Assessing Causal Relationships of Oscillatory Neural Activity Mediating Speech

Project Information

ACRONAM-Speech

Grant agreement ID: 743482

DOI

10.3030/743482

Project closed

EC signature date 14 March 2017

Start date 1 January 2018

End date 31 December 2019

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 195 454,80

EU contribution

€ 195 454,80

Coordinated by

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ACRONAM-Speech (Assessing Causal Relationships of Oscillatory Neural Activity Mediating Speech)

Reporting period: 2018-01-01 to 2019-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Our environment is dominated by regular structure, particularly in the auditory domain (speech, music, dance). Previous research has shown that rhythmic neural activity, also called neural oscillations, adjusts to this input rhythm, creating stimulus-brain alignment, or neural entrainment. Although neural entrainment has been associated with improved speech comprehension, it remained unclear whether it is indeed causally relevant for speech perception; i.e. if changes in neural entrainment cause changes in speech perception. This question was addressed in the current project. We manipulated entrainment using a brain stimulation technique shown to influence neural oscillations (transcranial alternating current stimulation, or tACS), and measured consequences for both neural activity and perception in human participants. We found that stimulus-brain alignment indeed causally modulates speech processing. This research therefore reveals potential novel treatment of clinical conditions such as hearing impairment.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In a first study, we found that our manipulation of neural entrainment leads to changes in neural responses to speech, as measured with brain imaging methods (functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI). In several follow-up studies, we found that a similar stimulation protocol leads to changes in speech perception, as measured by asking participants to report words they were presented with acoustically. We also published several articles providing recommendations for the field on how to optimise parameters of transcranial current stimulation, and analyses of the acquired data. Results were disseminated in the form of articles in internationally renowned journals, conference presentation, and to the general public (e.g. social media).

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our results are remarkable as they open up new possibilities for the treatment of populations who struggle at present, such as hearing-impaired listeners. Previous research has demonstrated altered neural entrainment in these populations; our findings suggest that these changes might be treated with electrical stimulation. As all our studies were conducted in healthy participants, a replication in (e.g. hearing-impaired) patients is the logical next step, leading to exciting new directions in a recent field of research.

Schematic image of transcrianial alternating current brain stimulation synchronised to speech