Neurons in Conversation: Brain Chemistry, Control and Communication

Language is one of the innate abilities of human beings. In all its complexity, it allows us to express ourselves, understand the world around us and, ultimately, learn more about life. Speech is the motor act that produces language, requiring the brain to coordinate breathing, vocal fold vibration, and the rapid movements of the articulators—the tongue, the lips, the jaw. This process depends on a finely tuned network linking brain regions responsible for movement, hearing, and cognitive control. But what specifically happens in the brain that allows us to shape language through speech? What defines speech? And how does it change when the brain itself changes, as in a neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s?

In Parkinson’s disease, the neural circuits that help regulate movement are progressively disrupted. Other processes, such as sensorimotor integration, by which the brain combines sensory information—what we feel, see, or hear—with motor commands to guide and adjust our movements, seem to also be affected. These changes often impact speech, altering voice and articulation. In my research, I investigate how people with Parkinson’s disease adjust their speech when the sound of their own voice is subtly altered. By examining how speakers unconsciously adapt to these changes, and by recording brain activity at the same time, I aim to better understand how the brain supports speech motor control and learning in Parkinson’s disease.

Are you ready to dive into the world of neurons? Welcome to the fascinating language of language: welcome to the inner workings of the mind.

Vitamin B6 is a vitamin that helps hundreds of chemical reactions happen in the body. In the brain, it plays an important role in regulating two key chemicals that help brain cells communicate: glutamate and GABA. You can think of glutamate as the brain’s “accelerator”, making neurons more likely to fire, while GABA acts as the “brake”, reducing activity. A healthy brain needs a balance between the two.

For many years, researchers have wondered whether disruptions in this balance might contribute to some of the challenges experienced by autistic individuals. Some early theories suggested that increasing vitamin B6 levels could help restore this balance, but the scientific evidence so far has been mixed and often based on small or poorly controlled studies.

In this talk, we will discuss a new study designed to test this question more rigorously. Participants take part in a double blind randomised controlled trial, where some people receive vitamin B6 and others receive a placebo. Neither the participants nor the researchers know who receives which treatment until the study is complete.

Rather than focusing on complex technical details, the talk will explain how studies like this are designed, why randomised controlled trials are considered the gold standard in research, and how scientists test whether a treatment truly works.

We will also explore what researchers hope to learn from this study and why careful experimental design is essential for building reliable scientific knowledge.