A higher risk of stuttering in adults is associated with dozens of independent genetic markers, reveals a very large American study published in the journal Nature Genetics by American researchers.
Developmental stuttering, a motor language disorder that appears in young children, is characterized by a blockage in the spontaneous pronunciation of syllables, their repetition and their prolongation. It affects nearly 11% of the world's population, is more common in certain families and can most often be improved, or even corrected, by speech therapy.
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48 genes associated with stuttering
So far, only six familial cases of stuttering caused by mutations in six different genes have been identified, but these cases remain isolated. To expand their search, the researchers compared the genomes of nearly 100,000 adult stutterers with those of one million control individuals from the gene bank. 23andMe.
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They were able to identify 48 genes associated with stuttering in populations of European origin, including 20 related to brain function. Two of these genes have already been linked to rhythm perception disorders, which are often found in people who stutter.
Distinct genes in women
Other genes are also associated with autism, depression, and sleep disorders, which are also more common in these individuals. Stuttering in women, which accounts for 20% of cases, was found to be associated with distinct genes and therefore appears to be promoted by other neurogenetic factors.
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