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Kalaivanan K. Lexical tone perception and learning in older adults: A review and future directions. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:2023-2039. [PMID: 37873972 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231211722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
While the literature is well represented in accounting for how aging influences segmental properties of speech, less is known about its influences on suprasegmental properties such as lexical tones. In addition, foreign language learning is increasingly endorsed as being a potential intervention to boost cognitive reserve and overall well-being in older adults. Empirical studies on young learners learning lexical tones are aplenty in comparison with older learners. Challenges in this domain for older learners might be different due to aging and other learner-internal factors. This review consolidates behavioural and neuroscientific research related to lexical tone, speech perception, factors characterising learner groups, and other variables that would influence lexical tone perception and learning in older adults. Factors commonly identified to influence tone learning in younger adult populations, such as musical experience, language background, and motivation in learning a new language, are discussed in relation to older learner groups and recommendations to boost lexical tone learning in older age are provided based on existing studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kastoori Kalaivanan
- Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, DUKE-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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2
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Wayland R, Meyer R, Vellozzi S, Tang K. Lenition in L2 Spanish: The Impact of Study Abroad on Phonological Acquisition. Brain Sci 2024; 14:946. [PMID: 39335440 PMCID: PMC11429641 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14090946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2024] [Revised: 09/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective: This study investigated the degrees of lenition, or consonantal weakening, in the production of Spanish stop consonants by native English speakers during a study abroad (SA) program. Lenition is a key phonological process in Spanish, where voiced stops (/b/, /d/, /ɡ/) typically weaken to fricatives or approximants in specific phonetic environments. For L2 learners, mastering this subtle process is essential for achieving native-like pronunciation. Methods: To assess the learners' progress in acquiring lenition, we employed Phonet, a deep learning model. Unlike traditional quantitative acoustic methods that focus on measuring the physical properties of speech sounds, Phonet utilizes recurrent neural networks to predict the posterior probabilities of phonological features, particularly sonorant and continuant characteristics, which are central to the lenition process. Results: The results indicated that while learners showed progress in producing the fricative-like variants of lenition during the SA program and understood how to produce lenition in appropriate contexts, the retention of these phonological gains was not sustained after their return. Additionally, unlike native speakers, the learners never fully achieved the approximant-like realization of lenition. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for sustained exposure and practice beyond the SA experience to ensure the long-term retention of L2 phonological patterns. While SA programs offer valuable opportunities for enhancing L2 pronunciation, they should be supplemented with ongoing support to consolidate and extend the gains achieved during the immersive experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratree Wayland
- Department of Linguistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Rachel Meyer
- Department of Linguistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Sophia Vellozzi
- Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kevin Tang
- Department of English Language and Linguistics, Institute of English and American Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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3
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Zhou X, Wong PCM. Hyperscanning to explore social interaction among autistic minds. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105773. [PMID: 38889594 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Hyperscanning - the monitoring of brain activity of two or more people simultaneously - has emerged to be a popular tool for assessing neural features of social interaction. This perspective article focuses on hyperscanning studies that use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a technique that is very conducive to studies requiring naturalistic paradigms. In particular, we are interested in neural features that are related to social interaction deficits among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This population has received relatively little attention in research using neuroimaging hyperscanning techniques, compared to neurotypical individuals. The study is outlined as follows. First, we summarize the findings about brain-behavior connections related to autism from previously published fNIRS hyperscanning studies. Then, we propose a preliminary theoretical framework of inter-brain coherence (IBC) with testable hypotheses concerning this population. Finally, we provide two examples of areas of inquiry in which studies could be particularly relevant for social-emotional/behavioral development for autistic children, focusing on intergenerational relationships in family units and learning in classroom settings in mainstream schools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhou
- Brain and Mind Institute, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Brain and Mind Institute, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
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4
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Yang J, Cao F, van Heuven WJB, Mei L. Editorial: Second language learning and neuroplasticity: individual differences. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1417238. [PMID: 38813565 PMCID: PMC11133865 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1417238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fan Cao
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | | | - Leilei Mei
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
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Lai B, Yi A, Zhang F, Wang S, Xin J, Li S, Yu L. Atypical brain lateralization for speech processing at the sublexical level in autistic children revealed by fNIRS. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2776. [PMID: 38307983 PMCID: PMC10837203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53128-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Autistic children often exhibit atypical brain lateralization of language processing, but it is unclear what aspects of language contribute to this phenomenon. This study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy to measure hemispheric lateralization by estimating hemodynamic responses associated with processing linguistic and non-linguistic auditory stimuli. The study involved a group of autistic children (N = 20, mean age = 5.8 years) and a comparison group of nonautistic peers (N = 20, mean age = 6.5 years). The children were presented with stimuli with systematically decreasing linguistic relevance: naturalistic native speech, meaningless native speech with scrambled word order, nonnative speech, and music. The results revealed that both groups showed left lateralization in the temporal lobe when listening to naturalistic native speech. However, the distinction emerged between autism and nonautistic in terms of processing the linguistic hierarchy. Specifically, the nonautistic comparison group demonstrated a systematic reduction in left lateralization as linguistic relevance decreased. In contrast, the autism group displayed no such pattern and showed no lateralization when listening to scrambled native speech accompanied by enhanced response in the right hemisphere. These results provide evidence of atypical neural specialization for spoken language in preschool- and school-age autistic children and shed new light on the underlying linguistic correlates contributing to such atypicality at the sublexical level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baojun Lai
- Center for Autism Research, School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
- Tiyudong Road Primary School (Xingguo), Guangzhou, China
| | - Aiwen Yi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Pediatrics; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major 0bstetric Diseases; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Higher Education Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Joint Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fen Zhang
- VITO Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium
| | - Suiping Wang
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Xin
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Suping Li
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Luodi Yu
- Center for Autism Research, School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.
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6
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Morett LM. Observing gesture at learning enhances subsequent phonological and semantic processing of L2 words: An N400 study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 246:105327. [PMID: 37804717 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
This study employed the N400 event-related potential (ERP) to investigate how observing different types of gestures at learning affects the subsequent processing of L2 Mandarin words differing in lexical tone by L1 English speakers. The effects of pitch gestures conveying lexical tones (e.g., upwards diagonal movements for rising tone), semantic gestures conveying word meanings (e.g., waving goodbye for to wave), and no gesture were compared. In a lexical tone discrimination task, larger N400s for Mandarin target words mismatching vs. matching Mandarin prime words in lexical tone were observed for words learned with pitch gesture. In a meaning discrimination task, larger N400s for English target words mismatching vs. matching Mandarin prime words in meaning were observed for words learned with pitch and semantic gesture. These findings provide the first neural evidence that observing gestures during L2 word learning enhances subsequent phonological and semantic processing of learned L2 words.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Morett
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Missouri, 421 Lewis Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, United States; Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology, and Counseling, University of Alabama, United States.
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Alotaibi S, Alsaleh A, Wuerger S, Meyer G. Rapid neural changes during novel speech-sound learning: An fMRI and DTI study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 245:105324. [PMID: 37741162 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
While the functional and microstructural changes that occur when we learn new language skills are well documented, relatively little is known about the time course of these changes. Here a combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study that tracks neural change over three days of learning Arabic phonetic categorization as a new language (L-training) is presented. Twenty adult native English-speaking (L-native) participants are scanned before and after training to perceive and produce L-training phonetic contrasts for one hour on three consecutive days. A third (Chinese) language is used as a control language (L-control). Behavioral results show significant performance improvement for L-training in both learnt tasks; the perception and production task. Imaging analysis reveals that, training-related hemodynamic fMRI signal and fractional anisotropy (FA) value increasing can be observed, in the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) and positively correlated with behavioral improvement. Moreover, post training functional connectivity findings show a significant increasing between LIFG and left inferior parietal lobule for L-training. These results indicate that three hours of phonetic categorization learning causes functional and microstructural changes that are typically associated with much more long-term learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahal Alotaibi
- Radiology Dept, Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZA, United Kingdom
| | - Alanood Alsaleh
- Radiological Sciences Dept, Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sophie Wuerger
- Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Dept of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZA, United Kingdom
| | - Georg Meyer
- Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Dept of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZA, United Kingdom; Virtual Engineering Centre, Digital Innovation Facility, University of Liverpool, L69 3RF, United Kingdom.
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Wang J, Wang X, Zou J, Duan J, Shen Z, Xu N, Chen Y, Zhang J, He H, Bi Y, Ding N. Neural substrate underlying the learning of a passage with unfamiliar vocabulary and syntax. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10036-10046. [PMID: 37491998 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Speech comprehension is a complex process involving multiple stages, such as decoding of phonetic units, recognizing words, and understanding sentences and passages. In this study, we identify cortical networks beyond basic phonetic processing using a novel passage learning paradigm. Participants learn to comprehend a story composed of syllables of their native language, but containing unfamiliar vocabulary and syntax. Three learning methods are employed, each resulting in some degree of learning within a 12-min learning session. Functional magnetic resonance imaging results reveal that, when listening to the same story, the classic temporal-frontal language network is significantly enhanced by learning. Critically, activation of the left anterior and posterior temporal lobe correlates with the learning outcome that is assessed behaviorally through, e.g. word recognition and passage comprehension tests. This study demonstrates that a brief learning session is sufficient to induce neural plasticity in the left temporal lobe, which underlies the transformation from phonetic units to the units of meaning, such as words and sentences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Xiaosha Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jiajie Zou
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jipeng Duan
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Zhuowen Shen
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Nannan Xu
- School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221009, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Hongjian He
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Yanchao Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Nai Ding
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Brain Imaging Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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9
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Prat CS, Gallée J, Yamasaki BL. Getting language right: Relating individual differences in right hemisphere contributions to language learning and relearning. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 239:105242. [PMID: 36931111 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Language, or the diverse set of dynamic processes through which symbolic, perceptual codes are linked to meaning representations in memory, has long been assumed to be lateralized to the left hemisphere (LH). However, after over 150 years of investigation, we still lack a unifying account of when, and for whom, a particular linguistic process relies upon LH or right hemisphere (RH) computations, or both. With a focus on individual differences, this article integrates existing theories of hemispheric contributions to language and cognition into a novel proposed framework for understanding how, when, and for whom the RH contributes to linguistic processes. We use evidence from first and second language learning and language relearning following focal brain damage to highlight the critical contributions of the RH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantel S Prat
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Jeanne Gallée
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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10
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Elmer S, Besson M, Rodriguez-Fornells A, Giroud N. Foreign speech sound discrimination and associative word learning lead to a fast reconfiguration of resting-state networks. Neuroimage 2023; 271:120026. [PMID: 36921678 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning new words in an unfamiliar language is a complex endeavor that requires the orchestration of multiple perceptual and cognitive functions. Although the neural mechanisms governing word learning are becoming better understood, little is known about the predictive value of resting-state (RS) metrics for foreign word discrimination and word learning attainment. In addition, it is still unknown which of the multistep processes involved in word learning have the potential to rapidly reconfigure RS networks. To address these research questions, we used electroencephalography (EEG), measured forty participants, and examined scalp-based power spectra, source-based spectral density maps and functional connectivity metrics before (RS1), in between (RS2) and after (RS3) a series of tasks which are known to facilitate the acquisition of new words in a foreign language, namely word discrimination, word-referent mapping and semantic generalization. Power spectra at the scalp level consistently revealed a reconfiguration of RS networks as a function of foreign word discrimination (RS1 vs. RS2) and word learning (RS1 vs. RS3) tasks in the delta, lower and upper alpha, and upper beta frequency ranges. Otherwise, functional reconfigurations at the source level were restricted to the theta (spectral density maps) and to the lower and upper alpha frequency bands (spectral density maps and functional connectivity). Notably, scalp RS changes related to the word discrimination tasks (difference between RS2 and RS1) correlated with word discrimination abilities (upper alpha band) and semantic generalization performance (theta and upper alpha bands), whereas functional changes related to the word learning tasks (difference between RS3 and RS1) correlated with word discrimination scores (lower alpha band). Taken together, these results highlight that foreign speech sound discrimination and word learning have the potential to rapidly reconfigure RS networks at multiple functional scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Elmer
- Department of Computational Linguistics, Computational Neuroscience of Speech & Hearing, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; Competence center Language & Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Mireille Besson
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Université Publique de France, CNRS & Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; University of Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nathalie Giroud
- Department of Computational Linguistics, Computational Neuroscience of Speech & Hearing, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Center for Neuroscience Zurich, University and ETH of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Competence center Language & Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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Xue L, Lv Y, Zhao J. Neural attenuation: age-related dedifferentiation in the left occipitotemporal cortex for visual word processing. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:6111-6119. [PMID: 36600600 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the age-related neural basis of cognitive decline in the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOT)-a brain area that responds selectively to visual words processing. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to estimate neural activity in this area, while young and old adults viewed words and line drawings. Our results demonstrated the existence of neural dedifferentiation of the left vOT in old adults during visual word processing. More specifically, this dedifferentiation was due to neural attenuation that is, decreased response to words rather than increased response to line drawings in old adults compared with young adults. In addition, individuals who showed decreased neural response to words had worse performance in visual word processing. Taken together, our findings support the neural attenuation hypothesis for the cognitive decline in visual word processing in old adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Licheng Xue
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318 Yuhangtang Rd, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, China.,Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, No. 55 Zhongshan Avenue West Rd, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yating Lv
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, No. 126 Wenzhou Rd, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 311121, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318 Yuhangtang Rd, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, No. 2318 Yuhangtang Rd, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, No. 2318 Yuhangtang Rd, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, No. 2318 Yuhangtang Rd, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, China
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12
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Yang Y, Wang D, Hou W, Li H. Cognitive Decline Associated with Aging. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1419:25-46. [PMID: 37418204 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-1627-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive decline is one of the most distinct signs of aging, and age-related cognitive decline is a heterogeneous issue varying in different cognitive domains and has significant differences among older adults. Identifying characteristics of cognitive aging is the basis of cognitive disease for early-detection and healthy aging promotion. In the current chapter, age-related decline of main cognitive domains, including sensory perception, memory, attention, executive function, language, reasoning, and space navigation ability are introduced respectively. From these aspects of cognition, we focus on the age-related effects, age-related cognitive diseases, and possible mechanisms of cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiru Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Dandan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjie Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - He Li
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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13
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Schneider JM, McIlvain G, Johnson CL. Mechanical Properties of the Developing Brain are Associated with Language Input and Vocabulary Outcome. Dev Neuropsychol 2022; 47:258-272. [PMID: 35938379 PMCID: PMC9397825 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2022.2108425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The quality of language that children hear in their environment is associated with the development of language-related brain regions, in turn promoting vocabulary knowledge. Although informative, it remains unknown how these environmental influences alter the structure of neural tissue and subsequent vocabulary outcomes. The current study uses magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to examine how children's language environments underlie brain tissue mechanical properties, characterized as brain tissue stiffness and damping ratio, and promote vocabulary knowledge. Twenty-five children, ages 5-7, had their audio and video recorded while engaging in a play session with their parents. Children also completed the Picture Vocabulary Task (from NIH Toolbox) and participated in an MRI, where MRE and anatomical images were acquired. Higher quality input was associated with greater stiffness in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus, whereas greater vocabulary knowledge was associated with lower damping ratio in the right inferior frontal gyrus. These findings suggest changes in neural tissue composition are sensitive to malleable aspects of the environment, whereas tissue organization is more strongly associated with vocabulary outcome. Notably, these associations were independent of maternal education, suggesting more proximal measures of a child's environment may be the source of differences in neural tissue structure underlying variability in vocabulary outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M. Schneider
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Grace McIlvain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware; Newark, DE
| | - Curtis L. Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware; Newark, DE
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14
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Huang W, Agbanyo GK. Multicultural Neurolinguistics: A Neuroscientific Perceptive of Cross-Cultural Differences in Translation. Front Psychol 2022; 13:939517. [PMID: 35903748 PMCID: PMC9318168 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.939517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics have been seldom used in investigating the cultural component of language. In this study, we suggest a scientific methodology to study neurocognitive mechanisms induced by the interaction between multi-linguistics and cross-culture differences, especially during translation between a source language (SL) and a target language (TL). Using a contest of tonal languages (Chinese) and atonal language (English) multilingual exchange, we opine that translation theories as numerous and efficacious as they are, lack the competence to bring absolute clarity into the complex cross-cultural dimension of languages when it comes to accuracy in translation. Echoing this, this study attempts to apply neuroscience in blending cross-cultural diversity and neurolinguistics as a one-in-all translation approach to “multicultural neurolinguistics” between an SL and a given TL. The linguistic examination of this study proves that “multicultural neurolinguistics” will provide a unique framework for all translation barriers, and establish a cross-cultural and multilingual network depending on the particular circumstance. This research contributes to the linguistic literature by bringing a “multicultural neurolinguistics” resolution to the cultural diversity question in translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Huang
- Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, Honghe University, Mengzi, China
| | - George Kwame Agbanyo
- School of Business, Honghe University, Mengzi, China
- *Correspondence: George Kwame Agbanyo
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15
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Mankel K, Shrestha U, Tipirneni-Sajja A, Bidelman GM. Functional Plasticity Coupled With Structural Predispositions in Auditory Cortex Shape Successful Music Category Learning. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:897239. [PMID: 35837119 PMCID: PMC9274125 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.897239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Categorizing sounds into meaningful groups helps listeners more efficiently process the auditory scene and is a foundational skill for speech perception and language development. Yet, how auditory categories develop in the brain through learning, particularly for non-speech sounds (e.g., music), is not well understood. Here, we asked musically naïve listeners to complete a brief (∼20 min) training session where they learned to identify sounds from a musical interval continuum (minor-major 3rds). We used multichannel EEG to track behaviorally relevant neuroplastic changes in the auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) pre- to post-training. To rule out mere exposure-induced changes, neural effects were evaluated against a control group of 14 non-musicians who did not undergo training. We also compared individual categorization performance with structural volumetrics of bilateral Heschl's gyrus (HG) from MRI to evaluate neuroanatomical substrates of learning. Behavioral performance revealed steeper (i.e., more categorical) identification functions in the posttest that correlated with better training accuracy. At the neural level, improvement in learners' behavioral identification was characterized by smaller P2 amplitudes at posttest, particularly over right hemisphere. Critically, learning-related changes in the ERPs were not observed in control listeners, ruling out mere exposure effects. Learners also showed smaller and thinner HG bilaterally, indicating superior categorization was associated with structural differences in primary auditory brain regions. Collectively, our data suggest successful auditory categorical learning of music sounds is characterized by short-term functional changes (i.e., greater post-training efficiency) in sensory coding processes superimposed on preexisting structural differences in bilateral auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Mankel
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Utsav Shrestha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
| | | | - Gavin M. Bidelman
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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16
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Wilson BS, Tucci DL, Moses DA, Chang EF, Young NM, Zeng FG, Lesica NA, Bur AM, Kavookjian H, Mussatto C, Penn J, Goodwin S, Kraft S, Wang G, Cohen JM, Ginsburg GS, Dawson G, Francis HW. Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence in Otolaryngology and the Communication Sciences. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2022; 23:319-349. [PMID: 35441936 PMCID: PMC9086071 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-022-00846-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Use of artificial intelligence (AI) is a burgeoning field in otolaryngology and the communication sciences. A virtual symposium on the topic was convened from Duke University on October 26, 2020, and was attended by more than 170 participants worldwide. This review presents summaries of all but one of the talks presented during the symposium; recordings of all the talks, along with the discussions for the talks, are available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktfewrXvEFg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gQ5qX2v3rg . Each of the summaries is about 2500 words in length and each summary includes two figures. This level of detail far exceeds the brief summaries presented in traditional reviews and thus provides a more-informed glimpse into the power and diversity of current AI applications in otolaryngology and the communication sciences and how to harness that power for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake S. Wilson
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Duke Hearing Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Debara L. Tucci
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- National Institute On Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - David A. Moses
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA
| | - Edward F. Chang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA
| | - Nancy M. Young
- Division of Otolaryngology, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611 USA
- Department of Communication, Knowles Hearing Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Fan-Gang Zeng
- Center for Hearing Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | | | - Andrés M. Bur
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Hannah Kavookjian
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Caroline Mussatto
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Joseph Penn
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Sara Goodwin
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Shannon Kraft
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Guanghui Wang
- Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Jonathan M. Cohen
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- ENT Department, Kaplan Medical Center, 7661041 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Geoffrey S. Ginsburg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
- MEDx (Medicine & Engineering at Duke), Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
- Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University School of Medicine and the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, NIH Autism Center of Excellence, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27701 USA
| | - Howard W. Francis
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710 USA
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17
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Tu L, Zhou F, Omata K, Li W, Huang R, Gao W, Zhu Z, Li Y, Liu C, Mao M, Zhang S, Hanakawa T. Increased Gray Matter Volume Induced by Chinese Language Acquisition in Adult Alphabetic Language Speakers. Front Psychol 2022; 13:824219. [PMID: 35548546 PMCID: PMC9084625 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.824219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
It is interesting to explore the effects of second language (L2) acquisition on anatomical change in brain at different stages for the neural structural adaptations are dynamic. Short-term Chinese training effects on brain anatomical structures in alphabetic language speakers have been already studied. However, little is known about the adaptations of the gray matter induced by acquiring Chinese language for a relatively long learning period in adult alphabetic language speakers. To explore this issue, we recruited 38 Indian overseas students in China as our subjects. The learned group included 17 participants who had learned Mandarin Chinese for an average of 3.24 years and achieved intermediate Chinese language proficiency. The control group included 21 subjects who had no knowledge about Chinese. None of the participants had any experience in learning logographic and tonal language before Chinese learning. We found that (1) the learned group had significantly greater gray matter volume (GMV) in the left lingual gyrus (LG) compared with the control group; (2) the Chinese characters’ reading accuracy was significantly and positively correlated to the GMV in the left LG and fusiform gyrus (FG) across the two groups; and (3) in the learned group, the duration of Chinese learning was significantly and positively correlated with the GMV in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) after correction for multiple comparisons with small volume corrections. Our structural imaging findings are in line with the functional imaging studies reporting increased brain activation induced by Chinese acquisition in alphabetic language speakers. The regional gray matter changes reflected the additional requirements imposed by the more difficult processing of Chinese characters and tones. The present study also show that the biological bases of the adaptations induced by a relatively long period of Chinese learning were limited in the common areas for first and foreign language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Tu
- College of Foreign Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fangyuan Zhou
- College of Foreign Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kei Omata
- Department of Advanced Neuroimaging, Integrative Brain Imaging Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Wendi Li
- College of Foreign Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruiwang Huang
- School of Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong, Center for the Study of Applied Psychology and MRI Center, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Gao
- College of Foreign Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhen Zhu
- Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chang Liu
- South China Business Trade College, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengying Mao
- College of Foreign Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuyu Zhang
- College of Foreign Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Takashi Hanakawa
- Integrated Neuroanatomy and Neuroimaging, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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18
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Yu K, Chen Y, Yin S, Li L, Wang R. The roles of pitch type and lexicality in the hemispheric lateralization for lexical tone processing: An ERP study. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 177:83-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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19
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Fong MCM, Ma MKH, Chui JYT, Law TST, Hui NY, Au A, Wang WS. Foreign Language Learning in Older Adults: Anatomical and Cognitive Markers of Vocabulary Learning Success. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:787413. [PMID: 35340542 PMCID: PMC8942782 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.787413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, foreign language learning (FLL) has been proposed as a possible cognitive intervention for older adults. However, the brain network and cognitive functions underlying FLL has remained largely unconfirmed in older adults. In particular, older and younger adults have markedly different cognitive profile—while older adults tend to exhibit decline in most cognitive domains, their semantic memory usually remains intact. As such, older adults may engage the semantic functions to a larger extent than the other cognitive functions traditionally considered the most important (e.g., working memory capacity and phonological awareness). Using anatomical measurements and a cognitive test battery, the present study examined this hypothesis in twenty cognitively normal older adults (58–69 years old), who participated in a two-month Italian learning programme. Results showed that the immediate learning success and long-term retention of Italian vocabularies were most consistently predicted by the anatomical measures of the left pars orbitalis and left caudal middle frontal cortex, which are implicated in semantic and episodic memory functions. Convergent evidence was also found based on the pattern of cognitive associations. Our results are consistent with a prominent role of semantic and episodic memory functions in vocabulary learning in older learners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manson Cheuk-Man Fong
- Research Centre for Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Research Institute for Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Manson Cheuk-Man Fong
| | - Matthew King-Hang Ma
- Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jeremy Yin To Chui
- Research Centre for Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tammy Sheung Ting Law
- Research Centre for Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Nga-Yan Hui
- Research Centre for Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alma Au
- Department of Applied Social Science, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - William Shiyuan Wang
- Research Centre for Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Research Institute for Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- William Shiyuan Wang
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20
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Lai CH, Hsieh SK, Lee CL, Su LIW, Liu TH, Lu CR, Tsai IN, Chou TL. Neuro-Cognitive Differences in Semantic Processing Between Native Speakers and Proficient Learners of Mandarin Chinese. Front Psychol 2021; 12:781304. [PMID: 34867693 PMCID: PMC8637610 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.781304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the neural mechanism underlying semantic processing in Mandarin Chinese adult learners, focusing on the learners who were Indo-European language speakers with advanced levels of proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging technique and a semantic judgment task to test 24 Mandarin Chinese adult learners (L2 group) and 26 Mandarin Chinese adult native speakers (L1 group) as a control group. In the task, participants were asked to indicate whether two-character pairs were related in meaning. Compared to the L1 group, the L2 group had greater activation in the bilateral occipital regions, including the fusiform gyrus and middle occipital gyrus, as well as the right superior parietal lobule. On the other hand, less activation in the bilateral temporal regions was found in the L2 group relative to the L1 group. Correlation analysis further revealed that, within the L2 group, increased activation in the left middle temporal gyrus/superior temporal gyrus (M/STG, BA 21) was correlated with higher accuracy in the semantic judgment task as well as better scores in the two vocabulary tests, the Assessment of Chinese character list for grade 3 to grade 9 (A39) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised. In addition, functional connectivity analysis showed that connectivity strength between the left fusiform gyrus and left ventral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, BA 47) was modulated by the accuracy in the semantic judgment task in the L1 group. By contrast, this modulation effect was weaker in the L2 group. Taken together, our study suggests that Mandarin Chinese adult learners rely on greater recruitment of the bilateral occipital regions to process orthographic information to access the meaning of Chinese characters. Also, our correlation results provide convergent evidence that the left M/STG (BA 21) plays a crucial role in the storage of semantic knowledge for readers to access to conceptual information. Moreover, the connectivity results indicate that the left ventral pathway (left fusiform gyrus-left ventral IFG) is associated with orthographic-semantic processing in Mandarin Chinese. However, this semantic-related ventral pathway might require more time and language experience to be developed, especially for the late adult learners of Mandarin Chinese.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ho Lai
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Kai Hsieh
- Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lin Lee
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lily I-Wen Su
- Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Te-Hsin Liu
- Graduate Program of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Rung Lu
- Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Ni Tsai
- Graduate Program of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Li Chou
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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21
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Feng G, Gan Z, Yi HG, Ell SW, Roark CL, Wang S, Wong PCM, Chandrasekaran B. Neural dynamics underlying the acquisition of distinct auditory category structures. Neuroimage 2021; 244:118565. [PMID: 34543762 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the multidimensional and temporally fleeting nature of auditory signals we quickly learn to assign novel sounds to behaviorally relevant categories. The neural systems underlying the learning and representation of novel auditory categories are far from understood. Current models argue for a rigid specialization of hierarchically organized core regions that are fine-tuned to extracting and mapping relevant auditory dimensions to meaningful categories. Scaffolded within a dual-learning systems approach, we test a competing hypothesis: the spatial and temporal dynamics of emerging auditory-category representations are not driven by the underlying dimensions but are constrained by category structure and learning strategies. To test these competing models, we used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to assess representational dynamics during the feedback-based acquisition of novel non-speech auditory categories with identical dimensions but differing category structures: rule-based (RB) categories, hypothesized to involve an explicit sound-to-rule mapping network, and information integration (II) based categories, involving pre-decisional integration of dimensions via a procedural-based sound-to-reward mapping network. Adults were assigned to either the RB (n = 30, 19 females) or II (n = 30, 22 females) learning tasks. Despite similar behavioral learning accuracies, learning strategies derived from computational modeling and involvements of corticostriatal systems during feedback processing differed across tasks. Spatiotemporal multivariate representational similarity analysis revealed an emerging representation within an auditory sensory-motor pathway exclusively for the II learning task, prominently involving the superior temporal gyrus (STG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and posterior precentral gyrus. In contrast, the RB learning task yielded distributed neural representations within regions involved in cognitive-control and attentional processes that emerged at different time points of learning. Our results unequivocally demonstrate that auditory learners' neural systems are highly flexible and show distinct spatial and temporal patterns that are not dimension-specific but reflect underlying category structures and learning strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangyi Feng
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China; Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Zhenzhong Gan
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China; Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Han Gyol Yi
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Shawn W Ell
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, 5742 Little Hall, Room 301, Orono, ME 04469-5742, United States
| | - Casey L Roark
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, United States
| | - Suiping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China; Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, United States.
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22
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Foreign Language Training to Stimulate Cognitive Functions. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11101315. [PMID: 34679380 PMCID: PMC8533724 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult development throughout a lifetime implies a series of changes in systems, including cognitive and linguistic functioning. The aim of this article is to study the effect of foreign language training on linguistic processing, particularly the frequency of the tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon and on other cognitive processes such as processing speed and working memory in adults aged 40 to 60 years. Sixty-six healthy Colombian teachers were enrolled in this study. They were then randomly divided into an experimental group (33 healthy adults who underwent a four-week training period) and a passive control group (33 healthy adults who did not undergo any training). All participants performed induction tasks for the TOT phenomenon, working memory and processing speed before and after the four weeks. Results showed more of an effect in the semantic access, phonological access and processing speed measures with a better performance in the experimental group than in the control group. In Colombia, this type of training is still new and little is known to date about programs to prevent cognitive impairments. The need to conduct more studies confirming or refuting these findings is discussed, thus raising awareness about the extent of this type of training to increase the linguistic and cognitive performance of adults.
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23
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Learning nonnative speech sounds changes local encoding in the adult human cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2101777118. [PMID: 34475209 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101777118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adults can learn to identify nonnative speech sounds with training, albeit with substantial variability in learning behavior. Increases in behavioral accuracy are associated with increased separability for sound representations in cortical speech areas. However, it remains unclear whether individual auditory neural populations all show the same types of changes with learning, or whether there are heterogeneous encoding patterns. Here, we used high-resolution direct neural recordings to examine local population response patterns, while native English listeners learned to recognize unfamiliar vocal pitch patterns in Mandarin Chinese tones. We found a distributed set of neural populations in bilateral superior temporal gyrus and ventrolateral frontal cortex, where the encoding of Mandarin tones changed throughout training as a function of trial-by-trial accuracy ("learning effect"), including both increases and decreases in the separability of tones. These populations were distinct from populations that showed changes as a function of exposure to the stimuli regardless of trial-by-trial accuracy. These learning effects were driven in part by more variable neural responses to repeated presentations of acoustically identical stimuli. Finally, learning effects could be predicted from speech-evoked activity even before training, suggesting that intrinsic properties of these populations make them amenable to behavior-related changes. Together, these results demonstrate that nonnative speech sound learning involves a wide array of changes in neural representations across a distributed set of brain regions.
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24
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Feng G, Ou J, Gan Z, Jia X, Meng D, Wang S, Wong PCM. Neural Fingerprints Underlying Individual Language Learning Profiles. J Neurosci 2021; 41:7372-7387. [PMID: 34301824 PMCID: PMC8412988 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0415-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human language learning differs significantly across individuals in the process and ultimate attainment. Although decades of research exploring the neural substrates of language learning have identified distinct and overlapping neural networks subserving learning of different components, the neural mechanisms that drive the large interindividual differences are still far from being understood. Here we examine to what extent the neural dynamics of multiple brain networks in men and women across sessions of training contribute to explaining individual differences in learning multiple linguistic components (i.e., vocabulary, morphology, and phrase and sentence structures) of an artificial language in a 7 d training and imaging paradigm with functional MRI. With machine-learning and predictive modeling, neural activation patterns across training sessions were highly predictive of individual learning success profiles derived from the four components. We identified four neural learning networks (i.e., the Perisylvian, frontoparietal, salience, and default-mode networks) and examined their dynamic contributions to the learning success prediction. Moreover, the robustness of the predictions systematically changes across networks depending on specific training phases and the learning components. We further demonstrate that a subset of network nodes in the inferior frontal, insular, and frontoparietal regions increasingly represent newly acquired language knowledge, while the multivariate connectivity between these representation regions is enhanced during learning for more successful learners. These findings allow us to understand why learners differ and are the first to attribute not only the degree of success but also patterns of language learning across components, to neural fingerprints summarized from multiple neural network dynamics.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Individual differences in learning a language are widely observed not only within the same component of language but also across components. This study demonstrates that the dynamics of multiple brain networks across four imaging sessions of a 7 d artificial language training contribute to individual differences in learning-outcome profiles derived from four language components. With machine-learning predictive modeling, we identified four neural learning networks, including the Perisylvian, frontoparietal, salience, and default-mode networks, that contribute to predicting individual learning-outcome profiles and revealed language-component-general and component-specific prediction patterns across training sessions. These findings provide significant insights in understanding training-dependent neural dynamics underlying individual differences in learning success across language components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangyi Feng
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jinghua Ou
- Department of Linguistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, Illinois
| | - Zhenzhong Gan
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631, China
| | - Xiaoyan Jia
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631, China
| | - Danting Meng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631, China
| | - Suiping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, 510631, China
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T, Hong Kong SAR, China
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25
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Llanos F, German JS, Gnanateja GN, Chandrasekaran B. The neural processing of pitch accents in continuous speech. Neuropsychologia 2021; 158:107883. [PMID: 33989647 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Pitch accents are local pitch patterns that convey differences in word prominence and modulate the information structure of the discourse. Despite the importance to discourse in languages like English, neural processing of pitch accents remains understudied. The current study investigates the neural processing of pitch accents by native and non-native English speakers while they are listening to or ignoring 45 min of continuous, natural speech. Leveraging an approach used to study phonemes in natural speech, we analyzed thousands of electroencephalography (EEG) segments time-locked to pitch accents in a prosodic transcription. The optimal neural discrimination between pitch accent categories emerged at latencies between 100 and 200 ms. During these latencies, we found a strong structural alignment between neural and phonetic representations of pitch accent categories. In the same latencies, native listeners exhibited more robust processing of pitch accent contrasts than non-native listeners. However, these group differences attenuated when the speech signal was ignored. We can reliably capture the neural processing of discrete and contrastive pitch accent categories in continuous speech. Our analytic approach also captures how language-specific knowledge and selective attention influences the neural processing of pitch accent categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Llanos
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Linguistics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - James S German
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, LPL, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - G Nike Gnanateja
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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26
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Borodkin K, Livny A, Kushnir T, Tsarfaty G, Maliniak O, Faust M. Linking L2 proficiency and patterns of functional connectivity during L1 word retrieval. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 216:104931. [PMID: 33677174 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Second language (L2) learners differ greatly in language proficiency, which is partially explained by variability in native language (L1) skills. The present fMRI study explored the neural underpinnings of the L1-L2 link. Twenty L2 learners completed a tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) task that required retrieving words in L1. Low-proficiency L2 learners showed greater functional connectivity for correct and TOT responses between the left inferior frontal gyrus and right-sided homologues of the temporoparietal regions that support phonological processing (e.g., supramarginal gyrus), possibly reflecting difficulty with phonological retrieval. High-proficiency L2 learners showed greater connectivity for erroneous responses (TOT in particular) between the left inferior frontal gyrus and regions of left medial temporal lobe (e.g., hippocampus), associated with implicit learning processes. The difference between low- and high-proficiency L2 learners in functional connectivity, which is evident even during L1 processing, may affect L2 learning processes and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy Borodkin
- Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
| | - Abigail Livny
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Tammar Kushnir
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Galia Tsarfaty
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Omer Maliniak
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Miriam Faust
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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27
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Feng G, Li Y, Hsu SM, Wong PC, Chou TL, Chandrasekaran B. Emerging native-similar neural representations underlie non-native speech category learning success. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2021; 2:280-307. [PMID: 34368775 PMCID: PMC8345815 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Learning non-native phonetic categories in adulthood is an exceptionally challenging task, characterized by large inter-individual differences in learning speed and outcomes. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying the inter-individual differences in the learning efficacy are not fully understood. Here we examined the extent to which training-induced neural representations of non-native Mandarin tone categories in English listeners (n = 53) are increasingly similar to those of the native listeners (n = 33) who acquired these categories early in infancy. We particularly assessed whether the neural similarities in representational structure between non-native learners and native listeners are robust neuromarkers of inter-individual differences in learning success. Using inter-subject neural representational similarity (IS-NRS) analysis and predictive modeling on two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) datasets, we examined the neural representational mechanisms underlying speech category learning success. Learners' neural representations that were significantly similar to the native listeners emerged in brain regions mediating speech perception following training; the extent of the emerging neural similarities with native listeners significantly predicted the learning speed and outcome in learners. The predictive power of IS-NRS outperformed models with other neural representational measures. Furthermore, neural representations underlying successful learning are multidimensional but cost-efficient in nature. The degree of the emergent native-similar neural representations was closely related to the robust neural sensitivity to feedback in the frontostriatal network. These findings provide important insights on experience-dependent representational neuroplasticity underlying successful speech learning in adulthood and could be leveraged in designing individualized feedback-based training paradigms that maximize learning efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangyi Feng
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Corresponding authors: Gangyi Feng, Ph.D., Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China, +852-3943 3190, , Bharath Chandrasekaran, Ph.D., Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh 6074 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, (412) 383-6565,
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shen-Mou Hsu
- Imaging Center for Integrated Body, Mind and Culture Research, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Patrick C.M. Wong
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tai-Li Chou
- Imaging Center for Integrated Body, Mind and Culture Research, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Corresponding authors: Gangyi Feng, Ph.D., Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China, +852-3943 3190, , Bharath Chandrasekaran, Ph.D., Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh 6074 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, (412) 383-6565,
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28
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Jeong H, Li P, Suzuki W, Sugiura M, Kawashima R. Neural mechanisms of language learning from social contexts. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 212:104874. [PMID: 33220647 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Humans learn languages in real-life situations by integrating multiple signals, including linguistic forms, their meanings, and the actions and intentions of speakers. However, little is known about the neural bases underlying the social learning of a second language (L2) in adults. In this study, 36 adults were asked to learn two sets of L2 spoken words through translation versus simulated social interactive videos (social learning). Brain activation during word learning was measured using fMRI. Greater activation was observed in the bilateral superior temporal sulcus, posterior middle temporal gyri, and right inferior parietal lobule during social learning as compared with translation learning. Furthermore, higher activity in the right temporal parietal junction, right hippocampus, and motor areas was observed during the initial stage of social learning, with the more successful performance being at the time of overnight testing. We argue that social learning may strengthen the link from new L2 forms to rich L2 semantic representations wherein memory properties are embodied, multimodal, and richly contextualized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeonjeong Jeong
- Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Faculty of Humanities, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Motoaki Sugiura
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; International Research Institute for Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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29
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Kim SY, Liu L, Liu L, Cao F. Neural representational similarity between L1 and L2 in spoken and written language processing. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4935-4951. [PMID: 32820847 PMCID: PMC7643388 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite substantial research on the brain mechanisms of L1 and L2 processing in bilinguals, it is still unknown whether language modality (i.e., visual vs. auditory) plays a role in determining whether L1 and L2 are processed similarly. Therefore, we examined the neural representational similarity in neural networks between L1 and L2 in spoken and written word processing in Korean-English-Chinese trilinguals. Participants performed both visual and auditory rhyming judgments in the three languages: Korean, English, and Chinese. The results showed greater similarity among the three languages in the auditory modality than in the visual modality, suggesting more differentiated networks for written word processing in the three languages than spoken word processing. In addition, there was less similarity between spoken and written word processing in L1 than the L2s, suggesting a more specialized network for each modality in L1 than L2s. Finally, the similarity between the two L2s (i.e., Chinese and English) was greater than that between each L2 and L1 after task performance was regressed out, especially in the visual modality, suggesting that L2s are processed similarly. These findings provide important insights about spoken and written language processing in the bilingual brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Say Young Kim
- Department of English Language and Literature, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.,Hanyang Institute for Phonetics and Cognitive Sciences of Language, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Lanfang Liu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Cao
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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30
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Saltzman DI, Myers EB. Neural Representation of Articulable and Inarticulable Novel Sound Contrasts: The Role of the Dorsal Stream. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2020; 1:339-364. [PMID: 35784619 PMCID: PMC9248853 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The extent that articulatory information embedded in incoming speech contributes to the formation of new perceptual categories for speech sounds has been a matter of discourse for decades. It has been theorized that the acquisition of new speech sound categories requires a network of sensory and speech motor cortical areas (the "dorsal stream") to successfully integrate auditory and articulatory information. However, it is possible that these brain regions are not sensitive specifically to articulatory information, but instead are sensitive to the abstract phonological categories being learned. We tested this hypothesis by training participants over the course of several days on an articulable non-native speech contrast and acoustically matched inarticulable nonspeech analogues. After reaching comparable levels of proficiency with the two sets of stimuli, activation was measured in fMRI as participants passively listened to both sound types. Decoding of category membership for the articulable speech contrast alone revealed a series of left and right hemisphere regions outside of the dorsal stream that have previously been implicated in the emergence of non-native speech sound categories, while no regions could successfully decode the inarticulable nonspeech contrast. Although activation patterns in the left inferior frontal gyrus, the middle temporal gyrus, and the supplementary motor area provided better information for decoding articulable (speech) sounds compared to the inarticulable (sine wave) sounds, the finding that dorsal stream regions do not emerge as good decoders of the articulable contrast alone suggests that other factors, including the strength and structure of the emerging speech categories are more likely drivers of dorsal stream activation for novel sound learning.
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31
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Morett LM. The Influence of Tonal and Atonal Bilingualism on Children's Lexical and Non-Lexical Tone Perception. LANGUAGE AND SPEECH 2020; 63:221-241. [PMID: 30859898 DOI: 10.1177/0023830919834679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This study examined how bilingualism in an atonal language, in addition to a tonal language, influences lexical and non-lexical tone perception and word learning during childhood. Forty children aged 5;3-7;2, bilingual either in English and Mandarin or English and another atonal language, were tested on Mandarin lexical tone discrimination, level-pitch sine-wave tone discrimination, and learning of novel words differing minimally in Mandarin lexical tone. Mandarin-English bilingual children discriminated between and learned novel words differing minimally in Mandarin lexical tone more accurately than their atonal-English bilingual peers. However, Mandarin-English and atonal-English bilingual children discriminated between level-pitch sine-wave tones with similar accuracy. Moreover, atonal-English bilingual children showed a tendency to perceive differing Mandarin lexical and level-pitch sine-wave tones as identical, whereas their Mandarin-English peers showed no such tendency. These results indicate that bilingualism in a tonal language in addition to an atonal language-but not bilingualism in two atonal languages-allows for continued sensitivity to lexical tone beyond infancy. Moreover, they suggest that although tonal-atonal bilingualism does not enhance sensitivity to differences in pitch between sine-wave tones beyond infancy any more effectively than atonal-atonal bilingualism, it protects against the development of biases to perceive differing lexical and non-lexical tones as identical. Together, the results indicate that, beyond infancy, tonal-atonal bilinguals process lexical tones using different cognitive mechanisms than atonal-atonal bilinguals, but that both groups process level-pitch non-lexical tone using the same cognitive mechanisms.
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32
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Wang T, Potter CE, Saffran JR. Plasticity in second language learning: The case of Mandarin tones. LANGUAGE LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT 2020; 16:231-243. [PMID: 33716583 PMCID: PMC7954216 DOI: 10.1080/15475441.2020.1737072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Adults typically struggle to perceive non-native sound contrasts, especially those that conflict with their first language. Do the same challenges persist when the sound contrasts overlap but do not conflict? To address this question, we explored the acquisition of lexical tones. While tonal variations are present in many languages, they are only used contrastively in tonal languages. We investigated the perception of Mandarin tones by adults with differing experience with Mandarin, including naïve listeners, classroom learners, and native speakers. Naïve listeners discriminated Mandarin tones at above-chance levels, and performance significantly improved after just one month of classroom exposure. Additional evidence for plasticity came from advanced classroom learners, whose tonemic perception was indistinguishable from that of native speakers. The results suggest that unlike many other non-native contrasts, adults studying a language in the classroom can readily acquire the perceptual skills needed to discriminate Mandarin tones.
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33
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Qi Z, Legault J. Neural hemispheric organization in successful adult language learning: Is left always right? PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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34
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Feng G, Gan Z, Wang S, Wong PCM, Chandrasekaran B. Task-General and Acoustic-Invariant Neural Representation of Speech Categories in the Human Brain. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3241-3254. [PMID: 28968658 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant neural challenge in speech perception includes extracting discrete phonetic categories from continuous and multidimensional signals despite varying task demands and surface-acoustic variability. While neural representations of speech categories have been previously identified in frontal and posterior temporal-parietal regions, the task dependency and dimensional specificity of these neural representations are still unclear. Here, we asked native Mandarin participants to listen to speech syllables carrying 4 distinct lexical tone categories across passive listening, repetition, and categorization tasks while they underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We used searchlight classification and representational similarity analysis (RSA) to identify the dimensional structure underlying neural representation across tasks and surface-acoustic properties. Searchlight classification analyses revealed significant "cross-task" lexical tone decoding within the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and left inferior parietal lobule (LIPL). RSA revealed that the LIPL and LSTG, in contrast to the RSTG, relate to 2 critical dimensions (pitch height, pitch direction) underlying tone perception. Outside this core representational network, we found greater activation in the inferior frontal and parietal regions for stimuli that are more perceptually similar during tone categorization. Our findings reveal the specific characteristics of fronto-tempo-parietal regions that support speech representation and categorization processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangyi Feng
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 2504A Whitis Avenue (A1100), Austin, TX, USA
| | - Zhenzhong Gan
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suiping Wang
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bharath Chandrasekaran
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Moody College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 2504A Whitis Avenue (A1100), Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton Stop, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Linguistics, The University of Texas at Austin, 305 E. 23rd Street STOP, Austin, TX, USA.,Institute for Mental Health Research, College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas at Austin, 305 E. 23rd St. Stop, Austin, TX, USA.,The Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station Stop, Austin, TX, USA
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35
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Structural brain changes as a function of second language vocabulary training: Effects of learning context. Brain Cogn 2019; 134:90-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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36
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Levinson O, Hershey A, Farah R, Horowitz-Kraus T. Altered Functional Connectivity of the Executive Functions Network During a Stroop Task in Children with Reading Difficulties. Brain Connect 2019; 8:516-525. [PMID: 30289278 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2018.0595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with reading difficulties (RDs) often receive related accommodations in schools, such as additional time for examinations and reading aloud written material. Existing data suggest that these readers share challenges in executive functions (EFs). Our study was designed to determine whether children with RDs have specific challenges in EFs and define neurobiological signatures for such difficulties using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Reading and EFs abilities were assessed in 8-12-year-old children with RDs and age-matched typical readers. Functional MRI data were acquired during a Stroop task, and functional connectivity of the EFs defined network was calculated in both groups and related to reading ability. Children with RDs showed lower reading and EFs abilities and demonstrated greater functional connectivity between the EFs network and visual, language, and cognitive control regions during the Stroop task, compared to typical readers. Our results suggest that children with RDs utilize neural circuits supporting EFs more so than do typical readers to perform a cognitive task. These results also provide a neurobiological explanation for the challenges in EFs shared by children with RDs and explain challenges this group shares outside of the reading domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ophir Levinson
- 1 Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Educational Neuroimaging Center , Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alexander Hershey
- 2 Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Rola Farah
- 1 Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Educational Neuroimaging Center , Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- 1 Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Educational Neuroimaging Center , Technion, Haifa, Israel .,2 Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio
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37
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Gurunandan K, Carreiras M, Paz-Alonso PM. Functional plasticity associated with language learning in adults. Neuroimage 2019; 201:116040. [PMID: 31336190 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning a new language in adulthood is increasingly common and among the most difficult tasks attempted by adults. Adult language learners thus offer an excellent window into the nature of learning-dependent plasticity. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was aimed at characterising functional neuroplasticity in adults at different stages of learning a second language (L2). To this end, a total of 34 adults, either intermediate or advanced L2 learners, underwent MRI scanning while performing a semantic judgement task with print and speech stimuli. Three separate analytical approaches were used to comprehensively map neural differences: print-speech convergence, L1-L2 similarity, and functional connectivity with language control regions. Results revealed that (i) print-speech convergence was not affected by L2 proficiency level, (ii) L1-L2 similarity was significantly higher in intermediate than in advanced L2 learners, and (iii) functional coupling of language and language control areas was higher in the advanced relative to the intermediate group during reading comprehension. The results point to significant functional differences between intermediate and advanced language learners, indicating that, even well into adulthood, increasing L2 proficiency modulates the functional similarity between L1 and L2 and the connectivity between language comprehension and language control regions, particularly in reading comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kshipra Gurunandan
- BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Manuel Carreiras
- BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain; Department of Basque Language and Communication, EHU/UPV, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Pedro M Paz-Alonso
- BCBL, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
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38
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Wong PCM, Ou J, Pang CWY, Zhang L, Tse CS, Lam LCW, Antoniou M. Language Training Leads to Global Cognitive Improvement in Older Adults: A Preliminary Study. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:2411-2424. [PMID: 31251679 DOI: 10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-18-0321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose We report a preliminary study that prospectively tests the potential cognitive enhancing effect of foreign language (FL) learning in older adults with no clear signs of cognitive decline beyond what is age typical. Because language learning engages a large brain network that overlaps with the network of cognitive aging, we hypothesized that learning a new language later in life would be beneficial. Method Older adults were randomly assigned to 3 training groups: FL, games, and music appreciation. All were trained predominately by a computer-based program for 6 months, and their cognitive abilities were tested before, immediately after, and 3 months after training. Results FL and games, but not music appreciation, improved overall cognitive abilities that were maintained at 3 months after training. Conclusion This is the 1st randomized control study providing preliminary support for the cognitive benefits of FL learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick C M Wong
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Jinghua Ou
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Celestina W Y Pang
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Chinese Language Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Chi Shing Tse
- Department of Educational Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Linda C W Lam
- Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Mark Antoniou
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Australia
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39
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Yang J, Li P. Mechanisms for Auditory Perception: A Neurocognitive Study of Second Language Learning of Mandarin Chinese. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9060139. [PMID: 31212921 PMCID: PMC6627958 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9060139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Speech perception is an important early skill for language learning. This study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the relationship between auditory perception abilities and second language (L2) vocabulary learning in an effort to explore behavior-brain correlations. Twenty-one English monolinguals learned 48 auditory Chinese pseudowords over six weeks. Their pre-training abilities in non-linguistic pitch and linguistic tone perception significantly and positively predicted their novel word-learning performance, which correlated with their brain response patterns in the left Heschl’s gyrus. Analyses of regions of interest (ROIs) showed coactivation of the frontal and temporal regions during novel lexical retrieval, and the non-linguistic pitch perception ability modulated brain activations in these regions. Effective connectivity analyses further indicated a collaboration of a ventral stream for speech perception and a dorsal stream for sensory-motor mapping in the L2 network. The ventral stream, compared with the dorsal stream, played a more dominant role in auditory word learning as the L2 proficiency increased. Better pitch and tone perception abilities strengthened the ventral pathways and decreased the reliance on frontal regions. These findings are discussed in light of current models of speech processing and L2 learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510420, China.
- Bilingual Cognition and Development Lab, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510420, China.
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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40
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Tagarelli KM, Shattuck KF, Turkeltaub PE, Ullman MT. Language learning in the adult brain: A neuroanatomical meta-analysis of lexical and grammatical learning. Neuroimage 2019; 193:178-200. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.02.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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41
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Sun X, Li L, Ding G, Wang R, Li P. Effects of language proficiency on cognitive control: Evidence from resting-state functional connectivity. Neuropsychologia 2019; 129:263-275. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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42
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Qi Z, Han M, Wang Y, de los Angeles C, Liu Q, Garel K, Chen ES, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Gabrieli JD, Perrachione TK. Speech processing and plasticity in the right hemisphere predict variation in adult foreign language learning. Neuroimage 2019; 192:76-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
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43
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Guggisberg AG, Koch PJ, Hummel FC, Buetefisch CM. Brain networks and their relevance for stroke rehabilitation. Clin Neurophysiol 2019; 130:1098-1124. [PMID: 31082786 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Stroke has long been regarded as focal disease with circumscribed damage leading to neurological deficits. However, advances in methods for assessing the human brain and in statistics have enabled new tools for the examination of the consequences of stroke on brain structure and function. Thereby, it has become evident that stroke has impact on the entire brain and its network properties and can therefore be considered as a network disease. The present review first gives an overview of current methodological opportunities and pitfalls for assessing stroke-induced changes and reorganization in the human brain. We then summarize principles of plasticity after stroke that have emerged from the assessment of networks. Thereby, it is shown that neurological deficits do not only arise from focal tissue damage but also from local and remote changes in white-matter tracts and in neural interactions among wide-spread networks. Similarly, plasticity and clinical improvements are associated with specific compensatory structural and functional patterns of neural network interactions. Innovative treatment approaches have started to target such network patterns to enhance recovery. Network assessments to predict treatment response and to individualize rehabilitation is a promising way to enhance specific treatment effects and overall outcome after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian G Guggisberg
- Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Philipp J Koch
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics (CNP) and Brain Mind Institute (BMI), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics (CNP) and Brain Mind Institute (BMI), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Valais (EPFL Valais), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Friedhelm C Hummel
- Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics (CNP) and Brain Mind Institute (BMI), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Defitech Chair of Clinical Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics (CNP) and Brain Mind Institute (BMI), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Valais (EPFL Valais), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, 1951 Sion, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University Hospital Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cathrin M Buetefisch
- Depts of Neurology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Radiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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44
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Paulon G, Reetzke R, Chandrasekaran B, Sarkar A. Functional Logistic Mixed-Effects Models for Learning Curves From Longitudinal Binary Data. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:543-553. [PMID: 30950747 PMCID: PMC6802892 DOI: 10.1044/2018_jslhr-s-astm-18-0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Revised: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose We present functional logistic mixed-effects models (FLMEMs) for estimating population and individual-level learning curves in longitudinal experiments. Method Using functional analysis tools in a Bayesian hierarchical framework, the FLMEM captures nonlinear, smoothly varying learning curves, appropriately accommodating uncertainty in various aspects of the analysis while also borrowing information across different model layers. An R package implementing our method is available as part of the Supplemental Materials . Results Application to speech learning data from Reetzke, Xie, Llanos, and Chandrasekaran (2018) and a simulation study demonstrate the utility of FLMEM and its many advantages over linear and logistic mixed-effects models. Conclusion The FLMEM is highly flexible and efficient in improving upon the practical limitations of linear models and logistic linear mixed-effects models. We expect the FLMEM to be a useful addition to the speech, language, and hearing scientist's toolkit. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7822568.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Paulon
- Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Rachel Reetzke
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, University of California, Davis
| | | | - Abhra Sarkar
- Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
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45
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Best CT. The Diversity of Tone Languages and the Roles of Pitch Variation in Non-tone Languages: Considerations for Tone Perception Research. Front Psychol 2019; 10:364. [PMID: 30863341 PMCID: PMC6399451 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine T Best
- MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
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46
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Zhang D, Chen Y, Hou X, Wu YJ. Near-infrared spectroscopy reveals neural perception of vocal emotions in human neonates. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:2434-2448. [PMID: 30697881 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Processing affective prosody, that is the emotional tone of a speaker, is fundamental to human communication and adaptive behaviors. Previous studies have mainly focused on adults and infants; thus the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of affective prosody in newborns remain unclear. Here, we used near-infrared spectroscopy to examine the ability of 0-to-4-day-old neonates to discriminate emotions conveyed by speech prosody in their maternal language and a foreign language. Happy, fearful, and angry prosodies enhanced neural activation in the right superior temporal gyrus relative to neutral prosody in the maternal but not the foreign language. Happy prosody elicited greater activation than negative prosody in the left superior frontal gyrus and the left angular gyrus, regions that have not been associated with affective prosody processing in infants or adults. These findings suggest that sensitivity to affective prosody is formed through prenatal exposure to vocal stimuli of the maternal language. Furthermore, the sensitive neural correlates appeared more distributed in neonates than infants, indicating a high-level of neural specialization between the neonatal stage and early infancy. Finally, neonates showed preferential neural responses to positive over negative prosody, which is contrary to the "negativity bias" phenomenon established in adult and infant studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zhang
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Chen
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinlin Hou
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Jing Wu
- Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
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47
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Liang B, Du Y. The Functional Neuroanatomy of Lexical Tone Perception: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:495. [PMID: 30087589 PMCID: PMC6066585 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In tonal language such as Chinese, lexical tone serves as a phonemic feature in determining word meaning. Meanwhile, it is close to prosody in terms of suprasegmental pitch variations and larynx-based articulation. The important yet mixed nature of lexical tone has evoked considerable studies, but no consensus has been reached on its functional neuroanatomy. This meta-analysis aimed at uncovering the neural network of lexical tone perception in comparison with that of phoneme and prosody in a unified framework. Independent Activation Likelihood Estimation meta-analyses were conducted for different linguistic elements: lexical tone by native tonal language speakers, lexical tone by non-tonal language speakers, phoneme, word-level prosody, and sentence-level prosody. Results showed that lexical tone and prosody studies demonstrated more extensive activations in the right than the left auditory cortex, whereas the opposite pattern was found for phoneme studies. Only tonal language speakers consistently recruited the left anterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) for processing lexical tone, an area implicated in phoneme processing and word-form recognition. Moreover, an anterior-lateral to posterior-medial gradient of activation as a function of element timescale was revealed in the right STG, in which the activation for lexical tone lied between that for phoneme and that for prosody. Another topological pattern was shown on the left precentral gyrus (preCG), with the activation for lexical tone overlapped with that for prosody but ventral to that for phoneme. These findings provide evidence that the neural network for lexical tone perception is hybrid with those for phoneme and prosody. That is, resembling prosody, lexical tone perception, regardless of language experience, involved right auditory cortex, with activation localized between sites engaged by phonemic and prosodic processing, suggesting a hierarchical organization of representations in the right auditory cortex. For tonal language speakers, lexical tone additionally engaged the left STG lexical mapping network, consistent with the phonemic representation. Similarly, when processing lexical tone, only tonal language speakers engaged the left preCG site implicated in prosody perception, consistent with tonal language speakers having stronger articulatory representations for lexical tone in the laryngeal sensorimotor network. A dynamic dual-stream model for lexical tone perception was proposed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baishen Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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48
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Wollman I, Penhune V, Segado M, Carpentier T, Zatorre RJ. Neural network retuning and neural predictors of learning success associated with cello training. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E6056-E6064. [PMID: 29891670 PMCID: PMC6042146 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721414115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory and motor neural systems are closely intertwined, enabling people to carry out tasks such as playing a musical instrument whose mapping between action and sound is extremely sophisticated. While the dorsal auditory stream has been shown to mediate these audio-motor transformations, little is known about how such mapping emerges with training. Here, we use longitudinal training on a cello as a model for brain plasticity during the acquisition of specific complex skills, including continuous and many-to-one audio-motor mapping, and we investigate individual differences in learning. We trained participants with no musical background to play on a specially designed MRI-compatible cello and scanned them before and after 1 and 4 wk of training. Activation of the auditory-to-motor dorsal cortical stream emerged rapidly during the training and was similarly activated during passive listening and cello performance of trained melodies. This network activation was independent of performance accuracy and therefore appears to be a prerequisite of music playing. In contrast, greater recruitment of regions involved in auditory encoding and motor control over the training was related to better musical proficiency. Additionally, pre-supplementary motor area activity and its connectivity with the auditory cortex during passive listening before training was predictive of final training success, revealing the integrative function of this network in auditory-motor information processing. Together, these results clarify the critical role of the dorsal stream and its interaction with auditory areas in complex audio-motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indiana Wollman
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada;
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H2V 2J2, Canada
| | - Virginia Penhune
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H2V 2J2, Canada
- Laboratory for Motor Learning and Neural Plasticity, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Melanie Segado
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H2V 2J2, Canada
| | - Thibaut Carpentier
- CNRS, Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique, Sorbonne Université, UMR 9912 Sciences et Technologies de la Musique et du Son, 75004 Paris, France
| | - Robert J Zatorre
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, QC H2V 2J2, Canada
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49
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Hung YH, Frost SJ, Molfese P, Malins JG, Landi N, Mencl WE, Rueckl JG, Bogaerts L, Pugh KR. Common neural basis of motor sequence learning and word recognition and its relation with individual differences in reading skill. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF READING : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING 2018; 23:89-100. [PMID: 31105422 PMCID: PMC6521955 DOI: 10.1080/10888438.2018.1451533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the neural basis of a common statistical learning mechanism involved in motor sequence learning and decoding, we recorded same participants' brain activation in a serial reaction time (SRT) and word reading task using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In the SRT, a manual response was made depending on the location of a visual cue, and the order of the locations was either fixed or random. In the word reading task, visual words were passively presented. Compared to less skilled readers, more skilled readers showed greater differences in activation in the inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis (IFGpTr) and the insula between the ordered and random condition in the SRT task and greater activation in those regions in the word reading task. It suggests that extraction of statistically predictable patterns in the IFGpTr and insula contributes to both motor sequence learning and orthographic learning, and therefore predicts individual differences in decoding skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hui Hung
- Haskins Laboratories
- Yale University
- National Yang-Ming University
| | | | - Peter Molfese
- Haskins Laboratories
- National Institutes of Mental Health
| | | | - Nicole Landi
- Haskins Laboratories
- Yale University
- University of Connecticut
| | | | | | | | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories
- Yale University
- University of Connecticut
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50
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Younger JW, Booth JR. Parietotemporal Stimulation Affects Acquisition of Novel Grapheme-Phoneme Mappings in Adult Readers. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:109. [PMID: 29628882 PMCID: PMC5876236 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging work from developmental and reading intervention research has suggested a cause of reading failure may be lack of engagement of parietotemporal cortex during initial acquisition of grapheme-phoneme (letter-sound) mappings. Parietotemporal activation increases following grapheme-phoneme learning and successful reading intervention. Further, stimulation of parietotemporal cortex improves reading skill in lower ability adults. However, it is unclear whether these improvements following stimulation are due to enhanced grapheme-phoneme mapping abilities. To test this hypothesis, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to manipulate parietotemporal function in adult readers as they learned a novel artificial orthography with new grapheme-phoneme mappings. Participants received real or sham stimulation to the left inferior parietal lobe (L IPL) for 20 min before training. They received explicit training over the course of 3 days on 10 novel words each day. Learning of the artificial orthography was assessed at a pre-training baseline session, the end of each of the three training sessions, an immediate post-training session and a delayed post-training session about 4 weeks after training. Stimulation interacted with baseline reading skill to affect learning of trained words and transfer to untrained words. Lower skill readers showed better acquisition, whereas higher skill readers showed worse acquisition, when training was paired with real stimulation, as compared to readers who received sham stimulation. However, readers of all skill levels showed better maintenance of trained material following parietotemporal stimulation, indicating a differential effect of stimulation on initial learning and consolidation. Overall, these results indicate that parietotemporal stimulation can enhance learning of new grapheme-phoneme relationships in readers with lower reading skill. Yet, while parietotemporal function is critical to new learning, its role in continued reading improvement likely changes as readers progress in skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica W Younger
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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