Researchers narrow hunt for cure to stuttering

Researchers have been pursuing new leads in the search for a cure for stuttering. Scientists have found, for example, that stutterers often have an excess of dopamine, neurotransmitters, in the brain. And the fact that roughly half of stutterers who seek out treatment have a family member who also stutters raises the likelihood that there are genetic causes to the condition. Making the hunt for the right genetic trigger difficult is the notion that a number of genes may contribute to stuttering. Different teams have been narrowing the hunt to the genes in chromosome 1 and chromosome 12. Meanwhile, Indevus Pharmaceuticals has been successful so far in advancing a new therapy for stuttering. Last spring its researchers successfully wrapped the largest trial on stuttering to date, but still have two to three years of research work on pagoclone.

- here's the article from The New York Times on stuttering