A comparison of structural morphometry in children and adults with persistent developmental stuttering

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Speech and Language Sciences

Background:

• Stuttering is a complex speech disorder with unclear neuroanatomical underpinnings.
• Previous research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding brain differences in individuals who stutter.
• Differentiating early-stage neuroanatomical variations from those associated with long-term stuttering is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neuroanatomical differences in children and adults who stutter compared to controls.
• To determine if observed differences reflect core deficits or changes due to stuttering duration.
• To explore correlations between structural morphometry and stuttering severity.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study analyzing structural morphometry from T1-weighted MRI scans.
• Utilized FreeSurfer software for extracting cortical size (surface area, thickness) and gyrification, and subcortical volumes.
• Employed ANOVA for statistical analysis, with false discovery rate corrections, and tested for correlations with stuttering severity.

Main Results:

• Children who stutter exhibited thinner cortex in speech-planning regions, correlated with stuttering severity.
• Adults who stutter did not show these cortical thickness differences but displayed reduced gyrification in the right inferior frontal gyrus.
• Findings suggest distinct neuroanatomical profiles for early-stage stuttering versus persistent stuttering into adulthood.

Conclusions:

• Early cortical anomalies in speech planning regions may contribute to stuttering onset.
• Persistent stuttering in adulthood might involve network-level dysfunction rather than focal morphometric differences.
• Adults who stutter may present a more heterogeneous neural profile due to lived experiences.