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A multisensory cortical network for understanding speech in noise.
Christopher W Bishop1, Lee M Miller
1Center for Mind & Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618, USA. cwbishop@ucdavis.edu
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|October 1, 2008
Summary
Understanding speech in noisy environments relies on visual cues from mouth movements. Brain networks, including the superior temporal sulcus (STS), integrate visual and auditory information to enhance speech comprehension.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Perception
- Multisensory Integration
Background:
- Listeners struggle to understand speech in noisy environments despite hearing the voice.
- Visual information, specifically mouth movements, significantly improves speech intelligibility.
- Neural mechanisms underlying speech comprehension in adverse acoustic conditions require elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify neural networks distinguishing speech understanding from merely hearing.
- To determine how visual information is utilized by the brain to enhance speech intelligibility.
- To investigate the role of multisensory integration in speech comprehension under noisy conditions.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to observe brain activity.
- Participants listened to speech in noisy environments.
- Analysis focused on identifying brain regions and networks involved in speech understanding.
Main Results:
- Speech-in-noise understanding is supported by a network including the left superior parietal lobule, motor/premotor cortex, and left anterior superior temporal sulcus (STS).
- Multisensory integration enhances comprehension via communication between the left temporal-occipital boundary, left medial-temporal lobe, and left STS.
- The left anterior STS is identified as a potential apex of the acoustic processing hierarchy.
Conclusions:
- The brain employs specific neural networks to differentiate understanding from hearing speech.
- Visual input, integrated with auditory signals, is crucial for improving speech comprehension in noise.
- This study elucidates the neural basis of multisensory speech processing in challenging acoustic environments.
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