General | Research centres | Brain | Children | Drugs | Electronic devices | Genetics | Miscellaneous | Therapy

This is a page of links to stuttering research resources on the internet, including our own website. We hope you find it useful, but please be aware that it does not necessarily give a representative overview of research being carried on into stuttering. External websites open as a new page.

General

Stuttering Homepage research page Many resources on stuttering research

PubMed A US based online search tool for accessing millions of literature citations, and in certain cases linking to full text journal articles.

Journal of Stuttering Therapy, Advocacy & Research (JSTAR) Free online quarterly publication "offering practical therapy ideas and original research on the nature and advocacy of stuttering and stuttering-related issues". Started 2006.

The Stuttering Brain - blog Created by Dr Tom Weidig to discuss latest research issues and articles.

Research centres

UCL Psychology Speech Group describing and demonstrating current research activities. Also UCLASS audio library of stammered speech.

Speech Science Research Centre, Edinburgh at Speech and Hearing Sciences, Queen Margaret University College Edinburgh

University of Strathclyde - Speech and Language Therapy Dept Lists current research of the Department

East Carolina University: 'Stuttering research and comment' Includes in-ear DAF/FAF device to aid fluency

Australian Stuttering Research Centre Information on the Lidcombe Programme and other stuttering research at the Centre

Stuttering Foundation of America The SFA's Basic Research page, including links to articles.

Unversity of Illinois Stuttering Research Project Including childhood stuttering studies and a genetics study. The principal investigator is Dr Ehud Yairi.

UCI Stuttering Research Group Stuttering website of the University of California, Irvine. Includes an article: Stuttering: a view from psychiatry

University of Toronto, Speech Fluency Laboratory Work by Luc F. De Nil studying the neural processes of stuttering.

Brain (on neurotransmitters see also Drugs)

Mind over white matter: Differences in brains of young people who stammer Increasingly studies are finding physical differences in the organisation of brains of people who stammer, but what about children? Kate Watkins is lead author of one of two recent studies looking at brains of young people who stammer.

Is this why we don't stammer when we sing? Could stammering be explained by a malfunction in the basal ganglia? Per Alm explores this area. His doctoral thesis On the causal mechanisms of stuttering (2005) is also available on the internet.

A look at genetic and neurological correlates of stuttering Report of a presentation at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention by Dennis Drayna, Christine Weber-Fox, Ann Foundas, and Gerald Maguire. Winter 2005-6, on the SFA website.

The influence of the basal ganglia on stuttering Report from the Oxford Dysfluency Conference 2005 on presentation by Dr Katrin Neuman and Prof. Henny-Annie Bijleveld, including research on modification of basal ganglia activity by fluency shaping therapy.

DAF in stuttering: a potential anatomical link By Anne Foundas on the SFA website (2005). See also "DAF most helpful for those who stutter with atypical auditory anatomy" (2003).

Language Processing and Speech Motor Control: Complex Interactions in Stuttering By Anne Smith, on SFA website (2004): research on speech motor control, and on brain electrical activity in language tasks where there are no overt speaking demands. Also from 2004 on this research: Stuttering more than talk - research shows brain's role in disorder. Previous 1999-2000 article by Anne Smith; and articles by Anne Smith on children below.

Hand preference and footedeness: atypical handedness in developmental stuttering By Anne Foundas, M.D., Professor of Neurology, Tulane University Health Sciences Center. SFA website. 2003.

Brain research helps us to understand stammering Tom Weidig puts new brain research from Hamburg into context and considers its implications (2002).

Neural bases of stuttering and its treatment Robert Kroll and Luc De Nil on their neuroimaging work with people who stammer (2001).

The brains of adult stutterers: are they different from nonstutterers? By Janis Costello Ingham and Roger J. Ingham - on the ISAD Online Conference 2002

Are brains of people who stutter different? By Anne L. Foundas, MD - on the SFA website (2001).

Some keys To understanding stuttering and its management Professor William Webster spells out his theories about the causes of stammering, with special attention to its variability (1996).

Children

Stammering children are still bullied Research by Dr Steve Davis OBE and his colleagues at UCL has found that even now children who stammer are less popular and more prone to bullying than their classmates.

Bilingual children at greater risk? Are bilingual children more likely to stammer? Corinne Moffatt considers a new research paper (Winter 2008 Speaking Out).

Therapy leads in treatment of stammering David Vitler gives an overview of some highlights from the 5th World Congress on Fluency Disorders, 2006 which would be most useful from the point of view of answering calls on the BSA helpline, particularly from parents of small children.

Physiological indices of speech and language processes: new windows on the onset of stuttering in young children By Anne Smith, 5th World Congress on Fluency Disorders 2006. Also Speaking is no small task (2005). There are further articles by Anne Smith above.

Is language a risk factor in stuttering? Are high language skills rather than low ones a risk factor for stuttering? By Dr Ehud Yairi, on the SFA website. (2006)

Are children who stammer more sensitive by nature? A new study has shown that young children who stammer may be more emotionally sensitive, and have greater difficulty regulating their feelings, than children who don't stammer. (2006)

Theory in treatment of early stuttering: a debate How can stammering in young children be treated effectively if the causes are not known? This is the edited version of an email debate between professors Mark Onslow and Scott Yaruss.

The age factor in stuttering By Dr Ehud Yairi, University of Illinois - on the SFA website. Winter 2005-6

On the Gender Factor in Stuttering Dr Ehud Yairi on evidence that the age-related substantial decrease in the proportion of females who stutter may be due to processes of natural recovery, and links with genetics research. SFA website. Autumn 2005.

How effective is the Lidcombe Program with school-age children? A phase 1 trial At the Oxford Dysfluency Conference 2005, Dr Onslow presented the phase one trial results on the effectiveness of the Lidcombe Program with eight school age children (aged 7-12 years) and their parents.

New evidence for treating young children with the Lidcombe Program Major study published in the British Medical Journal - August 2005.

Speaking is no small task News of a study on whether early speech motor control characteristics in children during fluent and stuttered speech predict who will and will not develop a chronic stuttering problem. By Anne Smith on the SFA website (2005). Articles on previous research above.

'Will they grow out of it?' - Spontaneous recovery and the therapists' dilemma How do speech and language therapists know which children will need therapy? Robert Sedgley reports on a research presentation by Roberta Lees (2003).

Summary report of the BSA's Primary Healthcare Workers Project Available for download from this website. The result of this project has been one of the largest epidemiological studies of dysfluency in pre-school children in recent years, producing some extremely interesting findings (2000).

Research in early childhood stuttering By Dr Ehud Yairi, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. SFA website (1999-2000).

Drugs

One step closer to drug treatment of stammering In June 2006 tests of a new drug showed positive results, but how close is it to being available? Martin Sommer reports on the study led by professor Gerald Maguire, and on the background to drug research.

Serotonin-Dopamine Antagonists in the Treatment of Stuttering Nathan Lavid discusses haloperidol, risperidone and olanzapine, including side effects. Part of the 2005 ISAD Online conference on the Stuttering Homepage.

Medical aspects of stuttering By Glyndon Riley, on the possible link between stuttering and excessive dopamine in certain brain regions, and the use of drugs to counteract this - on the SFA website (2002).

Alprazolam, citalopram, and clomipramine for stuttering John Paul Brady, M.D. Zahir Ali, M.D. Merion, Pennsylvania Elmhurst, New York - on the SFA website (2000).

A perspective on neuropharmacological agents and stuttering: are there implications for a cause as well as a cure? Larry Molt looks both at drugs that may help and drugs that may cause stuttering (drug-induced stuttering). (1998)

Electronic devices (further information in Adult therapy)

Altered auditory feedback devices: two articles on research (2006) 'More research needed on using devices in real life' and 'SpeechEasy research shows the effect differs for each person'.

What is known and unknown about altered auditory feedback as a treatment for stuttering? (2005) Australian therapist Michelle Lincoln presented an overview of the usefulness of these devices at the Oxford Dysfluency Conference 2005, including some preliminary findings of her own research.

Effects of delayed auditory feedback and frequency-shifted feedback on speech control and some potentials for future development of prosthetic aids for stammering Article by Peter Howell in BSA's journal 'Stammering Research' Vol. 1 Issue 1, page 31, plus nine commentaries (2004). The journal can be downloaded at our Stammering Research page.

East Carolina University: 'Stuttering research and comment' The developers of SpeechEasy™, an in-ear DAF/FAF device. See also our therapy section.

DAF in stuttering: a potential anatomical link By Anne Foundas on the SFA website (Winter 2005). See also "DAF most helpful for those who stutter with atypical auditory anatomy" (2003).

Genetics

Stammering genes Dr Dennis Drayna and his team have identified three genes which are mutated in a proportion of people who stammer. Feburary 2010.

Genetics - how stammering can run in families Short article on Dennis Drayna, a Keynote speaker at BSA's 2006 conference, and genetic aspects of stammering.

New light on genetic factors By Dennis Drayna (Summer 2006) - on the SFA website. See also Dr Drayna's African families provide new avenues for genetics research (Winter 2005), Genetic studies gain ground (2004), Scientists find evidence for gene that predisposes individuals to stuttering (2003), Recent developments highlight genetic causes in speech disorders (2002) and Genetic research on stuttering (2000).

Genetics of stuttering: New developments By Ehud Yairi (Summer 2006) - on the SFA website.

A look at genetic and neurological correlates of stuttering Report of a presentation at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention by Dennis Drayna, Christine Weber-Fox, Ann Foundas, and Gerald Maguire. Winter 2005-6, on the SFA website.

Chromosomal signals for genes underlying stuttering: a preliminary report Presentation by Dr Yairi at the Oxford Dysfuency Conference 2005.

The Genetic Basis of Persistence and Recovery in Stuttering Abstract of an article by Nicoline Grinager Ambrose, Nancy J. Cox, and Ehud Yairi (1997).

Miscellaneous

Should we stop saying "we don't know the cause of stammering"? At the 2008 Oxford Disfluency Conference, Anne Smith of Purdue University suggested that we know a great deal about the factors that cause stammering.

Antwerp Symposium Dr Robin Lickley of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh reports on the first European Symposium on Fluency Disorders, in April 2008, and the new European Clinical Specialization in Fluency Disorders (ECSF).

Research highlights The first in an occasional series of updates on the latest research into stammering, presented by members of the BSA research subcommittee who describe some highlights of recent research. (2006)

7th Oxford Dysfluency Conference, 2005 Some of the presentations and workshops at this international conference held in summer 2005.

Not such nice work - if you can get it Stammering has a negative effect on work for a large majority of people who stammer, according to a US study (2005).

Research on incidence and prevalence of stuttering Ehud Yairi argues the prevailing "knowledge" that "only" 1% of the population stutters has produced an incorrect impression that stuttering is a "small" problem. On the SFA website (summer 2005).

What is the relationship between stuttering and anxiety? Professor Ashley Craig and Dr Yvonne Tran, University of Technology, Sydney

Research into the experiences of counselling for adults who stammer David Jones summarises the results of his study (2004).

4th World Congress on Fluency Disorders, 2003 Reports from Carolyn Cheasman and Rachel Everard of the City Lit, and Dr Tom Weidig.

Having a say Research project on communication by people who stammer and others with health care staff (2002).

Are adults who stammer too sensitive? New research suggesting one reason people stammer is that they are are overly concerned about speaking fluently (2002).

Bilingualism (pdf file, 55kb) Results of the UCL study on bilingualism and stuttering (2000).

Sixth Oxford Dysfluency Conference Reports from this international conference held in June 2002.

You can't do everything but it's good fun trying Jan Logan and Carolyn Cheasman on some of the papers at the American Speech Hearing Association (ASHA) conference 2001.

An Australian experience: Stuttering Therapy Down Under Isobel Crichton-Smith reports on a visit to Australia (2000).

Fluency specialists meet in Denmark Doreen Faisca, then BSA Parental Awareness Campaign co-ordinator, focusses particularly on early intervention in this account of the 3rd World Congress on Fluency Disorders in 2000.

Therapy

New ways of delivering therapy A new anxiety treatment website should go live in summer 2010, said Professor Onslow at the 2009 BSA National Conference. He suggested a 'stepped care' approach to therapy, including telehealth, and talked about research on anxiety.

Dissertation by Gunar Neiders (first page is blank so scroll down) Theoretical Development of a Proposed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Based Model to Treat Persons with Chronic Perseverative Stuttering Syndrome. 2009.

Partnerships between Clinicians, Researchers, and People Who Stutter in the Evaluation of Stuttering Treatment Outcomes. Article by Yaruss and Quesal in BSA's journal 'Stammering Research' Vol. 1 Issue 1, page 1, plus five commentaries (2004). The journal can be downloaded at our Stammering Research page.

Bristol Stammering Research Project A report of the project that appeared in the BSA magazine Speaking Out (1999).