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Lankinen K, Wang R, Tian Q, Wang QM, Perry BJ, Green JR, Kimberley TJ, Ahveninen J, Li S. Individualized white matter connectivity of the articulatory pathway: An ultra-high field study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 250:105391. [PMID: 38354542 PMCID: PMC10940181 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
In current sensorimotor theories pertaining to speech perception, there is a notable emphasis on the involvement of the articulatory-motor system in the processing of speech sounds. Using ultra-high field diffusion-weighted imaging at 7 Tesla, we visualized the white matter tracts connected to areas activated during a simple speech-sound production task in 18 healthy right-handed adults. Regions of interest for white matter tractography were individually determined through 7T functional MRI (fMRI) analyses, based on activations during silent vocalization tasks. These precentral seed regions, activated during the silent production of a lip-vowel sound, demonstrated anatomical connectivity with posterior superior temporal gyrus areas linked to the auditory perception of phonetic sounds. Our study provides a macrostructural foundation for understanding connections in speech production and underscores the central role of the articulatory motor system in speech perception. These findings highlight the value of ultra-high field 7T MR acquisition in unraveling the neural underpinnings of speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaisu Lankinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ruopeng Wang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Qiyuan Tian
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Qing Mei Wang
- Stroke Biological Recovery Laboratory, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, the teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Bridget J Perry
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jordan R Green
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions Boston, MA, United States
| | - Teresa J Kimberley
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jyrki Ahveninen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shasha Li
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
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