LINGUISTIC PERFORMANCE AND REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW IN PERSONS WHO STUTTER

In a series of studies regarding CNS dysfunction in stuttering, we hav e examined linguistic and motoric performance in the context of measur es of brain function. Previous studies of adults with developmental st uttering identified alterations in brain function (metabolic and elect rophysiologic) in cortical regions implicated in models of speech moto r control and language processing. We also identified a sub-group of t hese subjects who exhibited linguistic performance deficits related to speech performance deficits. The present study examined the hypothesi s that adults who stutter and who show linguistic performance deficits will also show metabolic alterations in cortical regions classically related to language processing, whereas adults who stutter but who do not show linguistic performance deficits will not show these cortical metabolic alterations. Significant relative blood flow asymmetry (left < right) was observed in middle temporal and inferior frontal cortica l regions only for adults who both stuttered and showed linguistic per formance deficits. Results support models that explicitly recognize th at efficient integration of linguistic, motoric, and cognitive process es is critical to the production of oral/verbal fluency and to underst anding sources of fluency failure.