The Role of Motor Inhibition During Covert Speech Production

Covert speech is accompanied by a subjective multisensory experience with auditory and kinaesthetic components. An influential hypothesis states that these sensory percepts result from a simulation of the corresponding motor action that relies on the same internal models recruited for the control of overt speech. This simulationist view raises the question of how it is possible to imagine speech without executing it. In this perspective, we discuss the possible role(s) played by motor inhibition during covert speech production. We suggest that considering covert speech as an inhibited form of overt speech maps naturally to the purported progressive internalization of overt speech during childhood. We further argue that the role of motor inhibition may differ widely across different forms of covert speech (e.g., condensed vs. expanded covert speech) and that considering this variety helps reconciling seemingly contradictory findings from the neuroimaging literature.

Automated summary

This article discusses the possible role(s) of motor inhibition during covert speech production and suggests that covert speech can be considered as an inhibited form of overt speech, which aligns with the progressive internalization of overt speech during childhood. The article further argues that the role of motor inhibition may vary widely across different forms of covert speech, and considering this variability helps reconcile seemingly contradictory findings from the neuroimaging literature.