Speech Motor Learning and Retention (Aim 2)

Yale University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Speech

Treatments: Device: Auditory evoked potentials; Behavioral: Adaptation; Device: Motor evoked potentials; Device: Somatosensory evoked potentials; Behavioral: Adaptation baseline

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06491823

2000037622_b

1R01DC022097-01A1 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full description

The focus of this registration is Aim 2. Specific Aim 2 assesses the temporal order in which plasticity occurs in cortical motor and sensory brain areas during speech motor learning. Plasticity is assessed using measures of cortical excitability. Specifically, auditory, somatosensory and motor evoked potentials are elicited using single pulse TMS (motor), pure tone bursts (auditory), and mentalis nerve stimulation (somatosensory). Tests of cortical excitability are interleaved with trials involving speech motor adaptation. Cortical excitability is also measured using these same measures 24 hours after learning to assess retention.

The Speech Motor Learning and Retention Master Protocol is NCT06467292.

Enrollment: 120 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 40 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Fluent English speakers
• Right-handed
• Normal hearing
• No speech disorder or reading disability

Exclusion criteria

• Cardiac pacemaker
• Aneurysm clip
• Heart or Vascular clip
• Prosthetic valve
• Metal implants
• Metal in brain, skull, or spinal cord
• Implanted neurostimulator
• Medication infusion device
• Cochlear implant or tinnitus (ringing in ears)
• Personal and/or family history of epilepsy or other neurological disorders or history of head concussion
• Psychoactive medications
• Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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120 participants in 6 patient groups

MEPs (M1) / altered auditory feedback / MEPs + retention tests at 24h

Experimental group

Description:

Evoked potentials will be recorded from brain area M1 (motor cortex) in combination with a speech motor learning procedure known as adaptation to altered auditory feedback. Retention of learning will be tested 24h later along with additional evoked potential recordings.

Treatment:

Device: Motor evoked potentials

Behavioral: Adaptation

AEPs (A1) / altered auditory feedback / AEPs + retention tests at 24h

Experimental group

Description:

Evoked potentials will be recorded from brain area A1 (auditory cortex) in combination with a speech motor learning procedure known as adaptation to altered auditory feedback. Retention of learning will be tested 24h later along with additional evoked potential recordings.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Adaptation

Device: Auditory evoked potentials

SEPs (S1) / altered auditory feedback / SEPs + retention tests at 24h

Experimental group

Description:

Evoked potentials will be recorded from brain area S1 (somatosensory cortex) in combination with a speech motor learning procedure known as adaptation to altered auditory feedback. Retention of learning will be tested 24h later along with additional evoked potential recordings.

Treatment:

Device: Somatosensory evoked potentials

Behavioral: Adaptation

MEPs (M1) / unaltered auditory feedback / MEPs + retention tests at 24h

Experimental group

Description:

Evoked potentials will be recorded from brain area M1 (motor cortex) in combination with unaltered auditory feedback. Retention of learning will be tested 24h later along with additional evoked potential recordings.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Adaptation baseline

Device: Motor evoked potentials

AEPs (A1) / unaltered auditory feedback / AEPs + retention tests at 24h

Experimental group

Description:

Evoked potentials will be recorded from brain area A1 (auditory cortex) in combination with unaltered auditory feedback. Retention of learning will be tested 24h later along with additional evoked potential recordings.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Adaptation baseline

Device: Auditory evoked potentials

SEPs (S1) / unaltered auditory feedback / SEPs + retention tests at 24h

Experimental group

Description:

Evoked potentials will be recorded from brain area S1 (somatosensory cortex) in combination with unaltered auditory feedback. Retention of learning will be tested 24h later along with additional evoked potential recordings.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Adaptation baseline

Device: Somatosensory evoked potentials