Delta and theta neural entrainment during phonological and semantic processing in speech perception

摘要: Neural entrainment of acoustic envelopes is important for speech intelligibility in spoken language processing. However, it unclear how contributes to processing at different linguistic hierarchical levels. The present EEG study investigated this issue when participants responded stimuli that dissociated phonological and semantic (real-word, pseudo-word backward utterances). Multivariate Temporal Response Function (mTRF) model was adopted map from multiple spectral bands onto signals, providing a direct approach measure neural entrainment. We tested the hypothesis delta (supra-syllabic) theta (syllabic sub-syllabic) take distinct roles Results showed both types involve speech-specific processing, but their underlying mechanisms were different. Theta-band modulated by not contents, reflecting possible mechanism tracking syllabic- sub-syllabic patterns during Delta-band entrainment, on other hand, information, indexing more attention-demanding, effortful encoding higher-level (semantic) information deficient. Interestingly, we further demonstrated statistical capacity mTRFs delta-band theta-band classify utterances according (real-word vs. pseudo-word) backward) respectively. Moreover, analyses response weighting sustained across stages up higher-order timescales (~ 300 ms), while occurred mainly early, perceptual (< 160 ms). This indicates that, compared may reflect increased involvement cognitive functions interactions between As such, conclude only associated with intelligibility, also hierarchy (phonological semantic) content. thus provide new insight into