It’s remarkable how much we’re learning about communication disorder phenotypes. Speech and language are neurobiological biological processes, and they are extraordinarily complex. Cross-disciplinary findings in molecular genetics and neuroimaging have turned up such surprises as the discovery of the FOXP2 gene, for example, the first found to be associated with a primary speech disorder. New gene-brain-behavior discoveries in communication problems now occur almost weekly. For clinical SLPs who wish to engage with, interpret, and keep abreast of this literature, there is a paper which offers an overview, in the International Journal of Speech Lang Pathology (Morgan A. Speech-language pathology insights into genetics and neuroscience: beyond surface behaviour, 2013 Jun;15(3):245-54. doi: 10.3109/17549507.2013.777786). Its author, from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, presents key findings in these interrelated fields, and a discussion of the impacts on core SLP practice. As well, future research directions in gene-brain-behavior relationships in communication disorder are identified.
MyoNews from BreatheWorksTM is a report on trends and developments in oromyofunctional disorder and therapy. These updates are not intended as diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease or syndrome.