The superior temporal sulcus performs a common function for social and speech perception: Implications for the emergence of autism

Within the cognitive neuroscience literature, discussion of the functional role of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) has traditionally been divided into two domains; one focuses on its activity during language processing while the other emphasizes its role in biological motion and social attention,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews 2008, Vol.32 (1), p.123-142
Main Author: Redcay, Elizabeth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autistic Disorder - physiopathology
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Biological motion
Child clinical studies
Comprehension
Development
Developmental disorders
Eye gaze
Facial Expression
fMRI
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Infantile autism
Language
Medical sciences
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Social Perception
Speech Perception
Temporal Lobe - physiology
Temporal Lobe - physiopathology
Visual Perception
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Summary:Within the cognitive neuroscience literature, discussion of the functional role of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) has traditionally been divided into two domains; one focuses on its activity during language processing while the other emphasizes its role in biological motion and social attention, such as eye gaze processing. I will argue that a common process underlying both of these functional domains is performed by the STS, namely analyzing changing sequences of input, either in the auditory or visual domain, and interpreting the communicative significance of those inputs. From a developmental perspective, the fact that these two domains share an anatomical substrate suggests the acquisition of social and speech perception may be linked. In addition, I will argue that because of the STS’ role in interpreting social and speech input, impairments in STS function may underlie many of the social and language abnormalities seen in autism.
ISSN:0149-7634
1873-7528
DOI:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2007.06.004