The 5th Biennial Boston Speech Motor Control Symposium brought together leading researchers, clinicians, and students at Boston University on June 12–13, 2025, for two days of groundbreaking presentations on speech motor control and neuromotor speech disorders.
Dr. Carol Espy-Wilson from the University of Maryland delivered the keynote address, showcasing her pioneering work in speech signal processing. As the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from MIT, Dr. Espy-Wilson presented research on speech inversion systems that can detect mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia from speech patterns.
The symposium featured compelling presentations from invited speakers across diverse research areas. Dr. Panying Rong (University of Kansas) demonstrated how computational techniques can enable early detection of progressive communication disorders, while Dr. Alan Bush from Massachusetts General Hospital shared insights into subthalamic-cortical networks through his work with deep brain stimulation patients. Dr. Kimberly Dahl (Boston University) explored how listener feedback shapes speech adaptation, Dr. Jason Whitfield (Bowling Green State University) examined the cognitive demands of clear speech in Parkinson’s disease, and Dr. Gemma Moya-Galé (Columbia University) investigated how dysarthria presents across different languages.
Research involving Parkinson’s disease drew considerable attention, with studies examining how deep brain stimulation influences speech production, the cognitive demands of speaking clearly for those with the disease, and how dysarthria manifests across different languages. These studies revealed new insights into basal ganglia neural mechanisms and showcased technology-driven treatment approaches. Auditory feedback and sensorimotor adaptation formed another core focus, with researchers investigating how people adjust their speech when hearing themselves differently, the role of attention in voice control, and what distinguishes typical speakers from those with communication disorders. Multiple studies explored the timing of feedback processing and how speakers recalibrate their speech patterns. Developmental speech motor control rounded out the primary themes, featuring presentations on speech development in late-talking children, how children who stutter learn motor sequences, and connections between early oral-motor skills and speech milestones. Research explored children’s adaptation to speech disruptions and identified neural differences between children who stutter and their peers.
Many presentations incorporated artificial intelligence and machine learning, demonstrating automated systems for analyzing delayed auditory feedback effects, AI tools for detecting subtle articulation changes, and machine learning models that predict speech clarity in children and identify depression from speech patterns. Various modalities were included, spanning electromagnetic articulography studies of tongue-jaw coordination in cochlear implant users and real-time MRI investigations of stuttered speech, opening new windows into previously hidden aspects of speech motor control. Attendees learned about ultrasound biofeedback therapy for speech improvement, innovative apps for voice training, and cutting-edge treatments for progressive speech disorders.
BSMCS continues to uphold its reputation as a premier venue where speech-language pathologists, neuroscientists, engineers, and computer scientists collaborate to advance our understanding of speech motor control. The next biennial symposium is scheduled for 2027, where the field will undoubtedly showcase even more innovative approaches to understanding and treating speech motor disorders.