Relationship Between Speech Perceptual Learning and Speech Production in Parkinson's Disease
State University of New York at Buffalo
Summary
Parkinson's disease, a common movement disorder that results from a breakdown in the brain, often leads to challenges with talking, but less is known about the relationship between difficulties with talking and difficulties with learning to understand speech. By linking these two abilities in individuals with Parkinson's disease using a precision medicine approach, this project seeks to build a basis for new therapies that help people with Parkinson's disease both understand better and speak more clearly.
Description
In the context of speech-language therapy, Parkinson's disease (PD) is typically associated with its consequences on speech production. Interventions generally focus on learning or relearning skills to accomplish successful production. However, the disease itself, as well as patient responses to interventions, are variable. Individuals differ widely in how typical their speech output is before intervention and in how much they learn from treatment. One plausible explanation for this variation comes from a less-studied aspect of speech and language in PD: speech perception, especially speech pe…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 45+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease * Native speaker of North American English * Use a drug that includes levodopa * Resident of the United States Exclusion Criteria: * Any history of language, hearing or speech disorder outside of Parkinson's disease * Other gross neurological impairment such as Alzheimer's disease or stroke * Significant hearing loss and/or use of a hearing aid or cochlear implant
Interventions
- BehavioralIntensity learning
Participants will be asked to pair sentences that vary in their sound intensity to one of three colored squares (red, yellow, or blue)
- BehavioralIntensity discrimination
Participants will hear two sentences that are either the same or different in their sound intensity and will be asked to indicate whether the sentences were of the same or different intensities
- BehavioralRate learning
Participants will be asked to pair sentences that vary in their spoken rate to one of three colored squares (red, yellow, or blue)
- BehavioralRate discrimination
Participants will hear two sentences that are either the same or different in their spoken rate and will be asked to indicate whether the sentences were of the same or different rates
Location
- State University of New York at BuffaloBuffalo, New York