Revisiting the acquired neurogenic stuttering in the light of developmental stuttering

The neural underpinnings of acquired neurogenic stuttering (ANS) remain largely speculative owing to the multitude of etiologies and cerebral substrates implicated with this fluency disorder. Systematic investigations of ANS under various fluency-enhancing conditions have begun only in the recent past and these studies are indicative of the heterogeneous nature of the disorder. In this context, we present the case of a subject with ANS who exhibited marked reduction in dysfluencies under masked auditory feedback (MAF), singing, and pacing (speech therapy). However, the adaptation effect was absent in our subject. By explaining these features in the light of recent explanatory hypotheses derived from developmental stuttering (DS), we highlight on the possible similarity in the neural underpinnings of ANS and DS.

Research highlights
► Performance of a subject with ANS under fluency-enhancing conditions is presented.
► Recent hypotheses derived from Developmental Stuttering could largely explain it.
► Highlights the possible similarity in neural underpinnings between ANS and DS.
► ANS and DS exhibit inter-subject variability under fluency-enhancing conditions.
► First study to employ the Masked Auditory Feedback in ANS.