Stuttering is at least partially if not mostly — genetic

STUTTERING has had few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to date. It is therefore noteworthy to point out that stuttering can be regarded as a human complex disease (like e.g., type-2 diabetes, schizophrenia, asthma, or an autoimmune disorder) — a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, rather than a single gene mutation.

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Stuttering is genetic

When King George VI took to the microphone in 1939 to announce that Britain was at war with Germany, his speech therapist Lionel Logue was right by his side. The King had exhibited severe stuttering since childhood and struggled with the social stigma associated with the disorder. New research published today in Nature Medicine finds 57 unique DNA regions associated with stuttering — in the largest and most comprehensive look at genetic stuttering to date.

Researchers looked at 1.1 million 23andMe genomes, of those who self-reported stuttering and those who didn’t, and located 57 DNA regions. Variants in these genes have been previously associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and trouble with rhythm. They also found causal links between stuttering, and mental depression and autism spectrum disorder.

The stuttering research community is excited by the findings. While many other biomedical topics have many genetic association studies, stuttering has been left behind. The authors say that the findings add to a growing body of evidence that the trait, stuttering, is a complex polygenic malady, akin to other complex genetic disorders such as type-2 diabetes — and not the result of trauma or personal failing, as many still assume. “It’s time for us to absolutely reconceptualize what stuttering really is,” speech researcher Greg Snyder, who himself stutters, told ScienceAdviser.