scholarly journals T'ain't What You Say, It's the Way That You Say It—Left Insula and Inferior Frontal Cortex Work in Interaction with Superior Temporal Regions to Control the Performance of Vocal Impersonations

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1875-1886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn McGettigan ◽  
Frank Eisner ◽  
Zarinah K. Agnew ◽  
Tom Manly ◽  
Duncan Wisbey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Control ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Voice Change ◽  
Significant Step ◽  
Speech Planning ◽  
Identity Perception ◽  
The Voice

Historically, the study of human identity perception has focused on faces, but the voice is also central to our expressions and experiences of identity [Belin, P., Fecteau, S., & Bedard, C. Thinking the voice: Neural correlates of voice perception. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8, 129–135, 2004]. Our voices are highly flexible and dynamic; talkers speak differently, depending on their health, emotional state, and the social setting, as well as extrinsic factors such as background noise. However, to date, there have been no studies of the neural correlates of identity modulation in speech production. In the current fMRI experiment, we measured the neural activity supporting controlled voice change in adult participants performing spoken impressions. We reveal that deliberate modulation of vocal identity recruits the left anterior insula and inferior frontal gyrus, supporting the planning of novel articulations. Bilateral sites in posterior superior temporal/inferior parietal cortex and a region in right middle/anterior STS showed greater responses during the emulation of specific vocal identities than for impressions of generic accents. Using functional connectivity analyses, we describe roles for these three sites in their interactions with the brain regions supporting speech planning and production. Our findings mark a significant step toward understanding the neural control of vocal identity, with wider implications for the cognitive control of voluntary motor acts.

Neural correlates of inter- and intra-individual saccadic reaction time differences in the gap/overlap paradigm

2011 ◽  
Vol 105 (5) ◽  
pp. 2438-2447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jale Özyurt ◽  
Mark W. Greenlee
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Saccadic Reaction Time ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Target Onset ◽  
Positive Correlation

To examine the neural correlates of contextually differing control mechanisms in saccade initiation, we studied 18 subjects who performed two saccade paradigms in a pseudo-random order, while their eye movements were recorded in the MRI scanner (1.5 T). In the gap task the fixation point was extinguished 200 ms before target onset, and in the overlap task the fixation point vanished 500 ms after target onset. Subjects were asked to maintain stable fixation in the fixation period and to quickly saccade to peripherally presented targets. Inter-individual activation differences were assessed using regression analyses at the second level, with mean saccadic reaction time (SRT) of subjects as a covariate. To identify brain regions varying with trial-by-trial changes in SRTs, we included SRTs as a parametric modulation regressor in the general linear model. All analyses were regions of interest based and were performed separately for the gap and overlap conditions. For the gap paradigm, we did not obtain activation in regions previously shown to be involved in preparatory processes with much longer gap periods. Interestingly, both inter- and intra-individual variability analyses revealed a positive correlation of activation in frontal and parietal eye-movement regions with SRTs, indicating that slower saccade performance is possibly associated with higher cortical control. For the overlap paradigm, the trial-by-trial variability analysis revealed a positive correlation of activation in the right opercular inferior frontal gyrus with SRTs, possibly linked to fixation-related processes that have to be overcome to perform a speeded saccade in presence of a fixation point.

Brain Activation during Masked and Unmasked Semantic Priming: Commonalities and Differences

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 2216-2229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ulrich ◽  
Klaus Hoenig ◽  
Georg Grön ◽  
Markus Kiefer
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Priming ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Semantic Relatedness ◽  
Direct Consequence ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Fusiform Gyrus ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Semantic Matching

Using fMRI during a lexical decision task, we investigated the neural correlates of semantic priming under masked and unmasked prime presentation conditions in a repeated measurement design of the same group of 24 participants (14 women). The task was to discriminate between pseudowords and words. Masked and unmasked prime words differed in their degree of semantic relatedness with target stimuli. Neural correlates of priming were defined as significantly different neural activations upon semantically unrelated minus related trials. Left fusiform gyrus, left posterior inferior frontal gyrus, and bilateral pre-SMA showed priming effects independent of the masking condition. By contrast, bilateral superior temporal gyri, superior parietal lobules, and the SMA proper demonstrated greater neural priming in the unmasked compared with the masked condition. The inverted contrast (masked priming minus unmasked priming) did not show significant differences even at lowered thresholds of significance. The conjoint effects of priming in the left fusiform gyrus suggest its involvement as a direct consequence of the neural organization of semantic memory. Activity in brain regions showing significantly more neural priming in the unmasked condition possibly reflected participants' evaluation of the prime–target relationship, presumably in the context of semantic matching. The present results therefore indicate that masked and unmasked semantic priming partially depend on dissociable mechanisms at the neural and most likely also at the functional level.

Involvement of action-related brain regions in nicotine addiction

2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yavor Yalachkov ◽  
Marcus J. Naumer
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Superior Parietal Lobule ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Anterior Intraparietal Sulcus ◽  
Action Representations

The study of Wagner et al. ( J Neurosci 31: 894–898, 2011) reveals the neural correlates of spontaneously activated action representations in smokers when subjects watch movie characters smoke. We stress the importance of differentiating how these representations are activated: while the anterior intraparietal sulcus and inferior frontal gyrus are part of the mirror neuron system of smokers, the middle frontal gyrus, premotor cortex, and superior parietal lobule represent the smoking-related tool use skills and action knowledge activated by smoking paraphernalia.

A Description of Middle School Male Singers’ Voice Change and Voice Part Assignment

2021 ◽  
pp. 875512332110182
Author(s):  
Ryan Austin Fisher ◽  
Nancy L. Summitt ◽  
Ellen B. Koziel
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Eighth Grade ◽  
Voice Change ◽  
Stage 4 ◽  
Public Middle School ◽  
Middle School Choir ◽  
Choral Programs ◽  
Stage 1 ◽  
The Voice

The purpose of this study was to describe the voice change and voice part assignment of male middle school choir members. Volunteers ( N = 92) were recruited from three public middle school choral programs (Grades 6-8). Participants were audio-recorded performing simple vocal tasks in order to assess vocal range and asked to share the music they were currently singing in class. Results revealed 23.91% of participants’ voices could be categorized as unchanged, 14.13% as Stage 1, 3.26% as Stage 2, 10.87% as Stage 3, 26.09% as Stage 4, and 21.74% as Stage 5. The majority of sixth-grade participants were classified as unchanged or in Stage 1 of the voice change and the majority of eighth-grade participants were classified in Stages 4 to 5 of the voice change. Of the participants labeled “tenors” in their choir, over 60% were classified as either unchanged voices or in Stage 1 of the voice change.

scholarly journals Brain networks underlying the processing of sound symbolism related to softness perception

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryo Kitada ◽  
Jinhwan Kwon ◽  
Ryuichi Doizaki ◽  
Eri Nakagawa ◽  
Tsubasa Tanigawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Sound Symbolism ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Superior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Symbolic Information ◽  
Object Properties ◽  
Imaging Experiment

AbstractUnlike the assumption of modern linguistics, there is non-arbitrary association between sound and meaning in sound symbolic words. Neuroimaging studies have suggested the unique contribution of the superior temporal sulcus to the processing of sound symbolism. However, because these findings are limited to the mapping between sound symbolism and visually presented objects, the processing of sound symbolic information may also involve the sensory-modality dependent mechanisms. Here, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment to test whether the brain regions engaged in the tactile processing of object properties are also involved in mapping sound symbolic information with tactually perceived object properties. Thirty-two healthy subjects conducted a matching task in which they judged the congruency between softness perceived by touch and softness associated with sound symbolic words. Congruency effect was observed in the orbitofrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, medial superior frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, and cerebellum. This effect in the insula and medial superior frontal gyri was overlapped with softness-related activity that was separately measured in the same subjects in the tactile experiment. These results indicate that the insula and medial superior frontal gyrus play a role in processing sound symbolic information and relating it to the tactile softness information.

scholarly journals Sex differences in neural correlates of common psychopathological symptoms in early adolescence

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Francesca Biondo ◽  
Charlotte Nymberg Thunell ◽  
Bing Xu ◽  
Congying Chu ◽  
Tianye Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Grey Matter Volume ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Psychopathological Symptom ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Background Sex-related differences in psychopathology are known phenomena, with externalizing and internalizing symptoms typically more common in boys and girls, respectively. However, the neural correlates of these sex-by-psychopathology interactions are underinvestigated, particularly in adolescence. Methods Participants were 14 years of age and part of the IMAGEN study, a large (N = 1526) community-based sample. To test for sex-by-psychopathology interactions in structural grey matter volume (GMV), we used whole-brain, voxel-wise neuroimaging analyses based on robust non-parametric methods. Psychopathological symptom data were derived from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results We found a sex-by-hyperactivity/inattention interaction in four brain clusters: right temporoparietal-opercular region (p < 0.01, Cohen's d = −0.24), bilateral anterior and mid-cingulum (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = −0.18), right cerebellum and fusiform (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = −0.20) and left frontal superior and middle gyri (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = −0.26). Higher symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention were associated with lower GMV in all four brain clusters in boys, and with higher GMV in the temporoparietal-opercular and cerebellar-fusiform clusters in girls. Conclusions Using a large, sex-balanced and community-based sample, our study lends support to the idea that externalizing symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention may be associated with different neural structures in male and female adolescents. The brain regions we report have been associated with a myriad of important cognitive functions, in particular, attention, cognitive and motor control, and timing, that are potentially relevant to understand the behavioural manifestations of hyperactive and inattentive symptoms. This study highlights the importance of considering sex in our efforts to uncover mechanisms underlying psychopathology during adolescence.

scholarly journals Neural representations of own-voice in the human auditory cortex

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taishi Hosaka ◽  
Marino Kimura ◽  
Yuko Yotsumoto
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽  
Blood Oxygen ◽  
Oxygen Level ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
Human Auditory Cortex ◽  
The Voice

AbstractWe have a keen sensitivity when it comes to the perception of our own voices. We can detect not only the differences between ourselves and others, but also slight modifications of our own voices. Here, we examined the neural correlates underlying such sensitive perception of one’s own voice. In the experiments, we modified the subjects’ own voices by using five types of filters. The subjects rated the similarity of the presented voices to their own. We compared BOLD (Blood Oxygen Level Dependent) signals between the voices that subjects rated as least similar to their own voice and those they rated as most similar. The contrast revealed that the bilateral superior temporal gyrus exhibited greater activities while listening to the voice least similar to their own voice and lesser activation while listening to the voice most similar to their own. Our results suggest that the superior temporal gyrus is involved in neural sharpening for the own-voice. The lesser degree of activations observed by the voices that were similar to the own-voice indicates that these areas not only respond to the differences between self and others, but also respond to the finer details of own-voices.

The Cortical Organization of Writing Sequence: Evidence From Observing Chinese Characters in Motion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoqi Zhang ◽  
Qiming Yuan ◽  
Zeping Liu ◽  
Man Zhang ◽  
Junjie Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Chinese Character ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Hierarchical Control ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
General Motor ◽  
The Right

Abstract Writing sequences play an important role in handwriting of Chinese characters. However, little is known regarding the integral brain patterns and network mechanisms of processing Chinese character writing sequences. The present study decoded brain patterns during observing Chinese characters in motion by using multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA), meta-analytic decoding analysis, and extended unified structural equation model (euSEM). We found that perception of Chinese character writing sequence recruited brain regions not only for general motor schema processing, i.e., the right inferior frontal gyrus, shifting and inhibition functions, i.e., the right postcentral gyrus and bilateral pre-SMA/dACC, but also for sensorimotor functions specific for writing sequences. More importantly, these brain regions formed a cooperatively top-down brain network where information was transmitted from brain regions for general motor schema processing to those specific for writing sequences. These findings not only shed light on the neural mechanisms of Chinese character writing sequences, but also extend the hierarchical control model on motor schema processing.

scholarly journals Mapping the common and distinct neural correlates of visual, rule and motor conflict

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryony Goulding Mew ◽  
Darije Custovic ◽  
Eyal Soreq ◽  
Romy Lorenz ◽  
Ines Violante ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
The Common ◽  
Full Factorial ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Categorical Scale ◽  
Conflict Types

AbstractFlexible behaviour requires cognitive-control mechanisms to efficiently resolve conflict between competing information and alternative actions. Whether a global neural resource mediates all forms of conflict or this is achieved within domainspecific systems remains debated. We use a novel fMRI paradigm to orthogonally manipulate rule, response and stimulus-based conflict within a full-factorial design. Whole-brain voxelwise analyses show that activation patterns associated with these conflict types are distinct but partially overlapping within Multiple Demand Cortex (MDC), the brain regions that are most commonly active during cognitive tasks. Region of interest analysis shows that most MDC sub-regions are activated for all conflict types, but to significantly varying levels. We propose that conflict resolution is an emergent property of distributed brain networks, the functional-anatomical components of which place on a continuous, not categorical, scale from domain-specialised to domain general. MDC brain regions place towards one end of that scale but display considerable functional heterogeneity.

scholarly journals Framing and Self-Responsibility Modulate Brain Activities in Decision Escalation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Peng Liang ◽  
Yuwen Li ◽  
Nai-Shing Yen ◽  
Ofir Turel ◽  
Sen-Mou Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Human Decision

Abstract Background: Escalation of commitment is a common bias in human decision making. The present study examined (1) differences in neural recruitment for escalation and de-escalation decisions of prior investments, and (2) how the activations of these brain networks are modulated by two factors that are often argued to modulate the behavior: (i) self-responsibility, and (ii) framing of the success probabilities. Results: Imaging data were obtained from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) applied to 29 participants. A whole-brain analysis was conducted to compare brain activations between conditions. ROI analysis, then, was used to examine if these significant activations were modulated by two contextual factors. Finally, mediation analysis was applied to explore how the contextual factors affect escalation decisions through brain activations. The findings showed that (1) escalation decisions are faster than de-escalation decisions, (2) the corresponding network of brain regions recruited for escalation (anterior cingulate cortex, insula and precuneus) decisions differs from this recruited for de-escalation decisions (inferior and superior frontal gyri), (3) the switch from escalation to de-escalation is primarily frontal gyri dependent, and (4) activation in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula and precuneus were further increased in escalation decisions, when the outcome probabilities of the follow-up investment were positively framed; and activation in the inferior and superior frontal gyri in de-escalation decisions were increased when the outcome probabilities were negatively framed. Conclusions: Escalation and de-escalation decisions recruit different brain regions. Framing of possible outcomes as negative leads to escalation decisions through recruitment of the inferior frontal gyrus. Responsibility for decisions affects escalation decisions through recruitment of the superior (inferior) gyrus, when the decision is framed positively (negatively).

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