Update on Genetics Research in Stuttering

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Re: Insight into the causation of stuttering

From: Mark Bulger
Date: 17 Oct 2011
Time: 12:26:21 -0500
Remote Name: 72.93.175.44

Comments

Autumn - there has actually been quite a bit of good work done in recent years. In brain imaging studies, it has been shown that a switch in laterality is associated with stuttering. That is, in a right handed person, the left side of the brain should be controlling speech production, but it has been switched over to the right side for some reason. So a part of the brain not favored for speech motor control is being forced to do the work. Also, differences in white matter of the brain have been shown to be associated with stuttering as well. Both of these would help explain why stuttering is so resistant to therapy - you're trying to fight against organic problems in the brain.


Last changed: 10/17/11