A Review of the Pharmacological properties of potential drugs for the treatment of stuttering from the past to the future

Abstract

Stuttering has been described as a chronic speech disorder characterized by involuntary, frequent repetition of words, syllables or phrases, which leads to the loss of smoothness and fluency of speech. Stuttering provokes the deterioration of patient's emotional condition and their functioning in society. Despite the stuttering is a common disorder, especially in childhood, the pharmaceutical industry is constantly unable to offer an effective and safe treatment for those patients. The aim of our study was to provide an insight into the past and present of efforts to introduce “anti-stuttering” drugs on the market. The study is based on a detailed analysis of literature from available databases from the years 1975–2017, which focuses on stuttering, and attempts to the pharmacological treatment of the disease. In fact, there is no approved by Food and Drug Administration medical treatment for stuttering and medical communities do not recognize stuttering as a notable medical matter. Recent studies have discovered new mechanisms that indicate novel neuropsychological grounds for the occurrence of stuttering syndromes. It provides an outstanding opportunity to implement new drugs into treatment for stuttering and take advantage of their pleiotropic effects towards the human body. New drugs with mechanisms of action dependent on dopamine receptors and GABA-metabolism may demonstrate an effective solution in stuttering treatment. Perhaps, the answers we seek are closer than we think.