Respiratory tracking of dichotically presented tonal amplitudes.
This study investigated the possible existence of a lateralized auditory sensorimotor integration system between amplitude modulations of a tone and respiratory movements controlling them. A dichotic pursuit auditory tracking paradigm was utilized that has previously implicated a lateralized sensorimotor system for lingual and mandibular control of frequency modulated acoustic stimuli. Thirty-two normal right-handed subjects tracked a continuously varying pure tone, the target, randomly fluctuating from 65 to 95 dB SPL, and presented to one ear, with another tone, the cursor, controlled by inhalation/exhalation movements (lung volume changes) and presented to the other ear. Target and cursor tones were counterbalanced for right and left ear presentation across 40 one-minute trials. Results failed to show a statistically significant laterality effect. Significant interactions revealed an advantage for cursor/RE, target/LE laterality presentation during the second half of each 20-trial block, and a predominant within trial REA. Tracking efficiency was far below that observed for upper articulator control of the cursor. A tentative conclusion is that the particular subpart of the speech musculature used in the tracking paradigm is more relevant to a lateralized sensorimotor integration system than the compliance between the sensory result of the movement, re: speech production and the movement pattern itself.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D000091402:Prohibitins; D012119:Respiration; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology