Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
The periodic structure of vowel sounds is reflected in human electromagnetic brain responses
P Alku1, P Sivonen, K Palomäki
1Acoustics Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, 5 A, Fin-02015 TKK, Otakaari, Finland. paavo.alku@hut.fi
Abstract:
Periodicity, which is caused by the vibration of the vocal folds, is an inherent feature of vowel sounds. Whether this periodic structure is reflected in cerebral processing of vowels was addressed via the use of non-invasive brain research methods combined with advanced stimulus production methodology. We removed the contribution of the source of the periodic structure, the glottal excitation produced by the vocal folds, from vowel stimuli and found that electromagnetic responses generated in the auditory cortex reflect this removal. The N1(m) amplitude decreased even though the rest of the acoustical features of the stimuli were identical. Thus, we conclude that speech production mechanisms have significant effects on human brain dynamics as reflected by magnetoencephalography and electroencephalograph.
Related Concept Videos
The Cochlea
Perception of Sound Waves
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
Brain Waves
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...

