Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2025
12:30
A Comprehensive Protocol for Manual Segmentation of the Medial Temporal Lobe Structures
Published on: July 2, 2014
20.3K
Segmentation window of speech information processing in the human auditory cortex.
Minoru Hayashi1, Tetsuo Kida2,3, Koji Inui2,3
1Department of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, Tokyo, 191-8506, Japan. minoru.hayashi@meisei-u.ac.jp.
Scientific Reports
|October 25, 2024
Summary
Researchers studied how the brain processes speech using auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEFs). Findings suggest the brain segments speech into discrete units within a 75-94 ms temporal window, crucial for understanding rapid speech.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Speech Processing
Background:
- Humans perceive continuous speech as discrete sequences.
- Understanding the temporal segmentation of speech in the auditory cortex is key to speech perception.
- Auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEFs) offer insights into neural processing of auditory stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal segmentation window of speech information processing in the human auditory cortex.
- To clarify the relationship between speech perception and cortical responses.
- To determine the neural basis for segmenting continuous speech signals.
Main Methods:
- Auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEFs) were measured in participants.
- Participants listened to synthetic Japanese words /atataka/ with varying speech rates and durations (75-600 ms).
- Analysis focused on correlating AEFs, particularly M100 responses, with stimulus duration and perceived syllables.
Main Results:
- A clear correlation was found between AEFs and perceived syllables.
- Words with durations between 375-600 ms elicited four M100 responses from the superior temporal area.
- These responses corresponded to speech onset and consonant/vowel syllable units, with the number of responses correlating with stimulus duration and syllable count.
Conclusions:
- The temporal segmentation window limit for speech perception is approximately 75-94 ms.
- This neural segmentation mechanism is fundamental for processing spoken language.
- Findings can inform the development of advanced, high-speed synthesized speech generation systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Auditory Pathway
5.1K
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...
5.1K
01:31Hearing
51.9K
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.
51.9K
01:13The Cochlea
44.6K
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
44.6K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
3.0K
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...
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...
3.0K
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
196
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...
196
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
764
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...
764