The role of left vs. right superior temporal gyrus in speech perception: An fMRI-guided TMS study.

The role of left vs. right superior temporal gyrus in speech perception: An fMRI-guided TMS study.
Brain Lang. 2020 Aug 12;209:104838
Authors: Ramos Nuñez AI, Yue Q, Pasalar S, Martin RC
Abstract
Debate continues regarding the necessary role of right superior temporal gyrus (STG) regions in sublexical speech perception given the bilateral STG activation often observed in fMRI studies. To evaluate the causal roles, TMS pulses were delivered to inhibit and disrupt neuronal activity at the left and right STG regions during a nonword discrimination task based on peak activations from a blocked fMRI paradigm assessing speech vs. nonspeech perception (N = 20). Relative to a control region located in the posterior occipital lobe, TMS to the left anterior STG (laSTG) led to significantly worse accuracy, whereas TMS to the left posterior STG (lpSTG) and right anterior STG (raSTG) did not. Although the disruption from TMS was significantly greater for the laSTG than for raSTG, the difference in accuracy between the laSTG and lpSTG did not reach significance. The results argue for a causal role of the laSTG but not raSTG in speech perception. Further research is needed to establish the source of the differences between the laSTG and lpSTG.
PMID: 32801090 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Brain and Language - August 11, 2020 Category: Neurology Authors: Ramos Nuñez AI, Yue Q, Pasalar S, Martin RC Tags: Brain Lang Source Type: research