Enhancing speech motor learning using visual biofeedback

发声的能力主要依赖于感官输入（声音和感觉），从而为说话者提供有关其言语行为成功或失败的信息。这已经在许多实验研究中通过实时操纵感觉反馈（例如，改变语音声学信号）和测量说话者补偿感知到的感觉错误的程度来探索。这些研究中的绝大多数都表明，成功的语言学习是在短暂的、高强度的练习之后进行的，然而，适应程度通常是很小的，并且在受试者之间是可变的。令人惊讶的是，很少有人注意到可能有助于提高基于感觉的语音学习的速度、范围和普遍性的程序或条件。拟议的研究项目直接建立在我之前的nserc资助的研究基础上，通过探索一些具体的方法来增强语言运动学习，重点是丰富说话者在语言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，它为说话者提供了关于语言关键方面的实时信息，这些信息通常不在他们的意识意识和控制范围之内。将探索两种类型的视觉生物反馈：1)使用超声波提供口腔中舌头的实时图像，以及2)提供语音的简化，实时视觉表示。视觉生物反馈最近显示出作为儿童和成人语言障碍的潜在临床治疗方法的前景。然而，到目前为止，几乎完全缺乏对语音学习机制的基本的、系统的研究，这些研究被认为是语音使用的基础。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，使用使用运动学习原理开发的训练程序（建立在语音领域之外），以改善语音学习结果。具体目的是：1)探索如何在不同的语音任务中优化视觉生物反馈的呈现，以最大限度地提高学习的表现、保留和推广；2)研究个体说话者在语音学习中使用视觉生物反馈的能力有何差异，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)探讨幼儿在语言学习过程中使用视觉生物反馈的能力是否比年龄较大的儿童和成人受到限制。确定能够可靠地提高语言运动学习成功率的条件，不仅会让我们更多地了解大脑的语言运动学习和控制机制，而且会为在现实环境中改善这种学习提供明确的基础，包括用新语言产生语音，以及语言障碍的行为治疗。

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.