Neural Substrates Governing Audiovocal Integration for Vocal Pitch Regulation in Singing

Abstract

The integration of auditory feedback with the vocal motor system is essential for singing, because precise control of vocal pitch is necessary to produce notes and melodies accurately. We used singing tasks with fMRI to determine the neural substrates involved in audiovocal integration. In tasks that specifically required monitoring of auditory feedback and pitch control, neural activity increased in the anterior cingulate cortex and insula, which suggests that these regions may play a special role in audiovocal integration.