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Ding J, Yang Q, Drossinos N, Guo Q. Advances in semantic dementia: Neuropsychology, pathology & neuroimaging. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 99:102375. [PMID: 38866186 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102375] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Semantic dementia is a kind of neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by prominent semantic impairments and anterior temporal lobe atrophy. Since 2010, more studies have devoted to this rare disorder, revealing that it is more complex than we think. Clinical advances include more specific findings of semantic impairments and other higher order cognitive deficits. Neuroimaging techniques can help revealing the different brain networks affected (both structurally and functionally) in this condition. Pathological and genetic studies have also found more complex situations of semantic dementia, which might explain the huge variance existing in semantic dementia. Moreover, the current diagnosis criteria mainly focus on semantic dementia's classical prototype. We further delineated the features of three subtypes of semantic dementia based on atrophy lateralization with three severity stages. In a broader background, as a part of the continuum of neurodegenerative disorders, semantic dementia is commonly compared with other resembling conditions. Therefore, we summarized the differential diagnosis between semantic dementia and them. Finally, we introduced the challenges and achievements of its diagnosis, treatment, care and cross cultural comparison. By providing a comprehensive picture of semantic dementia on different aspects of advances, we hope to deepen the understanding of semantic dementia and promote more inspirations on both clinical and theoretical studies about it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Ding
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Qing Yang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Hushan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Niki Drossinos
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Merck C, Noël A, Jamet E, Robert M, Salmon A, Belliard S, Kalénine S. Nonspecific Effects of Normal Aging on Taxonomic and Thematic Semantic Processing. Exp Aging Res 2023; 49:18-40. [PMID: 35234091 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2022.2046948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the effect of normal aging on the processing of taxonomic and thematic semantic relations. METHOD We used the Visual-World-Paradigm coupled with eye-movement recording. We compared performance of healthy younger and older adults on a word-to-picture matching task in which participants had to identify each target among semantically related (taxonomic or thematic) and unrelated distractors. RESULTS Younger and older participants exhibited similar patterns of gaze fixations in the two semantic conditions. The effect of aging took the form of an overall reduction in sensitivity to semantic competitors, with no difference between the taxonomic and thematic conditions. Moreover, comparison of the proportions of fixations between the younger and older participants indicated that targets were identified equally quickly in both age groups. This was not the case when mouse-click reaction times were analyzed. CONCLUSIONS Findings argue in favor of nonspecific effects of normal aging on semantic processing that similarly affect taxonomic and thematic processing. There are important clinical implications, as pathological aging has been repeatedly shown to selectively affect either taxonomic or thematic relations. Measuring eye-movements in a semantic task is also an interesting approach in the elderly, as these seem to be less impacted by aging than other motor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Merck
- Service de Neurologie, Cmrr Haute Bretagne, Chu Pontchaillou, Rennes, France.,Normandie Univ, Unicaen, Psl Research University, Ephe, Inserm, U1077, Chu de Caen, Neuropsychologie Et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Audrey Noël
- Univ Rennes, LP3C (Psychology of Cognition, Behavior & Communication Laboratory) - Ea 1285, Rennes, France
| | - Eric Jamet
- Univ Rennes, LP3C (Psychology of Cognition, Behavior & Communication Laboratory) - Ea 1285, Rennes, France
| | - Maxime Robert
- Univ Rennes, LP3C (Psychology of Cognition, Behavior & Communication Laboratory) - Ea 1285, Rennes, France
| | - Anne Salmon
- Service de Neurologie, Cmrr Haute Bretagne, Chu Pontchaillou, Rennes, France
| | - Serge Belliard
- Service de Neurologie, Cmrr Haute Bretagne, Chu Pontchaillou, Rennes, France.,Normandie Univ, Unicaen, Psl Research University, Ephe, Inserm, U1077, Chu de Caen, Neuropsychologie Et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Solène Kalénine
- Univ. Lille, Cnrs, Chu Lille, Umr 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives Et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
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Karpouzian-Rogers T, Hurley R, Seckin M, Moeller S, Gill N, Zhang H, Coventry C, Nelson M, Weintraub S, Rogalski E, Marsel Mesulam M. Eye movements as a measure of word comprehension deficits in primary progressive aphasia. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 232:105165. [PMID: 35908339 PMCID: PMC9428830 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Eye movement studies can uncover subtle aspects of language processing impairment in individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), who may have difficulty understanding words. This study examined eye movement patterns on a word-object matching task in response to varying levels of word-knowledge in PPA. METHODS Participants with semantic and non-semantic PPA completed an object-matching task, where a word was presented and participants then selected the corresponding pictured object from an array. Afterwards, participants defined words for trials to which they incorrectly pointed. Linear mixed-effects analyses examined fixation differences on targets and related and unrelated foils. RESULTS On incorrectly-pointed trials, participants demonstrated greater fixation duration on related foils, demonstrating intra-category blurring. For words that could not be defined, there was similar fixation duration on related and unrelated foils, demonstrating inter-category semantic blurring. DISCUSSION This study demonstrated that fixation patterns reflect varying levels of word knowledge in PPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Karpouzian-Rogers
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Rob Hurley
- Department of Psychology, Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Mustafa Seckin
- Department of Neurology, Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Stacey Moeller
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Nathan Gill
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventative Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hui Zhang
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventative Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christina Coventry
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew Nelson
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sandra Weintraub
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Emily Rogalski
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - M Marsel Mesulam
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Stockbridge MD, Tippett DC, Breining BL, Hillis AE. When words first fail: Predicting the emergence of primary progressive aphasia variants from unclassifiable anomic performance in early disease. APHASIOLOGY 2022; 37:1173-1185. [PMID: 37377938 PMCID: PMC10292722 DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2022.2084706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Background The majority of patients with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) can be distinguished into one of three variants: semantic, non-fluent/agrammatic, or logopenic. However, many do not meet criteria for any one variant. Aim To identify aspects of cognitive-linguistic performance that yield an early unclassifiable PPA designation that predicted the later emergence of a given variant. Methods & Procedures Of 256 individuals with PPA evaluated, 19 initially were unclassifiable and later met criteria for a variant. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the binary ability of a given task to predict eventual classification as a given variant. Tasks with a high area under the curve were examined using regression analyses to determine their ability to predict variant. Outcomes & Results High mean predictive value was observed for multiple naming assessments targeting nouns and verbs. The Boston Naming Test (BNT) was the only test that, in isolation, resulted in a significant model and high classification accuracy. Conclusions Although naming impairment is common across PPA variants, very low initial BNT scores emerged as a uniquely accurate basis for predicting eventual semantic variant, and normal BNT scores predicted eventual nonfluent/agrammatic variant. High performance on picture-verb verification was useful in identifying future lvPPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D. Stockbridge
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Donna C. Tippett
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Bonnie L. Breining
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
| | - Argye E. Hillis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Department of Cognitive Science, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
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van Scherpenberg C, Abdel Rahman R, Regenbrecht F, Obrig H. Semantic Interference through Multiple Distractors in Picture Naming in People with Aphasia. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1612-1633. [PMID: 34496369 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
When we refer to an object or concept by its name, activation of semantic and categorical information is necessary to retrieve the correct lexical representation. Whereas in neurotypical individuals it is well established that semantic context can interfere with or facilitate lexical retrieval, these effects are much less studied in people with lesions to the language network and impairment at different steps of lexical-semantic processing. Here, we applied a novel picture naming paradigm, where multiple categorically related and unrelated words were presented as distractors before a to-be-named target picture. Using eye tracking, we investigated preferential fixation on the cohort members versus nonmembers. Thereby, we can judge the impact of explicit acknowledgment of the category and its effect on semantic interference. We found that, in contrast to neurotypical participants [van Scherpenberg, C., Abdel Rahman, R., & Obrig, H. A novel multiword paradigm for investigating semantic context effects in language production. PLoS One, 15, e0230439, 2020], participants suffering from mild to moderate aphasia did not show a fixation preference on category members but still showed a large interference effect of ∼35 msec, confirming the implicit mechanism of categorical interference. However, preferential fixation on the categorically related cohort words correlated with clinical tests regarding nonverbal semantic abilities and integrity of the anterior temporal lobe. This highlights the role of supramodal semantics for explicit recognition of a semantic category, while semantic interference is triggered if the threshold of lexical cohort activation is reached. Confirming psycholinguistic evidence, the demonstration of a large and persistent interference effect through implicit lexico-semantic activation is important to understand deficits in people with a lesion in thelanguage network, potentially relevant for individualized intervention aiming at improving naming skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia van Scherpenberg
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig.,University Clinic Leipzig
| | | | | | - Hellmuth Obrig
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig.,University Clinic Leipzig
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Sharma S, Kim H, Harris H, Haberstroh A, Wright HH, Rothermich K. Eye Tracking Measures for Studying Language Comprehension Deficits in Aphasia: A Systematic Search and Scoping Review. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2021; 64:1008-1022. [PMID: 33606952 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Aim The aim of this scoping review is to identify the eye tracking paradigms and eye movement measures used to investigate auditory and reading comprehension deficits in persons with aphasia (PWA). Method MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, OTseeker, Scopus, Google Scholar, Grey Literature Database, and ProQuest Search (Dissertations & Theses) were searched for relevant studies. The Covidence software was used to manage the initial and full-text screening process for the search. Results and Discussion From a total of 1,803 studies, 68 studies were included for full-text screening. In addition, 418 records from gray literature were also screened. After full-text screening, 16 studies were included for this review-12 studies for auditory comprehension in PWA and four studies for reading comprehension in PWA. The review highlights the use of common eye tracking paradigms used to study language comprehension in PWA. We also discusse eye movement measures and how they help in assessing auditory and reading comprehension. Methodological challenges of using eye tracking are discussed. Conclusion The studies summarized in this scoping review provide evidence that the eye tracking methods are beneficial for studying auditory and reading comprehension in PWA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saryu Sharma
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Hana Kim
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Havan Harris
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | | | - Heather Harris Wright
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
| | - Kathrin Rothermich
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, College of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
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Barbieri E, Litcofsky KA, Walenski M, Chiappetta B, Mesulam MM, Thompson CK. Online sentence processing impairments in agrammatic and logopenic primary progressive aphasia: Evidence from ERP. Neuropsychologia 2021; 151:107728. [PMID: 33326758 PMCID: PMC7875464 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from psycholinguistic research indicates that sentence processing is impaired in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), and more so in individuals with agrammatic (PPA-G) than logopenic (PPA-L) subtypes. Studies have mostly focused on offline sentence production ability, reporting impaired production of verb morphology (e.g., tense, agreement) and verb-argument structure (VAS) in PPA-G, and mixed findings in PPA-L. However, little is known about real-time sentence comprehension in PPA. The present study is the first to compare real-time semantic, morphosyntactic and VAS processing in individuals with PPA (10 with PPA-G and 9 with PPA-L), and in two groups of healthy (22 young and 19 older) individuals, using event-related potentials (ERP). Participants were instructed to listen to sentences that were either well-formed (n = 150) or contained a violation of semantics (e.g., *Owen was mentoring pumpkins at the party, n = 50), morphosyntax (e.g., *The actors was singing in the theatre, n = 50) or VAS (*Ryan was devouring on the couch, n = 50), and were required to perform a sentence acceptability judgment task while EEG was recorded. Results indicated that in the semantic task both healthy and PPA groups showed an N400 response to semantic violations, which was delayed in PPA and older (vs. younger) groups. Morphosyntactic violations elicited a P600 in both groups of healthy individuals and in PPA-L, but not in PPA-G. A similar P600 response was also found only in healthy individuals for VAS violations; whereas, abnormal ERP responses were observed in both PPA groups, with PPA-G showing no evidence of VAS violation detection and PPA-L showing a delayed and abnormally-distributed positive component that was negatively associated with offline sentence comprehension scores. These findings support characterizations of sentence processing impairments in PPA-G, by providing online evidence that VAS and morphosyntactic processing are impaired, in the face of substantially preserved semantic processing. In addition, the results indicate that on-line processing of VAS information may also be impaired in PPA-L, despite their near-normal accuracy on standardized language tests of argument structure production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Barbieri
- Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States.
| | - Kaitlyn A Litcofsky
- Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Matthew Walenski
- Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Brianne Chiappetta
- Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Marek-Marsel Mesulam
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States; Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Cynthia K Thompson
- Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States; Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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Reilly J, Flurie M, Ungrady MB. Eyetracking during picture naming predicts future vocabulary dropout in progressive anomia. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2020; 32:560-578. [PMID: 33115336 PMCID: PMC8079545 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2020.1835676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The dynamic and unpredictable nature of expressive vocabulary dropout in progressive anomia presents a challenge for language intervention. We evaluated whether eye gaze patterns during naming could predict anomia for the same items in the near future. We tracked naming accuracy and gaze patterns as patients with semantic (n = 7) or logopenic (n = 2) variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia or amnestic Alzheimer's Disease (n = 1), named photographs of people and objects. Patients were tested three or more times spaced roughly evenly over an average duration of 19.1 months. Target words named accurately at baseline were retrospectively coded as either known (i.e., consistently named) or vulnerable (i.e., inaccurately or inconsistently named) based on naming accuracy over the study interval. We extracted gaze data corresponding to successful naming attempts and implemented logistic mixed effects models to determine whether common gaze measures could predict each word's naming status as known or vulnerable. More visual fixations and greater visual fixation dispersion predicted later anomia. These findings suggest that eye tracking may yield a biomarker of the robustness of particular target words to future expressive vocabulary dropout. We discuss the potential utility of this finding for optimizing treatment for progressive anomia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Reilly
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maurice Flurie
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Molly B Ungrady
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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9
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Carr DB, Grover P. The Role of Eye Tracking Technology in Assessing Older Driver Safety. Geriatrics (Basel) 2020; 5:E36. [PMID: 32517336 PMCID: PMC7345272 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics5020036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of literature is focused on the use of eye tracking (ET) technology to understand the association between objective visual parameters and higher order brain processes such as cognition. One of the settings where this principle has found practical utility is in the area of driving safety. METHODS We reviewed the literature to identify the changes in ET parameters with older adults and neurodegenerative disease. RESULTS This narrative review provides a brief overview of oculomotor system anatomy and physiology, defines common eye movements and tracking variables that are typically studied, explains the most common methods of eye tracking measurements during driving in simulation and in naturalistic settings, and examines the association of impairment in ET parameters with advanced age and neurodegenerative disease. CONCLUSION ET technology is becoming less expensive, more portable, easier to use, and readily applicable in a variety of clinical settings. Older adults and especially those with neurodegenerative disease may have impairments in visual search parameters, placing them at risk for motor vehicle crashes. Advanced driver assessment systems are becoming more ubiquitous in newer cars and may significantly reduce crashes related to impaired visual search, distraction, and/or fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B. Carr
- Department of Medicine and Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Prateek Grover
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA;
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van Scherpenberg C, Abdel Rahman R, Obrig H. A novel multi-word paradigm for investigating semantic context effects in language production. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230439. [PMID: 32275715 PMCID: PMC7147796 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Semantic context modulates precision and speed of language production. Using different experimental designs including the Picture-Word-Interference (PWI) paradigm, it has consistently been shown that categorically related distractor words (e.g., cat) inhibit retrieval of the target picture name (dog). Here we introduce a novel variant of the PWI paradigm in which we present 8 words prior to a to be named target picture. Within this set, the number of words categorically related was varied between 3 and 5, and the picture to be named was either related or unrelated to the respective category. To disentangle interacting effects of semantic context we combined different naming paradigms manipulating the number of competitors and assessing the effect of repeated naming instances. Evaluating processing of the cohort by eye-tracking provided us with a metric of the (implicit) recognition of the semantic cohort. Results replicate the interference effect in that overall naming of pictures categorically related to the distractor set was slower compared to unrelated pictures. However, interference did not increase with increasing number of distractors. Tracking this effect across naming repetitions, we found that interference is prominent at the first naming instance of every picture only, whereby it is stable across distractor conditions, but dissipates across the experiment. Regarding eye-tracking our data show that participants fixated longer on semantically related items, indicating the identification of the lexico-semantic cohort. Our findings confirm the validity of the novel paradigm and indicate that besides interference during first exposure, repeated exposure to the semantic context may facilitate picture naming and counteract lexical interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia van Scherpenberg
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Clinic Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Rasha Abdel Rahman
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurocognitive Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hellmuth Obrig
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Clinic Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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11
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Mack JE, Mesulam MM, Rogalski EJ, Thompson CK. Verb-argument integration in primary progressive aphasia: Real-time argument access and selection. Neuropsychologia 2019; 134:107192. [PMID: 31521633 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired sentence comprehension is observed in the three major subtypes of PPA, with distinct performance patterns relating to impairments in comprehending complex sentences in the agrammatic (PPA-G) and logopenic (PPA-L) variants and word comprehension in the semantic subtype (PPA-S). However, little is known about basic combinatory processes during sentence comprehension in PPA, such the integration of verbs with their subject and object(s) (verb-argument integration). METHODS The present study used visual-world eye-tracking to examine real-time verb-argument integration in individuals with PPA (12 with PPA-G, 10 with PPA-L, and 6 with PPA-S) and neurotypical older adults (15). Two baseline experiments probed eye movement control, using a non-linguistic task, and noun comprehension, respectively. Two verb-argument integration experiments examined the effects of verb meaning on (a) lexical access of the verb's direct object (argument access) and (b) selection of a semantically-appropriate direct object (argument selection), respectively. Eye movement analyses were conducted only for trials with correct behavioral responses, allowing us to distinguish accuracy and online processing. RESULTS The eye movement control experiment revealed no significant impairments in PPA, whereas the noun comprehension experiment revealed reduced accuracy and eye-movement latencies in PPA-S, and to a lesser extent PPA-G. In the argument access experiment, verb meaning facilitated argument access normally in PPA-G and PPA-L; in PPA-S, verb-meaning effects emerged on an atypical time course. In the argument selection experiment, significant impairments in accuracy were observed only in PPA-G, accompanied by markedly atypical eye movement patterns. CONCLUSION This study revealed two distinct patterns of impaired verb-argument integration in PPA. In PPA-S, impaired verb-argument integration was observed in the argument access experiment, indicating impairments in basic semantic combinatory processes which likely relate to damage in ventral language pathways. In contrast, listeners with PPA-G showed marked impairments of argument selection, likely relating to damage to left inferior frontal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Mack
- Roxelyn & Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, USA.
| | - M-Marsel Mesulam
- Mesulam Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University, USA; Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, USA
| | - Emily J Rogalski
- Mesulam Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, USA
| | - Cynthia K Thompson
- Roxelyn & Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, USA; Mesulam Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University, USA; Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, USA
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12
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Bueno APA, Sato JR, Hornberger M. Eye tracking - The overlooked method to measure cognition in neurodegeneration? Neuropsychologia 2019; 133:107191. [PMID: 31521634 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Eye tracking (ET) studies are becoming increasingly popular due to rapid methodological and technological advances as well as the development of cost efficient and portable eye trackers. Although historically ET has been mostly employed in psychophysics or developmental cognition studies, there is also promising scope to use ET for movement disorders and measuring cognitive processes in neurodegeneration. Particularly, ET can be a powerful tool for cognitive and neuropsychological assessments of patients with pathologies affecting motor and verbal abilities, as tasks can be adapted without requiring motor (except eye movements) or verbal responses. In this review, we will examine the existing evidence of ET methods in neurodegenerative conditions and its potential clinical impact for cognitive assessment. We highlight that current evidence for ET is mostly focused on diagnostics of cognitive impairments in neurodegenerative disorders, where it is debatable whether it has any more sensitivity or specificity than existing cognitive assessments. By contrast, there is currently a lack of ET studies in more advanced disease stages, when patients' motor and verbal functions can be significantly affected, and standard cognitive assessments are challenging or often not possible. We conclude that ET is a promising method not only for cognitive diagnostics but more importantly, for potential cognitive disease tracking in progressive neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A P A Bueno
- - Center of Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, Brazil; - Department of Medicine, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
| | - J R Sato
- - Center of Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, Brazil
| | - M Hornberger
- - Department of Medicine, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK; - Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK
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