Testing how people control their speech in different feedback situations
Official title: Brain Mechanisms Underlying Neurotypical and Disordered Speech
Run by Boston University Charles River Campus · NCT07459803 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests how adults with and without speech or reading differences use auditory and somatosensory feedback to control their speech.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 50 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 90 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Boston University Charles River Campus Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Boston, Massachusetts and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 12, 2026 |
| Main results expected | March 2030 |
| Study ends | March 2030 |
| Registry record updated | July 21, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07459803 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults ages 18-50 who are native American English speakers, with or without stuttering or dyslexia, and with typical hearing and cognitive function.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals with neurological conditions or speech disorders outside the study groups may not benefit from this research.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will study how the brain uses multiple feedback systems to guide speech production by testing 90 adults, including people who stutter, have dyslexia, or have typical development. Participants will experience brief changes to sounds and mouth movements, while researchers estimate each person’s speech motor skills and fit a computer model of brain speech control. The study uses several behavioral sessions with unpredictable and sustained auditory perturbations, plus somatosensory perturbations, to observe responses. The goal is to understand individual differences in speech motor control across groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could improve understanding of speech motor control and inform approaches to therapy for stuttering and dyslexia.
How similar studies have gone: Similar perturbation studies have advanced knowledge of speech motor control, with prior work supporting feasibility and usefulness of this approach.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Native speakers of American English * Adults age 18-50 * Age-appropriate cognitive and receptive vocabulary skills * Age-appropriate hearing * Adults with dyslexia will have a history of dyslexia or report of ongoing reading difficulties that will be confirmed at the first screening visit * Adults who stutter will have a history of stuttering that will be confirmed at the first screening visit Exclusion Criteria: * History of neurological disorder, including a history of seizures * Major brain injury, brain surgery, or stroke * Orthodontia or atypical oral structure (e.g., cleft palate) that interferes with speech * Fluency disorder (except those in the persons who stutter cohort), apraxia of speech, or dysarthria * Language or reading disorder (except those in persons with dyslexia cohort) * Standardized score below 80 on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test * Standardized score below 1 standard deviation on the NIH Toolbox Picture Vocabulary Test * Pregnancy * Severe claustrophobia * Presence of magnetically or mechanically active implant, or other ferromagnetic material embedded in any part of the body * Significant scalp lesions that would prevent transcranial direct stimulation
Where it's running
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Boston University Charles River Campus
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting -
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Frank H Guenther, Ph.D. — Boston University
- Study coordinator: Frank H Guenther, Ph.D.
- Email: guenther@bu.edu
- Phone: 617-353-5765
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.