Neural Bases of Vocal Sensorimotor Impairment in Aphasia

NCT04742894 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: IRB-24-325R01DC018523
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 3

Brief Summary

Aphasia is the most common type of post-stroke communication disorder characterized by deficits in speech comprehension, production and control. While recovery can be promoted with speech therapy, improvement remains modest and typically requires a large number of sessions contributing to rising health care costs. Traditional aphasia therapy focus on enhancing speech motor output; however, recent evidence suggests that the auditory feedback also plays a critical role in fluent speech. Therefore, a key step toward refining treatment strategies is to develop objective biomarkers that can probe the integrity of sensorimotor mechanisms of speech auditory feedback and identify their impaired function in patients with post-stroke aphasia. This study aims to examine the behavioral, neurophysiological (EEG), and neuroimaging (fMRI) biomarkers of speech impairment following stroke with focus on understanding the role of auditory feedback for speech production and control. We plan to test individuals with post-stroke aphasia and a matched neuroptypical control group during different speech production tasks under the altered auditory feedback paradigm. In addition, we aim to examine the effect of audio-visual feedback training on enhancing communication ability during speech. These biomarkers will be combined with existing lesion-symptom-mapping data in the aphasic group in order to identify the patterns of brain damage and diminished structural connectivity within the auditory-motor areas of the left hemisphere that predict impaired sensorimotor processing of speech in aphasia. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a model for identifying the source of sensorimotor deficit and improve diagnosis and targeted treatment of speech disorders in aphasia.

Conditions

Aphasia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Speech Production and Motor Control Ability

  Participants accuracy in using their speech for controlling the visual cursor will be assessed via measuring their deviation from hitting a pre-defined target on the screen.

  2 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Aphasia Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Visual Feedback Training

Control Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Visual Feedback Training

Interventions

Visual Feedback Training BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be trained to work with a computer setup to control the position of a visual cursor on the screen using their speech while their auditory feedback is altered. The goal of the training is to help improve speech production and motor control ability.

Aphasia Group; Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may not qualify if:

• Subjects with moderate to severe hearing, memory, and/or cognitive impairments will be excluded for both groups. In addition, subjects with history of peripheral laryngeal disorders (e.g., paresis or vocal fold paralysis) will be excluded. Subjects will undergo safety screening and will be excluded if there are any factors counter-indicative for EEG and/or MRI scanning.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Texas at Dallas: lead
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD): collaborator

Study Sites (3)

University of California Irvine

Irvine, California, 92697, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

University of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

The University of Texas at Dallas

Richardson, Texas, 75080, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Aphasia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Speech Disorders; Language Disorders; Communication Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Roozbeh Behroozmand, PhD

CONTACT

9728833062; roozbeh.behroozmand@utdallas.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 3, 2021
• First Posted: February 8, 2021
• Study Start: July 11, 2021
• Primary Completion: February 28, 2026
• Study Completion: February 28, 2026
• Last Updated: June 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Locations

US (3)