Stimulation of the Thalamus to Ameliorate Persistent Disfluency (SToPeD)
Persistent Developmental Stutter, Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder (Stuttering)
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Persistent Developmental Stutter focused on measuring Deep Brain Stimulation
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Adults between the ages of 19 and 76 years old Individuals with persistent developmental stutter refractory to intensive speech therapy, as diagnosed by a speech and language therapist. Exclusion Criteria: Children and adolescents will not be included, as there is a significant percentage of developmental stuttering that will spontaneously resolve in this age group. Patients who have not trialed standard therapy will not be included in this study. Patients with mild symptoms. Patients who have a neurodegenerative disease. Patients with a bleeding diathesis. Patients who are unable to communicate. MRI Specific Exclusion criteria: Patients with a cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator. Patient with an insulin or infusion pump. Patients with a cochlear, otologic, or ear implant. Patients with an implant held in place by a magnet. Patients with tissue expanders. Patients with implanted clips, catheters, clamps, valves, or other metal. Patients with tattoos or permanent makeup above shoulders. Patients with shrapnel or other retained metal. Patients who are pregnant.
Sites / Locations
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Experimental
Deep Brain Simulation (DBS) System
The DBS device will be turned on to compare stutter to when the device was off (which would be the control).