Cerebral laterality as assessed by hand preference measures and developmental stuttering

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Speech and Language Pathology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Developmental stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unknown causes.
• Atypical cerebral laterality, indicated by handedness, is hypothesized as a potential factor.
• Previous research on handedness and stuttering shows conflicting results, possibly due to methodology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between handedness (direction and degree) and stuttering in children.
• To address limitations in prior studies by using clinical selection criteria and studying a non-Western population.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 83 children who stutter (CWS) and 90 age- and sex-matched controls (children who do not stutter).
• Utilized parent-completed Edinburgh Handedness Inventory to assess hand preference.
• Analyzed data for differences in handedness and correlation between stuttering severity and degree of handedness.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in hand preference scores (direction or degree) between CWS and controls.
• The severity of stuttering did not correlate with the degree of handedness.
• This is the first study to examine this relationship in a non-Western population using clinical criteria for CWS.

Conclusions:

• Handedness, in terms of direction or degree, does not appear to be a causal factor in developmental stuttering.
• Parents and professionals should not consider left- or mixed-hand preference as a cause for concern regarding stuttering.
• Further research may explore other neurodevelopmental factors contributing to stuttering.