The functional anatomy of the planum temporale (PT) has been of great theoretical interest for decades, and a focus of recent clinical studies of a number of disorders ranging from autism to schizophrenia. Although the (left) PT was initially thought to subserve language functions, recent basic research has shown that it is multifunctional, being implicated in such diverse processing domains as speech perception and production, tonal processing, auditory-motor integration, spatial hearing, and multi-sensory integration. Given the potential importance of the PT in both theoretical models of cortical function for a range of abilities as well as its widespread clinical implications, a more thorough understanding of the functional organization of the PT is sorely needed. The present proposal seeks to fill this gap through a series of fMRI studies using within subject designs, and organized around four specific aims.
Aim 1 is to assess activation patterns for several functions known to activate the PT, including speech perception/production, tonal/melodic perception, sensory-motor integration, visual speech perception, and spatial hearing.
Aim 2 seeks to understand the functional basis for sensory-motor activations in the PT. Sensory-motor behaviors have been strongly associated with the PT (particular on the left) both clinically and functionally.
This aim examines whether PT sensory-motor activations are more strongly aligned with the auditory system (as is typically thought) or to the vocal tract articulator system (as we have recently hypothesized). In addition, we examine this system's role in temporal sequence processing, which we believe is connected to sensory-motor function.
Aim 3 is to identify neural networks supporting the interaction of spatial hearing and speech processing. Both speech-related and spatial hearing- related functions have been associated with PT function. We examine a possible interaction of these two functions in connection with auditory stream segmentation, in particular whether activation in the PT reflects the use of spatial cues to segment auditory information into distinct objects. Finally, Aim 4 is to map the relation between spatial-speech integration and visual-speech integration. It is well known that auditory stream segregation processes can make use not only of spatial cues, but also of visual speech cues. Interestingly, processing both of these cues involves the PT suggesting a possible connection.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed research is of importance from a public-health standpoint because in recent clinical studies the planum temporale has been implicated in a number of disorders ranging from autism to schizophrenia. This brain region appears to be involved in several critical functions from language processing to integration of auditory, visual, and motor functions. In spite of its central role in sensory/cognitive functions, very little is known about how this brain area is organized, and given its widespread clinical importance, a more thorough understanding of the functional organization of this region may lead to more effective treatment strategies for cognitive dysfunctions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC009659-04
Application #
8197144
Study Section
Language and Communication Study Section (LCOM)
Program Officer
Cooper, Judith
Project Start
2008-12-01
Project End
2013-11-30
Budget Start
2011-12-01
Budget End
2012-11-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$440,810
Indirect Cost
$152,699
Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
046705849
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92697
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McClaskey, Carolyn M (2017) Standard-interval size affects interval-discrimination thresholds for pure-tone melodic pitch intervals. Hear Res 355:64-69
Hickok, Gregory (2017) A cortical circuit for voluntary laryngeal control: Implications for the evolution language. Psychon Bull Rev 24:56-63
Meng, Jhao-An; Saberi, Kourosh; Hsieh, I-Hui (2016) Velocity Selective Networks in Human Cortex Reveal Two Functionally Distinct Auditory Motion Systems. PLoS One 11:e0157131
Matchin, William; Hickok, Gregory (2016) 'Syntactic Perturbation' During Production Activates the Right IFG, but not Broca's Area or the ATL. Front Psychol 7:241
Walker, Grant M; Hickok, Gregory (2016) Bridging computational approaches to speech production: The semantic-lexical-auditory-motor model (SLAM). Psychon Bull Rev 23:339-52
Venezia, Jonathan H; Hickok, Gregory; Richards, Virginia M (2016) Auditory ""bubbles"": Efficient classification of the spectrotemporal modulations essential for speech intelligibility. J Acoust Soc Am 140:1072
Sebastian, Rajani; Long, Charltien; Purcell, Jeremy J et al. (2016) Imaging network level language recovery after left PCA stroke. Restor Neurol Neurosci 34:473-89
Venezia, Jonathan H; Thurman, Steven M; Matchin, William et al. (2016) Timing in audiovisual speech perception: A mini review and new psychophysical data. Atten Percept Psychophys 78:583-601
Hsieh, I-Hui; Saberi, Kourosh (2016) Imperfect pitch: Gabor's uncertainty principle and the pitch of extremely brief sounds. Psychon Bull Rev 23:163-71

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