Speech ImpairmentNCT06874322
Voiceitt for People With Impairments in Speech
A study testing Voiceitt in people with Speech Impairment and Speech Disorder, run by University of Pittsburgh at 1 site in United States.
Trial 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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 13 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Speech Impairment, Speech Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Voiceitt
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 25 Jun 2025to Dec 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 13 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 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.
Who cannot join
- 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.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Center for Assistive Technology
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
Katya Hill, PhD, CCC-SLP, 412-383-6659, khill@pitt.edu
Brad E Dicianno, MD, (412) 648-6666, dicianno@pitt.edu
About this study
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.
Read the 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.
- Conditions
- Speech Impairment, Speech Disorder
- Being tested
- Voiceitt
- Keywords
- Speech Impairment, voice recognition tool, dictation tool, voice recognition app, dictation app, voiceitt app, speech disabilities, dysarthria, moderate dysarthria
- Medical subject headings
- Speech Disorders, Dysarthria
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VoiceittOther
Participants will use Voiceitt App
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Voiceitt | Experimental | Participants will use Voiceitt App. Voiceitt is a voice recognition and dictation tool that adapts to users' unique, non-standard speech patterns. It integrates with mainstream devices and platforms to enable communication, accessibility, and independence for people with speech disabilities. https://www.voiceitt.com/ Receives: Other: Voiceitt |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Communication Abilities as measured by SIR
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.
Measured: Baseline (Day 1), 5-6 months, and 7-8 months
Change in Communication Abilities as measured by Communication Effectiveness Index (CETI)
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.
Measured: Baseline (day 1), 5-6 months, and 7-8 months
Secondary outcomes (3)
User Satisfaction
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.
Measured: 7-8 months
Change in Communication-Related Frustration
Self-reported change in frustration levels during communication.
Measured: 7-8 months
Change in Participants' Accounts on Social Interaction Quality
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.
Measured: 7-8 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Mar 2025
- Study start25 Jun 2025
- Primary completionDec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Speech ImpairmentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PittsburghThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pittsburgh
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Duquesne University
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Brad Dicianno, University of Pittsburgh
- Investigators
- Brad E Dicianno, MD, Principal investigator, University of Pittsburgh
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06874322
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY24100164
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Feb 2025
- Last updated
- 4 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Voiceitt for People With Impairments in Speech
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06874322
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STUDY24100164
- Conditions
- Speech Impairment, Speech Disorder
- Keywords
- Speech Impairment, voice recognition tool, dictation tool, voice recognition app, dictation app, voiceitt app, speech disabilities, dysarthria
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PittsburghUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Duquesne University
- Study start
- 25 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Voiceitt | Experimental | Other: VoiceittParticipants will use Voiceitt App. Voiceitt is a voice recognition and dictation tool that adapts to users' unique, non-standard speech patterns. It integrates with mainstream devices and platforms to enable communication, accessibility, and independence for people with speech disabilities. https://www.voiceitt.com/ |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 13 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- 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.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| VoiceittParticipants will use Voiceitt App | Other | Voiceitt |
Primary outcome
Change in Communication Abilities as measured by SIR
Time frame: 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)
Time frame: 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.
3 secondary outcomes
User Satisfaction
Time frame: 7-8 months
Change in Communication-Related Frustration
Time frame: 7-8 months
Change in Participants' Accounts on Social Interaction Quality
Time frame: 7-8 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Brad E Dicianno, MD principal investigator
University of Pittsburgh
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Voiceitt in people with Speech Impairment and Speech Disorder, run by University of Pittsburgh at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Brad E Dicianno, MD ((412) 648-6666, dicianno@pitt.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Communication Abilities as measured by SIR (time frame: Baseline (Day 1), 5-6 months, and 7-8 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Sep 2026.