The Role of Executive Function in Developmental Stuttering.
Julie D Anderson, Levi C Ofoe
PMID 31311055WHAT IT FOUND
Existing research on executive function in children who stutter is inconsistent, with some studies showing deficits in inhibition and working memory while others find none.
The authors propose a theoretical model linking these cognitive skills to speech production, but no clinical effect is demonstrated.
What this paper is
This is a narrative review summarizing existing literature on executive function in children who stutter. It does not present new data from a controlled trial or a systematic review with its own analysis, so there is no single finding here to act on clinically.
What it does not show
The paper is a narrative review, not a systematic review or meta-analysis, so it does not pool data to resolve contradictions between studies. It discusses theoretical models and proposed mechanisms (such as resource depletion) rather than reporting empirical outcomes from a controlled intervention.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the proposed model of executive function deficits as evidence that cognitive training will reduce stuttering. The paper notes that current findings are inconclusive and that any link between executive function and fluency is theoretical, not proven by clinical trials.