scholarly journals Mental operations in rhythm: motor-to-sensory transformation mediates imagined singing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanzhu Li ◽  
Huan Luo ◽  
Xing Tian

AbstractWhat enables our mental activities for thinking verbally or humming in our mind? We hypothesized that the interaction between motor and sensory systems induces speech and melodic mental representations, and this motor-to-sensory transformation forms the neural basis that enables our verbal thinking and covert singing. Analogous with the neural entrainment to auditory stimuli, participants imagined singing lyrics of well-known songs rhythmically while their neural electromagnetic signals were recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG). We found that when participants imagined singing the same song in similar durations across trials, the delta frequency band (1-3 Hz, similar to the rhythm of the songs) showed more consistent phase coherence across trials. This neural phase tracking of imagined singing was observed in a frontal-parietal-temporal network – the proposed motor-to-sensory transformation pathway, including the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), insula, premotor, intra-parietal sulcus (IPS), the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ), primary auditory cortex (HG), and superior temporal gyrus and sulcus (STG & STS). These results suggest that neural responses can entrain the rhythm of mental activity. Moreover, the theta band (4-8 Hz) phase coherence was localized in the auditory cortices. The mu (9-12 Hz) and beta (17-20 Hz) bands were observed in the right-lateralized sensorimotor systems that were consistent with the singing context. The gamma band was broadly manifested in the observed network. The coherent activation in the motor-to-sensory transformation network as well as the frequency-specific activation in the motor, somatosensory, and auditory cortices mediate the internal construction of perceptual representations and form the foundation of neural computations for mental operations.

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 1789-1798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Bartolo ◽  
Francesca Benuzzi ◽  
Luca Nocetti ◽  
Patrizia Baraldi ◽  
Paolo Nichelli

Humor is a unique ability in human beings. Suls [A two-stage model for the appreciation of jokes and cartoons. In P. E. Goldstein & J. H. McGhee (Eds.), The psychology of humour. Theoretical perspectives and empirical issues. New York: Academic Press, 1972, pp. 81–100] proposed a two-stage model of humor: detection and resolution of incongruity. Incongruity is generated when a prediction is not confirmed in the final part of a story. To comprehend humor, it is necessary to revisit the story, transforming an incongruous situation into a funny, congruous one. Patient and neuroimaging studies carried out until now lead to different outcomes. In particular, patient studies found that right brain-lesion patients have difficulties in humor comprehension, whereas neuroimaging studies suggested a major involvement of the left hemisphere in both humor detection and comprehension. To prevent activation of the left hemisphere due to language processing, we devised a nonverbal task comprising cartoon pairs. Our findings demonstrate activation of both the left and the right hemispheres when comparing funny versus nonfunny cartoons. In particular, we found activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (BA 47), the left superior temporal gyrus (BA 38), the left middle temporal gyrus (BA 21), and the left cerebellum. These areas were also activated in a nonverbal task exploring attribution of intention [Brunet, E., Sarfati, Y., Hardy-Bayle, M. C., & Decety, J. A PET investigation of the attribution of intentions with a nonverbal task. Neuroimage, 11, 157–166, 2000]. We hypothesize that the resolution of incongruity might occur through a process of intention attribution. We also asked subjects to rate the funniness of each cartoon pair. A parametric analysis showed that the left amygdala was activated in relation to subjective amusement. We hypothesize that the amygdala plays a key role in giving humor an emotional dimension.


2002 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 540-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Foxe ◽  
Glenn R. Wylie ◽  
Antigona Martinez ◽  
Charles E. Schroeder ◽  
Daniel C. Javitt ◽  
...  

Using high-field (3 Tesla) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we demonstrate that auditory and somatosensory inputs converge in a subregion of human auditory cortex along the superior temporal gyrus. Further, simultaneous stimulation in both sensory modalities resulted in activity exceeding that predicted by summing the responses to the unisensory inputs, thereby showing multisensory integration in this convergence region. Recently, intracranial recordings in macaque monkeys have shown similar auditory-somatosensory convergence in a subregion of auditory cortex directly caudomedial to primary auditory cortex (area CM). The multisensory region identified in the present investigation may be the human homologue of CM. Our finding of auditory-somatosensory convergence in early auditory cortices contributes to mounting evidence for multisensory integration early in the cortical processing hierarchy, in brain regions that were previously assumed to be unisensory.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bobbie Jean Koen ◽  
Jacqueline Hawkins ◽  
Xi Zhu ◽  
Ben Jansen ◽  
Weihua Fan ◽  
...  

Fluency is used as an indicator of reading proficiency. Many students with reading disabilities are unable to benefit from typical interventions. This study is designed to replicate Lorusso, Facoetti, Paganoni, Pezzani, and Molteni’s (2006) work using FlashWord, a computer program that tachistoscopically presents words in the right or left visual hemi-field in English and locates through fMRI imaging the processing areas involved in fluency development. Our participants were 15 students who were ages 8 to 19 years and had reading disabilities randomly assigned to Intervention ( n = 9) and Delayed Intervention ( n = 6) groups. Functional imaging studies focused on analyzing activations in the left hemisphere (LH) superior temporal gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the LH inferior occipito-temporal/fusiform area (visual-word form area [VWFA]). Analysis of intervention data showed that 6 of the 9 Intervention group participants (67%) achieved levels of automatic processing and increased their reading rate by an average of 20 words per minute after participating in the FlashWord intervention. Analyses of fMRI group activation maps and mean activation levels in regions of interest document processing changes in VWFA activations that could be related to the increase in reading speed and confirm these locations as essential to developing fluency.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Li ◽  
Hongpei Xu ◽  
Shengfu Lu

Background. In the past, studies on the lateralization of the left and right hemispheres of the brain suggested that depression is dominated by the right hemisphere of the brain, but the neural basis of this theory remains unclear. Method. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed in 22 depressive patients and 15 healthy controls. The differences in the mean values of the regional homogeneity (ReHo) of two groups were compared, and the low-frequency amplitudes of these differential brain regions were compared. Results. The results show that compared with healthy subjects, depressive patients had increased ReHo values in the right superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, triangular part of the right inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part of the right inferior frontal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, bilateral anterior cingulate, and paracingulate gyri; reduced ReHo values were seen in the right fusiform gyrus, left middle occipital gyrus, left lingual gyrus, and left inferior parietal except in the supramarginal and angular gyri. Conclusions. The results show that regional homogeneity mainly occurs in the right brain, and the overall performance of the brain is such that right hemisphere synchronization is enhanced while left hemisphere synchronization is weakened. ReHo abnormalities in the resting state can predict abnormalities in individual neurological activities that reflect changes in the structure and function of the brain; abnormalities shown with this indicator are the neuronal basis for the phenomenon that the right hemisphere of the brain has a dominant effect on depression.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1193-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Coxon ◽  
Cathy M. Stinear ◽  
Winston D. Byblow

Converging lines of evidence show that volitional movement prevention depends on the right prefrontal cortex (PFC), especially the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Selective movement prevention refers to the rapid prevention of some, but not all, movement. It is unknown whether the IFG, or other prefrontal areas, are engaged when movement must be selectively prevented, and whether additional cortical areas are recruited. We used rapid event-related fMRI to investigate selective and nonselective movement prevention during performance of a temporally demanding anticipatory task. Most trials involved simultaneous index and middle finger extension. Randomly interspersed trials required the prevention of one, or both, finger movements. Regions of the right hemisphere, including the IFG, were active for selective and nonselective movement prevention, with an overlap in the inferior parietal cortex and the middle frontal gyrus. Selective movement prevention caused a significant delay in movement initiation of the other digit. These trials were associated with activation of the medial frontal cortex. The results provide support for a right-hemisphere network that temporarily “brakes” all movement preparation. When movement is selectively prevented, the supplementary motor cortex (SMA/pre-SMA) may participate in conflict resolution and subsequent reshaping of excitatory drive to the motor cortex.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Lemche ◽  
Simon A. Surguladze ◽  
Michael J. Brammer ◽  
Mary L. Phillips ◽  
Mauricio Sierra ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe cerebral mechanisms of traits associated with depersonalization-derealization disorder (DPRD) remain poorly understood.MethodHappy and sad emotion expressions were presented to DPRD and non-referred control (NC) subjects in an implicit event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design, and correlated with self report scales reflecting typical co-morbidities of DPRD: depression, dissociation, anxiety, somatization.ResultsSignificant differences between the slopes of the two groups were observed for somatization in the right temporal operculum (happy) and ventral striatum, bilaterally (sad). Discriminative regions for symptoms of depression were the right pulvinar (happy) and left amygdala (sad). For dissociation, discriminative regions were the left mesial inferior temporal gyrus (happy) and left supramarginal gyrus (sad). For state anxiety, discriminative regions were the left inferior frontal gyrus (happy) and parahippocampal gyrus (sad). For trait anxiety, discriminative regions were the right caudate head (happy) and left superior temporal gyrus (sad).DiscussionThe ascertained brain regions are in line with previous findings for the respective traits. The findings suggest separate brain systems for each trait.ConclusionOur results do not justify any bias for a certain nosological category in DPRD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnès Trébuchon ◽  
F.-Xavier Alario ◽  
Catherine Liégeois-Chauvel

The posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) has long been known to be a crucial hub for auditory and language processing, at the crossroad of the functionally defined ventral and dorsal pathways. Anatomical studies have shown that this “auditory cortex” is composed of several cytoarchitectonic areas whose limits do not consistently match macro-anatomic landmarks like gyral and sulcal borders. The only method to record and accurately distinguish neuronal activity from the different auditory sub-fields of primary auditory cortex, located in the tip of Heschl and deeply buried in the Sylvian fissure, is to use stereotaxically implanted depth electrodes (Stereo-EEG) for pre-surgical evaluation of patients with epilepsy. In this prospective, we focused on how anatomo-functional delineation in Heschl’s gyrus (HG), Planum Temporale (PT), the posterior part of the STG anterior to HG, the posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS), and the region at the parietal-temporal boundary commonly labeled “SPT” can be achieved using data from electrical cortical stimulation combined with electrophysiological recordings during listening to pure tones and syllables. We show the differences in functional roles between the primary and non-primary auditory areas, in the left and the right hemispheres. We discuss how these findings help understanding the auditory semiology of certain epileptic seizures and, more generally, the neural substrate of hemispheric specialization for language.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Dora Manca ◽  
Francesco Di Russo ◽  
Francesco Sigona ◽  
Mirko Grimaldi

How the brain encodes the speech acoustic signal into phonological representations (distinctive features) is a fundamental question for the neurobiology of language. Whether this process is characterized by tonotopic maps in primary or secondary auditory areas, with bilateral or leftward activity, remains a long-standing challenge. Magnetoencephalographic and ECoG studies have previously failed to show hierarchical and asymmetric hints for speech processing. We employed high-density electroencephalography to map the Salento Italian vowel system onto cortical sources using the N1 auditory evoked component. We found evidence that the N1 is characterized by hierarchical and asymmetric indexes structuring vowels representation. We identified them with two N1 subcomponents: the typical N1 (N1a) peaking at 125-135 ms and localized in the primary auditory cortex bilaterally with a tangential distribution and a late phase of the N1 (N1b) peaking at 145-155 ms and localized in the left superior temporal gyrus with a radial distribution. Notably, we showed that the processing of distinctive feature representations begins early in the primary auditory cortex and carries on in the superior temporal gyrus along lateral-medial, anterior-posterior and inferior-superior gradients. It is the dynamical interface of both auditory cortices and the interaction effects between different distinctive features that generate the categorical representations of vowels.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mimpei Kawamura ◽  
Nobuhiro Takahashi ◽  
Yasutaka Kobayashi

Several reports on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of aphasia caused by damage to the left inferior frontal gyrus state that low-frequency rTMS therapy for the right inferior frontal gyrus, which is contralateral to the focus area, is effective for improving verbal expression. However, most of these reports have studied the effects of rTMS therapy for comparatively mild aphasia. This study attempted to perform low-frequency rTMS on the right posterior superior temporal gyrus (BA22), which is the center for language reception for aphasia patients with a drastic decline in verbal expression due to damage to the left inferior frontal gyrus and a considerable decline in language perception. The participants performed a language task that was displayed on a computer monitor during rTMS. In addition, intensive speech-language and hearing therapy was performed by the therapist after rTMS. This study reports that a resultant improvement in language perception was observed in the activated brain regions based on neuropsychological tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging. This study is considered to be significant as it highlights a new method of rTMS treatment for severe aphasia.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eveline Geiser ◽  
Tino Zaehle ◽  
Lutz Jancke ◽  
Martin Meyer

The present study investigates the neural correlates of rhythm processing in speech perception. German pseudosentences spoken with an exaggerated (isochronous) or a conversational (nonisochronous) rhythm were compared in an auditory functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment. The subjects had to perform either a rhythm task (explicit rhythm processing) or a prosody task (implicit rhythm processing). The study revealed bilateral activation in the supplementary motor area (SMA), extending into the cingulate gyrus, and in the insulae, extending into the right basal ganglia (neostriatum), as well as activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) related to the performance of the rhythm task. A direct contrast between isochronous and nonisochronous sentences revealed differences in lateralization of activation for isochronous processing as a function of the explicit and implicit tasks. Explicit processing revealed activation in the right posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), the right supramarginal gyrus, and the right parietal operculum. Implicit processing showed activation in the left supramarginal gyrus, the left pSTG, and the left parietal operculum. The present results indicate a function of the SMA and the insula beyond motor timing and speak for a role of these brain areas in the perception of acoustically temporal intervals. Secondly, the data speak for a specific task-related function of the right IFG in the processing of accent patterns. Finally, the data sustain the assumption that the right secondary auditory cortex is involved in the explicit perception of auditory suprasegmental cues and, moreover, that activity in the right secondary auditory cortex can be modulated by top-down processing mechanisms.


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