Brief Summary

The overall goal of this research is to test a new model of speech motor learning, whose central hypothesis is that learning and retention are associated with plasticity not only in motor areas of the brain but in auditory and somatosensory regions as well. The strategy for the proposed research is to identify individual brain areas that contribute causally to retention by disrupting their activity with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Investigators will also use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which will enable identification of circuit-level activity which predicts either learning or retention of new movements, and hence test the specific contributions of candidate sensory and motor zones. In other studies, investigators will record sensory and motor evoked potentials over the course of learning to determine the temporal order in which individual sensory and cortical motor regions contribute. The goal here is to identify brain areas in which learning-related plasticity occurs first and which among these areas predict subsequent learning.

Trial Health

On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment

160

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline

38mo left

Started Oct 2024

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach

1 country

1 active site

Status

recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

4.7 years study duration

Study Progress34%

Oct 2024May 2029

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

June 13, 2024

Completed

8 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

June 21, 2024

Completed

3 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

October 1, 2024

Completed

4.2 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

November 30, 2028

Expected

6 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

May 31, 2029

Last Updated

February 19, 2026

Status Verified

February 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

4.2 years

First QC Date

June 13, 2024

Last Update Submit

February 17, 2026

Conditions

Speech

Keywords

Speech Motor LearningRetention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

Speech motor learning
Audapter software will be used to alter the first and second formant frequencies of the spoken words and this is played back to subjects through headphones. Subjects will be tested both with unaltered feedback and with abruptly introduced frequency shifts.The change in the first (F1) and second format frequency (F2) values will be assessed using Praat.
Performance as measured at the end of learning (30 minute session)
Retention of learning
The retention of adaptation to altered auditory feedback (and relearning) will be quantified in terms of F1 and F2 frequency shifts (relative to pre-training baseline). Larger values indicate more complete relearning or retention.
24 hours after learning (re-test lasts 30 minutes)

Study Arms (8)

Altered auditory feedback + cTBS to auditory cortex

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will perform learning tasks while receiving altered auditory feedback.This procedure will be repeated on day 2. cTBS will be applied to the left hemisphere auditory cortex following learning. Participants then leave the laboratory and return 24 hours later to assess retention of learning.