Feedback Schedule Effects on Speech Motor Learning in Older Adults

Abstract

<strong>Purpose:</strong> The Principles of Motor Learning (PML) emerged from studies of limb motor skills in healthy, young adults. The applicability of these principles to speech motor learning, and to older adults, is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to examine one PML, feedback frequency, and to elucidate whether it affects the retention of a speech motor task. <strong>Method:</strong> Thirty older participants were randomly assigned to one of the three feedback frequency groups (every trial, every 5^th, every 10^th) and trained to produce a phrase 2 times and 3 times slower than their habitual rate. Over 100 practice trials, all participants demonstrated a reduction in error, suggesting they understood and acquired the task. Mean absolute error (MAE) was measured to examine delayed 2- to 4- day retention. <strong>Results:</strong> When participants returned for retention testing 2 to 4 days post-training, those receiving feedback every 5^th trial demonstrated significantly lower MAE (enhanced retention) compared to those receiving high frequency feedback following every trial. There were no significant differences between participants receiving feedback following every trial or every 5^th trial versus every 10^th trial. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Enhanced retention of the trained speech motor task for participants receiving low frequency feedback following every 5^th trial, relative to those receiving high frequency feedback following every trial, is consistent with the extensive limb motor learning literature and the trend of a small number of speech motor learning studies, suggesting provision of low frequency feedback enhances retention of trained novel movements.