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From: Janis Ingham
Date: 10/13/02
Time: 4:56:17 PM
Remote Name: 68.6.68.82
Hi, Nicole. Thanks for your questions. In terms of whether men and women brains differ in regard to language processing, some data exist for normal populations, but as far as I know, this has not yet been studied specifically for male and female stutterers. Among nondisordered male and female populations, the data are contradictory. Some data suggest, however, that in regard to blood flow and laterality, women are more bilateral during speech/language processing than me, who are more strongly left lateralized. There are also some studies on anatomic differences that suggest that part of the temporal lobe and Broca's area are larger in women than in men. As you would expect, more research is needed in this area because most of the relevant findings have been contradicted.
In terms of why more men stutter than women: the answer to that will win a big jackpot. Certainly it is well known that there is a genetic component to stuttering, so the general assumption is that the gene(s) for stuttering are expressed differently in men than in women. I'm sure you know of many other disorders that are more commen in men than in women. Genetic predisposition is usually given as the explanation, but we are a long way from knowing the details. It's interesting to note that although fewer women stutter than men, the liklihood of a child to become a stutterer is much greater if his mother is a stutterer than if his dad is. Our research group is currently moving in the direction of genetic studies. Perhaps in another five years or so I'll have a better answer for you!