New Research Illuminates the Brain’s Role in Stuttering,Offering Hope for Improved Treatments
Dana Point,CA - September 14,2025 – Groundbreaking research presented this week at the inaugural conference of the Stuttering Treatment and Research Society (STARS) is shedding new light on the neurological underpinnings of stuttering,a speech disorder affecting an estimated 80 million people worldwide.
Shahriar SheikhBahaei,PhD,assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior at SUNY Stony Brook University,delivered a compelling presentation detailing the complex interplay of brain circuits,motor function,and even breathing patterns that contribute to this often-debilitating condition. Dr. SheikhBahaei, who also lives with stuttering, is a member of the STARS advisory committee and a leading voice in the field.
“Speech is an incredibly complex motor behavior,” Dr. SheikhBahaei explained in an exclusive interview with World-Today-news.com at the conference. “It requires over 100 muscles to work in perfect synchrony.While we’ve long understood that this coordination is essential, recent advances, particularly the progress of animal models, are allowing us to understand how it happens at a cellular and circuit level.”
This new understanding focuses on identifying the specific brain circuits – both inhibitory and excitatory – responsible for orchestrating speech. Researchers are now able to pinpoint the roles of these circuits, leading to a more thorough picture of the neurobiology of speech production.
Dopamine and the Motor-Learning Connection
A key area of examination highlighted by Dr. SheikhBahaei is the role of dopamine, a neurotransmitter crucial for both motor control and learning. Brain regions rich in dopamine are heavily involved in vocal motor behaviors, suggesting a strong link between dopamine function and fluent speech.
“Dopamine has long been recognized as important for speech,” Dr. SheikhBahaei stated, “and we’re now exploring how disruptions in dopamine signaling might contribute to stuttering.”
The breath-Speech Connection
Perhaps surprisingly, research is also revealing a critical connection between speech and breathing. Dr. SheikhBahaei noted that nearly all species – with the notable exception of frogs – vocalize during exhalation.Studies,both in animal models and with human subjects,have identified abnormalities in respiratory circuits in individuals who stutter.
“This suggests that the coordination between respiratory and vocal circuits is often affected in those who stutter,” he explained.
Why Some Outgrow It, and the Role of Anxiety
One of the most enduring mysteries in stuttering research is why some children naturally overcome the disorder while others continue to struggle. Dr. sheikhbahaei believes that disrupted development and refinement of the motor circuits controlling respiration, facial movements, and vocalization may be a key factor.
Dr. SheikhBahaei addressed the common perception of a link between stuttering and anxiety. While acknowledging that anxiety can exacerbate stuttering, he clarified that individuals who stutter are not inherently more anxious.
“Existing data shows that people who stutter aren’t more anxious,but anxiety certainly makes stuttering worse,” he said. “Speaking requires incredibly rapid and precise brain activity, and even small disruptions in timing can trigger stuttering in susceptible individuals.”
This research represents a significant step forward in understanding the neurological basis of stuttering, paving the way for more targeted and effective treatments in the future.
Reference:
- SheikhBahaei S. A Neurobiologic Understanding of Stuttering. Presented at STARS Inaugural Education and Research Conference; Dana Point, California; September 13
