This work was supported by National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Grants R21DC013915 and R01DC012502, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the European Research Council under the European Community&#8217;s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013 Grant Agreement no. 339152).

The current experimental protocol follows the guidelines of ethical conduct according to the Yale University Human Investigation Committee.
1. Electroenchephalopgaphy (EEG) Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Measure head size to determine the appropriate EEG cap.</li>
	<li>Identify the location of the vertex by finding the mid-point between nasion and inion with a measuring tape.</li>
	<li>Place the EEG cap on the head using the pre-determined vertex as Cz. Examine Cz again after placing the cap by using a measuring tape as ...

<ol>
	<li>Ito, T., Tiede, M., Ostry, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Somatosensory+function+in+speech+perception.">Somatosensory function in speech perception.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106, 1245-1248 (2009).</li><li>Gick, B., Derrick, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Aero-tactile+integration+in+speech+perception.">Aero-tactile integration in speech perception.</a> Nature. 462, 502-504 (2009).</li><li>McCloskey, D. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Kinesthetic+sensibility.">Kinesthetic sensibility.</a> Physiol Rev. 58, 763-820 (1978).</li><li>Proske, U., Gandevia, S. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+kinaesthetic+senses.">The kinaesthetic senses.</a> J Physiol. 587, 4139-4146 (2009).</li><li>Collins, D. F., Prochazka, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Movement+illusions+evoked+by+ensemble+cutaneous+input+from+the+dorsum+of+the+human+hand.">Movement illusions evoked by ensemble cutaneous input from the dorsum of the human hand.</a> J Physiol. 496 (Pt 3), 857-871 (1996).</li><li>Edin, B. B., Johansson, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Skin+strain+patterns+provide+kinaesthetic+information+to+the+human+central+nervous+system.">Skin strain patterns provide kinaesthetic information to the human central nervous system.</a> J Physiol. 487 (Pt 1), 243-251 (1995).</li><li>Ito, T., Ostry, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Somatosensory+contribution+to+motor+learning+due+to+facial+skin+deformation.">Somatosensory contribution to motor learning due to facial skin deformation.</a> J Neurophysiol. 104, 1230-1238 (2010).</li><li>Connor, N. P., Abbs, J. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Movement-related+skin+strain+associated+with+goal-oriented+lip+actions.">Movement-related skin strain associated with goal-oriented lip actions.</a> Exp Brain Res. 123, 235-241 (1998).</li><li>Johansson, R. S., Trulsson, M., Olsson, K. &. #. 1. 9. 4. ;., Abbs, J. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanoreceptive+afferent+activity+in+the+infraorbital+nerve+in+man+during+speech+and+chewing+movements.">Mechanoreceptive afferent activity in the infraorbital nerve in man during speech and chewing movements.</a> Exp Brain Res. 72, 209-214 (1988).</li><li>Nordin, M., Hagbarth, K. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanoreceptive+units+in+the+human+infra-orbital+nerve.">Mechanoreceptive units in the human infra-orbital nerve.</a> Acta Physiol Scand. 135, 149-161 (1989).</li><li>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Guideline+thirteen:+guidelines+for+standard+electrode+position+nomenclature.+American+Electroencephalographic+Society.">Guideline thirteen: guidelines for standard electrode position nomenclature. American Electroencephalographic Society.</a> Journal of clinical neurophysiology : official publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society. 11, 111-113 (1994).</li><li>Ito, T., Gracco, V. L., Ostry, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temporal+factors+affecting+somatosensory-auditory+interactions+in+speech+processing.">Temporal factors affecting somatosensory-auditory interactions in speech processing.</a> Frontiers in psychology. 5, 1198 (2014).</li><li>Ito, T., Johns, A. R., Ostry, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Left+lateralized+enhancement+of+orofacial+somatosensory+processing+due+to+speech+sounds.">Left lateralized enhancement of orofacial somatosensory processing due to speech sounds.</a> J Speech Lang Hear Res. 56, S1875-S1881 (2013).</li><li>Ito, T., Ostry, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Speech+sounds+alter+facial+skin+sensation.">Speech sounds alter facial skin sensation.</a> J Neurophysiol. 107, 442-447 (2012).</li><li>Kenton, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Peripheral+fiber+correlates+to+noxious+thermal+stimulation+in+humans.">Peripheral fiber correlates to noxious thermal stimulation in humans.</a> Neuroscience letters. 17, 301-306 (1980).</li><li>Larson, C. R., Folkins, J. W., McClean, M. D., Muller, E. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sensitivity+of+the+human+perioral+reflex+to+parameters+of+mechanical+stretch.">Sensitivity of the human perioral reflex to parameters of mechanical stretch.</a> Brain Res. 146, 159-164 (1978).</li><li>M&#246;tt&#246;nen, R., J&#228;rvel&#228;inen, J., Sams, M., Hari, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Viewing+speech+modulates+activity+in+the+left+SI+mouth+cortex.">Viewing speech modulates activity in the left SI mouth cortex.</a> Neuroimage. 24, 731-737 (2005).</li><li>Soustiel, J. F., Feinsod, M., Hafner, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Short+latency+trigeminal+evoked+potentials:+normative+data+and+clinical+correlations.">Short latency trigeminal evoked potentials: normative data and clinical correlations.</a> Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 80, 119-125 (1991).</li><li>Martin, B. A., Tremblay, K. L., Korczak, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Speech+evoked+potentials:+from+the+laboratory+to+the+clinic.">Speech evoked potentials: from the laboratory to the clinic.</a> Ear and hearing. 29, 285-313 (2008).</li><li>Perrin, F., Bertrand, O., Pernier, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Scalp+current+density+mapping:+value+and+estimation+from+potential+data.">Scalp current density mapping: value and estimation from potential data.</a> IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 34, 283-288 (1987).</li><li>Ito, T., Gomi, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cutaneous+mechanoreceptors+contribute+to+the+generation+of+a+cortical+reflex+in+speech.">Cutaneous mechanoreceptors contribute to the generation of a cortical reflex in speech.</a> Neuroreport. 18, 907-910 (2007).</li><li>Onton, J., Westerfield, M., Townsend, J., Makeig, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Imaging+human+EEG+dynamics+using+independent+component+analysis.">Imaging human EEG dynamics using independent component analysis.</a> Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 30, 808-822 (2006).</li><li>Larsson, L. E., Prevec, T. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Somato-sensory+response+to+mechanical+stimulation+as+recorded+in+the+human+EEG.">Somato-sensory response to mechanical stimulation as recorded in the human EEG.</a> Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 28, 162-172 (1970).</li><li>Johansson, R. S., Trulsson, M., Olsson, K. &. #. 1. 9. 4. ;., Westberg, K. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanoreceptor+activity+from+the+human+face+and+oral+mucosa.">Mechanoreceptor activity from the human face and oral mucosa.</a> Exp Brain Res. 72, 204-208 (1988).</li><li>Diehl, R. L., Lotto, A. J., Holt, L. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Speech+perception.">Speech perception.</a> Annu Rev Psychol. 55, 149-179 (2004).</li><li>Liberman, A. M., Mattingly, I. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+motor+theory+of+speech+perception+revised.">The motor theory of speech perception revised.</a> Cognition. 21, 1-36 (1985).</li><li>Schwartz, J. L., Basirat, A., Menard, L., Sato, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Perception-for-Action-Control+Theory+(PACT):+A+perceptuo-motor+theory+of+speech+perception.">The Perception-for-Action-Control Theory (PACT): A perceptuo-motor theory of speech perception.</a> J Neurolinguist. 25, 336-354 (2012).</li><li>Rizzolatti, G., Craighero, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+mirror-neuron+system.">The mirror-neuron system.</a> Annu Rev Neurosci. 27, 169-192 (2004).</li><li>Rizzolatti, G., Fabbri-Destro, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+mirror+system+and+its+role+in+social+cognition.">The mirror system and its role in social cognition.</a> Curr Opin Neurobiol. 18, 179-184 (2008).</li><li>D'Ausilio, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+motor+somatotopy+of+speech+perception.">The motor somatotopy of speech perception.</a> Curr Biol. 19, 381-385 (2009).</li><li>Fadiga, L., Craighero, L., Buccino, G., Rizzolatti, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Speech+listening+specifically+modulates+the+excitability+of+tongue+muscles:+a+TMS+study.">Speech listening specifically modulates the excitability of tongue muscles: a TMS study.</a> Eur J Neurosci. 15, 399-402 (2002).</li><li>Meister, I. G., Wilson, S. M., Deblieck, C., Wu, A. D., Iacoboni, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+essential+role+of+premotor+cortex+in+speech+perception.">The essential role of premotor cortex in speech perception.</a> Curr Biol. 17, 1692-1696 (2007).</li><li>M&#246;tt&#246;nen, R., Watkins, K. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Motor+representations+of+articulators+contribute+to+categorical+perception+of+speech+sounds.">Motor representations of articulators contribute to categorical perception of speech sounds.</a> J Neurosci. 29, 9819-9825 (2009).</li><li>Watkins, K. E., Strafella, A. P., Paus, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Seeing+and+hearing+speech+excites+the+motor+system+involved+in+speech+production.">Seeing and hearing speech excites the motor system involved in speech production.</a> Neuropsychologia. 41, 989-994 (2003).</li><li>Wilson, S. M., Saygin, A. P., Sereno, M. I., Iacoboni, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Listening+to+speech+activates+motor+areas+involved+in+speech+production.">Listening to speech activates motor areas involved in speech production.</a> Nat Neurosci. 7, 701-702 (2004).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

The studies reported here provide evidence that precisely controlled somatosensory stimulation that is produced by facial skin deformation induces cortical ERPs. Cutaneous afferents are known as a rich source of kinesthetic information3,4 in human limb movement5,6 and speech movement7,8,21. Stretching the facial skin in a manner that reflects the actual movement direction during speaking induces a kinesthetic sense similar to the corresponding movement. The current method combining precis...

Speech production is dependent on both auditory and somatosensory information. The auditory and somatosensory feedback occur in combination from the earliest vocalizations produced by an infant and both are involved in speech motor learning. Recent results suggest that somatosensory processes contribute to perception as well as production. For example, the identification of speech sounds is altered when a robotic device stretches the facial skin as participants listen to auditory stimuli1. Air puffs to the cheek that coincide with auditory speech stimuli alter participants&#39; perceptual judgments2.
These somatosensory effects involve the activation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors in response to skin deformation. The skin is deformed in various ways during movement, and cutaneous mechanoreceptors are known to contribute to kinesthetic sense3,4. The kinesthetic role of cutaneous mechanoreceptors is demonstrated by recent findings5-7 that the movement-related skin strains are appropriately perceived as flexion or extension motion depending on the pattern of skin stretch6. Over the course of speech motor training, which is the repetition of specific speech utterance with concomitant facial skin stretch speech, articulatory patterns change in an adaptive manner7. These studies indicate that modulating skin stretch during action provides a method for assessing the contribution of cutaneous afferents to the kinesthetic function of the sensorimotor system.
The kinesthetic function of orofacial cutaneous mechanoreceptors has been studied mostly using psychophysiological methods7,8 and microelectrode recoding from sensory nerves9,10. Here, the current protocol focuses on the combination of orofacial somatosensory stimulation associated with facial skin deformation and event related potential (ERP) recording. This procedure has precise experimental control over the direction and timing of facial skin deformation using a computer-controlled robotic device. This allows us to test specific hypotheses about the somatosensory contribution to speech production and perception by selectively and precisely deforming facial skin in a wide range of orientations during both speech motor learning and directly in speech production and perception. ERP recording are used to noninvasively evaluate the temporal pattern and timing of the influence of somatosensory stimulation on orofacial behaviors. The current protocol then can evaluate the neural correlates of kinesthetic function and assess the contribution of the somatosensory system to both speech processing, speech production and speech perception.
To show the utility of the application of skin stretch stimulation to ERP recording, the following protocol focuses on the interaction of somatosensory and auditory input in speech perception. The results highlight a potential method to assess somatosensory-auditory interaction in speech.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="673">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">EEG recording system</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Biosemi</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">ActiveTwo</td>
			<td style="width:147px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Robotic decice for skin stretch</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Geomagic</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Phantom Premium 1.0</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">EEG-compatible earphones</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Etymotic research</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">ER3A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Software for visual and auditory stimulation</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Neurobehavioral Systems</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Presentation</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Electrode gel</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Parker Laboratories, INC</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Signa gel</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Double sided tape</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">3M</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">1522</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Disposable syringe</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Monoject</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">412 Curved Tip</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Analog input device</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">National Instuments&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">PCI-6036E</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Degital output device</td>
			<td style="width:163px;">Measurement computing</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">USB-1208FS</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

somatosensory event-related potentials from orofacial skin stretch stimulation

Cortical processing associated with orofacial somatosensory function in speech has received limited experimental attention due to the difficulty of providing precise and controlled stimulation. This article introduces a technique for recording somatosensory event-related potentials (ERP) that uses a novel mechanical stimulation method involving skin deformation using a robotic device. Controlled deformation of the facial skin is used to modulate kinesthetic inputs through excitation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors. By combining somatosensory stimulation with electroencephalographic recording, somatosensory evoked responses can be successfully measured at the level of the cortex. Somatosensory stimulation can be combined with the stimulation of other sensory modalities to assess multisensory interactions. For speech, orofacial stimulation is combined with speech sound stimulation to assess the contribution of multi-sensory processing including the effects of timing differences. The ability to precisely control orofacial somatosensory stimulation during speech perception and speech production with ERP recording is an important tool that provides new insight into the neural organization and neural representations for speech.

This section presents representative event-related potentials in response to somatosensory stimulation resulting from facial skin deformation. The experimental setup is represented in Figure 1. Sinusoidal stimulation was applied to the facial skin lateral to the oral angle (See Figure 3A as reference). One hundred stretch trials were recorded for each participant with 12 participants tested in total. After removing the trials with blinks and eye movement ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Somatosensory Event-related Potentials from Orofacial Skin Stretch Stimulation at JoVE.com

Somatosensory Event-related Potentials from Orofacial Skin Stretch Stimulation

This paper introduces a method for obtaining somatosensory event-related potentials following orofacial skin stretch stimulation. The current method can be used to evaluate the contribution of somatosensory afferents to both speech production and speech perception.

Cortical processing associated with orofacial somatosensory function in speech has received limited experimental attention due to the difficulty of ...

somatosensory-event-related-potentials-from-orofacial-skin-stretch

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

13.1K Views.  Haskins Laboratories. This paper introduces a method for obtaining somatosensory event-related potentials following orofacial skin stretch stimulation. The current method can be used to evaluate the contribution of somatosensory afferents to both speech production and speech perception.