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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
12:09
Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: June 14, 2014
Functional neuroanatomy of speech processing within the temporal cortex.
Nobuko F Hara1, Kimihiro Nakamura, Chihiro Kuroki
1Department of Speech Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. nobuko-hara@umin.net
Neuroreport
|September 22, 2007
Summary
Native language shapes speech perception, causing Japanese speakers to confuse English /r/ and /l/. This study used fMRI to map brain regions involved in this perceptual assimilation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Maternal language influences speech signal perception.
- Native Japanese listeners often perceive English /r/ and /l/ phonemes as a single /R/ sound.
- The precise brain regions for this perceptual assimilation are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional neuroanatomy of perceptual assimilation of speech sounds.
- To differentiate brain regions involved in language-specific phonological processing versus general vocal stimuli features.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed.
- A repetition priming paradigm was utilized to study speech sound perception.
- Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) was used to infer neural pathway interactions.
Main Results:
- Three distinct subregions within the left temporal cortex were identified.
- An anterior division showed sensitivity to language-specific phonological knowledge.
- Midlateral and posterior divisions were associated with other vocal stimuli features.
Conclusions:
- The anterior temporal pathway is implicated in processing perceptual assimilation of speech sounds.
- The posterior temporal pathway is involved in processing lexico-semantic information.
- This research clarifies the neural basis of how native language affects auditory perception.
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