Human Auditory Cortex Physiology

 描述（由申请人提供）：语音是人类听到的最重要的声音，但对正常语音感知所必需的相互连接的听觉和听觉相关脑区的功能特性知之甚少。我们的研究目标是了解语音信息在这个网络中是在哪里以及如何处理的。我们使用互补的侵入性和非侵入性实验方法的新组合来研究需要放置慢性颅内电极的神经外科患者的这些脑区域。这些实验包括将直接皮层电生理记录与电刺激技术以及解剖和功能MRI方法相结合。我们的研究策略利用这些独特的实验机会来克服这一研究领域长期存在的进展障碍。最近的方法学进展现在使我们能够同时研究这个网络的各个层次的神经处理和连接，并直接测试人类受试者的语音感知神经模型。我们将通过测试以下假设来实现我们的目标：（1）颞叶和额叶的听觉皮层场和听觉相关皮层的位置和功能特性，（2）听觉皮层场和听觉相关皮层的功能特性。 这些区域与人脑其他区域之间的联系，以及（3）该网络内语音信息的方向性流动。这些目标是由一个经验丰富的多学科研究小组追求的，他们的专业知识涵盖了所有必需的临床和研究主题领域。据我们所知，由此产生的数据将是第一个直接展示语音信息是如何在颞额叶听觉皮层系统的各个层面进行处理的，并直接展示这些皮层网络区域与人脑其他部位之间的点对点功能连接。正常网络的知识将提高我们对影响该系统的疾病状态的病理生理学的理解，并将提供通知设计所需的机制见解 新的治疗策略。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant: Speech sounds are the most important sounds that humans hear, yet little is known about the functional properties of the interconnected auditory and auditory-related brain regions that are essential to normal speech perception. Our research goal is to understand where and how speech information is processed within this network. We use novel combinations of complementary invasive and non-invasive experimental methods to study these brain regions in neurosurgery patients who require placement of chronic intracranial electrodes. These experiments involve combining direct cortical electrophysiological recordings with electrical stimulation techniques and anatomical and functional MRI methods. Our investigative strategy makes use of these unique experimental opportunities to overcome long-standing barriers to progress in this research field. Recent methodological advances now enable us to simultaneously study neural processing and connectivity at all levels of this network and directly test neural models of speech perception in human subjects. We will pursue our goals by testing hypotheses regarding: (1) the locations and functional properties of auditory cortical fields and auditory-related cortices of the temporal and frontal lobes, (2) the functional connections between these areas and other regions of the human brain, and (3) the directional flow of speech information within this network. These objectives are pursued by an experienced multidisciplinary group of investigators with expertise encompassing all required clinical and research topic areas. To our knowledge, the resulting data will be the first of its kind to directl demonstrate how speech information is processed at all levels of the temporal-frontal lobe auditory cortical system, and to directly demonstrate point-to-point functional connections between these cortical network regions and sites elsewhere in the human brain. Knowledge of the normal network will improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of disease states affecting this system, and will provide mechanistic insights that are required to inform the design of new treatment strategies.