After my first research, I was spurred by further intriguing questions. How does AD impact speech production? What are the neural changes that influence speech production? Which cognitive impairments affect speech production? Through these questions, what can we uncover about the neural and cognitive mechanisms of speech production?

Although speech production involves several stages, it is still unknown which specific speech features (such as pitch, intensity, and pause rate) can be associated with deficits in these stages. For instance, frequent pauses could indicate the deficit in lower-level processes such as articulation, or higher-level processes such as conceptualization or lexical selection stage. 

To address this question, I'm currently analyzing structural MRI data to unearth the intricate correlations between speech patterns and cognitive abilities or the brain regions responsible for each speech production phase. Based on the preliminary analysis results, I presented a poster at the 2023 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (Link). This will offer novel insights into how the brain orchestrates the complexity of speech production, bridging the gap between neuroanatomy and speech patterns.