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Kóbor A, Janacsek K, Hermann P, Zavecz Z, Varga V, Csépe V, Vidnyánszky Z, Kovács G, Nemeth D. Finding Pattern in the Noise: Persistent Implicit Statistical Knowledge Impacts the Processing of Unpredictable Stimuli. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1239-1264. [PMID: 38683699 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Humans can extract statistical regularities of the environment to predict upcoming events. Previous research recognized that implicitly acquired statistical knowledge remained persistent and continued to influence behavior even when the regularities were no longer present in the environment. Here, in an fMRI experiment, we investigated how the persistence of statistical knowledge is represented in the brain. Participants (n = 32) completed a visual, four-choice, RT task consisting of statistical regularities. Two types of blocks constantly alternated with one another throughout the task: predictable statistical regularities in one block type and unpredictable ones in the other. Participants were unaware of the statistical regularities and their changing distribution across the blocks. Yet, they acquired the statistical regularities and showed significant statistical knowledge at the behavioral level not only in the predictable blocks but also in the unpredictable ones, albeit to a smaller extent. Brain activity in a range of cortical and subcortical areas, including early visual cortex, the insula, the right inferior frontal gyrus, and the right globus pallidus/putamen contributed to the acquisition of statistical regularities. The right insula, inferior frontal gyrus, and hippocampus as well as the bilateral angular gyrus seemed to play a role in maintaining this statistical knowledge. The results altogether suggest that statistical knowledge could be exploited in a relevant, predictable context as well as transmitted to and retrieved in an irrelevant context without a predictable structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Kóbor
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Centre of Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Petra Hermann
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
| | | | - Vera Varga
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
- University of Pannonia, Hungary
| | - Valéria Csépe
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
- University of Pannonia, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Vidnyánszky
- Brain Imaging Centre, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
| | | | - Dezso Nemeth
- INSERM, CRNL U1028 UMR5292, France
- ELTE Eötvös Loránd University & HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
- University of Atlántico Medio, Spain
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Pedraza F, Vékony T, Nemeth D. Nomen est omen: Serial reaction time task is not a motor but a visuomotor learning task. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3111-3115. [PMID: 37449939 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16092] [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: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The serial reaction time task is a widely used task in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience to assess human and animal learning. Many publications refer to this task as a 'motor learning task', but it is also a perceptual learning task. We emphasize here that the incorrect use of the term 'motor learning' misleads researchers and medical doctors by emphasizing the motor cortex's exclusive role. It has the potential to lead to the misinterpretation of neuroscientific, neuroimaging and clinical studies. The domino effect has the potential to generate more flawed hypotheses and theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Pedraza
- INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, Bron, France
- EMC Laboratory, University Lyon 2, Lyon, France
| | - Teodóra Vékony
- INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, Bron, France
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- INSERM, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, Bron, France
- NAP Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University & Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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van Witteloostuijn M, Boersma P, Wijnen F, Rispens J. The contribution of individual differences in statistical learning to reading and spelling performance in children with and without dyslexia. DYSLEXIA (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2021; 27:168-186. [PMID: 33631835 PMCID: PMC8248086 DOI: 10.1002/dys.1678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Using an individual differences approach in children with and without dyslexia, this study investigated the hypothesized relationship between statistical learning ability and literacy (reading and spelling) skills. We examined the clinical relevance of statistical learning (serial reaction time and visual statistical learning tasks) by controlling for potential confounds at the participant level (e.g., non-verbal reasoning, attention and phonological skills including rapid automatized naming and phonological short-term memory). A 100 Dutch-speaking 8- to 11-year-old children with and without dyslexia participated (50 per group), see also van Witteloostuijn et al. (2019) for a study with the same participants. No evidence of a relationship between statistical learning and literacy skills is found above and beyond participant-level variables. Suggestions from the literature that the link between statistical learning and literacy attainment, and therefore its clinical relevance, might be small and strongly influenced by methodological differences between studies are not contradicted by our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul Boersma
- Amsterdam Center for Language and CommunicationUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Frank Wijnen
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTSUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Judith Rispens
- Amsterdam Center for Language and CommunicationUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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Koyama MS, Molfese PJ, Milham MP, Mencl WE, Pugh KR. Thalamus is a common locus of reading, arithmetic, and IQ: Analysis of local intrinsic functional properties. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 209:104835. [PMID: 32738503 PMCID: PMC8087146 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies of basic achievement skills - reading and arithmetic - often control for the effect of IQ to identify unique neural correlates of each skill. This may underestimate possible effects of common factors between achievement and IQ measures on neuroimaging results. Here, we simultaneously examined achievement (reading and arithmetic) and IQ measures in young adults, aiming to identify MRI correlates of their common factors. Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data were analyzed using two metrics assessing local intrinsic functional properties; regional homogeneity (ReHo) and fractional amplitude low frequency fluctuation (fALFF), measuring local intrinsic functional connectivity and intrinsic functional activity, respectively. ReHo highlighted the thalamus/pulvinar (a subcortical region implied for selective attention) as a common locus for both achievement skills and IQ. More specifically, the higher the ReHo values, the lower the achievement and IQ scores. For fALFF, the left superior parietal lobule, part of the dorsal attention network, was positively associated with reading and IQ. Collectively, our results highlight attention-related regions, particularly the thalamus/pulvinar as a key region related to individual differences in performance on all the three measures. ReHo in the thalamus/pulvinar may serve as a tool to examine brain mechanisms underlying a comorbidity of reading and arithmetic difficulties, which could co-occur with weakness in general intellectual abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maki S Koyama
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Peter J Molfese
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Section on Functional Imaging Methods, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Michael P Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA; Center for Biomedical Imagingand Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
| | | | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Connecticut, Department of Psychology, Storrs, CT, USA.
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Malins JG, Landi N, Ryherd K, Frijters JC, Magnuson JS, Rueckl JG, Pugh KR, Sevcik R, Morris R. Is that a pibu or a pibo? Children with reading and language deficits show difficulties in learning and overnight consolidation of phonologically similar pseudowords. Dev Sci 2020; 24:e13023. [PMID: 32691904 PMCID: PMC7988620 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Word learning is critical for the development of reading and language comprehension skills. Although previous studies have indicated that word learning is compromised in children with reading disability (RD) or developmental language disorder (DLD), it is less clear how word learning difficulties manifest in children with comorbid RD and DLD. Furthermore, it is unclear whether word learning deficits in RD or DLD include difficulties with offline consolidation of newly learned words. In the current study, we employed an artificial lexicon learning paradigm with an overnight design to investigate how typically developing (TD) children (N = 25), children with only RD (N = 93), and children with both RD and DLD (N = 34) learned and remembered a set of phonologically similar pseudowords. Results showed that compared to TD children, children with RD exhibited: (i) slower growth in discrimination accuracy for cohort item pairs sharing an onset (e.g. pibu‐pibo), but not for rhyming item pairs (e.g. pibu‐dibu); and (ii) lower discrimination accuracy for both cohort and rhyme item pairs on Day 2, even when accounting for differences in Day 1 learning. Moreover, children with comorbid RD and DLD showed learning and retention deficits that extended to unrelated item pairs that were phonologically dissimilar (e.g. pibu‐tupa), suggestive of broader impairments compared to children with only RD. These findings provide insights into the specific learning deficits underlying RD and DLD and motivate future research concerning how children use phonological similarity to guide the organization of new word knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey G Malins
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicole Landi
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Kayleigh Ryherd
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jan C Frijters
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - James S Magnuson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jay G Rueckl
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.,Department of Linguistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rose Sevcik
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Robin Morris
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Elleman AM, Steacy LM, Compton DL. The Role of Statistical Learning in Word Reading and Spelling Development: More Questions than Answers. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF READING : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING 2018; 23:1-7. [PMID: 30718941 PMCID: PMC6358202 DOI: 10.1080/10888438.2018.1549045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
This special issue bundles a set of eight empirical studies and one review article that explore the role of SL mechanisms (both domain-specific and domain-general) in supporting word reading and spelling development, and vice-versa. In this introduction to the special issue, we worked to summarize the extent to which studies support our hypotheses relating SL to reading and spelling development while also pointing out inconsistencies across studies that require us to refine and rethink our hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura M Steacy
- Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University
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