New publications
Identification of the neural network responsible for stuttering: a new study
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
A new study published in the journal Brain has identified a specific center in the brain's neural network that plays a key role in stuttering.
The study, led by Associate Professor Catherine Tice from the University of Canterbury (Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha), looks at two different types of stuttering - developmental and acquired - to show the clear neural basis of the speech disorder.
"Stuttering affects approximately 1% of adults and can lead to significant communication problems and social anxiety, but the cause of stuttering is still unknown," says Associate Professor Tice.
"It most often occurs as a developmental disorder, but can also be caused by localized brain damage following stroke or other neurological conditions. While most studies look at these different types of stuttering as separate conditions, this study takes a unique approach by combining data sets to see if we can identify a common link."
The interdisciplinary study, conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Turku (Finland), the University of Toronto, Boston University, and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, used three independent data sets: case reports from the published literature on acquired neurogenic stuttering after stroke; a clinical trial involving patients with acquired neurogenic stuttering after stroke; and adults with persistent developmental stuttering.
While previous studies have looked at specific locations of brain damage to try to figure out how the brain works, Associate Professor Tice says this study uses a new technique that looks at the brain networks affected by the damage and sees if there is a common hub.
"We used the first two datasets and lesion network mapping to test whether the lesions that cause acquired stuttering correspond to a common brain network. We then used the third dataset to test whether this network model is relevant for developmental stuttering.
"By looking at each of the data sets, we were able to find a common stuttering network, narrowing it down to a specific part of the left putamen that is responsible for lip and facial movements, as well as the timing and sequencing of speech.
"We also identified two new areas of interest for speech imaging and stuttering research: the claustrum and the amygdalostriatal transition area. These are tiny brain regions—just a few millimeters wide—which likely explains why they had not been identified in previous studies. This reveals a plausible stuttering network.
"Previously, people viewed acquired and developmental stuttering as two separate phenomena, but we were able to show that, in addition to similarities at the behavioral level, there are also similarities at the neural level."
Dr. Theis says the findings have implications for treatment.
"For people with acquired stuttering, this provides a good explanation of what is going on. When you look at this part of the putamen, it is clear that the key issue is the sequencing of movements, and this is an important aspect to look at in treatment. The network regions identified also provide insight into possible links to emotional reactions in stuttering.
"The identification of the claustrum and amygdalostriatal transition area represents an important new direction in mapping the neural basis of stuttering, providing the opportunity to develop better diagnostic and therapeutic approaches."