What Causes Stuttering?

Stuttering (commonly known as "stamming" or "stubbing") is a speech disorder that manifests itself as frequent and involuntary repetitions (voices, syllables, words, or phrases) of speech that differ in frequency and intensity from normal fluent people Pauses and prolonged interruptions. It also includes abnormal hesitation or pauses before speech (known as stutterers by stutterers) and prolongation of certain speech (usually vowels). Many manifestations of stuttering cannot be observed by others; this includes fear of specific phonemes (usually consonants), words and words, fear of specific situations, anxiety, tension, shyness, and feelings of "out of control" in speech. It involves many aspects such as genetics, neurophysiological development, family and society, etc. It is a very complicated language disorder.

Basic Information

Also known as

Stutter

English name

stuttering

Visiting department

Otorhinolaryngology

Common symptoms

Genetic factors, dysplasia of the neural center of language, neurophysiological abnormalities, psychological factors, physiological diseases, imitation, suggestion

Contagious

no

Causes of stuttering

Genetic factor

Some scholars have suggested that certain genes are related to stuttering5. But the hypothesis that genes cause stuttering needs to be further tested. Stuttering is a familial disease in some families, but it has not been ascertained whether the onset of this family disease is due to genetic or social factors.

2. Linguistic nerve central dysplasia or neurophysiological abnormalities

That is, the nervous system is closely related to pronunciation, language understanding and even reading and writing.

Among preschool children, boys are twice as likely to stutter than girls. And girls recovered from stuttering more than boys. After fifth grade (approximately 11 to 12 years old), the ratio of stuttering to men and women increased to 4: 1. Parents should take their child to a speech therapist immediately after finding out that the child has stuttering symptoms. They should not delay, let alone wait and ignore the stuttering, and pray for automatic rehabilitation.

Studies have shown that the persistent stuttering that occurred as a child may be caused by abnormalities in the left brain, causing a disconnection between the cerebral cortex and speaking ability. Experts point out that because the left brain has not fully grasped the timeliness for the language region to function, the left brain overcompensates for this deficiency, making the speech unable to flow smoothly. When scanning the brain of stuttering people using magnetic resonance instruments, research found that they have areas with different activities or organizational structures than those who speak normally (such as lateralization of the cerebral cortex, abnormalities in the temporal plane of the central high-level auditory zone, and Abnormal cingulate gyrus, anterior island lobe, basal nucleus, cerebellum, limbic system, etc.).

3. Psychological reasons

Such as stress, anxiety, stress. Mental factors are the main cause of stuttering.

4. Physiological diseases

Such as children with brain infections, head injuries, and suffering from pertussis, measles, flu, scarlet fever and other infectious diseases are also likely to cause stuttering.

5. Imitation and hinting.

Stuttering clinical manifestations

Stuttering is not just the phenomenon of stuttering when you speak. In fact, it contains three closely linked layers:

1. The core behavior of stuttering

Also called core symptoms of stuttering. Refers to your stuttered, abnormal language expression. That is, you should be a smooth, rhythmic language expression process, interrupted by excessive, uncontrollable voice repetition, lengthening and jamming.

2. The additional behavior of stuttering

Also called the second act of stuttering, or the second symptom of stuttering. It refers to various abnormal actions and behaviors that you show in order to avoid and get rid of the core behavior of stuttering. Like blinking, stomping your feet, clearing your throat, face, and head twitching, biting your fingersand deliberately stopping your speech, or avoiding situations where you might feel stressed or stuttered.

3. Stuttering Psychology

The most mysterious and huge part of stuttering involves both emotional and cognitive aspects. It includes not only the negative feelings and emotions such as the fear, anxiety, stress, shame, guilt, frustration that stuttering brings to you, but also your views on stuttering, yourself, the whole life and the world, and Cognition.

4. Additional behavioral and psychological characteristics of stuttering

(1) Psychological characteristics Fear: It is one of the main psychological characteristics of stuttering friends. They are extremely afraid of speaking and communication. They try their best to avoid talking, avoid communication, cover up their stuttering, and isolate themselves from the outside world. This manifests itself in a variety of phobias: stuttering phobia, social phobia, telephone phobia, and more. Pessimism: It is a major psychological factor that aggravates the symptoms of stuttering. Because of stuttering, they have suffered too many frustrations in their studies, work, and life, and they think that stuttering is incurable. This life is over, and they are hopeless for the future. On the contrary, extreme pessimism has aggravated the symptoms of stuttering. , Causing a vicious circle. Negative emotion: It is also one of the important reasons for stuttering. A career rout and a frustration on the emotional field will take a heavy blow to your spirit. If you fail to turn around, you may lose your energy. The negative emotions at this time are not necessarily related to our stuttering, but they are a fuse leading to our stuttering. Due to long-term stuttering, frustration in communicative situations will make our spirits feel weak. The main manifestations are lack of fighting spirit, mental stupidity, weak will, and loss of confidence in life. This psychology is also a chronic poison that corrupts the soul.

(2) Defects in personality: inferiority and cowardice, self-enclosement, depression and shyness, indecision, and irritability. These stutterers have complex and contradictory personality traits, and even severe ones have abnormal personality. Inferiority and cowardice: Most stutterers are very inferior and feel that they are inferior to others. They are weak and afraid of things and do not dare to protect themselves when they are bullied. Self-closing: Stuttering friends often lock themselves in a small world and isolate themselves from the outside world. Try to avoid all people coming and going; work, study, and shopping are trembling and honest. Depression and shyness: Depression and sullenness are a major personality defect of stutterers, and emotions are lonely, unhappy, anxious, sad, and disappointed all day long; shyness is also a manifestation of too much self, always paying attention to others' evaluation Therefore, in front of people, he always showed a look of Ni Ni, and could not express himself generously. Indecisiveness: It seems to be a common problem of most stuttering friends. They are unsure and hesitant when encountering problems. Anxiety: Stutterers are initially afraid of talking, stuttering, and communication, so they avoid all communication with relatives and friends, and become more and more indifferent when they get along with others; in the eyes of outsiders, it may be a mild temperament Good old people, when they get along with the closest ones, when they encounter unpleasant things, they will ignite a nameless fire, and even yell at them.

(3) Behavioral abnormalities Avoid liveliness, loneliness and joy. Chang Lizhi and Chang Yazhi are mainly because on the one hand stuttering friends want to change themselves, but their mobility is too poor to be persistent. In social occasions, he speaks with rhetoric, hesitates with deeds, acts with restraint, and feels helpless.

(4) Speech morbid manifestation is urgent, fast, fierce, heavy, want to say can not; blushing heartbeat, facial muscle distortion, strange body movements, etc. Stuttering disease basically has the above four characteristics. When we make a correction plan for ourselves, we can only achieve better results by considering various aspects.

Stuttering treatment

There is a lot of consensus on the causes and symptoms of stuttering problems. However, there is no unified consensus on stuttering correction methods, because so far, people have not found effective methods to correct stuttering.

Although the correction of stuttering is still in the exploratory stage, many corrective methods with certain effects have also been born. Among them, the pronunciation method, breathing method, Morita therapy, breakthrough method, and drug treatment method are relatively influential.

Pronunciation

It is to be pronounced gently at the beginning of each sentence. Changing the initial pronunciation of stutterers is often very urgent. The speed of speech must be reduced to a very slow level, at the beginning of 60-100 words a minute, and people usually speak at a speed of 200 words per minute. This has two effects. One is to slow down and calm the mind. The other is to have a sense of rhythm. Both of these can effectively reduce stuttering. Stutterers don't stutter when they recite and sing, because there is a stable sense of rhythm in them.

Breathing method

Promote abdominal breathing. Because deep breathing can make the muscles get proper movement and coordination, it can relax and ease the tension of all parts of the body and facial muscles, and gradually eliminate the accompanying movements. Deep breathing can affect people's emotions, and can relax and calm the excited emotions.

3. Breakthrough method

Stuttering patients are organized together or alone in crowded places to speak, sing, and gradually overcome the fear of speaking.

4. Morita therapy

Morita therapy is a method for treating mental illness. The core idea is "let it be, and do what you want." Give up the treatment of stuttering, accept stuttering, and do what you should do. This kind of thinking is similar to dying. This method can effectively alleviate the psychological stress of patients with stuttering.

5. Drug treatment

There are currently some anti-dopamines (dopamine antagonists) that suppress stuttering, including haloperidol, risperidone, and olanzapine. The effectiveness of these drugs in reducing stuttering has been tested in double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies. These drugs can generally reduce stuttering by 33% -55%. However, haloperidol is rarely used in patients with stuttering because of its strong side effects. Risperidone and olanzapine have relatively small side effects. However, the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of the three drugs for stuttering treatment. Some clinical trials are currently underway, and if the results go well, the FDA may soon approve the first drug for stuttering. Another drug that is effective in reducing stuttering is pagolone, a specific aminobutyric acid gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor-modulating drug.

Some other drugs can aggravate stuttering, and even cause the non-stuttering population to eat. These drugs include some dopamine agonists, such as Ritalon; and some specific antiserotonin reabsorption drugs (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine and resuscitation.

6. Silence therapy

When you are nervous or expectant to stutter, say less or not. Stuttering is a conditional reflex. Years of stuttering will strengthen your conditioning. However, in a stressful environment, if you say less or not, the chance of stuttering will be reduced, and the conditioned reflex of stuttering will gradually fade and eventually disappear. It needs to be emphasized that using this method does not mean that you do not speak and talk less. On the contrary, you need to communicate with people often and listen more, but only occasionally when you are nervous or expect stuttering, just say less.

There are many ways to correct stuttering. In addition to therapies that are harmful to the body, patients with stuttering can dare to try. Many stuttering patients have acquired a new language through some of the above methods.

Stuttering factors affecting treatment

It has something to do with the factors that treat stuttering and your corrective attitude, corrective opinion, and corrective actions. These factors include aspects that can have a substantial impact on the correction process, such as human feelings, emotions, stress, distractions, getting help from others, motivation, and so on.

Feelings and emotions

Relieve the nervousness when speaking, and pay attention to eliminating the bad stimuli. Stuttering is not a simple language barrier. It is a complex dysfunction in both physical and psychological aspects. Psychologically speaking, we can say that stuttering is generally caused by stutterers avoiding stuttering at all costs.

2. Tension and relaxation

Because fear strains muscles too much, muscle relaxation is a major goal of treatment. Nervousness, which arises from fear, plays a key role in stimulating patients 'stuttering and is a direct trigger for patients' language difficulties.

3. divert attention

Diverting your attention when you expect to experience language difficulties can temporarily cover your fears.

4. Get support from others.