ScienceDaily: Gene discoveries give new hope to people who stutter

ScienceDaily: Gene discoveries give new hope to people who stutter “In two papers published this week, Jennifer "Piper" Below, PhD, and Shelly Jo Kraft, PhD, describe a "genetic architecture" for developmental stuttering and report the discovery of new genetic variations associated with the condition. The researchers said that these findings, which were published in The American Journal of Human Genetics and Human Genetics and Genomics Advances, and studies like them have the potential to identify therapeutic directions that could improve outcomes for people who stutter. "It's clear that in populations, stuttering is polygenic, meaning that there are multiple different genetic factors contributing to and protecting people from risk," said Below, associate professor of Medicine at VUMC. "That was something that had not been clearly shown before these studies." The new revelations will have a huge impact on people who stutter and on the parents of children affected by the condition, predicted Kraft, associate professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and director of the Behavior, Speech & Genetics Lab at Wayne State University.” More on the link: [Gene discoveries give new hope to people who stutter](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211202153920.htm)