Which emotion makes you stutter the most?

This goes out to all my readers. It's actually a research survey I'm currently working on. Please participate in the survey by stating which emotion makes you stutter the most in the comment session. Is it fear, anger, happiness, anxiety et cetera? Thanks for your anticipated contributions. 

Stuttering, a primarily neural motor disorder?

Good day Fabs,

How are you doing wonderful and exquisitely fabulous people?
Here I am having lunch at work and a thought propped up on my mind again. Could stuttering be primarily a disorder of some sort in the way motor neurons work in the brain? Well, I think so, and that is talking from personal experience.
Why do I think so? I shall expose my reasons as soon as I have a free time. Till then, keep cool, calm and collected.

Hi guys,  I'm back and glad to be. How have you all been? Hope fabulous and strong. Did I hear a yes? Alright, that's good. I never expected less. You know what, one thing I have to say is this: I'm  so glad I found an avenue to share my thoughts, feelings, experiences and hopes about the challenge of stuttering!

So, back to the matter. I said I think stuttering is a neural motor disorder. Yes that's right. I said so then and I still hold on to that belief. First of all, let me set the record straight, I'm not a neurologist- I am not even close, but i can say that I had a good biology teacher in high school. Therefore, my little epistle about secondary school experience was basically to drive home the fact that I have a science background and I damn well know what I'm saying...haha!

First things first, let's understand the terms in the title of this article. Neural suggest that it has to do with how the brain neurons (cells that transmit brain signals) are wired. Motor connotes movement (think SUV!). Disorder of course is when something has gone wrong or when a system isnt working right.

Now, a number of studies have pointed to the fact that stuttering is at least a problem with speech motor mechanism, that is, either the organs of speech (lips, tongue, vocal cords, diaphragm etc)  don't receive the correct motor signal from the brain (think General to soldiers), or the organs of speech don't move in a coordinated manner because of some inherent motor deficit in the organs themselves. I am not here to say whether the assumptions are right or wrong, I am only going to express the opinion I have based on my own personal experience.

More often than not, when I stutter, first it's worst when I feel less coordinated generally, like when my mind is troubled about something. This I think is a prerequisite for the seeming disarray in speech production. Let me just assume that the brain is the organ of the mind. A troubled mind = a troubled or preoccupied brain. Brain therefore doesn't have the time or resources to send the correct speech motor signal. Result, a disordered, uncoordinated speech. Mind you, I'm basing this on the assumption that the stutterer's  brain is not so skilled at making speech unconsciously hence the need for the brain's utmost attention during the process.
Second, my good days are days I'm less stressed or when I'm very comfortable in my skin. What does this seem to be saying? It still points to the fact that speech production in stutterers need a lot of brain resources for a coordinated and well-articulated speech.

Third, when I do stutter, it occurs mostly at the beginning word of a sentence.  What usually comes to my mind when this happens is that I need an ignition to fire off the first word. It is probably when this kickstart doesn't happen that I find it difficult to start the word. Please note that this also happens in the middle of a sentence. It might be that the ignition goes off and fails to start again easily and automatically like it should.

All in all, I will be happy if someday, someone somewhere sees this article and decides to carry out an extensive research on it. That would be interesting!

Brain stimulation shows promises in treating stuttering.

Dear Hopefuls,
I just stumbled on a blog brain stimulation for your stammer. Below is the article.

Brain stimulation for your stammer

OXFORD SCIENCE BLOG
Pete Wilton
22 Oct 2014

Stammering is a common condition
in children that may last into
adulthood and can affect people's
self-esteem, education and
employment prospects.
22 October is International
Stammering Awareness Day
and sees the launch of a new Oxford
University trial investigating whether
a form of non-invasive brain
stimulation could help people who
stammer achieve fluent speech more
easily and make this fluency last
longer.
I asked Kate Watkins and Jen
Chesters of Oxford University's
Department of Experimental
Psychology, who are leading the new
trial, about the science of
stammering, what the trial will
involve, and how brain stimulation
could improve current therapies…
OxSciBlog: What is stuttering/
stammering? How many people have a
stammer?
Kate Watkins: Stammering (also
known as stuttering) affects one in
twenty children and one in a hundred
adults. About four or five times more
men than women are affected.
The normal flow of speech is
disrupted when people stammer. The
speaker knows what he or she wants
to say but has problems saying it.
The characteristics of stammering
include production of frequent
repetitions of speech sounds, and
frequent hesitations when speech
appears blocked. Children and adults
who stammer can sometimes
experience restrictions in their
academic and career choices. Some
people some suffer anxiety as a
result of their speech difficulties.
OSB: What do we think causes people
to stammer?
KW: The cause of stammering is
unknown. Using MRI scans we have
noticed small differences in the
brains of people who stammer when
compared with those of people who
speak fluently. For example, we found
differences in the amount of brain
activity that occurs during speech
production in people who stammer
even when they are speaking fluently.
These brain imaging studies indicate
abnormal function of brain areas
involved in planning and producing
speech, and in monitoring speech
production. We have also used MRI
scans to look at how these brain
areas are connected and found that
the white matter connections
between these regions are disrupted
in people who stammer.
A striking feature of stammering is
that complete fluency can be
achieved by changing the way a
person perceives his or her own
speech (so by altering the way the
speaker hears his or her own voice).
For example, masking speech
production with noise (or loud music
as demonstrated in the film The
King's Speech or by Musharraf on
Educating Yorkshire) can temporarily
eliminate stuttering. Delaying auditory
feedback of speech, altering its pitch,
singing, speaking in unison with
another speaker, or speaking in time
with a metronome are all ways of
temporarily enhancing fluency in
people who stammer. These
observations tell us that the cause of
stammering may be due to a problem
in combining motor and auditory
information.
OSB: What treatments/therapies can
people currently get for stammering?
Jen Chesters: Speech and Language
Therapy for people who stammer
may involve learning to reduce
moments of stammering, or decrease
the amount of tension when
stammering. Techniques such as
speaking in time with a metronome
beat, or lengthening each speech
sound can immediately increase
fluency.
However, these approaches make
speech sound unnatural, so moving
towards fluent yet natural-sounding
speech is the main challenge during
therapy. Even when these methods
are mastered within the speech
therapy clinic, continual ongoing
practice is needed for fluency to be
maintained in everyday life. The
fluency-enhancing effects can also
just 'wear off' over time, even when
these techniques are practised
regularly. For all these reasons,
therapy for adults who stammer often
focuses instead on learning to live
with the disorder.
OSB: How might brain stimulation
improve on these?
JC: Non-invasive brain stimulation is
a promising new method for treating
disorders that affect the brain's
function. The method we use is
called transcranial direct current
stimulation (or TDCS for short). TDCS
involves passing a very weak
electrical current across surface
electrodes placed on the scalp, and
through the underlying brain tissue
(it doesn't hurt!). This stimulation
changes the excitability of the
targeted brain area. TDCS applied
during a task that engages the
stimulated brain region, can increase
and prolong task performance or
learning.
TDCS has been used in rehabilitation
studies, for example it has been
applied to brain regions involved in
speech and language to increase
these functions in patients who have
problems with speech ( aphasia )
following a stroke. We are interested
in how TDCS could help people who
stammer to achieve fluent speech
more easily, and maintain their
fluency for longer. TDCS may have
the potential to increase speech
therapy outcomes, or to reduce the
high levels of effort and practice that
are needed in traditional speech
therapy for stammering. Our research
aims to explore this potential.
OSB: What is the aim of your new trial?
JC: In this study, we want to see how
the effects of a brief course of
fluency therapy might be increased or
prolonged by using TDCS. We will
use some techniques that we know
will immediately increase fluency in
most people who stammer, such as
speaking in unison with another
person or in time with a metronome.
However, these techniques would
normally need to be combined with
other methods to help transfer this
fluency into everyday speech. We will
investigate how TDCS might help
maintain the fluent speech that is
produced using these methods.
OSB: What will volunteers be asked to
do?
JC: Volunteers will be invited to have
fluency therapy over five consecutive
days, whilst receiving TDCS. In order
to measure the effects of this
intervention, they will also be asked
to do some speech tasks before the
fluency therapy, one week after the
fluency therapy, and again six weeks
later. We are also interested in how
this combination of therapy and TDCS
may change brain function and
structure. So, volunteers will also be
invited for MRI scans before and after
the therapy.
OSB: How do you hope the trial results
will benefit patients/your research?
JC: The results of the trial will give
us a first indication about whether
TDCS might be a useful method to
develop for stammering therapy. The
research is in its early stages, so the
results of this study will not cross
over into the speech therapy clinic
just yet. However, we are hoping to
see whether TDCS shows promise for
improving speech therapy outcomes.
If it does, further research would be
needed to explore how TDCS can be
combined with speech therapy to
achieve the greatest improvements
for people who stammer.
The researchers are looking for 30 male
volunteers, aged 18-50, who have a
moderate to severe stammer. The trial
will take place at Oxford University's
Department of Experimental
Psychology.

Emotions and stuttering: a case of chicken and egg.

Hi reader,
Today, it's going to be all about my own observations and experience as a recovering stutterer. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I spend a huge amount of time trying to find a way to improve my speech impediment of stuttering. Among the many things I discovered, I want turn the spotlight on the issue of emotions and how it affects stuttering. I have heard and read it over and over again that most negative emotions such as fear and anxietyare experienced by stutterers as a result of the stuttering itself. In my opinion I believe this notion has been emphasized mostly by those who don't have a very deep understanding or a first hand experience of stuttering. The role of emotions in the dynamics of stuttering is synonymous to the riddle of the chicken and egg where the question is: which came first? Or to put it in another way, which one leads to the other?
At some point in the past, I have looked into the crucial role an organ called the amygdala plays in human emotions and ultimately, in human speech. To put it simply, amygdala plays a role in the modulation of human emotions, for example those of fear and anxiety. It is also an important player in the fight-or-flight dilemma experienced by humans when faced with a threat or the thought thereof. Now, from personal experience, I know a major contributor to my stuttering events is the presence of a negative emotion such as fear and anxiety.  It could be fear of being judged or anxiety over performance - it doesn't help that I'm a perfectionist!  It is my belief that these emotions trigger the fight-or-flight mechanism which puts a counter-productive stress on the already susceptible and precarious speech system of the stutterer. The fight-or-flight reaction then triggers a tension that tightens muscles in the body including the muscles of speech. But note that some of these happen outside of the consciousness of the person and he cannot just explain what is happening to him at that moment. The subconscious tightening of the speech muscles is what worsens the stuttering. This is not to attribute the entire stuttering event on the natural defense mechanism of fight-or-flight as it has been verified that there are actually some abnormalities in the structure and function of stutterer's speech system, but my point is we can make things easier for ourselves by eliminating the feeling of fear and anxiety before speaking.  Eventhough we cannot restructure our faulty speech makeup, we can voluntarily and deliberately and surely break the vicious cycle of negative emotion-stutterin-negative emotion.
I would like to read your opinion about this my dear reader. Please leave a comment. Love you all.

Confidence in Stuttering

As a stutterer myself, I know it's a tough nut when you're told to summon some confidence and courage in order to be able to overcome speech blocks and say what you intend to say. But I've come to realise that even though having confidence may not take away the stuttering itself, it will definitely reduce the frequency of the stutters and make you happier in communicating. I will update this particular post on ways to boost your confidence to enable an easier sail through the stormy seas of stuttering.
Love you all loads! And by the way, dear reader, you can beat me to it by dropping comments on tips to become more confident not only when speaking but also when communicating generally.
Once again, much love and *hugs*

A 2015 Snapshot of Stuttering Research

Where we have been. Where we are
going-
The NSA thanks Scott Yaruss, PhD for
compiling this information and
advocating for people affected by
stuttering.
Stuttering: No Small Issue with Recent
Big Breakthroughs
In the United States alone, more than
3 million people live with the effects
of stuttering. The disorder affects
roughly 70 million worldwide.
Recent research has shown
tremendous promise for uncovering
the genetic neurological causes of
stuttering. Studies have highlighted
specific regions of the brain—those
generally associated with the
formulation of language and the
production of speech movements—
that develop differently in people who
stutter. Researchers have also
identified genetic differences that are
associated with the occurrence of
stuttering within families.
Treatment research has highlighted
new ways of combining speaking
strategies with emotional and
cognitive support to reduce negative
reactions. Further, hope exists with
novel treatments such as
pharmaceutical intervention.
Finally, a small but growing number
of studies have hinted at the valuable
role that self-help can play in helping
people overcome the challenges
associated with stuttering.

Stuttering Research Hampered by Lack
of Funding-
Unfortunately, progress in such
research is hampered by a lack of
funding. Spending on both basic and
clinical science at the federal level
has diminished dramatically in recent
years. University research programs
have increasingly come under
pressure to cut budgets which makes
it harder for faculty to pursue labor-
intensive research projects.
The cost of research has continued
to rise, effectively reducing the
number of studies that can be
supported.
Funding from nonprofit organizations
and foundations is needed to fulfill the
promise of recent scientific and clinical
advances and to propel the research
forward.
We desperately need sustained
funding for established lines of
research, as well as for the
sponsoring of research endeavors
that may not be prioritized by federal
research agencies. We also need
funding to explore new methods and
ideas that may ultimately lead to
important breakthroughs in our
knowledge about stuttering.
Without funding it will be difficult to
maintain or expand upon recent
progress in stuttering research. With
funding there is tremendous hope for
a future in which scientists and
clinicians achieve a better
understanding of stuttering, and
people who stutter obtain better
access to effective treatment and
support.
Stuttering is not a psychological
disorder, but has a psychological
impact
Early observations of stuttering noted
the intense emotional problems
experienced by those with stuttering
disorders. Early speculation
suggested a purely emotional trigger
to stuttering. Children were often
prescribed psychotherapy in an
attempt to correct their speech. Other
theorists attempted to find the source
traumas that may have caused their
disorders. Some were taught to never
draw attention to a child’s stuttering,
believing that the additional
embarrassment would worsen the
condition.
As a result, countless children who
stutter grew up wondering what was
wrong with them—why they “couldn’t
even speak”—with no one to console
or support them as they struggled to
express themselves.
Today, we know that stuttering is not
caused by psychological trauma,
unsupportive comments by parents,
neurosis, or other people talking
about their speech. We understand
that difficulties with verbal
expression have significant
psychological consequences for both
children and adults who stutter, but
the root cause of stuttering is not of
a psychological nature.
The inability to express oneself can
be a prison and the ever present fear
of embarrassment a heavy burden.
The evolution of our understanding of
stuttering has lessened the isolation
and ignorance so many faced in
years past, yet we remain largely
uncertain of the interplay between the
physiological and psychological
components of stuttering that only
research can reveal.
Fluency is elusive for many, but better
communication is within reach
Some theorists have hypothesized
that stuttering is simply due to
inappropriate use of the speech
mechanism. Consequently, various
speech techniques have been
developed in an attempt to train
people who stutter to literally speak
differently. This training includes the
use of learned speech patterns that
are believed to be “incompatible with
stuttering.”
Such strategies do appear to be
effective in the short term. Many
speech therapists have
enthusiastically implored their clients
to “hit their targets” and “use their
techniques.”
The unfortunate result is a generation
of people who have grown up with
the mistaken conviction that they
could stop stuttering if they only tried
hard enough. If only they used the
methods taught to them, the fluency
would flourish, they are told. With
this mindset, a person who stutters
is failing to use his or her tools and
is, therefore, failing.
Artificial speech methods and fluency
tricks prove difficult for most people,
and the attempt to achieve the
unachievable places a tremendous
emotional and physical burden on
people who are already struggling
with the ability to say what they want
to say. Those who do not stutter
cannot imagine the level of
concentration required to reshape
one’s method of speech on a
constant basis.
Clinical researchers have developed
more comprehensive methods of
treatment that can help people say
what they want to say more easily,
communicate more effectively, and
live fuller lives. Yet, studies have
shown that the majority of speech-
language pathologists are
unfortunately not familiar with
effective methods of stuttering
therapy, so many people who stutter
continue to struggle without access
to appropriate therapy.
We have to not only fund research,
but also more effectively share what
the studies are showing in order to
eradicate unsuccessful therapies and
techniques and empower people who
stutter and their therapists.
Progress has been made, but a long
road is ahead
Research has shown that stuttering
is not caused by psychological
pressure or behavioral abnormalities.
It is not caused by parental
mishandling of normal speech or
incorrect speech production.
Stuttering has been shown to be a
genetically influenced, neurological
condition associated with observable,
measurable differences in both the
structure and function of the brain.
People who stutter are not doing
anything wrong; they are simply
doing the best they can with a
neurological system that is not wired
for the production of smooth speech.
The shame and stigma that has
resulted from inaccurate views about
the disorder and inadequate therapy
directly contribute to the adverse
impact that many people who stutter
experience in their lives.
The scientific and clinical
shortcomings of the past highlight
the need for more and better
research on the nature, cause,
evaluation, and treatment of
stuttering in the future. Only through
careful, focused research of the
disorder and its consequences will
researchers and therapists be able to
improve clinical services and reduce
the burden experienced by people
who stutter.
You can help-
Every dollar contributed to funding
research is one step further to a
cure. If not the NSA, then who will
take this on? If not now, then when?
Visit the donate button on the NSA
website, select research and let’s
crack the code! The next generation
is relying on us.

Culled from http://www.westutter.org/know-stuttering-research/

Welcome to my stuttering research blog!

Hi, I'm Ajoke. I want to welcome you to my blog where I'm going to be exposing various research (old, recent and ongoing) on the speech challenge called stuttering. At certain points, I'm also going to be sneaking in my own observations and comments but basically it's going to be about research carried out by other people.
I'm a recovering stutterer and one thing I know for certain is that I wouldn't have made it thus far if not for the unrelenting effort I put into research activities. I want to be able to use the power of research to help the other people out there who stutter. Not only that, I believe this blog will, as time goes on, shine the spotlight on areas that need further detailed and more scientific research.