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Feng G, Gan Z, Wang S, Wong PCM, Chandrasekaran B. Task-General and Acoustic-Invariant Neural Representation of Speech Categories in the Human Brain. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3241-3254. [PMID: 28968658 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant neural challenge in speech perception includes extracting discrete phonetic categories from continuous and multidimensional signals despite varying task demands and surface-acoustic variability. While neural representations of speech categories have been previously identified in frontal and posterior temporal-parietal regions, the task dependency and dimensional specificity of these neural representations are still unclear. Here, we asked native Mandarin participants to listen to speech syllables carrying 4 distinct lexical tone categories across passive listening, repetition, and categorization tasks while they underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We used searchlight classification and representational similarity analysis (RSA) to identify the dimensional structure underlying neural representation across tasks and surface-acoustic properties. Searchlight classification analyses revealed significant "cross-task" lexical tone decoding within the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and left inferior parietal lobule (LIPL). RSA revealed that the LIPL and LSTG, in contrast to the RSTG, relate to 2 critical dimensions (pitch height, pitch direction) underlying tone perception. Outside this core representational network, we found greater activation in the inferior frontal and parietal regions for stimuli that are more perceptually similar during tone categorization. Our findings reveal the specific characteristics of fronto-tempo-parietal regions that support speech representation and categorization processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangyi Feng
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 2504A Whitis Avenue (A1100), Austin, TX, USA
| | - Zhenzhong Gan
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suiping Wang
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 2504A Whitis Avenue (A1100), Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton Stop, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Linguistics, The University of Texas at Austin, 305 E. 23rd Street STOP, Austin, TX, USA.,Institute for Mental Health Research, College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas at Austin, 305 E. 23rd St. Stop, Austin, TX, USA.,The Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station Stop, Austin, TX, USA
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Zimmerer F, Scharinger M, Cornell S, Reetz H, Eulitz C. Neural mechanisms for coping with acoustically reduced speech. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 191:46-57. [PMID: 30822731 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In spoken language, reductions of word forms occur regularly and need to be accommodated by the listener. Intriguingly, this accommodation is usually achieved without any apparent effort. The neural bases of this cognitive skill are not yet fully understood. We here presented participants with reduced words that were either preceded by a related or an unrelated visual prime and compared electric brain responses to reduced words with those to their full counterparts. In time-domain, we found a positivity between 400 and 600 ms differing between reduced and full forms. A later positivity distinguished primed and unprimed words and was modulated by reduction. In frequency-domain, alpha suppression was stronger for reduced than for full words. The time- and frequency-domain reduction effects converge towards the view that reduced words draw on attention and memory mechanisms. Our data demonstrate the importance of interactive processing of bottom-up and top-down information for the comprehension of reduced words.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Zimmerer
- Department of Language Science and Technology, Universität des Saarlandes, Germany; Department of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Medicine and Social Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Mathias Scharinger
- Phonetics Research Group, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany; Marburg Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany.
| | - Sonia Cornell
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Medicine and Social Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, Munich, Germany; Department of Linguistics, Universität Konstanz, Germany
| | - Henning Reetz
- Institute for Phonetics, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Carsten Eulitz
- Department of Linguistics, Universität Konstanz, Germany
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