Speaking is not only the basic mode of communication, but also the most complex motor skill humans can perform. Disorders of speech and language are the most common sequelae of brain disease or injury, a condition faced by millions of people each year. Health care practitioners need to interact with basic scientists in order to develop and evaluate new methods of clinical diagnosis and therapy to help their patients overcome or compensate their communication difficulties. In recent years, collaboration between those in the the disciplines of neurophysiology, cognitive psychology, mathematical modelling, neuroscientists, and speech science have helped accelerate progress in the field. This book presents the latest and most important theoretical developments in the area of speech motor control, offering new insights by leaders in their field into speech disorders. The scope of this book is broad - presenting state-of-the art research in the areas of modelling, genetics, brain imaging, behavioral experimentation in addition to clinical applications. The book will be valuable for researchers and clinicians in speech-language pathology, cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology, and neurology.
