Functional anatomy of inner speech and auditory verbal imagery

Author(s): Silbersweig, D. A., Murray, R. M., David, A. S., Frackowiak, R. S. J., Frith, C. D.

Journal/Book: Psychol Med. 1996; 26: 40 West 20TH Street, New York, NY 10011-4211. Cambridge Univ Press. 29-38.

Abstract: The neural correlates of inner speech and of auditory verbal imagery were examined in normal volunteers, using positron emission tomography (PET). Subjects were shown single words which they used to generate short, stereotyped sentences without speaking. In an inner speech task, sentences were silently articulated, while in an auditory verbal imagery condition, subjects imagined sentences being spoken to them in an another person's voice. Inner speech was associated with increased activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus. Auditory verbal imagery was associated with increases in the same region, and in the left premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area and the left temporal cortex. The data suggest that the silent articulation of sentences involves activity in an area concerned with speech generation, while imagining speech is associated with additional activity in regions associated with speech perception.

Note: Article PK Mcguire, Inst Psychiat, Dept Psychol Med, de Crespigny Pk, London SE5 8AF, England

Keyword(s): POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY; CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW; MENTAL-IMAGERY; RHESUS-MONKEY; WORKING MEMORY; VISUAL-CORTEX; NEURAL BASIS; HUMAN-BRAIN; PET IMAGES; LOCALIZATION

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