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García AM, Ferrante FJ, Pérez G, Ponferrada J, Sosa Welford A, Pelella N, Caccia M, Belloli LML, Calcaterra C, González Santibáñez C, Echegoyen R, Cerrutti MJ, Johann F, Hesse E, Carrillo F. Toolkit to Examine Lifelike Language v.2.0: Optimizing Speech Biomarkers of Neurodegeneration. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2024:1-13. [PMID: 39348797 DOI: 10.1159/000541581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 10/02/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Toolkit to Examine Lifelike Language (TELL) is a web-based application providing speech biomarkers of neurodegeneration. After deployment of TELL v.1.0 in over 20 sites, we now introduce TELL v.2.0. METHODS First, we describe the app's usability features, including functions for collecting and processing data onsite, offline, and via videoconference. Second, we summarize its clinical survey, tapping on relevant habits (e.g., smoking, sleep) alongside linguistic predictors of performance (language history, use, proficiency, and difficulties). Third, we detail TELL's speech-based assessments, each combining strategic tasks and features capturing diagnostically relevant domains (motor function, semantic memory, episodic memory, and emotional processing). Fourth, we specify the app's new data analysis, visualization, and download options. Finally, we list core challenges and opportunities for development. RESULTS Overall, TELL v.2.0 offers scalable, objective, and multidimensional insights for the field. CONCLUSION Through its technical and scientific breakthroughs, this tool can enhance disease detection, phenotyping, and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo M García
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Franco J Ferrante
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- School of Engineering, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo Pérez
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- School of Engineering, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Joaquín Ponferrada
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Nicolás Pelella
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Matías Caccia
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laouen Mayal Louan Belloli
- Institut du Cerveau, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Computación, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Calcaterra
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- TELL Toolkit SA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Catalina González Santibáñez
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Escuela de Postgrado, Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Raúl Echegoyen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- TELL Toolkit SA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Fernando Johann
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- TELL Toolkit SA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- School of Engineering, ORT University, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Eugenia Hesse
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Matemática y Ciencias, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo Carrillo
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Computación, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Waisbren SE, Christ SE, Bilder DA, Bjoraker KJ, Bolton S, Chamberlin S, Grant ML, Janzen DM, Katz R, Lubliner E, Martin A, McQueen K, Moshkovich O, Nguyen-Driver M, Shim S, Stefanatos AK, Wilkening G, Harding C. Neurocognitive assessment platform for clinical trials in PKU: White paper developed by the NPKUA neurocognitive workgroup. Mol Genet Metab 2024; 143:108555. [PMID: 39089209 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2024.108555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Waisbren
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America.
| | - Shawn E Christ
- Clinical Neuropsychology Laboratory, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States of America
| | - Deborah A Bilder
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Kendra J Bjoraker
- 3:1 Neuropsychology Consultants, PLLC, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Scout Bolton
- Clinical Neuropsychology Laboratory, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States of America
| | - Sarah Chamberlin
- flok Health.org (advocacy and research organization), Montclair, NJ, United States of America
| | - Mitzie L Grant
- Tower Health Medical Group, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, and Drexel College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Darren M Janzen
- Doernbecher Children's Hospital and Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
| | - Rachel Katz
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Eugene Lubliner
- Lubliner Psychological Services, Miller Place, NY and Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, United States of America
| | - Arianna Martin
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology, Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | | | - Olga Moshkovich
- ICON Insights, Evidence and Value, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Mina Nguyen-Driver
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
| | - Soo Shim
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Division of Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | | | - Greta Wilkening
- Children's Hospital of Colorado, University of Colorado Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Cary Harding
- Doernbecher Children's Hospital and Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
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García AM, Johann F, Echegoyen R, Calcaterra C, Riera P, Belloli L, Carrillo F. Toolkit to Examine Lifelike Language (TELL): An app to capture speech and language markers of neurodegeneration. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:2886-2900. [PMID: 37759106 PMCID: PMC11200269 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02240-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Automated speech and language analysis (ASLA) is a promising approach for capturing early markers of neurodegenerative diseases. However, its potential remains underexploited in research and translational settings, partly due to the lack of a unified tool for data collection, encryption, processing, download, and visualization. Here we introduce the Toolkit to Examine Lifelike Language (TELL) v.1.0.0, a web-based app designed to bridge such a gap. First, we outline general aspects of its development. Second, we list the steps to access and use the app. Third, we specify its data collection protocol, including a linguistic profile survey and 11 audio recording tasks. Fourth, we describe the outputs the app generates for researchers (downloadable files) and for clinicians (real-time metrics). Fifth, we survey published findings obtained through its tasks and metrics. Sixth, we refer to TELL's current limitations and prospects for expansion. Overall, with its current and planned features, TELL aims to facilitate ASLA for research and clinical aims in the neurodegeneration arena. A demo version can be accessed here: https://demo.sci.tellapp.org/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo M García
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, 505 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
- TELL Toolkit SA, Beethovenstraat, Netherlands.
| | - Fernando Johann
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- TELL Toolkit SA, Beethovenstraat, Netherlands
| | - Raúl Echegoyen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- TELL Toolkit SA, Beethovenstraat, Netherlands
| | - Cecilia Calcaterra
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- TELL Toolkit SA, Beethovenstraat, Netherlands
| | - Pablo Riera
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Computación (ICC), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laouen Belloli
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Computación (ICC), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo Carrillo
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Computación (ICC), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Palmirotta C, Aresta S, Battista P, Tagliente S, Lagravinese G, Mongelli D, Gelao C, Fiore P, Castiglioni I, Minafra B, Salvatore C. Unveiling the Diagnostic Potential of Linguistic Markers in Identifying Individuals with Parkinson's Disease through Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2024; 14:137. [PMID: 38391712 PMCID: PMC10886733 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14020137] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
While extensive research has documented the cognitive changes associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), a relatively small portion of the empirical literature investigated the language abilities of individuals with PD. Recently, artificial intelligence applied to linguistic data has shown promising results in predicting the clinical diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders, but a deeper investigation of the current literature available on PD is lacking. This systematic review investigates the nature of language disorders in PD by assessing the contribution of machine learning (ML) to the classification of patients with PD. A total of 10 studies published between 2016 and 2023 were included in this review. Tasks used to elicit language were mainly structured or unstructured narrative discourse. Transcriptions were mostly analyzed using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. The classification accuracy (%) ranged from 43 to 94, sensitivity (%) ranged from 8 to 95, specificity (%) ranged from 3 to 100, AUC (%) ranged from 32 to 97. The most frequent optimal linguistic measures were lexico-semantic (40%), followed by NLP-extracted features (26%) and morphological consistency features (20%). Artificial intelligence applied to linguistic markers provides valuable insights into PD. However, analyzing measures derived from narrative discourse can be time-consuming, and utilizing ML requires specialized expertise. Moving forward, it is important to focus on facilitating the integration of both narrative discourse analysis and artificial intelligence into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Palmirotta
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Simona Aresta
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Petronilla Battista
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Serena Tagliente
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Gianvito Lagravinese
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Davide Mongelli
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Christian Gelao
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Neurorehabilitation Unit of Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Pietro Fiore
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Neurorehabilitation Unit of Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
- Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Isabella Castiglioni
- Department of Physics G. Occhialini, University of Milan-Bicocca, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Brigida Minafra
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Neurorehabilitation Unit of Bari Institute, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Christian Salvatore
- Department of Science, Technology and Society, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- DeepTrace Technologies S.R.L., 20122 Milan, Italy
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Toro-Hernández FD, Migeot J, Marchant N, Olivares D, Ferrante F, González-Gómez R, González Campo C, Fittipaldi S, Rojas-Costa GM, Moguilner S, Slachevsky A, Chaná Cuevas P, Ibáñez A, Chaigneau S, García AM. Neurocognitive correlates of semantic memory navigation in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2024; 10:15. [PMID: 38195756 PMCID: PMC10776628 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-024-00630-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive studies on Parkinson's disease (PD) reveal abnormal semantic processing. Most research, however, fails to indicate which conceptual properties are most affected and capture patients' neurocognitive profiles. Here, we asked persons with PD, healthy controls, and individuals with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD, as a disease control group) to read concepts (e.g., 'sun') and list their features (e.g., hot). Responses were analyzed in terms of ten word properties (including concreteness, imageability, and semantic variability), used for group-level comparisons, subject-level classification, and brain-behavior correlations. PD (but not bvFTD) patients produced more concrete and imageable words than controls, both patterns being associated with overall cognitive status. PD and bvFTD patients showed reduced semantic variability, an anomaly which predicted semantic inhibition outcomes. Word-property patterns robustly classified PD (but not bvFTD) patients and correlated with disease-specific hypoconnectivity along the sensorimotor and salience networks. Fine-grained semantic assessments, then, can reveal distinct neurocognitive signatures of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Diego Toro-Hernández
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joaquín Migeot
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Latin American Brain Health Institute, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicolás Marchant
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela Olivares
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Clínicas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Franco Ferrante
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Raúl González-Gómez
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Latin American Brain Health Institute, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cecilia González Campo
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sol Fittipaldi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; & Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gonzalo M Rojas-Costa
- Department of Radiology, Clínica las Condes, Santiago, Chile
- Advanced Epilepsy Center, Clínica las Condes, Santiago, Chile
- Join Unit FISABIO-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
- School of Medicine, Finis Terrae University, Santiago, Chile
- Health Innovation Center, Clínica Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Moguilner
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; & Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Andrea Slachevsky
- Memory and Neuropsychiatric Center (CMYN), Neurology Department, Hospital del Salvador & Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (LANNEC), Physiopatology Program - Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Neuroscience and East Neuroscience Departments, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Neurology and Psychiatry Department, Clínica Alemana-Universidad Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pedro Chaná Cuevas
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; & Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sergio Chaigneau
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Cognition Research, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adolfo M García
- Latin American Brain Health Institute, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile.
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; & Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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García AM, de Leon J, Tee BL, Blasi DE, Gorno-Tempini ML. Speech and language markers of neurodegeneration: a call for global equity. Brain 2023; 146:4870-4879. [PMID: 37497623 PMCID: PMC10690018 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the field of neurodegeneration, speech and language assessments are useful for diagnosing aphasic syndromes and for characterizing other disorders. As a complement to classic tests, scalable and low-cost digital tools can capture relevant anomalies automatically, potentially supporting the quest for globally equitable markers of brain health. However, this promise remains unfulfilled due to limited linguistic diversity in scientific works and clinical instruments. Here we argue for cross-linguistic research as a core strategy to counter this problem. First, we survey the contributions of linguistic assessments in the study of primary progressive aphasia and the three most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders worldwide-Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Second, we address two forms of linguistic unfairness in the literature: the neglect of most of the world's 7000 languages and the preponderance of English-speaking cohorts. Third, we review studies showing that linguistic dysfunctions in a given disorder may vary depending on the patient's language and that English speakers offer a suboptimal benchmark for other language groups. Finally, we highlight different approaches, tools and initiatives for cross-linguistic research, identifying core challenges for their deployment. Overall, we seek to inspire timely actions to counter a looming source of inequity in behavioural neurology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo M García
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9160000, Chile
- Latin American Brain Health (BrainLat) Institute, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Avenida Diagonal Las Torres 2640 (7941169), Santiago, Peñalolén, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Jessica de Leon
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Boon Lead Tee
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Damián E Blasi
- Data Science Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Ibáñez A, Kühne K, Miklashevsky A, Monaco E, Muraki E, Ranzini M, Speed LJ, Tuena C. Ecological Meanings: A Consensus Paper on Individual Differences and Contextual Influences in Embodied Language. J Cogn 2023; 6:59. [PMID: 37841670 PMCID: PMC10573819 DOI: 10.5334/joc.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Embodied theories of cognition consider many aspects of language and other cognitive domains as the result of sensory and motor processes. In this view, the appraisal and the use of concepts are based on mechanisms of simulation grounded on prior sensorimotor experiences. Even though these theories continue receiving attention and support, increasing evidence indicates the need to consider the flexible nature of the simulation process, and to accordingly refine embodied accounts. In this consensus paper, we discuss two potential sources of variability in experimental studies on embodiment of language: individual differences and context. Specifically, we show how factors contributing to individual differences may explain inconsistent findings in embodied language phenomena. These factors include sensorimotor or cultural experiences, imagery, context-related factors, and cognitive strategies. We also analyze the different contextual modulations, from single words to sentences and narratives, as well as the top-down and bottom-up influences. Similarly, we review recent efforts to include cultural and language diversity, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and brain disorders, as well as bilingual evidence into the embodiment framework. We address the importance of considering individual differences and context in clinical studies to drive translational research more efficiently, and we indicate recommendations on how to correctly address these issues in future research. Systematically investigating individual differences and context may contribute to understanding the dynamic nature of simulation in language processes, refining embodied theories of cognition, and ultimately filling the gap between cognition in artificial experimental settings and cognition in the wild (i.e., in everyday life).
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés and CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), California, US
- Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland, IE
| | - Katharina Kühne
- Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group, Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, DE
| | - Alex Miklashevsky
- Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group, Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, DE
| | - Elisa Monaco
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Neurological Sciences, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, CH
| | - Emiko Muraki
- Department of Psychology & Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, CA
| | | | | | - Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, IT
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D’Ascanio S, Piras F, Banaj N, Assogna F, Pellicano C, Bassi A, Spalletta G, Piras F. Narrative discourse production in Parkinson's disease: Decoupling the role of cognitive-linguistic and motor speech changes. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18633. [PMID: 37576215 PMCID: PMC10415819 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction the interplay between neuropsychological and communicative abilities in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been relatively overlooked, and it is not entirely understood which difficulties are consequent to impaired motor control, and which have a linguistic/cognitive basis. Here, we examined narrative discourse in PD using a multi-level analysis procedure considering sentence-level (productivity, lexical-grammatical processing) and discourse-level processes (narrative organization, informativeness), and partialling out patients' motor speech impairments. The interaction between cognitive (i.e. linguistic and executive) and communication abilities was also investigated. Methods Twenty-nine PD subjects in the mild stage of the disease were compared to 29 matched healthy comparators (HC) on quantitative measures of narrative discourse derived from two picture description tasks. Multivariate (considering articulation rate and educational attainment as covariates) and univariate (with group membership as independent variable) analyses of variance were conducted on separate linguistic domains. The contribution of executive/linguistic abilities to PD's narrative performance was explored by multiple regression analyses on narrative measures significantly differentiating patients from HC. Results significant reductions in patients were observed on measures of productivity (less well-formed words, shorter sentences) and informativeness (fewer conceptual units, less informative elements, lower number of details) and these alterations were explained by variations in linguistic abilities (action and object naming) rather than executive abilities. Articulation rate and educational attainment did not impact the observed reduced productivity and under-informativeness. Conclusion referential narrative discourse is altered in PD, regardless of motor impairments in speech production. The observed reductions in productivity/informativeness aspects of narratives were related to naming abilities and in particular to verbs processing, consistently with the neurocognitive model of motor language coupling. Since narratives are amenable to recurrent and automated analysis for the identification of linguistic patterns potentially anticipating the development of PD and the onset of cognitive deterioration, discourse abilities should be quantitatively and repeatedly profiled in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara D’Ascanio
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Piras
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Nerisa Banaj
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Assogna
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Clelia Pellicano
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Bassi
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Spalletta
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Federica Piras
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Escobar-Grisales D, Ríos-Urrego CD, Orozco-Arroyave JR. Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence Applied to Model Speech and Language in Parkinson's Disease. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2163. [PMID: 37443557 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13132163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the world, and it is characterized by the production of different motor and non-motor symptoms which negatively affect speech and language production. For decades, the research community has been working on methodologies to automatically model these biomarkers to detect and monitor the disease; however, although speech impairments have been widely explored, language remains underexplored despite being a valuable source of information, especially to assess cognitive impairments associated with non-motor symptoms. This study proposes the automatic assessment of PD patients using different methodologies to model speech and language biomarkers. One-dimensional and two-dimensional convolutional neural networks (CNNs), along with pre-trained models such as Wav2Vec 2.0, BERT, and BETO, were considered to classify PD patients vs. Healthy Control (HC) subjects. The first approach consisted of modeling speech and language independently. Then, the best representations from each modality were combined following early, joint, and late fusion strategies. The results show that the speech modality yielded an accuracy of up to 88%, thus outperforming all language representations, including the multi-modal approach. These results suggest that speech representations better discriminate PD patients and HC subjects than language representations. When analyzing the fusion strategies, we observed that changes in the time span of the multi-modal representation could produce a significant loss of information in the speech modality, which was likely linked to a decrease in accuracy in the multi-modal experiments. Further experiments are necessary to validate this claim with other fusion methods using different time spans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan Rafael Orozco-Arroyave
- GITA Lab, Faculty of Engineering, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
- LME Lab, University of Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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10
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Fittipaldi S, Baez S, Gonzalez-Silva C, Duran-Aniotz C. Latin American women in dementia research: outstanding contributions, barriers, and opportunities from Argentinian, Chilean, and Colombian colleagues. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1168414. [PMID: 37358953 PMCID: PMC10285056 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1168414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Women's contributions to science have been consistently underrepresented throughout history. Despite many efforts and some progresses being made to reduce gender inequity in science, pursuing an academic career across disciplines, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias, remains challenging for women. Idiosyncratic difficulties of Latin American countries likely accentuate the gender gap. In this Perspective, we celebrate outstanding contributions from Argentinian, Chilean, and Colombian colleagues in dementia research and discuss barriers and opportunities identified by them. We aim to acknowledge Latin American women's work and bring visibility to the challenges they face throughout their careers in order to inform potential solutions. Also, we highlight the need to perform a systematic assessment of the gender gap in the Latin American dementia community of researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sol Fittipaldi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andres (UdeSA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sandra Baez
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Carolina Gonzalez-Silva
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Duran-Aniotz
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile
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11
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Henkel J, Hartmann C, Niccolai V, van de Vijver R, Schnitzler A, Biermann-Ruben K. Reduced syntactic recursion in spontaneous speech of Parkinson's disease patients. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 236:103931. [PMID: 37148642 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103931] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although characterized as a movement disorder, Parkinson's disease (PD) affects more than just the motor system. Within the heterogenous non-motor symptoms, language impairment is frequent but poorly understood beyond semantic processing. This study investigates the impact of PD on syntactic subordination in spontaneous language production. Fifteen PD patients in ON levodopa status narrated a short story guided by a set of pictures. Thirteen PD patients were also assessed in OFF levodopa status. Narrations were digitally recorded, subsequently transcribed and annotated, making the produced speech accessible to systematical quantitative analysis. Compared to a healthy matched control group, PD patients showed a significant reduction of subordinating structures while the number of non-embedding sentences remained unaffected. No significant effect comparing ON versus OFF levodopa status emerged. Our results suggest a contribution of the basal ganglia to language processing, such as syntactic composition, which, however, does not seem to be dopamine dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Henkel
- Department of Neurology and Center of Brain, Behaviour and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Germany; Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Christian Hartmann
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, University Medical Center Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Valentina Niccolai
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ruben van de Vijver
- Institute of Language and Information, Philosophical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alfons Schnitzler
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, University Medical Center Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Katja Biermann-Ruben
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
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12
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Aveni K, Ahmed J, Borovsky A, McRae K, Jenkins ME, Sprengel K, Fraser JA, Orange JB, Knowles T, Roberts AC. Predictive language comprehension in Parkinson's disease. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0262504. [PMID: 36753529 PMCID: PMC9907838 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Verb and action knowledge deficits are reported in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD), even in the absence of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. However, the impact of these deficits on combinatorial semantic processing is less well understood. Following on previous verb and action knowledge findings, we tested the hypothesis that PD impairs the ability to integrate event-based thematic fit information during online sentence processing. Specifically, we anticipated persons with PD with age-typical cognitive abilities would perform more poorly than healthy controls during a visual world paradigm task requiring participants to predict a target object constrained by the thematic fit of the agent-verb combination. Twenty-four PD and 24 healthy age-matched participants completed comprehensive neuropsychological assessments. We recorded participants' eye movements as they heard predictive sentences (The fisherman rocks the boat) alongside target, agent-related, verb-related, and unrelated images. We tested effects of group (PD/control) on gaze using growth curve models. There were no significant differences between PD and control participants, suggesting that PD participants successfully and rapidly use combinatory thematic fit information to predict upcoming language. Baseline sentences with no predictive information (e.g., Look at the drum) confirmed that groups showed equivalent sentence processing and eye movement patterns. Additionally, we conducted an exploratory analysis contrasting PD and controls' performance on low-motion-content versus high-motion-content verbs. This analysis revealed fewer predictive fixations in high-motion sentences only for healthy older adults. PD participants may adapt to their disease by relying on spared, non-action-simulation-based language processing mechanisms, although this conclusion is speculative, as the analyses of high- vs. low-motion items was highly limited by the study design. These findings provide novel evidence that individuals with PD match healthy adults in their ability to use verb meaning to predict upcoming nouns despite previous findings of verb semantic impairment in PD across a variety of tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine Aveni
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Juweiriya Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Arielle Borovsky
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Ken McRae
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Mary E. Jenkins
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Katherine Sprengel
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - J. Alexander Fraser
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, Western University, St. Jo122seph’s Health Care, London, ON, Canada
| | - Joseph B. Orange
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Thea Knowles
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Angela C. Roberts
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Chapman KA, MacEachern D, Cox GF, Waller M, Fogarty J, Granger S, Stepanians M, Waisbren S. Neuropsychological endpoints for clinical trials in methylmalonic acidemia and propionic acidemia: A pilot study. Mol Genet Metab Rep 2023; 34:100953. [PMID: 36659999 PMCID: PMC9842695 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgmr.2022.100953] [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: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This pilot study assessed instruments measuring relatively discrete neuropsychological domains to inform the selection of clinical outcome assessments that may be considered for interventional trials in methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) and propionic acidemia (PA). Methods Tests and questionnaires were selected for their possible relevance to MMA and PA and potential sensitivity to modest changes in functioning and behavior. Results Twenty-one patients (<18 years, n = 10;>18 years, n = 11) and/or their caregivers responded to video interviews and paper tests. Language deficits and significant motor deficits in some participants impacted scoring, especially in the verbal and processing speed sections of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). However, all participants ≥12 years of age were able to complete the Cookie Theft Picture Task. Thus, verbal discourse remains a potentially useful endpoint for participants in this age group. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS-3) Adaptive Behavior Composite and Communication Scores confirmed delayed or immature functioning in day-to-day activities in these participants. Significant motor deficits prevented completion of some tests. Computerized processing speed tasks, which require pressing a button or tapping a computer screen, may be easier than writing or checking off boxes on paper in this cohort. Sleep characteristics among MMA participants were within normative ranges of the Child and Adolescent Sleep Checklist (CASC), indicating that this measurement would not provide valuable data in a clinical trial. Despite their challenges, responses to the Metabolic Quality of Life Questionnaire indicated these patients and their caregivers perceive an overall high quality of life. Conclusion Overall, test and questionnaire results were notably different between participants with MMA and participants with PA. The study demonstrates that pilot studies can detect instruments that may not be appropriate for individuals with language or motor deficits and that may not provide a broad range of scores reflecting disease severity. It also provides a rationale for focusing on discrete neuropsychological domains since some aspects of functioning were less affected than others and some were more closely related to disease severity. When global measures are used, overall scores may mask specific deficits. A pilot study like this one cannot ensure that scores will change over time in response to a specific treatment in a clinical trial. However, it can avert the selection of instruments that do not show associations with severity or biomedical parameters likely to be the target of a clinical trial. A pilot study can also identify when differences in diagnoses and baseline functioning need to be addressed prior to developing the analytical plan for the trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Chapman
- Children's National Rare Disease Institute, 7125 13th Pl NW, Washington DC 20012, USA,Corresponding author at: 7125 13th Place NW, Washington DC 20012, USA.
| | - Devon MacEachern
- PROMETRIKA, LLC, 100 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
| | - Gerald F. Cox
- HemoShear Therapeutics Inc., 501 Locust Ave #301, Charlottesville, VA 22902, USA,Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mavis Waller
- HemoShear Therapeutics Inc., 501 Locust Ave #301, Charlottesville, VA 22902, USA
| | - Jeanine Fogarty
- HemoShear Therapeutics Inc., 501 Locust Ave #301, Charlottesville, VA 22902, USA
| | - Suzanne Granger
- PROMETRIKA, LLC, 100 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
| | | | - Susan Waisbren
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
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García AM, Escobar-Grisales D, Vásquez Correa JC, Bocanegra Y, Moreno L, Carmona J, Orozco-Arroyave JR. Detecting Parkinson's disease and its cognitive phenotypes via automated semantic analyses of action stories. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2022; 8:163. [PMID: 36434017 PMCID: PMC9700793 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-022-00422-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Action-concept outcomes are useful targets to identify Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and differentiate between those with and without mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI, PD-nMCI). Yet, most approaches employ burdensome examiner-dependent tasks, limiting their utility. We introduce a framework capturing action-concept markers automatically in natural speech. Patients from both subgroups and controls retold an action-laden and a non-action-laden text (AT, nAT). In each retelling, we weighed action and non-action concepts through our automated Proximity-to-Reference-Semantic-Field (P-RSF) metric, for analysis via ANCOVAs (controlling for cognitive dysfunction) and support vector machines. Patients were differentiated from controls based on AT (but not nAT) P-RSF scores. The same occurred in PD-nMCI patients. Conversely, PD-MCI patients exhibited reduced P-RSF scores for both texts. Direct discrimination between patient subgroups was not systematic, but it yielded best outcomes via AT scores. Our approach outperformed classifiers based on corpus-derived embeddings. This framework opens scalable avenues to support PD diagnosis and phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo M. García
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, USA ,grid.441741.30000 0001 2325 2241Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina ,grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina ,grid.412179.80000 0001 2191 5013Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile ,grid.440617.00000 0001 2162 5606Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniel Escobar-Grisales
- grid.412881.60000 0000 8882 5269GITA Lab, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan Camilo Vásquez Correa
- grid.424271.60000 0004 6022 2780Fundación Vicomtech, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia, San Sebastián Spain
| | - Yamile Bocanegra
- grid.412881.60000 0000 8882 5269Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia ,grid.412881.60000 0000 8882 5269Grupo Neuropsicología y Conducta (GRUNECO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Leonardo Moreno
- grid.413124.10000 0004 1784 5448Sección de Neurología, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Jairo Carmona
- grid.412881.60000 0000 8882 5269Grupo Neuropsicología y Conducta (GRUNECO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan Rafael Orozco-Arroyave
- grid.412881.60000 0000 8882 5269GITA Lab, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellín, Colombia ,grid.5330.50000 0001 2107 3311Pattern Recognition Lab, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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15
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Ngo QC, Motin MA, Pah ND, Drotár P, Kempster P, Kumar D. Computerized analysis of speech and voice for Parkinson's disease: A systematic review. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 226:107133. [PMID: 36183641 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2022.107133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Speech impairment is an early symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study has summarized the literature related to speech and voice in detecting PD and assessing its severity. METHODS A systematic review of the literature from 2010 to 2021 to investigate analysis methods and signal features. The keywords "Automatic analysis" in conjunction with "PD speech" or "PD voice" were used, and the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched. A total of 838 papers were found on the first run, of which 189 were selected. One hundred and forty-seven were found to be suitable for the review. The different datasets, recording protocols, signal analysis methods and features that were reported are listed. Values of the features that separate PD patients from healthy controls were tabulated. Finally, the barriers that limit the wide use of computerized speech analysis are discussed. RESULTS Speech and voice may be valuable markers for PD. However, large differences between the datasets make it difficult to compare different studies. In addition, speech analytic methods that are not informed by physiological understanding may alienate clinicians. CONCLUSIONS The potential usefulness of speech and voice for the detection and assessment of PD is confirmed by evidence from the classification and correlation results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammod Abdul Motin
- Biosignals Lab, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology, Rajshahi 6204, Bangladesh
| | - Nemuel Daniel Pah
- Biosignals Lab, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; Universitas Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Peter Drotár
- Intelligent Information Systems Lab, Technical University of Kosice, Letna 9, 42001, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Peter Kempster
- Neurosciences Department, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Dinesh Kumar
- Biosignals Lab, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
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16
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Lowit A, Thies T, Steffen J, Scheele F, Roheger M, Kalbe E, Barbe M. Task-based profiles of language impairment and their relationship to cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276218. [PMID: 36301842 PMCID: PMC9612451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is associated with both motor and non-motor problems, such as cognitive impairment. Particular focus in this area has been on the relationship between language impairment and decline in other cognitive functions, with the literature currently inconclusive on how the nature and degree of language impairment relate to cognition or other measures of disease severity. In addition, little information is available on how language problems identified in experimental task set-ups relate to competency in self-generated language paradigms such as picture description, monologues or conversations. This study aimed to inform clinical management of language impairment in PD by exploring (1) language performance across a range of experimental as well as self-generated language tasks, (2) how the relationship between these two aspects might be affected by the nature of the cognitive and language assessment; and (3) to what degree performance can be predicted across the language tasks. Methods 22 non-demented people with PD (PwPD) and 22 healthy control participants performed a range of cognitive and language tasks. Cognitive tasks included a screening assessment in addition to tests for set shifting, short term memory, attention, as well as letter and category fluency. Language was investigated in highly controlled grammar tasks as well as a Sentence Generation and a Narrative. Results The study highlighted impaired ability in set-shifting and letter fluency in the executive function tasks, and a higher rate of grammatical and lexical errors across all language tasks in the PD group. The performance in the grammar task was linked to set shifting ability, but error rates in Sentence Generation and Narrative were independent of this. There was no relevant relationship between performances across the three language tasks. Conclusions Our results suggest that there is a link between executive function and language performance, but that this is task dependent in non-demented PwPD. This has implications for the management of language impairment in PD, both for assessment and for designing effective interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Lowit
- School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Tabea Thies
- Department of Phonetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Steffen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Franziska Scheele
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Gender Studies, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mandy Roheger
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Gender Studies, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Elke Kalbe
- Department of Medical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Gender Studies, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Barbe
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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17
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Automated methods for diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and predicting severity level. Neural Comput Appl 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00521-021-06626-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Sanz C, Carrillo F, Slachevsky A, Forno G, Gorno Tempini ML, Villagra R, Ibáñez A, Tagliazucchi E, García AM. Automated text-level semantic markers of Alzheimer's disease. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2022; 14:e12276. [PMID: 35059492 PMCID: PMC8759093 DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Automated speech analysis has emerged as a scalable, cost-effective tool to identify persons with Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD). Yet, most research is undermined by low interpretability and specificity. METHODS Combining statistical and machine learning analyses of natural speech data, we aimed to discriminate ADD patients from healthy controls (HCs) based on automated measures of domains typically affected in ADD: semantic granularity (coarseness of concepts) and ongoing semantic variability (conceptual closeness of successive words). To test for specificity, we replicated the analyses on Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. RESULTS Relative to controls, ADD (but not PD) patients exhibited significant differences in both measures. Also, these features robustly discriminated between ADD patients and HC, while yielding near-chance classification between PD patients and HCs. DISCUSSION Automated discourse-level semantic analyses can reveal objective, interpretable, and specific markers of ADD, bridging well-established neuropsychological targets with digital assessment tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Sanz
- Departamento de FísicaUniversidad de Buenos Aires and Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA‐CONICET)Pabellón ICiudad Universitaria (1428)CABABuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Facundo Carrillo
- Applied Artificial Intelligence Lab (ICC‐CONICET)Pabellón ICiudad Universitaria (1428)CABABuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Andrea Slachevsky
- Memory and Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Neurology Department, Hospital del Salvador (7500000), SSMO & Faculty of Medicine (8380000)University of ChileSantiagoChile
- Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO) (7500922)SantiagoChile
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (LANNEC), Physiopathology Department, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Neuroscience and East Neuroscience Departments, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile (7500922)University of ChileSantiagoChile
- Servicio de Neurología, Departamento de MedicinaClínica Alemana‐Universidad del Desarrollo (7550000)SantiagoChile
- East Neuroscience Department, Faculty of Medicine (7650567)University of ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Gonzalo Forno
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory (LANNEC), Physiopathology Department, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Neuroscience and East Neuroscience Departments, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile (7500922)University of ChileSantiagoChile
- School of PsychologyUniversidad de los Andes (7550000)SantiagoChile
- Alzheimer's and other cognitive disorders groupInstitute of Neurosciences (08035)University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini
- Memory and Aging CenterDepartment of Neurology (94143)University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Roque Villagra
- Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO) (7500922)SantiagoChile
- East Neuroscience Department, Faculty of Medicine (7650567)University of ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat) (7550000)Universidad Adolfo IbáñezSantiagoChile
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (1644)Universidad de San AndrésBuenos AiresArgentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (1425)Buenos AiresArgentina
- Global Brain Health Institute (94143)University of California‐San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; and Trinity College Dublin (D02), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Enzo Tagliazucchi
- Departamento de FísicaUniversidad de Buenos Aires and Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA‐CONICET)Pabellón ICiudad Universitaria (1428)CABABuenos AiresArgentina
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat) (7550000)Universidad Adolfo IbáñezSantiagoChile
| | - Adolfo M. García
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (1644)Universidad de San AndrésBuenos AiresArgentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (1425)Buenos AiresArgentina
- Global Brain Health Institute (94143)University of California‐San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; and Trinity College Dublin (D02), Dublin, Ireland
- Departamento de Lingüística y LiteraturaFacultad de Humanidades (9160000)Universidad de Santiago de ChileSantiagoChile
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19
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Geraudie A, Díaz Rivera M, Montembeault M, García AM. Language in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia: Another Stone to Be Turned in Latin America. Front Neurol 2021; 12:702770. [PMID: 34447348 PMCID: PMC8383282 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.702770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Beyond canonical deficits in social cognition and interpersonal conduct, behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) involves language difficulties in a substantial proportion of cases. However, since most evidence comes from high-income countries, the scope and relevance of language deficits in Latin American bvFTD samples remain poorly understood. As a first step toward reversing this scenario, we review studies reporting language measures in Latin American bvFTD cohorts relative to other groups. We identified 24 papers meeting systematic criteria, mainly targeting phonemic and semantic fluency, naming, semantic processing, and comprehension skills. The evidence shows widespread impairments in these domains, often related to overall cognitive disturbances. Some of these deficits may be as severe as in other diseases where they are more widely acknowledged, such as Alzheimer's disease. Considering the prevalence and informativeness of language deficits in bvFTD patients from other world regions, the need arises for more systematic research in Latin America, ideally spanning multiple domains, in diverse languages and dialects, with validated batteries. We outline key challenges and pathways of progress in this direction, laying the ground for a new regional research agenda on the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Geraudie
- Neurology Department, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Mariano Díaz Rivera
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maxime Montembeault
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Adolfo M. García
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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20
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Corrales-Astorgano M, Escudero-Mancebo D, González-Ferreras C, Cardeñoso Payo V, Martínez-Castilla P. Analysis of atypical prosodic patterns in the speech of people with Down syndrome. Biomed Signal Process Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2021.102913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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21
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Suárez-García DMA, Birba A, Zimerman M, Diazgranados JA, Lopes da Cunha P, Ibáñez A, Grisales-Cárdenas JS, Cardona JF, García AM. Rekindling Action Language: A Neuromodulatory Study on Parkinson's Disease Patients. Brain Sci 2021; 11:887. [PMID: 34356122 PMCID: PMC8301982 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairments of action semantics (a cognitive domain that critically engages motor brain networks) are pervasive in early Parkinson's disease (PD). However, no study has examined whether action semantic skills in persons with this disease can be influenced by non-invasive neuromodulation. Here, we recruited 22 PD patients and performed a five-day randomized, blinded, sham-controlled study to assess whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) over the primary motor cortex, combined with cognitive training, can boost action-concept processing. On day 1, participants completed a picture-word association (PWA) task involving action-verb and object-noun conditions. They were then randomly assigned to either an atDCS (n = 11, 2 mA for 20 m) or a sham tDCS (n = 11, 2 mA for 30 s) group and performed an online PWA practice over three days. On day 5, they repeated the initial protocol. Relative to sham tDCS, the atDCS group exhibited faster reaction times for action (as opposed to object) concepts in the post-stimulation test. This result was exclusive to the atDCS group and held irrespective of the subjects' cognitive, executive, and motor skills, further attesting to its specificity. Our findings suggest that action-concept deficits in PD are distinctively grounded in motor networks and might be countered by direct neuromodulation of such circuits. Moreover, they provide new evidence for neurosemantic models and inform a thriving agenda in the embodied cognition framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M. A. Suárez-García
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad del Valle, Santiago de Cali 76001, Colombia; (D.M.A.S.-G.); (J.S.G.-C.)
| | - Agustina Birba
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina; (A.B.); (M.Z.); (P.L.d.C.); (A.I.)
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - Máximo Zimerman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina; (A.B.); (M.Z.); (P.L.d.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Jesús A. Diazgranados
- Centro Médico de Atención Neurológica “Neurólogos de Occidente”, Santiago de Cali 76001, Colombia;
| | - Pamela Lopes da Cunha
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina; (A.B.); (M.Z.); (P.L.d.C.); (A.I.)
- Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT), Buenos Aires C1425FQD, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina; (A.B.); (M.Z.); (P.L.d.C.); (A.I.)
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Trinity College Dublin (TCD), D02R590 Dublin 2, Ireland
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago 8320000, Chile
| | - Johan S. Grisales-Cárdenas
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad del Valle, Santiago de Cali 76001, Colombia; (D.M.A.S.-G.); (J.S.G.-C.)
| | - Juan Felipe Cardona
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad del Valle, Santiago de Cali 76001, Colombia; (D.M.A.S.-G.); (J.S.G.-C.)
| | - Adolfo M. García
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires B1644BID, Argentina; (A.B.); (M.Z.); (P.L.d.C.); (A.I.)
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Trinity College Dublin (TCD), D02R590 Dublin 2, Ireland
- Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza M5502GKA, Argentina
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170020, Chile
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22
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Corticostriatal Regulation of Language Functions. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 31:472-494. [PMID: 33982264 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-021-09481-9] [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: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The role of corticostriatal circuits in language functions is unclear. In this review, we consider evidence from language learning, syntax, and controlled language production and comprehension tasks that implicate various corticostriatal circuits. Converging evidence from neuroimaging in healthy individuals, studies in populations with subcortical dysfunction, pharmacological studies, and brain stimulation suggests a domain-general regulatory role of corticostriatal systems in language operations. The role of corticostriatal systems in language operations identified in this review is likely to reflect a broader function of the striatum in responding to uncertainty and conflict which demands selection, sequencing, and cognitive control. We argue that this role is dynamic and varies depending on the degree and form of cognitive control required, which in turn will recruit particular corticostriatal circuits and components organised in a cognitive hierarchy.
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23
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Corcoran CM, Mittal VA, Bearden CE, E Gur R, Hitczenko K, Bilgrami Z, Savic A, Cecchi GA, Wolff P. Language as a biomarker for psychosis: A natural language processing approach. Schizophr Res 2020; 226:158-166. [PMID: 32499162 PMCID: PMC7704556 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Human ratings of conceptual disorganization, poverty of content, referential cohesion and illogical thinking have been shown to predict psychosis onset in prospective clinical high risk (CHR) cohort studies. The potential value of linguistic biomarkers has been significantly magnified, however, by recent advances in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML). Such methodologies allow for the rapid and objective measurement of language features, many of which are not easily recognized by human raters. Here we review the key findings on language production disturbance in psychosis. We also describe recent advances in the computational methods used to analyze language data, including methods for the automatic measurement of discourse coherence, syntactic complexity, poverty of content, referential coherence, and metaphorical language. Linguistic biomarkers of psychosis risk are now undergoing cross-validation, with attention to harmonization of methods. Future directions in extended CHR networks include studies of sources of variance, and combination with other promising biomarkers of psychosis risk, such as cognitive and sensory processing impairments likely to be related to language. Implications for the broader study of social communication, including reciprocal prosody, face expression and gesture, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M Corcoran
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vijay A Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kasia Hitczenko
- Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Zarina Bilgrami
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aleksandar Savic
- Department of Diagnostics and Intensive Care, University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Guillermo A Cecchi
- Computational Biology Center-Neuroscience, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
| | - Phillip Wolff
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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24
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Baez S, Herrera E, Trujillo C, Cardona JF, Diazgranados JA, Pino M, Santamaría-García H, Ibáñez A, García AM. Classifying Parkinson's Disease Patients With Syntactic and Socio-emotional Verbal Measures. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:586233. [PMID: 33328964 PMCID: PMC7719774 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.586233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontostriatal disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), are characterized by progressive disruption of cortico-subcortical dopaminergic loops involved in diverse higher-order domains, including language. Indeed, syntactic and emotional language tasks have emerged as potential biomarkers of frontostriatal disturbances. However, relevant studies and models have typically considered these linguistic dimensions in isolation, overlooking the potential advantages of targeting multidimensional markers. Here, we examined whether patient classification can be improved through the joint assessment of both dimensions using sentential stimuli. We evaluated 31 early PD patients and 24 healthy controls via two syntactic measures (functional-role assignment, parsing of long-distance dependencies) and a verbal task tapping social emotions (envy, Schadenfreude) and compared their classification accuracy when analyzed in isolation and in combination. Complementarily, we replicated our approach to discriminate between patients on and off medication. Results showed that specific measures of each dimension were selectively impaired in PD. In particular, joint analysis of outcomes in functional-role assignment and Schadenfreude improved the classification accuracy of patients and controls, irrespective of their overall cognitive and affective state. These results suggest that multidimensional linguistic assessments may better capture the complexity and multi-functional impact of frontostriatal disruptions, highlighting their potential contributions in the ongoing quest for sensitive markers of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Baez
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Eduar Herrera
- Departamento de Estudios Psicológicos, Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia
| | | | - Juan F. Cardona
- Instituto de Psicología, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | | | - Mariana Pino
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Hernando Santamaría-García
- Centro de Memoria y Cognición, Intellectus-Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Psychiatry-Physiology and Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Adolfo M. García
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza, Argentina
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25
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Birba A, Vitale F, Padrón I, Dottori M, de Vega M, Zimerman M, Sedeño L, Ibáñez A, García AM. Electrifying discourse: Anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex selectively reduces action appraisal in naturalistic narratives. Cortex 2020; 132:460-472. [PMID: 32950239 PMCID: PMC7655702 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Non-invasive stimulation of the primary motor cortex (M1) modulates processing of decontextualized action words and sentences (i.e., verbal units denoting bodily motion). This suggests that language comprehension hinges on brain circuits mediating the bodily experiences evoked by verbal material. Yet, despite its relevance to constrain mechanistic language models, such a finding fails to reveal whether and how relevant circuits operate in the face of full-blown, everyday texts. Using a novel naturalistic discourse paradigm, we examined whether direct modulation of M1 excitability influences the grasping of narrated actions. Following random group assignment, participants received anodal transcranial direct current stimulation over the left M1, or sham stimulation of the same area, or anodal stimulation of the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Immediately afterwards, they listened to action-laden and neutral stories and answered questions on information realized by verbs (denoting action and non-action processes) and circumstances (conveying locative or temporal details). Anodal stimulation of the left M1 selectively decreased outcomes on action-relative to non-action information -a pattern that discriminated between stimulated and sham participants with 74% accuracy. This result was particular to M1 and held irrespective of the subjects' working memory and vocabulary skills, further attesting to its specificity. Our findings suggest that offline modulation of motor-network excitability might lead to transient unavailability of putative resources needed to evoke actions in naturalistic texts, opening promising avenues for the language embodiment framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Birba
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francesca Vitale
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Iván Padrón
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Martín Dottori
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Máximo Zimerman
- Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile; Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - Adolfo M García
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States; Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina; Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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26
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Robin J, Harrison JE, Kaufman LD, Rudzicz F, Simpson W, Yancheva M. Evaluation of Speech-Based Digital Biomarkers: Review and Recommendations. Digit Biomark 2020; 4:99-108. [PMID: 33251474 DOI: 10.1159/000510820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Speech represents a promising novel biomarker by providing a window into brain health, as shown by its disruption in various neurological and psychiatric diseases. As with many novel digital biomarkers, however, rigorous evaluation is currently lacking and is required for these measures to be used effectively and safely. This paper outlines and provides examples from the literature of evaluation steps for speech-based digital biomarkers, based on the recent V3 framework (Goldsack et al., 2020). The V3 framework describes 3 components of evaluation for digital biomarkers: verification, analytical validation, and clinical validation. Verification includes assessing the quality of speech recordings and comparing the effects of hardware and recording conditions on the integrity of the recordings. Analytical validation includes checking the accuracy and reliability of data processing and computed measures, including understanding test-retest reliability, demographic variability, and comparing measures to reference standards. Clinical validity involves verifying the correspondence of a measure to clinical outcomes which can include diagnosis, disease progression, or response to treatment. For each of these sections, we provide recommendations for the types of evaluation necessary for speech-based biomarkers and review published examples. The examples in this paper focus on speech-based biomarkers, but they can be used as a template for digital biomarker development more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John E Harrison
- Metis Cognition Ltd., Park House, Kilmington Common, Warminster, United Kingdom.,Alzheimer Center, AUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Frank Rudzicz
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - William Simpson
- Winterlight Labs, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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27
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Johnson KB, Wei W, Weeraratne D, Frisse ME, Misulis K, Rhee K, Zhao J, Snowdon JL. Precision Medicine, AI, and the Future of Personalized Health Care. Clin Transl Sci 2020; 14:86-93. [PMID: 32961010 PMCID: PMC7877825 DOI: 10.1111/cts.12884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 322] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and precision medicine promises to revolutionize health care. Precision medicine methods identify phenotypes of patients with less‐common responses to treatment or unique healthcare needs. AI leverages sophisticated computation and inference to generate insights, enables the system to reason and learn, and empowers clinician decision making through augmented intelligence. Recent literature suggests that translational research exploring this convergence will help solve the most difficult challenges facing precision medicine, especially those in which nongenomic and genomic determinants, combined with information from patient symptoms, clinical history, and lifestyles, will facilitate personalized diagnosis and prognostication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin B. Johnson
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of PediatricsVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Wei‐Qi Wei
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | | | - Mark E. Frisse
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Karl Misulis
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of Clinical NeurologyVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Kyu Rhee
- IBM Watson HealthCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Juan Zhao
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsVanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleTennesseeUSA
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28
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Riffo B, Guerra E, Rojas C, Novoa A, Veliz M. Strategic Spatial Anchoring as Cognitive Compensation During Word Categorization in Parkinson's Disease: Evidence from Eye Movements. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2020; 49:823-836. [PMID: 32651839 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-020-09718-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The association between a word and typical location (e.g., cloud-up) appears to modulate healthy individuals' response times and visual attention. This study examined whether similar effects can be observed in a clinical population characterized by difficulties in both spatial representation and lexical processing. In an eye-tracking experiment, participants categorized spoken words as either up-associated or down-associated. Parkinson's disease patients exhibited a tendency to maintain their visual attention in the upper half of the screen, however, this tendency was significantly lower when participants categorized concepts as down-associated. Instead, the control group showed no preference for either the upper or lower half of the screen. We argue that Parkinson's disease patients present an over-reliance on space during word categorization as a form of cognitive compensation. Such compensation reveals that this clinical population may use spatial anchoring when categorizing words with a spatial association, even in the absence of explicit spatial cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Riffo
- Department of Spanish, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
| | - Ernesto Guerra
- Center for Advanced Research in Education, Institute of Education (IE), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Rojas
- Department of Spanish, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - Abraham Novoa
- Department of Spanish, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Mónica Veliz
- Department of Spanish, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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29
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Eyigoz E, Courson M, Sedeño L, Rogg K, Orozco-Arroyave JR, Nöth E, Skodda S, Trujillo N, Rodríguez M, Rusz J, Muñoz E, Cardona JF, Herrera E, Hesse E, Ibáñez A, Cecchi G, García AM. From discourse to pathology: Automatic identification of Parkinson's disease patients via morphological measures across three languages. Cortex 2020; 132:191-205. [PMID: 32992069 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Embodied cognition research on Parkinson's disease (PD) points to disruptions of frontostriatal language functions as sensitive targets for clinical assessment. However, no existing approach has been tested for crosslinguistic validity, let alone by combining naturalistic tasks with machine-learning tools. To address these issues, we conducted the first classifier-based examination of morphological processing (a core frontostriatal function) in spontaneous monologues from PD patients across three typologically different languages. The study comprised 330 participants, encompassing speakers of Spanish (61 patients, 57 matched controls), German (88 patients, 88 matched controls), and Czech (20 patients, 16 matched controls). All subjects described the activities they perform during a regular day, and their monologues were automatically coded via morphological tagging, a computerized method that labels each word with a part-of-speech tag (e.g., noun, verb) and specific morphological tags (e.g., person, gender, number, tense). The ensuing data were subjected to machine-learning analyses to assess whether differential morphological patterns could classify between patients and controls and reflect the former's degree of motor impairment. Results showed robust classification rates, with over 80% of patients being discriminated from controls in each language separately. Moreover, the most discriminative morphological features were associated with the patients' motor compromise (as indicated by Pearson r correlations between predicted and collected motor impairment scores that ranged from moderate to moderate-to-strong across languages). Taken together, our results suggest that morphological patterning, an embodied frontostriatal domain, may be distinctively affected in PD across languages and even under ecological testing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Eyigoz
- IBM Research, T. J. Watson Research Center, New York, USA
| | - Melody Courson
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, CRIUGM Research Center, Montréal, Canada
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Katharina Rogg
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juan Rafael Orozco-Arroyave
- Pattern Recognition Lab, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany; GITA Lab, Faculty of Engineering, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Medellín, Colombia
| | - Elmar Nöth
- Pattern Recognition Lab, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Skodda
- Department of Neurology, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
| | - Natalia Trujillo
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Medellín, Colombia; School of Public Health, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Medellín, Colombia
| | - Mabel Rodríguez
- National Institute of Mental Health, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Rusz
- Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Edinson Muñoz
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan F Cardona
- Instituto de Psicología, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Eduar Herrera
- Departamento de Estudios Psicológicos, Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia
| | - Eugenia Hesse
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | | | - Adolfo M García
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States; Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza, Argentina.
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30
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Corcoran CM, Cecchi GA. Using Language Processing and Speech Analysis for the Identification of Psychosis and Other Disorders. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 5:770-779. [PMID: 32771179 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Increasingly, data-driven methods have been implemented to understand psychopathology. Language is the main source of information in psychiatry and represents "big data" at the level of the individual. Language and behavior are amenable to computational natural language processing (NLP) analytics, which may help operationalize the mental status examination. In this review, we highlight the application of NLP to schizophrenia and its risk states as an exemplar of its use, operationalizing tangential and concrete speech as reductions in semantic coherence and syntactic complexity, respectively. Other clinical applications are reviewed, including forecasting suicide risk and detecting intoxication. Challenges and future directions are discussed, including biomarker development, harmonization, and application of NLP more broadly to behavior, including intonation/prosody, facial expression and gesture, and the integration of these in dyads and during discourse. Similar NLP analytics can also be applied beyond humans to behavioral motifs across species, important for modeling psychopathology in animal models. Finally, clinical neuroscience can inform the development of artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Mary Corcoran
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, Bronx.
| | - Guillermo A Cecchi
- Thomas J. Watson Research Center, IBM Corporation, Yorktown Heights, New York
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31
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Norel R, Agurto C, Heisig S, Rice JJ, Zhang H, Ostrand R, Wacnik PW, Ho BK, Ramos VL, Cecchi GA. Speech-based characterization of dopamine replacement therapy in people with Parkinson's disease. NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE 2020; 6:12. [PMID: 32566741 PMCID: PMC7293295 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-020-0113-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
People with Parkinson's (PWP) disease are under constant tension with respect to their dopamine replacement therapy (DRT) regimen. Waiting too long between doses results in more prominent symptoms, loss of motor function, and greater risk of falling per step. Shortened pill cycles can lead to accelerated habituation and faster development of disabling dyskinesias. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) is the gold standard for monitoring Parkinson's disease progression but requires a neurologist to administer and therefore is not an ideal instrument to continuously evaluate short-term disease fluctuations. We investigated the feasibility of using speech to detect changes in medication states, based on expectations of subtle changes in voice and content related to dopaminergic levels. We calculated acoustic and prosodic features for three speech tasks (picture description, reverse counting, and diadochokinetic rate) for 25 PWP, each evaluated "ON" and "OFF" DRT. Additionally, we generated semantic features for the picture description task. Classification of ON/OFF medication states using features generated from picture description, reverse counting and diadochokinetic rate tasks resulted in cross-validated accuracy rates of 0.89, 0.84, and 0.60, respectively. The most discriminating task was picture description which provided evidence that participants are more likely to use action words in ON than in OFF state. We also found that speech tempo was modified by DRT. Our results suggest that automatic speech assessment can capture changes associated with the DRT cycle. Given the ease of acquiring speech data, this method shows promise to remotely monitor DRT effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Norel
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USA
| | - C Agurto
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USA
| | - S Heisig
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USA
| | - J J Rice
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USA
| | - H Zhang
- Pfizer Digital Medicine & Translational Imaging: Early Clinical Development, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - R Ostrand
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USA
| | - P W Wacnik
- Pfizer Digital Medicine & Translational Imaging: Early Clinical Development, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - B K Ho
- Department of Neurology, Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111 USA
| | - V L Ramos
- Pfizer Digital Medicine & Translational Imaging: Early Clinical Development, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - G A Cecchi
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USA
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32
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Humphries S, Klooster N, Cardillo E, Weintraub D, Rick J, Chatterjee A. From action to abstraction: The sensorimotor grounding of metaphor in Parkinson's disease. Cortex 2019; 121:362-384. [PMID: 31678683 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Embodied cognition theories propose that the semantic representations engaged in during language comprehension are partly supported by perceptual and motor systems, via simulation. Activation in modality-specific regions of cortex is associated with the comprehension of literal language that describes the analogous modalities, but studies addressing the grounding of non-literal or figurative language, such as metaphors, have yielded mixed results. Differences in the psycholinguistic characteristics of sentence stimuli across studies have likely contributed to this lack of consensus. Furthermore, previous studies have been largely correlational, whilst patient studies are a critical way of determining if intact sensorimotor function is necessary to understand language drawing on sensorimotor information. We designed a battery of metaphorical and literal sentence stimuli using action and sound words, with an unprecedented level of control over critical psycholinguistic variables, to test hypotheses about the grounding of metaphorical language. In this Registered Report, we assessed the comprehension of these sentences in 41 patients with Parkinson's disease, who were predicted to be disproportionately affected by the action sentences relative to the sound sentences, and compared their performance to that of 39 healthy age-matched controls who were predicted to show no difference in performance due to sensory modality. Using preregistered Bayesian model comparison methods, we found that PD patients' comprehension of literal action sentences was not impaired, while there was some evidence for a slowing of responses to action metaphors. Follow up exploratory analyses suggest that this response time modality effect was driven by one type of metaphor (predicate) and was absent in another (nominal), despite the fact that the action semantics were similar in both syntactic forms. These results suggest that the conditions under which PD patients demonstrate hypothesized embodiment effects are limited. We offer a critical assessment of the PD action language literature and discuss implications for the embodiment debate. In addition, we suggest how future studies could leverage Bayesian statistical methods to provide more convincing evidence for or against embodied cognition effects.
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Johari K, Walenski M, Reifegerste J, Ashrafi F, Behroozmand R, Daemi M, Ullman MT. A dissociation between syntactic and lexical processing in Parkinson's disease. JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS 2019; 51:221-235. [PMID: 31777416 PMCID: PMC6880793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD), which involves the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia, has long been associated with motor deficits. Increasing evidence suggests that language can also be impaired, including aspects of syntactic and lexical processing. However, the exact pattern of these impairments remains somewhat unclear, for several reasons. Few studies have examined and compared syntactic and lexical processing within subjects, so their relative deficits remain to be elucidated. Studies have focused on earlier stages of PD, so syntactic and lexical processing in later stages are less well understood. Research has largely probed English and a handful of other European languages, and it is unclear whether findings generalize more broadly. Finally, few studies have examined links between syntactic/lexical impairments and their neurocognitive substrates, such as measures of basal ganglia degeneration or dopaminergic processes. We addressed these gaps by investigating multiple aspects of Farsi syntactic and lexical processing in 40 Farsi native-speaking moderate-to-severe non-demented PD patients, and 40 healthy controls. Analyses revealed equivalent impairments of syntactic comprehension and syntactic judgment, across different syntactic structures. Lexical processing was impaired only for motor function-related objects (e.g., naming 'hammer', but not 'mountain'), in line with findings of PD deficits at naming action verbs as compared to objects, without the verb/noun confound. In direct comparisons between lexical and syntactic tasks, patients were better at naming words like 'mountain' (but not words like 'hammer') than at syntactic comprehension and syntactic judgment. Performance at syntactic comprehension correlated with the last levodopa equivalent dose. No other correlations were found between syntactic/lexical processing measures and either levodopa equivalent dose or hypokinesia, which reflects degeneration of basal ganglia motor-related circuits. All critical significant main effects, interactions, and correlations yielded large effect sizes. The findings elucidate the nature of syntactic and lexical processing impairments in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Johari
- Speech Neuroscience Lab, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, USA
- Department of Speech and Language Pathology, School of Rehabilitation, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Washington DC, USA
| | - Matthew Walenski
- Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, School of Communication, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Jana Reifegerste
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Washington DC, USA
- Department of Psychology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany, University of Muenster, Germany
| | - Farzad Ashrafi
- Department of Neurology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roozbeh Behroozmand
- Speech Neuroscience Lab, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, USA
| | - Mostafa Daemi
- Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Michael T. Ullman
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Washington DC, USA
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34
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Vasquez-Correa JC, Arias-Vergara T, Orozco-Arroyave JR, Eskofier B, Klucken J, Noth E. Multimodal Assessment of Parkinson's Disease: A Deep Learning Approach. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform 2019; 23:1618-1630. [DOI: 10.1109/jbhi.2018.2866873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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35
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Corcoran CM, Benavides C, Cecchi G. Natural Language Processing: Opportunities and Challenges for Patients, Providers, and Hospital Systems. Psychiatr Ann 2019. [DOI: 10.3928/00485713-20190411-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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36
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Monaco E, Jost LB, Gygax PM, Annoni JM. Embodied Semantics in a Second Language: Critical Review and Clinical Implications. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:110. [PMID: 30983983 PMCID: PMC6449436 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of the sensorimotor system in second language (L2) semantic processing as well as its clinical implications for bilingual patients has hitherto been neglected. We offer an overview of the issues at stake in this under-investigated field, presenting the theoretical and clinical relevance of studying L2 embodiment and reviewing the few studies on this topic. We highlight that (a) the sensorimotor network is involved in L2 processing, and that (b) in most studies, L2 is differently embodied than L1, reflected in a lower degree or in a different pattern of L2 embodiment. Importantly, we outline critical issues to be addressed in order to guide future research. We also delineate the subsequent steps needed to confirm or dismiss the value of language therapeutic approaches based on embodiment theories as a complement of speech and language therapies in adult bilinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Monaco
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Neurological Sciences, Neurology Unit, Medicine Section, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Lea B. Jost
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Neurological Sciences, Neurology Unit, Medicine Section, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Pascal M. Gygax
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marie Annoni
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Neurological Sciences, Neurology Unit, Medicine Section, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Neurology Unit, Fribourg Cantonal Hospital, Fribourg, Switzerland
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37
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Gallino L, Carrillo F, Cecchi GA. Differential 28-Days Cyclic Modulation of Affective Intensity in Female and Male Participants via Social Media. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 13:5. [PMID: 30837849 PMCID: PMC6389828 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00005] [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: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The menstrual cycle affects many aspects of female physiology, from the immune system to behavioral and emotional regulation. It is unclear however if these physiological changes are reflected in everyday, naturalistic language production, and moreover whether these putative effects can be consistently quantified. Using a novel approach based on social networks, we characterized linguistic expression differences in female and male volunteers over the course of several months, while having no physiological or reported information of the female participants' menstrual cycles. We used a simple algorithm to quantify the linguistic affect intensity of 418 (184 females and 234 males) subjects using their social networks production and found a 7-day modulatory cycle of affect intensity that corresponds to labor-week fluctuations, with no significant difference by biological sex, and a 28-day cycle over which females are significantly different than males. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the menstrual cycle modulates affective features of naturalistic linguistic production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucila Gallino
- Immunopharmacology Lab, IQUIBICEN, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo Carrillo
- Applied Artificial Intelligence Lab, ICC, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermo A Cecchi
- Computational Biology Center, T.J. Watson Research Center, IBM, New York, NY, United States
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38
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García-Marco E, Morera Y, Beltrán D, de Vega M, Herrera E, Sedeño L, Ibáñez A, García AM. Negation markers inhibit motor routines during typing of manual action verbs. Cognition 2018; 182:286-293. [PMID: 30390568 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2018.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
We explored whether negation markers recruit inhibitory mechanisms during keyboard-based action-verb typing. In each trial, participants read two sentences: the first featured a context (There is a contract) and the second ended with a relevant verb which had to be immediately typed. Crucially, the verb could describe manual actions, non-manual actions or non-motor processes, with either affirmative (You do sign it) or negative (You don't sign it) polarity. We assessed the impact of verb type and polarity on two typing dimensions: motor programming (lapse between target onset and first keystroke) and motor execution (lapse between first and last keystroke). Negation yielded no effect on motor planning, but it selectively delayed typing execution for manual-action verbs, irrespective of the subjects' typing skills. This suggests that processing negations during comprehension of manual-action sentences recruits inhibitory mechanisms acting on same-effector movements. Our novel finding extends embodied models of language and effector-specific motor-language integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique García-Marco
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain; Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain
| | - Yurena Morera
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain
| | - David Beltrán
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Eduar Herrera
- Departamento de Estudios Psicológicos, Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile; Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ARC), Sydney, Australia
| | - Adolfo M García
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza, Argentina.
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39
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de Boer J, Voppel A, Begemann M, Schnack H, Wijnen F, Sommer I. Clinical use of semantic space models in psychiatry and neurology: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 93:85-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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40
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Cervetto S, Abrevaya S, Martorell Caro M, Kozono G, Muñoz E, Ferrari J, Sedeño L, Ibáñez A, García AM. Action Semantics at the Bottom of the Brain: Insights From Dysplastic Cerebellar Gangliocytoma. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1194. [PMID: 30050490 PMCID: PMC6052139 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent embodied cognition research shows that access to action verbs in shallow-processing tasks becomes selectively compromised upon atrophy of the cerebellum, a critical motor region. Here we assessed whether cerebellar damage also disturbs explicit semantic processing of action pictures and its integration with ongoing motor responses. We evaluated a cognitively preserved 33-year-old man with severe dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma (Lhermitte-Duclos disease), encompassing most of the right cerebellum and the posterior part of the left cerebellum. The patient and eight healthy controls completed two semantic association tasks (involving pictures of objects and actions, respectively) that required motor responses. Accuracy results via Crawford’s modified t-tests revealed that the patient was selectively impaired in action association. Moreover, reaction-time analysis through Crawford’s Revised Standardized Difference Test showed that, while processing of action concepts involved slower manual responses in controls, no such effect was observed in the patient, suggesting that motor-semantic integration dynamics may be compromised following cerebellar damage. Notably, a Bayesian Test for a Deficit allowing for Covariates revealed that these patterns remained after covarying for executive performance, indicating that they were not secondary to extra-linguistic impairments. Taken together, our results extend incipient findings on the embodied functions of the cerebellum, offering unprecedented evidence of its crucial role in processing non-verbal action meanings and integrating them with concomitant movements. These findings illuminate the relatively unexplored semantic functions of this region while calling for extensions of motor cognition models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Cervetto
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Educación Física y Salud, Instituto Superior de Educación Física, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sofía Abrevaya
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Miguel Martorell Caro
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Giselle Kozono
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Edinson Muñoz
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jesica Ferrari
- Neuropsychiatry Department, Institute of Cognitive Neurology, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia.,Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ARC), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Adolfo M García
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
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41
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Calvo N, Ibáñez A, Muñoz E, García AM. A core avenue for transcultural research on dementia: on the cross-linguistic generalization of language-related effects in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2018; 33:814-823. [PMID: 28370288 DOI: 10.1002/gps.4712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Language is a key source of cross-cultural variability, which may have both subtle and major effects on neurocognition. However, this issue has been largely overlooked in two flourishing lines of research assessing the relationship between language-related neural systems and dementia. This paper assesses the limitations of the evidence on (i) the neuroprotective effects of bilingualism in Alzheimer's disease and (ii) specific language deficits as markers of Parkinson's disease. DESIGN First, we outline the rationale behind each line of research. Second, we review available evidence and discuss the potential impact of cross-linguistic factors. Third, we outline ideas to foster progress in both fields and, with it, in cross-cultural neuroscience at large. RESULTS On the one hand, studies on bilingualism suggest that sustained use of more than one language may protect against Alzheimer's disease symptoms. On the other hand, insights from the embodied cognition framework point to syntactic and action-verb deficits as early (and even preclinical) markers of Parkinson's disease. However, both fields share a key limitation that lies at the heart of cultural neuroscience: the issue of cross-linguistic generalizability. CONCLUSION Relevant evidence for both research trends comes from only a handful of (mostly Indo-European) languages, which are far from capturing the full scope of structural and typological diversity of the linguistic landscape worldwide. This raises questions on the external validity of reported findings. Greater collaboration between linguistic typology and cognitive neuroscience seems crucial as a first step to assess the impact of transcultural differences on language-related effects across neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Calvo
- Institute of Philosophy, School of Philosophy, Humanities and Arts
- , National University of San Juan, San Juan, Argentina.,Faculty of Psychology, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia.,Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ARC), Sydney, Australia
| | - Edinson Muñoz
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adolfo M García
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
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42
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Gold M, Amatniek J, Carrillo MC, Cedarbaum JM, Hendrix JA, Miller BB, Robillard JM, Rice JJ, Soares H, Tome MB, Tarnanas I, Vargas G, Bain LJ, Czaja SJ. Digital technologies as biomarkers, clinical outcomes assessment, and recruitment tools in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials. ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA-TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH & CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS 2018; 4:234-242. [PMID: 29955666 PMCID: PMC6021547 DOI: 10.1016/j.trci.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Digital technology is transforming the development of drugs for Alzheimer's disease and was the topic of the Alzheimer's Association's Research Roundtable on its May 23–24, 2017 meeting. Research indicates that wearable devices and unobtrusive passive sensors that enable the collection of frequent or continuous, objective, and multidimensional data during daily activities may capture subtle changes in cognition and functional capacity long before the onset of dementia. The potential to exploit these technologies to improve clinical trials as both recruitment and retention tools as well as for potential end points was discussed. The implications for the collection and use of large amounts of data, lessons learned from other related disease areas, ethical concerns raised by these new technologies, and regulatory issues were also covered in the meeting. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of these new technologies for future use were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joan Amatniek
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Julie M Robillard
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia and Children's and Women's Hospital and Health Centres, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - J Jeremy Rice
- Healthcare and Life Science Research, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Ioannis Tarnanas
- Altoida Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA.,Scripps Memorial Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA.,Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health with the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) at UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Lisa J Bain
- Independent Science Writer, Elverson, PA, USA
| | - Sara J Czaja
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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43
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García AM, Bocanegra Y, Herrera E, Moreno L, Carmona J, Baena A, Lopera F, Pineda D, Melloni M, Legaz A, Muñoz E, Sedeño L, Baez S, Ibáñez A. Parkinson's disease compromises the appraisal of action meanings evoked by naturalistic texts. Cortex 2018; 100:111-126. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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García AM, Ibáñez A. When embodiment breaks down: Language deficits as novel avenues into movement disorders. Cortex 2018; 100:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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45
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Corcoran CM, Carrillo F, Fernández‐Slezak D, Bedi G, Klim C, Javitt DC, Bearden CE, Cecchi GA. Prediction of psychosis across protocols and risk cohorts using automated language analysis. World Psychiatry 2018; 17:67-75. [PMID: 29352548 PMCID: PMC5775133 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Language and speech are the primary source of data for psychiatrists to diagnose and treat mental disorders. In psychosis, the very structure of language can be disturbed, including semantic coherence (e.g., derailment and tangentiality) and syntactic complexity (e.g., concreteness). Subtle disturbances in language are evident in schizophrenia even prior to first psychosis onset, during prodromal stages. Using computer-based natural language processing analyses, we previously showed that, among English-speaking clinical (e.g., ultra) high-risk youths, baseline reduction in semantic coherence (the flow of meaning in speech) and in syntactic complexity could predict subsequent psychosis onset with high accuracy. Herein, we aimed to cross-validate these automated linguistic analytic methods in a second larger risk cohort, also English-speaking, and to discriminate speech in psychosis from normal speech. We identified an automated machine-learning speech classifier - comprising decreased semantic coherence, greater variance in that coherence, and reduced usage of possessive pronouns - that had an 83% accuracy in predicting psychosis onset (intra-protocol), a cross-validated accuracy of 79% of psychosis onset prediction in the original risk cohort (cross-protocol), and a 72% accuracy in discriminating the speech of recent-onset psychosis patients from that of healthy individuals. The classifier was highly correlated with previously identified manual linguistic predictors. Our findings support the utility and validity of automated natural language processing methods to characterize disturbances in semantics and syntax across stages of psychotic disorder. The next steps will be to apply these methods in larger risk cohorts to further test reproducibility, also in languages other than English, and identify sources of variability. This technology has the potential to improve prediction of psychosis outcome among at-risk youths and identify linguistic targets for remediation and preventive intervention. More broadly, automated linguistic analysis can be a powerful tool for diagnosis and treatment across neuropsychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M. Corcoran
- Department of PsychiatryIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNYUSA,New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Facundo Carrillo
- Departamento de Computación, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y NaturalesUniversidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresArgentina,Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Diego Fernández‐Slezak
- Departamento de Computación, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y NaturalesUniversidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresArgentina,Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Computación, Universidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Gillinder Bedi
- New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew YorkNYUSA,Department of PsychiatryColumbia University Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA,Centre for Youth Mental HealthUniversity of Melbourne, and Orygen National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental HealthMelbourneAustralia
| | - Casimir Klim
- New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew YorkNYUSA,Department of PsychiatryColumbia University Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Daniel C. Javitt
- New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew YorkNYUSA,Department of PsychiatryColumbia University Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Carrie E. Bearden
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and PsychologyUniversity of California Los Angeles; Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Guillermo A. Cecchi
- Computational Biology Center ‐ Neuroscience, IBM T.J. Watson Research CenterOssiningNYUSA
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46
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Trevisan P, Sedeño L, Birba A, Ibáñez A, García AM. A moving story: Whole-body motor training selectively improves the appraisal of action meanings in naturalistic narratives. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12538. [PMID: 28970538 PMCID: PMC5624907 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12928-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined whether systematic whole-body stimulation and increased attention to visuospatial motion patterns can enhance the appraisal of action meanings evoked by naturalistic texts. Participants listened to action and neutral (non-action) narratives before and after videogame-based bodily training, and responded to questions on information realized by verbs (denoting abstract and action processes) and circumstances (conveying locative or temporal details, for example). Strategically, we worked with dyslexic children, whose potential comprehension deficits could give room to post-training improvements. Results showed a selective boost in understanding of action information, even when controlling for baseline performance. Also, this effect proved uninfluenced by short-term memory skills, and it was absent when training relied on non-action videogames requiring minimal bodily engagement. Of note, the movements described in the texts did not match those performed by participants, suggesting that well-established effector- and direction-specific language embodiment effects may be accompanied by more coarse-grained sensorimotor resonance, driven by activation of motor and visuospatial sensory systems. In sum, the stimulation of movement-related mechanisms seems to selectively boost the appraisal of actions evoked by naturalistic texts. By demonstrating such links between two real-life activities, our study offers an empirical tie between embodied and situated accounts of cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piergiorgio Trevisan
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, via Petracco 8, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Pacheco de Melo 1860, C1126AAB, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Birba
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Pacheco de Melo 1860, C1126AAB, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Pacheco de Melo 1860, C1126AAB, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Calle 90, N° 46-112, C2754, Barranquilla, Colombia.,Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres, 2640, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ARC), Sydney, Australia
| | - Adolfo M García
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Pacheco de Melo 1860, C1126AAB, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), Sobremonte 74, C5500, Mendoza, Argentina.
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Birba A, García-Cordero I, Kozono G, Legaz A, Ibáñez A, Sedeño L, García AM. Losing ground: Frontostriatal atrophy disrupts language embodiment in Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:673-687. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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48
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Contribution of language studies to the understanding of cognitive impairment and its progression over time in Parkinson’s disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:657-672. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES A wealth of studies provide evidence for action simulation during language comprehension. Recent research suggests such action simulations might be sensitive to fine-grained information, such as speed. Here, we present a crucial test for action simulation of speed in language by assessing speed comprehension in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Based on the patients' motor deficits, we hypothesized that the speed of motion described in language would modulate their performance in semantic tasks. Specifically, they would have more difficulty processing language about relatively fast speed than language about slow speed. METHODS We conducted a semantic similarity judgment task on fast and slow action verbs in patients with PD and age-matched healthy controls. Participants had to decide which of two verbs most closely matched a target word. RESULTS Compared to controls, PD patients were slower making judgments about fast action verbs, but not for judgments about slow action verbs, suggesting impairment in processing language about fast action. Moreover, this impairment was specific to verbs describing fast action performed with the hand. CONCLUSIONS Problems moving quickly lead to difficulties comprehending language about moving quickly. This study provides evidence that speed is an important part of action representations. (JINS, 2017, 23, 412-420).
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Bocanegra Y, García AM, Lopera F, Pineda D, Baena A, Ospina P, Alzate D, Buriticá O, Moreno L, Ibáñez A, Cuetos F. Unspeakable motion: Selective action-verb impairments in Parkinson's disease patients without mild cognitive impairment. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2017; 168:37-46. [PMID: 28131052 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) patients show marked impairments in processing action verbs, and to a lesser extent, concrete (specially, manipulable) nouns. However, it is still unclear to what extent deficits in each of these categories are influenced by more general cognitive dysfunctions, and whether they are modulated by the words' implied motility. To examine these issues, we evaluated 49 non-demented PD patients and 49 healthy volunteers in an oral production task. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI and PD-nMCI, respectively). Participants named pictures of actions varying in motion content (low and high) and of objects varying in manipulability (low and high). The PD-MCI group showed deficits across all four categories. However, PD-nMCI patients exhibited a selective difficulty for high-motion action verbs. This finding corroborates and refines previous results suggesting that disturbances of action-related lexico-semantic information in PD constitute a sui generis alteration manifested early in the course of the disease's physiopathology. Moreover, it suggests that the grounding of action verbs on motor circuits could depend on fine-grained intracategorical semantic distinctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamile Bocanegra
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia; Group of Neuropsychology and Conduct (GRUNECO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia.
| | - Adolfo M García
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Pacheco de Melo 1860, C1126AAB Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ Buenos Aires, Argentina; Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), Sobremonte 74, C5500 Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Francisco Lopera
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia
| | - David Pineda
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia; Group of Neuropsychology and Conduct (GRUNECO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia
| | - Ana Baena
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia
| | - Paula Ospina
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia
| | - Diana Alzate
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia
| | - Omar Buriticá
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia; Neurology Unit, Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, Calle 78B No. 69-240, 050034 Medellín, Colombia
| | - Leonardo Moreno
- Neuroscience Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UDEA), SIU, Calle 62 No. 52-59, 050010 Medellín, Colombia; Neurology Unit, Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, Calle 78B No. 69-240, 050034 Medellín, Colombia
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Pacheco de Melo 1860, C1126AAB Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917, C1033AAJ Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Calle 90, No. 46-112, C2754 Barranquilla, Colombia; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Diagonal Las Torres 2640, Santiago, Chile; Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ACR), Sydney, 16 University Avenue, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Fernando Cuetos
- University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo, s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Spain.
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