Summary

Northeastern University received a $197,000 Project Grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), awarded May 1, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2029. The grant supports a three-year research initiative investigating the clinical phenotypes of feedback and feedforward control mechanisms in adults who stutter. The project will examine how distinct stuttering behaviors—specifically repetitions, prolongations, and blocks—correlate with behavioral and neural markers of feedback control (error monitoring and correction) and feedforward control (automated anticipatory adjustments). Through linear mixed effects models and machine learning regression analyses, the research will identify associations between these stuttering characteristics and functional connectivity patterns in brain networks governing motor control, with the ultimate goal of identifying distinct clinical subtypes of stuttering characterized by different patterns of motor control dysfunction.

The research addresses a critical clinical gap in stuttering treatment, where variable outcomes are largely attributable to significant behavioral and neurological heterogeneity among affected individuals. By delineating specific motor control phenotypes, this work will provide evidence-based foundations for developing tailored intervention approaches and improving treatment efficacy for the estimated 80 million people worldwide affected by stuttering.