Articulatory Adaptation Following Oral Cancer Treatment

Speech Flexibility in Adulthood Following Oral Cancer Treatment: Acoustic and Kinematic Explorations

The goal of this longitudinal study is to learn more about the articulatory consequences of surgical oral cancer treatment. The main aims are to study the coordination and development of speech articulation of patients who will undergo surgical treatment for oral cancer longitudinally and whether individual differences in the reliance on auditory or tactile information can predict the success of speech compensatory strategies.

Participants will perform multiple speech tasks while motion tracking sensors track the articulatory gestures.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosed with T1 or T2 tumor in the oral cavity
2. At least 18 years old and able to provide informed consent
3. Native speaker of Dutch
4. Has nog been treated for oral cancer before

Exclusion Criteria:

1a. Recurrence of disease (for patients)

1b. Treated for oral cancer (for healthy controls) 2. Speech problems (e.g., stuttering) 3. Problems with sight or hearing that impede reading or understanding instructions. When glasses or a hearing aid resolve these problems, then participants are not excluded.

4. Neurological or psychological disorders (e.g., stroke) 5. Non-removable metal in, on or around the head (piercings, braces, pacemaker, electrodes) 6. Self-reported signs of depression