Functional organization of the superior temporal gyrus for speech perception

项目摘要 口语理解的基本机制在很大程度上仍然是未知的。过去 十年来，我们对人类大脑如何提取最基本的语言有了新的认识。 从一个复杂的和高度可变的声学信号的元素（辅音和元音）。然而，下一集 关于这些听觉元素的顺序以及它们如何与 其他特征，例如语音的幅度包络。皮层代表的进一步研究 对语音的研究可能会对这些基本问题有所帮助。先前的研究表明， 上级颞叶皮层在处理语音，但很少有人知道这些声音是如何 连接在一起，形成对单词和连续语音的感知体验。神经活动的记录 直接从皮层表面是一种很有前途的研究方法，因为它可以提供高的空间和 时间分辨率这项建议旨在研究机制的语音编码，利用 在神经外科手术过程中获得的神经生理学记录。高密度电极阵列和 先进的信号处理将被用来解开本地和人口编码的语音声音， 外侧颞叶皮层总的目标是确定大脑如何从一个语言中提取语言元素。 复杂的声学语音信号，以更好地理解和补救人类语言障碍。

PROJECT SUMMARY The basic mechanisms underlying comprehension of spoken language are still largely unknown. Over the past decade, we have gained new insights to how the human brain extracts the most fundamental linguistic elements (consonants and vowels) from a complex and highly variable acoustic signal. However, the next set of questions await pertaining to the sequencing of those auditory elements and how they are integrated with other features, such as, the amplitude envelope of speech. Further investigation of the cortical representation of speech sounds can likely shed light on these fundamental questions. Previous research has implicated the superior temporal cortex in the processing of speech sounds, but little is known about how these sounds are linked together into the perceptual experience of words and continuous speech. The recording of neural activity directly from the cortical surface is a promising approach to study this since it can provide both high spatial and temporal resolution. This proposal seeks to examine the mechanisms of phonetic encoding by utilizing neurophysiological recordings obtained during neurosurgical procedures. High-density electrode arrays and advanced signal processing will be utilized to unravel both local and population encoding of speech sounds in the lateral temporal cortex. The overall goal is to determine how the brain extracts linguistic elements from a complex acoustic speech signal towards better understanding and remediating human language disorders.