Neural Mechanisms for Stopping Ongoing Speech Production (Study 2)

Part of paid clinical trials in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Sponsor
Lingyun Zhao
Study ID
NCT07713706
Status
Enrolling By Invitation

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
8 Years - 26 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Speech Production Tasks — BEHAVIORAL
    View visual cues and undergo speech production.

Study Details

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.

Key Dates

First listed
Jul 20, 2026
Start date
Sep 1, 2026
Status verified
Jul 2026
Primary completion
Jul 31, 2028
Completion
Jul 31, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
12 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Voice and iEEG recording during Speech Production Tasks

Primary Outcome Measure

Mean Change in Neural Activity [ Time Frame: During inpatient hospitalization, up to 14 days after surgical electrode implantation ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
UPMC Children's Hospital of PittsburghPittsburghPennsylvania15224-

Find similar trials in Pittsburgh, PA

By condition
Epilepsy
By specialty
NeurologyBrain disorders
By research site
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh· Pittsburgh, PA

Related Studies