Stutter News and Research

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Stuttering linked to changes in speech and language-based brain circuits

Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have conducted the first study of its kind, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to look at brain regions in both adults and children who stutter.

23 Nov 2016

Mouse model offers insight into molecular, neurological basis of stuttering

Mice that vocalize in a repetitive, halting pattern similar to human stuttering may provide insight into a condition that has perplexed scientists for centuries, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the National Institutes of Health.

16 Apr 2016

Songbirds may help researchers find cure for Huntington’s disease

Many neurological disorders can rob someone of the ability to speak clearly, causing them to stutter, mispronounce words, and struggle to put together coherent sentences. However, the molecular and neurological dysfunctions that cause these symptoms aren't well understood. Recent work at The Rockefeller University may give researchers a new tool to better study these vocal and speech impairments, particularly in Huntington's disease.

6 Oct 2015

First-of-its-kind DNA bank aims at advancing research into genetics of stuttering

Scientists at the University of Alberta's Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research want Albertans to give a spit -- five millilitres to be precise -- to help find the cause and a cure for stuttering.

21 May 2015

Cancer Research UK scientists find over 400 'blind spots' in DNA

Cancer Research UK scientists have found more than 400 'blind spots' in DNA which could hide cancer-causing gene faults, according to research published today (Friday) in Cancer Research.

16 Nov 2014

Political cartoon: 'Expensive Stutter?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Expensive Stutter?" by Roy Delgado.

1 Oct 2014

Children who stutter have less grey matter in brain regions responsible for speech production

A new study by a University of Alberta researcher shows that children who stutter have less grey matter in key regions of the brain responsible for speech production than children who do not stutter.

11 Oct 2013

University of Alberta researchers help children with Down syndrome

Researchers from the University of Alberta are helping children with Down syndrome who stutter find their voice and speak with ease.

26 Feb 2013

Language processing deficits may occur at stuttering onset

A study of preschool-age children has shown key differences in the neural networks mediating language processing between those who stutter and those who do not.

31 Jan 2013

Partners should be involved in speech therapy

The partners of individuals who stutter should be involved in stuttering treatment, researchers advise.

19 Dec 2012

Oscillation in brain activity influences listening process

Naturally, our brain activity waxes and wanes. When listening, this oscillation synchronizes to the sounds we are hearing. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences have found that this influences the way we listen. Hearing abilities also oscillate and depend on the exact timing of one's brain rhythms. This discovery that sound, brain, and behaviour are so intimately coupled will help us to learn more about listening abilities in hearing loss.

15 Nov 2012

All schoolchildren could be screened for stuttering

A screening model for stuttering could be used to assess all school-age children for the speech disorder, say researchers.

31 Oct 2012

ADHD symptoms 'present in most children who stutter'

Over half of school-age children who stutter have sufficient attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms to warrant referral for clinical evaluation, the results of a US study of parental reports indicates.

22 Aug 2012

Short-term intervention alters neural architecture of stutterers

A short-term intervention in patients who stutter can help reorganize the intrinsic functional architecture of speech–language processes, a Chinese study shows.

15 Aug 2012

Model predicts stuttering and fluency in school-age children

Children can be successfully screened for stuttering and fluency using Howell and Davis's risk factor model, particularly when whole-word repetitions are excluded, UK study findings indicate.

8 Aug 2012

TAB program proves effective in changing attitudes about stuttering

An educational program designed to rid schools of bullying behaviour directed at students who stutter is proving effective at changing attitudes in the classroom, according to research from the University of Alberta.

7 Jun 2012

People with myotonic muscular dystrophy more likely to develop cancer

People who have the most common type of adult muscular dystrophy also have a higher risk of getting cancer, according to a paper published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Dec 2011

Mutations that affect lysosomes play a role in causing persistent stuttering

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have obtained new evidence that at least some persistent stuttering is caused by mutations in a gene governing not speech, but a metabolic pathway involved in recycling old cell parts.

23 Nov 2011

Researchers investigate the nature of stuttering

Radio-TV-Film senior Alex Murphy has a knack for storytelling through short stories, poetry and screenwriting. One of his undergraduate classes was a professional communication course, which requires students to deliver oral presentations in class.

27 Jul 2011

NIST's new reference can aid in Huntington's disease diagnosis

A new Standard Reference Material from the National Institute of Standards and Technology will help clinical genetics labs accurately diagnose Huntington's disease, an inherited degenerative brain disorder that usually begins between ages 35 and 50 and progressively leads to physical impairment, dementia and death.

15 Apr 2011