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New Meta-Analyses Explores the Relationship between Handedness and Stuttering

New Meta-Analyses Explores the Relationship between Handedness and Stuttering

King George VI might be history’s most famous stutterer. He was also a natural left-hander.

A new study has delved into the intriguing connection between handedness and stuttering, shedding light on this neurodevelopmental puzzle. The study, led by Dr. Marietta Papadatou-Pastou, Assistant Professor of Neuropsychology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, has recently been published in Neuropsychology Review, adding a valuable contribution to our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Reduced hemispheric asymmetries and atypical handedness (non-right, left-, or mixed-handedness) have long been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as several psychiatric conditions. However, the connection between stuttering and handedness had not been studied in the context of a meta-analysis to date.

In a comprehensive series of meta-analyses, researchers from Greece and Germany explored the levels of hand preference in individuals who stutter compared to non-stuttering controls. The study was based on 52 identified studies with 2,590 individuals who stutter and 17,148 controls.

“We did not find evidence of a mixed-handedness difference or a difference in mean handedness scores,” the researchers reported. However, evidence did emerge concerning left-handedness and non-right-handedness, albeit not robust.

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Dr. Marietta Papadatou-Pastou stated, “Our findings do not allow for firm conclusions to be drawn on whether stuttering is associated with reduced hemispheric asymmetries, at least in terms of their behavioral manifestation, i.e. handedness. Future research should consider disorder-specific approaches, as the evidence suggests that the connection varies between different conditions.”

Stuttering, characterized by frequent speech repetitions or hesitations, affects approximately 1% of children and adolescents and 0.2% of women and 0.8% of men worldwide. The condition has high heritability estimates between 70 to 80%, and treatment options often provide insufficient evidence for success.

The study has implications for clinical practice and education. Atypical handedness should not be considered a central risk factor for stuttering, according to the researchers. Parents need not be alarmed if their child exhibits non-right-handedness in the context of stuttering signs.

For more information or to access the complete academic paper, please visit https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-023-09617-z.

“Hand preference in stuttering: Meta-analyses” is published in the Neuropsychology Review

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-023-09617-z.

The University of Athens Expands into Cyprus Pioneering a New Chapter in Higher Education—Call for Expressions of Interest in 5 Undergraduate Programmes

The University of Athens Expands into Cyprus Pioneering a New Chapter in Higher Education—Call for Expressions of Interest in 5 Undergraduate Programmes

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), the oldest and largest University in South-Eastern Europe, is proud to announce the establishment of a new Branch in Cyprus. This exciting expansion strengthens academic ties between Greece and Cyprus, while broadening the University’s international reach. Our new campus represents a major step forward in fostering collaboration […]

ΜSc Media and Refugee / Migration Flows – Call for Applications for the Postgraduate Program (Academic Year 2025 – 2026)

ΜSc Media and Refugee / Migration Flows – Call for Applications for the Postgraduate Program (Academic Year 2025 – 2026)

The Department of Communication and Media Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens organizes and operates for the academic year 2025-2026 an Intensive Postgraduate Program (IPP) MSc in «Media and Refugee / Migration Flows» which awards a Postgraduate Diploma in the following specializations: S1 «News media of refugee flows» S2: «Communication management of […]

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Announces the Launch of its Branch in Cyprus – A Milestone for Higher Education, the University’s Internationalization, and the Cooperation Between the Two Countries

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Announces the Launch of its Branch in Cyprus – A Milestone for Higher Education, the University’s Internationalization, and the Cooperation Between the Two Countries

Since its foundation in 1837, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has maintained deep and enduring ties with Cyprus, thanks, first and foremost, to the presence of hundreds of thousands of Cypriot students in its lecture halls for over two centuries. As a matter of fact, the University of Athens was the first academic […]

DeltaV Dynamics Takes First Place in International Rocket Competition

DeltaV Dynamics Takes First Place in International Rocket Competition

DeltaV Dynamics, the student team from the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, secured first place in the 2025 Sloshing Rocket Workshop Final, held in Forlì, Italy, in late August. The competition was organized by EUROAVIA and Airbus.

Rector’s Address to the University of Athens Community as the New Academic Year Begins

Rector’s Address to the University of Athens Community as the New Academic Year Begins

Dear students, faculty, and colleagues, On behalf of the Rectory Authorities, the Administration Council, and the University Senate, I warmly wish you good health, renewed energy, and every success as you embark on this new academic year! As the oldest and largest Higher Educational Institution in Greece, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is […]

Europe’s Largest Data Journalism Conference Comes to Athens [8-10 September 2025

Europe’s Largest Data Journalism Conference Comes to Athens [8-10 September 2025

The 5th European Data and Computational Journalism Conference is set to take place in Athens from 8 to 10 September 2025, at the main building of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The Conference will bring together media professionals, researchers, data journalists, and academics to share experiences and explore how data, artificial intelligence, and […]

University of Athens Participates in Summer School of Archaeology ArcHLAB

University of Athens Participates in Summer School of Archaeology ArcHLAB

For the fourth year in a row, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens co-organized and took part in the ArcHLABS International Summer School of Archaeology, alongside other Universities across Europe. This year’s programme took place at the renowned Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, Sicily—an iconic site celebrated for its exceptional mosaics. Eight postgraduate […]

University of Athens Establishes First Named Chair in Honour of Athina I. Martinou

University of Athens Establishes First Named Chair in Honour of Athina I. Martinou

In a landmark move, the Senate of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has unanimously approved the creation of a Named Chair, dedicated to the memory of Athina Ioanni Martinou. The initiative was proposed by the University’s Great Benefactor and Honorary Doctor, Mr Athanasios Martinos. This is the first Named Chair ever established by […]

Laboratory of Italian History and Historiography Publishes New Volume

Laboratory of Italian History and Historiography Publishes New Volume

A new volume, ‘Modern Greek Diaspora in Central-Southern Italy in the Early Modern Period (15th-18th Centuries)’, has just been published. It contains the proceedings of the conference of the same name, held in Venice from 27 to 29 June 2023. The event was jointly organized by the Laboratory of Italian History and Historiography at the […]

University of Athens academic engages at 11th Nishan Forum of World Civilizations in China

University of Athens academic engages at 11th Nishan Forum of World Civilizations in China

Dr Athena Bazou, Assistant Professor in the Department of Philology, participated as an invited speaker at the 11th Nishan Forum of World Civilizations in China, delivering a lecture entitled ‘Ancient Pandemics in Greece and China: Concepts, Prejudices, Lessons’. The Nishan Forum, held in Qufu—the birthplace of Confucius—in Shandong province, was inaugurated in 2010 in response […]

University of Athens Professor Stelios Papathanassopoulos and IULM University Professor Andrea Miconi Edit Book on European Media

University of Athens Professor Stelios Papathanassopoulos and IULM University Professor Andrea Miconi Edit Book on European Media

Edited by Professors Stelios Papathanassopoulos and Andrea Miconi and published by Springer, ‘The European Media in the Platform Era: Realities and Tendencies’ examines the significant changes reshaping the European media landscape in the context of rapid technological advancements, political shifts, and economic pressures. The book sheds light on the economic, political, and structural forces driving […]

University of Athens

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, which was inaugurated on May 3, 1837, was initially housed in a renovated Ottoman building on the northeastern side of the Acropolis. This building has since been restored and now functions as the University Museum. Originally named the "Othonian University," after Otto, the first king of Greece, it consisted of four academic departments and 52 students. As the first university of the newly established Greek state, as well as of the broader Balkan and Mediterranean region, it assumed an important socio-historical role, which was pivotal in the development of specific forms of knowledge and culture within the country.

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