Modified Phonation Intervals (MPI) System for Treating Developmental Stuttering

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a system for the treatment of chronic developmental stuttering. The system, called Modified Phonation Intervals (MPI), is composed of software and hardware and it is currently run on a PC. A phonated interval (PI) is the elapsed time of a voiced unit of speech. The researchers have discovered that it is possible to achieve durable and natural-sounding fluent speech by manipulating the patient’s PIs. This system includes proprietary stuttering measurement software and a customized signal amplifier. This treatment has been successfully implemented at UCSB and at another speech clinic. During NIH-funded clinical trials, a significant number of participants displayed evidence that the treatment process was directly associated with reduced stuttering, increased speaking rate, and improved speech naturalness within and beyond the clinic environment.

File Number: 22182 

Web site: http://techtransfer.universityofcalifornia.edu/...

Other Information:

• UCSB Stuttering Treatment Clinic

Stuttering is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds. Developmental stuttering originates when a child is learning to speak and develops as the child matures into adulthood.