What is neurogenic stuttering?
A signal problem between the brain and the nerves or muscles controlling speech Neurogenic is stuttering. Although stuttering was once believed to be a psychological condition or a problem with thought or reasoning, those conditions are now believed to account for only a small number of people who stutter.When the brain is unable to coordinate all of the muscles involved in producing speech neurogenic stuttering occurs. Neurogenic stuttering is caused by problems in the signaling between the brain and the various muscles and nerves used in generating speech. After a stroke or damage to the brain this may occur.
Neurogenic stuttering has repetitions, prolongations, and blocks. Neurogenic stutterers lack the facial grimaces, eye blinking, and fears and anxieties of developmental stuttering. The symptoms of neurogenic stuttering can be similar to those seen in other fluency disorders. Some communication disorders such as dysarthria, apraxia of speech, palilalia, and aphasia may impair the speaker’s ability to produce smooth and flowing speech production. In adults or children neurogenic stuttering is seen occasionally. These individuals are likely to have suffered some cerebral injury to the left or right hemisphere or both or have had damage of the subcortical structures or diffused affection of the central nervous system or suffered from some metabolic disorders.
Neurogenic stuttering has no localization value. It may occur due to lesion in the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes or following damage to the low and high brainstem, the basal ganglia, the cerebellum to the white matter tracts of the frontal lobes of either hemispheres.
Treatment in this case is only supportive as the patient regains normal fluency spontaneously. For persistent neurogenic stuttering use of pacing boards, delayed auditory feedback, masking, transcutaneous nerve stimulation, biofeedback and relaxation are recommended methods of treatment.
