The aim of this study is to better understand the relation between cognition, sensory functions and motor control for speech in older age. Thereby, we strive for improved speech-based discrimination of typical aging from neurodegenerative declines.
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Other condition
- Movement disorders (incl parkinsonism)
Synonym
Health condition
neurodegenerative disorders
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
The most important research parameters are acoustic changes of speech in
response to feedback perturbations and kinematic measures of breathing.
Secondary outcome
The secondary study endpoints are acoustic measurements of voice pitch,
acoustic characteristics of articulation during unperturbed speech and
subjective speech complaints.
Background summary
Previous research suggests that speech motor control for pitch declines as we
age. However, as voice-level control differs from articulatory-level and
breathing control, it is unclear how aging affects speech motor control for
articulation and respiration. While such changes do usually not lead to speech
problems in typical older adults, declining speech motor control may cause
speech impairments in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson*s and
Alzheimer*s disease. The underlying mechanisms of those speech impairments are
unclear. While people with Parkinson*s Disease primarily show sensory but also
some cognitive impairments, people with Alzheimer*s Disease primarily show
cognitive but also some sensory impairments. Yet, the relation of cognitive and
sensory decline, and declining speech motor control remains to be clarified.
Study objective
The aim of this study is to better understand the relation between cognition,
sensory functions and motor control for speech in older age. Thereby, we strive
for improved speech-based discrimination of typical aging from
neurodegenerative declines.
Study design
The study is designed as a cross-sectional observational study. The
participants will complete several tasks during two experimental sessions. They
will complete behavioural tasks targeting (1) various cognitive abilities, and
(2) auditory as well as somatosensory perception. Furthermore, they will
complete (3) speech tasks, while being recorded acoustically. At the same time,
respiratory patterns will be recorded through electromagnetic articulography
(EMA).
Study burden and risks
Participation in this study is not related to any known risks or benefits. A
slight burden could be fatigue due to the duration of the experiment (appr. 2
hours per session). To reduce this burden, tasks are varied, and breaks are
included in the experimental procedure. Breaks will also be added or prolonged
on the participants* request. Moreover, the session has been split into two
sessions in order to reduce the burden for participants. For the behavioural
assessment of sensory functions, sanitised plastic domes will be gently pressed
against participants* tongue and lips. For several tasks, participants will
wear a microphone and headphones to listen to sounds or their own voice in a
regular, conversational amplitude. For the speech tasks specifically, EMA
sensors will be attached to their chest, the back (i.e., spine), and (if
possible) the abdomen in order to record respiratory and articulatory
kinematics. Those sensors are easily removable. If participants with
Parkinson*s disease have undergone Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in the past,
they cannot participate in the study due to the EMA recordings which rely on an
electromagnetic field.
Oude Kijk in Het Jatstraat 26
Groningen 9712 EK
NL
Oude Kijk in Het Jatstraat 26
Groningen 9712 EK
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
- Native speaker of Dutch
Only for the group of people with a sensorimotor disorder:
- Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Only for the group of people with a cognitive disorder:
- Diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment
Only for the group of control participants:
- No prior speech or language impairments
Exclusion criteria
- Lack of ability to give informed consent (i.e., incapacitation) - in any case
of doubt, the (in-)capacitation will be determined by a physician
- History of stroke or other neurological or psychological disorder
- Self-reported signs of depression
- Stuttering or other speech and language problems that are not related to PD
or MCI
- Severe impairment of vision
- Metal at or close to the head, chest or abdomen (e.g., piercings, pacemaker,
etc.)
- History of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL87470.042.24 |