Neural Mechanisms for Stopping Ongoing Speech Production (Study 2)

NCT07713706 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY25040153R00DC020235
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Speech and communication disorders often result in aberrant control of the timing of speech production, such as making improper stops at places where they should not be. During normal speech, the ability to stop when necessary is important for maintaining turn-taking in a smooth conversation. Existing studies have largely investigated neural circuits that support the preparation and generation of speech sounds. It is believed that activity in the prefrontal and premotor cortical areas facilitates high-level speech control and activity in the ventral part of the sensorimotor cortex controls the articulator (e.g. lip, jaw, tongue) movements. However, little is known about the neural mechanism controlling a sudden and voluntary stop of speech. Traditional view attributes this to a disengagement of motor signals while recent evidence suggested there may be an inhibitory control mechanism. This gap in knowledge limits our understanding of disorders like stuttering and aphasia, where deficits in speech timing control are among the common symptoms. The overall goal of this study is to determine how the brain controls the stopping of ongoing speech production to deepen our understanding of speech and communication in normal and impaired conditions.

Conditions

Epilepsy; Speech

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mean Change in Neural Activity

  Neural signal recorded at each electrode (measured in voltage) is bandpass-filtered and converted to analytic amplitude using Hilbert transform, and then Z-scored relative to the entire recording block period for that electrode. A Z-score of 0 represents the mean neural activity within the recording block period, during which the task is performed. A positive Z-score indicates higher neural activity compared to the block mean. The mean change in neural activity was calculated as the difference between the average Z-score in two time windows (\~1 second after the visual cue vs. \~1 second before), averaged across trials for each electrode and then across electrodes from all participants. Positive values of the mean change in neural activity indicate that neural activity was increased after the visual cue. Since the Z-score used here is a normalized neurophysiological measure rather than a clinical scale, there are no established thresholds or definitions of better or worse outcomes.

  During inpatient hospitalization, up to 14 days after surgical electrode implantation

Study Arms (1)

Voice and iEEG recording during Speech Production Tasks

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Speech Production Tasks

Interventions

Speech Production Tasks BEHAVIORAL

View visual cues and undergo speech production.

Voice and iEEG recording during Speech Production Tasks

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 8 Years - 26 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Undergoing iEEG placement in regions of interest (e.g., in the frontal or temporal cortex) for clinically necessary localization of epileptic foci or language mapping
• Fluent English speakers
• Within the normal range for cognitive, speech-language, and hearing capacity
• Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals with intellectual disability
• Lack of fluent English comprehension/production
• Inadequate speech ability for the research tasks.
• History of autism or ADHD

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lingyun Zhao: lead
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15224, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Epilepsy; Speech

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Verbal Behavior; Communication; Behavior

Study Officials

• Lingyun Zhao, PhD

  University of Pittsburgh

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 14, 2026
• First Posted: July 20, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2028
• Last Updated: July 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)