Neurobiology of Speech Production: A Motor Control Perspective

Speaking is a dynamic process in which neural representations associated with language and the constantly changing vocal tract configurations used to produce speech are seamlessly integrated to communicate. This integrative process requires a stable repertoire of motor routines and associated flexible sensorimotor and cognitive processes for speech preparation, execution, and monitoring. The development of neurobiologically plausible models of speech production requires an understanding of the role and contribution of both central and peripheral factors in the acquisition, maintenance, and reorganization of the brain-behavior patterns underlying speech production. Recent advances in brain imaging and neuromodulation methods, signal processing, and data analysis techniques have provided new insights into the organization of the brain networks and brain-behavior relations, leading to more comprehensive and more realistic models of speech production. In this chapter we identify the set of processes that are involved in producing speech and their neural substrate.