The Illinois International Stuttering Research Program

Brain Imaging

For many years speculations about the cause of stuttering included the idea that people who stutter differ from normally speaking people in hemispheric control for speech. Over the years, dedicated research has increased vastly, aided by various techniques, particularly structural and functional brain imaging. Typically, however, only adults have served as subjects. Current findings by various investigators appear to support, and elaborate on, some of the early speculations.

Members of our team have been engaged in two unique lines of research, both employing structural MRI, and both using age groups that have not been previously investigated in stuttering research of this kind. The first has focused on brain structure, specifically the volume of the corpus callosum (the neurofibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres) of people who stutter older than age 60. We believe that important information about persistent stuttering can be obtained by studying people who have stuttered for many years and may exhibit more pronounced deviations not easily identified in younger adults.

The second unique line of research pursues brain imaging in children. In these studies, differences in gray and white matter volume are compared for children who persist in stuttering, those who have recovered, and children who are normally fluent.

Send questions and comments to:
Dr. Nicoline Ambrose
Stuttering Research Program
The Department of Speech and Hearing Science
901 S. Sixth St.
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone:217-333-2230