Corpus callosum morphology in children who stutter

Abstract

Multiple studies have reported both functional and neuroanatomical differences between adults who stutter and their normally fluent peers. However, the reasons for these differences remain unclear although some developmental data suggest that structural brain differences may be present in school-age children who stutter. In the present study, the corpus callosum of children with persistent stuttering, children who recovered from stuttering and typically developing children between 9 and 12 years of age was compared to test if the presence of aberrant callosal morphology is implicated in this disorder. The total corpus callosum midsagittal area and area of each subsection consisting of the rostrum, anterior midbody, posterior midbody and splenium were measured using MIPAV (Medical Image Processing, Analysis, and Visualization). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was also used to compare white matter volume. No differences were detected in the corpus callosum area or white matter volume between children with persistent stuttering, children who recovered from stuttering and typically developing children. These results agree with dichotic listening studies that indicate children who stutter show the typical right ear advantage. Therefore, the neural reorganization across the midline shown in adults who stutter may be the result of long-term adaptations to persistent stuttering.Learning outcomes: Educational objectives: After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (1) summarize research findings on corpus callosum development; and (2) discuss the characteristics of corpus callosum anatomy in stuttering.