Cortical spatio-temporal dynamics underlying phonological target detection in humans.
Selective processing of task-relevant stimuli is critical for goal-directed behavior. We used electrocorticography to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of cortical activation during a simple phonological target detection task, in which subjects press a button when a prespecified target syllable sound is heard. Simultaneous surface potential recordings during this task revealed a highly ordered temporal progression of high gamma (HG, 70-200 Hz) activity across the lateral hemisphere in less than 1 sec. The sequence demonstrated concurrent regional sensory processing of speech syllables in the posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) and speech motor cortex, and then transitioned to sequential task-dependent processing from prefrontal cortex (PFC), to the final motor response in the hand sensorimotor cortex. STG activation was modestly enhanced for target over nontarget sounds, supporting a selective gain mechanism in early sensory processing, whereas PFC was entirely selective to targets, supporting its role in guiding response behavior. These results reveal that target detection is not a single cognitive event, but rather a process of progressive target selectivity that involves large-scale rapid parallel and serial processing in sensory, cognitive, and motor structures to support goal-directed human behavior.
Chang
Edward F
EF
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. ChangEd@neurosurg.ucsf.edu
Edwards
Erik
E
Nagarajan
Srikantan S
SS
Fogelson
Noa
N
Dalal
Sarang S
SS
Canolty
Ryan T
RT
Kirsch
Heidi E
HE
Barbaro
Nicholas M
NM
Knight
Robert T
RT
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D010700:Phonetics; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
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