Insights and research related to stuttering

Insights and research related to stuttering Hi, i would like to share some insights from my own personal experiences with stuttering, some relevant research that investigates it and potential areas for further inquiry. I have noticed that whenever I'm trying to learn or memorize something, i tend to stutter more. I also notice whenever I'm speaking and thinking at the same time, for example, like giving a presentation, I stutter more than usual. I often have trouble recalling the right words to articulate an idea when I'm giving a presentation. It just wouldn't come to my mind, even if i already know the word and its meaning.. and me trying so hard to recall this word on the spot makes me stutter. But somehow, all these right words pop into my mind when I'm more relaxed and not thinking deeply after the presentation. So it made me realize there must be some sort of relationship between stuttering, working memory, and cognitive load. So when i scanned the literature, i came across this \[study\](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17825670/) that suggests that stuttering may involve working memory to some extent, particularly in tasks that require utterance planning and attention processes​. I was also investigating the potential transfer effects of N-back training on working memory. That's when i came across this \[post\](https://www.reddit.com/r/tDCS/s/Q0H9BclzAB) where \[many\](https://www.reddit.com/r/tDCS/s/GFbJlP4xc0) people have shared their experience of being able to recall words better and articulate ideas more clearly with less cognitive load after N-back training. I actually couldn't find any literature investigating this potential benefit and i think its an area that needs futher research, but i did find some \[research\](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37531866/) that showed altered neural pathways in folks who stuttered when they were put to N-back tests. If N-back training were to positively influence cognitive processes like better word recall in adults who stutter, ideally, post-training, we would expect to see their neural responses and patterns of hemispheric activation become more similar to those of adults who do not stutter. Such changes would indicate that the training helps mitigate the cognitive deficits associated with stuttering? Just a thought. Lastly, i would like to point out that i stuttered way less when i was practicing Carnatic classical music around 20 years ago. I was able to hold conversations for hours without ever stuttering during that time even when i was thinking on the spot, but it seems like the benefits didn't carry over long term, since i struggle more now after i quit practicing due to personal circumstances. The main reason why i think practicing music helped was because when you're singing ( especially Carnatic music), you're learning to sing in a specific rhythm, and this somehow has positive transfer effects to your everyday speech even if it doesn't have a particular rhythm. I mentioned this because it seem related to the research being discussed \[here\](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stutter/comments/1ba6lm6/8week\_speech\_practice\_shown\_to\_improve\_fluency/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button) TLDR : i think N back training might improve your stuttering.. its an area that needs futher research, and the research shared here might have some validity given its similarity to singing. Also, for those who might be wondering about the transfer effects of N back training, here's the latest \[study\](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-82663-w)