Speech Processing in Stuttering

NCT04929184 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: HUM001949531R21DC019429-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 145
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This research is being done to better understand stuttering, specifically how people who stutter may process and/or produce speech. Eligible participants enrolled will complete a variety of computer and speech-based tasks on up to 2 visits.

Conditions

Stuttering; Stuttering, Childhood; Stuttering, Adult

Keywords

Healthy children; Healthy Adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Phase Locking Value (PLV) - Session 1 Speech Tasks

  Participants will hear a series of single syllables spoken rhythmically and will be instructed to whisper the syllable "tah" repeatedly while the recording is playing. The degree of synchronization (how well the participant's whispered syllables match the cadence of the recorded syllables they are listening to) will be measured by computing the PLV between subject's produced speech and the heard speech. The PLV is a vector with a value between 0 and 1 that reflects the phase difference between two signals, where 0 is a complete mis-match and a 1 is a perfect match. Adults were not instructed to attempt to match the cadence (Implicit task). Child participants were instructed to attempt to match the cadence (Explicit task).

  Session 1 (up to 4 hours)

• Phase Locking Value (PLV) - Session 2 Speech Tasks

  Adult participants will hear a series of single syllables spoken rhythmically and will be instructed to whisper the syllable "tah" repeatedly while the recording is playing. Child participants did not attend Session 2. The degree of synchronization (how well the participant's whispered syllables match the cadence of the recorded syllables they are listening to) will be measured by computing the PLV between subject's produced speech and the heard speech. The PLV is a vector with a value between 0 and 1 that reflects the phase difference between two signals, where 0 is a complete mis-match and a 1 is a perfect match. Adults completed this task twice. For the first test, they were not instructed to attempt to match the cadence (Implicit task). For the second test, they were instructed to attempt to match the cadence (Explicit task).

  Session 2 (up to 4 hours)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• R Statistic (Resultant Vector Length)

  Session 1 (up to 4 hours)

Study Arms (4)

Adults who stutter (AWS)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will have 2 visits.

Behavioral: Speech and non-speech tasks

Healthy Adults

OTHER

Participants will have 2 visits.

Behavioral: Speech and non-speech tasks

Children who Stutter

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will have 1 visit.

Behavioral: Speech and non-speech tasks

Healthy Children

OTHER

Participants will have 1 visit.

Behavioral: Speech and non-speech tasks

Interventions

Speech and non-speech tasks BEHAVIORAL

Participants will complete speech tasks such as listening to and/or producing speech and non-speech sounds.

Adults who stutter (AWS); Children who Stutter; Healthy Adults; Healthy Children

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years old
• English as primary language
• Normal speech, language, hearing, cognition

You may not qualify if:

• Personal or family history of stuttering
• Major medical or psychiatric illness
• Aged 18-65 years
• English as primary language
• Normal speech, language, hearing, cognition (other than stuttering)
• Currently stutters
• Speech therapy within the past year
• Major medical or psychiatric illness
• Aged 6 to 17 years
• English as primary language
• Normal speech, language, hearing, cognition
• Personal or family history of stuttering
• Major medical or psychiatric illness
• Language/motor delay
• Aged 6 to 17 years

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Michigan: lead
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

Location

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stuttering

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Emily Garnett
• Organization: University of Michigan

emilyog@med.umich.edu

734-232-3371

Study Officials

• Emily Garnett, PhD

  University of Michigan

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 10, 2021
• First Posted: June 18, 2021
• Study Start: April 4, 2022
• Primary Completion: June 16, 2025
• Study Completion: June 16, 2025
• Last Updated: July 16, 2026
• Results First Posted: July 16, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)