Neural basis of speech perception

The functional neuroanatomy of speech processing has been difficult to characterize. One major impediment to progress has been the failure to consider task effects when mapping speech-related processing systems. We summarize a dual-stream model of speech processing that addresses this situation. In this model, a ventral stream processes speech signals for comprehension, and a dorsal stream maps acoustic speech signals to parietal and frontal-lobe articulatory networks. The model assumes that the ventral stream is largely bilaterally organized, although there are important computational differences between the left- and right-hemisphere systems, whereas the dorsal stream is strongly left-hemisphere-dominant.