Speech Perception for ALS

Overseen By Anne Olmstead, Ph.D.

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Penn State University

Disqualifiers: Speech, language, neurological disorders, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to understand how people perceive the speech of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Researchers will analyze how listeners understand speech in various settings, interacting with both ALS patients and age-matched speakers. The trial seeks native English speakers with no known speech, language, or neurological disorders and no prior experience communicating with people with speech difficulties. Participants must pass a hearing test and will listen to recorded speech to report what they hear.

As an unphased study, this trial offers a unique opportunity to contribute to important research that could enhance communication strategies for ALS patients.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

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

What prior data suggests that this method is safe for listeners?

Research shows that this study focuses on how people understand speech from individuals with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). It examines how listeners perceive speech from those with ALS in various situations. Since no medication or treatment is tested on participants, there are no drug-related safety concerns.

Studies indicate that speech difficulties commonly occur in ALS. This research involves listening to and evaluating speech, which is safe and poses no risk of side effects for participants. The study aims to observe and understand how people with ALS communicate, ensuring no safety risks for those listening or speaking. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores how listener judgments can provide insights into speech perception for people with ALS. Unlike traditional treatments that focus on medication or physical aids to manage symptoms, this study investigates how speech produced in different settings is perceived by listeners. This approach could lead to new strategies for improving communication effectiveness for ALS patients by understanding how context impacts speech clarity and perception.

What evidence suggests that listener judgments of speech are effective for evaluating speech perception in ALS?

Research shows that people with ALS often struggle with making their speech clear, a condition known as dysarthria. More than 80% of individuals with ALS find it difficult to communicate their daily needs using natural speech. Studies indicate that comprehension of speech from ALS patients can depend on the listener's familiarity and skill. Evidence suggests that in various social situations, the effectiveness of communication by ALS speakers can vary significantly. This trial will focus on listener perception of speech produced in different task settings, aiming to understand how listeners perceive speech from ALS patients in various contexts, which might help improve communication strategies. ^{3 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Navin Viswanathan, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

The Pennsylvania State University

Anne Olmstead, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

The Pennsylvania State University

Jimin Lee, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

The Pennsylvania State University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with Motor Neuron Disease, specifically Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Participants should be able to produce speech and willing to interact in various tasks. The study seeks age-matched speakers as well.

Inclusion Criteria

Passing the remote hearing screening

Having no known speech, language, or neurological disorders per self-report

I am a native speaker of American English only.

Exclusion Criteria

None - if volunteer meets the inclusion criteria, then they will be enrolled

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Listeners participate in a remote, asynchronous session to evaluate recorded speech

20 minutes

1 session (remote)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for any additional feedback or data collection post-intervention

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Listener judgements of speech

Trial Overview The study focuses on how listeners perceive the speech of ALS patients during different types of tasks, some interactive and others not. It aims to understand the impact of task context on speech perception.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Listener Perception of Speech Produced in Different Task Settings Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Listeners will hear recorded speech of PALS and age-matched speakers produced within interactive and non-interactive contexts and indicate what they heard.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Penn State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

380

Recruited

131,000+

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Collaborator

Trials

377

Recruited

190,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12138489/

Implications for Novel Speech Interventions People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (PALS) often experience dysarthria and reduced speech intelligibility; that is, the degree to which the words produced ...

2. pubs.asha.org pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2024_JSLHR-24-00097

How People Living With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Use ... As a result, more than 80% of plwALS will become unable to communicate their daily needs using natural speech (Beukelman et al., 2011), and in time, most will ...

3. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/299009393_A_Longitudinal_Case_Study_of_ALS_Effects_of_Listener_Familiarity_and_Proficiency_on_Intelligibility_Judgments

(PDF) A Longitudinal Case Study of ALS: Effects of Listener ... This study describes the effects of listener proficiency and familiarization on judgments of speech intelligibility and speech severity associated with a ...

4. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15063143/

Communication effectiveness of individuals with ... ALS speakers and their listeners reported a range of communication effectiveness depending upon the adversity of specific social situations. Learning outcomes: ...

5. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2018.00603/full

Communication Matters—Pitfalls and Promise of Hightech ... Overall, dysarthria occurs in 80–95% of people with ALS at some point in their disease course, making them unable to meet their daily communication needs by ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11160879/

Listener effort quantifies clinically meaningful progression ... Listener effort quantifies clinically meaningful progression of dysarthria in people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

7. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/363697200_Rate_of_speech_decline_in_individuals_with_amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis

(PDF) Rate of speech decline in individuals with ... However, the time to speech loss was 23 months based on speaking rate < 120 (w/m) and 32 months based on speech intelligibility < 85% in individuals with ALS- ...

8. pubs.asha.org pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2025_AJSLP-24-00489

Construct Validity of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ... In conclusion, the ALSBDI-R is a valid and reliable tool for remote assessment of bulbar dysfunction in ALS patients. Its strong construct validity, ease of ...

9. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-024-84728-y

Artificial intelligence empowered voice generation for ... One of the most common symptoms of ALS is a decline in the ability to speak, which can occur regardless of the type of onset. This weakening of ...