60 Participants Needed

Speech Tasks for Speech Perception

Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The basic mechanisms underlying comprehension of spoken language are still largely unknown. Over the past decade, the study team has gained new insights to how the human brain extracts the most fundamental linguistic elements (consonants and vowels) from a complex and highly variable acoustic signal. However, the next set of questions await pertaining to the sequencing of those auditory elements and how they are integrated with other features, such as, the amplitude envelope of speech. Further investigation of the cortical representation of speech sounds can likely shed light on these fundamental questions. Previous research has implicated the superior temporal cortex in the processing of speech sounds, but little is known about how these sounds are linked together into the perceptual experience of words and continuous speech. The overall goal is to determine how the brain extracts linguistic elements from a complex acoustic speech signal towards better understanding and remediating human language disorders.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the study team or your doctor.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Speech Tasks for speech perception?

Research suggests that formal training in speech perception tasks can help individuals adapt to changes in hearing, improving their ability to understand speech. This training has shown benefits in enhancing skills and self-perceived competence, which may support the effectiveness of Speech Tasks in improving speech perception.12345

Is the Speech Tasks treatment safe for humans?

The research articles reviewed do not provide specific safety data for the Speech Tasks treatment in humans.678910

How is the Speech Tasks treatment different from other treatments for speech perception?

The Speech Tasks treatment is unique because it focuses on using specific speech tasks to improve speech perception, which involves understanding how we categorize and process speech sounds. This approach is different from other treatments that might focus on auditory training or hearing aids, as it directly targets the cognitive processes involved in speech perception.811121314

Research Team

EF

Edward F Chang, MD

Principal Investigator

University of California, San Francisco

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals at UCSF with epilepsy or brain tumors who are undergoing surgical electrode implantation. They must have electrodes in at least two key brain areas and be able to perform study tasks. Those unable to consent, with significant cerebral lesions, or cognitive deficits that prevent task completion cannot participate.

Inclusion Criteria

I have electrodes implanted in my brain and can follow study instructions.
I am undergoing surgery at UCSF for epilepsy or a brain tumor, involving electrode implantation or awake brain mapping.

Exclusion Criteria

I am able to understand and complete study tasks despite any cognitive issues.
I am unable or unwilling to give consent for this trial.
I have significant brain lesions.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intraoperative Procedure

Participants undergo ECoG recording during speech tasks while undergoing surgery for seizure localization or awake intraoperative brain mapping

1 day
1 visit (in-person)

Inpatient Hospitalization

Participants may have ECoG signals recorded during inpatient hospitalization

1-2 days

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the procedure

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Speech Tasks
Trial OverviewThe study investigates how the superior temporal gyrus of the brain processes speech sounds. Participants will perform speech tasks while their brain activity is monitored to understand how we perceive words and continuous speech, aiming to improve language disorder treatments.
Participant Groups
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Electrocorticography (ECoG) recording during Speech TasksExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Participants listened to 25-minute Speech Tasks while ECoG signals for neural activity was recorded during their intraoperative procedure or inpatient hospitalization at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, San Francisco

Lead Sponsor

Trials
2,636
Recruited
19,080,000+

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Collaborator

Trials
377
Recruited
190,000+

University of California, Berkeley

Collaborator

Trials
193
Recruited
716,000+

References

Variability of word discrimination scores in clinical practice and consequences on their sensitivity to hearing loss. [2018]
Stages in the Development and Validation of a Belgian Dutch Outcome Tool for the Perceptual Evaluation of Speech in Patients With Cleft Palate. [2020]
Improvements in speech perception by children with profound prelingual hearing loss: effects of device, communication mode, and chronological age. [2019]
Adapting to changed hearing: the potential role of formal training. [2020]
Current considerations in pediatric speech audiometry. [2008]
Development of a Danish speech intelligibility test. [2009]
The development of psychometrically equivalent Cantonese speech audiometry materials. [2019]
Features from normal and sensorineural listeners' nonsense syllable test errors. [2019]
The Norwegian Hearing in Noise Test for Children. [2015]
10.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Speech-in-noise testing: Innovative applications for pediatric patients, underrepresented populations, fitness for duty, clinical trials, and remote services. [2023]
Visual speech processing: word-decoding and word-discrimination related to sentence-based speechreading and hearing-impairment. [2019]
On the perception of speech sounds as biologically significant signals. [2018]
13.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Speech perception: some new directions in research and theory. [2019]
14.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Speech perception as categorization. [2021]