Here’s how I see it: The root cause of developmental stuttering seems to come from genetic and neurological factors. These factors can mess up our tonic dopamine levels which is like the baseline "fuel" for our speech motor system. If tonic dopamine levels are low the speech system gets destabilized making it more likely to trip up over words.. personally I call this mechanical type of stuttering-like disfluencies Now, stimuli or cues, like saying your own name. They don’t actually *cause* stuttering. But they can make it worse, for example 'fear of stuttering' can trigger stuttering. That’s because phasic dopamine comes into play here. Phasic dopamine works on a milli-second basis (unlike tonic dopamine which works on a minute or hour basis). Phasic dopamine's aim (as I understand it) is to help fine-tuning the execution of words.. by delaying its execution which may then result in an actual block.. which I personally consider execution difficulty type stuttering The cool thing is that phasic and tonic dopamine systems work together. So. Almost like a team, to keep everything running. Like, phasic bursts can temporarily elevate tonic levels. The way I see it is, a weak tonic background can provide a poor steady-state baseline or poor readiness (poor general background motor tone) (i.e., reduced ability to sustain effective communication under normal conditions). Some PWS might not stutter yet at age 3 (stuttering onset might occur later in many PWS). So, if this is true it might suggest that being predisposed to low tonic dopamine in and of itself - is not the execution-difficulty type stuttering. So, here comes phasic dopamine into play. The goal of this post is to share our valuable insights. Your thoughts about this whole ambiguous topic? Conclusion: So, that's why I think finding a balance between the two is so important. Anyway, that’s just my take on how it all works. What do you think?