Neuroplasticity, bilingualism, and mental mathematics: A behavior-MEG study

Detecting Smartwatch-based Behavior Change in Response to a Multi-domain Brain Health Intervention

In this study, we introduce and validate a computational method to detect lifestyle change that occurs in response to a multi-domain healthy brain aging intervention. To detect behavior change, digital behavior markers (DM) are extracted from smartwatch sensor data and a Permutation-based Change Detection (PCD) algorithm quantifies the change in marker-based behavior from a pre-intervention, one-week baseline. To validate the method, we verify that changes are successfully detected from synthetic data with known pattern differences. Next, we employ this method to detect overall behavior change for n=28 BHI subjects and n=17 age-matched control subjects. For these individuals, we observe a monotonic increase in behavior change from the baseline week with a slope of 0.7460 for the intervention group and a slope of 0.0230 for the control group. Finally, we utilize a random forest algorithm to perform leave-one-subject-out prediction of intervention versus control subjects based on digital marker delta values. The random forest predicts whether the subject is in the intervention or control group with an accuracy of 0.87. This work has implications for capturing objective, continuous data to inform our understanding of intervention adoption and impact.

Reevaluating the Language of Learning Advantage in Bilingual Arithmetic: An ERP Study on Spoken Multiplication Verification

Many studies of bilingual arithmetic report better performance when verifying arithmetic facts in the language of learning (LA+) over the other language (LA−). This could be due to language-specific memory representations, processes established during learning, or to language and task factors not related to math. The current study builds on a small number of event-related potential (ERP) studies to test this question while controlling language proficiency and eliminating potential task confounds. Adults proficient in two languages verified single-digit multiplications presented as spoken number words in LA+ and LA−, separately. ERPs and correctness judgments were measured from solution onset. Equivalent P300 effects, with larger positive amplitude for correct than incorrect solutions, were observed in both languages (Experiment 1A), even when stimuli presentation rate was shortened to increase difficulty (Experiment 1B). This effect paralleled the arithmetic correctness effect for trials presented as all digits (e.g., 2 4 8 versus 2 4 10), reflecting efficient categorization of the solutions, and was distinct from an N400 generated in a word–picture matching task, reflecting meaning processing (Experiment 2). The findings reveal that the language effects on arithmetic are likely driven by language and task factors rather than differences in memory representation in each language.