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The Center for the Medical Treatment of Stuttering Opens at University of California, Irvine Medical Center

Researchers Study the Neurological Basis of Stuttering and Help Patients Speak Clearly

Irvine, Calif., October 4, 2007 – A one-of-a-kind center offering medical treatment and medication therapy for people who stutter will open today at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. Dr. Gerald A. Maguire, associate professor of clinical psychiatry and a national expert in the treatment of stuttering, will direct The Center for the Medical Treatment of Stuttering and will welcome community supporters and representatives from the National Stuttering Association at the center’s ribbon cutting ceremony in the UC Irvine Neuropsychiatric Center from 6 to 8 p.m.

“We are tremendously proud to announce the opening of this new center,” said Maureen Zehntner, interim chief executive officer of UC Irvine Healthcare. “Patients who come here for treatment will meet experts who understand the complexities of their disorder and who are passionate about patient care.”

The Center for the Medical Treatment of Stuttering is located on the third floor of the UC Irvine Neuropsychiatric Center. It will be the first center in the world dedicated to improving speech fluency primarily using pharmacologic and potential biologic treatments. Biologic treatments or medications that are made up from proteins found naturally in the body are being studied for their effectiveness in the treatment of stuttering. Adolescent and adult patients who visit The Center for the Medical Treatment of Stuttering will receive a unique combination of services grounded in the latest scientific research and medical advancements available anywhere.

Funding for the new center came in large part from private donors, including Newport Beach resident Robert Granville Kirkup, founder of the telecom company, Telmar Logistics. Kirkup’s gift of $1.25 million to UC Irvine’s Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior funded an endowed professorship held by Maguire and is helping support the center’s mission to further research the neurologic and genetic aspects of stuttering.

“Our stuttering center is unique in the world in that it is based on the medical model of treatment and is staffed with physicians and other medical professionals,” Maguire said. “We will utilize pharmacologic methods that have been shown in well-controlled studies to be effective treatments in stuttering.”

Stuttering, a speech disorder characterized by an inability to sustain fluency of speech, affects nearly 3 million Americans, or 1 percent of the population. It typically runs in families and affects more men than women. Symptoms may include frequent pauses, repetitions, phrases or prolonged syllables. The face or upper-body of a person who stutters might also twitch with the struggles to pronounce words correctly. Signs of stuttering tend to emerge in early childhood when language first develops.

Maguire, who stutters himself, understands the frustration and social anxiety that can result. “Simple tasks like speaking on the telephone can exacerbate stuttering and can contribute to elevated levels of anxiety,” he said. “I personally know that people will go to great lengths to avoid speaking publicly. They will limit interpersonal interactions, which can harm relationships, academic achievement and careers.”

Experts no longer believe that stuttering is the result of nervousness or stress alone. Upon looking at brain images of people who stutter, Maguire confirmed that there is a neurological basis for the disorder. He noticed higher levels of dopamine in the areas of the brain responsible for speech. Since that discovery, he has researched various medications for their ability to control stuttering symptoms. Currently, there is no cure for stuttering but researchers are working towards proving the efficacy and safety of pharmacologic treatments.

Maguire is the chief investigator of a study involving pagoclone, a medication that alters the brain chemical GABA and may directly enhance fluency in individuals who stutter. The clinical trials at UC Irvine Medical Center have already yielded positive results. Participants have seen a dramatic improvement in their ability to sustain clear conversations and are experiencing more freedom at work and in social settings. Researchers are continuing to monitor their progress but Maguire believes pagolcone could become the first FDA-approved medication for stuttering.

“Most people will undergo speech therapy to control their stuttering but it might not be enough, especially if treatment did not begin in childhood,” said Maguire. “What may give people the greatest chance for improvement is a combination of effective medication and speech therapy. Our center will also provide speech therapy to those patients interested in combining this with their medication treatment.”

Maguire contends that more people who stutter should receive a thorough evaluation by a medical professional who is familiar with the disorder. Medications affect each individual differently and certain medications used for other conditions may actually worsen stuttering. Also, a trained physician is needed to monitor for the potential of side-effects.

“What patients and the medical community need to understand is that breakdowns in speech are not the result of emotional instability or anxiety alone. They occur because of physical changes in the brain. Effective treatment for stuttering requires a therapeutic and scientific approach,” said Maguire.

The Center for the Medical Treatment of Stuttering will be a resource for adolescents and adults who are seeking medical consultation. For more information or to make an appointment with a UC Irvine Healthcare provider, call 714-456-5807 or e-mail Maguire directly at gerald.maguire@uci.edu.

About University of California, Irvine Healthcare: UC Irvine Healthcare is a clinical entity comprising UC Irvine Medical Center and University Physicians & Surgeons, a faculty practice organization of more than 400 specialty and primary care physicians. UC Irvine Healthcare is committed to providing the highest quality care to Orange County and surrounding communities through UC Irvine Medical Center, a leading university medical center and Level I trauma center. UC Irvine Medical Center is ranked among the nation’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report’s annual listing of “America’s Best Hospitals.” For more about UC Irvine Healthcare, visit www.ucihealth.com

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Contact:
Susan Mancia
714-456-3640
smancia@uci.edu

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