Modulation of Sensory Acuity With Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Behavioral and Neural Measures of Speech Motor Control

The purpose of this research study is to understand how the brain processes and controls speech in healthy people. The investigators are doing this research because it will help identify the mechanisms that allow people to perceive their own speech errors and to learn new speech sounds, which may be applied to people who have communication disorders. 15 participants will be enrolled into this part of the study and can expect to be on study for 4 visits of 2-4 hours each.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Speech
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: TMS; Behavioral: somatosensory acuity measurement

Detailed Description

The overall study (Establishing the clinical utility of sensorimotor adaptation for speech rehabilitation) aims to understand how cognitive, perceptual, and motor processes are integrated in the control of speech movements. The investigators study how this complex skill is performed in healthy speakers to understand how this system functions, how this skill relates to the perception of speech, and what role different parts of the brain play in this process. Different studies look at how speech motor control is executed, maintained, and changed. Overall, the study will recruit 329 participants over the course of 5 years. Participants can expect to be on study for up to 3 weeks.

The entire study is composed of 8 experiments and 6 interventions. The present record represents the experiments involving transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), i.e. Experiment 7: Using TMS to alter somatosensory acuity.

This paradigm uses theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (tbTMS) to modulate the excitability of sensory cortices to examine the effect on sensory acuity and sensorimotor adaptation. Participants will complete three total sessions targeting primary somatosensory cortex (S1): one using intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), one using continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), and one with sham stimulation.

The effect of the stimulation on auditory acuity will be measured through a tactile discrimination task in which participants report the relative amplitude and/or timing of vibrating probes pressed lightly into the tongue using a custom device (a version of the Corticalmetrics Brain Gauge adapted to study the orofacial system).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 15
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Wisconsin
    • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53705
      • University of Wisconsin

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria (Control):

• English-speaking adults
• normal hearing and speech
• no history of stroke or neurological conditions

Exclusion Criteria:

• Native language other than English
• Any neurological disorders other than the disorder of interest
• Any history of hearing disorders
• Uncorrected vision problems that prevent participants from seeing visually-presented stimuli
• Significant cognitive impairments that prevent participants from carrying out the task or from giving informed consent
• Vulnerable populations (minors and prisoners)

• Additional exclusionary criteria for TMS:

  • Implanted paramagnetic materials (metal clips, plates, pacemakers, etc.)
  • Increased risk in the event of a seizure
  • Serious heart disease
  • Increased intracranial pressure
  • Pregnancy
  • History of seizures
  • Family history of epilepsy
  • Epileptogenic medications
  • Chronic or transient disruption of sleep (including jet lag)
  • History of fainting
  • Chronic or transient increase in stressful experiences
  • Use of illegal drugs

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Healthy Adult Speakers; healthy adult participants across the lifespan in three groups:18-35, 36-55, and 56+

Device: TMS; This paradigm uses theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (tbTMS) to modulate the excitability of sensory cortices to examine the effect on sensory acuity and sensorimotor adaptation. Participants will complete three total sessions targeting primary somatosensory cortex (S1): one using intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), one using continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), and one with sham stimulation.; Other Names: transcranial magnetic stimulation (continuous and intermittent theta-burst stimulation), electromyography (EMG); Behavioral: somatosensory acuity measurement; Somatosensory acuity will be measured through a tactile discrimination task using the corticalmetrics Brain Gauge. Participants lightly press their tongue onto two vibrating probes and report which one vibrated first or with greater amplitude.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Somatosensory Acuity: Spatial Amplitude Discrimination Threshold (SDT)	The investigators will measure thresholds in spatial amplitude discrimination (SDT). These thresholds represent the smallest difference that participants can detect in the amplitude of vibration on the tongue. Vibratory stimulation is delivered by the corticalmetrics Brain Gauge device, which has two probes, one on the left and one on the right side of the tongue. Participants will complete three total sessions targeting primary somatosensory cortex (S1): one using intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), one using continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), and one with sham stimulation. Tactile acuity measured in this way is used as a proxy for full somatosensation, given the difficulty in measuring proprioception in the oral system. Tactile acuity has been suggested to be important for speech production, as tactile contact is maintained parasagittally during vowel production and tactile deprivation leads to imprecise speech movements.	up to 1 hour
Somatosensory Acuity: Temporal Discrimination Threshold (TDT)	The investigators will measure thresholds in temporal discrimination (SDT). These thresholds represent the smallest difference that participants can detect in the timing of vibrations on the tongue. Vibratory stimulation is delivered by the corticalmetrics Brain Gauge device, which has two probes, one on the left and one on the right side of the tongue. Participants will complete three total sessions targeting primary somatosensory cortex (S1): one using intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), one using continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), and one with sham stimulation. Tactile acuity measured in this way is used as a proxy for full somatosensation, given the difficulty in measuring proprioception in the oral system. Tactile acuity has been suggested to be important for speech production, as tactile contact is maintained parasagittally during vowel production and tactile deprivation leads to imprecise speech movements.	up to 1 hour

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Collaborators: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Carrie Niziolek, PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Link to study record for experiment 5 [NCT05286658]

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 18, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 26, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): May 26, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 1, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): February 10, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 21, 2024
• Last Verified: November 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: speech motor control; vocal learning
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2017-1128 TMS (Exp 7); Protocol Version 8/25/2021 (Other Identifier: UW Madison); A481800 (Other Identifier: UW Madison); 1R01DC019134-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No