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Human brain activation during phonation and exhalation: common volitional control for two upper airway functions
Torrey M J Loucks1, Christopher J Poletto, Kristina Simonyan
1Laryngeal and Speech Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Neuroimage
|April 13, 2007
Summary
This study reveals that speech phonation and voluntary exhalation share a common neural system. Differences were primarily observed in auditory cortex activity, suggesting a role in monitoring speech production.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Speech Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- Phonation, essential for speech, involves complex laryngeal and respiratory control.
- The neural systems governing phonation and respiration remain incompletely understood.
- It is unclear if a shared or distinct neural network controls these behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the central neural control system for human phonation during speech.
- To compare brain activity during phonation versus prolonged exhalation.
- To elucidate the neural basis of laryngeal/respiratory coordination in speech.
Main Methods:
- Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed in healthy adults.
- Brain activity was contrasted between syllable production (phonation) and prolonged exhalation.
- Whole-brain and region of interest (ROI) analyses were conducted.
Main Results:
- Both phonation and exhalation activated left sensorimotor and bilateral temporoparietal areas.
- Medial motor areas were active during phonation but not exhalation.
- Significant differences emerged in bilateral auditory cortices, inferolateral motor cortex, and cerebellum.
Conclusions:
- Speech phonation and voluntary exhalation utilize a largely overlapping neural system.
- Auditory cortex activity is crucial for phonation during speech, likely for monitoring.
- This suggests a common motor control framework with specialized auditory feedback for speech.
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