Only few electroencephalography (EEG) studies have investigated the spatio-temporal correlates of cerebral voice processing, with divergent results. 2011), indicating a long evolutionary history and early development of cerebral voice processing. 2008) where they contain “voice cells” highly selective for conspecific vocalizations ( Perrodin et al. 2011) as well as in the macaque brain ( Petkov et al. TVAs are present in young infants ( Grossmann et al. 2004 von Kriegstein and Giraud 2004 Grandjean et al. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies show that these “temporal voice areas” (TVAs) are more active in response to voices-speech or not-than to non-vocal sounds or control stimuli, such as scrambled voices and amplitude-modulated noise ( Belin et al. There is accumulating evidence for cortical areas with particular sensitivity to sounds of voice along the superior temporal sulci (STS) and superior temporal gyri (STG) of the human brain. These results demonstrate the early, largely automatic recruitment of focal, voice-selective cerebral mechanisms with a time-course comparable to that of face processing.Īuditory cortex, human vocalizations, speech, superior temporal sulcus, temporal voice areas Introduction The FTPVm was consistently observed across different stimulus subcategories, including speech and non-speech vocal sounds, and across different tasks. The sources underlying the FTPVm were localized along bilateral mid-STS/STG, largely overlapping with the TVAs.

Our results confirm the existence of an early voice-preferential magnetic response (FTPVm, the magnetic counterpart of the FTPV) peaking at about 220 ms and distinguishing between vocal and non-vocal sounds as early as 150 ms after stimulus onset. Here, we recorded magnetoencephalography activity while participants listened to diverse types of vocal and non-vocal sounds and performed different tasks varying in attentional demands. These contradictory results are likely the consequence of different stimulus sets and attentional demands. In contrast, electrophysiological studies of the spatio-temporal correlates of cerebral voice processing have yielded contradictory results, finding the earliest correlates either at ∼300–400 ms, or earlier at ∼200 ms (“fronto-temporal positivity to voice”, FTPV). Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have repeatedly provided evidence for temporal voice areas (TVAs) with particular sensitivity to human voices along bilateral mid/anterior superior temporal sulci and superior temporal gyri (STS/STG).

4.06 voice activity