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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

fMRI Mapping of Brain Activity Associated with the Vocal Production of Consonant and Dissonant Intervals
Published on: May 23, 2017
Neural substrates governing audiovocal integration for vocal pitch regulation in singing
Jean Mary Zarate1, Robert J Zatorre
1Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montréal Neurological Institute, 3801 University St., Room 276, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 2B4. jean.zarate@mail.mcgill.ca
Abstract:
The integration of auditory feedback with the vocal motor system is essential for singing, because precise control of vocal pitch is necessary to produce notes and melodies accurately. We used singing tasks with fMRI to determine the neural substrates involved in audiovocal integration. In tasks that specifically required monitoring of auditory feedback and pitch control, neural activity increased in the anterior cingulate cortex and insula, which suggests that these regions may play a special role in audiovocal integration.
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