Cascading Oscillators in Decoding Speech: Reflection of a Cortical Computation Principle

Abstract

Motivated by the possible role of brain rhythms in cortical function, we postulate a cortical computation principle by which decoding is performed within a time-varying window structure, synchronized with the input on multiple time scales. The windows are generated by a segmentation process, implemented by an array of cascaded oscillators. Correct segmentation is a critical prerequisite for correct decoding, and segmentation is correct as long as the oscillators successfully track the input rhythms. Syllabic segmentation utilizes flexible oscillators operating in the theta range (39Hz) by tracking the input syllabic rhythms, and prosodic segmentation is driven by flexible oscillators in the delta range(0.53 Hz), tracking prosodic rhythms. A model (TEMPO) was developed which is capable of explaining a variety of psychophysical and neuroimaging data difficult to explain by current models of speech perception, but emerging naturally from the architecture of the model. The key properties that enable such accountability are: (i) the capability of the oscillators to track and stay locked to the input rhythm, and (ii) the cascaded nature of the oscillators within the array.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 06, 2016
Accession Number
AD1016230

Entities

People

  • Oded Ghitza

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Automated Speech Recognition
  • Brain
  • Cognitive Science
  • Computations
  • Decoding
  • Intelligibility
  • Language
  • Neural Networks
  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurosciences
  • Oscillators
  • Pattern Recognition
  • Perception
  • Psychology
  • Recognition
  • Reflection

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Microwave Engineering.
  • Speech Processing/Speech Recognition.