Flexible rhythm production abilities and cortical tracking of speech in the healthy and damaged brain

FlexyRhythm aims to move beyond traditional assessments of rhythmic abilities in the speech domain by proposing the strong hypothesis that synchronizing to isochronous speech is necessary but not sufficient for developing language abilities. In addition to this, the ability to flexibly reproduce and synchronize to slightly irregular rhythms typical of natural speech is crucial for enhancing the brain’s capacity to track continuous speech in naturalistic contexts. The project will develop a novel test to assess these abilities and investigate the relationship between flexible rhythm production abilities and key aspects of the human speaking brain, including: (i) statistical learning as a proxy for language acquisition, (ii) native language processing, (iii) second language learning, and (iv) speech-motor and language deficits following stroke. By employing magnetoencephalography (MEG) and state-of-the-art analytical tools such as temporal response function, coherence, and transfer entropy, the project will objectively assess the human brain's capacity to track and encode acoustic and linguistic information during speech listening (cortical tracking of speech), the neural auditory-motor connectivity dynamics underlying tracking, and the relation with flexible rhythm production abilities. FlexyRhythm offers a comprehensive exploration of the interplay between rhythm and speech, advancing our understanding in both healthy and damaged brains, across native and second language learning. The findings will provide scientific insights and societal benefits, including improved language teaching methodologies and personalized healthcare strategies for acquired speech and language disorders.