Interhemispheric transcallosal connectivity between the left and right planum temporale predicts musicianship, performance in temporal speech processing, and functional specialization

2014 ◽  
Vol 221 (1) ◽  
pp. 331-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Elmer ◽  
Jürgen Hänggi ◽  
Lutz Jäncke
2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Hugdahl ◽  
René Westerhausen

The present paper is based on a talk on hemispheric asymmetry given by Kenneth Hugdahl at the Xth European Congress of Psychology, Praha July 2007. Here, we propose that hemispheric asymmetry evolved because of a left hemisphere speech processing specialization. The evolution of speech and the need for air-based communication necessitated division of labor between the hemispheres in order to avoid having duplicate copies in both hemispheres that would increase processing redundancy. It is argued that the neuronal basis of this labor division is the structural asymmetry observed in the peri-Sylvian region in the posterior part of the temporal lobe, with a left larger than right planum temporale area. This is the only example where a structural, or anatomical, asymmetry matches a corresponding functional asymmetry. The increase in gray matter volume in the left planum temporale area corresponds to a functional asymmetry of speech processing, as indexed from both behavioral, dichotic listening, and functional neuroimaging studies. The functional anatomy of the corpus callosum also supports such a view, with regional specificity of information transfer between the hemispheres.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérémy Giroud ◽  
Agnès Trébuchon ◽  
Daniele Schön ◽  
Patrick Marquis ◽  
Catherine Liegeois-Chauvel ◽  
...  

AbstractSpeech perception is mediated by both left and right auditory cortices, but with differential sensitivity to specific acoustic information contained in the speech signal. A detailed description of this functional asymmetry is missing, and the underlying models are widely debated. We analyzed cortical responses from 96 epilepsy patients with electrode implantation in left or right primary, secondary, and/or association auditory cortex. We presented short acoustic transients to reveal the stereotyped spectro-spatial oscillatory response profile of the auditory cortical hierarchy. We show remarkably similar bimodal spectral response profiles in left and right primary and secondary regions, with preferred processing modes in the theta (∼4-8 Hz) and low gamma (∼25-50 Hz) ranges. These results highlight that the human auditory system employs a two-timescale processing mode. Beyond these first cortical levels of auditory processing, a hemispheric asymmetry emerged, with delta and beta band (∼3/15 Hz) responsivity prevailing in the right hemisphere and theta and gamma band (∼6/40 Hz) activity in the left. These intracranial data provide a more fine-grained and nuanced characterization of cortical auditory processing in the two hemispheres, shedding light on the neural dynamics that potentially shape auditory and speech processing at different levels of the cortical hierarchy.Author summarySpeech processing is now known to be distributed across the two hemispheres, but the origin and function of lateralization continues to be vigorously debated. The asymmetric sampling in time (AST) hypothesis predicts that (1) the auditory system employs a two-timescales processing mode, (2) present in both hemispheres but with a different ratio of fast and slow timescales, (3) that emerges outside of primary cortical regions. Capitalizing on intracranial data from 96 epileptic patients we sensitively validated each of these predictions and provide a precise estimate of the processing timescales. In particular, we reveal that asymmetric sampling in associative areas is subtended by distinct two-timescales processing modes. Overall, our results shed light on the neurofunctional architecture of cortical auditory processing.


1991 ◽  
Vol 331 (1260) ◽  
pp. 101-121 ◽  

The present report describes the neuroanatomy of the three thoracic ganglia in the stick insect, Carausius morosus , the subject of numerous behavioural and neurobiological studies. The structure of the ganglia is summarized in an atlas of the major features. The results are compared with published descriptions of other insects and arthropods. Numerous similarities with locusts encourage the use of a common nomenclature even where minor differences make homology uncertain pending detailed investigation. Five out of the nine longitudinal tracts described in locusts can be readily identified in the stick insect. Three major tracts (LDT, DIT, VIT) and two smaller tracts (MDT, DMT) are compact and well defined. The VMT and MVT are also prominent but these two tracts are not clearly separated except near the rostral margin of the neuropile. An eighth tract, the VLT, is much less distinct: it is represented by scattered fibres in neuropile lateral to the DIT. The iLVT apd oLVT, the two parts of the ninth tract, are quite inconspicuous: in some, but not all, preparations they can be identified as two thin bands running along the ventral and ventrolateral margins of the ganglion. As in locusts, six dorsal commissures (DCI-DCVI) and five ventral commissures (VCI, vVCII, dVCII, SMC, PVC) connecting the left and right hemiganglia have been named although the two most dorsal commissures, DCII and DCIV, are often subdivided. The VCII is retained as a single unit with dorsal and ventral parts. Of the dorsal-ventral tracts only the transverse tract (TT) and the circle tract (CT) are well-defined. Roots of lateral nerves are left unnamed pending more detailed study but several conspicuous branches are included in the drawings as guides to orientation in the lateral neuropile. The ventral association centre (VAC) and several other neuropile divisions are described. Pro- and mesothoracic ganglia derive from single neuromeres. The metathoracic ganglion results from the fusion of the third thoracic and the first abdominal neuromeres: each part contains its own set of commissures and dorsoventral tracts. The results underline the qualitative similarities of the thoracic ganglia in insects; they provide a basis for more precise descriptions of identified neurons and functional specialization within the ganglia of the stick insect.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-119
Author(s):  
Anna Krzyżak

The aim of the study was an evaluation of different pattern of auditory processing lateralization in musicians and non-musicians. 41 people aged 20-46 participated in the experiment, from which two research groups were selected: musicians ‒ instrumentalists professionally active (N: 21) and non-musicians (N: 20). All of them were right-handed. The dichotic listening test (Kurkowski 2007) was used to assess the laterality of external stimuli. The examination showed the superiority of right-ear perception or binaural speech processing. In the study of non-focused attention, musicians achieved a similar rate of correct responses for the left and right ear, which indicates binaural processing, where they gave more correct responses for the left ear and fewer correct responses for the right ear than non-musicians. The difference between the groups is statistically significant. In the study focused on the right ear, both groups obtained similar high scores. In the left-ear study the musicians gave more correct responses from the perception of stimuli to the left ear than non-musicians. This research confirmed different pattern of auditory processing lateralization in musicians and non-musicians.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (45) ◽  
pp. 28452-28462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alizée Lopez-Persem ◽  
Léa Roumazeilles ◽  
Davide Folloni ◽  
Kévin Marche ◽  
Elsa F. Fouragnan ◽  
...  

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is a key brain region involved in complex cognitive functions such as reward processing and decision making. Neuroimaging studies have reported unilateral OFC response to reward-related variables; however, those studies rarely discussed this observation. Nevertheless, some lesion studies suggest that the left and right OFC contribute differently to cognitive processes. We hypothesized that the OFC asymmetrical response to reward could reflect underlying hemispherical difference in OFC functional connectivity. Using resting-state and reward-related functional MRI data from humans and from rhesus macaques, we first identified an asymmetrical response of the lateral OFC to reward in both species. Crucially, the subregion showing the highest reward-related asymmetry (RRA) overlapped with the region showing the highest functional connectivity asymmetry (FCA). Furthermore, the two types of asymmetries were found to be significantly correlated across individuals. In both species, the right lateral OFC was more connected to the default mode network compared to the left lateral OFC. Altogether, our results suggest a functional specialization of the left and right lateral OFC in primates.


2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 3079-3081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zane Z. Zheng

The planum temporale (PT) is an anatomically heterogeneous area with several architectonic subdivisions and extensive connections with other parts of the brain. Here I review a functional MRI study investigating the role of a functionally defined area (Spt) within the left PT in speech motor processing and discuss the functional properties of PT regions in the context of findings from recent neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 961-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn McGettigan ◽  
Jane E. Warren ◽  
Frank Eisner ◽  
Chloe R. Marshall ◽  
Pradheep Shanmugalingam ◽  
...  

This study investigated links between working memory and speech processing systems. We used delayed pseudoword repetition in fMRI to investigate the neural correlates of sublexical structure in phonological working memory (pWM). We orthogonally varied the number of syllables and consonant clusters in auditory pseudowords and measured the neural responses to these manipulations under conditions of covert rehearsal (Experiment 1). A left-dominant network of temporal and motor cortex showed increased activity for longer items, with motor cortex only showing greater activity concomitant with adding consonant clusters. An individual-differences analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between activity in the angular gyrus and the hippocampus, and accuracy on pseudoword repetition. As models of pWM stipulate that its neural correlates should be activated during both perception and production/rehearsal [Buchsbaum, B. R., & D'Esposito, M. The search for the phonological store: From loop to convolution. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20, 762–778, 2008; Jacquemot, C., & Scott, S. K. What is the relationship between phonological short-term memory and speech processing? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10, 480–486, 2006; Baddeley, A. D., & Hitch, G. Working memory. In G. H. Bower (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 8, pp. 47–89). New York: Academic Press, 1974], we further assessed the effects of the two factors in a separate passive listening experiment (Experiment 2). In this experiment, the effect of the number of syllables was concentrated in posterior–medial regions of the supratemporal plane bilaterally, although there was no evidence of a significant response to added clusters. Taken together, the results identify the planum temporale as a key region in pWM; within this region, representations are likely to take the form of auditory or audiomotor “templates” or “chunks” at the level of the syllable [Papoutsi, M., de Zwart, J. A., Jansma, J. M., Pickering, M. J., Bednar, J. A., & Horwitz, B. From phonemes to articulatory codes: an fMRI study of the role of Broca's area in speech production. Cerebral Cortex, 19, 2156–2165, 2009; Warren, J. E., Wise, R. J. S., & Warren, J. D. Sounds do-able: auditory–motor transformations and the posterior temporal plane. Trends in Neurosciences, 28, 636–643, 2005; Griffiths, T. D., & Warren, J. D. The planum temporale as a computational hub. Trends in Neurosciences, 25, 348–353, 2002], whereas more lateral structures on the STG may deal with phonetic analysis of the auditory input [Hickok, G. The functional neuroanatomy of language. Physics of Life Reviews, 6, 121–143, 2009].


1987 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Harrington

ABSTRACTA sentence interpretation experiment based on the functionalist Competition Model of speech processing (Bates & MacWhinney, 1982) was administered to three groups of university-age English L1, Japanese ESL, and Japanese L1 subjects (n = 12 per group) in an attempt to elicit evidence for (1) processing strategies characteristic of the Japanese and English L1 groups and, (2) transfer/influence of Japanese L1 strategies on the English sentence interpretations of the Japanese ESL group. Subjects selected the subject/actor of simple sentences incorporating word order, animacy, and stress cues in random converging and competing orders. The English L1 and ESL groups were tested on English sentences and the Japanese L1 group tested on Japanese sentences. The Japanese L1 interpretations were most heavily influenced by animacy cues, while the English L1 group showed a higher overall sensitivity to word order manipulations. The ESL group resembled the Japanese L1 group in reliance on animacy cues, with the exception of allowing inanimate nouns to act as subjects. While the ESL group showed greater sensitivity to word order effects than the Japanese L1 group, no “second-noun” strategy (i.e., systematically interpreting the NNV and VNN orders as left- and right-dislocated SOV and VOS orders) was evident.Although the findings were generally consistent with previous research, the presence of contrasting response patterns in the English L1 group suggests caution in attempting to typify languages on the basis of processing strategies drawn from probablistic tendencies evident in grouped data, and leaves open the role of such processing strategy typologies as a potential source of variation in inter-language.


2009 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 2725-2732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Hickok ◽  
Kayoko Okada ◽  
John T. Serences

Processing incoming sensory information and transforming this input into appropriate motor responses is a critical and ongoing aspect of our moment-to-moment interaction with the environment. While the neural mechanisms in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) that support the transformation of sensory inputs into simple eye or limb movements has received a great deal of empirical attention—in part because these processes are easy to study in nonhuman primates—little work has been done on sensory-motor transformations in the domain of speech. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and multivariate analysis techniques to demonstrate that a region of the planum temporale (Spt) shows distinct spatial activation patterns during sensory and motor aspects of a speech task. This result suggests that just as the PPC supports sensorimotor integration for eye and limb movements, area Spt forms part of a sensory-motor integration circuit for the vocal tract.


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