Mirror Speech Entrainment: A Novel Technique for Voice Personalized Speech Entrainment for Nonfluent Aphasia

NCT06829420 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 007481
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the use of voice personalization through artificial intelligence (AI) voice cloning on speech entrainment tasks to improve language production of persons with aphasia (PWA). The main question the study aims to answer is: \- What is the impact of personalized voice on speech entrainment in PWA compared to traditional speech entrainment? Speech entrainment is a technique used by speech-language pathologists to improve the speech production of PWA. Traditionally, speech therapists act as the model for participants to speak along with to improve their speech production. This study proposes the use of one's own voice (digitally altered) to improve speech production. The study uses a mobile health approach to administer speech entrainment treatment through a mobile app.

• Smartphones with the mobile app pre-installed will be mailed to participants at no cost.
• Participants will complete treatment in the comfort of their homes.
• The experimental treatments involve: mirror speech entrainment (speaking along to one's own voice) and traditional speech entrainment (speaking along to someone else's voice).

Conditions

Aphasia Non Fluent; Stroke; Aphasia

Keywords

Aphasia; Nonfluent aphasia; Speech entrainment; Speech synchronization

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Speaking rate

  Language production as assessed by number of correct words produced per minute

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

Study Arms (3)

Experiment 1: Feasibility Study

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive two treatments sequentially: mirror speech entrainment using the auditory-only modality followed by mirror speech entrainment using the auditory-visual modality.

Behavioral: Mirror speech entrainment

Experiment 2: Mirror SE versus Traditional SE (Auditory-only)

EXPERIMENTAL

This arm investigates the use of mirror speech entrainment using auditory only feedback and traditional speech entrainment using auditory only feedback.

Behavioral: Mirror speech entrainment; Behavioral: Traditional speech entrainment: auditory-only

Experiment 3: Mirror SE versus Traditional SE (Auditory-visual)

EXPERIMENTAL

This arm will investigate the effect of mirror speech entrainment in the auditory-visual modality versus traditional speech entrainment in the auditory-visual modality.

Behavioral: Mirror speech entrainment; Behavioral: Traditional speech entrainment: auditory-visual

Interventions

Mirror speech entrainment BEHAVIORAL

Speech entrainment with the user's own voice using auditory-only and auditory-visual modalities.

Experiment 1: Feasibility Study; Experiment 2: Mirror SE versus Traditional SE (Auditory-only); Experiment 3: Mirror SE versus Traditional SE (Auditory-visual)

Traditional speech entrainment: auditory-only BEHAVIORAL

Traditional speech entrainment (speech entrainment using an external agent's voice) using the auditory-only modality (users only listen and speak along to auditory stimuli)

Experiment 2: Mirror SE versus Traditional SE (Auditory-only)

Traditional speech entrainment: auditory-visual BEHAVIORAL

Traditional speech entrainment (speech entrainment using an external agent's voice) using the auditory-visual modality (users listen and speak along to both auditory and visual stimuli (mouth movements)

Experiment 3: Mirror SE versus Traditional SE (Auditory-visual)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults between the ages of 18-70 years old
• Dominant English-speaking
• Aphasia due to left hemisphere stroke

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals with aphasia due to other causes such as dementia, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinsonism
• Non-dominant English adult speakers
• Persons with significant difficulties with language comprehension
• Persons with concomitant cognitive disability
• Persons with uncorrected sensory deficits.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of South Florida: lead

Study Sites (2)

University of South Florida

Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

University of South Florida

Tampa, Florida, 33614, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Aphasia, Broca; Stroke; 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; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Speech-language Pathologist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 11, 2025
• First Posted: February 17, 2025
• Study Start: May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 21, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)