Clinical Observations on Acquired Stuttering

Abstract

Acquired stuttering in adults was studied in sixteen cases. All were males, except one. In all cases, stuttering occurred following cerebral traumatic or vascular lesions which involved the left hemisphere, bilateral involvement being presumed in traumatic cases. In the majority of cases, stuttering was associated with aphasia, but in some cases it appeared clinically isolated. No significant association with speech apraxia, anomia or with signs of incomplete right handedness, was found. In some cases, acquired stuttering appeared as a severe worsening of pre-existent developmental stuttering. These findings are compared with previous reports, and controversial points as well as the need for further investigation, are emphasized.