Brain study on audiovisual speech integration in cleft lip and palate model

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K20583
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Orthodontics/Pediatric dentistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Hikita Rina 東京医科歯科大学, 歯学部附属病院, 非常勤講師 (90706904)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 口唇口蓋裂 / 脳科学 / fMRI / 視聴覚統合 / 構音障害 / 聴覚認知 / モーションキャプチャー / マガーク効果

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is a congenital disease commonly encountered in the clinical practice of dentistry. Recent studies have suggested that CLP patients with sustained dysarthria in adulthood may demonstrate specific auditory recognition patterns that may be associated with altered brain function, although the details remain unknown. Therefore, we investigated sustained dysarthria and auditory recognition patterns in adults with CLP using a brain study method. We found that contrary to the pattern in healthy adults, CLP patients who could judge abnormal articulation demonstrated increased activity in the auditory association areas and area discriminating familiar sounds. However, increased activity in the auditory association area was not observed in patients who could not judge abnormal articulation. These results suggest that sustained dysarthria may influence auditory recognition and neural activity in the brain, which is the basis of auditory recognition.

Free Research Field

矯正歯科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、CLP患者をモデルとして音声言語コミュニケーションを視聴覚情報に着目し解明することは、様々なコミュニケーション障害の病態解明のみならず、治療に対する新たな理論的基盤の構築に有用であると思われる。また従来、主観的指標に依存してきた言語聴覚療法に、神経科学的反応に基づく客観的な治療評価指標を提供することが可能であろう。さらに、歯科領域からコミュニケーション障害にアプローチすることは、リハビリテーション医学や社会医学といった複合的学問領域への、歯科医学の活躍領域を大きく広げることに繋がると考える。