Regional Differences in Brain Structure Underlying Childhood Stuttering Persistence and Recovery: An MRI Study

CWPS and CWRS exhibited similar structural anomalies when contrasted to CWNS in several cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar regions critical for speech motor sequencing and sensorimotor integration, such as the left inferior frontal area, bilateral temporoparietal regions, as well as several areas in the basal ganglia and thalamus. When CWPS and CWRS were compared, the latter often exhibited intermediate tissue volume compared to the other two groups in the regions noted above. Results point to a structural basis for stuttering that is likely associated with inefficient function of cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar structures that normally work together in a coordinated fashion to achieve timely and efficient sensorimotor processing. Stuttering recovery, on the other hand, appears to involve maturation of these structures to resemble tissue growth in normally fluent children, enabling normalization of sensorimotor function, and hence, fluent speech production.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Speech and Hearing Science

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Chang, Soo-Eun

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ambrose, Nicoline G.

• Health Sciences, Speech Pathology

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3198940

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/85210