Functional organization of the superior temporal gyrus for speech perception

描述（由申请人提供）：言语感知是听者听到和解释语言声音的过程。它是由高度可变和复杂的声学信号到语音表示的独特映射来定义的。一系列研究表明，人类的后颞上皮层是专门处理语音的。虽然定位，语言信息提取的基本神经机制是完全不清楚的。我们提出了一种创新的方法，使用定制的颅内高密度电极阵列，直接从清醒的后颞皮质记录详细的神经活动，行为受试者正在接受癫痫手术的临床评估。该方法提供了尽可能高的空间和时间分辨率，从而克服了非侵入性成像方法的许多局限性。本研究定位于听觉神经科学和语言学领域之间的关键接口。我们的

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Speech perception is the process by which listeners hear and interpret the sounds of language. It is defined by the unique mapping of a highly variable and complex acoustic signal to a phonetic representation. A convergence of studies has implicated the human posterior superior temporal cortex for the specialized processing of speech sounds. Although localized, the basic neural mechanisms by which linguistic information is extracted are entirely unclear. We propose an innovative methodological approach using customized intracranial high-density electrode arrays to record detailed neural activity directly from the posterior temporal cortex in awake, behaving subjects undergoing clinical evaluation for epilepsy surgery. This method offers the highest possible spatial and temporal resolution, thereby overcoming many limitations of non-invasive imaging approaches. This research is positioned at a critical interface between the fields of auditory neuroscience and linguistics. Our previous results demonstrate that cortical representation of speech sounds manifest important non-linearities that correspond to perceptual boundaries over acoustic parameters (Chang et al, Nature Neuroscience 2010). Building on these findings, we propose experiments to determine: 1) the functional organization of the posterior temporal gyrus for acoustic and phonetic features, 2) the distributed, population-level encoding of emergent phonetic representation, and 3) the correlates of "robust" speech representation in the context of a multi-speaker listening environment. The results of these proposed experiments will have significant impact on the field of neurolinguistics and broader research on sensory perception and cognition.