Inter-brain synchronization during coordination of speech rhythm in human-to-human social interaction

Behavioral rhythms synchronize between humans for communication; however, the relationship of brain rhythm synchronization during speech rhythm synchronization between individuals remains unclear. Here, we conducted alternating speech tasks in which two subjects alternately pronounced letters of the...

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Published inScientific reports Vol. 3; no. 1; p. 1692
Main Authors Kawasaki, Masahiro, Yamada, Yohei, Ushiku, Yosuke, Miyauchi, Eri, Yamaguchi, Yoko
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Nature Publishing Group UK 22.04.2013
Nature Publishing Group
Subjects
631/378/2645/1458
631/378/2645/2646
631/378/2645/2647
631/378/2649
Auditory Perception - physiology
Biological Clocks - physiology
Brain
Brain - physiology
Cortical Synchronization - physiology
EEG
Emotions
Female
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
multidisciplinary
Rhythm
Science
Social behavior
Speech
Speech - physiology
Synchronization
Verbal Behavior - physiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Behavioral rhythms synchronize between humans for communication; however, the relationship of brain rhythm synchronization during speech rhythm synchronization between individuals remains unclear. Here, we conducted alternating speech tasks in which two subjects alternately pronounced letters of the alphabet during hyperscanning electroencephalography. Twenty pairs of subjects performed the task before and after each subject individually performed the task with a machine that pronounced letters at almost constant intervals. Speech rhythms were more likely to become synchronized in human–human tasks than human–machine tasks. Moreover, theta/alpha (6–12 Hz) amplitudes synchronized in the same temporal and lateral-parietal regions in each pair. Behavioral and inter-brain synchronizations were enhanced after human–machine tasks. These results indicate that inter-brain synchronizations are tightly linked to speech synchronizations between subjects. Furthermore, theta/alpha inter-brain synchronizations were also found in subjects while they observed human–machine tasks, which suggests that the inter-brain synchronization might reflect empathy for others' speech rhythms.
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ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/srep01692