Selective and divided attention modulates auditory–vocal integration in the processing of pitch feedback errors

Abstract

Speakers rapidly adjust their ongoing vocal productions to compensate for errors they hear in their auditory feedback. It is currently unclear what role attention plays in these vocal compensations. This event-related potential (ERP) study examined the influence of selective and divided attention on the vocal and cortical responses to pitch errors heard in auditory feedback regarding ongoing vocalisations. During the production of a sustained vowel, participants briefly heard their vocal pitch shifted up two semitones while they actively attended to auditory or visual events (selective attention), or both auditory and visual events (divided attention), or were not told to attend to either modality (control condition). The behavioral results showed that attending to the pitch perturbations elicited larger vocal compensations than attending to the visual stimuli. Moreover, ERPs were likewise sensitive to the attentional manipulations: P2 responses to pitch perturbations were larger when participants attended to the auditory stimuli compared to when they attended to the visual stimuli, and compared to when they were not explicitly told to attend to either the visual or auditory stimuli. By contrast, dividing attention between the auditory and visual modalities caused suppressed P2 responses relative to all the other conditions and caused enhanced N1 responses relative to the control condition. These findings provide strong evidence for the influence of attention on the mechanisms underlying the auditory-vocal integration in the processing of pitch feedback errors. In addition, selective attention and divided attention appear to modulate the neurobehavioral processing of pitch feedback errors in different ways.

Training of Working Memory Impacts Neural Processing of Vocal Pitch Regulation

“…Since it has been previously shown that P2 responses become larger when participants attend to pitch feedback perturbations as compared to when they do not 49 50 , and that attentional control can be improved by working memory training 51 , one may argue that the training-related changes we observed in the N1-P2 complex were not the result of improved working memory capacities per se, but the result of an increased capacity for attentional control. That is, after working memory training, our trained participants may have paid more attention to their voice auditory feedback, and this increased attention caused the training-related changes in the N1-P2 complex.…”

Attention/Memory Complaint is Correlated with Motor Speech Disorder in Parkinson’s Disease

“…Moreover, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a lower educational level as an independent risk factor for PD-associated MSD. Several studies on the neural mechanisms underlying motor speech control [15,16,26,27] have hypothesized that a higher educational level might play a negative role in the occurrence and aggravation of PD-associated MSD. Previous MRI examinations have shown that lesions in cognitiverelevant cortical areas, especially those closely associated with educational level within the prefrontal lobe, frequently occur in SD patients [28][29][30].…”

Attention/Memory Impairment is Correlated with Motor Speech Disorder in Parkinson’s Disease

“…Moreover, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a lower educational level as an independent risk factor for PD-associated MSD. Several studies on the neural mechanisms underlying motor speech control [15,16,26,27] have hypothesized that a higher educational level might play a negative role in the occurrence and aggravation of PD-associated MSD. Previous MRI examinations have shown that lesions in cognitiverelevant cortical areas, especially those closely associated with educational level, frequently occur in SD patients [28][29][30].…”