Sensorimotor Theta Oscillations Coordinate Speech Movements

Abstract

Fluent speech depends on precisely timed motor commands that coordinate rapid transitions between successive articulatory gestures. Using direct cortical recordings, we identified a prominent sensorimotor theta oscillation (6-10 Hz) that supports this coordination. During articulation, premotor speech circuits exhibited enhanced theta phase coherence, with elevated population activity near theta troughs. The oscillations frequency remained remarkably stable across varying speech rates and cognitive states, consistent with an intrinsically generated rhythm. Vocal-tract kinematics revealed pulse-like movements at 6-10 Hz, tightly coupled to cortical theta phase. At a mesoscopic scale, theta cycles structured sequential sensorimotor activations encoding articulatory gestures, with syllable identity optimally decodable following theta troughs. These findings identify theta oscillations as an intrinsic timing mechanism that coordinates the distributed and synergistic motor control underlying fluent speech.