Masking Release for Speech in Subjects With Temporal Lobe Resections

Four subjects with resections involving the superior temporal gyrus were tested in a binaural release-from-masking experiment using consonant-nucleus-consonant words as the signal. The amount of release for SπNoand SoNπconditions was measured in terms of percent improvement in articulation scores relative to articulation scores for SoNoconditions. Measured release for subjects who had had temporal lobectomy and data obtained from 14 normal controls tested with identical protocols were contrasted. The degree of release shown by each of the subjects with lesions was within 1 standard deviation of that measured for normals for both SπNoand SoNπconditions. We concluded that release from masking for speech in persons with unilateral sections involving auditory association cortex does not differ from that observed in normals. In addition, we suggest a possible role for auditory association cortex in the speech perception process.