Work

Using the DIVA model to better understand speech motor disorders

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The Directions Into Velocities of Articulators (DIVA) model provides a comprehensive neurocomputational framework for understanding speech production and speech motor disorders. This theoretical model describes three main control processes: feedforward control, auditory feedback control, and somatosensory feedback control. By mapping these processes to specific brain regions and neural circuits, DIVA offers insights into the mechanistic basis of various speech disorders and provides a foundation for developing targeted therapeutic interventions. This paper reviews the DIVA model's architecture, its applications to understanding communication disorders, and its potential for guiding clinical practice and technology development.

Source: Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics

DOI: 10.1080/02699206.2026.2680130

Authors: Hannah P. Rowe, Frank H. Guenther

Institutions: Northeastern University, Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Awards: G4114587656, Sequencing and Initiation in Speech Production, Quantitatively Characterizing the Speech Motor Skillsets of Individual Speakers