The Role of Brain and Motor Learning Processes in Stuttering: Current Insights and Questions Needing Answers

Luc De Nil, Ph.D., Fiona Höbler, Ph.D.

Sunday 1:00PM - 2:00PM EDT

Recent research in the Speech Fluency Lab at the University of Toronto has focused on two important questions that will help us to better understand stuttering. The first one deals with observation of different brain processes before a stuttered word as opposed to a non stuttered word. These differences in brain activity can be linked to anatomical differences underlying these affected brain regions. A second question that we addressed more recently is whether children and adults who stutter differ from typically fluent speakers in their ability to use implicit and explicit motor learning when acquiring new movement patterns. We will discuss our findings from both of these research projects, in the context of other findings about stuttering by ourselves and others, and present some thoughts what these findings may mean for current and future treatment of stuttering.

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What to expect

1. Participants will be able to understand some recent advances in our understanding of developmental stuttering
2. Participants will become more familiar with magnetoencephalography as a tool to study brain processes during speech and appreciate its advantages over other forms of brain imaging
3. Participants will learn about the differences between implicit and explicit learning processes and how they may affect speech development and stuttering children and adults.
4. Participants will be able to link current advances in our understanding of stuttering to potential new and improved approaches to stuttering treatment.

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About the presenter