Understanding how the brain learns and retains speech motor skills

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This research aims to explore a new model of speech motor learning by investigating the role of brain plasticity in motor, auditory, and somatosensory regions. The study will utilize transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to disrupt specific brain areas and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe circuit-level activity associated with learning and retention of speech movements. By measuring cortical excitability through various evoked potentials, the researchers will assess the temporal order of plasticity during speech motor adaptation and retention. This approach seeks to identify the brain regions that contribute to effective speech motor learning.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Fluent English speakers
* Right-handed
* Normal hearing
* No speech disorder or reading disability

Exclusion Criteria:

* Cardiac pacemaker
* Aneurysm clip
* Heart or Vascular clip
* Prosthetic valve
* Metal implants
* Metal in brain, skull, or spinal cord
* Implanted neurostimulator
* Medication infusion device
* Cochlear implant or tinnitus (ringing in ears)
* Personal and/or family history of epilepsy or other neurological disorders or history of head concussion
* Psychoactive medications
* Pregnancy

Where it's running

• Yale Child Study Center
  New Haven, Connecticut, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: David Ostry — Yale University
• Study coordinator: David Ostry
• Email: david.ostry@yale.edu
• Phone: 2038656163

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.