What we do
About our project
Our motivation for this research
Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental speech production disorder that originates in early childhood with typical age of symptom onset between 2 to 5 years. Most affected children recover within 2-3 years after onset. So far, the pathophysiology of developmental stuttering and its possible neuro-anatomical origins are still unclear.
Our aim
There is need for more pediatric neuroimaging studies investigating the associations between stuttering in early childhood and brain development. Therefore, we aim to validate and extend the findings of prior research in the association of stuttering and structural brain morphometry so that these findings are contributed toward understanding the brain morphometry of stuttering.
How we will perform this research
Our study is part of the Generation R neuroimaging sub study (n=4000). We explore and compare specific speech production brain regions in children who persist in stuttering to children who start out stuttering but eventually recover, and to peers who speak normal fluent (n=500).
Our is the desirable outcome
This is the first neuroimaging study investigating childhood stuttering in a large birth cohort, which is well suited to study neurodevelopmental disorders. This provides an unique opportunity to explore brain development in a large group of young children at an age close to the onset of stuttering.
Collaborations
Collaborations within Erasmus MC
- Department of Child and Adolescent Radiology and Psychiatry (in the Generation R Study)
Collaboration outside Erasmus MC
- University of Michigan, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, USA, Soo- Eun Chang PhD
Our team
- S.P.C. (Simone) Koenraads MD
- M.C. (Marie-Christine) Franken PhD
- M. (Marc) van der Schroeff MD PhD
