Movement control in people with developmental stuttering

Written by Abigail Grant and Sayen Masterson

Research has suggested that the cause of stuttering (stammering) is rooted within neural motor control networks which are responsible for controlling and co-ordinating fine movements, for example speaking, typing, running. 

Recent studies (Liman et al., 2021) have suggested that people who stutter also have subtle differences in other body movements, with specific focus placed on walking cadence. While these differences are small, and virtually invisible to the average on-looker, they may influence participation in sports; from community to elite levels.

Our research is taking a whole system approach by focusing on speaking as well as walking/running. 

We are using multiple Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) methods  to collect data. Participants will have a structural MRI and a vocal tract MRI scan. 

A structural scan is what you would typically see if you have seen an MRI scan before (e.g. in a hospital setting), it shows what the brain looks like (the structures).