Researchers Pinpoint the Cause of Stuttering
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Stuttering, which affects about 1% of people after childhood, is caused by an abnormal structure of the left side of the brain, German researchers reported in Saturday’s edition of the British journal The Lancet. The study used magnetic resonance imaging to look at 15 stutterers and 15 people with normal speech and found the impediment results from a disconnection of speech-related areas in the cortex, a team from the University of Hamburg said.
About 7% of children stutter, with about four boys affected for every girl, said Christian Buchel, who led the research.