Speech Learning and Speech Production in Parkinson's Disease

NCT07403539 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: STUDY00008661
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Parkinson's disease, a common movement disorder that results from a breakdown in the brain, often leads to challenges with talking, but less is known about the relationship between difficulties with talking and difficulties with learning to understand speech. By linking these two abilities in individuals with Parkinson's disease using a precision medicine approach, this project seeks to build a basis for new therapies that help people with Parkinson's disease both understand better and speak more clearly.

Conditions

Parkinson's Disease

Keywords

speech perception; communication; learning

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Mean dB SPL

  The mean speech intensity (in dB SPL) will be assessed using a recording of spoken sentences and a spoken paragraph.

  Day 1

• Standard deviation dB SPL

  The standard deviation of participant's speech intensity (in dB SPL) will be assessed using a recording of spoken sentences and a spoken paragraph.

  Day 1

• Speaking rate

  The speaking rate (in syllables/second) will be assessed using a recording of spoken sentences and a spoken paragraph.

  Day 1

• Articulation rate

  The articulation rate (in syllables/second after removing pauses) will be assessed using a recording of spoken sentences and a spoken paragraph.

  Day 1

• Unfilled pause time

  The unfilled pause time (in seconds of pause) will be assessed using a recording of spoken sentences and a spoken paragraph.

  Day 1

Study Arms (1)

Learning and Discrimination

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral interventions will be administered, including speech intensity learning, speech intensity discrimination, speech rate learning, and speech rate discrimination

Behavioral: Intensity learning; Behavioral: Intensity discrimination; Behavioral: Rate learning; Behavioral: Rate discrimination

Interventions

Intensity learning BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be asked to pair sentences that vary in their sound intensity to one of three colored squares (red, yellow, or blue)

Learning and Discrimination

Intensity discrimination BEHAVIORAL

Participants will hear two sentences that are either the same or different in their sound intensity and will be asked to indicate whether the sentences were of the same or different intensities

Learning and Discrimination

Rate learning BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be asked to pair sentences that vary in their spoken rate to one of three colored squares (red, yellow, or blue)

Learning and Discrimination

Rate discrimination BEHAVIORAL

Participants will hear two sentences that are either the same or different in their spoken rate and will be asked to indicate whether the sentences were of the same or different rates

Learning and Discrimination

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 45 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
• Native speaker of North American English
• Use a drug that includes levodopa
• Resident of the United States

You may not qualify if:

• Any history of language, hearing or speech disorder outside of Parkinson's disease
• Other gross neurological impairment such as Alzheimer's disease or stroke
• Significant hearing loss and/or use of a hearing aid or cochlear implant

Sponsors & Collaborators

• State University of New York at Buffalo: lead

Study Sites (1)

State University of New York at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York, 14214, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease; Communication

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Behavior

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 27, 2026
• First Posted: February 11, 2026
• Study Start: January 27, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Last Updated: February 11, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
• Time Frame: Information will be available at the conclusion of data collection and will be available indefinitely
• Access Criteria: Data and supporting material will be available on the Open Science Framework, a database that is open to the general public

Locations

US (1)