Understanding Attention Patterns in Adults Who Stutter
Official title: Information processing biases in adults who stutter: Behavioral and eye-tracking indices of threat-related attention allocation
Funded at University of Memphis · NIH-11126848 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how adults who stutter pay attention to potentially threatening situations, hoping to better understand the emotional challenges they face.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Memphis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $180,738 |
| NIH project number | 5R21DC020557-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11126848 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project is designed for adults who stutter and experience emotional responses related to their speech.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not stutter or are not adults would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
This project looks at why adults who stutter often experience difficult emotions like anxiety and social isolation. We believe that how a person pays attention to their surroundings, especially to things they perceive as threatening, might play a big role. Using special eye-tracking technology and behavioral tasks, we will observe if adults who stutter tend to focus more on or have trouble shifting away from perceived threats. This could help us understand the underlying reasons for the emotional impact of stuttering.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to help adults who stutter manage the emotional and social challenges associated with their condition.
How similar studies have gone: Similar attention bias patterns have been observed in individuals with anxiety, suggesting this approach could be relevant for stuttering.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Memphis
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Eichorn, Naomi — University of Memphis
- Study coordinator: Eichorn, Naomi
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Next-Generation Wearable AI for Precision COPD Risk and Care
A patient-centered project uses a smart wearable and AI to predict COPD flare-ups and support doctors in making better care decisions.
-
How lifestyle factors together affect cognitive aging in adults 55+
A long-term study will look at how things like activity, smoking, drinking, body weight, and social connections influence brain aging in adults 55 and older.
-
Music-based approaches to relieve pain in adults
A research network is testing how music-based interventions and new technologies can help adults manage acute and chronic pain.
-
Data-driven QM/MM and QM-Cluster Modeling for Enzyme Reactions
A data-guided approach will use machine learning to make QM/MM and QM-cluster modeling of enzymes faster and more accurate, helping us understand how enzymes work and aiding future drug design.
-
Rotary chair and VNG system to advance vestibular care and research in children
A grant to buy a high-tech vestibular testing system for the University of Memphis to study balance and brain development from infancy through childhood.
-
Technology and Training Dissemination Core for temporally-precise interventions
This grant supports creating and sharing tools, training, and infrastructure to help researchers design and use just-in-time, wearable-enabled health interventions for chronic diseases.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.