Understanding how people control speech movements
Quantitatively Characterizing the Speech Motor Skillsets of Individual Speakers
['FUNDING_R01'] · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · NIH-11326803
This project uses speech tests, brain scans, and mild brain stimulation to map how adults with stuttering, dyslexia, and typical speech control the movements that make sounds.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11326803 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would come to Boston University for behavioral sessions where we change the sounds or sensations you hear while you speak and record how you respond. We will also take brain scans and use brief, noninvasive brain stimulation to link brain signals to those speech responses. A computer model will be fit to each person's results to capture individual patterns of auditory feedback, touch-based feedback, and feedforward control. The work includes adults with persistent developmental stuttering, adults with dyslexia, and people with typical speech, and some tests repeat on different days to check consistency.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) with persistent developmental stuttering or adults with dyslexia, as well as adults with typical speech, who can attend in-person sessions and undergo MRI and noninvasive brain stimulation are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children, people unable to undergo MRI or brain stimulation, or those looking for immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians tailor speech therapies to each person's specific speech-control profile.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies using auditory and somatosensory perturbations plus brain imaging have improved understanding of speech control, but applying this approach to individualized clinical treatments is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GUENTHER, FRANK H — BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- Study coordinator: GUENTHER, FRANK H
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 below.
Conditions: Communication Disorders