Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody
Abstract When addressing preverbal infants and family dogs, people tend to use specific speech styles. While recent studies suggest acoustic parallels between infant- and dog-directed speech, it is unclear whether dogs, like infants, show enhanced neural sensitivity to prosodic aspects of speech dir...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05217-y |
| _version_ | 1827708879892381696 |
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| author | Anna Gergely Anna Gábor Márta Gácsi Anna Kis Kálmán Czeibert József Topál Attila Andics |
| author_facet | Anna Gergely Anna Gábor Márta Gácsi Anna Kis Kálmán Czeibert József Topál Attila Andics |
| author_sort | Anna Gergely |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract When addressing preverbal infants and family dogs, people tend to use specific speech styles. While recent studies suggest acoustic parallels between infant- and dog-directed speech, it is unclear whether dogs, like infants, show enhanced neural sensitivity to prosodic aspects of speech directed to them. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging on awake unrestrained dogs we identify two non-primary auditory regions, one that involve the ventralmost part of the left caudal Sylvian gyrus and the temporal pole and the other at the transition of the left caudal and rostral Sylvian gyrus, which respond more to naturalistic dog- and/or infant-directed speech than to adult-directed speech, especially when speak by female speakers. This activity increase is driven by sensitivity to fundamental frequency mean and variance resulting in positive modulatory effects of these acoustic parameters in both aforementioned non-primary auditory regions. These findings show that the dog auditory cortex, similarly to that of human infants, is sensitive to the acoustic properties of speech directed to non-speaking partners. This increased neuronal responsiveness to exaggerated prosody may be one reason why dogs outperform other animals when processing speech. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:11:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5450b276258a42e8a602b855a4cfcb27 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:11:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5450b276258a42e8a602b855a4cfcb272023-11-20T10:36:37ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422023-08-01611910.1038/s42003-023-05217-yDog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosodyAnna Gergely0Anna Gábor1Márta Gácsi2Anna Kis3Kálmán Czeibert4József Topál5Attila Andics6Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, ELTE-ELKH NAP Comparative Ethology research group, Research Centre for Natural SciencesDepartment of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd UniversityDepartment of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd UniversityInstitute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, ELTE-ELKH NAP Comparative Ethology research group, Research Centre for Natural SciencesDepartment of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd UniversityInstitute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, ELTE-ELKH NAP Comparative Ethology research group, Research Centre for Natural SciencesDepartment of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd UniversityAbstract When addressing preverbal infants and family dogs, people tend to use specific speech styles. While recent studies suggest acoustic parallels between infant- and dog-directed speech, it is unclear whether dogs, like infants, show enhanced neural sensitivity to prosodic aspects of speech directed to them. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging on awake unrestrained dogs we identify two non-primary auditory regions, one that involve the ventralmost part of the left caudal Sylvian gyrus and the temporal pole and the other at the transition of the left caudal and rostral Sylvian gyrus, which respond more to naturalistic dog- and/or infant-directed speech than to adult-directed speech, especially when speak by female speakers. This activity increase is driven by sensitivity to fundamental frequency mean and variance resulting in positive modulatory effects of these acoustic parameters in both aforementioned non-primary auditory regions. These findings show that the dog auditory cortex, similarly to that of human infants, is sensitive to the acoustic properties of speech directed to non-speaking partners. This increased neuronal responsiveness to exaggerated prosody may be one reason why dogs outperform other animals when processing speech.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05217-y |
| spellingShingle | Anna Gergely Anna Gábor Márta Gácsi Anna Kis Kálmán Czeibert József Topál Attila Andics Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody Communications Biology |
| title | Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody |
| title_full | Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody |
| title_fullStr | Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody |
| title_short | Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody |
| title_sort | dog brains are sensitive to infant and dog directed prosody |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05217-y |
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