A Finnish scientific team believes having found the region of the brain in which stuttering originates. The group found structural changes in the nodes of a brain network.
The leader of the research, Juho Joutsa, from Turku University, states that this region is located in a section of the putamen. The putamen is a central field of the telencephalon and is part of the gray matter of the human brain. The area is essential for facial motor skills, that is, mimicry.
Speech disorder can have several causes. On the one hand, There is a genetic predisposition that increases the likelihood that someone will stutter.. On the other hand, it is possible that a person start stuttering after suffering from neurological pathologies such as Parkinson’s disease or a stroke, says DW.
The new finding from the current study is that the team compared the brain structures of people who started stuttering after a stroke with those of people who have stuttered since birth. They discovered that The strokes of the new stutterers affected precisely the same structures that are altered in people who have stuttered their entire lives..
According to the study, this shows that stuttering always originates in the same brain network, regardless of whether the cause is genetic or neurological.
Will this open the door to new treatments?
The head doctor of the neurology department at the Göttingen University Clinic, Prof. Martin Sommer, notes that the Finnish study stands out impressively. the importance of the left cerebral hemisphere for the transformation of thoughts in oral statements.
Until now, there were no pharmacological treatments or neuromodulators. The discovery allows new possibilities for therapysuch as deep stimulation of this area of the brain, predicts the Finnish team.
Neurophysiologist Sommer also supports the idea that new treatments may appear, but warns that there are still intermediate steps before they come true.
The number of stutterers in the population
Among Germany’s 84 million inhabitants, it is estimated that there are approximately 800 thousand people who stutter. The condition is more pronounced among children: more than 5% of them stutter and, above all, boys.
The stuttering It usually appears when children are between 2 and 6 years old. For many, the problem disappears after 2 years, but, for 1% of those affected, the condition accompanies them permanently.
Medications, breathing or relaxation therapies have no effect, Sommer comments on the phenomenon. Sommer explains: “Even the most persistent stuttering can be controlled with simple methods such as ‘talk-to-me’, but that does not eliminate the stuttering; It only hides it. “Who is going to want to talk like that all day?”
face fear
Those affected may completely isolate themselves from social environments to avoid being ridiculed. Neurologist Sommer advises: “The greatest danger related to stuttering is that affected people begin to become silent.”. That is very sad because, although it is true that others do not perceive stuttering that way, people who remain silent do not get very far. Avoidance behavior is not appropriate, because it restricts the development possibilities of those affected. Therefore, it is important not to remain silent and say what you have to say.”
Self-help groups can be effective in overcoming the fear of speaking. It also helps to discuss the topic openly in family, among friends, and at work.
According to Sommer, people who stutter They can safely do without the much advice that is usually given to them, even if it is well-intentioned.. They don’t need to breathe, concentrate or calm down. These pieces of advice make them uncomfortable or worry them.
Sommer, who also stutters, says: “The best thing is to wait and listen. People who stutter simply need more time; It’s like that! There are always people who try to finish the words and sentences of stutterers. Not only is it very hurtful to interrupt anyone when they are speaking, but sometimes others do not correctly understand what they really want to say.”
Source: BioBioChile
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