Enhancing speech motor learning using visual biofeedback

使用视觉生物反馈增强言语运动学习

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-05080
• 负责人: Shiller, Douglas
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: Université de Montréal
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=761902
• 关键词: Enhancing; speech; motor; learning; using

The ability to produce speech sounds depends critically on sensory input (how it sounds and feels) to provide talkers with information about the success or failure of their speech actions. This has been explored experimentally in numerous studies by manipulating sensory feedback in real-time (e.g., altering the speech acoustic signal) and measuring the degree to which talkers compensate for perceived sensory errors. The vast majority of these studies report successful speech learning following a brief, intense practice period, however the degree of adaptation is typically small and variable among subjects. Surprisingly, very little attention has been given to procedures or conditions that may serve to enhance the rate, extent, and generality of sensory-based speech learning. The proposed research program builds directly on my prior NSERC-funded research by exploring a number of specific ways in which speech motor learning might be enhanced, with a focus on enrichment of the sensory signals available to talkers during speech production. Central to this research is the use of visual biofeedback, which provides talkers with real-time information about critical aspects of speech that are typically outside of their conscious awareness and control. Two types of visual biofeedback will be explored: 1) using ultrasound to provide a real-time image of the tongue in the mouth, and 2) providing a simplified, real-time visual representation of the sound of speech. Visual biofeedback has recently shown promise as a potential clinical treatment for speech disorders in children and adults. To date, however, there has been a near complete lack of basic, systematic research on the mechanisms of speech learning that are presumed to underlie its use. Here, different forms of visual biofeedback will be examined in highly controlled speech learning tasks, using training procedures developed using principles of motor learning (established outside the domain of speech), in order to improve speech learning outcomes. The specific aims are to 1) explore how the presentation of visual biofeedback may be optimized during different speech tasks to maximize performance, retention and generalization of learning, 2) examine how individual talkers differ in their ability to use visual biofeedback during speech learning, and whether such differences relate to the accuracy of their sensory abilities (auditory and tongue-tactile), and 3) explore whether the ability to use visual biofeedback during speech learning is limited in younger children compared with older children and adults. Identifying conditions that can reliably increase the success of speech motor learning will not only teach us more about the brain's mechanisms for speech motor learning and control, but will provide a clear basis for improving such learning in real-world contexts, including the production of speech sounds in a new language, and in the behavioural treatment of speech disorders.

产生言语声音的能力关键取决于感官输入（听起来和感觉如何），以向说话者提供有关其言语行为成功或失败的信息。这已经在许多研究中通过实时操纵感觉反馈（例如，改变语音声学信号）并测量说话者补偿感知的感觉误差的程度。绝大多数的研究报告成功的语音学习后，一个简短的，激烈的实践期，但适应的程度通常是小的和变量之间的主题。令人惊讶的是，很少有人关注的程序或条件，可能有助于提高速度，程度和一般性的基于感觉的语音学习。拟议的研究计划直接建立在我之前的NSERC资助的研究基础上，通过探索一些可以增强言语运动学习的具体方法，重点是丰富说话者在言语产生过程中可用的感觉信号。这项研究的核心是视觉生物反馈的使用，它为说话者提供了有关语音关键方面的实时信息，这些信息通常在他们的意识意识和控制之外。两种类型的视觉生物反馈将被探讨：1）使用超声提供一个实时图像的舌头在嘴里，和2）提供一个简化的，实时的视觉表示的声音speech.Visual生物反馈最近已显示出作为一个潜在的临床治疗语言障碍的儿童和成人。然而，到目前为止，几乎完全缺乏对言语学习机制的基本、系统的研究。在这里，不同形式的视觉生物反馈将在高度控制的语音学习任务中进行检查，使用根据运动学习原理开发的训练程序（建立在言语领域之外），以提高言语学习效果。具体目标是1）探索在不同的言语任务中如何优化视觉生物反馈的呈现，以最大限度地提高学习的表现，保持和概括，2）研究个体说话者在言语学习过程中使用视觉生物反馈的能力如何不同，以及这种差异是否与他们的感官能力（听觉和舌触觉）的准确性有关，3）探索与年龄较大的儿童和成人相比，年幼儿童在言语学习过程中使用视觉生物反馈的能力是否有限。识别能够可靠地提高言语运动学习成功率的条件不仅会让我们更多地了解大脑对言语运动学习和控制的机制，而且会为在现实世界中改善这种学习提供明确的基础，包括在一种新语言中产生语音，以及言语障碍的行为治疗。