Near-infrared-spectroscopic study on processing of sounds in the brain; a comparison between native and non-native speakers of Japanese

• Published in: Acta oto-laryngologica Vol. 136; no. 6; pp. 568 - 574
• Main Authors: Tsunoda, Koichi, Sekimoto, Sotaro, Itoh, Kenji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.06.2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - physiology; Brain dominance; Female; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Japan; Japanese brain; Japanese language; Language; Male; mother tongue; near-infrared spectroscopy; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; speech and hearing; Speech Perception - physiology; Tsunoda's Theory; Young Adult; Tsunoda’s Theory; near-infrared spectroscopy; Brain dominance; Japanese brain; Japanese language; mother tongue; speech and hearing
• ISSN: 0001-6489; 1651-2251
• DOI: 10.3109/00016489.2016.1139745

Conclusions The result suggested that mother tongue Japanese and non- mother tongue Japanese differ in their pattern of brain dominance when listening to sounds from the natural world-in particular, insect sounds. These results reveal significant support for previous findings from Tsunoda (in 1970). Objectives This study concentrates on listeners who show clear evidence of a 'speech' brain vs a 'music' brain and determines which side is most active in the processing of insect sounds, using with near-infrared spectroscopy. Methods The present study uses 2-channel Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to provide a more direct measure of left- and right-brain activity while participants listen to each of three types of sounds: Japanese speech, Western violin music, or insect sounds. Data were obtained from 33 participants who showed laterality on opposite sides for Japanese speech and Western music. Results Results showed that a majority (80%) of the MJ participants exhibited dominance for insect sounds on the side that was dominant for language, while a majority (62%) of the non-MJ participants exhibited dominance for insect sounds on the side that was dominant for music.