The Brain Processes Underlying Speech Motor Learning and Speech Production

Improving Speech Motor Learning Processes Using Augmented Behavioral Interventions

The aim of this research is to develop protocols that selectively target and improve speech-motor learning processes. Participants will be asked to name pictures, read words/sentences, and listen to sounds while their speech signals will be collected during the study.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy Adults
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Effects of speech variability on speech motor learning; Behavioral: Effects of error-detection training on speech motor learning; Behavioral: Contributions of error awareness to speech motor learning; Behavioral: Enhancing auditory-to-motor mapping with augmented visual feedback; Behavioral: Effects of enhanced auditory-motor awareness on speech motor learning

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 510
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ayoub Daliri; Phone Number: 4807278397; Email: ayoub.daliri@asu.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Arizona
    • Tempe, Arizona, United States, 85287
      • Recruiting
      • Arizona State University
      • Contact: Ayoub Daliri; Phone Number: 480-727-8397; Email: ayoub.daliri@asu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Study Population

We accept healthy adult subjects older than 18. The studies will be conducted at Arizona State University.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years and older
• native speaker of American English
• normal (age-appropriate) binaural pure-tone hearing threshold
• not taking medications affecting sensorimotor functioning
• no current or history of communication, neurological, or psychological disorders

Exclusion Criteria:

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

5

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Healthy Adults group 1	Behavioral: Effects of speech variability on speech motor learning; This intervention will examine whether reducing normal variability of speech could improve error detection and speech motor learning. We will design training tasks to change subjects' speech variability. We will train subjects to decrease/decrease their speech variability. Upon completing the training tasks, subjects will complete a motor learning task.
Experimental: Healthy Adults group 2	Behavioral: Effects of error-detection training on speech motor learning; This intervention will examine whether improving subjects' ability to detect and estimate auditory perturbation could improve speech motor learning. For this purpose, we will design training tasks to change subjects' estimation of the perturbation magnitude. After completing the training tasks, subjects will complete the motor learning task.
Experimental: Healthy Adults group 3	Behavioral: Contributions of error awareness to speech motor learning; This intervention will examine the contributions of error awareness to speech motor learning. Subjects will produce a target word while receiving perturbed auditory feedback with different magnitudes. Subjects will be trained to indicate the magnitude of the error they perceived with or without visual feedback.
Experimental: Healthy Adults group 4	Behavioral: Enhancing auditory-to-motor mapping with augmented visual feedback; This intervention will determine the contributions of enhanced auditory-to-motor mappings to speech motor learning. We will design training tasks in which we will use visual feedback to provide feedback regarding subjects' accuracy of auditory-to-motor mapping.
Experimental: Healthy Adults group 5	Behavioral: Effects of enhanced auditory-motor awareness on speech motor learning; In this intervention, subjects will be trained to control their articulators more accurately and be more aware of their articulators' position and their auditory consequences. After the training tasks, subjects will complete a motor learning task.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in speech output in response to previously experienced auditory errors	In each trial, participants will experience an auditory error while they produce speech (e.g., they may say "head" but hear "had"). Participants' speech will be measured in each trial. The investigators will measure how the participants' speech changes due to auditory errors experienced in previous trials.	within each session of the study that may last up to 2 hours
Change In Speech Output Immidiately After Hearing Auditory Errors	In each trial, participants will experience an auditory error while they produce speech (e.g., they may say "head" but hear "had"). The investigators will measure how the participants' speech changes due to auditory errors that they experience in the current trial.	within each session of the study that may last up to 2 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Arizona State University
• Collaborators: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 5, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 14, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): June 26, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 19, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 18, 2023
• Last Verified: July 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00017657; R01DC019905 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

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