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Recent studies have yielded contradictory evidence on whether visual speech perception (watching articulatory gestures) can activate the human primary auditory cortex. To circumvent confounds due to inter-individual anatomical variation, we defined our subjects' Heschl's gyri and assessed blood oxygenation-dependent signal changes at 3 T within this confined region during visual speech perception and observation of moving circles. Visual speech perception activated Heschl's gyri in nine subjects, with activation in seven of them extending to the area of primary auditory cortex. Activation was significantly stronger during visual speech perception than during observation of the moving circles. Further, a significant hemisphere by stimulus interaction occurred, suggesting left Heschl's gyrus specialization for visual speech processing.

Type

Journal article

Journal

Neuroreport

Publication Date

08/02/2005

Volume

16

Pages

125 - 128

Keywords

Adult, Analysis of Variance, Auditory Cortex, Female, Humans, Lipreading, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Photic Stimulation, Speech Perception, Visual Perception