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From: Nathan Lavid
Date: 10/13/02
Time: 6:55:13 PM
Remote Name: 66.171.53.92
Hello Sarah,
I cited two article concerning neuroimaging studies. One, the work by by Anne Foundas and her colleagues where they demonstrated structural differences via MRI. They observed enlarged planum temporale in both cerebral hemispheres of those who stutter, which is significant because asymmetry of the planum temporale is considered a normal MRI finding in persons without language problems. In addition, they found gyral pattern differences in the developmental stuttering group that were more apparent in the frontal regions of the brain.
I cited this study because it was the first one to present structural differences. The other study is from Lancet and a review of the functional neuroimaging data. Janis and Roger Ingham have presented an article for the conference where they outline the functional data, and they will be able to answer questions concerning functional neuroimaging in more detail.
I refer all of my patients for stuttering to speech therapists. My standpoint on medications is to offer them as an adjunct to therapy. There is not a “magic pill” as of yet, and one of the aims of my article is convey that therapy can work at the molecular level like psychotropic mediations do. Nathan