Stuttering is a condition characterized by the involuntary repetition of vowel sounds, syllables, words and even phrases, sometimes coupled with extended pronunciation of vowels or consonants, both of which inhibit the easy flow of speech. Scientists have identified that stuttering can be triggered by life events, but in general social factors play very little part in the onset of it. Instead, scientists and researchers have found that there are certain areas of the brain that are more active in stutterers, and even that those who stutter could have a different brain structure from those who don't.

So, you see, the link between stuttering and brain problems appears to be strong. There are some simple factors that point more strongly towards stuttering being a genetic trait, such as the fact that the male to female ratio of stutterers is 4:1, but as yet nobody knows why this is. We do know, however, that there are significant differences in the brains structure between men and women, so this could play a part. Using MRI scans it's apparent that the auditory cortex is far more active in those who stutter than those who don't.

So what does this mean? Studying the brain regions and seeing if they're related to stuttering is all very well, but where's it going to get us? An American psychiatrist at the University of California, a stutterer himself, has been developing a drug which works on the areas of the brain more active in stutterers than non stutterers and clinical trials have shown the effects of the drug to be largely successful. Of course, this means that a definitive and complete drug treatment for stuttering could be on its way to your local chemist in a matter of years. At present treatments mostly involve therapy (e.g. speech therapy) or devices such as the electronic fluency device, worn like an mp3 player or portable CD player, which plays back the person's voice 0.1 seconds after they speak. These devices trick the brain into thinking the person is talking along with a recording; something that's been proven to help stutterers immensely. While these can be successful, speech therapy takes a while to work, meanwhile the patient feels embarrassed and has low confidence due to their condition. Electronic fluency devices may help a great deal, but they are also quite visible and may make social situations a little awkward when meeting new people.

To put it simply, the development of anti-stuttering medication is a very positive one. At present there are many successful stuttering treatments available, but the problem still remains and it can even be misdiagnosed in young infants or adults who experience stuttering after a traumatic life event. Because levels of low confidence, embarrassment, anxiety and social avoidance are very high in the stuttering community a treatment that bypasses the time it takes to have speech therapy, or the negative attention an electronic fluency device attracts, is of great emotional importance.

Stan Tian

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