Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

Persistent developmental stuttering affects more than three million people in the United States, and it can have profound adverse effects on quality of life. Despite its prevalence and negative impact, stuttering has resisted explanation and effective treatment, due in large part to a poor understanding of the neural processing impairments underlying the disorder. The overall goal of this study is to improve understanding of the brain mechanisms involved in speech motor planning and how these are disrupted in neurogenic speech disorders, like stuttering. The investigators will do this through an integrated combination of experiments that involve speech production, functional MRI, and non-invasive brain stimulation. The study is designed to test hypotheses regarding the brain processes involved in learning and initiating new speech sound sequences and how those processes compare in persons with persistent developmental stuttering and those with typical speech development. These processes will be studied in both adults and children. Additionally, these processes will be investigated in patients with neurodegenerative speech disorders (primary progressive aphasia) to further inform the investigators understanding of the neural mechanisms that support speech motor sequence learning. Together these experiments will result in an improved account of the brain mechanisms underlying speech production in fluent speakers and individuals who stutter, thereby paving the way for the development of new therapies and technologies for addressing this disorder.


Clinical Trial Description

n/a


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT05437159
Study type Interventional
Source Boston University Charles River Campus
Contact Frank H Guenther, PhD
Phone 6173535765
Email guenther@bu.edu
Status Recruiting
Phase N/A
Start date April 3, 2023
Completion date May 2026

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT03335722 - Investigating Non-invasive Brain Stimulation to Enhance Fluency in People Who Stutter N/A
Recruiting NCT05908123 - Exploring the Nature, Assessment and Treatment of Stuttering N/A
Terminated NCT03437512 - Non-invasive Brain Stimulation in Adults Who Stutter N/A
Recruiting NCT06181149 - Auditory Prediction and Error Evaluation in the Speech of Individuals Who Stutter N/A
Recruiting NCT05185726 - TreatPaCS = Treatment for Preschool Age Children Who Stutter N/A