Mackenzie Mahoney - Neuropsychology

 Neuropsychology of Speech Recognition in Individuals with Down Syndrome  

By: Mackenzie Mahoney 


Speech recognition and response are the basis of human interaction and connection. Conversing and voicing concerns and needs are imperative to ensuring that individual needs are met. Speech is an unnoticed everyday feat for the average neurotypical person. The cerebrum, the largest part of the brain, is responsible for processing speech and formulating responses. Along with this, the cerebrum controls problem-solving functions and a plethora of other critical functions (Office of Communications and Marketing, 2022). However, in individuals with Down syndrome, speech recognition and other vital functions are stunted. Typical difficulties of speech with Down syndrome individuals include frequent stutter, lack of Surface area of the cerebrum, which is significantly less in those with Down syndrome, and has increased thickness (Neuroscience News, 2015). Scientists believe that the lack of surface area and the surplus of thickness have an impact on speech receptors and the ability to formulate responses. Speech barriers in the brain greatly impact the ability of those with Down syndrome to interact with others, complete tasks, and meet their basic needs. Moreover, with a lack of communication and certain needs unmet, agitation can ensue, posing a risk to all parties involved, including caretakers, parents, and the individual themselves. A recent study shows that neurotypical people process speech and formulate responses significantly faster than those with Down syndrome, and that those with Down syndrome who have verbal capabilities take an additional 40-60 seconds of processing time (Cibrian, Chen, Anderson, Abrahamsson, & Motti, 2025). While speech is a complication for people with Down syndrome, some technologies have emerged to make processing and 

(Infographic from (“How to Build Domain-Specific Automatic Speech Recognition Models on GPUs,” 2019)

responding to speech more easily, such as Automatic speech recognition (ASR), which provides 

transcriptions of speech in real time (Schultz et al., 2021). However, there are some ethical concerns with this technology. Speech is something that humans will always need, and making it more accessible for those with Down Syndrome is a must in an ever-evolving society. 


References 

  •  Office of Communications and Marketing. (2022, November 28). Study Examines How Speech Is Processed in the Brain. Retrieved from www.gc.cuny.edu website: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/news/study-examines-how-speech-processed-brain

  • Cibrian, F. L., Chen, Y. Y., Anderson, K., Abrahamsson, C. M., & Motti, V. G. (2025). Limitations in speech recognition for young adults with Down syndrome. Universal Access in the Information Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-025-01197-4

  • How to Build Domain-Specific Automatic Speech Recognition Models on GPUs. (2019, December 18). Retrieved from NVIDIA Developer Blog website: https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/how-to-build-domain-specific-automatic-speech-recognition-models-on-gpus/

  • Neuroscience News. (2015, June 20). Cerebral Cortex Thicker in Youths With Down Syndrome - Neuroscience News. Retrieved June 5, 2025, from Neuroscience News website: https://neurosciencenews.com/cerebral-cortex-thickness-down-syndrome-2145/

]Schultz, B. G., Tarigoppula, V. S. A., Noffs, G., Rojas, S., van der Walt, A., Grayden, D. B., & Vogel, A. P. (2021). Automatic speech recognition in neurodegenerative disease. 







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