Stuttering or reflex seizure? A case report.

Stuttering is characterized by involuntary syllabic repetitions and interruption in the smooth flow of speech. The exact cause of primary stuttering remains a matter of debate but a frontal dysfunction has been evoked. On the other hand, acquired stuttering is uncommon. We report a case of reflex epilepsy in which seizures were triggered by reading aloud or stressful conversation. Each paroxysmal event in left frontal region was associated clinically with a language disorder mimicking stuttering. Our observation suggests that reflex frontal focal epilepsy could be a putative etiology for acquired stuttering.