Sensorimotor Basis of Speech Motor Learning and Retention

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how speech motor learning and retention involve changes not only in the brain's motor areas but also in auditory and sensory regions. This research aims to identify which brain areas contribute to learning and memory retention by disrupting activity using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and by examining brain activity with functional MRI (fMRI). The study will also track the timing of brain changes during learning by measuring sensory and motor responses. Participants will undergo tests that record brain responses called evoked potentials from motor, auditory, and somatosensory areas while performing speech motor learning tasks involving altered or unaltered auditory feedback. These tests include motor evoked potentials using TMS, auditory evoked potentials from sound stimuli, and somatosensory evoked potentials from nerve stimulation. The learning process lasts about 30 minutes, followed by a retention test and additional recordings 24 hours later. During the study, participants will complete speech adaptation tasks while brain responses are recorded across multiple sessions. Researchers will measure speech motor learning performance, retention after 24 hours, and changes in motor, auditory, and somatosensory evoked potentials. The goal is to understand how different brain areas contribute over time to learning and memory of speech movements. Total participation includes the initial learning session and a follow-up test one day later.

Speech Motor Learning and Retention (Aim 2)