Reducing stuttering with smart feedback and brain-powered audio tweaks
Official title: Reducing stuttering with integrated machine learning classifiers and optimized altered auditory feedback
Funded at Purdue University · NIH-11443190 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new device concept aims to help people who stutter by using a wearable earpiece that listens to speech, taps into brain activity, and delivers tailored altered feedback to improve fluency.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project start | August 4, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $210,050 |
| NIH project number | 1R21DC024031-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11443190 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults who stutter and are comfortable using wearable audio devices and interacting with neurofeedback-based control.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who do not stutter or who cannot use wearable audio equipment may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project focuses on adults who stutter and explores a novel device that continuously adapts feedback based on real-time brain signals. It blends engineering with patient-centered testing to create a system that optimizes delayed and frequency-shifted auditory feedback for better fluency. The researchers plan to develop methods that adjust feedback in tune with the user’s brain activity, aiming to surpass current DAF/FAF devices. The approach seeks to combine user control with smarter, more effective stimulation to reduce stuttering moments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could provide a more effective and tolerable option for improving speech fluency in adults who stutter.
How similar studies have gone: Previous DAF/FAF devices show short-term fluency benefits, but long-term improvement and optimal customization remain challenging, making this approach innovative.
Where this research is happening
-
Purdue University
West Lafayette, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Kwang Seob — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: Kim, Kwang Seob
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.