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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Neural Oscillations Carry Speech Rhythm through to Comprehension
Jonathan E Peelle1, Matthew H Davis
1Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Frontiers in Psychology
|September 14, 2012
Summary
Speech rhythm, conveyed by amplitude modulation, is crucial for intelligibility. Brain oscillations synchronize with speech rhythm, aiding auditory processing and perception of speech rate.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
- Auditory Processing
Background:
- Speech is characterized by rhythmic amplitude modulations carrying vital linguistic information.
- Listeners rely on amplitude envelope cues for understanding speech, influencing intelligibility.
- Ongoing brain oscillations play a role in processing this rhythmic speech content.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the information conveyed by speech rhythm.
- To explore the role of brain oscillations in processing speech rhythm.
- To propose a framework for neural entrainment to speech rhythm.
Main Methods:
- Review of behavioral studies on speech intelligibility and amplitude envelope.
- Analysis of neuroimaging data (EEG, MEG) on cortical oscillations and speech.
- Neuroanatomical localization of speech amplitude modulation processing.
Main Results:
- Amplitude envelope information is critical for speech intelligibility.
- Cortical oscillations phase-lock to low-frequency speech envelope (~4-8 Hz).
- Neural entrainment to speech rhythm influences perception of speech rate and segments.
Conclusions:
- Low-frequency speech oscillations and brain phase-locked oscillations form a rhythmic hierarchy for spoken language.
- Left-hemisphere regions, including lateral anterior temporal cortex, are involved in processing intelligible speech.
- Neural entrainment provides a framework for understanding speech rate effects on perception.
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