Study on How People Understand Speech in Interactive and Non-Interactive Settings Involving Speakers with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Age-Matched Controls

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand how solo, inexperienced listeners perceive speech from people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS compared to age-matched speakers. It focuses on speech produced in both interactive and non-interactive situations with an unfamiliar conversation partner. The study is designed to explore whether the context of speech affects perception similarly across these two groups. Listeners will hear recorded vowels and consonants from people with ALS and age-matched speakers, produced in different task settings. Participants will use their own computers and headphones to listen remotely and respond by selecting one of four words displayed on their screen that best matches what they heard. The study uses a single group design where all listeners complete the same tasks. Participants will be recruited online and take part in one 20-minute session. They will be assessed on how well they understand the recorded speech, with performance monitored through attention checks to ensure engagement. The primary outcome is the intelligibility of the speech recordings. The study will analyze results using standard statistical methods to compare perceptions across contexts and groups.

Assessing Perceptual Effects of Interactive Tasks