Research Topics

Our goal and research topics

The goal of our research group is to understand the neural mechanisms for communication in the healthy and neurotypically developed brain and to contribute to a better understanding of communication deficits such as developmental dyslexia and person identity recognition deficits. In our research programme we largely focus on two aspects of communication:

(i) Understanding what is said, i.e. speech recognition

(ii) Recognising who is talking, i.e. person identity recognition.

Our hypotheses

Communication signals are complex signals on fast time-scales, in multiple modalities, and have to be computed online, often under adverse conditions. In the past years we have shown that auditory and visual sensory processing interact much more and at earlier stages in the human brain than previously thought. These interactions might explain how the brain, in communication, can achieve its speed, accuracy, and robustness (e.g., von Kriegstein et al., 2008 PNAS; Blank et al., 2011 J Neurosci; Riedel et al., 2015 Cortex; Schall et al., 2013 Neuroimage). Auditory-visual interactions might also be beneficial for learning, e.g. when learning a new language or when getting to know a previously unknown person (von Kriegstein & Giraud, 2006 PLoS Biol ; Mayer et al., 2015 Curr Biol).

One of our current main hypotheses is that there are also much more and earlier within modality interactions, i.e. between cerebral cortex and the subcortical sensory pathways (von Kriegstein et al., 2008 Curr Biol; Diaz et al., 2018 Neuroimage). We expect that a dysfunction of such cortico-subcortical interactions can explain core features of developmental dyslexia (Diaz et al., 2012 PNAS; Müller-Axt et al. 2017 Curr Biol).

Our experimental approach

To test our hypotheses, we perform experiments using a broad methodological approach (e.g., functional and structural MRI, MEG, tDCS, TMS, eye-tracking) and advanced analysis techniques (e.g., multivariate pattern analyse, probabilistic tracking, computational modelling). Our research involves different participant groups, that is healthy and neurotypical controls, as well as people with selective developmental or acquired deficits (dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, person identity recognition deficits).

References

Blank, Anwander, von Kriegstein (2011). The Journal of Neuroscience 31(36):12906-12915. Direct structural connections between voice- and face-recognition areas

Díaz, Blank, von Kriegstein (2018). Neuroimage  178, 721–734. Top-down modulation of the visual sensory thalamus assists visual-speech recognition

Diaz, Hintz, Kiebel, von Kriegstein (2012). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109(34):13841-13846. Dysfunction of the auditory thalamus in developmental dyslexia

Mayer, Yildiz, Macedonia, von Kriegstein (2015). Current Biology 25(4):530-535. Visual and motor cortices differentially support the translation of foreign language words

Müller-Axt, Anwander, von Kriegstein (2017). Current Biology 27:3692-3698.e4. Altered Structural Connectivity of the Left Visual Thalamus in Developmental Dyslexia

Riedel, Ragert, Schelinski, Kiebel, von Kriegstein (2015). Cortex 68:86-99. Visual face-movement sensitive cortex is relevant for auditory-only speech recognition

Schall, Kiebel, Maess, von Kriegstein (2013). NeuroImage 77:237-245. Early auditory sensory processing of voices is facilitated by visual mechanisms

von Kriegstein et al. (2008). Current Biology 18(23):1855-1859. Task-Dependent Modulation of Medial Geniculate Body Is Behaviorally Relevant for Speech Recognition

von Kriegstein, Dogan, Grüter, Giraud, Kell, Grüter, Kleinschmidt, Kiebel (2008). Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences 105(18): 6747 – 6752. Simulation of talking faces in the human brain improves auditory speech recognition

von Kriegstein, Giraud (2006). PLoS Biol 4(10): e326. Implicit Multisensory Associations Influence Voice Recognition