Learning nonnative speech sounds changes local encoding in the adult human cortex
Abstract
Speech sound learning in adulthood is a highly dynamic process. Here, we used direct neurophysiology of the human brain to examine learning-associated changes in neural activity with unprecedented spatiotemporal detail. While native English listeners were trained to identify unfamiliar pitch patterns in Mandarin, local neural populations throughout the cortex showed a diverse set of encoding properties for Mandarin sounds that tracked behavioral performance. While previous neuroimaging studies have focused on highlighting general differences across broad cortical regions, we demonstrate that these functionally heterogeneous populations are spatially interspersed with one another. These findings provide insight into how the human brain strikes a balance between stability and plasticity during learning in adulthood.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Sep 02, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.2101777118
Entities
People
- Ariane E Rhone
- Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Edward Chang
- Han-gyol Yi
- Kirill V Nourski
- Matthew A. Howard Iii
- Matthew K. Leonard
- William L Schuerman
Organizations
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- University of California
- University of California, San Francisco
- University of Iowa
- University of Pittsburgh