Back to search results

Investigating Speech Motor Skills in Neurotypical Speakers and Persons With Disordered Speech

This study is looking for 90 adults, aged 18-50, who are native English speakers. This includes people who stutter, people with dyslexia, and people with typical speech. The goal is to understand how your brain controls speech by using different types of feedback. You would participate in short speech tasks where the sounds you hear or the movements of your jaw or voice box (larynx) are briefly changed. Researchers are looking at how your body responds right away (reflexive compensatory response) and how you adapt over time (adaptive compensatory response) on Day 1 and Day 2 of the study.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 90 participants. It includes people with stuttering, dyslexia, and healthy participants.
What's involved
You would complete several short speech tasks across 2 or 3 behavioral sessions. These tasks involve repeating words while sounds you hear or movements of your jaw/larynx are changed.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your responses will be measured on Day 1 and Day 2.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT07459803

Investigating Individual Differences in Speech Motor Skills in Neurotypical Speakers and Persons With Disordered Speech

Recruiting
NAAges 18–50InterventionalBasic science
Boston University Charles River Campus
~90 participants
Updated 2026-07-21 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Unpredictable auditory feedback perturbation: 2 behavioral sessionsUnpredictable auditory feedback perturbation during tCS: 3 behavioral sessionsSustained F1 auditory feedback perturbationSustained F0 auditory feedback perturbationReflexive somatosensory perturbationAnodal tCS targeting pSTG and vSSC

At a glance

Recruiting sites
2 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Reflexive compensatory response
Measured over Day 1 and Day 2
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Stuttering, Developmental
Dyslexia
Healthy Participants

Explore related trials

DyslexiaHealthy ParticipantsStutter

Where it's being run

2 sites across 1 states
Massachusetts2

Study leadership

  • Frank H Guenther, Ph.D. · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Boston University

Who to contact

Frank H Guenther, Ph.D.
[email protected]
617-353-5765
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Native speakers of American English
Adults age 18-50
Age-appropriate cognitive and receptive vocabulary skills
Age-appropriate hearing
Adults with dyslexia will have a history of dyslexia or report of ongoing reading difficulties that will be confirmed at the first screening visit
Adults who stutter will have a history of stuttering that will be confirmed at the first screening visit

Exclusion

History of neurological disorder, including a history of seizures
Major brain injury, brain surgery, or stroke
Orthodontia or atypical oral structure (e.g., cleft palate) that interferes with speech
Fluency disorder (except those in the persons who stutter cohort), apraxia of speech, or dysarthria
Language or reading disorder (except those in persons with dyslexia cohort)
Standardized score below 80 on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test
Standardized score below 1 standard deviation on the NIH Toolbox Picture Vocabulary Test
Pregnancy
Severe claustrophobia
Presence of magnetically or mechanically active implant, or other ferromagnetic material embedded in any part of the body
Significant scalp lesions that would prevent transcranial direct stimulation

What this trial measures

  • Reflexive compensatory responseDay 1 and Day 2

    The amount of compensation to induced F0 and F1 perturbations will be calculated by finding the maximum deviation of the perturbed variable (F0 or F1) from baseline, dividing it by the perturbation size, and then averaging that across all trials of that perturbation.

  • Adaptive compensatory responseDay 1 and Day 2

    The adaptive compensatory response to persistent F0 and F1 perturbations will be calculated by subtracting the mean F0/F1 from the baseline phase from the mean during the after-effect phase, then dividing by the perturbation size to obtain percent adaptation.