Project description
One model for verbal monitoring
Mistakes in speech can be identified through verbal monitoring mechanisms. Any deficits here can cause speech pathologies such as stuttering. Unfortunately, there are many knowledge gaps in verbal monitoring mechanisms. The EU-funded UMMs project will connect the functional and the structural map of neural brain connections with behavioural measures using large control groups to test language productions and performance of cognitive control tasks. The aim is to establish relationships between verbal competence and different monitoring models, cognitive control and verbal monitoring skills, and verbal monitoring processes in perception. The new model will be validated via transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Objective
Everyone makes mistakes during speech production. However, to facilitate communication, it is important to limit errors during production (e.g. selecting the wrong word but also disfluencies such as ‘ums’ and stuttering), and to identify errors while listening. This is achieved by applying monitoring mechanisms. Deficits in verbal monitoring mechanisms are linked to severe pathologies, such as stuttering, aphasia and hearing voices. Currently, there are a number of theories that explain part of the mechanisms of verbal monitoring. Despite its central role in language processing, astonishingly, no full account exists. Contemporary verbal monitoring models differ widely with respect to some fundamental properties, indicating significant knowledge gaps. This research project fills in these theoretical gaps by relating the functional brain connectome and structural brain connectome with behavioural measures. We exploit the individual variability of a large cohort of healthy adult individuals, by testing groups on the two extremes of performance on cognitive control tasks, and on two extremes of language production tasks. In four work packages, we investigate the neurobiological and behavioural underpinnings of verbal monitoring in healthy adults. The proposal clarifies 1) if a relationship exists between production competence and monitoring (as per production models of monitoring) and 2) if measures of cognitive control are related to verbal monitoring skills (as per conflict models of monitoring) and 3) the involvement of these processes verbal monitoring in perception. To reach this goal we relate the functional brain connectome and structural brain connectome with behavioural measures. The output of 1-3 is used to inform a new model of verbal monitoring. As a final step, the new model is validated by applying TMS to critical cortical components of the model. The proposed project will constitute major progress in our understanding of the verbal monitoring mechanism.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
6525 XZ Nijmegen
Netherlands