Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 3, 2026
11:15
fMRI Mapping of Brain Activity Associated with the Vocal Production of Consonant and Dissonant Intervals
Published on: May 23, 2017
7.5K
Dorsal-movement and ventral-form regions are functionally connected during visual-speech recognition
Kamila Borowiak1,2,3, Corrina Maguinness1,2, Katharina von Kriegstein1,2
1Chair of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Human Brain Mapping
|November 22, 2019
Summary
Researchers found that brain regions involved in processing movement and facial form connect during visual speech recognition. This connectivity is reduced in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), potentially impacting their ability to understand speech from faces.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Facial information, including emotion and speech, is crucial for social interaction.
- Facial emotion processing relies on interactions between dorsal-movement and ventral-form visual cortex regions.
- Individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulties with visual-speech recognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate for the first time whether dorsal-ventral interactions in the visual cortex are involved in visual-speech processing.
- To examine if functional connectivity between dorsal-movement and ventral-form regions is altered in adults with ASD.
- To explore the neural underpinnings of impaired visual-speech recognition in ASD.
Main Methods:
- Acquisition of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and concurrent eye tracking in controls and individuals with ASD.
- Analysis of functional connectivity between visual cortex regions during visual speech and face identity recognition tasks.
- Pairwise matching of control and ASD participants to minimize confounding variables.
Main Results:
- Functional connectivity between dorsal-movement regions (V5/MT, TVSA) and ventral-form regions (OFA, FFA) was observed during visual-speech recognition in both groups.
- This dorsal-ventral functional connectivity was decreased in the ASD group compared to controls, specifically between right V5/MT and right OFA, and left TVSA and left FFA.
- Connectivity patterns differed between visual-speech and face-identity recognition tasks.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms the existence of functional connectivity between dorsal-movement and ventral-form visual cortex regions during visual-speech processing.
- Partially impaired dorsal-ventral connectivity in ASD may contribute to difficulties in recognizing dynamic facial information, impacting communication.
- Findings provide insights into the neural basis of social communication deficits in ASD.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
8.6K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
8.6K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
6.7K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
6.7K
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
3.2K
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
3.2K
01:24Vision
59.2K
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
59.2K
01:27Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay
3.6K
The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological...
3.6K
01:17Cerebellum: Anatomical Regions
3.9K
The cerebellum, also known as the "little brain," is located in the posterior cranial fossa, inferior to the tentorium cerebelli and dorsal to the brainstem. It plays a significant role in motor control, coordination, and proprioception.
Cerebellar Structure
Externally, the cerebellum features a highly convoluted surface with numerous folia (narrow ridges) separated by shallow sulci (grooves). The cerebellum is divided into two hemispheres by a thin median structure known as the vermis. The...
Cerebellar Structure
Externally, the cerebellum features a highly convoluted surface with numerous folia (narrow ridges) separated by shallow sulci (grooves). The cerebellum is divided into two hemispheres by a thin median structure known as the vermis. The...
3.9K