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Features resembling Tourette's syndrome in developmental stutterers
D A Abwender1, K S Trinidad, K R Jones
1State University of New York, Brockport, NY 14420, USA.
Brain and Language
|May 30, 1998
Summary
Developmental stuttering (DS) may involve the extrapyramidal motor system, similar to Tourette's syndrome (TS). Many stutterers exhibit tics and obsessive-compulsive behaviors, suggesting a potential shared developmental pathway.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Developmental stuttering (DS) shares clinical similarities with Tourette's syndrome (TS).
- Both conditions are hypothesized to involve the extrapyramidal motor system.
- Neuropsychiatric features are common in TS, prompting investigation in DS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine neuropsychiatric features in individuals with developmental stuttering.
- To compare these features with those commonly observed in Tourette's syndrome.
- To explore potential pathogenetic links between DS and TS.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-two individuals with developmental stuttering were assessed.
- Participants were evaluated for the presence of tics, obsessive-compulsive behaviors (OCB), and attention deficit disorders.
- Observed features were compared to known prevalence in Tourette's syndrome.
Main Results:
- Eleven of the 22 stutterers displayed motor tics.
- OCD symptoms were present at rates comparable to those in TS.
- Significant attentional deficits were infrequent among the stutterers studied.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the hypothesis of extrapyramidal system involvement in developmental stuttering.
- The study suggests a possible shared underlying pathology between DS and TS.
- Further research into the neurobiological connections between these conditions is warranted.