Towards fluent speech production - coding, reorganisation and neuromodulation in the speech motor cortex

• Applicant: Dr. Nicole Neef
• Subject Area: Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: from 2013 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 225221838

„Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid und Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut.“ How fluently do you pronounce this tongue twister? Individuals who stutter do repeatedly have their tongues tied in a knot. The cause of this frequent fluency disorder is unknown; speech-related brain networks are irregular. Treatment of persistent stuttering is possible, but success is limited. With a combined transcranial magnetic stimulation / electroencephalography approach we investigate the neural pathophysiology of stuttering and physiological consequences of therapy to gain the basis for a rational design of a neuromodulatory treatment. Furthermore we verify systematically the neuroplastic effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on speech motor learning. Our objectives are:(1) Determining neurophysiological dynamics in the organisation of the labial and lingual articulatory system at the level of the primary motor cortex in fluent and stuttering individuals in order to characterize a neurophysiological marker of persistent stuttering.(2) Employing this biological marker to test a therapeutically induced reorganisation on the level of the excitability of the primary motor cortex.(3) Enhancing speech motor learning in a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study with transcranial direct current stimulation.“

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Martin Sommer