables produced, multiplied by 100. Repetitions, prolongations, syllable repetitions, tense pauses and pre-speech sound blocking were defined as moments of disfluency. Whole-word and whole-phrase repetitions were included in the total syllable count but were not counted as stuttered syllables.Video recordings have been used in assessment procedures and pre-speech sound blocking identified by postural fixations. For both reading and speaking measures, the first 300 syllables were used for analysis (syllable count ranged from 139-490 syllables).

The Stuttering Severity Instrument - Fourth Edition (SSI-4) is a standardized tool measuring stuttering severity based on three components: frequency of stuttering, duration of the three longest stuttering events, and physical concomitants. Each is converted to scaled scores-frequency and duration range from 2 to 18, and physical concomitants from 0 to 20-and summed to produce a Total Score ranging from 4 to 56, where higher scores indicate more severe stuttering. Speech naturalness is assessed separately on a 9-point scale (1 = highly natural, 9 = highly unnatural) and is not included in the Total Score. Scores are reported in scores on a scale.

It measures stuttering severity in the following four areas of speech behavior: (1) frequency, (2) duration, (3) physical concomitants, and (4) naturalness of the individual's speech. Frequency is expressed in percent syllables stuttered and converted to scale scores of 2-18. Duration is timed to the nearest one tenth of a second and converted to scale scores of 2-18. The four types of Physical Concomitants (Distracting Sounds, Facial Grimaces, Head Movements, and Movements of the Extremities) are converted to scale scores of 0-20. Naturalness is ranked on a scale from 1 (Highly Natural Sound Speech) to 9 (Highly Unnatural Sound Speech). Overall naturalness is ranked at the discretion of the clinician. Scaled scores of Frequency, Duration, and Physical Concomitants are added together to derive a Total Score, Percentile Rank, and Severity Equivalent.

The Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering - Adult Version (OASES-A) is a self-assessment instrument that requires approximately 20 minutes to complete and is organized into four sections: General Information, Reactions to Stuttering, Communication in Daily Situations, and Quality of Life. It consists of 100 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. For each item, higher scores indicate a greater negative impact of stuttering, while lower scores indicate less impact. Impact scores for each section range from a minimum of 20 (if the respondent answers 1 for every item) to a maximum of 100 (if the respondent answers 5 for every item). The total score ranges from 100 (minimum) to 500 (maximum), with higher scores indicating a greater negative impact of stuttering. Scores are reported as scores on a scale.

The Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering - Adult Version (OASES-A) is a self-assessment instrument that requires approximately 20 minutes to complete and is organized into four sections: General Information, Reactions to Stuttering, Communication in Daily Situations, and Quality of Life. It consists of 100 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. For each item, higher scores indicate a greater negative impact of stuttering, while lower scores indicate less impact. Impact scores for each section range from a minimum of 20 (if the respondent answers 1 for every item) to a maximum of 100 (if the respondent answers 5 for every item). The total score ranges from 100 (minimum) to 500 (maximum), with higher scores indicating a greater negative impact of stuttering. Scores are reported as scores on a scale.