Jäncke, L., Bauer, A., Kaiser, P. & Kalveram, K.Th. (1997) Timing and stiffness in speech motor control of stuttering and nonstuttering adults. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 22, 309-321.
Abstract
Six stutterers and 12 nonstutterers were investigated in order to measure speech movement of the jaw. They spoke the nonsense word /papapas/either with stress on the first or second syllable and with three speech rates (fast, moderate, and slow). During these trials, jaw movements were analyzed with a selspot-like optical tracking system. It was shown that under some speech rate conditions stutterers produced lengthened jaw opening, closing and plateau durations as well as reduced peak velocities. The mass normalized stiffness values appeared to be similar in stutterers and nonstutterers. These results were taken as evidence for the assumtion that stutterers produce jaw movements in normal ranges and use the same control strategies when speaking fluently. However, in some situations they might show a deviating movement pattern reflecting motor compensations neccessary to achieve fluent speech.

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