Main description:

This book explores the processes of spoken language production and perception from a neurobiological perspective. After presenting the basics of speech processing and speech acquisition, a neurobiologically-inspired and computer-implemented neural model is described, which simulates the neural processes of speech processing and speech acquisition. This book is an introduction to the field and aimed at students and scientists in neuroscience, computer science, medicine, psychology and linguistics.

Contents:

Part A Basics of linguistics and phonetics

2 Speech production

2.1 Words, syllables and speech sounds

2.2 Articulation

2.3 The acoustic speech signal

2.4 Disorders of speech production

Literature

3 Speech perception

3.1 Processing stages

3.2 Invariance and variability of the acoustic speech signal

3.3 Interaction of speech production and speech perception

3.4 Disorders of speech perception

Literature

4 Speech acquisition

4.1 Stages of speech acquisition

4.2 Mechanisms of speech acquisition

4.3 Disorders of speech acquisition

Literature

Part B Basics of neurobiology and its computer simulation

5 Anatomical and functional structure of the nervous system

5.1 The functional structure of the nervous system

5.2 The brain

5.3 The efferent nerves: sensory pathways

5.4 The afferent nerves: motor pathways

5.5 A preliminary model of language and speech processing

Literature

6 Neural modeling: the STAA-approach

6.1 Nodes

6.2 Connectionism

6.3 Kohonen-Networks

Literature

7 Neural modeling: the NEF-approach

7.1 Introduction to NEF

7.2 S-Pointer and Semantic-Pointer-Architecture (SPA)

7.3 The control of neural processes

7.4 S-Pointer-Networks

7.5 Modeling of disordered neural processes

Literature

Part C Models of speech processing and speech acquisition

8 A selection of models

8.1 Data-based models

8.2 Computer models

8.3 Perspectives of biologically based models in speech technology

Literature

9 The LS-Model (Lexicon-Syllabary-Model)

9.1 The LS1-Model

9.2 The LS2-Model as a starting point for further work

9.3 The Articulatory-Acoustic Model: Control and Feedback

9.4 Perspectives

Literature