Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if repeated transcranial magnetic stimuli (rTMS) can treat stuttering in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Will there be changes in the brains of people who stutter because of the treatment?
- Will any changes in the brain result in less stuttering?
Participants will:
- Visit the lab 3 times before treatment for tests
- Complete 10 rTMS sessions
- Visit the lab 2 times after treatment for tests
Description
Measures must be obtained to in preparation for TMS treatment. Structural MRI and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) recordings will be obtained from the participant, and they will undergo a neuronavigational session to determine best placement for the electrodes.
MRI/rsfMRI recordings: The structural MRIs will be obtained and used for TMS neuronavigation. Resting-state functional MRI will be recorded for 8 min with the eyes open. rTMS will be delivered at 10 Hz for 10 min with a stimulation intensity of 120% of the resting motor threshold (rMT).
Neuronavigation: The TMS coil will be navigated with a neuronavigation system using the individual MRIs. rTMS targets: rTMS will be delivered to the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). We will use the neuronavigation system to identify the IFG.
Three pre-treatment and 2 post-treatment sessions will each obtain data from the following measurements:
- rs-EEG: rs-EEG responses will be recorded with eyes open for 5 minutes using a 64-channel EEG system.
- Eye tracker: eye gaze fixations, dwell time, saccades, and gaze durations will be recorded while the participant completes several behavioral phonological memory tasks.
- Spontaneous speech sample will be obtained to determine percent syllables stuttered.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age from 18 to 65 years
- Self-identifies as a person who currently stutters
- Right-handed or left-handed
- Normal hearing and (corrected) vision
- Able to understand and give informed consent
- Monolingual English speaker
Exclusion Criteria:
- Cardiac pacemaker or pacemaker wires; neurostimulators; implanted pumps
- Metal in the body (rods, plates, screws, shrapnel, dentures, IUD) or metallic particles in the eye
- Facial tattoos
- Not having medical insurance
- Surgical clips in the head or previous neurosurgery
- Any magnetic particles in the body
- Cochlear implants
- Prosthetic heart valves
- Epilepsy or any other type of seizure history
- History of significant head trauma (i.e., extended loss of consciousness, neurological sequelae)
- Known structural brain lesions
- Pre-existing speech, language, or neurological disorder (except for stuttering)
- Significant other disease (heart disease, malignant tumors, mental disorders)
- Significant claustrophobia; Ménière's disease
- Women who are trying to get pregnant and sexually active women (of reproductive age) not on a reliable contraceptive
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding
- Medications increasing the risk for seizures
- Non-prescribed drug use
- Use of recreational drugs such as medical marijuana
- Failure to perform the behavioral tasks or neuropsychological evaluation tests
- Prisoners
