ABSTRACT
This paper describes the Directions Into Velocities of Articulators (DIVA) model, a neural network model of the brain computations underlying the acquisition and production of speech sounds. The model, which is implemented as a set of equations representing neural activity and synaptic strengths, is designed to account for the results of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electromagnetic midsagittal articulometry (EMMA) experiments in the production of speech. Computer simulations of the model have been performed to illustrate its ability to account for speaker-specific articulator movements in different phonetic contexts, as well as fMRI activations seen during normal and perturbed speech. The model is also used to generate predictions that guide new fMRI and EMMA experiments aimed at achieving a better understanding of the neural bases of speech. The results of these experiments are in turn used to further refine the model.
