Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 10/2/2006

Question
Dr. Levin,

In your answer (http://experts.about.com/q/Attention-Deficit-Disorder-1526/Stuttering.htm)to a question about the relation between ADD and stuttering you wrote "When stutterers sing with the musical right brain they do not stutter! Anything that suppresses the tempermental righy brain like Haloperidol will improve stuttering and if left brain is boosted with Ritalin (like in ADHD) the situation may improve even more.".

Haloperidal decreases the dopamine level in the brain and ritalin increases the dopamine level.

Stutterers have a higher level of dopamine compared to non-stutterers.

Do you think ritalin, by raising the level of dopamine, surpresses the reaction of the brain making more dopamine?

Sincerely,

Evert

Answer
It is not quite as simple as you state. With ADHD the right brain's emotional talent gets the upper hand too easily. Stutterers stutter more when anxious.They also have even more Dopamine produced on right brain when they stutter. Equally the sequential verbal left brain is immature and lacks Dopemine. The right has too much Dopamine and the left too little. An anxiolytic like Haloperidol seems to have more effect on right's anxiety and Ritalin boosts the left brain's verbal sequential language.If Ritalin boosted the right brain it would have little value for ADHD The net result is an improvement in the ADHD and some improvement in the stuttering. A new product, Pagoclone used for panic attacks is showing promise for stuttering as well.