Research summary
Most people think their brains stop developing once they are adults. But aging of the brain can alter its structure and function, affecting how we understand and produce speech. Certain experiences that our brains have—like training and brain exercises—can have similar effects, shaping the anatomy and physiology of the adult brain. But how do these processes work? As Canada Research Chair in the Neurobiology of Speech and Hearing, Dr. Pascale Tremblay is trying to answer that question.
She and her research team are conducting a series of brain stimulation studies that combine behavioural measurements and electroencephalography (EEG, which measures electrical activity in the brain). They are also conducting two longitudinal speech training studies. The knowledge they generate will help to explain the processes that underlie our ability to produce and understand speech and will accelerate research on cognitive aging and brain training.