Case Report: Deutetrabenazine as an Adjunctive Treatment for Stuttering

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Neuropharmacology
• Speech-language pathology

Background:

• Childhood-onset fluency disorder (stuttering) is a neurodevelopmental speech disorder with no FDA-approved treatments.
• The dopamine system plays a role in stuttering, but current treatments like antipsychotics have significant side effects.

Observation:

• Second-generation antipsychotics, dopamine D-2 receptor antagonists, can reduce stuttering symptoms.
• These antipsychotics carry risks of metabolic side effects and movement disorders.

Findings:

• Deutetrabenazine, a VMAT-2 inhibitor, decreases dopamine activity.
• Unlike D-2 antagonists, deutetrabenazine does not pose a risk for metabolic adverse events.

Implications:

• Deutetrabenazine represents a potential novel therapeutic strategy for stuttering.
• This approach may offer a safer alternative for managing stuttering symptoms.