Dr. Kris Tjaden, director of the University at Buffalo (UB) Motor Speech Disorders Lab is part of a research team that has received a 5-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate speech outcomes following deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
This longitudinal study is being conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University at Iowa, Northwestern University and the University of Pittsburgh. Findings will advance theoretical understanding of the role of the STN in speech. Results will also inform clinical care by identifying factors predicting individual variability in speech outcomes following bilateral STN-DBS.