A 20 year old male had suffered from mild head trauma. He had no neurological deficits and no investigations were carried out. Hours later he started stuttering when speaking and claims it is as a result of his head trauma. Stuttering has been present for 3 days. How can a doctor tell if it is true stuttering or the person is faking it.
An objective but expensive methods would be fMRI.
A non-scientific but still objective method would be secretly videoing or observing the person for several days, esp. in private. The latter has ethical issues, but it is a cheap method.
Depending on the rationale for collecting the evidence, even police may opt for videoing.
A third party (witness) observer's report could be considered.
A speech language pathologist with a Board Specialization in Fluency Disorders (or similar specialization) should easily ascertain this. There are plenty of behaviors that can separate a malingerer and a true stutterer. With this said, it is possible to have a fluency difficulty as a result of a TBI. A formal speech language evaluation is warranted here in any case.
Dear Alia
Ordinarily a doctor/speech pathologist one would not suspect faking of a symptom. This suggests that there is some reason for you suspect (?he wanted Medical Insurance).
If you are a Consultant and not an interested party, just state the facts and leave it to the lawyers. It is very difficult to categorically prove or disprove this medically. Even if secretly videoed, a good faker will be aware of this possibility and prepared. Don't get dragged into the controversy.
Narayanan
PS
Meanwhile see the following suggestive of ways; but my advice still holds
1. http://www.charged.fm/blog/post/2070/agt-scandal-stuttering-soldier-is-a-fake
2. http://thestutteringbrain.blogspot.in/2012/06/does-tim-poe-also-fake-his-stutter.html
3. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/did-michelle-obama-fake-a-stutter/article4521994/
Narayanan
There is the Riley's test (1994), Stuttering Severity Instrument, SSI-3) that has been widely used both in clinical practice and in research to diagnose the disorder and to describe the severity of stuttering's symptoms (among children and adults).
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Academic Journals