Abstract
BackgroundTo date, the neural correlates of phonological word stress processing are largely unknown.MethodsIn the present study, we investigated the processing of word stress and vowel quality using an identity matching task with pseudowords.ResultsIn line with previous studies, a bilateral fronto-temporal network comprising the superior temporal gyri extending into the sulci as well as the inferior frontal gyri was observed for word stress processing. Moreover, we found differences in the superior temporal gyrus and the superior temporal sulcus, bilaterally, for the processing of different stress patterns. For vowel quality processing, our data reveal a substantial contribution of the left intraparietal cortex. All activations were modulated by task demands, yielding different patterns for same and different pairs of stimuli.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the left superior temporal gyrus represents a basic system underlying stress processing to which additional structures including the homologous cortex site are recruited with increasing difficulty.
Highlights
It is widely agreed that the processing of spoken words comprises acoustic and phonological analysis before in a second step lexical and semantic information can be retrieved (e.g., [1,2,3])
Minimal stress pairs can be successfully discriminated on the basis of their different stress patterns; even isolated syllables excised from such minimal pairs can be reliably assigned to their source words [12,14]
There was no main effect of stress pattern [F(1, 23) = 2.77, p = .109]
Summary
It is widely agreed that the processing of spoken words comprises acoustic and phonological analysis before in a second step lexical and semantic information can be retrieved (e.g., [1,2,3]). Findings from speech perception point to a relatively independent processing of stress and vowel quality information the metrical feature ‘stress’ inevitably has its vowel quality correlates such as vowel reduction in unstressed syllables ([12,13]). Isolated syllables bearing a stressed or unstressed pitch contour can influence the processing of subsequently presented targets which have a segmentally identical initial syllable with congruent pitch [15] While both vowel quality and stress can separately contribute to lexical recognition [16], there is evidence that vowel quality information can be exploited earlier than stress information (e.g., vowel duration, pitch height, and amplitude) due to coarticulation [16,17,18,19]. The neural correlates of phonological word stress processing are largely unknown
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