Categorizing human vocal signals depends on an integrated auditory-frontal cortical network
Claudia Roswandowitz1,2, Huw Swanborough1,2, Sascha Frühholz1,2,3
1Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Human Brain Mapping
|February 22, 2021
Summary
The brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Perception
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Voice signals are crucial for communication and primarily processed in the auditory cortex (AC).
- The inferior frontal cortex (IFC) also shows involvement in voice processing, but its integrated function with the AC network remains unclear.
- Existing research lacks detailed descriptions of the AC-IFC network's task-specific roles in voice perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the integrated functioning of the auditory cortex (AC) and inferior frontal cortex (IFC) network during voice processing.
- To determine the task relevance of the AC-IFC network for distinguishing voice characteristics versus intensity.
- To elucidate how attention modulates the AC-IFC network's engagement in vocal-sound categorization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized neuroimaging techniques to monitor brain activity during sound categorization tasks.
- Compared neural responses when participants focused on voice identity versus sound intensity.
- Employed connectivity modeling to analyze information flow within the auditory-frontal network.
Main Results:
- Similar AC and IFC activations were observed in task-based versus passive listening paradigms for vocal-sound processing.
- Voice-sensitive responses were found in both AC and IFC, while intensity processing was localized to specific AC regions.
- The IFC demonstrated flexible engagement, activating only when voice features were task-relevant, and auditory-frontal connections were modulated by attention to voice signals.
Conclusions:
- An integrated auditory-frontal network, involving the AC and IFC, is essential for processing behaviorally relevant voice sounds.
- The IFC acts as a key hub in the extended voice network, crucial for representing higher-order vocal information and directing goal-oriented behavior.
- Attentional focus on vocal features significantly modulates connectivity within the auditory-frontal network, highlighting its role in selective auditory perception.
More Related Videos
11:15fMRI Mapping of Brain Activity Associated with the Vocal Production of Consonant and Dissonant Intervals
Published on: May 23, 2017
7.4K
07:52Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents
Published on: May 23, 2025
580
Related Concept Videos
01:15Auditory Pathway
6.4K
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
6.4K
01:31Hearing
55.2K
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
55.2K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
5.8K
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....
5.8K
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
638
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
638
01:30Classification of Signals
1.1K
In signal processing, signals are classified based on various characteristics: continuous-time versus discrete-time, periodic versus aperiodic, analog versus digital, and causal versus noncausal. Each category highlights distinct properties crucial for understanding and manipulating signals.
A continuous-time signal holds a value at every instant in time, representing information seamlessly. In contrast, a discrete-time signal holds values only at specific moments, often denoted as x(n), where...
A continuous-time signal holds a value at every instant in time, representing information seamlessly. In contrast, a discrete-time signal holds values only at specific moments, often denoted as x(n), where...
1.1K
01:24Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
1.5K
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
1.5K