It is a very complicated process for our brain to perceive what we say, hear and see. When you enter a loud environment, you start speaking loudly so that your voice is heard directly. This is because our brain adjusts itself to make our voices intelligible based on what we hear.
Problems with this feedback system of our brain can lead to diseases such as stuttering, autism, Parkinson’s and even schizophrenia. According to a new study, the part of our brain that can cause such diseases and that allows us to pronounce our words correctly has been identified.
15 epilepsy patients were assisted in the study
Neuroscientist Adeen Flinker from New York University, as a result of his research, stated that the dorsal precentral gyrus of the brain allows us to speak properly and make what we hear more clearly. determined that it enables us to pronounce well. It was previously known that the cerebral cortex of the brain is responsible for directing the words that come out of our lips, but we did not have detailed information about how it works. With this research, a big step has been taken in the treatment of patients with speech difficulties.
In the study, 15 epilepsy patients were operated on and 200 electrodes were placed in their brains. During the breaks during the surgery, the patients were asked to say some words aloud and make short sentences. Participants could also hear what they were saying with the help of headphones. Researchers say that our brain is influenced by what we hear, and that’s how we adjust our voice. For this reason, the voices heard by the participants were delayed by 50, 100, and 200 milliseconds, respectively. Then, with the sounds given without any delay, the participants were helped to adapt to the rhythm of the sound they heard.
Speech in a rhythm is a very common treatment for people with speech difficulties. With this method, the researchers were able to precisely determine which part of the brain is more effective in the words that come out of our mouths. If the patient is focused on the dorsal precental gyrus region of the brain, which has a definite role in situations such as inability to perceive language and speech difficulties, the patient can be treated. Now, knowing which region they need to work on, the researchers continue their studies on the treatment.
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