News And Education Centre

Stuttering: Blood flow in the brain may play a role It is diminished in the language region known as Broca’s area Stuttering is a disorder that causes halting speech. People once thought stuttering was just a symptom of being overly nervous. No more. Many people inherit their condition, and a new study points to blood flow as a possible contributor. Stuttering causes halting speech. Myths about its cause and possible cures abound. People once believed tickling a baby too much could lead to stuttering. Others blamed it on having left a baby out in the rain. Some tried to cure the disorder by holding nutmeg under a stutterer’s nose or slapping the victim with a shoe. Some people still treat stutterers as if they’re unintelligent, or overly nervous. Even scientists have been stumped by what’s behind this language disorder. Brain imaging, however, may just have filled in an important piece of the stuttering puzzle. Jay Desai is a clinical neurologist. He works at the Children’s Hospit