Auditory Prediction and Error Evaluation in the Speech of Individuals Who Stutter

Summary

Stuttering negatively impacts communication and reduces the overall quality of life and well-being of individuals who stutter. This study will provide a strong foundation for developing neural and behavioral interventions for stuttering. Participants will be asked to name pictures, read words/sentences silently or aloud, and listen to speech and nonspeech sounds while their speech, muscle, and brain signals are collected. Some participants may also receive brain stimulation while reading and speaking.

Conditions

• Healthy Subjects
• Stuttering, Developmental

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Delaying speech initiation

This intervention will examine the effects of misalignment between prediction and auditory feedback in participants. We will use transcranial magnetic stimulation to induce a temporal misalignment between prediction and auditory feedback while participants produce speech.

BEHAVIORAL

Auditory errors and pre-speech auditory modulation

This intervention will examine the contributions of auditory errors to pre-speech auditory modulation. Participants will receive auditory perturbations while speaking, and we will collect their brain activities throughout the study.

BEHAVIORAL

Contributions of the speech premotor cortex to pre-speech auditory modulation

This intervention will examine the effects of stimulation of the left ventral premotor cortex on pre-speech auditory modulation. Participants will receive electrical stimulation while speaking.

BEHAVIORAL

Delaying auditory feedback

This intervention will examine the effects of misalignment between prediction and auditory feedback in participants. We will use delayed auditory feedback to induce a temporal misalignment between prediction and auditory feedback while participants produce speech.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Washington

  collaborator OTHER

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

  collaborator NIH

• Arizona State University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

3 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-01-01

Primary Completion

2027-12-30

Completion

2027-12-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations