Speech Motor Control and its Role in Stuttering

This chapter reviews how speech is produced, the motor control processes that underlie it, and how these processes may be impaired or disrupted in individuals who stutter. The chapter begins by examining the human speech apparatus and the muscular control involved in moving various articulators over time. Next, it describes the anatomical structures in the brain that influence these movements, outlining empirical work that investigates how these structures function differently when a person stutters. Fundamental concepts of control theory are then introduced to address the general problem of controlling a dynamic physical system in the presence of external disturbances. Finally, the chapter highlights the relevance of control theory and speech motor control to understanding stuttering, using speech production models grounded in control theory to capture key characteristics of speech production.