Processing the acoustic effect of size in speech sounds.

Full Abstract

The length of a vocal tract is reflected in the sound it is producing. The length of the vocal tract is correlated with body size and humans are very good at making size judgments based on the acoustic effect of vocal tract length only. Here we investigate the underlying mechanism for processing this main auditory cue to size information in the human brain. Sensory encoding of the acoustic effect of vocal tract length (VTL) depends on a time-stabilized spectral scaling mechanism that is independent of glottal pulse rate (GPR, or voice pitch); we provide evidence that a potential neural correlate for such a mechanism exists in the medial geniculate body (MGB). The perception of the acoustic effect of speaker size is influenced by GPR suggesting an interaction between VTL and GPR processing; such an interaction occurs only at the level of non-primary auditory cortex in planum temporale and anterior superior temporal gyrus. Our findings support a two-stage model for the processing of size information in speech based on an initial stage of sensory analysis as early as MGB, and a neural correlate of the perception of source size in non-primary auditory cortex.

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Author information

Author/s: von Kriegstein, K (K); Warren, J D (JD); Ives, D T (DT); Patterson, R D (RD); Griffiths, T D (TD);

Affiliation: Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.

Grants: G0500221(73813) (Agency:Medical Research Council) ; (Agency:Wellcome Trust)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: NeuroImage (Neuroimage), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Aug; vol 32 (issue 1) : pp 368-75

Dates: Created 2006/07/24; Completed 2006/09/15; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 16644240, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Functional Laterality
Humans
Male
Reaction Time
Speech
Vocal Cords
Voice - physiology

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