Auditory-Visual Speech Processing (AVSP 2001) September 7-9, 2001 Aalborg, Denmark

Neural Areas Underlying the Processing of Visual Speech Information Under Conditions of Degraded Auditory Information

Daniel Callan, Akiko Callan, Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson

Information Sciences Division, ATR International, Japan

The goal of this study was to localize, using fMRI, the neural processes involved with visual aspects of speech perception under conditions of degraded auditory information. Brain activity underlying aspects of visual speech processing was determined by comparing conditions with visual speech information to appropriate auditory only conditions. Consistent with the idea of a 'mirror neuron system,' results suggest that speech motor areas (Broca's area) of the brain may be involved with the recognition of phonetic gestures inherent in the visual speech signal under conditions of degraded auditory information.

Full Paper

Bibliographic reference.  Callan, Daniel / Callan, Akiko / Vatikiotis-Bateson, Eric (2001): "Neural areas underlying the processing of visual speech information under conditions of degraded auditory information", In AVSP-2001, 45-49.