Speech Disorder

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.

This prospective, single-arm clinical trial is designed to preliminarily evaluate the safety and efficacy of an implantable wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) system (manufactured by Shanghai StairMed Technology Co., Ltd.) in enabling subjects with speech disorders to achieve brain-controlled interaction and communication. Eligible subjects will undergo surgical implantation of the device and receive brain-control training. All participants will be followed for an expected period of 12 months. During the follow-up, adverse events, serious adverse events, and device deficiencies will be recorded, and efficacy data on brain-controlled interaction and communication will be collected. The goal is to conduct an initial assessment of the safety and effectiveness of the investigational device in achieving brain-controlled effects in the target population.

Some head and neck cancer survivors develop velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD), a problem with closure between the soft palate and throat that can cause nasal-sounding speech, food or liquid leaking into the nose, difficulty swallowing, and reduced quality of life. This study aims to better understand VPD in this population and to evaluate whether pharyngeal wall augmentation (plumping up the back wall of the throat) can improve speech and swallowing. Participants will undergo a multidisciplinary assessment including physical examination, flexible nasolaryngoscopy, speech recording and acoustic analysis, nasometry, clinical swallowing evaluation, and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Aim 1: Determine the prevalence, severity, and functional impact of VPD in head and neck cancer survivors. Aim 2: Assess the feasibility and usefulness of advanced diagnostic tools for VPD. The investigators hypothesize that high nasalance scores (\>1 SD above normal) will accurately predict VPD with at least 75% positive predictive value and will correlate with worse communication-related quality of life (CPIB). The investigators also hypothesize that participants with VPD will have more pharyngeal residue or nasal regurgitation on FEES, and that these findings will be associated with lower swallowing-related quality of life (SWAL-QOL). Aim 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of pharyngeal wall augmentation injections for improving speech intelligibility and swallowing function. The investigators expect that this treatment will lead to measurable changes in both objective assessments and patient-reported outcomes. The results will help improve diagnosis and management of VPD in head and neck cancer survivors.