Brain studies may alter long-held concepts about likely causes of some voice disorders

Two voice disorders long considered to be psychological problems, stuttering and spasmodic dysphonia, have been shown in many persons to have a neurophysiological basis. Investigators at the 155th national meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in San Francisco, described their findings, which are based on new analytic techniques. The research is being done at the Dallas Center for Vocal Motor Control, Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas at Dallas Health Science Center. The technology employed to learn what's wrong with the brains, rather than the psyches, of persons with certain speech disorders includes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM), and single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). The results of applying these techniques are combined with quantitative behavioral measures of vocal and nonvocal motor control, language performance, and cognition to arrive at a better understanding of the problem