Semantic processing during continuous speech production: an analysis from eye movements and EEG

Abstract

Introduction: Speech production involves neurological planning and articulatory execution. How speakers prepare for articulation is a significant aspect of speech production research. Previous studies have focused on isolated words or short phrases to explore speech planning mechanisms linked to articulatory behaviors, including investigating the eye-voice span (EVS) during text reading. However, these experimental paradigms lack real-world speech process replication. Additionally, our understanding of the neurological dimension of speech planning remains limited.

Methods: This study examines speech planning mechanisms during continuous speech production by analyzing behavioral (eye movement and speech) and neurophysiological (EEG) data within a continuous speech production task. The study specifically investigates the influence of semantic consistency on speech planning and the occurrence of "look ahead" behavior.

Results: The outcomes reveal the pivotal role of semantic coherence in facilitating fluent speech production. Speakers access lexical representations and phonological information before initiating speech, emphasizing the significance of semantic processing in speech planning. Behaviorally, the EVS decreases progressively during continuous reading of regular sentences, with a slight increase for non-regular sentences. Moreover, eye movement pattern analysis identifies two distinct speech production modes, highlighting the importance of semantic comprehension and prediction in higher-level lexical processing. Neurologically, the dual pathway model of speech production is supported, indicating a dorsal information flow and frontal lobe involvement. The brain network linked to semantic understanding exhibits a negative correlation with semantic coherence, with significant activation during semantic incoherence and suppression in regular sentences.

Discussion: The study's findings enhance comprehension of speech planning mechanisms and offer insights into the role of semantic coherence in continuous speech production. Furthermore, the research methodology establishes a valuable framework for future investigations in this domain.

Keywords: brain network; continuous speech production; eye-voice span; semantic processing; speech planning.

Figure 1

The procedure used in the present study.

Figure 2

Schematic diagram of the variation in the duration of VP, OP, and SP for the RS and NRS groups. (A) The graph illustrates the average trends of FFD, MFD, GD, and EVS for both the RS and NRS groups. (B) Depicts the variation in schematic diagrams for the duration of VP, OP, and SP in both the RS and NRS groups.

Figure 3

(A) Shows the results of the brain networks matrix (top-left view), brain networks (down-left view), and cortical localization (right view) under RS tasks at the reading period; (B) shows that the results of the brain networks matrix (top-left view) brain networks (down-left view) and cortical localization (right view) under RS tasks at reading period; (C) shows the comparison of activated brain regions in the RS and NRS at reading period, with the RS group in blue and the NRS group in red, and differentiates between the left and right brains.

Figure 4

Mean brain topography scores in delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma rhythms for the RS and NRS groups are shown in the figure.

Figure 5

(A) Shows the activation FAM (functional adjacency matrices) of the semantic processing network built on the basis of the fMRI a priori database in the left view; the right view shows the structure of the visualization of the network. (B,C) Shows the results of the dynamic time-frequency-spatial correlation analysis of RS and NRS with the semantic brain network template.