Key result
Dopamine antagonist medications, including newer agents like selective D1 antagonists and VMAT-2 inhibitors, show promise in reducing stuttering severity, though no FDA-approved medications currently exist.
Why the study?
Stuttering has no FDA-approved medications for treatment, prompting a review of different pharmacologic options and neurophysiologic advances to guide practicing clinicians.
This review highlights that while there are no FDA-approved medications for stuttering, dopamine antagonists and novel agents like D1 antagonists and VMAT-2 inhibitors offer promising pharmacological treatment avenues.
Supports randomized trials of dopamine antagonists for stuttering; should not yet alter clinical practice.
Stuttering is a DSM V psychiatric condition for which there are no FDA-approved medications for treatment. A growing body of evidence suggests that dopamine antagonist medications are effective in reducing the severity of stuttering symptoms. Stuttering shares many similarities to Tourette's Syndrome in that both begin in childhood, follow a similar male to female ratio of 4:1, respond to dopamine antagonists, and symptomatically worsen with dopamine agonists. In recent years, advances in the neurophysiology of stuttering have helped further guide pharmacological treatment. A newer medication with a novel mechanism of action, selective D1 antagonism, is currently being investigated in FDA trials for the treatment of stuttering. D1 antagonists possess different side-effect profiles than D2 antagonist medications and may provide a unique option for those who stutter. In addition, VMAT-2 inhibitors alter dopamine transmission in a unique mechanism of action that offers a promising treatment avenue in stuttering. This review seeks to highlight the different treatment options to help guide the practicing clinician in the treatment of stuttering.
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Maguire et al. (2020) conducted a review in Stuttering (Childhood-onset fluency disorder). Pharmacologic treatments (e.g., dopamine antagonists, VMAT-2 inhibitors) was evaluated. Dopamine antagonist medications, including newer agents like selective D1 antagonists and VMAT-2 inhibitors, show promise in reducing stuttering severity, though no FDA-approved medications currently exist.
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