510 Participants Needed

Speech Motor Learning for Healthy Adults

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Overseen ByAyoub Daliri
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to explore how the brain learns and produces speech by testing various methods to enhance speech-motor learning. Participants will engage in activities such as naming pictures, reading, and listening to sounds while researchers collect data on their speech patterns. The trial seeks healthy adults who speak American English, have normal hearing, and no history of communication, neurological, or psychological disorders.

As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to groundbreaking research in speech-motor learning.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

If you are taking medications that affect sensorimotor functioning, you will need to stop taking them to participate in this trial.

What prior data suggests that these protocols are safe for improving speech-motor learning?

Research has shown that the treatments under study for improving speech skills are generally safe. For example, enhanced auditory-motor awareness has improved speech clarity without major side effects. This treatment involves methods like auditory training, which helps people understand speech better in noisy environments without harm.

Another treatment uses visual feedback to aid speech learning. Studies suggest that visual cues can enhance the connection between hearing and speaking. Tests on healthy adults have shown positive results without serious side effects.

These treatments are in the "Not Applicable" phase, focusing on new techniques rather than new drugs or surgeries, eliminating risks from new medications or operations. Overall, current research indicates these treatments are well-tolerated.12345

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it seeks to uncover the brain processes that drive how we learn to speak and produce speech. Unlike typical treatments that focus on symptoms or outcomes, this investigation dives deep into understanding the underlying mechanisms of speech motor learning. By studying healthy adults, the trial aims to shed light on how the brain's intricate networks contribute to seamless speech production. This knowledge could pave the way for breakthroughs in treating speech disorders, offering new insights that current methods might not address.

What evidence suggests that this trial's protocols could be effective for improving speech-motor learning?

This trial will explore various methods to enhance speech motor learning. Research has shown that awareness of mistakes can significantly aid in improving speech. For instance, making fewer mistakes during practice can lead to more consistent speech later. One arm of the trial will focus on how error awareness contributes to speech motor learning. Another arm will examine the effects of enhanced auditory-motor awareness. Additionally, the trial will study the effects of error-detection training, the impact of speech variability, and the role of augmented visual feedback in improving speech learning. Each approach aims to help participants adjust their speech by connecting sensory feedback with motor actions.16789

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

Inclusion Criteria

native speaker of American English
normal (age-appropriate) binaural pure-tone hearing threshold
not taking medications affecting sensorimotor functioning
See 1 more

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants engage in speech-motor learning activities, including naming pictures, reading words/sentences, and listening to sounds while their speech signals are collected

up to 2 hours per session

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in speech output in response to auditory errors

1-2 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

  • Contributions of error awareness to speech motor learning
  • Effects of enhanced auditory-motor awareness on speech motor learning
  • Effects of error-detection training on speech motor learning
  • Effects of speech variability on speech motor learning
  • Enhancing auditory-to-motor mapping with augmented visual feedback

How Is the Trial Designed?

5

Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Healthy Adults group 5Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group II: Healthy Adults group 4Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group III: Healthy Adults group 3Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group IV: Healthy Adults group 2Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group V: Healthy Adults group 1Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Arizona State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials
311
Recruited
109,000+

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Collaborator

Trials
377
Recruited
190,000+

Citations

Motor-based treatment with and without ultrasound ...

Motor-based treatment with and without ultrasound visual feedback of the tongue may aid in speech sound acquisition for children with RSSEs.

Long-Term Outcomes for Individuals With Childhood ...

Outcomes for individuals with CAS are highly variable, with some demonstrating speech sound errors into adolescence and young adulthood.

Transfer Effect of Speech-sound Learning on Auditory ...

This event-related potential study investigated whether speech-sound learning can modulate the processing of feedback errors during vocal pitch regulation.

Feedback Schedule Effects on Speech Motor Learning in ...

The purpose of this study was to examine one PML, feedback frequency, and to elucidate whether it affects the retention of a speech motor task.

The possible benefits of reduced errors in the motor skills ...

This current concept paper proposes that reducing the number of errors committed during motor learning leads to stable performance when ...

The effects of continuous oromotor activity on speech motor ...

The primary findings of this work were the following: (1) speech accuracy and performance improved significantly across repetitions of the novel speech motor ...

Auditory plasticity and speech motor learning

We test the idea sensory function is modified by motor learning and, in particular, that speech motor learning affects a speaker's auditory map.

Audiomotor Perceptual Training Enhances Speech ...

Here we ask whether computerized CL auditory training can enhance speech understanding in levels of background noise that approximate a crowded restaurant.

(PDF) Transfer Effect of Speech-sound Learning on ...

Speech perception and production are intimately linked. There is evidence that speech motor learning results in changes to auditory processing ...