How the brain stops speech mid-sentence, studied in young people with epilepsy
Studies how the brain controls stopping speech, using speaking tasks in people with epilepsy.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Neural Mechanisms for Stopping Ongoing Speech Production (Study 2)
Key facts
- Where
- Pittsburgh, United StatesSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 8 and 26 years old?
Source: NCT07713706, who can take part
Where in United States
- UPMC Children's Hospital of PittsburghPittsburgh, United StatesNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of Pittsburgh
- Trial code
- NCT07713706
- Record updated
- 5 November 2026
- Original description
Speech and communication disorders often result in aberrant control of the timing of speech production, such as making improper stops at places where they should not be. During normal speech, the ability to stop when necessary is important for maintaining turn-taking in a smooth conversation. Existing studies have largely investigated neural circuits that support the preparation and generation of speech sounds. It is believed that activity in the prefrontal and premotor cortical areas facilitates high-level speech control and activity in the ventral part of the sensorimotor cortex controls the articulator (e.g. lip, jaw, tongue) movements. However, little is known about the neural mechanism controlling a sudden and voluntary stop of speech. Traditional view attributes this to a disengagement of motor signals while recent evidence suggested there may be an inhibitory control mechanism. This gap in knowledge limits our understanding of disorders like stuttering and aphasia, where deficits in speech timing control are among the common symptoms. The overall goal of this study is to determine how the brain controls the stopping of ongoing speech production to deepen our understanding of speech and communication in normal and impaired conditions.Read full original descriptionShow less
Neural Mechanisms for Stopping Ongoing Speech Production (Study 2)
Speech and communication disorders often result in aberrant control of the timing of speech production, such as making improper stops at places where they should not be. During normal speech, the ability to stop when necessary is important for maintaining turn-taking in a smooth conversation. Existing studies have largely investigated neural circuits that support the preparation and generation of speech sounds. It is believed that activity in the prefrontal and premotor cortical areas facilitates high-level speech control and activity in the ventral part of the sensorimotor cortex controls the articulator (e.g. lip, jaw, tongue) movements. However, little is known about the neural mechanism controlling a sudden and voluntary stop of speech. Traditional view attributes this to a disengagement of motor signals while recent evidence suggested there may be an inhibitory control mechanism. This gap in knowledge limits our understanding of disorders like stuttering and aphasia, where deficits in speech timing control are among the common symptoms. The overall goal of this study is to determine how the brain controls the stopping of ongoing speech production to deepen our understanding of speech and communication in normal and impaired conditions.
Inclusion: Undergoing iEEG placement in regions of interest (e.g., in the frontal or temporal cortex) for clinically necessary localization of epileptic foci or language mapping; Fluent English speakers; Within the normal range for cognitive, speech-language, and hearing capacity; Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity.
Exclusion: History of autism or ADHD; Individuals with intellectual disability; Lack of fluent English comprehension/production; Inadequate speech ability for the research tasks.