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Berger L, Mouthon M, Jost LB, Schwab S, Aybek S, Annoni JM. Does Diglossia Impact Brain Structure? Data from Swiss German Early Diglossic Speakers. Brain Sci 2024; 14:304. [PMID: 38671956 PMCID: PMC11048535 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040304] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Bilingualism has been reported to shape the brain by inducing cortical changes in cortical and subcortical language and executive networks. Similar yet different to bilingualism, diglossia is common in Switzerland, where the German-speaking population switches between an everyday spoken Swiss German (CH-GER) dialect and the standard German (stGER) used for reading and writing. However, no data are available for diglossia, defined as the use of different varieties or dialects of the same language, regarding brain structure. The aim of our study is to investigate if the presence of this type of diglossia has an impact on the brain structure, similar to the effects seen in bilingualism. (2) Methods: T1-weighted anatomical MRI scans of participants were used to compare the grey matter density and grey matter volume of 22 early diglossic CH-GER-speaking and 20 non-diglossic French-speaking right-handed university students, matched for age, linguistics and academic background. The images were processed with Statistical Parametric Mapping SPM12 and analyzed via voxel- and surface-based morphometry. (3) Results: A Bayesian ANCOVA on the whole brain revealed no differences between the groups. Also, for the five regions of interest (i.e., planum temporale, caudate nucleus, ACC, DLPFC and left interior parietal lobule), no differences in the cortical volume or thickness were found using the same statistical approach. (4) Conclusion: The results of this study may suggest that early diglossia does not shape the brain structure in the same manner as bilingualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Berger
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; (L.B.); (M.M.); (L.B.J.); (S.A.)
- Lucern Regional Hospital Sursee, 6210 Sursee, Switzerland
| | - Michael Mouthon
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; (L.B.); (M.M.); (L.B.J.); (S.A.)
| | - Lea B. Jost
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; (L.B.); (M.M.); (L.B.J.); (S.A.)
| | - Sandra Schwab
- Department of French, Faculty of Art, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Selma Aybek
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; (L.B.); (M.M.); (L.B.J.); (S.A.)
- Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Research Group, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marie Annoni
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; (L.B.); (M.M.); (L.B.J.); (S.A.)
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2
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Malik-Moraleda S, Jouravlev O, Taliaferro M, Mineroff Z, Cucu T, Mahowald K, Blank IA, Fedorenko E. Functional characterization of the language network of polyglots and hyperpolyglots with precision fMRI. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae049. [PMID: 38466812 PMCID: PMC10928488 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae049] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
How do polyglots-individuals who speak five or more languages-process their languages, and what can this population tell us about the language system? Using fMRI, we identified the language network in each of 34 polyglots (including 16 hyperpolyglots with knowledge of 10+ languages) and examined its response to the native language, non-native languages of varying proficiency, and unfamiliar languages. All language conditions engaged all areas of the language network relative to a control condition. Languages that participants rated as higher proficiency elicited stronger responses, except for the native language, which elicited a similar or lower response than a non-native language of similar proficiency. Furthermore, unfamiliar languages that were typologically related to the participants' high-to-moderate-proficiency languages elicited a stronger response than unfamiliar unrelated languages. The results suggest that the language network's response magnitude scales with the degree of engagement of linguistic computations (e.g. related to lexical access and syntactic-structure building). We also replicated a prior finding of weaker responses to native language in polyglots than non-polyglot bilinguals. These results contribute to our understanding of how multiple languages coexist within a single brain and provide new evidence that the language network responds more strongly to stimuli that more fully engage linguistic computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Malik-Moraleda
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02114, United States
| | - Olessia Jouravlev
- Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Maya Taliaferro
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Zachary Mineroff
- Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15289, United States
| | - Theodore Cucu
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15289, United States
| | - Kyle Mahowald
- Department of Linguistics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Idan A Blank
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02114, United States
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Malik-Moraleda S, Jouravlev O, Taliaferro M, Mineroff Z, Cucu T, Mahowald K, Blank IA, Fedorenko E. Functional characterization of the language network of polyglots and hyperpolyglots with precision fMRI. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.01.19.524657. [PMID: 36711949 PMCID: PMC9882290 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.19.524657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
How do polyglots-individuals who speak five or more languages-process their languages, and what can this population tell us about the language system? Using fMRI, we identified the language network in each of 34 polyglots (including 16 hyperpolyglots with knowledge of 10+ languages) and examined its response to the native language, non-native languages of varying proficiency, and unfamiliar languages. All language conditions engaged all areas of the language network relative to a control condition. Languages that participants rated as higher-proficiency elicited stronger responses, except for the native language, which elicited a similar or lower response than a non-native language of similar proficiency. Furthermore, unfamiliar languages that were typologically related to the participants' high-to-moderate-proficiency languages elicited a stronger response than unfamiliar unrelated languages. The results suggest that the language network's response magnitude scales with the degree of engagement of linguistic computations (e.g., related to lexical access and syntactic-structure building). We also replicated a prior finding of weaker responses to native language in polyglots than non-polyglot bilinguals. These results contribute to our understanding of how multiple languages co-exist within a single brain and provide new evidence that the language network responds more strongly to stimuli that more fully engage linguistic computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Malik-Moraleda
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Olessia Jouravlev
- Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, K1S 5B6
| | - Maya Taliaferro
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | - Theodore Cucu
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15289
| | - Kyle Mahowald
- Department of Linguistics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Idan A. Blank
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02114
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4
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Choi YY, Lee JJ, Te Nijenhuis J, Choi KY, Park J, Ok J, Choo IH, Kim H, Song MK, Choi SM, Cho SH, Choe Y, Kim BC, Lee KH. Multi-Ethnic Norms for Volumes of Subcortical and Lobar Brain Structures Measured by Neuro I: Ethnicity May Improve the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease1. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 99:223-240. [PMID: 38640153 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231182] [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: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Background We previously demonstrated the validity of a regression model that included ethnicity as a novel predictor for predicting normative brain volumes in old age. The model was optimized using brain volumes measured with a standard tool FreeSurfer. Objective Here we further verified the prediction model using newly estimated brain volumes from Neuro I, a quantitative brain analysis system developed for Korean populations. Methods Lobar and subcortical volumes were estimated from MRI images of 1,629 normal Korean and 786 Caucasian subjects (age range 59-89) and were predicted in linear regression from ethnicity, age, sex, intracranial volume, magnetic field strength, and scanner manufacturers. Results In the regression model predicting the new volumes, ethnicity was again a substantial predictor in most regions. Additionally, the model-based z-scores of regions were calculated for 428 AD patients and the matched controls, and then employed for diagnostic classification. When the AD classifier adopted the z-scores adjusted for ethnicity, the diagnostic accuracy has noticeably improved (AUC = 0.85, ΔAUC = + 0.04, D = 4.10, p < 0.001). Conclusions Our results suggest that the prediction model remains robust across different measurement tool, and ethnicity significantly contributes to the establishment of norms for brain volumes and the development of a diagnostic system for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yong Choi
- Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementia Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jang Jae Lee
- Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementia Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jan Te Nijenhuis
- Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementia Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu Yeong Choi
- Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementia Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Il Han Choo
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Chosun University School of Medicine and Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoowon Kim
- Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementia Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neurology, Chosun University School of Medicine and Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Kyung Song
- Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Min Choi
- Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Hyun Cho
- Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngshik Choe
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong C Kim
- Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Kun Ho Lee
- Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementia Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- Neurozen Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
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5
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Liu X, Gao Z, Liu W, He X, Wang N. AoA-L2 and Usage-L2 modulate the functional neuroplasticity of the subcortex. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 245:105323. [PMID: 37757503 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies revealed structural differences in subcortical regions between monolinguals and bilinguals; however, whether the functional neuroplasticity of the subcortex is modulated by different bilingual experiences remains unclear. Here, we examined the effect of age of second language acquisition (AoA-L2) and usage of L2 (Usage-L2) on subcorto-cortical and intra-subcortical functional connectivity (FC) in bilinguals by using resting-state fMRI data. The relations between brain measurements and bilingual experiences were revealed by using multiple regression analysis. We found that increased AoA-L2 was mainly related to decreased subcortical FC involving the anterior thalamus, basal ganglia, and hippocampus. Increased Usage-L2 at home was mainly associated with decreased subcortical FC of the amygdala, globus pallidus, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens. The FC of these subcortical regions displayed a positive relation with Usage-L2 in social settings. These findings reveal that bilingual experiences modulate the functional neuroplasticity of the subcortex in different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojin Liu
- Center for Educational Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China.
| | - Zhenni Gao
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wen Liu
- Center for Educational Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
| | - Xintong He
- Center for Educational Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
| | - Naiyi Wang
- Institute of Educational Psychology and School Counseling, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Lab for Educational Neuroscience, Center for Educational Science and Technology, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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6
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Sagarra N, Casillas JV. Practice beats age: co-activation shapes heritage speakers' lexical access more than age of onset. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1141174. [PMID: 37377705 PMCID: PMC10292756 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1141174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Probabilistic associations make language processing efficient and are honed through experience. However, it is unclear what language experience factors explain the non-monolingual processing behaviors typical of L2 learners and heritage speakers (HSs). We investigated whether AoO, language proficiency, and language use affect the recognition of Spanish stress-tense suffix associations involving a stressed syllable that cues a present suffix (SALta "s/he jumps") and an unstressed syllable that cues a past suffix (SALtó "s/he jumped"). Adult Spanish-English HSs, English-Spanish L2 learners, and Spanish monolinguals saw a paroxytone verb (stressed initial syllable) and an oxytone verb (unstressed initial syllable), listened to a sentence containing one of the verbs, and chose the one they heard. Spanish proficiency measured grammatical and lexical knowledge, and Spanish use assessed percentage of current usage. Both bilingual groups were comparable in Spanish proficiency and use. Eye-tracking data showed that all groups fixated on target verbs above chance before hearing the syllable containing the suffix, except the HSs in the oxytones. Monolinguals fixated on targets more and earlier, although at a slower rate, than HSs and L2 learners; in turn, HSs fixated on targets more and earlier than L2 learners, except in oxytones. Higher proficiency increased target fixations in HSs (oxytones) and L2 learners (paroxytones), but greater use only increased target fixations in HSs (oxytones). Taken together, our data show that HSs' lexical access depends more on number of lexical competitors (co-activation of two L1 lexica) and type (phonotactic) frequency than token (lexical) frequency or AoO. We discuss the contribution of these findings to models in phonology, lexical access, language processing, language prediction, and human cognition.
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Korenar M, Treffers-Daller J, Pliatsikas C. Dynamic effects of bilingualism on brain structure map onto general principles of experience-based neuroplasticity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3428. [PMID: 36854883 PMCID: PMC9974958 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30326-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilingualism has been linked to structural adaptations of subcortical brain regions that are important for controlling multiple languages. However, research on the location and extent of these adaptations has yielded variable patterns, especially as far as the subcortical regions are concerned. Existing literature on bilingualism-induced brain restructuring has so far largely overseen evidence from other domains showing that experience-based structural neuroplasticity often triggers non-linear adaptations which follow expansion-renormalisation trajectories. Here we use generalised additive mixed models to investigate the non-linear effects of quantified bilingual experiences on the basal ganglia and the thalamus in a sample of bilinguals with a wide range of bilingual experiences. Our results revealed that volumes of the bilateral caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens were significantly related to bilingual experiences. Importantly, these followed a non-linear pattern, with increases followed by plateauing in the most experienced bilinguals, suggesting that experience-based volumetric increases are only necessary up to a certain level of bilingual experience. Moreover, the volumes of putamen and thalamus were positively predicted by bilingual experiences. The results offer the first direct evidence that bilingualism, similarly to other cognitively demanding skills, leads to dynamic subcortical structural adaptations which can be nonlinear, in line with expansion-renormalisation models of experience-dependent neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Korenar
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, Department of Dutch Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.9435.b0000 0004 0457 9566School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - J. Treffers-Daller
- grid.9435.b0000 0004 0457 9566Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - C. Pliatsikas
- grid.9435.b0000 0004 0457 9566School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK ,grid.464701.00000 0001 0674 2310Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición, Universidad Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
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Viacheslav I, Vartanov A, Bueva A, Bronov O. The emotional component of inner speech: A pilot exploratory fMRI study. Brain Cogn 2023; 165:105939. [PMID: 36549191 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105939] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Inner speech is one of the most important human cognitive processes. Nevertheless, until now, many aspects of inner speech, particularly the emotional characteristics of inner speech, remain poorly understood. The main objectives of our study are to identify the neural substrate for the emotional (prosodic) dimension of inner speech and brain structures that control the suppression of expression in inner speech. To achieve these goals, a pilot exploratory fMRI study was carried out on 33 people. The subjects listened to pre-recorded phrases or individual words pronounced with different emotional connotations, after which they were internally spoken with the same emotion or with suppression of expression (neutral). The results show that there is an emotional component in inner speech, which is encoded by similar structures as in spoken speech. The unique role of the caudate nuclei in the suppression of expression in the inner speech was also shown.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Oleg Bronov
- Federal State Budgetary Institution "National Medical and Surgical Center named after N.I. Pirogov", Russia
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Nan F, Gao JM, Li L, Zhang YM, Zhang Y. Interaction of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in altering the shape of subcortical structures in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:952983. [PMID: 36172168 PMCID: PMC9510391 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.952983] [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: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have found significant structural alterations of the cerebral cortex in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) following radiotherapy (RT) or concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), while their effects on the shape of subcortical structures remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the subcortical shape alterations between three groups: 56 untreated NPC patients (pre-RT group), 37 RT-treated NPC patients (post-RT group), and 108 CCRT-treated NPC patients (post-CCRT group). Using FSL-FIRST, we found that, compared with the pre-RT group, the post-CCRT group exhibited significant inward atrophy in the bilateral thalamus, bilateral putamen, left pallidum, and left caudate and outward inflation in the left caudate, while the post-RT group only exhibited inward atrophy in the bilateral thalamus. In addition, greater maximum dosage of RT for temporal lobes was associated with more severe inward atrophy of the bilateral thalamus in treated NPC patients. These results indicated that there may be an interaction between RT and CT that can cause subcortical damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feibiao Nan
- Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jian-ming Gao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Li
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - You-ming Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: You-ming Zhang, ; Yuanchao Zhang,
| | - Yuanchao Zhang
- Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: You-ming Zhang, ; Yuanchao Zhang,
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Bsharat-Maalouf D, Karawani H. Bilinguals' speech perception in noise: Perceptual and neural associations. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264282. [PMID: 35196339 PMCID: PMC8865662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The current study characterized subcortical speech sound processing among monolinguals and bilinguals in quiet and challenging listening conditions and examined the relation between subcortical neural processing and perceptual performance. A total of 59 normal-hearing adults, ages 19–35 years, participated in the study: 29 native Hebrew-speaking monolinguals and 30 Arabic-Hebrew-speaking bilinguals. Auditory brainstem responses to speech sounds were collected in a quiet condition and with background noise. The perception of words and sentences in quiet and background noise conditions was also examined to assess perceptual performance and to evaluate the perceptual-physiological relationship. Perceptual performance was tested among bilinguals in both languages (first language (L1-Arabic) and second language (L2-Hebrew)). The outcomes were similar between monolingual and bilingual groups in quiet. Noise, as expected, resulted in deterioration in perceptual and neural responses, which was reflected in lower accuracy in perceptual tasks compared to quiet, and in more prolonged latencies and diminished neural responses. However, a mixed picture was observed among bilinguals in perceptual and physiological outcomes in noise. In the perceptual measures, bilinguals were significantly less accurate than their monolingual counterparts. However, in neural responses, bilinguals demonstrated earlier peak latencies compared to monolinguals. Our results also showed that perceptual performance in noise was related to subcortical resilience to the disruption caused by background noise. Specifically, in noise, increased brainstem resistance (i.e., fewer changes in the fundamental frequency (F0) representations or fewer shifts in the neural timing) was related to better speech perception among bilinguals. Better perception in L1 in noise was correlated with fewer changes in F0 representations, and more accurate perception in L2 was related to minor shifts in auditory neural timing. This study delves into the importance of using neural brainstem responses to speech sounds to differentiate individuals with different language histories and to explain inter-subject variability in bilinguals’ perceptual abilities in daily life situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Bsharat-Maalouf
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hanin Karawani
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- * E-mail:
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11
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Gallo F, Kubiak J, Myachykov A. Add Bilingualism to the Mix: L2 Proficiency Modulates the Effect of Cognitive Reserve Proxies on Executive Performance in Healthy Aging. Front Psychol 2022; 13:780261. [PMID: 35173660 PMCID: PMC8841471 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.780261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the contribution of bilingual experience to the development of cognitive reserve (CR) when compared with other, traditionally more researched, CR proxies, in a sample of cognitively healthy senior (60 +) bilingual speakers. Participants performed in an online study where, in addition to a wide inventory of factors known to promote CR, we assessed several factors related to their second language (L2) use. In addition, participants’ inhibitory executive control was measured via the Flanker Task. We used Structural Equation Modeling to derive a latent composite measure of CR informed by traditional CR proxies (i.e., occupational complexity, marital status, current and retrospective socio-economic status, physical exercise, perceived positive support, maximal educational attainment, frequency of leisure activities and extent of social network). We examined whether bilingualism may act as a mediator of the effects of such proxies on cognitive performance therefore assessing the unique contribution of dual language use to CR. First, our analyses revealed facilitatory effects of both L2 age of acquisition and L2 proficiency on the executive performance. Second, our analyses confirmed the moderating role of bilingual experience on the relationship between other factors known to promote CR and cognitive integrity, revealing a strong contribution by bilingualism to CR development. Our findings provide further support to the notion that bilingualism plays an important role in mitigating cognitive decline and promoting successful aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Gallo
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Higher School of Economics, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Moscow, Russia
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Federico Gallo,
| | - Joanna Kubiak
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Andriy Myachykov
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Higher School of Economics, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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12
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How does bilingualism modify cognitive function? Attention to the mechanism. Psychon Bull Rev 2022; 29:1246-1269. [PMID: 35091993 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02057-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It has been claimed that bilingual experience leads to an enhancement of cognitive control across the lifespan, a claim that has been investigated by comparing monolingual and bilingual groups performing standard executive function (EF) tasks. The results of these studies have been inconsistent, however, leading to controversy over the essential assumptions underlying the research program, namely, whether bilingualism produces cognitive change. We argue that the source of the inconsistency is not in the evidence but rather in the framework that has typically been used to motivate the research and interpret the results. We examine the componential view of EF with its central role for inhibition and argue that it provides a poor fit to both bilingual experience and the results of these studies. As an alternative, we propose a more holistic account based on attentional control that overrides the processes in the componential model of EF and applies to a wider range of tasks. The key element in our account is that behavioral differences between monolingual and bilingual individuals reflect differences in the efficiency and deployment of attentional control between the two language groups. In support of this point we show how attentional control provides a more satisfactory account for a range of findings that cannot reasonably be attributed to inhibition. We also suggest that group differences will emerge only when the attentional demands of a task exceed the control abilities of one of the groups, regardless of the EF components involved. We then review literature from across the lifespan to evaluate the extent to which this account is consistent with existing evidence, and conclude with some suggestions on how the field may be advanced by new lines of empirical enquiry.
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13
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Bialystok E. Bilingualism as a Slice of Swiss Cheese. Front Psychol 2021; 12:769323. [PMID: 34819899 PMCID: PMC8606518 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.769323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Bialystok
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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14
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Li X, Ng KK, Wong JJY, Lee JW, Zhou JH, Yow WQ. Bilingual language entropy influences executive functions through functional connectivity and signal variability. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 222:105026. [PMID: 34597903 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105026] [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: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
How bilinguals' experience in managing multiple languages in different communicative contexts influences the cognitive and neural aspects of executive functions remains unclear. Therefore, we examined whether variations in language experience in young adult bilinguals were associated with data-driven brain functional network patterns (connectivity and signal variability) defined by performance during executive control tasks (Stroop and task-switching). Multiple aspects of language experience, such as the extent of balanced bilingualism in language proficiency and usage, and language diversity across social contexts (i.e., language entropy) were assessed. We found that greater language diversity, rather than balanced bilingualism per se, was related to higher brain network specialization and segregation concentrated on the default mode and executive control networks, and lower signal variability, a pattern linked to smaller RT-indices related to executive functioning of shifting, goal-maintenance, and conflict-monitoring. Our findings underscore the important role of language diversity in influencing bilinguals' neurocognitive characteristics of executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Li
- Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
| | - Kwun Kei Ng
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joey Ju Yu Wong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Wen Lee
- Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
| | - Juan Helen Zhou
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - W Quin Yow
- Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore.
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15
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Liu C, Jiao L, Timmer K, Wang R. Structural brain changes with second language learning: A longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 222:105015. [PMID: 34520976 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105015] [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: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The underlying mechanisms that adapt with L2 learning are still poorly understood. The present longitudinal study examined the effects of L2 learning on grey matter structure of Chinese college freshmen majoring in English. Participants were scanned twice, one year apart. Our voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed that gray matter volume (GMV) decreased in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) after L2 learning for one year. Critically, these structural adaptations correlated with changes in participants' language control ability across L2 learning. Moreover, age of acquisition of L2 was a significant predictor of volumetric change in the left ACC and L2 proficiency was a significant predictor of volumetric change in the right IFG. Overall, these findings enrich our understanding of the dynamic nature of structural brain adaptations, and the mechanisms these adaptations index, as a function of classroom L2 learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Liu
- Department of Psychology, Normal College & School of Teacher Education, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China; Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Jiao
- Department of Psychology, Normal College & School of Teacher Education, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Kalinka Timmer
- Psychology of Language and Bilingualism Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Ruiming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
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16
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Is Instructional Scaffolding a Better Strategy for Teaching Writing to EFL Learners? A Functional MRI Study in Healthy Young Adults. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11111378. [PMID: 34827377 PMCID: PMC8615726 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To test the scaffolding theory when applied to the teaching and learning of writing English as a foreign language, this cross-sectional study was conducted to collect physiological data. A total of 53 participants were randomly assigned into two groups, and brain activity was investigated during a guided-writing task using storytelling pictures. The writing task was further divided into four parts using graded levels of difficulty. The experimental group performed tasks in sequence from easy to difficult, whereas the comparison group performed the tasks at random. Outcomes included handwriting assessments and fMRI measurements. Writing outcome assessments were analyzed using SPSS, and scanned images were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) software. The results revealed a positive learning effect associated with scaffolding instruction. The experimental group performed better during the writing tasks, and the fMRI images showed less intense and weaker reactions in the language processing region than were observed in the comparison group. The fMRI results also presented the experimental group with reduced motor and cognitive functions when writing in English. This study provides insight regarding brain activity during writing tasks in humans and may have implications for English-language instruction.
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17
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Jeong J, Banerjee S, Lee M, O'Hara N, Behen M, Juhász C, Dong M. Deep reasoning neural network analysis to predict language deficits from psychometry-driven DWI connectome of young children with persistent language concerns. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:3326-3338. [PMID: 33949048 PMCID: PMC8193535 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated whether current state-of-the-art deep reasoning network analysis on psychometry-driven diffusion tractography connectome can accurately predict expressive and receptive language scores in a cohort of young children with persistent language concerns (n = 31, age: 4.25 ± 2.38 years). A dilated convolutional neural network combined with a relational network (dilated CNN + RN) was trained to reason the nonlinear relationship between "dilated CNN features of language network" and "clinically acquired language score". Three-fold cross-validation was then used to compare the Pearson correlation and mean absolute error (MAE) between dilated CNN + RN-predicted and actual language scores. The dilated CNN + RN outperformed other methods providing the most significant correlation between predicted and actual scores (i.e., Pearson's R/p-value: 1.00/<.001 and .99/<.001 for expressive and receptive language scores, respectively) and yielding MAE: 0.28 and 0.28 for the same scores. The strength of the relationship suggests elevated probability in the prediction of both expressive and receptive language scores (i.e., 1.00 and 1.00, respectively). Specifically, sparse connectivity not only within the right precentral gyrus but also involving the right caudate had the strongest relationship between deficit in both the expressive and receptive language domains. Subsequent subgroup analyses inferred that the effectiveness of the dilated CNN + RN-based prediction of language score(s) was independent of time interval (between MRI and language assessment) and age of MRI, suggesting that the dilated CNN + RN using psychometry-driven diffusion tractography connectome may be useful for prediction of the presence of language disorder, and possibly provide a better understanding of the neurological mechanisms of language deficits in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong‐Won Jeong
- Departments of PediatricsWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- NeurologyWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- Translational Neuroscience ProgramWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- Translational Imaging LaboratoryChildren's Hospital of MichiganDetroitMichiganUSA
| | | | - Min‐Hee Lee
- Departments of PediatricsWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- Translational Imaging LaboratoryChildren's Hospital of MichiganDetroitMichiganUSA
| | - Nolan O'Hara
- Translational Neuroscience ProgramWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- Translational Imaging LaboratoryChildren's Hospital of MichiganDetroitMichiganUSA
| | - Michael Behen
- Departments of PediatricsWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- NeurologyWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- Translational Imaging LaboratoryChildren's Hospital of MichiganDetroitMichiganUSA
| | - Csaba Juhász
- Departments of PediatricsWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- NeurologyWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- Translational Neuroscience ProgramWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
- Translational Imaging LaboratoryChildren's Hospital of MichiganDetroitMichiganUSA
| | - Ming Dong
- Computer ScienceWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
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18
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Bilingualism is a long-term cognitively challenging experience that modulates metabolite concentrations in the healthy brain. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7090. [PMID: 33782462 PMCID: PMC8007713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86443-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitively demanding experiences, including complex skill acquisition and processing, have been shown to induce brain adaptations, at least at the macroscopic level, e.g. on brain volume and/or functional connectivity. However, the neurobiological bases of these adaptations, including at the cellular level, are unclear and understudied. Here we use bilingualism as a case study to investigate the metabolic correlates of experience-based brain adaptations. We employ Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to measure metabolite concentrations in the basal ganglia, a region critical to language control which is reshaped by bilingualism. Our results show increased myo-Inositol and decreased N-acetyl aspartate concentrations in bilinguals compared to monolinguals. Both metabolites are linked to synaptic pruning, a process underlying experience-based brain restructuring. Interestingly, both concentrations correlate with relative amount of bilingual engagement. This suggests that degree of long-term cognitive experiences matters at the level of metabolic concentrations, which might accompany, if not drive, macroscopic brain adaptations.
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19
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Tao L, Wang G, Zhu M, Cai Q. Bilingualism and domain-general cognitive functions from a neural perspective: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:264-295. [PMID: 33631315 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A large body of research has indicated that bilingualism - through continual practice in language control - may impact cognitive functions, as well as relevant aspects of brain function and structure. The present review aimed to bring together findings on the relationship between bilingualism and domain-general cognitive functions from a neural perspective. The final sample included 210 studies, covering findings regarding neural responses to bilingual language control and/or domain-general cognitive tasks, as well as findings regarding effects of bilingualism on non-task-related brain function and brain structure. The evidence indicates that a) bilingual language control likely entails neural mechanisms responsible for domain-general cognitive functions; b) bilingual experiences impact neural responses to domain-general cognitive functions; and c) bilingual experiences impact non-task-related brain function (both resting-state and metabolic function) as well as aspects of brain structure (both macrostructure and microstructure), each of which may in turn impact mental processes, including domain-general cognitive functions. Such functional and structural neuroplasticity associated with bilingualism may contribute to both cognitive and neural reserves, producing benefits across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Tao
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Gongting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Miaomiao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Qing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China; Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, East China Normal University, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, China.
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20
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Claussenius-Kalman HL, Vaughn KA, Archila-Suerte P, Hernandez AE. Highly proficient, balanced bilingualism is related to thinner cortex in two cognitive control regions. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2021; 1485:83-94. [PMID: 32978797 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Whereas some bilinguals have one language that is dominant, others attain high proficiency in both languages. This variation is likely explained by a combination of environmental and genetic factors; however, there is a lapse in research on the neural underpinnings of bilingual proficiency. No study to date has examined how highly proficient bilingualism that is balanced relates to brain morphology in adults. Our present study analyzed the brains of 200 Spanish-English bilingual adults. Bilingual proficiency was measured and weighted by the degree of balance across the two languages. It was found that having higher dual language proficiency was related to thinner cortex in two regions: the left anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Neither English nor Spanish proficiency alone could account for neuroanatomical differences. Our findings suggest that thinner cortex of the left anterior PFC and the right ACC in adults with highly proficient, balanced bilingualism is how the adult brain reflects a lifetime of learning to flexibly adapt and utilize both languages and suggests the involvement of these structures in maintaining and increasing dual language proficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelly A Vaughn
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
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21
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Jouravlev O, Mineroff Z, Blank IA, Fedorenko E. The Small and Efficient Language Network of Polyglots and Hyper-polyglots. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:62-76. [PMID: 32820332 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquiring a foreign language is challenging for many adults. Yet certain individuals choose to acquire sometimes dozens of languages and often just for fun. Is there something special about the minds and brains of such polyglots? Using robust individual-level markers of language activity, measured with fMRI, we compared native language processing in polyglots versus matched controls. Polyglots (n = 17, including nine "hyper-polyglots" with proficiency in 10-55 languages) used fewer neural resources to process language: Their activations were smaller in both magnitude and extent. This difference was spatially and functionally selective: The groups were similar in their activation of two other brain networks-the multiple demand network and the default mode network. We hypothesize that the activation reduction in the language network is experientially driven, such that the acquisition and use of multiple languages makes language processing generally more efficient. However, genetic and longitudinal studies will be critical to distinguish this hypothesis from the one whereby polyglots' brains already differ at birth or early in development. This initial characterization of polyglots' language network opens the door to future investigations of the cognitive and neural architecture of individuals who gain mastery of multiple languages, including changes in this architecture with linguistic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olessia Jouravlev
- Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S5B6, Canada
| | - Zachary Mineroff
- Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Idan A Blank
- Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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22
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Yamasaki BL, Stocco A, Liu AS, Prat CS. Effects of bilingual language experience on basal ganglia computations: A dynamic causal modeling test of the conditional routing model. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 197:104665. [PMID: 31470347 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.104665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Bilingual language control is characterized by the ability to select from amongst competing representations based on the current language in use. According to the Conditional Routing Model (CRM), this feat is underpinned by basal-ganglia signal-routing mechanisms, and may have implications for cognitive flexibility. The current experiment used dynamic causal modeling of fMRI data to compare network-level brain functioning in monolinguals and bilinguals during a task that required productive (semantic decision) and receptive (language) switches. Consistent with the CRM, results showed that: (1) both switch types drove activation in the basal ganglia, (2) bilinguals and monolinguals differed in the strength of influence of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on basal ganglia, and (3) differences in bilingual language experience were marginally related to the strength of influence of the switching drives onto basal ganglia. Additionally, a task-by-group interaction was found, suggesting that when bilinguals engaged in language-switching, their task-switching costs were reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna L Yamasaki
- Department of Psychology, Box 351525, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, Box 357988, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Psychology and Human Development, 230 Appleton Place, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.
| | - Andrea Stocco
- Department of Psychology, Box 351525, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, Box 357988, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Allison S Liu
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, Box 357988, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Chantel S Prat
- Department of Psychology, Box 351525, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, Box 357988, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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23
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Hayakawa S, Marian V. Consequences of multilingualism for neural architecture. Behav Brain Funct 2019; 15:6. [PMID: 30909931 PMCID: PMC6432751 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-019-0157-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Language has the power to shape cognition, behavior, and even the form and function of the brain. Technological and scientific developments have recently yielded an increasingly diverse set of tools with which to study the way language changes neural structures and processes. Here, we review research investigating the consequences of multilingualism as revealed by brain imaging. A key feature of multilingual cognition is that two or more languages can become activated at the same time, requiring mechanisms to control interference. Consequently, extensive experience managing multiple languages can influence cognitive processes as well as their neural correlates. We begin with a brief discussion of how bilinguals activate language, and of the brain regions implicated in resolving language conflict. We then review evidence for the pervasive impact of bilingual experience on the function and structure of neural networks that support linguistic and non-linguistic cognitive control, speech processing and production, and language learning. We conclude that even seemingly distinct effects of language on cognitive operations likely arise from interdependent functions, and that future work directly exploring the interactions between multiple levels of processing could offer a more comprehensive view of how language molds the mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayuri Hayakawa
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Viorica Marian
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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