Written sentence context effects on acoustic-phonetic perception: fMRI reveals cross-modal semantic-perceptual interactions

Available online 3 October 2019.This study examines cross-modality effects of a semantically-biased written sentence context on the perception of an acoustically-ambiguous word target identifying neural areas sensitive to interactions between sentential bias and phonetic ambiguity. Of interest is whether the locus or nature of the interactions resembles those previously demonstrated for auditory-only effects. FMRI results show significant interaction effects in right mid-middle temporal gyrus (RmMTG) and bilateral anterior superior temporal gyri (aSTG), regions along the ventral language comprehension stream that map sound onto meaning. These regions are more anterior than those previously identified for auditory-only effects; however, the same cross-over interaction pattern emerged implying similar underlying computations at play. The findings suggest that the mechanisms that integrate information across modality and across sentence and phonetic levels of processing recruit amodal areas where reading and spoken lexical and semantic access converge. Taken together, results support interactive accounts of speech and language processing.This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, NIDCD grant RO1 DC006220

Neural substrates of subphonemic variation and lexical competition in spoken word recognition

In spoken word recognition, subphonemic variation influences lexical activation, with sounds near a category boundary increasing phonetic competition as well as lexical competition. The current study investigated the interplay of these factors using a visual world task in which participants were instructed to look at a picture of an auditory target (e.g. peacock). Eyetracking data indicated that participants were slowed when a voiced onset competitor (e.g. beaker) was also displayed, and this effect was amplified when acoustic-phonetic competition was increased. Simultaneously-collected fMRI data showed that several brain regions were sensitive to the presence of the onset competitor, including the supramarginal, middle temporal, and inferior frontal gyri, and functional connectivity analyses revealed that the coordinated activity of left frontal regions depends on both acoustic-phonetic and lexical factors. Taken together, results suggest a role for frontal brain structures in resolving lexical competition, particularly as atypical acoustic-phonetic information maps on to the lexicon.Research was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) [grant number: R01 DC013064] to EBM and NIH NIDCD [grant number R01 DC006220] to SEB. SG was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Severo Ochoa Programme for Centres/Units of Excellence in R&D [SEV‐2015‐490]. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors and not those of the funding agencies

Brain-behavior relationships in incidental learning of non-native phonetic categories

Available online 12 September 2019.Research has implicated the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) in mapping acoustic-phonetic input to sound category representations, both in native speech perception and non-native phonetic category learning. At issue is whether this sensitivity reflects access to phonetic category information per se or to explicit category labels, the latter often being required by experimental procedures. The current study employed an incidental learning paradigm designed to increase sensitivity to a difficult non-native phonetic contrast without inducing explicit awareness of the categorical nature of the stimuli. Functional MRI scans revealed frontal sensitivity to phonetic category structure both before and after learning. Additionally, individuals who succeeded most on the learning task showed the largest increases in frontal recruitment after learning. Overall, results suggest that processing novel phonetic category information entails a reliance on frontal brain regions, even in the absence of explicit category labels.This research was supported by NIH grant R01 DC013064 to EBM and NIH NIDCD Grant R01 DC006220 to SEB. The authors thank F. Sayako Earle for assistance with stimulus development; members of the Language and Brain lab for help with data collection and their feedback throughout the project; Elisa Medeiros for assistance with collection of fMRI data; Paul Taylor for assistance with neuroimaging analyses; and attendees of the 2016 Meeting of the Psychonomic Society and the 2017 Meeting of the Society for Neurobiology of Language for helpful feedback on this project. We also extend thanks to two anonymous reviewers for helpful feedback on a previous version of this manuscript

Speech Communication

Contains research objectives and summary of research on four research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS04332-14)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32 NS07040-02)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 F22 NS00796-01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 ROI NS13028-01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T3Z NS07040-02)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 F22 MH58258-02)U. S. Army- Maryland Procurement Office (Contract MDA904-76-C-0331

Speech Communication

Contains reports on four research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS04332-15)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32 NS07040-03)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS13028-02)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS76-80278

Speech Communication

Contains reports on three research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 ROI NS04332)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 NS07040)C. J. LeBel FellowshipsNational Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS13028)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS76-80278)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-26871

Speech Communication

Contains research objectives and summary of research on six research projects and reports on three research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS04332-13)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 F22 MH5825-01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 T32 NS07040-01)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 F22 NS007960)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 F22 HD019120)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 F22 HD01919-01)U. S. Army (Contract DAAB03-75-C-0489)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS04332-12

Speech Communication

Contains reports on two research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 ROl1 NS04332)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 NS07040)C.J. LeBel FellowshipsNational Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-26871