Duke Neurosurgery's Gregory Cogan, PhD, is principal investigator of a newly funded study that will explore a promising new technology that constructs speech directly from the brain.
The multidisciplinary research aims to advance our understanding of of how the brain processes language, with the potential to enhance artificial speech in people with neuromuscular disorders that reduce their ability to speak.
The research is made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Duke Institute of Brain Sciences.
In addition to Cogan, the team includes Derek Southwell, MD, PhD, of Duke Neurosurgery; Saurabh Sinha, MD, PhD, of Duke Neurology; John Pearson, PhD of Duke Biostatistics and Bioinformatics; and Jonathan Viventi, PhD, of Duke Biomedical Engineering.
The team will develop pattern analysis techniques to extract speech and language information directly from brain signals, while also measuring the brain signals at a much higher resolution than previously done. The team hopes to use this information to create better-quality speech sounds for patients with neuromuscular disorders, helping them speak more clearly.
The grant was one of six 2019 Research Incubator Awards from the Duke Institute of Brain Sciences. The Research Incubator Awards promote high-risk/high-return neuroscience research that is collaborative, crosses academic boundaries, and is likely to draw external funding. The projects also help train the next generation of scientists by involving graduate students and postdoctoral associates.