Voiceitt for People With Impairments in Speech

NCT06874322 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: STUDY24100164
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The primary objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the Voiceitt app in improving communication for individuals with speech impairments due to conditions such as cerebral palsy (CP), stroke, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Parkinson's disease.

Conditions

Speech Impairment; Speech Disorder

Keywords

Speech Impairment; voice recognition tool; dictation tool; voice recognition app; dictation app; voiceitt app; speech disabilities; dysarthria; moderate dysarthria

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Communication Abilities as measured by SIR

  Change in Communication Abilities as measured by Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) that quantifies clarity of speech. The rating ranges from 1-5. low rating means speech is unintelligible, and highest rating means speech is intelligible to all listeners. Change in SIR is measured by administering SIR at 3 different time points, at baseline, and two times after intervention.

  Baseline (Day 1), 5-6 months, and 7-8 months

• Change in Communication Abilities as measured by Communication Effectiveness Index (CETI)

  Change in Communication Abilities as measured by Communication Effectiveness Index (CETI) that measures perceived effectiveness of communication in daily activities. CETI is a 16 item questionnaire. Each item is scored from 1-100. The final score of CETI is the averaged score across the 16 items, and ranges from 1-100. A high score indicates good performance in functional communication and a low score, poor performance. Change in CETI is measured by administering CETI at 3 different time points, at baseline, and two times after intervention.

  Baseline (day 1), 5-6 months, and 7-8 months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• User Satisfaction

  7-8 months

• Change in Communication-Related Frustration

  7-8 months

• Change in Participants' Accounts on Social Interaction Quality

  7-8 months

Study Arms (1)

Voiceitt

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will use Voiceitt App. Voiceitt is a voice recognition and dictation tool that adapts to users' unique, non-standard speech patterns. It integrates with mainstream devices and platforms to enable communication, accessibility, and independence for people with speech disabilities. https://www.voiceitt.com/

Other: Voiceitt

Interventions

Voiceitt OTHER

Participants will use Voiceitt App

Voiceitt

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 13 or older
• moderately severe speech dysarthria due to conditions such as CP, stroke, ALS or Parkinson's Disease, etc.
• Ability to understand and follow instructions for using the Voiceitt app.

You may not qualify if:

• Severe cognitive impairments that prevent the understanding of the Voiceitt app and required training.
• Patients who have additional speech impairments other than dysarthria, such as significant aphasia or verbal apraxia.
• Severe physical impairments that prevent interaction with the app.
• Non-English speakers.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pittsburgh: lead
• Duquesne University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Center for Assistive Technology

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Speech Disorders; Dysarthria

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Brad E Dicianno, MD

  University of Pittsburgh

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Brad E Dicianno, MD

CONTACT

(412) 648-6666; dicianno@pitt.edu

Zara Ambadar, Ph.D

CONTACT

4126086118; ambadar@pitt.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 21, 2025
• First Posted: March 13, 2025
• Study Start: June 25, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Last Updated: August 8, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)