The Role of Cerebellum in Speech

Summary

This study will investigate the how the cerebellum is involved in speech motor learning over time and short-term corrections in patients with cerebellar ataxia and healthy controls. This will be accomplished through three approaches: behavioral studies, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). During behavioral studies, participants will be asked to speak into a microphone while their voice is played back over earphones, and to do other speaking tasks. MRI will be acquired to perform a detailed analysis on brain function and anatomy related to speech and the cerebellum. In healthy controls, TMS will also be performed to temporarily disrupt the cerebellum before, during, or after the participant performs speaking tasks. Patients with cerebellar ataxia and healthy volunteers will be asked to complete behavioral studies and/or MRI; healthy volunteers may be asked to additionally participate in TMS.

Conditions

• Cerebellar Ataxia
• Dysarthria
• Healthy

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

MRI

Brain MRI will be performed (no contrast) to correlate brain anatomy/function with behavioral testing.

DEVICE

TMS

Repetitive TMS will be applied to transiently disrupt cerebellar speech pathways.

BEHAVIORAL

Speech-motor behavioral testing

Language/speaking tasks will be performed during which participants are asked to speak in response to audio/video cues; participants' responses will be recorded. For patients with cerebellar ataxia, additional diagnostic surveys may be completed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Berkeley

  collaborator OTHER

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Wisconsin, Madison

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, San Francisco

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• John F. Houde, Ph.D. · University of California, San Francisco

• Srikantan S. Nagarajan, Ph.D. · University of California, San Francisco

• Richard Ivry, Ph.D. · University of California, Berkeley

• Ben Parrell, Ph.D. · University of Wisconsin, Madison

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-09-15

Primary Completion

2030-05-31

Completion

2030-05-31

FDA Device

Yes

Countries

• United States

Study Locations