Speech Perception for ALS

Overseen By Anne Olmstead, Ph.D.

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Penn State University

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

1300 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

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 data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Listener judgements of speech for ALS?

Research suggests that slow speech can improve acoustic vowel contrast in people with ALS, which may help with speech clarity. This indicates that listener judgments of speech could be effective in assessing and potentially improving speech perception in ALS patients. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the speech perception treatment for ALS differ from other treatments?

This treatment focuses on improving speech perception in ALS patients by using speech modifications like slow and clear speech to enhance tongue and jaw movements, which is different from other treatments that may not specifically target these articulatory changes. ^{2 3 4 6 7}

What is the purpose of this trial?

In this study, we will evaluate how solo, naive listeners perceive the speech of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and age-matched speakers produced across interactive and non-interactive contexts with an unfamiliar, naive interlocutor.

Research Team

Jimin Lee, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

The Pennsylvania State University

Navin Viswanathan, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

The Pennsylvania State University

Anne Olmstead, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

The Pennsylvania State University

Eligibility Criteria

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

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

Treatment Details

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.

Participant Groups

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+

References

1. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A prospective multicentre study on sural nerve action potentials in ALS. [2008]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Tongue- and Jaw-Specific Articulatory Changes and Their Acoustic Consequences in Talkers With Dysarthria due to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Effects of Loud, Clear, and Slow Speech. [2021]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The association between longitudinal declines in speech sound accuracy and speech intelligibility in speakers with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. [2023]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Segmental timing in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. [2019]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rate of speech decline in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. [2023]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Validation of Articulatory Rate and Imprecision Judgments in Speech of Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. [2022]

7. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acoustic Voice Analysis as a Useful Tool to Discriminate Different ALS Phenotypes. [2023]