Noninvasive neurostimulation of sensorimotor adaptation in speech production
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Repeated exposure to disparity between the motor plan and auditory feedback during speech production results in a proportionate change in the motor system’s response known as auditory-motor adaptation. Artificially raising F1 in auditory feedback during speech production results in a concomitant decrease in F1. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to alter neuronal excitability in focal areas of the brain. The present experiment explored the effect of noninvasive brain stimulation applied to the speech premotor cortex on the timing and magnitude of adaptation responses to artificially raised F1 in auditory feedback. Participants (N=16) completed a speaking task in which they read target words aloud. Participants' speech was processed to raise F1 by 30% and played back to them over headphones in real time. A within-subjects design compared acoustics of participants’ speech while receiving anodal (active) tDCS stimulation versus sham (control) stimulation. Participants' speech showed an increasing magnitude of adaptation of F1 over time during anodal stimulation compared to sham. These results indicate that tDCS can affect behavioral response during auditory-motor adaptation, which may have translational implications for sensorimotor training in speech disorders.