Modelling speech motor programming and apraxia of speech in the DIVA/GODIVA neurocomputational framework.
Hilary E Miller, Frank H Guenther
PMID 34108793WHAT IT FOUND
The DIVA and GODIVA models map apraxia of speech to specific brain circuits, distinguishing damage to motor program storage from damage to sequencing and selection pathways.
These frameworks explain clinical features like distorted sounds versus syllable segregation but remain theoretical models rather than tested interventions.
Key findings
01Damage to the speech sound map in the left ventral premotor cortex is predicted to cause the articulatory distortions characteristic of apraxia of speech.
02Impairments in buffering and sequencing multiple syllables are attributed to the GODIVA model's planning loop, specifically involving the left posterior inferior frontal sulcus and pre-supplementary motor area.
03The models suggest that most cases of apraxia involve impairment at multiple neural sites rather than a single isolated lesion.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a theoretical review of computational models and does not report new empirical data from patients. The models are not yet validated as clinical diagnostic tools and do not prescribe specific treatments. The authors acknowledge that the exact neural substrates for apraxia of speech are not fully understood and that these models are hypotheses requiring further testing. The review notes that most clinical cases likely involve damage to multiple sites, making single-site model applications less straightforward in practice.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use these models to diagnose specific brain lesions in patients or to select treatments. The paper describes theoretical neurocomputational frameworks, not clinical evidence that these models accurately predict individual patient outcomes or respond to therapy.