Brain Study Overturns Long-Held Beliefs About How Humans Learn Speech

McGill and Yale researchers tested speech learning with altered audio feedback and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

They found that disrupting the auditory or somatosensory cortex weakened next-day retention of speech learning.

Interrupting the motor cortex did not produce the same effect, suggesting sensory regions are key to speech memory.

The results may reshape models of how speech is learned and guide stroke rehab and speech technology design.