Reorganization of brain function after a short-term behavioral intervention for stuttering

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Speech and Language Pathology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Adults who stutter (AWS) exhibit distinct brain activation patterns compared to fluent individuals.
• Previous research indicates atypical function in brain regions like the inferior frontal cortex (IFC) in AWS.
• Understanding the neural basis of stuttering and the impact of interventions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neuroplastic changes in brain function following a short-term behavioral intervention for adults who stutter (AWS).
• To compare brain function changes between AWS undergoing intervention and those not receiving it, alongside fluent controls.
• To explore the relationship between changes in brain function, resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), and speech fluency.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to scan participants before and after a 7-day intervention.
• Task-related brain activation and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) were analyzed.
• Participants included 13 AWS receiving intervention (AWS+), 13 AWS not receiving intervention (AWS-), and 13 fluent controls (FC-).

Main Results:

• Pre-intervention, significant differences in task-related activation were found between AWS and FC- in the right inferior frontal cortex (IFC) and left middle temporal cortex.
• Following the intervention, only the AWS+ group showed increased brain activation in the left ventral IFC/insula.
• Changes in task-related brain function and RSFC correlated with improvements in speech fluency.

Conclusions:

• A short-term behavioral intervention can induce functional reorganization in brain regions associated with stuttering.
• The left ventral IFC/insula appears to be a key area for neuroplastic changes in response to stuttering therapy.
• Improvements in speech fluency are linked to both task-related brain function changes and alterations in RSFC.