Speech Disorder, Speech Impairment
Conditions
Keywords
Speech Impairment, voice recognition tool, dictation tool, voice recognition app, dictation app, voiceitt app, speech disabilities, dysarthria, moderate dysarthria
Brief summary
The primary objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the Voiceitt app in improving communication for individuals with speech impairments due to conditions such as cerebral palsy (CP), stroke, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Parkinson's disease.
Detailed description
Conditions like CP, ALS, Stroke or Parkinson's disease, etc., cause communication impairment. There are few augmentative communication options that allow people with these impairments to communicate effectively. Voiceitt is an app that is designed to assist people with speech impairments by using a voice recognition and dictation tool that adapts to users' unique, non-standard speech patterns. However, its effectiveness in clinical populations has not been established. This study is bridging the gap in evaluating the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of Voiceitt app in improving communication among people with mild to moderate speech impairments.
Interventions
OTHERVoiceitt
Participants will use Voiceitt App
Sponsors
University of Pittsburgh
Duquesne University
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
13 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age 13 or older * moderately severe speech dysarthria due to conditions such as CP, stroke, ALS or Parkinson's Disease, etc. * Ability to understand and follow instructions for using the Voiceitt app.
Exclusion criteria
* Severe cognitive impairments that prevent the understanding of the Voiceitt app and required training. * Patients who have additional speech impairments other than dysarthria, such as significant aphasia or verbal apraxia. * Severe physical impairments that prevent interaction with the app. * Non-English speakers.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Communication Abilities as measured by SIR | Baseline (Day 1), 5-6 months, and 7-8 months | Change in Communication Abilities as measured by Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) that quantifies clarity of speech. The rating ranges from 1-5. low rating means speech is unintelligible, and highest rating means speech is intelligible to all listeners. Change in SIR is measured by administering SIR at 3 different time points, at baseline, and two times after intervention. |
| Change in Communication Abilities as measured by Communication Effectiveness Index (CETI) | Baseline (day 1), 5-6 months, and 7-8 months | Change in Communication Abilities as measured by Communication Effectiveness Index (CETI) that measures perceived effectiveness of communication in daily activities. CETI is a 16 item questionnaire. Each item is scored from 1-100. The final score of CETI is the averaged score across the 16 items, and ranges from 1-100. A high score indicates good performance in functional communication and a low score, poor performance. Change in CETI is measured by administering CETI at 3 different time points, at baseline, and two times after intervention. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| User Satisfaction | 7-8 months | User satisfaction is assessed through surveys and interviews focusing on ease of use, satisfaction with the app, and perceived changes. The survey uses Likert-type scale where users choose the answer option that represent their assessment of the app on several usability questions. An example of the question-and-answer choices is "How easy was it to set up the Voiceitt app? Very easy, Easy, Neutral, Difficult, Very difficult." Reported data will be a combination of frequency of participants choosing favorable and unfavorable answer choices, and a qualitative analysis based on participants' responses to the survey and interview. |
| Change in Communication-Related Frustration | 7-8 months | Self-reported change in frustration levels during communication. |
| Change in Participants' Accounts on Social Interaction Quality | 7-8 months | Through qualitative interviews, participants will be asked about how the app influenced their social interactions and participation in daily activities. This information will be reported qualitatively as themes using qualitative analysis. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTBrad E Dicianno, MD
CONTACTZara Ambadar, Ph.D
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBrad E Dicianno, MD
University of Pittsburgh
Outcome results
None listed