Research

Our research focuses on understanding how neurological conditions affect speech production and communication. Through acoustic analyses and other instrumental approaches, we study the speech impairments associated with motor speech disorders, as well as their relationships with language, cognition, and clinical factors.

We are also dedicated to developing innovative and efficient tools for the assessment, early detection, and monitoring of motor speech disorders. This work includes the study of acoustic biomarkers and the advancement of resources tailored to French-speaking populations and minority languages.

We are also interested in understanding the sources of variability in speech, both within individuals and across speakers, to improve the accuracy and clinical relevance of speech assessment.

Ongoing research

The ongoing projects at the lab focus on:

Phenotyping of motor speech and cognitive disorders in speakers with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Characterization of motor speech impairments in primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS).
Improving clinical practices in motor speech impairments, from assessment to intervention.
Understanding intra- and inter-speaker variability of speech production in speakers with and without speech impairments.

Selected lab publications (*trainees)

Harrison, M. D.*, Bradsby, J. E.*, CANADIAN ALS NEUROIMAGING CONSORTIUM (CALSNIC), Kalra, S., & Bouvier, L. (2026). Thinning of the oral motor cortex is linked to impaired speech in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 1-12.
Saunders, N., Magnussen, C,, Kang H., Blais, M. Bhinder, H. Pfeffer, G., Genuis, S. K., Bouvier, L., …, Kalra, S. (2025). Comprehensive Analysis Platform to Understand, Remedy, and Eliminate Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (CAPTURE ALS): Study protocol for a Canadian multicenter, multimodal, longitudinal observational study. PloS one, 20(12), e0332430.
Pommée, T., Bouvier, L., Barnett-Tapia, C., Maffei, M. F., Gutz, S. E., Tilton-Bolowsky, V. E., ... & Yunusova, Y. (2025). Construct Validity of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Bulbar Dysfunction Index–Remote. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1-23.
Choi, Y. N. C.*, Martel-Sauvageau, V., Breton, M., Lavoie, M., Laforce Jr, R., & Bouvier, L. (2024). Efficacy of LSVT LOUD® on Phonatory Control and Voice Quality in Patients with Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech: Case Studies. Brain Sciences. 14(5), 417 (1-19).
Pommée, T., Bouvier, L., Pinquier, J., Mauclair, J., Delvaux, V., Fougeron, C., Astésano, C., Martel-Sauvageau, V., Morsomme, D., Pinçon, P., Lalain, M., & Woisard, V. (2023). Le voyage d’Alice : un texte standardisé pour l’évaluation de la parole et de la voix en Français. Glossa. 6-43.
Bouvier, L., McKinley, S.*, Truong, J.*, Genge, A., Dupre, N., Dionne, A., Kalra, S. Yunusova, Y. (2023). Speech timing and DDK measures in the assessment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Canadian French speakers. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 1-11.
Bouvier, L., Green, J.R., Bolowsky, V., Seaver, K., Fless, Z., Huynh, A., Maffei, M., Gutz, S., Barnett-Tapia, C., Martino, R., Abrahao, A., Berry, J.D., Zinman, L., Yunusova, Y. (2023). Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis–Bulbar Dysfunction Index–Remote: Test–retest and interrater reliability of candidate items. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology. 32(4S):1884-1900.
Jafari, D.*, Simmatis, L., Guarin, D., Bouvier, L., Taati, B., Yunusova, Y. (2023). 3D video tracking technology in the assessment of orofacial impairments in neurological disease: Clinical validation. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 66, 1-15.

Selected lab presentations (*trainees)

Bouvier, L. (2026). Intra-speaker variability as a constraint on speech-based change detection. Advances in Speech Motor Control workshop at SickKids. Toronto, ON, Canada.
Pisegna, K.*, Desjardins, M., Verduyckt, I., Bouvier, L. (2026). Exploring Chronicity in Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Qualitative Study of Clinical and Psychosocial Patient Profiles. 2026 SCSD Research Day.
Heleno, M*, Bouvier, L. (2026). Effectiveness of an adapted motor speech intervention in a case of Speech-Induced Primary Lingual Dystonia. 2026 SCSD Research Day, Montreal, Canada.
Bouvier, L., Medeiros, G.*, Kalra, S. (December 2025). Short story, big picture: Correlating Discourse and Cognitive Profiles in Persons with ALS. Allied Professionals Forum. Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kheloufi, Y. and Bouvier, L. (December 2025). Empowering Communication: Evaluating Voice Cloning for Anglophone ALS Patients in Quebec. Allied Professionals Forum. Toronto, ON, Canada.
Bouvier, L., (2025). SLA: au-delà des troubles moteurs. Les jeudis CIME, Québec, QC, Canada.
Harrison M.*, Bradsby, J., the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium (CALSNIC), Kalra, S.*, Bouvier, L.*. (2025). Thinning of the oral motor cortex is linked to impaired speech production in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a structure-function relationship. The 14th Annual Meeting of the Neuroimaging Society in ALS (NiSALS), Lübeck, Germany.
Carbonneau L.*, Labourot C.*, Bouvier L., Pommée T., Verduyckt I. (April 2025). Accessibilité et organisation des services en orthophonie pour les personnes atteintes de la maladie de Parkinson, GREPSUM. Montreal, QC, Canada.
Bradsby, J.* and Bouvier, L. (December 2024). Stronger together: the effect of cognitive abilities and cortical thickness on speech timing abilities in ALS. International Symposium on ALS-MND. Montreal, QC, Canada. Oral presentation (co-presenters).
Bouvier, L., Yunusova, Y. (October 2025) SLP Practices and Care in ALS in Canada: Survey Results. SLPs for ALS Community of Practice, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Bouvier, L. & Pommée, T. (2024). ALSBDI-Remote: développement d’un outil d’évaluation de la dysfonction bulbaire dans la sclérose latérale amyotrophique en temps de pandémie. Colloque universitaire d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Québec, QC, Canada.
Bouvier, L., Parsapoor, M.*, Genge, A., Dupré, N., Dionne, A., Kalra, S., Yunusova, Y. P. (2024). Multiclass Classification of Speech Timing Features in Canadian French Speakers with ALS. Motor Speech Conference, San Diego, CA, USA.
Pommée, T., Bouvier, L., Simmatis, L., Green, J., Zinman, L., Yunusova, Y. (2024) Construct validity and responsiveness of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Bulbar Dysfunction Index–Remote (ALSBDI-R). Motor Speech Conference, San Diego, CA, USA.
Bouvier, L., & Parsapoor, M.* (2023). Clinical and linguistic considerations in the development of AI models for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Workshop: Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision for Neurodegenerative Diseases Assessment: Advancing Computer Science in Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disorders, British Machine Vision Conference 2023, Aberdeen, Scotland.
Bouvier, L. (2023). Mesures temporelles en SLA: forces et limites. Conférences du Laboratoire de Phonétique et Phonologie, CNRS-Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle, Paris, France.
Bouvier, L., Genge, A., Dupre, N., Dionne, A., Kalra, S., Yunusova, Y. (2023). Speech Decline in Speakers with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Longitudinal Study of Objective Temporal Speech Measures. ASHA Convention, Boston, MA, USA.
Bouvier L. (2023). Speech measures in ALS: early detection, monitoring, and cross-linguistic perspectives. ALS Canada Symposium, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Bouvier, L. (2023). Étude pilote d’un traitement en apraxie primaire progressive de la parole. Journée Scientifique REPAR-INTER 2023, Drummondville, QC, Canada.