How does the brain turn sound into language and thoughts into spoken words? In this episode of Beyond Words, host Garrett Oyama, MS, CCC-SLP, welcomes Dr. Edward Chang, a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist at UCSF, to explore what direct recordings from the human brain reveal about speech and language processing and how these discoveries are helping restore communication for people with severe paralysis.
Dr. Chang shares findings from his research on how the brain perceives and produces speech, including how different regions process speech sounds and coordinate the movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, and larynx. The conversation explores how the brain distinguishes between speakers, processes different languages, and transforms sounds into words and meaning. They also discuss research on bilingual speech processing, including a neuroprosthesis capable of decoding attempted speech in both English and Spanish without requiring the user to manually switch between languages.
The discussion then turns to the development of brain-computer interfaces that can translate attempted speech into text, synthesized speech, and animated facial movements. Dr. Chang explains what these technologies reveal about the brain's ability to retain speech representations after paralysis, the challenges of restoring natural communication, and what these advances could mean for the future of speech-language pathology.
Dr. Chang shares findings from his research on how the brain perceives and produces speech, including how different regions process speech sounds and coordinate the movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, and larynx. The conversation explores how the brain distinguishes between speakers, processes different languages, and transforms sounds into words and meaning. They also discuss research on bilingual speech processing, including a neuroprosthesis capable of decoding attempted speech in both English and Spanish without requiring the user to manually switch between languages.
The discussion then turns to the development of brain-computer interfaces that can translate attempted speech into text, synthesized speech, and animated facial movements. Dr. Chang explains what these technologies reveal about the brain's ability to retain speech representations after paralysis, the challenges of restoring natural communication, and what these advances could mean for the future of speech-language pathology.
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