Modulating Cortical Dynamics in Language, Speech and Music

Language, speech, and music are prime examples of the special abilities of the human brain, and in recent years, their underlying cortical dynamics, integration or segregation have received growing interest in both basic and applied neuroscience. A considerable amount of electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies has elucidated the functional relevance, overlap or specificity of language- and music-related brain regions and the dynamics with which these regions operate and communicate with each other, within and between domains. Influential models in psycholinguistics and music cognition research have referred to the importance of information transfer between higher (cognitive) and lower (sensory) levels in the cortical hierarchy, and revealed the relevance of this transfer for language, speech and music production and perception. More recently, these correlative approaches have been complemented by non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) methods that provide a means to directly probe the causal contribution of different cortical regions to a given task. These methods also allow for an investigation of changes in the adaptive plasticity of large-scale networks on the systems level, and the putative crosstalk between linguistic and musical capacities. In this Research Topic, we will focus on the contribution of NIBS methods to a better understanding of the cortical dynamics and functional interactions during language, speech and music processing. Application of state-of-the-art techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as well as transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in the fields of language, speech and music will be covered. The combination of these methods with behavioral as well as electrophysiological or neuroimaging measures will shed light on the role of interactive processes in language, speech and music production and comprehension and provide a link to sensorimotor influences. Moreover, such a combination helps to increase the current knowledge of adaptive plasticity and short-term reorganization in the healthy and lesioned network for speech, language and music processing.