QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, February 28, 2007, 27(9):2283-2289; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4663-06.2007

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Obleser, J. Articles by Scott, S. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Obleser, J. Articles by Scott, S. K.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Functional Integration across Brain Regions Improves Speech Perception under Adverse Listening Conditions

Jonas Obleser,¹ Richard J. S. Wise,^2,3 M. Alex Dresner,³ and Sophie K. Scott^1,3

¹Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom, and ²Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health and ³Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Jonas Obleser, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK. Email: j.obleser{at}ucl.ac.uk

Speech perception is supported by both acoustic signal decomposition and semantic context. This study, using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, investigated the neural basis of this interaction with two speech manipulations, one acoustic (spectral degradation) and the other cognitive (semantic predictability). High compared with low predictability resulted in the greatest improvement in comprehension at an intermediate level of degradation, and this was associated with increased activity in the left angular gyrus, the medial and left lateral prefrontal cortices, and the posterior cingulate gyrus. Functional connectivity between these regions was also increased, particularly with respect to the left angular gyrus. In contrast, activity in both superior temporal sulci and the left inferior frontal gyrus correlated with the amount of spectral detail in the speech signal, regardless of predictability. These results demonstrate that increasing functional connectivity between high-order cortical areas, remote from the auditory cortex, facilitates speech comprehension when the clarity of speech is reduced.

Key words: speech; semantics; auditory cortex; prefrontal cortex; functional connectivity; fMRI

---

Received Oct. 26, 2006; revised Dec. 18, 2006; accepted Jan. 29, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Jonas Obleser, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK. Email: j.obleser{at}ucl.ac.uk

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. P. Leff, T. M. Schofield, K. E. Stephan, J. T. Crinion, K. J. Friston, and C. J. Price The Cortical Dynamics of Intelligible Speech J. Neurosci., December 3, 2008; 28(49): 13209 - 13215. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Obleser, F. Eisner, and S. A. Kotz Bilateral Speech Comprehension Reflects Differential Sensitivity to Spectral and Temporal Features J. Neurosci., August 6, 2008; 28(32): 8116 - 8123. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help