Sensorimotor Basis of Speech Motor Learning and Retention

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating speech motor learning and retention to understand how brain areas involved in motor, auditory, and somatosensory functions contribute to learning and memory of new speech movements. The study tests a model where brain plasticity in these regions supports learning and retention, using advanced techniques like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore brain activity patterns. The research aims to identify which brain regions play key roles in learning order and retention for better understanding of speech motor adaptation. Participants will perform speech motor learning tasks using Harvard Sentences while undergoing resting-state fMRI scans. This process will be repeated on the second day to evaluate functional connectivity between brain regions during learning. After leaving the laboratory, participants return 24 hours later for additional scans and retention tests to assess motor memory consolidation. The study includes two groups: one with altered auditory feedback plus fMRI and a control group undergoing the same procedures without altered feedback. During the study, participants will complete learning sessions, fMRI scans, and retention assessments lasting about 30 minutes each. Researchers will measure speech motor learning performance at the end of learning and retention 24 hours later, along with changes in resting-state connectivity linked to motor memory. This trial involves healthy adult volunteers aged 18 to 40 who are fluent English speakers and right-handed. Safety screening includes checks for metal implants, neurological history, and pregnancy to ensure participant suitability.

Speech Motor Learning and Retention (Aim 3)