Dr. Eddie Chang: The Science of Learning & Speaking Languages | Episode 95

Huberman Lab

Scicomm Media

Science, Health & Fitness, Life Sciences

4.8 • 26.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2022

⏱️ 154 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My guest is Eddie Chang, MD, a neurosurgeon and professor of neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the co-director of the Center for Neural Engineering & Prostheses. We discuss the brain mechanisms underlying speech, language learning and comprehension, communicating human emotion with words and hand gestures, bilingualism and language disorders, such as stuttering. Dr. Chang also explains his work developing and applying state-of-the-art technology to decode speech and using that information and artificial intelligence (AI) to successfully restore communication to patients who have suffered paralyzing injuries or “locked in syndrome.” We also discuss his work treating patients with epilepsy. Finally, we consider the future: how modern neuroscience is overturning textbook medical books, the impact of digital technology such as smartphones on language and the future of natural and computer-assisted human communication. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman Levels: https://www.levelshealth.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Huberman Lab Premium https://hubermanlab.com/premium For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Eddie Chang, Speech & Language (00:03:00) Levels, Eight Sleep, InsideTracker, Momentous Supplements (00:07:19) Neuroplasticity, Learning of Speech & Environmental Sounds (00:13:10) White Noise Machines, Infant Sleep & Sensitization (00:17:26) Mapping Speech & Language in the Brain (00:24:26) Emotion; Anxiety & Epilepsy (00:30:19) Epilepsy, Medications & Neurosurgery (00:33:01) Ketogenic Diet & Epilepsy (00:34:56) AG1 (Athletic Greens) (00:36:10) Absence Seizures, Nocturnal Seizures & Other Seizure Types (00:41:08) Brain Areas for Speech & Language, Broca’s & Wernicke’s Areas, New Findings (00:53:23) Lateralization of Speech/Language & Handedness, Strokes (00:59:05) Bilingualism, Shared Language Circuits (01:01:18) Speech vs. Language, Signal Transduction from Ear to Brain (01:12:38) Shaping Breath: Larynx, Vocal Folds & Pharynx; Vocalizations (01:17:37) Mapping Language in the Brain (01:20:26) Plosives & Consonant Clusters; Learning Multiple Languages (01:25:07) Motor Patterns of Speech & Language (01:28:33) Reading & Writing; Dyslexia & Treatments (01:34:47) Evolution of Language (01:37:54) Stroke & Foreign Accent Syndrome (01:40:31) Auditory Memory, Long-Term Motor Memory (01:45:26) Paralysis, ALS, “Locked-In Syndrome” & Brain Computer Interface (BCI) (02:02:14) Neuralink, BCI, Superhuman Skills & Augmentation (02:10:21) Non-Verbal Communication, Facial Expressions, BCI & Avatars (02:17:35) Stutter, Anxiety & Treatment (02:22:55) Tools: Practices for Maintaining Calm Under Extreme Demands (02:31:10) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Huberman Lab Premium, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life.
0:08.6	I'm Andrew Huberman and I'm a professor of neurobiology and
0:12.3	Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. Today my guest is Dr. Eddie Chang.
0:17.3	Dr. Eddie Chang is the chair of the neurosurgery department at the University of California at San Francisco.
0:23.5	Dr. Chang's clinical group focuses on the treatment of movement disorders including epilepsy.
0:28.5	He is also a world expert in the treatment of speech disorders and
0:32.6	relieving paralysis that prevent speech in other forms of movement and communication.
0:37.0	Indeed, his laboratory is credited with
0:39.5	Discovering ways to allow people who have fully locked in syndrome that is who cannot speak or move to communicate through computers and AI
0:47.2	Devices in order to be able to speak to others in their world and understand what others are saying to them.
0:53.2	It is a truly remarkable achievement that we discussed today in addition to his discoveries about critical
0:58.3	periods which are periods of time during one's life when one can learn things in particular languages with great ease as opposed to later in life.
1:05.4	And we talk about the basis of things like bilingualism and trilingualism.
1:09.7	We talk about how the brain controls movement of the very muscles that allow for speech and language and how those can be modified over time.
1:16.9	We also talk about stutter and we talk about a number of aspects of speech and language that give insight into not just how we create this
1:23.6	incredible thing called speech or how we understand speech and language, but how the brain works more generally.
1:29.3	Dr. Chang is also one of the world leaders in bioengineering that is the creation of devices that allow the brain to function at
1:36.6	super physiological levels and that can allow people with various syndromes and disorders to overcome their deficits.
1:42.7	So if you are somebody who is interested in how the brain works normally, how it breaks down and how it can be repaired.
1:48.6	And if you are interested in speech and language reading and comprehension of information of any kind, today's episode ought to include some information of deep interest to you.
1:58.2	Dr. Chang is indeed the top of his field in terms of understanding these issues of how the brain encodes speech and language and create speech and language.
2:06.2	And as I mentioned, movement disorders and epilepsy.
	...

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