downtoearth-subscribe

Stutter talk

Stuttering and the reasons behind it have perplexed scientists for long now. Some assign the trouble to the deficiencies in hearing, others to the peculiarities in the areas of the brain that govern the motor functions of speech, and still others to the undeveloped left side of the brain which normally commands language. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Centre in USA, using positron emission tomography to scan the brains of 10 chronic stutterers and 10 normal speakers, showed recently that all these areas may play a part in stuttering. They discovered that the brains of people who stutter show unusual activity patterns in the areas that control hearing, movement, and speech. The finding, researchers feel, will lead to a new theory on stuttering.

Related Content