Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106188
Martine Vanryckeghem
Purpose
The purpose of this position statement is to lay the foundation for an open-minded discourse by embracing neurodiversity in assessment and treatment of the person who stutters and to bring attention to the central premise: the person who stutters.
Method
A reflection on recent publications and conference presentations that discuss an unnuanced and narrow-minded ableist versus anti-ableist approach to the assessment and treatment of people who stutter. Many of those are not data-bound and lead to confusion and a perception of professional failure, certainly among junior speech-language pathologists.
Conclusions
This is an appeal for a discussion of what is being portrayed as opposing approaches to the clinical management of people who stutter. Starting with a solid operational definition, an open-minded discourse needs to take place aiming for a balanced, client-centered approach that respects the aspiration of the individual who stutters and supports their self-defined goals. This is an appeal to reclaim the middle ground where acceptance and change are not mutually exclusive, and therapeutic practice is guided by autonomy, inclusivity, and shared decision-making.
{"title":"Stuttering and neurodiversity: A question of ableism or anti-ableism? One central premise: The person who stutters","authors":"Martine Vanryckeghem","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106188","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106188","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>The purpose of this position statement is to lay the foundation for an open-minded discourse by embracing neurodiversity in assessment and treatment of the person who stutters and to bring attention to the central premise: the person who stutters.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A reflection on recent publications and conference presentations that discuss an unnuanced and narrow-minded ableist versus anti-ableist approach to the assessment and treatment of people who stutter. Many of those are not data-bound and lead to confusion and a perception of professional failure, certainly among junior speech-language pathologists.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This is an appeal for a discussion of what is being portrayed as opposing approaches to the clinical management of people who stutter. Starting with a solid operational definition, an open-minded discourse needs to take place aiming for a balanced, client-centered approach that respects the aspiration of the individual who stutters and supports their self-defined goals. This is an appeal to reclaim the middle ground where acceptance and change are not mutually exclusive, and therapeutic practice is guided by autonomy, inclusivity, and shared decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106188"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145776248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-07DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106187
Feyzanur Ocak , Özlem Oğuz
There is growing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in stuttering therapy. However, limited information is available on how such innovative interventions are perceived by target participants. The aim of this study was to qualitatively examine the acceptability and social validity of tDCS in individuals with developmental stuttering in the context of participants’ experiences and perceptions of the intervention process and changes in their social lives. The study was based on semi-structured interviews with 10 adults with developmental stuttering who had previously participated in the active tDCS stimulation group. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Five main themes were identified: (1) reasons for participation; (2) perception of the intervention and emotional responses; (3) experiences related to the intervention process; (4) perceived effects of tDCS and (5) recommendations for the future. Participants reported temporary fluency improvements and increased self-confidence, emphasizing that the intervention was generally manageable and acceptable. These subjective evaluations offer insight into how tDCS was experienced without implying clinical efficacy. Results should be interpreted with caution, as interviews were conducted without blinding and responses may have been influenced by social desirability or complicity bias. Importantly, despite prior quantitative measurements from the same intervention showing no significant objective improvements in speech fluency, participants still described positive subjective experiences. This contrast between quantitative outcomes and experiential reports highlights the importance of incorporating individuals’ perceptions into evaluations of novel therapeutic approaches. Participants’ hopes and suggestions provide valuable guidance for future developments in the field.
{"title":"Brain stimulation in stuttering: Participant experiences with transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)","authors":"Feyzanur Ocak , Özlem Oğuz","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is growing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in stuttering therapy. However, limited information is available on how such innovative interventions are perceived by target participants. The aim of this study was to qualitatively examine the acceptability and social validity of tDCS in individuals with developmental stuttering in the context of participants’ experiences and perceptions of the intervention process and changes in their social lives. The study was based on semi-structured interviews with 10 adults with developmental stuttering who had previously participated in the active tDCS stimulation group. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Five main themes were identified: (1) reasons for participation; (2) perception of the intervention and emotional responses; (3) experiences related to the intervention process; (4) perceived effects of tDCS and (5) recommendations for the future. Participants reported temporary fluency improvements and increased self-confidence, emphasizing that the intervention was generally manageable and acceptable. These subjective evaluations offer insight into how tDCS was experienced without implying clinical efficacy. Results should be interpreted with caution, as interviews were conducted without blinding and responses may have been influenced by social desirability or complicity bias. Importantly, despite prior quantitative measurements from the same intervention showing no significant objective improvements in speech fluency, participants still described positive subjective experiences. This contrast between quantitative outcomes and experiential reports highlights the importance of incorporating individuals’ perceptions into evaluations of novel therapeutic approaches. Participants’ hopes and suggestions provide valuable guidance for future developments in the field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106187"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106186
Ayşe Nur Koçak , Melis Buse Arslan
Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the content validity and inter-rater reliability of stuttering assessment and intervention programs generated by artificial intelligence (GPT-4) in both Turkish and English for preschool, school-age, and adult populations. It also examined whether linguistic or cultural differences affected expert evaluations.
Methods
Twelve AI-generated programs (six in Turkish, six in English) were reviewed by twelve certified speech-language pathologists specializing in fluency disorders. Each item was rated using a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s Alpha, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess consistency and reliability.
Results
The majority of items were rated as appropriate or highly appropriate (M = 4.6–4.9). The overall reliability among raters was poor (ICC = 0.45), while single-rater reliability was higher (ICC = 0.65). Only a small number of items were flagged for revision, typically involving emotional or contextual components. Experts noted that English versions tended to be more detailed and literature-consistent, whereas certain Turkish terms required clearer cultural adaptation.
Conclusion
GPT-4 can produce clinically relevant and linguistically accurate stuttering materials when paired with expert review. However, human validation remains essential to refine affective and culture-specific elements. These findings support the integration of AI-assisted tools in multilingual clinical content development.
{"title":"Content validity of AI-generated stuttering assessment and intervention programs based on expert review: A comparative analysis across age groups and language versions","authors":"Ayşe Nur Koçak , Melis Buse Arslan","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106186","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106186","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study aimed to evaluate the content validity and inter-rater reliability of stuttering assessment and intervention programs generated by artificial intelligence (GPT-4) in both Turkish and English for preschool, school-age, and adult populations. It also examined whether linguistic or cultural differences affected expert evaluations.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Twelve AI-generated programs (six in Turkish, six in English) were reviewed by twelve certified speech-language pathologists specializing in fluency disorders. Each item was rated using a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s Alpha, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess consistency and reliability.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The majority of items were rated as appropriate or highly appropriate (M = 4.6–4.9). The overall reliability among raters was poor (ICC = 0.45), while single-rater reliability was higher (ICC = 0.65). Only a small number of items were flagged for revision, typically involving emotional or contextual components. Experts noted that English versions tended to be more detailed and literature-consistent, whereas certain Turkish terms required clearer cultural adaptation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>GPT-4 can produce clinically relevant and linguistically accurate stuttering materials when paired with expert review. However, human validation remains essential to refine affective and culture-specific elements. These findings support the integration of AI-assisted tools in multilingual clinical content development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106186"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106184
Yasmin Horev Nahum, Gil Zukerman, Michal Icht
Background
Cluttering is a fluency disorder marked by a rapid and irregular speech rate and articulation difficulties such as “slurred” speech and sound omissions. These speech disruptions reduce intelligibility and negatively impact communication. Treatment for individuals with cluttering typically focuses on improving their speech clarity and fluency. In contrast, while addressing speech disruptions, treatment for stuttering, a related fluency disorder, extends to include psychological and emotional aspects. This broader approach is based on research linking stuttering to mental health indicators such as depression, anxiety, and attention disorders, as well as to psychological flexibility. These emotional and psychological aspects and their associations remain underexplored in the context of cluttering.
Objective
To examine mental well-being, emotional-cognitive processing, and attention abilities in individuals with cluttering and to explore the relationships between these measures.
Method
Thirty-one adults diagnosed with cluttering completed questionnaires designed to assess mental well-being (i.e., anxiety, depression, somatic complaints), emotional-cognitive processing (alexithymia, psychological flexibility), and attention skills.
Results
High rates of anxiety symptoms, somatic complaints, reduced emotional-cognitive processing (high alexithymia), and attention difficulties were found among the study participants. Typical levels of psychological flexibility were observed. Alexithymia was associated with lower well-being.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that lower mental well-being levels and higher rates of alexithymia symptoms and attention difficulties characterize individuals with cluttering. Accordingly, we recommend including an assessment of these factors in cluttering diagnosis. In treating cluttering, similar to stuttering treatment, it is advisable to address emotional aspects, specifically by methods designed to enhance emotional-cognitive processing.
{"title":"Mental well-being, emotional-cognitive processing, and attention skills in individuals with cluttering","authors":"Yasmin Horev Nahum, Gil Zukerman, Michal Icht","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106184","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106184","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cluttering is a fluency disorder marked by a rapid and irregular speech rate and articulation difficulties such as “slurred” speech and sound omissions. These speech disruptions reduce intelligibility and negatively impact communication. Treatment for individuals with cluttering typically focuses on improving their speech clarity and fluency. In contrast, while addressing speech disruptions, treatment for stuttering, a related fluency disorder, extends to include psychological and emotional aspects. This broader approach is based on research linking stuttering to mental health indicators such as depression, anxiety, and attention disorders, as well as to psychological flexibility. These emotional and psychological aspects and their associations remain underexplored in the context of cluttering.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To examine mental well-being, emotional-cognitive processing, and attention abilities in individuals with cluttering and to explore the relationships between these measures.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Thirty-one adults diagnosed with cluttering completed questionnaires designed to assess mental well-being (i.e., anxiety, depression, somatic complaints), emotional-cognitive processing (alexithymia, psychological flexibility), and attention skills.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>High rates of anxiety symptoms, somatic complaints, reduced emotional-cognitive processing (high alexithymia), and attention difficulties were found among the study participants. Typical levels of psychological flexibility were observed. Alexithymia was associated with lower well-being.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our results suggest that lower mental well-being levels and higher rates of alexithymia symptoms and attention difficulties characterize individuals with cluttering. Accordingly, we recommend including an assessment of these factors in cluttering diagnosis. In treating cluttering, similar to stuttering treatment, it is advisable to address emotional aspects, specifically by methods designed to enhance emotional-cognitive processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106184"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145625369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106185
Vildan Şen , Nurcan Alpüran Kocabıyık
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) refers to the anxiety of missing potential experiences or opportunities. This study examined FoMO levels between people who stutter (PWS) and people who do not stutter (PWNS), explored the relationship between FoMO and psychological resilience in PWS and PWNS, and assessed the influence of age and gender on FoMO. The sample of this study consisted of 145 adults, including 65 PWS, 80 PWNS. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Fear of Missing Out Scale for University Students, and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 26.0 with a multivariate Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and correlation analyses. PWS scored significantly higher in the social dimension of FoMO, suggesting that PWS may experience greater anxiety about missing out in social contexts compared to PWNS. No significant differences were found between PWS and PWNS in terms of their total or private FoMO scores. Age and gender did not significantly affect FoMO scores. In contrast, PWS exhibited significantly lower psychological resilience compared to PWNS. While age had no significant impact on resilience, gender showed a significant effect on resilience in both groups. Men had significantly higher levels of psychological resilience than women. Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between FoMO and psychological resilience in both groups, suggesting that higher FoMO is associated with lower resilience. These results underscore the importance of addressing social challenges faced by PWS and enhancing psychological resilience through targeted psychosocial interventions. Promoting inclusive social participation may help mitigate FoMO-related anxiety and improve overall well-being in PWS.
错失恐惧症（Fear of Missing Out，简称FoMO）指的是对错过潜在经历或机会的焦虑。本研究考察了口吃者（PWS）和非口吃者（PWNS）的FoMO水平，探讨了PWS和PWNS中FoMO与心理弹性的关系，并评估了年龄和性别对FoMO的影响。本研究的样本包括145名成年人，其中PWS 65名，PWNS 80名。数据采用个人信息表、大学生错失恐惧量表和简短弹性量表（BRS）收集。采用IBM SPSS 26.0进行分析，采用多元广义线性模型（GLM）和相关分析。PWS在FoMO的社会维度上的得分明显更高，这表明与PWNS相比，PWS可能对错过社交环境感到更大的焦虑。PWS和PWNS在总FoMO得分和私人FoMO得分方面没有显著差异。年龄和性别对FoMO得分没有显著影响。与PWNS相比，PWS的心理弹性显著降低。年龄对心理弹性没有显著影响，性别对心理弹性有显著影响。男性的心理弹性水平明显高于女性。此外，在两组中，FoMO与心理弹性之间呈负相关，表明FoMO越高，心理弹性越低。这些结果强调了通过有针对性的社会心理干预来解决PWS面临的社会挑战和增强心理弹性的重要性。促进包容性社会参与可能有助于减轻fomo相关焦虑，改善PWS患者的整体幸福感。
{"title":"Comparison of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) in Adults with and without Stuttering: Exploring the Relationship between FoMO and Psychological Resilience","authors":"Vildan Şen , Nurcan Alpüran Kocabıyık","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106185","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106185","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) refers to the anxiety of missing potential experiences or opportunities. This study examined FoMO levels between people who stutter (PWS) and people who do not stutter (PWNS), explored the relationship between FoMO and psychological resilience in PWS and PWNS, and assessed the influence of age and gender on FoMO. The sample of this study consisted of 145 adults, including 65 PWS, 80 PWNS. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Fear of Missing Out Scale for University Students, and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 26.0 with a multivariate Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and correlation analyses. PWS scored significantly higher in the social dimension of FoMO, suggesting that PWS may experience greater anxiety about missing out in social contexts compared to PWNS. No significant differences were found between PWS and PWNS in terms of their total or private FoMO scores. Age and gender did not significantly affect FoMO scores. In contrast, PWS exhibited significantly lower psychological resilience compared to PWNS. While age had no significant impact on resilience, gender showed a significant effect on resilience in both groups. Men had significantly higher levels of psychological resilience than women. Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between FoMO and psychological resilience in both groups, suggesting that higher FoMO is associated with lower resilience. These results underscore the importance of addressing social challenges faced by PWS and enhancing psychological resilience through targeted psychosocial interventions. Promoting inclusive social participation may help mitigate FoMO-related anxiety and improve overall well-being in PWS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106185"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145662435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study examined whether lexical-semantic processing of action verbs versus object nouns is differentially affected by concurrent cognitive load in Persian-speaking adults who stutter (AWS), compared with adults who do not stutter (AWNS), using a dual-task paradigm.
Methods
Twenty-nine AWS and 29 matched AWNS performed a Semantic Similarity Judgment Task (SSJT) while simultaneously completing a tone-decision task. Tones were presented at short or long stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) relative to SSJT onset. SSJT stimuli included action verbs and non-action nouns. Reaction times (RTs) and accuracy were recorded.
Results
AWS exhibited slower overall RTs than AWNS (p = .04). A significant Group × Task interaction (p = .03) and Group × Task × SOA interaction (p = .04) revealed greater dual-task costs for AWS on the tone task, particularly under high cognitive load. Moreover, a significant group difference in SSJT RTs was observed (p = .03), especially for action verbs at short SOA (p = .04).
Conclusion
These findings indicate that AWS are more susceptible to interference from concurrent cognitive demands and may require greater attentional resources for processing action verbs. This highlights the role of cognitive-linguistic interactions in stuttering and the potential influence of cognitive load on speech fluency.
{"title":"Concurrent cognitive load and lexical-semantic similarity judgments for action verbs and object nouns in Persian-speaking adults who stutter","authors":"Tabassom Azimi , Zahra Sadat Ghoreishi , Reza Nilipour , Morteza Farazi , Akram Ahmadi , Pedram Aliniaye Asli","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study examined whether lexical-semantic processing of action verbs versus object nouns is differentially affected by concurrent cognitive load in Persian-speaking adults who stutter (AWS), compared with adults who do not stutter (AWNS), using a dual-task paradigm.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Twenty-nine AWS and 29 matched AWNS performed a Semantic Similarity Judgment Task (SSJT) while simultaneously completing a tone-decision task. Tones were presented at short or long stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) relative to SSJT onset. SSJT stimuli included action verbs and non-action nouns. Reaction times (RTs) and accuracy were recorded.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>AWS exhibited slower overall RTs than AWNS (p = .04). A significant Group × Task interaction (p = .03) and Group × Task × SOA interaction (p = .04) revealed greater dual-task costs for AWS on the tone task, particularly under high cognitive load. Moreover, a significant group difference in SSJT RTs was observed (p = .03), especially for action verbs at short SOA (p = .04).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings indicate that AWS are more susceptible to interference from concurrent cognitive demands and may require greater attentional resources for processing action verbs. This highlights the role of cognitive-linguistic interactions in stuttering and the potential influence of cognitive load on speech fluency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106176"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145580384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106174
Phoebe Matthews , Intouch Sopchokchai , Aisha Alkubaisi , Benjamin Ho , Stefan Lang , Christopher R. Honey
Purpose
Stuttering is a speech disorder that can have debilitating effects on quality of life. We present a case report of a patient with near complete resolution of acquired stuttering following thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for essential tremor. A literature review of neuromodulation for both developmental and acquired stuttering is presented with proposed insights into the pathophysiology of acquired stuttering.
Method
A case report of a patient with acquired stuttering receiving thalamic DBS for essential tremor is presented. Clinical data on their stuttering severity and its impact on quality of life was prospectively collected before and six months after thalamic DBS for their essential tremor. Additional data on tremor severity, mood, cognition and overall quality of life are presented.
Results
At six months follow-up, there were significant improvements in the patient’s tremor and overall quality of life (as expected). There was also near complete resolution of their acquired stuttering and a resultant improvement in voice-related quality of life.
Conclusion
This case report details a patient with near complete resolution of acquired stuttering following thalamic deep brain stimulation for essential tremor. The Vim nucleus of the thalamus may play an important role in the pathophysiology of acquired stuttering. Additional studies will be needed to confirm the usefulness of thalamic DBS in acquired stuttering.
{"title":"Amelioration of acquired stuttering following thalamic deep brain stimulation","authors":"Phoebe Matthews , Intouch Sopchokchai , Aisha Alkubaisi , Benjamin Ho , Stefan Lang , Christopher R. Honey","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106174","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106174","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Stuttering is a speech disorder that can have debilitating effects on quality of life. We present a case report of a patient with near complete resolution of acquired stuttering following thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for essential tremor. A literature review of neuromodulation for both developmental and acquired stuttering is presented with proposed insights into the pathophysiology of acquired stuttering.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A case report of a patient with acquired stuttering receiving thalamic DBS for essential tremor is presented. Clinical data on their stuttering severity and its impact on quality of life was prospectively collected before and six months after thalamic DBS for their essential tremor. Additional data on tremor severity, mood, cognition and overall quality of life are presented.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>At six months follow-up, there were significant improvements in the patient’s tremor and overall quality of life (as expected). There was also near complete resolution of their acquired stuttering and a resultant improvement in voice-related quality of life.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This case report details a patient with near complete resolution of acquired stuttering following thalamic deep brain stimulation for essential tremor. The Vim nucleus of the thalamus may play an important role in the pathophysiology of acquired stuttering. Additional studies will be needed to confirm the usefulness of thalamic DBS in acquired stuttering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106174"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145625367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106171
Nan Bernstein Ratner , Shelley B. Brundage
This article reviews a critique by Bernstein Ratner (2005) to identify progress made in applying EBP to stuttering intervention and areas in which less progress has been observed. Among indices of progress are plentiful basic science and therapy outcomes reports, broader views of effectiveness, and increased representation of people who stutter in program development and evaluation. Among concerns we discuss are: (1) continued disconnects between basic science to understand the nature of stuttering and the therapies we employ with our clients; (2) a need for better understanding of causal mechanisms and mediators of change in stuttering interventions; and (3) specific challenges that make it difficult to know if therapies for early stuttering work significantly better than spontaneous recovery. We also discuss the (4) merits of broadening goals for preschool-aged children and their families; and (5) discuss potential negative ramifications of weakly supported interventions and recommendations for children whose stuttering persists past preschool. We conclude with a section on (6) important questions and populations that we believe remain under- investigated.
{"title":"A professional perspective on EBP in stuttering: How far have we come in 20 years?","authors":"Nan Bernstein Ratner , Shelley B. Brundage","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106171","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106171","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article reviews a critique by Bernstein Ratner (2005) to identify progress made in applying EBP to stuttering intervention and areas in which less progress has been observed. Among indices of progress are plentiful basic science and therapy outcomes reports, broader views of effectiveness, and increased representation of people who stutter in program development and evaluation. Among concerns we discuss are: (1) continued disconnects between basic science to understand the nature of stuttering and the therapies we employ with our clients; (2) a need for better understanding of causal mechanisms and mediators of change in stuttering interventions; and (3) specific challenges that make it difficult to know if therapies for early stuttering work significantly better than spontaneous recovery. We also discuss the (4) merits of broadening goals for preschool-aged children and their families; and (5) discuss potential negative ramifications of weakly supported interventions and recommendations for children whose stuttering persists past preschool. We conclude with a section on (6) important questions and populations that we believe remain under- investigated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106171"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145625366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106175
Johanna Nissinen, Nelly Penttilä, Melisa Stevanovic, Veera Pirinen
Purpose
People who stutter (PWS) face public stigma, characterized by negative societal beliefs and stereotypes. Due to lack of awareness, PWS may be perceived as inferior and less intelligent, capable, and social, affecting their psychological well-being. While some aspects of the impact of stuttering—such as income, role entrapment, and discrimination—have been explored in previous research, less is known about the deeper personal experiences of PWS in working life. This study highlights the workplace experiences of PWS, their personal aspirations, and ideas for improvement. By understanding more of PWS' experiences and emotions related to communication at work, it is possible to create a more inclusive working life.
Method
Data were collected through an online survey from 45 Finnish participants over the age of 18 who stutter and have work experience. The data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and thematic analysis.
Results
Over half the participants (n = 25, 56 %) reported that they do not speak openly about their stuttering within their current or previous work community. PWS described their experiences in terms of fears of public stigma, internalized stigma, and resisting stigma-driven assumptions. PWS expressed a desire for increased awareness of stuttering and for the promotion of greater inclusivity in working life.
Conclusion
Negative experiences of PWS often reflect broader societal attitudes. Participants suggested implementing flexible communication strategies to create inclusive workplaces, reducing microaggressions, supporting productivity, and enhancing job satisfaction. Embracing communication diversity can unlock employee potential and foster inclusivity. Respecting privacy and not requiring disclosure of personal information is crucial.
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Pub Date : 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106172
Dhatri S. Devaraju , Santosh Maruthy , Ajith Kumar Uppunda , Sandeep Maruthy , G. Nike Gnanateja
Background
Many factors contribute to stuttering, including phonological and temporal processing. Speech perception in challenging scenarios requires efficient temporal processing and differential weighting of the temporal envelope and fine-structure. Degrading the speech inputs would exert an additional demand on the phonological representations, storage, and retrieval, and may result in adverse effects on both speech perception and production in Adults who Stutter (AWS). This preliminary study examined how speech perception in AWS would vary in two different acoustically altered, degraded scenarios.
Methods
Twenty-two participants, eleven each in AWS and Adults who do not stutter (AWNS) groups, performed speech perception tasks in two degraded conditions: a) presence of noise, and b) chimerization. The SNR-50 in the noise condition and mean intelligibility score (number of correctly repeated keywords) in the chimerized condition were compared between AWS and AWNS. We used a Bayesian approach to statistically examine the differences in speech perception across the two groups.
Results
The results revealed poor speech perception in noise in AWS compared to AWNS. Perception of sentence chimeras, however, was similar in both groups.
Conclusions
The preliminary results suggest deficits in speech perception in noise, which might be due to temporal fine-structure perception problems in AWS, imposing additional demands on phonological processing and higher cognitive mechanisms. Altogether, these results from a pilot study warrant further investigations to address the effects of faulty auditory representations on day-to-day communication in AWS.
{"title":"Perception of acoustically altered speech in adults who stutter: Preliminary findings using a Bayesian analysis approach","authors":"Dhatri S. Devaraju , Santosh Maruthy , Ajith Kumar Uppunda , Sandeep Maruthy , G. Nike Gnanateja","doi":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jfludis.2025.106172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Many factors contribute to stuttering, including phonological and temporal processing. Speech perception in challenging scenarios requires efficient temporal processing and differential weighting of the temporal envelope and fine-structure. Degrading the speech inputs would exert an additional demand on the phonological representations, storage, and retrieval, and may result in adverse effects on both speech perception and production in Adults who Stutter (AWS). This preliminary study examined how speech perception in AWS would vary in two different acoustically altered, degraded scenarios.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Twenty-two participants, eleven each in AWS and Adults who do not stutter (AWNS) groups, performed speech perception tasks in two degraded conditions: a) presence of noise, and b) chimerization. The SNR-50 in the noise condition and mean intelligibility score (number of correctly repeated keywords) in the chimerized condition were compared between AWS and AWNS. We used a Bayesian approach to statistically examine the differences in speech perception across the two groups.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results revealed poor speech perception in noise in AWS compared to AWNS. Perception of sentence chimeras, however, was similar in both groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The preliminary results suggest deficits in speech perception in noise, which might be due to temporal fine-structure perception problems in AWS, imposing additional demands on phonological processing and higher cognitive mechanisms. Altogether, these results from a pilot study warrant further investigations to address the effects of faulty auditory representations on day-to-day communication in AWS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49166,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Fluency Disorders","volume":"87 ","pages":"Article 106172"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145625368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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