SBIR-STTR Award

Long term objectives: This work seeks to provide locked-in subjects with a direct means of producing speech. This will allow rapid communication between the individual and caregivers as well as control of computers with speech recognition software and control of the subject's environment. This newfound ability to communicate will provide an order of magnitude improvement in the subject's well being. Short term aims of this proposal: In the present time frame, we expect to record neural signals from a locked-in subject's speech area, and use these signals to produce a few phonemes. First, we will identify the subject's speech area using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. We will then implant the subject with FDA approved Neurotrophic Electrodes with a view to providing a basic switch for computer control and thus enhancing communication using standard software. If the subject wishes, we will then train him or her to drive a speech generator to produce individual phonemes. With training, we expect the subject to control combinations of phonemes or words. Exactly how we produce these phonemes is proprietary information. In subsequent work, we expect to extend the number of neural signals available to the subject so that up to 56 phonemes will be available for control. This should provide a full range of phonemic possibilities for word Production in English speakers patients. There 30,000 ALS patients in the USA and at least 10 times that number worldwide. There are an estimated 50,000-brainstem stroke patients in the USA and well as many other conditions that leave people in the locked-in state.

Thesaurus Terms:
communication, neuropsychology, quality of life, speech synthesizer, technology /technique development action potential, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, brain electrical activity, electrode, frontal lobe /cortex, functional ability, implant, speech recognition, stroke behavioral /social science research tag, bioengineering /biomedical engineering, clinical research, functional magnetic resonance imaging, human subject, medical rehabilitation related tag

LONG TERM OBJECTIVES AND SPECIFIC AIMS: We aim to restore near conversational rate speech in locked-in individuals. In the Phase 1 study, neural recordings from the speech motor area in a 23 year old locked-in subject implanted with the Neurotrophic Electrode System since December 2004 have yielded neural data that have been mapped to phonemic representations and to imagined and actual movements. In the proposed work, we intend to incorporate sophisticated speech recognition algortithms, such as Artificial Neural Networks and Hidden Markov Models, in order to enable rapid pattern recognition for purposes of a real-time Speech Prosthetic development. In addition, Population Vector Analysis as performed for chronic motor studies may realize a method of converting individual neuronal firings into Phonemic or Articulatory Space for driving a Speech Synthesis Model. An additional patient will be implanted with the electrode system to expand and verify the work achieved with the initial subject. The resulting data will add much to understanding the cortical organization of speech production and accelerate the development of a speech prosthetic for locked-in individuals. The website development for data sharing purposes will be expanded and used by the collaborators and other interested parties. RELEVANCE OF RESEARCH TO PUBLIC HEALTH: The creation of a Speech Prosthetic Device is much needed by locked-in patients suffering from ALS and brain stem stroke. The substantial research being performed in invasive neuroprosthetic studies is focused on enabling recovery of lost motor functions in paralyzed limbs or providing indirect communication through computer software. This work is helpful to locked-in patients; however, such patients have indicated that real-time spontaneous speech is a much more desirable final application. The purpose of this research is to develop a speech prosthetic device using the Neurotrophic Electrode Human Cortical Recording system with sophisticated pattern recognition models and software. The majority of neuroprosthetic studies are focused on enabling recovery of lost motor functions in paralyzed limbs or providing indirect communication through computer software, however we believe that real-time spontaneous speech would be much more desirable application to locked-in patients.

Public Health Relevance:
This Public Health Relevance is not available.

Thesaurus Terms:
Brain, Human, Speech Back, Base, Brain Stem, Classification, Communication, Computer Program /Software, Conditioning, Electrode, Implant, Lead, Learning, Limb, Male, Model, Motivation, Play, Prosthesis, Public Health, Role, Sectioning, Sound, Speech Recognition, Speech Synthesizer, Stroke, Training, Vocabulary Clinical Research