Open AccessCerebellar contribution to auditory feedback control of speech production: Evidence from patients with spinocerebellar ataxia
Author(s) -
Li Weifeng,
Zhuang Jiajun,
Guo Zhiqiang,
Jones Jeffery A.,
Xu Zhiqin,
Liu Hanjun
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.24734
Subject(s) - cerebellum , psychology , neuroscience , supramarginal gyrus , auditory feedback , superior temporal gyrus , spinocerebellar ataxia , auditory cortex , audiology , functional magnetic resonance imaging , ataxia , medicine
The cerebellum has been implicated in the feedforward control of speech production. However, the role of the cerebellum in the feedback control of speech production remains unclear. To address this question, the present event‐related potential study examined the behavioral and neural correlates of auditory feedback control of vocal production in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and healthy controls. All participants were instructed to produce sustained vowels while hearing their voice unexpectedly pitch‐shifted −200 or −500 cents. The behavioral results revealed significantly larger vocal compensations for pitch perturbations in patients with SCA relative to healthy controls. At the cortical level, patients with SCA exhibited significantly smaller cortical P2 responses that were source localized in the right superior temporal gyrus, primary auditory cortex, and supramarginal gyrus than healthy controls. These findings indicate that reduced brain activity in the right temporal and parietal regions are significant neural contributors to abnormal auditory‐motor processing of vocal pitch regulation as a consequence of cerebellar degeneration, which may be related to disrupted reciprocal interactions between the cerebellum and cortical regions that support the top‐down modulation of auditory‐vocal integration. These differences in behavior and cortical activity between healthy controls and patients with SCA demonstrate that the cerebellum is not only essential for feedforward control but also plays a crucial role in the feedback‐based control of speech production.