Articulating Words

Expressing ourselves through language is a unique trait that distinguishes us from other species. But what exactly happens in our brain during speech? A team of scientists set out to map brain activity before, during, and after we speak, focusing on the insula, a region in the middle of the brain whose role in language has puzzled neuroscientists for several years. By mapping brain activation patterns of individuals with electrodes implanted in their head as they performed speech and listening tasks, the team could identify which regions were most active before, during, and after speech. Before participants read out individual words (first half of video), most activity (in red/yellow clusters) was at the front of the brain. The insula only lit up after participants articulated words and sounds. Mapping the insula’s role during speech could help scientists to better understand the types of speech disorders that may develop after brain injury.

Written by Gaëlle Coullon

Gaëlle Coullon

Writer

Gaëlle is a consultant and trainer in research communication and commercialisation. As an ex-neuroscientist, she is always looking for new ways to combine her love of writing with everything brain related.

• Video from work by Oscar Woolnough and colleagues
• Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX, USA
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife, December 2019