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Processing of Degraded Speech in Brain Disorders.
Jessica Jiang1, Elia Benhamou1, Sheena Waters2
1Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
Brain Sciences
|April 3, 2021
Summary
Processing degraded speech, even when automatic, relies on complex brain networks. Impairments in this processing can indicate neural dysfunction and serve as a diagnostic marker for brain disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Speech Processing
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Everyday speech is often degraded by background noise and speaker variability.
- Speech comprehension normally relies on dynamic, adaptive neural processing.
- Degraded speech processing is computationally demanding and vulnerable to neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence of altered degraded speech processing in neurological conditions.
- To propose a predictive coding framework for understanding these deficits.
- To explore the potential of degraded speech as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental studies on degraded speech processing in healthy individuals.
- Analysis of findings in neurodegenerative diseases, traumatic brain injury, and stroke.
- Development of a predictive coding framework.
Main Results:
- Degraded speech processing is impaired in several neurological disorders.
- Primary progressive aphasias show specific deficits.
- The predictive coding framework offers insights into these impairments.
Conclusions:
- Altered degraded speech processing is a sensitive marker of neural dysfunction.
- Degraded speech can serve as a diagnostic tool for brain disorders.
- Targeting degraded speech processing may offer therapeutic interventions.
