Research Ideas
This list of research ideas regarding the Valsalva mechanism,
Valsalva stuttering, and Valsalva Control will be continually revised and
expanded. Please submit research ideas, or information on research being done,
by e-mail to valsalvastutter@aol.com
or on the Comment or Forum pages of this website.
Electromyographic (EMG) Studies
 |
EMG studies of muscular activity in the Valsalva mechanism
during stuttering. |
There have been EMG studies of muscular activity in the Valsalva mechanism
(including laryngeal, chest, abdominal, and rectal muscles) during a Valsalva
maneuver. However, EMG studies regarding stuttering have been generally
limited to muscular activity in the lips, tongue, jaw, and larynx.
Future EMG studies regarding stuttering should include muscles of the Valsalva
mechanism in the abdomen and perhaps even rectal muscles. This would
objectively reveal what kind of activity goes on in the Valsalva mechanism
during various kinds of stuttering behavior.
EMG Biofeedback Studies
|
Testing whether relaxation of the Valsalva mechanism
through EMG biofeedback reduces stuttering blocks. |
EMG biofeedback has been used on stutterers to relax muscles of the lips,
tongue, jaw, and larynx. The same should be done with other parts of the
Valsalva mechanism, such as the abdominal muscles. The effect of
relaxing the abdominal muscles through biofeedback can then be compared with
various controls, such as EMG relaxation of the mouth or the arm.
PET Scans of the Brain
|
Use PET scans to determine which areas of the brain are
active during a Valsalva maneuver. |
Currently this information is not available. Once this is known, PET scans
of the Valsalva maneuver can be compared to PET scans of people who stutter.
| Compare PET scans of stutterers who have Valsalva-type stuttering and
those who do not. |
Previous PET scan studies have combined the scans of all the subjects who
stutter, without regard to the type of stuttering behavior they exhibit. But
might there be a difference in brain functioning depending whether they have
Valsalva-type stuttering?
| Compare PET scans of stutterers who are relaxing their Valsalva
mechanism and those who are not. |
Might the brain functioning of stutterers be changed by relaxing the
Valsalva mechanism?
Clinical Trials of Valsalva Control
| Test the effectiveness of stuttering therapy using elements of Valsalva
Control. |
After using appropriate criteria to select subjects who exhibit
Valsalva-stuttering behavior, divide them into two matched groups. The control
group would be put through one of the existing therapy programs. The test
group would be put through the same therapy program, except that various
elements of Valsalva Control would be added. The effectiveness of the therapy
on each group would be compared after the program and at subsequent intervals.
Biochemical Studies
| Find a chemical trigger for the Valsalva maneuver. |
It is possible that the Valsalva mechanism is activated by the release of
chemicals in the brain. Various chemicals, including hormones and
neurotransmitters, are already known to affect many bodily functions. An
example is the "fight or flight" response, which prepares the body to react
quickly to threatening situations. Scientists have found that this reaction is
triggered by a chemical released by the brain's hypothalamus. This chemical
travels to the pituitary gland, causing it to release a stress hormone into
the bloodstream, which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands to pump adrenalin
into the blood to stimulate the body to react to the emergency. As a
result, the heart pumps faster, breathing is faster and deeper, rectal muscles
tighten, and many other physiological changes occur.
The Valsalva maneuver is such a common and instinctive behavior that it
would not be surprising to find that it also had a chemical trigger. Such a
chemical might be released when a person exerts various kinds of physical
effort, or when a stutterer feels that he or she must try hard to force out
words. The discovery of such a chemical might lead to the development of other
chemicals to counteract its effects, opening up new possibilities for an
"anti-stuttering pill."
Last modified July 9, 2002
Copyright © 2002 by William D. Parry |