Speech Signals in Stuttering

The purpose of this research study is to understand how speech and language are processed in the brain. This study will provide information that may help with the understanding how speech and language are processed in children and whether there may be differences between children who stutter and children who do not stutter. This project will evaluate these neural processes for speech signals in children who stutter and control subjects through a battery of behavioral speech and language tests, electroencephalography-based (EEG) tasks, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and computational modeling.

Inclusion Criteria: * Speaks English as primary language * Language abilities within the typical range * Cognitive abilities within the typical range * No contraindications for MRI Inclusion criteria for children who stutter: * Presence of developmental stuttering (onset in childhood) * No history of other communication disorder Inclusion criteria for children who do not stutter: * No family history of stuttering * No history of other communication disorders (e.g., hearing impairment, language impairment, cognitive impairment/injury) Exclusion Criteria: * Taking medication that alters neural function * Cognitive skills below the typical range * Major medical illness * Not a fluent speaker of English * Pregnant or possibly pregnant * Metal implants in your body (including pacemakers, neurostimulators, or other metal objects) * Shrapnel injuries * Ocular foreign bodies (e.g., metal shavings) * Metal piercings that cannot be removed for the scan * Tattoos containing iron or metal pigments * Prone to claustrophobia * For fMRI, those with head circumference greater than 60cm or whose weight is more than 300 pounds will be excluded due to the size of the fMRI magnet bore