NIH Reporter #1R01DC024000-01

Dynamic Network Mechanisms of Flexible Categorization in Human Cortex

This award funds research to investigate how the human brain processes social information from voice signals, focusing on dynamic neural network mechanisms in the auditory ventral stream. The study uses advanced neurophysiological methods to understand and potentially treat voice processing disorders.

Description

The project aims to understand the neural mechanisms of voice-based social perception by mapping information flow across the extended auditory ventral stream. It uses voice as a model system to study how the brain organizes sensory input into meaningful categorical representations essential for social communication. The research involves intracranial electroencephalography, task-dependent manipulations, connectivity measures, deep neural network analysis, and targeted cortical stimulation to characterize acoustic-to-categorical transformations and establish causal mechanisms through network disruption. The findings will inform treatments for voice processing disorders in autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and aphasia.

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