Schedule of Events | Search Abstracts | Invited Symposia | Symposia | Poster Sessions | Data Blitz

Differences in electrocortical activity during preparation for inner vs. spoken speech

Poster Session B - Sunday, March 8, 2026, 8:00 – 10:00 am PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Electra Zatorski¹ (), Reiko Graham¹; ¹Department of Psychology, Texas State University

Understanding how inner speech is manifested electro-cortically is important for the development of brain-computer interfaces for communication, as well as gaining insight into disorders where inner speech is disrupted/misattributed. This study examined similarities and differences between event-related potentials (ERPs) during preparation for inner or spoken speech. Sixteen undergraduate students first viewed a response preparation cue (inner vs. spoken), followed by a word that they either spoke inwardly or aloud depending on the cue. Current analyses focused on ERP amplitudes obtained after the preparation cue: ERPs were quantified in 50 ms windows from 150-350 ms over frontal, central, and posterior sites as a function of laterality (left, middle, right). Analyses indicated that changes in response preparation began after approximately 200 ms and were manifested as differences in topographic distribution of amplitudes over time. More specifically, ERP differences to cues were first manifested during the 200-250 ms window, with larger amplitudes to “spoken” vs. “inner” speech cues at central sites. This difference was maintained during the 250-300 ms window, spreading to bilateral frontal regions and continuing into the 300-350 ms window, possibly reflecting early articulatory mechanisms. At posterior sites, increased amplitudes were noted for inner speech cues during the 250-300 ms window, especially on the right. Although tentative, results provide evidence of dissociable electrocortical signatures of brain activity in preparation for inner and spoken speech. Increasing statistical power and examining individual differences in this activity are underway to enrich these preliminary findings.

Topic Area: LANGUAGE: Other