The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been implicated in auditory–motor integration for accurate control of vocal production, but its precise role in this feedback-based process remains largely unknown. To this end, the present event-related potential study applied a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol, continuous theta-burst stimulation (c-TBS), to disrupt cortical activity in the left DLPFC as young adults vocalized vowel sounds while hearing their voice unexpectedly shifted upwards in pitch. The results showed that, as compared to the sham condition, c-TBS over left DLPFC led to significantly larger vocal compensations for pitch perturbations that were accompanied by significantly smaller cortical P2 responses. Source localization analyses revealed that this brain activity pattern was the result of reduced activation in the left superior frontal gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule (supramarginal gyrus). These findings demonstrate c-TBS-induced modulatory effects of DLPFC on the neurobehavioral processing of vocal pitch regulation, suggesting that disrupting prefrontal function may impair top–down inhibitory control mechanisms that prevent speech production from being excessively influenced by auditory feedback, resulting in enhanced vocal compensations for feedback perturbations. This is the first study that provides direct evidence for a causal role of the left DLPFC in auditory feedback control of vocal production.

中文翻译：

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用于语音控制的听觉-运动整合的自上而下抑制机制：来自 TMS 的证据。

背外侧前额叶皮层 (DLPFC) 与听觉 - 运动整合有关，以准确控制发声，但其在这种基于反馈的过程中的确切作用仍然未知。为此，本事件相关的潜在研究应用了经颅磁刺激 (TMS) 协议，即连续 theta 爆发刺激 (c-TBS)，以破坏左侧 DLPFC 的皮层活动，因为年轻人在听到他们的声音时发出元音音调意外向上移动。结果表明，与假手术条件相比，左 DLPFC 上的 c-TBS 导致对音调扰动的显着更大的声音补偿，伴随着显着更小的皮层 P2 反应。源定位分析表明，这种大脑活动模式是左侧额上回和右侧顶下小叶（缘上回）活动减少的结果。这些发现证明了 c-TBS 诱导的 DLPFC 对声调调节的神经行为处理的调节作用，表明扰乱前额叶功能可能会损害自上而下的抑制控制机制，从而防止言语产生受到听觉反馈的过度影响，从而导致声音增强反馈扰动补偿。这是第一项为左侧 DLPFC 在声音产生的听觉反馈控制中的因果作用提供直接证据的研究。这些发现证明了 c-TBS 诱导的 DLPFC 对声调调节的神经行为处理的调节作用，表明扰乱前额叶功能可能会损害自上而下的抑制控制机制，从而防止言语产生受到听觉反馈的过度影响，从而导致声音增强反馈扰动补偿。这是第一项为左侧 DLPFC 在声音产生的听觉反馈控制中的因果作用提供直接证据的研究。这些发现证明了 c-TBS 诱导的 DLPFC 对声调调节的神经行为处理的调节作用，表明扰乱前额叶功能可能会损害自上而下的抑制控制机制，从而防止言语产生受到听觉反馈的过度影响，从而导致声音增强反馈扰动补偿。这是第一项为左侧 DLPFC 在声音产生的听觉反馈控制中的因果作用提供直接证据的研究。