Brain Monitoring for Speech Perception

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Disqualifiers: Uncorrected vision, Uncorrected hearing, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to understand how the brain processes speech by examining how people use both sound and visual cues, such as facial movements, to comprehend speech. Researchers will employ intracranial encephalography to monitor brain activity during speech perception. Individuals undergoing brain surgery for a disorder, with normal vision and hearing, are well-suited for this study.

As an unphased study, this trial provides a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research on speech perception.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that intracranial encephalography is safe for brain monitoring?

Research has shown that intracranial encephalography (iEEG) has been used in studies with people. In one study, researchers took iEEG readings from 1103 electrodes in 10 participants as they read words, suggesting the procedure is generally well-tolerated. Another study collected data from different centers, focusing on visual perception, and also used iEEG to monitor brain activity during tasks.

These studies demonstrate that iEEG is a method safely used in research. Although these examples don't mention specific side effects, the use of iEEG in multiple studies suggests it is safe. It's important to remember that iEEG helps researchers understand brain activity and is used in controlled settings. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the trial for Brain Monitoring for Speech Perception because it uses intracranial encephalography, a unique method that allows for direct monitoring of brain activity. Unlike standard non-invasive techniques like EEG or MRI, this approach provides high-resolution, real-time data on how the brain processes speech. This could lead to breakthroughs in understanding speech perception in the brain, potentially paving the way for more effective treatments for speech and communication disorders. By honing in on the brain's electrical activity with precision, this method could reveal insights that were previously inaccessible with traditional monitoring techniques.

What evidence suggests that intracranial encephalography is effective for studying speech perception?

Research has shown that intracranial encephalography (iEEG) serves as a powerful tool for understanding brain function during speech perception. iEEG involves placing electrodes directly on the brain to record electrical signals. Studies have found that iEEG captures detailed brain responses when people hear or see speech, even if the speech is unclear or distorted. This helps researchers understand how the brain processes different parts of speech, such as sounds and facial movements. Although iEEG is not a treatment, it provides valuable insights that could lead to better therapies for speech-related conditions. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals who are already scheduled to undergo neurosurgery for a brain disorder. Participants must have normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing to be eligible.

Inclusion Criteria

I am scheduled for neurosurgery to treat a brain disorder.

Exclusion Criteria

My vision and hearing are normal with correction.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Procedure

Participants undergo intracranial encephalography to study brain activity during audiovisual speech perception

1 day

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the procedure

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Intracranial Encephalography

Trial Overview The study aims to understand how the human brain processes speech by observing both auditory (sound) and visual (facial movements) information using intracranial encephalography during audiovisual speech perception.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Pennsylvania

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,118

Recruited

45,270,000+

Columbia University

Collaborator

Trials

1,529

Recruited

2,832,000+

Baylor College of Medicine

Collaborator

Trials

1,044

Recruited

6,031,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A new dataset was created from 10 participants, capturing intracranial EEG data from 1103 electrodes while they read individual words, providing high-resolution insights into the neural processes of speech production.

This dataset can be utilized to enhance our understanding of speech mechanisms and to advance technologies like speech Brain-Computer Interfaces and neuroprostheses, which could help individuals with speech impairments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dataset of Speech Production in intracranial.Electroencephalography. Verwoert, M., Ottenhoff, MC., Goulis, S., et al.[2022]

In a pilot study involving 8 subjects with refractory epilepsy, a 40-Hz auditory tone significantly reduced interictal epileptiform discharge (IED) rates by an average of 35.25% in those with high baseline IED rates, particularly in mesial and lateral temporal brain regions.

This research suggests that 40-Hz auditory stimulation could serve as a noninvasive adjunctive treatment to help manage IEDs in epilepsy, warranting further investigation in larger populations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

40-Hz auditory stimulation for intracranial interictal activity: A pilot study. Quon, RJ., Leslie, GA., Camp, EJ., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01542-9

Dataset of Speech Production in intracranial ... Here, we provide a dataset of 10 participants reading out individual words while we measured intracranial EEG from a total of 1103 electrodes.

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12102287/

Open multi-center intracranial electroencephalography ... Open multi-center intracranial electroencephalography dataset with task probing conscious visual perception

3. arxiv.org arxiv.org/html/2412.06336v1

A Combined Channel Approach for Decoding Intracranial ... We propose a single-participant machine learning model optimized for decoding iEEG signals. The model employs 18 key features and operates in two modes: best ...

4. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1334742/full

Intracranial electrophysiology of spectrally degraded ... This study used intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) to investigate cortical processing of spectrally degraded speech.

5. biorxiv.org biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.05.487183v1.full.pdf

Speech Production in Intracranial Electroencephalography Here, we provide a dataset of 10 participants reading out individual words while we measured intracranial. EEG from a total of 1103 electrodes.

6. arxiv.org arxiv.org/abs/2208.12266

Decoding speech perception from non-invasive brain ... We introduce a model trained with contrastive-learning to decode self-supervised representations of perceived speech from the non-invasive recordings.

7. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2024.1428256/full

Evoking artificial speech perception through invasive brain ... In this paper, we examine the various stimulation techniques used to evoke complex percepts and the target brain areas for the input of speech-like information.

8. direct.mit.edu direct.mit.edu/imag/article/doi/10.1162/imag_a_00301/124344/A-supervised-data-driven-spatial-filter-denoising

A supervised data-driven spatial filter denoising method for ... Intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) signals recorded during overt speech can contain a speech artifact that tracks the fundamental frequency (F0) of ...