We studied the potential contribution to stuttering from variants in the FOXP2 gene, which have previously been associated with developmental verbal dyspraxia, and from variants in the CNTNAP2 gene, which have been associated with specific language impairment (SLI).
At a gene level, CAM genes associated in all three samples (NRXN1 and CNTNAP2), which were previously implicated in specific language disorder, autism and schizophrenia.
We examined association of a susceptibility gene, contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), for ASDs and specific language impairment with SM and social anxiety-related traits.
Disruption of a number of these genes (including NRXN1, CNTNAP2 and CASK) are known to cause diverse neurodevelopmental brain disorder phenotypes including schizophenia, autism, learning disability and specific language disorder.