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ERIC Number: EJ918290
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0028-3932
EISSN: N/A
A Parietal-Temporal Sensory-Motor Integration Area for the Human Vocal Tract: Evidence from an fMRI Study of Skilled Musicians
Pa, Judy; Hickok, Gregory
Neuropsychologia, v46 n1 p362-368 2008
Several sensory-motor integration regions have been identified in parietal cortex, which appear to be organized around motor-effectors (e.g., eyes, hands). We investigated whether a sensory-motor integration area might exist for the human vocal tract. Speech requires extensive sensory-motor integration, as does other abilities such as vocal musical skills. Recent work found that a posterior superior temporal-parietal region, area Spt, has both sensory (auditory) and motor response properties (for both speech and tonal stimuli). Brain activity of skilled pianists was measured with fMRI while they listened to a novel melody and either covertly hummed the melody (vocal tract effectors) or covertly played the melody on a piano (manual effectors). Activity in area Spt was significantly higher for the covert hum versus covert play condition. A region in the anterior IPS (aIPS) showed the reverse pattern, suggesting its involvement in sensory-manual transformations. This finding suggests that area Spt is a sensory-motor integration area for vocal tract gestures.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A