Marina Picillo1, Gustavo B Vincos2, Francesco Sammartino3, Andres M Lozano4, Alfonso Fasano5. 1. Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine and Surgery, Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy. 2. Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Occidente de Kennedy, Universidad la Sabana, Bogota, Colombia. 3. Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada. 4. Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 5. Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital and Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Toronto Western Hospital and Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: alfonso.fasano@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stuttering is a speech disorder with disruption of verbal fluency, occasionally present in Parkinson's disease (PD). PD co-incident stuttering may either worsen or improve after Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). METHODS: Sixteen out of 453 PD patients (3.5%) exhibited stuttering after DBS (PD-S) and were compared with a group of patients without stuttering (PD-NS) using non-parametric statistics. RESULTS: After DBS, stuttering worsened in 3 out of 4 patients with co-incidental stuttering. Most PD-S underwent subthalamic (STN) DBS, but 4 were implanted in the globus pallidus (GPi). Nine out of 16 PD-S (56.3%) reported a positive familial history for stuttering compared to none of the PD-NS. PD-S were mainly male (81.3%) with slight worse motor features compared to PD-NS. CONCLUSION: Herein, we describe a group of PD patients developing stuttering after DBS and report the presence of a positive familial history for stuttering as the most relevant risk factor, suggesting a possible underlying genetic cause. The fact that stuttering occurred after either STN or GPi DBS is an argument against the impact of medication reduction on stuttering.
BACKGROUND: Stuttering is a speech disorder with disruption of verbal fluency, occasionally present in Parkinson's disease (PD). PD co-incident stuttering may either worsen or improve after Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). METHODS: Sixteen out of 453 PDpatients (3.5%) exhibited stuttering after DBS (PD-S) and were compared with a group of patients without stuttering (PD-NS) using non-parametric statistics. RESULTS: After DBS, stuttering worsened in 3 out of 4 patients with co-incidental stuttering. Most PD-S underwent subthalamic (STN) DBS, but 4 were implanted in the globus pallidus (GPi). Nine out of 16 PD-S (56.3%) reported a positive familial history for stuttering compared to none of the PD-NS. PD-S were mainly male (81.3%) with slight worse motor features compared to PD-NS. CONCLUSION: Herein, we describe a group of PDpatients developing stuttering after DBS and report the presence of a positive familial history for stuttering as the most relevant risk factor, suggesting a possible underlying genetic cause. The fact that stuttering occurred after either STN or GPi DBS is an argument against the impact of medication reduction on stuttering.
Authors: Jan Liman; Alexander Wolff von Gudenberg; Mathias Baehr; Walter Paulus; Nicole E Neef; Martin Sommer Journal: Front Hum Neurosci Date: 2021-02-11 Impact factor: 3.169