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Wu J, Cheng Y, Qu X, Kang T, Cai Y, Wang P, Zaccarella E, Friederici AD, Hartwigsen G, Chen L. Continuous Theta-Burst Stimulation on the Left Posterior Inferior Frontal Gyrus Perturbs Complex Syntactic Processing Stability in Mandarin Chinese. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:608-627. [PMID: 38939729 PMCID: PMC11210936 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
The structure of human language is inherently hierarchical. The left posterior inferior frontal gyrus (LpIFG) is proposed to be a core region for constructing syntactic hierarchies. However, it remains unclear whether LpIFG plays a causal role in syntactic processing in Mandarin Chinese and whether its contribution depends on syntactic complexity, working memory, or both. We addressed these questions by applying inhibitory continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) over LpIFG. Thirty-two participants processed sentences containing embedded relative clauses (i.e., complex syntactic processing), syntactically simpler coordinated sentences (i.e., simple syntactic processing), and non-hierarchical word lists (i.e., word list processing) after receiving real or sham cTBS. We found that cTBS significantly increased the coefficient of variation, a representative index of processing stability, in complex syntactic processing (esp., when subject relative clause was embedded) but not in the other two conditions. No significant changes in d' and reaction time were detected in these conditions. The findings suggest that (a) inhibitory effect of cTBS on the LpIFG might be prominent in perturbing the complex syntactic processing stability but subtle in altering the processing quality; and (b) the causal role of the LpIFG seems to be specific for syntactic processing rather than working memory capacity, further evidencing their separability in LpIFG. Collectively, these results support the notion of the LpIFG as a core region for complex syntactic processing across languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Wu
- Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yao Cheng
- Max Planck Partner Group, School of International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xingfang Qu
- Max Planck Partner Group, School of International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianmin Kang
- Department of Psychology, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
| | - Yimin Cai
- Max Planck Partner Group, School of International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Emiliano Zaccarella
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Angela D. Friederici
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute for Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Luyao Chen
- Max Planck Partner Group, School of International Chinese Language Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Educational System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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van der Burght CL, Friederici AD, Maran M, Papitto G, Pyatigorskaya E, Schroën JAM, Trettenbrein PC, Zaccarella E. Cleaning up the Brickyard: How Theory and Methodology Shape Experiments in Cognitive Neuroscience of Language. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:2067-2088. [PMID: 37713672 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
The capacity for language is a defining property of our species, yet despite decades of research, evidence on its neural basis is still mixed and a generalized consensus is difficult to achieve. We suggest that this is partly caused by researchers defining "language" in different ways, with focus on a wide range of phenomena, properties, and levels of investigation. Accordingly, there is very little agreement among cognitive neuroscientists of language on the operationalization of fundamental concepts to be investigated in neuroscientific experiments. Here, we review chains of derivation in the cognitive neuroscience of language, focusing on how the hypothesis under consideration is defined by a combination of theoretical and methodological assumptions. We first attempt to disentangle the complex relationship between linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience in the field. Next, we focus on how conclusions that can be drawn from any experiment are inherently constrained by auxiliary assumptions, both theoretical and methodological, on which the validity of conclusions drawn rests. These issues are discussed in the context of classical experimental manipulations as well as study designs that employ novel approaches such as naturalistic stimuli and computational modeling. We conclude by proposing that a highly interdisciplinary field such as the cognitive neuroscience of language requires researchers to form explicit statements concerning the theoretical definitions, methodological choices, and other constraining factors involved in their work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Angela D Friederici
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matteo Maran
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Giorgio Papitto
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elena Pyatigorskaya
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Joëlle A M Schroën
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Patrick C Trettenbrein
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
- University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Emiliano Zaccarella
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Schroën JAM, Gunter TC, Numssen O, Kroczek LOH, Hartwigsen G, Friederici AD. Causal evidence for a coordinated temporal interplay within the language network. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306279120. [PMID: 37963247 PMCID: PMC10666120 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306279120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent neurobiological models on language suggest that auditory sentence comprehension is supported by a coordinated temporal interplay within a left-dominant brain network, including the posterior inferior frontal gyrus (pIFG), posterior superior temporal gyrus and sulcus (pSTG/STS), and angular gyrus (AG). Here, we probed the timing and causal relevance of the interplay between these regions by means of concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG). Our TMS-EEG experiments reveal region- and time-specific causal evidence for a bidirectional information flow from left pSTG/STS to left pIFG and back during auditory sentence processing. Adapting a condition-and-perturb approach, our findings further suggest that the left pSTG/STS can be supported by the left AG in a state-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joëlle A. M. Schroën
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Thomas C. Gunter
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Ole Numssen
- Methods and Development Group Brain Networks, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Leon O. H. Kroczek
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg93053, Germany
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Cognitive and Biological Psychology, Wilhelm Wundt Institute for Psychology, Leipzig04109, Germany
| | - Angela D. Friederici
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
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Silcox JW, Mickey B, Payne BR. Disruption to left inferior frontal cortex modulates semantic prediction effects in reading and subsequent memory: Evidence from simultaneous TMS-EEG. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14312. [PMID: 37203307 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Readers use prior context to predict features of upcoming words. When predictions are accurate, this increases the efficiency of comprehension. However, little is known about the fate of predictable and unpredictable words in memory or the neural systems governing these processes. Several theories suggest that the speech production system, including the left inferior frontal cortex (LIFC), is recruited for prediction but evidence that LIFC plays a causal role is lacking. We first examined the effects of predictability on memory and then tested the role of posterior LIFC using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In Experiment 1, participants read category cues, followed by a predictable, unpredictable, or incongruent target word for later recall. We observed a predictability benefit to memory, with predictable words remembered better than unpredictable words. In Experiment 2, participants performed the same task with electroencephalography (EEG) while undergoing event-related TMS over posterior LIFC using a protocol known to disrupt speech production, or over the right hemisphere homologue as an active control site. Under control stimulation, predictable words were better recalled than unpredictable words, replicating Experiment 1. This predictability benefit to memory was eliminated under LIFC stimulation. Moreover, while an a priori ROI-based analysis did not yield evidence for a reduction in the N400 predictability effect, mass-univariate analyses did suggest that the N400 predictability effect was reduced in spatial and temporal extent under LIFC stimulation. Collectively, these results provide causal evidence that the LIFC is recruited for prediction during silent reading, consistent with prediction-through-production accounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack W Silcox
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Brian Mickey
- Department of Psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Brennan R Payne
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Krause CD, Fengler A, Pino D, Sehm B, Friederici AD, Obrig H. The role of left temporo-parietal and inferior frontal cortex in comprehending syntactically complex sentences: A brain stimulation study. Neuropsychologia 2023; 180:108465. [PMID: 36586718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108465] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Syntactic competence relies on a left-lateralized network converging on hubs in inferior-frontal and posterior-temporal cortices. We address the question whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) over these hubs can modulate comprehension of sentences, whose syntactic complexity systematically varied along the factors embedding depths and canonicity. Semantic content and length of the sentences were kept identical and forced choice picture matching was required after the full sentence had been presented. METHODS We used a single-blind, within-subject, sham-controlled design, applying a-tDCS targeting left posterior tempo-parietal (TP) and left inferior frontal cortex (FC). Stimulation sites were determined by individual neuro-navigation. 20 participants were included of whom 19 entered the analysis. Results were analysed using (generalized) mixed models. In a pilot-experiment in another group of 20 participants we validated the manipulation of syntactic complexity by the two factors embedding depth and argument-order. RESULTS Reaction times increased and accuracy decreased with higher embedding depth and non-canonical argument order in both experiments. Notably a-tDCS over TP enhanced sentence-to-picture matching, while FC-stimulation showed no consistent effect. Moreover, the analysis disclosed a session effect, indicating improvements of task performance especially regarding speed. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the posterior 'hub' of the neuronal network affording syntactic analysis represents a 'bottleneck', likely due to working-memory capacity and the challenges of mapping semantic to syntactic information allowing for role assignment. While this does not challenge the role of left inferior-frontal cortex for syntax processing and novel-grammar learning, the application of highly established syntactic rules during sentence comprehension may be considered optimized, thus not augmentable by a-tDCS in the uncompromised network. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) over left temporo-parietal cortex enhances comprehension of complex sentences in uncompromised young speakers. Since a-tDCS over left frontal cortex did not elicit any change, the 'bottleneck' for the understanding of complex sentences seems to be the posterior, temporo-parietal rather than the anterior inferior-frontal 'hub' of language processing. Regarding the attested role of inferior-frontal cortex in syntax processing, we suggest that its function is optimized in competent young speakers, preventing further enhancement by (facilitatory) tDCS. Results shed light on the functional anatomy of syntax processing during sentence comprehension; moreover, they open perspectives for research in the lesioned language network of people with syntactic deficits due to aphasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina D Krause
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuropsychology & Department of Neurology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital & Faculty of Medicine, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Anja Fengler
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuropsychology & Department of Neurology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Department of Special and Inclusive Education, Speech and Language Pedagogy and Pathology, 06110 Halle, Germany
| | - Danièle Pino
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital & Faculty of Medicine, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bernhard Sehm
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuropsychology & Department of Neurology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Clinic for Neurology, University Medicine Halle, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Angela D Friederici
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuropsychology & Department of Neurology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hellmuth Obrig
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuropsychology & Department of Neurology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital & Faculty of Medicine, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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Ntemou E, Svaldi C, Jonkers R, Picht T, Rofes A. Verb and sentence processing with TMS: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cortex 2023; 162:38-55. [PMID: 36965338 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.01.005] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has provided relevant evidence regarding the neural correlates of language. The aim of the present study is to summarize and assess previous findings regarding linguistic levels (i.e., semantic and morpho-syntactic) and brain structures utilized during verb and sentence processing. To do that, we systematically reviewed TMS research on verb and sentence processing in healthy speakers, and meta-analyzed TMS-induced effects according to the region of stimulation and experimental manipulation. Findings from 45 articles show that approximately half of the reviewed work focuses on the embodiment of action verbs. The majority of studies (60%) target only one cortical region in relation to a specific linguistic process. Frontal areas are most frequently stimulated in connection to morphosyntactic processes and action verb semantics, and temporoparietal regions in relation to integration of sentential meaning and thematic role assignment. A meta-analysis of 72 effect sizes of the reviewed papers indicates that TMS has a small overall effect size, but effect sizes for anterior compared to posterior regions do not differ for semantic or morphosyntactic contrasts. Our findings stress the need to increase the number of targeted areas, while using the same linguistic contrasts in order to disentangle the contributions of different cortical regions to distinct linguistic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Effrosyni Ntemou
- International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language and Brain (IDEALAB), University of Groningen (NL), University of Potsdam (DE), Newcastle University (UK), Macquarie University (AU), the Netherlands; Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Neurosurgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cheyenne Svaldi
- International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language and Brain (IDEALAB), University of Groningen (NL), University of Potsdam (DE), Newcastle University (UK), Macquarie University (AU), the Netherlands; Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Roel Jonkers
- Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Picht
- Department of Neurosurgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Cluster of Excellence: "Matters of Activity. Image Space Material", Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Adrià Rofes
- Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Li T, Chang Y, Zhao S, Jones JA, Chen X, Gan C, Wu X, Dai G, Li J, Shen Y, Liu P, Liu H. The left inferior frontal gyrus is causally linked to vocal feedback control: evidence from high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5625-5635. [PMID: 36376991 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Current models of speech motor control propose a role for the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in feedforward control of speech production. There is evidence, however, that has implicated the functional relevance of the left IFG for the neuromotor processing of vocal feedback errors. The present event-related potential (ERP) study examined whether the left IFG is causally linked to auditory feedback control of vocal production with high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS). After receiving active or sham HD-tACS over the left IFG at 6 or 70 Hz, 20 healthy adults vocalized the vowel sounds while hearing their voice unexpectedly pitch-shifted by ±200 cents. The results showed that 6 or 70 Hz HD-tACS over the left IFG led to larger magnitudes and longer latencies of vocal compensations for pitch perturbations paralleled by larger ERP P2 responses than sham HD-tACS. Moreover, there was a lack of frequency specificity that showed no significant differences between 6 and 70 Hz HD-tACS. These findings provide first causal evidence linking the left IFG to vocal pitch regulation, suggesting that the left IFG is an important part of the feedback control network that mediates vocal compensations for auditory feedback errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingni Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Yichen Chang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Shuzhi Zhao
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Jeffery A Jones
- Wilfrid Laurier University Psychology Department and Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, , Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5 , Canada
| | - Xi Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Chu Gan
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Xiuqin Wu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Guangyan Dai
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Jingting Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Ying Shen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University Rehabilitation Medicine Center, , Nanjing 210029 , China
| | - Peng Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
| | - Hanjun Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, , Guangzhou 510080 , China
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Maran M, Numssen O, Hartwigsen G, Zaccarella E. Online neurostimulation of Broca's area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combination. Front Psychol 2022; 13:968836. [PMID: 36619118 PMCID: PMC9815778 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.968836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Categorical predictions have been proposed as the key mechanism supporting the fast pace of syntactic composition in language. Accordingly, grammar-based expectations are formed-e.g., the determiner "a" triggers the prediction for a noun-and facilitate the analysis of incoming syntactic information, which is then checked against a single or few other word categories. Previous functional neuroimaging studies point towards Broca's area in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) as one fundamental cortical region involved in categorical prediction during incremental language processing. Causal evidence for this hypothesis is however still missing. In this study, we combined Electroencephalography (EEG) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to test whether Broca's area is functionally relevant in predictive mechanisms for language. We transiently perturbed Broca's area during the first word in a two-word construction, while simultaneously measuring the Event-Related Potential (ERP) correlates of syntactic composition. We reasoned that if Broca's area is involved in predictive mechanisms for syntax, disruptive TMS during the first word would mitigate the difference in the ERP responses for predicted and unpredicted categories in basic two-word constructions. Contrary to this hypothesis, perturbation of Broca's area at the predictive stage did not affect the ERP correlates of basic composition. The correlation strength between the electrical field induced by TMS and the ERP responses further confirmed this pattern. We discuss the present results considering an alternative account of the role of Broca's area in syntactic composition, namely the bottom-up integration of words into constituents, and of compensatory mechanisms within the language predictive network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Maran
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany,International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity, Leipzig, Germany,*Correspondence: Matteo Maran,
| | - Ole Numssen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emiliano Zaccarella
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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9
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van der Burght CL, Numssen O, Schlaak B, Goucha T, Hartwigsen G. Differential contributions of inferior frontal gyrus subregions to sentence processing guided by intonation. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 44:585-598. [PMID: 36189774 PMCID: PMC9842926 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Auditory sentence comprehension involves processing content (semantics), grammar (syntax), and intonation (prosody). The left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is involved in sentence comprehension guided by these different cues, with neuroimaging studies preferentially locating syntactic and semantic processing in separate IFG subregions. However, this regional specialisation has not been confirmed with a neurostimulation method. Consequently, the causal role of such a specialisation remains unclear. This study probed the role of the posterior IFG (pIFG) for syntactic processing and the anterior IFG (aIFG) for semantic processing with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in a task that required the interpretation of the sentence's prosodic realisation. Healthy participants performed a sentence completion task with syntactic and semantic decisions, while receiving 10 Hz rTMS over either left aIFG, pIFG, or vertex (control). Initial behavioural analyses showed an inhibitory effect on accuracy without task-specificity. However, electric field simulations revealed differential effects for both subregions. In the aIFG, stronger stimulation led to slower semantic processing, with no effect of pIFG stimulation. In contrast, we found a facilitatory effect on syntactic processing in both aIFG and pIFG, where higher stimulation strength was related to faster responses. Our results provide first evidence for the functional relevance of left aIFG in semantic processing guided by intonation. The stimulation effect on syntactic responses emphasises the importance of the IFG for syntax processing, without supporting the hypothesis of a pIFG-specific involvement. Together, the results support the notion of functionally specialised IFG subregions for diverse but fundamental cues for language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantijn L. van der Burght
- Department of NeuropsychologyMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany,Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and PlasticityMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany,Psychology of Language DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegen
| | - Ole Numssen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and PlasticityMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Benito Schlaak
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and PlasticityMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Tomás Goucha
- Department of NeuropsychologyMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and PlasticityMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
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10
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No effects of prefrontal multichannel tACS at individual alpha frequency on phonological decisions. Clin Neurophysiol 2022; 142:96-108. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2022.07.494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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11
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Turker S, Hartwigsen G. The use of noninvasive brain stimulation techniques to improve reading difficulties in dyslexia: A systematic review. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:1157-1173. [PMID: 34716977 PMCID: PMC8764483 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) allows to actively and noninvasively modulate brain function. Aside from inhibiting specific processes, NIBS may also enhance cognitive functions, which might be used for the prevention and intervention of learning disabilities such as dyslexia. However, despite the growing interest in modulating learning abilities, a comprehensive, up-to-date review synthesizing NIBS studies with dyslexics is missing. Here, we fill this gap and elucidate the potential of NIBS as treatment option in dyslexia. The findings of the 15 included studies suggest that repeated sessions of reading training combined with different NIBS protocols may induce long-lasting improvements of reading performance in child and adult dyslexics, opening promising avenues for future research. In particular, the "classical" reading areas seem to be most successfully modulated through NIBS, and facilitatory protocols can improve various reading-related subprocesses. Moreover, we emphasize the need to further explore the potential to modulate auditory cortex function as a preintervention and intervention approach for affected children, for example, to avoid the development of auditory and phonological difficulties at the core of dyslexia. Finally, we outline how future studies may increase our understanding of the neurobiological basis of NIBS-induced improvements in dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Turker
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and PlasticityMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- Alexander von Humboldt FoundationBerlinGermany
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and PlasticityMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
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12
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Zhang L, Shen Q, Liao H, Li J, Wang T, Zi Y, Zhou F, Song C, Mao Z, Wang M, Cai S, Tan C. Aberrant Changes in Cortical Complexity in Right-Onset Versus Left-Onset Parkinson's Disease in Early-Stage. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:749606. [PMID: 34819848 PMCID: PMC8606890 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.749606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence to show that motor symptom lateralization in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is linked to non-motor features, progression, and prognosis of the disease. However, few studies have reported the difference in cortical complexity between patients with left-onset of PD (LPD) and right-onset of PD (RPD). This study aimed to investigate the differences in the cortical complexity between early-stage LPD and RPD. High-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance images of the brain were acquired in 24 patients with LPD, 34 patients with RPD, and 37 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Cortical complexity including gyrification index, fractal dimension (FD), and sulcal depth was analyzed using surface-based morphometry via CAT12/SPM12. Familywise error (FWE) peak-level correction at p < 0.05 was performed for significance testing. In patients with RPD, we found decreased mean FD and mean sulcal depth in the banks of the left superior temporal sulcus (STS) compared with LPD and HCs. The mean FD in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) was decreased in RPD compared with HCs. However, in patients with LPD, we did not identify significantly abnormal cortical complex change compared with HCs. Moreover, we observed that the mean FD in STG was negatively correlated with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) among the three groups. Our findings support the specific influence of asymmetrical motor symptoms in cortical complexity in early-stage PD and reveal that the banks of left STS and left STG might play a crucial role in RPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qin Shen
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Haiyan Liao
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Junli Li
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuheng Zi
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fan Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chendie Song
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhenni Mao
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sainan Cai
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Changlian Tan
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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13
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Sokoliuk R, Degano G, Melloni L, Noppeney U, Cruse D. The Influence of Auditory Attention on Rhythmic Speech Tracking: Implications for Studies of Unresponsive Patients. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:702768. [PMID: 34456697 PMCID: PMC8385206 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.702768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Language comprehension relies on integrating words into progressively more complex structures, like phrases and sentences. This hierarchical structure-building is reflected in rhythmic neural activity across multiple timescales in E/MEG in healthy, awake participants. However, recent studies have shown evidence for this “cortical tracking” of higher-level linguistic structures also in a proportion of unresponsive patients. What does this tell us about these patients’ residual levels of cognition and consciousness? Must the listener direct their attention toward higher level speech structures to exhibit cortical tracking, and would selective attention across levels of the hierarchy influence the expression of these rhythms? We investigated these questions in an EEG study of 72 healthy human volunteers listening to streams of monosyllabic isochronous English words that were either unrelated (scrambled condition) or composed of four-word-sequences building meaningful sentences (sentential condition). Importantly, there were no physical cues between four-word-sentences. Rather, boundaries were marked by syntactic structure and thematic role assignment. Participants were divided into three attention groups: from passive listening (passive group) to attending to individual words (word group) or sentences (sentence group). The passive and word groups were initially naïve to the sentential stimulus structure, while the sentence group was not. We found significant tracking at word- and sentence rate across all three groups, with sentence tracking linked to left middle temporal gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus. Goal-directed attention to words did not enhance word-rate-tracking, suggesting that word tracking here reflects largely automatic mechanisms, as was shown for tracking at the syllable-rate before. Importantly, goal-directed attention to sentences relative to words significantly increased sentence-rate-tracking over left inferior frontal gyrus. This attentional modulation of rhythmic EEG activity at the sentential rate highlights the role of attention in integrating individual words into complex linguistic structures. Nevertheless, given the presence of high-level cortical tracking under conditions of lower attentional effort, our findings underline the suitability of the paradigm in its clinical application in patients after brain injury. The neural dissociation between passive tracking of sentences and directed attention to sentences provides a potential means to further characterise the cognitive state of each unresponsive patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodika Sokoliuk
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Giulio Degano
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Brain and Language Lab, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lucia Melloni
- Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Neurology, New York University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Uta Noppeney
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Department of Biophysics, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Damian Cruse
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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14
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Yuan D, Tian H, Zhou Y, Wu J, Sun T, Xiao Z, Shang C, Wang J, Chen X, Sun Y, Tang J, Qiu S, Tan LH. Acupoint-brain (acubrain) mapping: Common and distinct cortical language regions activated by focused ultrasound stimulation on two language-relevant acupoints. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 215:104920. [PMID: 33561785 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.104920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Acupuncture, taking the advantage of modality-specific neural pathways, has shown promising results in the treatment of brain disorders that affect different modalities such as pain and vision. However, the precise underlying mechanisms of within-modality neuromodulation of acupoints on human high-order cognition remain largely unknown. In the present study, we used a non-invasive and easy-operating method, focused ultrasound, to stimulate two language-relevant acupoints, namely GB39 (Xuanzhong) and SJ8 (Sanyangluo), of thirty healthy adults. The effect of focused ultrasound stimulation (FUS) on brain activation was examined by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We found that stimulating GB39 and SJ8 by FUS evoked overlapping but distinct brain activation patterns. Our findings provide a major step toward within-modality (in this case, language) acupoint-brain (acubrain) mapping and shed light on to the potential use of FUS as a personalized treatment option for brain disorders that affect high-level cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Yuan
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration and Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haoyue Tian
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration and Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yulong Zhou
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration and Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jinjian Wu
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tong Sun
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhuoni Xiao
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration and Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunfeng Shang
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yimin Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical Systems Biology Research Center, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Joey Tang
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shijun Qiu
- Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Li Hai Tan
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration and Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.
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15
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Del Re EC, Stone WS, Bouix S, Seitz J, Zeng V, Guliano A, Somes N, Zhang T, Reid B, Lyall A, Lyons M, Li H, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Keshavan M, Seidman LJ, McCarley RW, Wang J, Tang Y, Shenton ME, Niznikiewicz MA. Baseline Cortical Thickness Reductions in Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: Brain Regions Associated with Conversion to Psychosis Versus Non-Conversion as Assessed at One-Year Follow-Up in the Shanghai-At-Risk-for-Psychosis (SHARP) Study. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:562-574. [PMID: 32926141 PMCID: PMC8480195 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) of frontal, temporal, and parietal brain regions in a large clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) sample, and to identify cortical brain abnormalities in CHR who convert to psychosis and in the whole CHR sample, compared with the healthy controls (HC). METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging, clinical, and cognitive data were acquired at baseline in 92 HC, 130 non-converters, and 22 converters (conversion assessed at 1-year follow-up). CT and SA at baseline were calculated for frontal, temporal, and parietal subregions. Correlations between regions showing group differences and clinical scores and age were also obtained. RESULTS CT but not SA was significantly reduced in CHR compared with HC. Two patterns of findings emerged: (1) In converters, CT was significantly reduced relative to non-converters and controls in the banks of superior temporal sulcus, Heschl's gyrus, and pars triangularis and (2) CT in the inferior parietal and supramarginal gyrus, and at trend level in the pars opercularis, fusiform, and middle temporal gyri was significantly reduced in all high-risk individuals compared with HC. Additionally, reduced CT correlated significantly with older age in HC and in non-converters but not in converters. CONCLUSIONS These results show for the first time that fronto-temporo-parietal abnormalities characterized all CHR, that is, both converters and non-converters, relative to HC, while CT abnormalities in converters relative to CHR-NC and HC were found in core auditory and language processing regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta C Del Re
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston
Healthcare System, Brockton Division, and Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
MA
| | - William S Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Sylvain Bouix
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
MA
| | - Johanna Seitz
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
MA
| | - Victor Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Anthony Guliano
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Nathaniel Somes
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
MA
| | - Tianhong Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of
Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, SHARP
Program, Shanghai China
| | - Benjamin Reid
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
MA
| | - Amanda Lyall
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Monica Lyons
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Huijun Li
- Florida A&M University, Department of Psychology,
Tallahassee, FL
| | | | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Larry J Seidman
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Robert W McCarley
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston
Healthcare System, Brockton Division, and Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA
| | - Jijun Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of
Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, SHARP
Program, Shanghai China
| | - Yingying Tang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of
Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, SHARP
Program, Shanghai China
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Research and Development, VA Boston Healthcare System,
Boston, MA
| | - Margaret A Niznikiewicz
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston
Healthcare System, Brockton Division, and Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; e-mail:
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16
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Tao L, Wang G, Zhu M, Cai Q. Bilingualism and domain-general cognitive functions from a neural perspective: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:264-295. [PMID: 33631315 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A large body of research has indicated that bilingualism - through continual practice in language control - may impact cognitive functions, as well as relevant aspects of brain function and structure. The present review aimed to bring together findings on the relationship between bilingualism and domain-general cognitive functions from a neural perspective. The final sample included 210 studies, covering findings regarding neural responses to bilingual language control and/or domain-general cognitive tasks, as well as findings regarding effects of bilingualism on non-task-related brain function and brain structure. The evidence indicates that a) bilingual language control likely entails neural mechanisms responsible for domain-general cognitive functions; b) bilingual experiences impact neural responses to domain-general cognitive functions; and c) bilingual experiences impact non-task-related brain function (both resting-state and metabolic function) as well as aspects of brain structure (both macrostructure and microstructure), each of which may in turn impact mental processes, including domain-general cognitive functions. Such functional and structural neuroplasticity associated with bilingualism may contribute to both cognitive and neural reserves, producing benefits across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Tao
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Gongting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Miaomiao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Qing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China; Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, East China Normal University, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, China.
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17
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Piai V, Nieberlein L, Hartwigsen G. Effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation over the left posterior superior temporal gyrus on picture-word interference. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242941. [PMID: 33253319 PMCID: PMC7703954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Word-production theories argue that during language production, a concept activates multiple lexical candidates in left temporal cortex, and the intended word is selected from this set. Evidence for theories on spoken-word production comes, for example, from the picture-word interference task, where participants name pictures superimposed by congruent (e.g., picture: rabbit, distractor "rabbit"), categorically related (e.g., distractor "sheep"), or unrelated (e.g., distractor "fork") words. Typically, whereas congruent distractors facilitate naming, related distractors slow down picture naming relative to unrelated distractors, resulting in semantic interference. However, the neural correlates of semantic interference are debated. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that the left mid-to-posterior STG (pSTG) is involved in the interference associated with semantically related distractors. To probe the functional relevance of this area, we targeted the left pSTG with focal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) while subjects performed a picture-word interference task. Unexpectedly, pSTG stimulation did not affect the semantic interference effect but selectively increased the congruency effect (i.e., faster naming with congruent distractors). The facilitatory TMS effect selectively occurred in the more difficult list with an overall lower name agreement. Our study adds new evidence to the causal role of the left pSTG in the interaction between picture and distractor representations or processing streams, only partly supporting previous neuroimaging studies. Moreover, the observed unexpected condition-specific facilitatory rTMS effect argues for an interaction of the task- or stimulus-induced brain state with the modulatory TMS effect. These issues should be systematically addressed in future rTMS studies on language production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitória Piai
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Psychology, Donders Centre for Medical Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Laura Nieberlein
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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18
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Schroen J, Gunter T, Hartwigsen G. P110 The functional relevance of left frontal and temporal cortex for semantic processing: A condition-and-perturb TMS-EEG study. Clin Neurophysiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.12.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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19
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Balkenhol T, Wallhäusser-Franke E, Rotter N, Servais JJ. Changes in Speech-Related Brain Activity During Adaptation to Electro-Acoustic Hearing. Front Neurol 2020; 11:161. [PMID: 32300327 PMCID: PMC7145411 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Hearing improves significantly with bimodal provision, i.e., a cochlear implant (CI) at one ear and a hearing aid (HA) at the other, but performance shows a high degree of variability resulting in substantial uncertainty about the performance that can be expected by the individual CI user. The objective of this study was to explore how auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) of bimodal listeners in response to spoken words approximate the electrophysiological response of normal hearing (NH) listeners. Study Design: Explorative prospective analysis during the first 6 months of bimodal listening using a within-subject repeated measures design. Setting: Academic tertiary care center. Participants: Twenty-seven adult participants with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who received a HiRes 90K CI and continued use of a HA at the non-implanted ear. Age-matched NH listeners served as controls. Intervention: Cochlear implantation. Main Outcome Measures: Obligatory auditory evoked potentials N1 and P2, and the event-related N2 potential in response to monosyllabic words and their reversed sound traces before, as well as 3 and 6 months post-implantation. The task required word/non-word classification. Stimuli were presented within speech-modulated noise. Loudness of word/non-word signals was adjusted individually to achieve the same intelligibility across groups and assessments. Results: Intelligibility improved significantly with bimodal hearing, and the N1-P2 response approximated the morphology seen in NH with enhanced and earlier responses to the words compared to their reversals. For bimodal listeners, a prominent negative deflection was present between 370 and 570 ms post stimulus onset (N2), irrespective of stimulus type. This was absent for NH controls; hence, this response did not approximate the NH response during the study interval. N2 source localization evidenced extended activation of general cognitive areas in frontal and prefrontal brain areas in the CI group. Conclusions: Prolonged and spatially extended processing in bimodal CI users suggests employment of additional auditory-cognitive mechanisms during speech processing. This does not reduce within 6 months of bimodal experience and may be a correlate of the enhanced listening effort described by CI listeners.
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