For finishing PhD studies on the development of speech perception and production in children using MEG.
Main funder
Funds granted by main funder (€)
- 13 000,00
Project timetable
Project start date: 01/09/2020
Project end date: 28/02/2021
Summary
The purpose of this project is to investigate the development of speech perception and production in typically developing children and children with speech production problems using brain imaging techniques magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) and behavioural measures.
The main goal is to characterize mechanisms of speech perception and production and to find causes of speech production problems in young children by combining modern brain research methods with skill-level assessments and external measures of the movements of the vocal tract musculature. We will first examine the rate of maturation of the left and right hemispheres in processing different sizes of speech units from syllables to sentences. We will then reveal the motor control network for speech production and link it to the speech perception network. Furthermore, these brain networks are examined to reveal how children with speech production problems differ from typically developing children in terms of activation strength and patterns during speaking. Linking the brain level measures with skill-level assessments gives further validation on their relevance for everyday behaviour and cognitive development.
A speech perception and production study has been designed to investigate this topic. Participants were presented with syllables, words or sentences through headphones and were asked to repeat what they heard when a cue appeared. We combine the brain activity measures from MEG with data from accelerometer placed on the surface of the throat to pick up vocal cord vibrations. This allows precise identification of the speech motor system. Additionally electromyography (EMG) is measured from the lips and base of the jaw (to pick up muscle activity of the tongue).
Advanced signal processing tools allow to calculate correspondences between the brain and external accelerometer and EMG measures. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Images) were also collected for participants included i the analysis. MEG activity is combined with structural brain data from MRIs for localizing the network for speech production and perception in children.
Furthermore, cognitive skill assessments are used for identifying children with speech production problems and their cognitive profiles, assessing their motor development, language development and cognitive capacity. These behavioural measures will then be linked with the brain data collected to investigate how the developmental changes in brain responses correlate with behavioural performance.
Three manuscripts are planned to be published from this study.
1. The first one focuses on speech perception, where we investigate children’s brain’s ability to track the speech signal at different levels of speech (syllables, words and sentences) during listening. The manuscript is finished and sent for review in an international peer-reviewed journal for publication.
2. The second manuscript will focus on speech production, where we investigate the development of the speech production network and will examine how the speech signal from the production correlates with the brain signal. The manuscript is in preparation and is planned to be sent for review by Spring 2020.
3. Finally, a methodology focused paper is planned, comparing two analysis methods currently in use for investigating speech perception and production. The manuscript is planned to be sent for review by Summer 2020.
Our study aims to give a systematic investigation of the shared brain networks between speech perception and speech production. Furthermore, we use novel methodology to investigate our objectives, which will improve future research. Our findings provide insight into the differences in children’s speech perception development and shed light onto the causes of speech production problems.
Our findings could be useful in particular for future language research as well as research in speech pathology. The grant is going to be used to finish the project, which has already been ongoing for 4.5 years and would need 6 months of extension to complete.
The main goal is to characterize mechanisms of speech perception and production and to find causes of speech production problems in young children by combining modern brain research methods with skill-level assessments and external measures of the movements of the vocal tract musculature. We will first examine the rate of maturation of the left and right hemispheres in processing different sizes of speech units from syllables to sentences. We will then reveal the motor control network for speech production and link it to the speech perception network. Furthermore, these brain networks are examined to reveal how children with speech production problems differ from typically developing children in terms of activation strength and patterns during speaking. Linking the brain level measures with skill-level assessments gives further validation on their relevance for everyday behaviour and cognitive development.
A speech perception and production study has been designed to investigate this topic. Participants were presented with syllables, words or sentences through headphones and were asked to repeat what they heard when a cue appeared. We combine the brain activity measures from MEG with data from accelerometer placed on the surface of the throat to pick up vocal cord vibrations. This allows precise identification of the speech motor system. Additionally electromyography (EMG) is measured from the lips and base of the jaw (to pick up muscle activity of the tongue).
Advanced signal processing tools allow to calculate correspondences between the brain and external accelerometer and EMG measures. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Images) were also collected for participants included i the analysis. MEG activity is combined with structural brain data from MRIs for localizing the network for speech production and perception in children.
Furthermore, cognitive skill assessments are used for identifying children with speech production problems and their cognitive profiles, assessing their motor development, language development and cognitive capacity. These behavioural measures will then be linked with the brain data collected to investigate how the developmental changes in brain responses correlate with behavioural performance.
Three manuscripts are planned to be published from this study.
1. The first one focuses on speech perception, where we investigate children’s brain’s ability to track the speech signal at different levels of speech (syllables, words and sentences) during listening. The manuscript is finished and sent for review in an international peer-reviewed journal for publication.
2. The second manuscript will focus on speech production, where we investigate the development of the speech production network and will examine how the speech signal from the production correlates with the brain signal. The manuscript is in preparation and is planned to be sent for review by Spring 2020.
3. Finally, a methodology focused paper is planned, comparing two analysis methods currently in use for investigating speech perception and production. The manuscript is planned to be sent for review by Summer 2020.
Our study aims to give a systematic investigation of the shared brain networks between speech perception and speech production. Furthermore, we use novel methodology to investigate our objectives, which will improve future research. Our findings provide insight into the differences in children’s speech perception development and shed light onto the causes of speech production problems.
Our findings could be useful in particular for future language research as well as research in speech pathology. The grant is going to be used to finish the project, which has already been ongoing for 4.5 years and would need 6 months of extension to complete.
