Johannesburg - There is a mystery frog lodging itself in Jacob Zuma’s throat lately. And new research has come up with a reason why Zuma was constantly clearing his throat while in the hot seat at the Zondo commission.
The research suggests that the former president was simply nervous.
Maria Dietrich, associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences in the University of Missouri’s School of Health Professions, studies voice disorders.
She discovered that stress can lead to voice disorders.
“Public speaking can be stressful,” Dietrich said.
“Stress can trigger muscle tension and that can impact our speech.”
Dietrich told young women that they would have to prepare for a five-minute speech on why they were the best candidate for a job. Researchers then collected samples of saliva to test for cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone.
The women were subjected to MRI scans to see brain activity and how that impacted their speech. They found that they had higher cortisol responses that impacted the region in the brain that controls the larynx.
It caused that feeling of having a frog in your throat.
But the former number one’s detractors are likely to scoff at that idea. Tell the truth and that croaking frog will disappear faster than a speeding blue light convoy.