Highlighted Research

Our latest Open Access publication in Medical Research Archives, “Utility of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale in Understanding Stuttering Issues,” examines the often unseen burden of stuttering in adults. Stuttering is often described as an “iceberg,” where the visible speech disruption is only one part of a much broader experience. For many adults who stutter, the greater burden may lie in the hidden effects on daily life, confidence, and mental health. In this study, our team examined the relationship between stuttering frequency, overall life impact, and social anxiety in 51 Japanese adults who stutter.

We are pleased to share our publication in Pediatrics International: “Social anxiety disorder in adolescents who stutter: A risk for school refusal.” Although support for stuttering is often available in early childhood, adolescents frequently receive far less school-based support as they move into middle and high school. In this study, our team examined the relationship between stuttering, school refusal, and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) among adolescents in Japan.

A new preprint study explores whether brain iron levels may play a role in stuttering. Using mice engineered with a stuttering-linked Gnptab mutation, the researchers identified significantly increased iron accumulation in the striatum, a brain region critical for motor control.The study also found that this excess iron was localized in astrocytes, where it was associated with reduced cell size and complexity. Notably, treatment with an iron-chelating drug improved the animals’ vocalization deficits.

A landmark study published in the Journal of Fluency Disorders reports the first use of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) specifically intended to treat severe persistent developmental stuttering. In this case study, researchers targeted the left ventral intermediate thalamic nucleus in a 24-year-old man with severe, longstanding stuttering. Over a two-year, double-blinded stimulation protocol, DBS was associated with a substantial reduction in stuttering frequency and severity, along with meaningful improvement in the participant’s self-reported experience and quality of life.

A study published in the International Archives of Communication Disorders explored vocal fold motion during stuttering blocks in adults who stutter. Using flexible fiberoptic endoscopy alongside airflow and acoustic measurements, the researchers analyzed 58 blocks in 12 adults. The findings showed that blocks occurred with both glottal closure and glottal opening, and that vocal fold position varied not only across participants but also within the same individual. Rather than pointing to one consistent laryngeal pattern, the study suggests that stuttering blocks may reflect disruptions in higher-level speech timing networks in the brain. Understanding these mechanisms is important for advancing more precise, physiology-informed treatment approaches.

A recent review published in the European Journal of Neuroscience highlights important similarities and critical differences between Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Developmental Stuttering (DS), two distinct conditions that affect speech motor control. The review examines how both disorders involve disruptions in basal ganglia circuits and dopaminergic pathways — brain systems essential for motor timing and speech fluency. Emerging evidence also suggests overlapping contributions from neuroinflammation, autoimmune processes, and cellular energy regulation.