Activity differences in the brain of people with persistent developmental stuttering using functional magnetic resonance imaging during resting state position and active state position

Abstract Background: Examining behavior, structure, and function of the brain of people with persistent developmental stuttering is necessary to unravel the suspected underlying neuronal mechanisms of stuttering. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether brain activation is related to the moment of stuttering can be identified using fMRI. Materials and Methods: This study is a case-control study, where seven adult males with persistent developmental stuttering (age range 18-28 years; M= 20.7; SD= 3.4) and seven normally fluent adults (age matched) were engaged. Results: Results indicated that adult people who stutter showed bilateral cortical activity in speech-related brain regions (middle temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus) during resting state posture. During the active state position, a bilateral cortical activity appeared in speech-related brain regions of precentral gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus. Conclusion: The findings of the current study propose that improvement in the coordination and connectivity between auditory and motor regions may enhance the fluency of speech.