Central Mechanisms in Speech Motor Control Studied With H215O PET

Launched by NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS (NIDCD) · Nov 3, 1999

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Objective

The primary objective of this protocol is to use multimodal neuroimaging combining complementary electrophysiological and hemodynamic methods to characterize brain-language relationships in healthy subjects and those with neurological disorders that affect speech and language. A secondary objective is to utilize these findings to develop evaluation measures for future treatment studies.

Study Populations

We will focus on four neurological disorders that affect language processing post-stroke aphasia, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy and developmental stuttering. Each constitute...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• * INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR ALL SUBJECTS:
• • Ages 18 to 85.
• • Ability to provide informed consent.
• • Must be a Native English speaker by age 2
• SPECIFIC INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR SELECTED GROUPS OF HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS:
• • Have had training and experience in creative writing
• • Have had training and experience in vocal or instrumental music
• • Have had training and experience in visual arts
• SPECIFIC INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR POST-STROKE APHASIA SUBJECTS:
• • Had sensorimotor and language deficits following ischemic infarcts.
• • Had stroke at least two weeks ago.
• SPECIFIC INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SUBJECTS:
• • Diagnosis of TBI
• • At least one month post-injury
• SPECIFIC INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR STUTTERING SUBJECTS:
• • History of developmental stuttering with symptoms of dysfluency presenting before the age of 13
• • If recovered, history documented by school or medical records.
• SPECIFIC INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR EPILEPSY SUBJECTS:
• • Ages 18 to 55 years.
• • Failure of seizures to respond to adequate therapy with at least two standard antiepileptic drugs.
• • Willingness to be considered for surgery
• • Fluency in English. Non-native speakers may be included if their fluency is equivalent to that of a native speaker.
• • Must have localization-related epilepsy
• • Must be currently enrolled in Protocol 08-N-0161 to participate in this study
• EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR ALL SUBJECTS:
• • Past or present major medical or psychiatric illnesses (DSM-IV criteria) except Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in TBI subjects an anxiety disorder in stuttering subjects
• • Significant abnormalities on the general physical examination unrelated to the stroke or TBI
• • Unable to undergo MRI studies due to pacemakers, aneurysm clips, cochlear implants, shrapnel fragments or a significant history of exposure to small metallic objects which might have become lodged in the tissues of the head or neck or who require hearing aids.
• • Subjects who are pregnant are excluded from the PET and MRI tests in this study.
• • Subjects who are lactating are excluded from the PET tests.
• • Subjects who have or are found to have significant visual agnosia.
• • Subjects who cannot provide informed consent.
• SPECIFIC EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR POST-STROKE APHASIA SUBJECTS:
• • More than two prior strokes
• • Concurrent diagnoses of neurodegenerative disorders or vascular dementia
• • Comprehension Aphasia Quotient (AQ) of less than 4 on the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB)
• SPECIFIC EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SUBJECTS:
• • For military subjects: Positive screen for Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (ABC) infection or colonization
• • Severe cognitive impairments as evidenced by scores of less than 7 on the Rancho Los Amigos Scale of Cognitive Functioning and/or less than 76 on the Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test.
• • For all subjects: Comprehension AQ of less than 4 on the WAB
• • A diagnosis of PTSD, which is almost always found in TBI subjects recruited from the military, will not disquality TBI subjects from participation.
• SPECIFIC EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR STUTTERING SUBJECTS:
• • Structural abnormalities on standard clinical (MPRAGE, T2-weighted) MRI scans studies
• • A diagnosis of anxiety dirorder will not disqualify stuttering subjects from participation
• SPECIFIC EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR EPILEPSY SUBJECTS:
• • Claustrophobia or anxiety disorders that could be exacerbated by the MRI Scanner
• • Subjects with neurological disorders, in addition to epilepsy such as, stroke, Parkinson s disease), or who have psychiatric diagnoses (, such as, obsessive-compulsive disorder)
• • Patients on Phenobarbital or chronic Benxodiazepines