NCT06458153 · University of Pittsburgh
Imaging Speech in Neurotypical Adults and Individuals With Cerebellar Stroke
What this study is about
The goal of this research study is to learn how the brain areas that plan and control movement interact with the areas responsible for hearing and perceiving speech in healthy adults and people who have had cerebellar strokes. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What regions of the brain's sensory systems show changes in their activity related to speech? 2.
View original scientific description
The goal of this research study is to learn how the brain areas that plan and control movement interact with the areas responsible for hearing and perceiving speech in healthy adults and people who have had cerebellar strokes. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What regions of the brain's sensory systems show changes in their activity related to speech? 2. To what extent do these regions help listeners detect and correct speech errors? 3. What is the role of the cerebellum (a part of the brain in the back of the head) in these activities? Participants will be asked to complete several experimental sessions involving behavioral speech and related tests and non-invasive brain imaging using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Interventions
BEHAVIORAL
Neural responses to speech functional localizer
Measuring speech-related brain activity using fMRI during a speech listening task.
BEHAVIORAL
Neural responses to silent articulation
Measuring speech-related brain activity using fMRI during a silent articulation task.
BEHAVIORAL
Neural responses to self vs. externally generated speech
Measuring speech-related brain activity using fMRI during self-generated vs. externally-generated speech.
BEHAVIORAL
Event-related potentials for speech
Measuring electroencephalography (EEG) based evoked potentials for self vs. externally generated speech
BEHAVIORAL
Neural responses to induced speech errors
Measuring speech-related brain activity using fMRI during conditions that induce auditory speech errors.
BEHAVIORAL
Neural responses to sensory-motor adaptation
Measuring brain activity using fMRI during a learning task with sustained altered auditory feedback.
BEHAVIORAL
Speech production behaviors
Behavioral measurements of speech during reading passages and words
BEHAVIORAL
Auditory acuity testing
Measurements of auditory acuity during listening tasks.
BEHAVIORAL
Neural responses to learning a non-speech auditory motor behavior
Mapping of brain areas using fMRI during learning of non-speech sound-evoking movements.
Primary outcome measures
Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses to self vs. externally generated speech
Time frame: One session lasting 2-3 hours, within 12 months of enrollment
The dependent variables (across voxels) are blood oxygenated level dependent fMRI measurements made during task performance. We will contrast measured activations in regions of interest for the LISTEN-SELF vs. PRODUCE and LISTEN-OTHER vs. PRODUCE conditions. Encoding models will predict activity in regions-of-interest (ROIs) based on a set of speech features.
BOLD responses related to pre-speech auditory modulation
Time frame: One session lasting 2-3 hours, within 12 months of enrollment
The dependent variables (across voxels) are blood oxygenated level dependent fMRI measurements made during task performance. We will contrast measured activations in regions of interest for responses to auditory stimuli across conditions (e.g., SPEAK, REHEARSE, PLAN, SILENT).
EEG responses to self vs. externally generated speech
Time frame: One session lasting 2-3 hours, within 12 months of enrollment
The dependent variables are evoked responses, aligned to sound onset, measured with EEG during task performance. We will contrast evoked responses across conditions (e.g., TALK, LISTEN).
BOLD responses to induced auditory errors
Time frame: One session lasting 2-3 hours, within 12 months of enrollment
The dependent variables (across voxels) are blood oxygenated level dependent fMRI measurements made during task performance. We will determine activations in regions of interest that correlate with applied perturbations during speech. We will also compare SPEAK vs. LISTEN activations in perturbed and unperturbed conditions.
BOLD responses during adaptation to auditory perturbations
Time frame: One session lasting 2-3 hours, within 12 months of enrollment
The dependent variables (across voxels) are blood oxygenated level dependent fMRI measurements made during task performance. We will contrast measured activations in regions of interest for responses during the HOLD and BASELINE phases of the adaptation paradigm. We will determine areas where activation is associated with changes in formant frequencies in early and late windows in speech recordings.
BOLD responses during learning of non-speech auditory motor targets
Time frame: One session lasting 2-3 hours, within 12 months of enrollment
The dependent variables (across voxels) are blood oxygenated level dependent fMRI measurements made during task performance. We will contrast measured activations in regions of interest for responses during PRESS trials across runs. We will contrast LISTEN vs. PRESS trials to measure motor induced sensory modulation.
Who can participate
This study lists these criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov. A study coordinator reviews eligibility during screening — this page does not determine whether you qualify.
Inclusion criteria
- Cohort 1 (neurotypical adults):
- Right-handed
- Native English speaker Cohort 2 (people with cerebellar lesions):
- Age 18 or older
- Right-handed
- Native English speaker
- History of cerebellar stroke Cohort 3 (controls matched to Cohort 2)
- Age 18 or older
- Right-handed
- Native English speaker
Exclusion criteria
- Cohort 1 (neurotypical adults):
- Presence of MRI risk factors: metal and/or electromagnetic devices (e.g., pacemakers, neurostimulators) in the body, previous shrapnel injuries, use of an intrauterine device containing metal, claustrophobia, pregnant or possibly pregnant
- History of neurological / neurodegenerative disease or severe brain injury (e.g., stroke or severe traumatic brain injury)
- Hearing loss, defined by pure tone thresholds \>25 decibels (dB) hearing level (HL) at octave frequencies between 250-8000 Hz
- Clinical diagnosis and/or treatment for schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders
- Clinical diagnosis and/or treatment for neurocognitive disorders (e.g., dementia, delirium)
- Presence of a severe and unmanaged, clinically diagnosed attention disorder
- Clinically diagnosed with or treated for a speech, language, or hearing disorder
- Head circumference greater than 60cm or weight greater than 300 pounds
- History of severe claustrophobia
- Currently pregnant Cohort 2 (people with cerebellar lesions):
- Presence of MRI risk factors: metal and/or electromagnetic devices (e.g., pacemakers, neurostimulators) in the body, previous shrapnel injuries, use of an intrauterine device containing metal, claustrophobia, pregnant or possibly pregnant
- History of neurological / neurodegenerative disease or severe brain injury other than stroke
- Hearing loss, defined by pure tone thresholds \>50 dB HL at octave frequencies between 250-4000 Hz
- Clinical diagnosis and/or treatment for schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders
- Clinical diagnosis and/or treatment for neurocognitive disorders (e.g., dementia, delirium)
- Presence of a severe and unmanaged, clinically diagnosed attention disorder
- Head circumference greater than 60cm or weight greater than 300 pounds
- History of severe claustrophobia
- Currently pregnant Cohort 3 (controls matched to Cohort 2):
- Presence of MRI risk factors: metal and/or electromagnetic devices (e.g., pacemakers, neurostimulators) in the body, previous shrapnel injuries, use of an intrauterine device containing metal, claustrophobia, pregnant or possibly pregnant
- History of neurological / neurodegenerative disease or severe brain injury (e.g., stroke or severe traumatic brain injury)
- Hearing loss, defined by pure tone thresholds \>50 dB HL at octave frequencies between 250-4000 Hz
- Clinical diagnosis and/or treatment for schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders
- Clinical diagnosis and/or treatment for neurocognitive disorders (e.g., dementia, delirium)
- Presence of a severe and unmanaged, clinically diagnosed attention disorder
- Clinically diagnosed with or treated for a speech, language, or hearing disorder
- Head circumference greater than 60cm or weight greater than 300 pounds
- History of severe claustrophobia
- Currently pregnant
Where
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Collaborators
Northwestern University, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Related conditions & keywords
Frequently asked questions
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Data: ClinicalTrials.gov · synced Jun 18, 2026 · Source of record for eligibility and locations