Some new research on stuttering and genetics that identified three genes responsible is outlined on this page http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=798
I like the way Julie explains the new research study on genetics and stuttering in her blog http://www.juliesimonlakehomer.com/wonder-of-the-moment/2010/2/11/revelation-genes-cause-stuttering.html?lastPage=true#comment7880607
Showing posts with label Genetics and stuttering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Genetics and stuttering. Show all posts
Stuttering Foundation Hails New Research
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The mystery behind a complex disorder called stuttering became a little clearer today with the announcement of the discovery of three genes for stuttering by Dennis Drayna, Ph.D., a director of the Stuttering Foundation and researcher for the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
“This research is important because it’s another indication that emotional factors such as anxiety or ‘bad parenting’ do not cause stuttering. It could also point the way for a cure one day,” says Jane Fraser, president of the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation.
“We hear every day from parents worried that they have caused their child’s stuttering. Parents don’t cause stuttering, and this research should lift the burden of guilt from their shoulders,” Fraser noted. “But because a cure may be years away, speech therapy and early intervention with young children remain the best option for now.”
“We have long known that stuttering runs in families,” says Fraser. “We want to emphasize that a genetic predisposition for stuttering does not mean a person will have a lifelong problem. Early treatment in young children can effectively prevent stuttering.”
Developing an understanding of the biological basis of stuttering may someday lead to better early diagnosis, differential treatments for people with genetic indicators, and a better understanding of how speech production happens differently for people who stutter. Although Dr. Drayna notes that his findings are unlikely to have any immediate impact on treatment, they nonetheless represent a giant step forward.
“This research is important because it’s another indication that emotional factors such as anxiety or ‘bad parenting’ do not cause stuttering. It could also point the way for a cure one day,” says Jane Fraser, president of the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation.
“We hear every day from parents worried that they have caused their child’s stuttering. Parents don’t cause stuttering, and this research should lift the burden of guilt from their shoulders,” Fraser noted. “But because a cure may be years away, speech therapy and early intervention with young children remain the best option for now.”
“We have long known that stuttering runs in families,” says Fraser. “We want to emphasize that a genetic predisposition for stuttering does not mean a person will have a lifelong problem. Early treatment in young children can effectively prevent stuttering.”
Developing an understanding of the biological basis of stuttering may someday lead to better early diagnosis, differential treatments for people with genetic indicators, and a better understanding of how speech production happens differently for people who stutter. Although Dr. Drayna notes that his findings are unlikely to have any immediate impact on treatment, they nonetheless represent a giant step forward.
copied from a Stuttering Foundation press release www.stutteringhelp.org
Stuttering and genetics
http://themediavore.posterous.com/study-finds-stuttering-is-often-genetic has a very good NPR segment on stuttering and genetics.
Stuttering and Genetics
The internet is buzzing with information about the study that found that stuttering is linked to genetics. If my grandparents were alive today, they would be happy to read Jane Fraser's comment "Parents don't cause stuttering, and this research should lift the burden of guilt from their shoulders" and be assured that their parenting skills did not cause the stuttering in their sons.
Research on genetics in stuttering
"by Dennis Drayna, PhD National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institutes of Health
Stuttering has long been known to cluster in families, and much evidence has accumulated that genetic factors help cause stuttering in some cases. However, the lack of clear inheritance patterns in stuttering has made genetic studies slow and difficult.
A new study recently published in the journal Nature has now established the importance of specific genes in speech disorders. A group in London led by Dr. Tony Monaco has done research that has lead to the identification of a specific gene on chromosome 7 necessary for proper speech production. They have designated this gene Speech1.
This research team has been studying an unusual family, known as the KE family, in which many members are affected with a speech disorder that affects both the ability to construct proper sentence structure and also the ability to produce speech sounds. Dr. Monaco's team found mutations in the Speech1 gene are the cause of this disorder. The Speech1 gene itself appears to code for a genetic switch, that is, a molecule that turns other genes on and off.
Through this group of other genes, it appears that Speech1 may control the development of parts of the body, including the brain, which are specifically involved in speech production. It is believed that studies of the Speech1 gene and the other genes it controls will lead to important new insights into how speech is produced, and could help lead to treatments of other speech disorders, including stuttering. " copied from http://www.stutteringhelp.org/
More information about research on stuttering can be found on this page of The Stuttering Foundation's web site http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=35
Stuttering has long been known to cluster in families, and much evidence has accumulated that genetic factors help cause stuttering in some cases. However, the lack of clear inheritance patterns in stuttering has made genetic studies slow and difficult.
A new study recently published in the journal Nature has now established the importance of specific genes in speech disorders. A group in London led by Dr. Tony Monaco has done research that has lead to the identification of a specific gene on chromosome 7 necessary for proper speech production. They have designated this gene Speech1.
This research team has been studying an unusual family, known as the KE family, in which many members are affected with a speech disorder that affects both the ability to construct proper sentence structure and also the ability to produce speech sounds. Dr. Monaco's team found mutations in the Speech1 gene are the cause of this disorder. The Speech1 gene itself appears to code for a genetic switch, that is, a molecule that turns other genes on and off.
Through this group of other genes, it appears that Speech1 may control the development of parts of the body, including the brain, which are specifically involved in speech production. It is believed that studies of the Speech1 gene and the other genes it controls will lead to important new insights into how speech is produced, and could help lead to treatments of other speech disorders, including stuttering. " copied from http://www.stutteringhelp.org/
More information about research on stuttering can be found on this page of The Stuttering Foundation's web site http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=35
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)