Neural mechanisms for stopping ongoing speech production

项目摘要 语言的产生在对话中被精确地计时。人们表现出非凡的适应能力 他们发言的开始和结束时间取决于别人所说的话。拟议工作的长期目标 就是了解神经机制，这种神经机制导致了对语音定时的精确控制 交谈。具体地说，该提案侧重于快速停止正在进行的生产的控制 在一句话说完之前。参与语音产生的神经回路在许多大脑皮质中被发现 区域，如感觉运动皮质、运动前皮质和前额叶皮质。现有证据表明， 这些电路支持语音的产生。例如，感觉运动皮质的腹侧部分 (VSMC)包含发音器(例如，嘴唇、下巴、舌头)的表示。VSMC中的神经活动编码 说话过程中的发音运动学轨迹。然而，人们对控制大脑的神经回路知之甚少。 说话突然停顿。这种知识鸿沟限制了我们对正常言语背后的原则的理解 生产，以及口吃和失语症等言语和交流障碍的原因。 该提案将检验最重要的假设，即运动前区域包含一个神经网络， 识别指示停止的感觉输入，并产生信号来调制vSMC以进行停止。这个 运动前区为vSMC提供输入，在言语准备和感觉运动中起重要作用 转型。赵博士将结合高密度皮层脑电图仪(ECoG)记录神经活动 当参与者执行语音产生任务时，直接从人类大脑皮层获得。高密度ECoG是一种状态- 最先进的技术，具有精细的空间和时间分辨率，非常适合研究神经 言语的动态感。目标1将定义用于控制语音停止的运动前信号。参与者为 被指示在语音产生过程中根据视觉提示进行间歇性停顿。目标2将决定 停顿活动对停顿时关节控制的影响。赵博士将获得有关发音的知识 语音学和心理语言学，以及测量发音运动学特征的实验技术 在讲话停止时。目标3将确定前运动网络在停止对话中的作用 上下文。本项目的成果可望为理解常态提供基础知识 言语产生的功能，这是改善言语和交流治疗所必需的 未来的疾病。赵博士将得到一流的学术环境和世界一流的专家的支持 在加州大学旧金山分校和加州大学伯克利分校。这笔赠款将提供培训 人类皮质神经生理学和语言学技能的机会，这将促进他的平稳过渡 交给一个独立的调查员。

Project Summary Speech production is timed precisely during conversations. People demonstrate a remarkable ability to adjust the start and stop time of their speech depending on what others say. The long-term goal of the proposed work is to understand the neural mechanism that gives rise to the precise control of speech timing during conversations. Specifically, this proposal focuses on the control for quickly stopping an ongoing production before an utterance is finished. Neural circuits involved in speech production are found across many cortical areas, such as the sensorimotor cortex, the premotor and prefrontal cortices. Existing evidence has shown how these circuits support the generation of speech sound. For example, the ventral part of the sensorimotor cortex (vSMC) contains a representation of articulators (e.g., lip, jaw, tongue). Neural activity in vSMC encodes the articulatory kinematic trajectories during speaking. However, little is known about the neural circuit controlling a sudden stop of speech. This knowledge gap limits our understanding of the principles underlying normal speech production, as well as the causes of speech and communication disorders like stuttering and aphasia. The proposal will test the overarching hypothesis that the premotor areas contain a neural network that distinguishes sensory inputs indicating a stop and generates signals to modulate vSMC for stopping. The premotor areas provide input to the vSMC and serve important functions in speech preparation and sensorimotor transformation. Dr. Zhao will incorporate high-density electrocorticography (ECoG) to record neural activities directly from the human cortex while participants perform speech production tasks. High-density ECoG is a state- of-the-art technique with fine spatial and temporal resolutions that are well suited for studying the neural dynamics of speech. Aim 1 will define the premotor signal for the control of speech stopping. Participants are instructed to make intermittent stops during speech production following visual cues. Aim 2 will determine the effect of stop activity on articulatory control during stopping. Dr. Zhao will obtain knowledge of articulatory phonetics and psycholinguistics, and the experimental techniques to measure articulatory kinematic features during speech stopping. Aim 3 will determine the role of the premotor network for stopping in conversation contexts. The outcome of this project is expected to provide basic knowledge for understanding the normal function of speech production, which is necessary for improving treatments for speech and communication disorders in the future. Dr. Zhao will be supported by a top-tier academic environment and world-class experts at University of California, San Francisco, and University of California, Berkeley. This grant will provide training opportunities of human cortical neurophysiology and skills in linguistics, which will facilitate his smooth transition to an independent investigator.