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NCT Number: NCT07180628

Organization and Development of Motor Cortical Circuits for Speech Production in Stuttering

The overall objective of this study is to examine inter effector areas (IEAs) activity and functional connectivity during continuous speech production in stuttering adults.

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Key information

Conditions

Stutter Communication Disorders Language Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Speech Disorders Stuttering Stuttering, Adult Stuttering, Developmental

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Emily Garnett, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

734-232-3371

Soo-Eun Chang, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Are between the ages of 18-65 years
  • Have otherwise normal speech, language, hearing and cognition
  • Speak English as their primary language
  • Currently stutter

Exclusion criteria

  • Have serious medical or neurological conditions (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, etc.)
  • Have had a closed head injury (e.g., concussion)
  • Have a reading disorder (e.g., dyslexia)
  • Have hearing loss
  • Have metal or electronic implants (e.g., cochlear implants, pacemakers, etc.)
  • Are currently pregnant

Treatment and study plan

Speech Production During functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Behavioral

Participants will complete a speech production task with 2 conditions (stuttered, non-stuttered) while undergoing functional MRI to assess brain activity. Brain activity will be compared within subjects for the 2 conditions. The intervention is the combination of tasks delivered to all participants. The speaking task is the intervention (modifying agent) and the MRI is a measurement tool, not a therapeutic or modifying agent.

Primary outcomes

  1. Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) signal change during speaking

    Time frame: During the speech task (5 runs, 8 minutes each) distributed across MRI Visits 1-6, up to 12 months from enrollment.

    The Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal reflects changes in blood oxygenation levels that are associated with neural activity. It is measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and reported in arbitrary units (a.u.). The BOLD response provides an indirect index of localized brain activity during task performance, with increased signal indicating greater activation in a given brain region relative to baseline or a comparison condition. In this study, BOLD signal differences will be compared within participants across two speech production tasks: (1) stuttered speech and (2) non-stuttered speech. Each participant will complete the speech task on several of the MRI visits, which varies per participant (total amount of time spent will be the same across participants).

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Emily Garnett, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

734-232-3371

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Michigan

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2029
Study completion
2029
First posted
Sep 18, 2025
Registry last updated
Apr 29, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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