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Economou M, Vanden Bempt F, Van Herck S, Glatz T, Wouters J, Ghesquière P, Vanderauwera J, Vandermosten M. Cortical Structure in Pre-Readers at Cognitive Risk for Dyslexia: Baseline Differences and Response to Intervention. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:264-287. [PMID: 38832361 PMCID: PMC11093402 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00122] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Early childhood is a critical period for structural brain development as well as an important window for the identification and remediation of reading difficulties. Recent research supports the implementation of interventions in at-risk populations as early as kindergarten or first grade, yet the neurocognitive mechanisms following such interventions remain understudied. To address this, we investigated cortical structure by means of anatomical MRI before and after a 12-week tablet-based intervention in: (1) at-risk children receiving phonics-based training (n = 29; n = 16 complete pre-post datasets), (2) at-risk children engaging with AC training (n = 24; n = 15 complete pre-post datasets) and (3) typically developing children (n = 25; n = 14 complete pre-post datasets) receiving no intervention. At baseline, we found higher surface area of the right supramarginal gyrus in at-risk children compared to typically developing peers, extending previous evidence that early anatomical differences exist in children who may later develop dyslexia. Our longitudinal analysis revealed significant post-intervention thickening of the left supramarginal gyrus, present exclusively in the intervention group but not the active control or typical control groups. Altogether, this study contributes new knowledge to our understanding of the brain morphology associated with cognitive risk for dyslexia and response to early intervention, which in turn raises new questions on how early anatomy and plasticity may shape the trajectories of long-term literacy development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Toivo Glatz
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Wouters
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Hintz F, Shkaravska O, Dijkhuis M, van 't Hoff V, Huijsmans M, van Dongen RCA, Voeteé LAB, Trilsbeek P, McQueen JM, Meyer AS. IDLaS-NL - A platform for running customized studies on individual differences in Dutch language skills via the Internet. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:2422-2436. [PMID: 37749421 PMCID: PMC10991024 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02156-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
We introduce the Individual Differences in Language Skills (IDLaS-NL) web platform, which enables users to run studies on individual differences in Dutch language skills via the Internet. IDLaS-NL consists of 35 behavioral tests, previously validated in participants aged between 18 and 30 years. The platform provides an intuitive graphical interface for users to select the tests they wish to include in their research, to divide these tests into different sessions and to determine their order. Moreover, for standardized administration the platform provides an application (an emulated browser) wherein the tests are run. Results can be retrieved by mouse click in the graphical interface and are provided as CSV file output via e-mail. Similarly, the graphical interface enables researchers to modify and delete their study configurations. IDLaS-NL is intended for researchers, clinicians, educators and in general anyone conducting fundamental research into language and general cognitive skills; it is not intended for diagnostic purposes. All platform services are free of charge. Here, we provide a description of its workings as well as instructions for using the platform. The IDLaS-NL platform can be accessed at www.mpi.nl/idlas-nl .
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Hintz
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands.
- Deutscher Sprachatlas, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Olha Shkaravska
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolijn Dijkhuis
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
| | - Vera van 't Hoff
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
| | - Milou Huijsmans
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
| | - Robert C A van Dongen
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
| | - Levi A B Voeteé
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Trilsbeek
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
| | - James M McQueen
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
- Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Antje S Meyer
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, P.O. Box 310, Nijmegen, 6500, AH, The Netherlands
- Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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3
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Kristanto D, Hildebrandt A, Sommer W, Zhou C. Cognitive abilities are associated with specific conjunctions of structural and functional neural subnetworks. Neuroimage 2023; 279:120304. [PMID: 37536528 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive neuroscience assumes that different mental abilities correspond to at least partly separable brain subnetworks and strives to understand their relationships. However, single-task approaches typically revealed multiple brain subnetworks to be involved in performance. Here, we chose a bottom-up approach of investigating the association between structural and functional brain subnetworks, on the one hand, and domain-specific cognitive abilities, on the other. Structural network was identified using machine-learning graph neural network by clustering anatomical brain properties measured in 838 individuals enroled in the WU-Minn Young Adult Human Connectome Project. Functional network was adapted from seven Resting State Networks (7-RSN). We then analyzed the results of 15 cognitive tasks and estimated five latent abilities: fluid reasoning (Gf), crystallized intelligence (Gc), memory (Mem), executive functions (EF), and processing speed (Gs). In a final step we determined linear associations between these independently identified ability and brain entities. We found no one-to-one mapping between latent abilities and brain subnetworks. Analyses revealed that abilities are associated with properties of particular combinations of brain subnetworks. While some abilities are more strongly associated to within-subnetwork connections, others are related with connections between multiple subnetworks. Importantly, domain-specific abilities commonly rely on node(s) as hub(s) to connect with other subnetworks. To test the robustness of our findings, we ran the analyses through several defensible analytical decisions. Together, the present findings allow a novel perspective on the distinct nature of domain-specific cognitive abilities building upon unique combinations of associated brain subnetworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kristanto
- Department of Physics, Centre for Nonlinear Studies and Beijing-Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Centre for Nonlinear and Complex Systems (Hong Kong), Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Psychology, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Andrea Hildebrandt
- Department of Psychology, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26129, Germany; Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Werner Sommer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University at Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jin Hua, China; Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Changsong Zhou
- Department of Physics, Centre for Nonlinear Studies and Beijing-Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Centre for Nonlinear and Complex Systems (Hong Kong), Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China; Life Science Imaging Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China.
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4
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Ren X, Libertus ME. Identifying the Neural Bases of Math Competence Based on Structural and Functional Properties of the Human Brain. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:1212-1228. [PMID: 37172121 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02008] [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: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Human populations show large individual differences in math performance and math learning abilities. Early math skill acquisition is critical for providing the foundation for higher quantitative skill acquisition and succeeding in modern society. However, the neural bases underlying individual differences in math competence remain unclear. Modern neuroimaging techniques allow us to not only identify distinct local cortical regions but also investigate large-scale neural networks underlying math competence both structurally and functionally. To gain insights into the neural bases of math competence, this review provides an overview of the structural and functional neural markers for math competence in both typical and atypical populations of children and adults. Although including discussion of arithmetic skills in children, this review primarily focuses on the neural markers associated with complex math skills. Basic number comprehension and number comparison skills are outside the scope of this review. By synthesizing current research findings, we conclude that neural markers related to math competence are not confined to one particular region; rather, they are characterized by a distributed and interconnected network of regions across the brain, primarily focused on frontal and parietal cortices. Given that human brain is a complex network organized to minimize the cost of information processing, an efficient brain is capable of integrating information from different regions and coordinating the activity of various brain regions in a manner that maximizes the overall efficiency of the network to achieve the goal. We end by proposing that frontoparietal network efficiency is critical for math competence, which enables the recruitment of task-relevant neural resources and the engagement of distributed neural circuits in a goal-oriented manner. Thus, it will be important for future studies to not only examine brain activation patterns of discrete regions but also examine distributed network patterns across the brain, both structurally and functionally.
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5
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Wimmer L, Ferguson HJ. Testing the validity of a self-report scale, author recognition test, and book counting as measures of lifetime exposure to print fiction. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:103-134. [PMID: 35277842 PMCID: PMC9918583 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01784-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We report a study testing the validity of the three most commonly used indicators of lifetime exposure to print fiction, namely a self-report scale, an author recognition test (ART), and book counting, in a sample of older adults (N=306; Mage = 59.29 years, SDage = 7.01). Convergent validity of the self-report scale and book counting was assessed through correlations with the fiction sub-score of the ART; divergent validity of these two indicators was examined via correlations with the non-fiction sub-score of that ART. We also assessed criterion-related validity by testing the degree to which each of the three indicators predicted participants' performance in a vocabulary test. The self-report scale and book counting were significantly more positively associated with the ART fiction sub-score than the ART non-fiction sub-score. Regression analyses, controlling for gender and non-fiction exposure, revealed that the ART fiction sub-score had the highest explanatory power among all indicators under investigation for predicting vocabulary test performance. The present results suggest that only ARTs may have satisfactory levels of both construct and criterion-related validity. Recommendations for the assessment of fiction exposure and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Wimmer
- Department of Education, University of Freiburg, Rempartstr., 11, 79098, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
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6
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Del Mauro G, Del Maschio N, Abutalebi J. The relationship between reading abilities and the left occipitotemporal sulcus: A dual perspective study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 235:105189. [PMID: 36260960 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Reading activates a region within the left lateral occipitotemporal sulcus (OTS) known as the 'visual word form area' (VWFA). While several studies have investigated the impact of reading on brain structure through neuroplastic mechanisms, it has been recently suggested that individual differences in the pattern of the posterior OTS may predict reading skills in adults. In the present study, we first examined whether the structure and morphology and the anatomical connectivity of the left OTS are associated to reading ability. Second, we explored whether reading skills are predicted by the pattern of the left OTS. We found that reading skills were positively associated with increased connectivity between the left OTS and a network of reading-related regions in the left hemisphere. On the other hand, we did not observe an association between the pattern of the left OTS and reading skills. Finally, we found evidence that the morphology and the connectivity of the left OTS are correlated to its sulcal pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianpaolo Del Mauro
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Del Maschio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Facultyof Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Facultyof Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; TheArctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
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7
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Pérez AI, Fotiadou G, Tsimpli I. Preserved Executive Control in Ageing: The Role of Literacy Experience. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101392. [PMID: 36291325 PMCID: PMC9599319 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy ageing is commonly accompanied by cognitive decline affecting several domains such as executive control, whereas certain verbal skills remain relatively preserved. Interestingly, recent scientific research has shown that some intellectual activities may be linked to beneficial effects, delaying or even alleviating cognitive decline in the elderly. Thirty young (age: M = 23) and thirty old (age: M = 66) adults were assessed in executive control (switching) and literacy experience (print exposure). First, we tried to confirm whether healthy ageing was generally associated with deficits in switching by looking at mixing cost effects, to then investigate if individual differences in print exposure explained variation in that age-related mixing costs. Both accuracy and reaction times mixing cost indexes demonstrated larger cost in old (but not in young) adults when switching from local to global information. More importantly, this cost effect was not present in old adults with higher print exposure (reaction times). Our findings suggest literacy experience accumulated across the life-span may act as a cognitive reserve proxy to prevent executive control decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana I. Pérez
- Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 9DA, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-623100238
| | - Georgia Fotiadou
- Department of Linguistics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ianthi Tsimpli
- Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 9DA, UK
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8
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Mitelman SA, Buchsbaum MS, Vyas NS, Christian BT, Merrill BM, Buchsbaum BR, Mitelman AM, Mukherjee J, Lehrer DS. Reading abilities and dopamine D 2/D 3 receptor availability: An inverted U-shaped association in subjects with schizophrenia. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 223:105046. [PMID: 34763166 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Reading impairments are prominent trait-like features of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, predictive of overall cognitive functioning and presumably linked to dopaminergic abnormalities. To evaluate this, we used 18F-fallypride PET in 19 healthy and 21 antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia subjects and correlated dopamine receptor binding potentials in relevant AFNI-derived regions and voxelwise with group performance on WRAT4 single-word reading subtest. Healthy subjects' scores were positively and linearly associated with D2/D3 receptor availability in the rectus, orbital and superior frontal gyri, fusiform and middle temporal gyri, as well as middle occipital gyrus and precuneus, all predominantly in the left hemisphere and previously implicated in reading, hence suggesting that higher dopamine receptor density is cognitively advantageous. This relationship was weakened in schizophrenia subjects and in contrast to healthy participants followed an inverted U-shaped curve both in the cortex and dorsal striatum, indicating restricted optimal range of dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability for cognitive performance in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge A Mitelman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Elmhurst, NY, USA.
| | - Monte S Buchsbaum
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Nora S Vyas
- Kingston University London, Department of Psychology, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK; Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, London, UK
| | - Bradley T Christian
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brian M Merrill
- Department of Psychiatry, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Bradley R Buchsbaum
- The Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Jogeshwar Mukherjee
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Preclinical Imaging, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, USA
| | - Douglas S Lehrer
- Department of Psychiatry, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
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9
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Cheng LSP, Burgess D, Vernooij N, Solís-Barroso C, McDermott A, Namboodiripad S. The Problematic Concept of Native Speaker in Psycholinguistics: Replacing Vague and Harmful Terminology With Inclusive and Accurate Measures. Front Psychol 2021; 12:715843. [PMID: 34659029 PMCID: PMC8517917 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.715843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Though the term NATIVE SPEAKER/SIGNER is frequently used in language research, it is inconsistently conceptualized. Factors, such as age, order, and context of acquisition, in addition to social/cultural identity, are often differentially conflated. While the ambiguity and harmful consequences of the term NATIVE SPEAKER have been problematized across disciplines, much of this literature attempts to repurpose the term in order to include and/or exclude certain populations. This paper problematizes NATIVE SPEAKER within psycholinguistics, arguing that the term is both unhelpful to rigorous theory construction and harmful to marginalized populations by reproducing normative assumptions about behavior, experience, and identity. We propose that language researchers avoid NATIVE SPEAKER altogether, and we suggest alternate ways of characterizing language experience/use. The vagueness of NATIVE SPEAKER can create problems in research design (e.g., through systematically excluding certain populations), recruitment (as participants' definitions might diverge from researchers'), and analysis (by distilling continuous factors into under-specified binary categories). This can result in barriers to cross-study comparison, which is particularly concerning for theory construction and replicability. From a research ethics perspective, it matters how participants are characterized and included: Excluding participants based on binary/essentialist conceptualizations of nativeness upholds deficit perspectives toward multilingualism and non-hegemonic modes of language acquisition. Finally, by implicitly assuming the existence of a critical period, NATIVE SPEAKER brings with it theoretical baggage which not all researchers may want to carry. Given the issues above and how 'nativeness' is racialized (particularly in European and North American contexts), we ask that researchers consider carefully whether exclusion of marginalized/minoritized populations is necessary or justified-particularly when NATIVE SPEAKER is used only as a way to achieve linguistic homogeneity. Instead, we urge psycholinguists to explicitly state the specific axes traditionally implied by NATIVENESS that they wish to target. We outline several of these (e.g., order of acquisition, allegiance, and comfort with providing intuitions) and give examples of how to recruit and describe participants while eschewing NATIVE SPEAKER. Shifting away from harmful conventions, such as NATIVE SPEAKER, will not only improve research design and analysis, but also is one way we can co-create a more just and inclusive field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauretta S P Cheng
- Department of Linguistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Danielle Burgess
- Department of Linguistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Natasha Vernooij
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | | | - Ashley McDermott
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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10
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Wagner RK, Beal B, Zirps FA, Spencer M. A model-based meta-analytic examination of specific reading comprehension deficit: how prevalent is it and does the simple view of reading account for it? ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2021; 71:260-281. [PMID: 34080138 PMCID: PMC8483584 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-021-00232-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many individuals with poor reading comprehension have levels of reading comprehension that are consistent with deficits in their ability to decode the words on the page. However, there are individuals who are poor at reading comprehension despite being adequate at decoding. This phenomenon is referred to as specific reading comprehension deficit (SRCD). The two purposes of this study were to use a new approach to estimate the prevalence of SRCD and to examine the extent to which SRCD can be explained by the simple view of reading. We used model-based meta-analysis of correlation matrices from standardized tests to create composite correlation matrices for the constructs of reading comprehension, decoding, and listening comprehension. Using simulated datasets generated from the composite correlation matrices, we used residuals from regressing reading comprehension on decoding to create a continuous index of SRCD. The prevalence of SRCD is best represented not as a single number but as a continuous distribution in which prevalence varies as a function of the magnitude of the severity of the deficit in reading comprehension relative to the level of decoding. Examining the joint distribution of the residuals with reading comprehension makes clear that the phenomenon of reading comprehension that is poor relative to decoding occurs throughout the distribution of reading comprehension skill. Although the simple view of reading predictors of listening comprehension and decoding makes significant contributions to predicting reading comprehension, nearly half of the variance is unaccounted for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K Wagner
- Departments of Psychology and the Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| | - Bethany Beal
- Departments of Psychology and the Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Fotena A Zirps
- Departments of Psychology and the Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Mercedes Spencer
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
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11
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Torre GA, Matejko AA, Eden GF. The relationship between brain structure and proficiency in reading and mathematics in children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100856. [PMID: 32949854 PMCID: PMC7502824 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral and brain imaging studies speak to commonalities between reading and math. Here, we investigated relationships between individual differences in reading and math ability (single word reading and calculation) with brain anatomy (cortical thickness and surface area) in 342 participants between 6-22 years of age from the NIH Pediatric MRI Database. We found no brain-behavioral correlations in the full sample. When dividing the dataset into three age-specific subgroups, cortical thickness of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and fusiform gyrus (FG) correlated with reading ability in the oldest subgroup (15-22 years) only. Next, we tested unique contributions of these educational measures to neuroanatomy. Single word reading ability, age, and their interaction all contributed unique variance to cortical thickness in the left SMG and intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Age, and the interaction between age and reading, predicted cortical thickness in the left FG. However, regression analyses for math ability showed no relationships with cortical thickness; nor for math or reading ability with surface area. Overall, our results demonstrate relationships between cortical thickness and reading ability in emerging adults, but not in younger age groups. Surprisingly, there were no such relationships with math, and hence no convergence between the reading and math results.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Torre
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States.
| | - A A Matejko
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States
| | - G F Eden
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States.
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12
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Perdue MV, Mednick J, Pugh KR, Landi N. Gray Matter Structure Is Associated with Reading Skill in Typically Developing Young Readers. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5449-5459. [PMID: 32488230 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Research using functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging has identified areas of reduced brain activation and gray matter volume in children and adults with reading disability, but associations between cortical structure and individual differences in reading in typically developing children remain underexplored. Furthermore, the majority of research linking gray matter structure to reading ability quantifies gray matter in terms of volume, and cannot specify unique contributions of cortical surface area and thickness to these relationships. Here, we applied a continuous analytic approach to investigate associations between distinct surface-based properties of cortical structure and individual differences in reading-related skills in a sample of typically developing young children. Correlations between cortical structure and reading-related skills were conducted using a surface-based vertex-wise approach. Cortical thickness in the left superior temporal cortex was positively correlated with word and pseudoword reading performance. The observed positive correlation between cortical thickness in the left superior temporal cortex and reading may have implications for the patterns of brain activation that support reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan V Perdue
- University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.,Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St #900, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Joshua Mednick
- University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Kenneth R Pugh
- University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.,Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St #900, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Nicole Landi
- University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.,Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St #900, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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Angelopoulou G, Meier EL, Kasselimis D, Pan Y, Tsolakopoulos D, Velonakis G, Karavasilis E, Kelekis NL, Goutsos D, Potagas C, Kiran S. Investigating Gray and White Matter Structural Substrates of Sex Differences in the Narrative Abilities of Healthy Adults. Front Neurosci 2020; 13:1424. [PMID: 32063823 PMCID: PMC7000661 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Linguistic aspects of narration have been investigated in healthy populations, in a wide variety of languages and speech genres with very different results. There is some evidence indicating that linguistic elements, such as speech rate (i.e., the measure indicating the amount of speech produced in a certain time period), mean length of utterance (MLU) (i.e., the index reflecting sentence grammatical structure), frequency of nouns and verbs, might be affected by non-linguistic factors such as sex. On the other hand, despite the existence of neuroimaging evidence of structural differences between males and females, it is yet unknown how such differences could explain between-sex disparities in linguistic abilities in natural speech contexts. To date, no study has evaluated discourse production elements in relation to sex differences and their neural correlates in terms of brain structure, a topic that could provide unique insights on the relationship between language and the brain. The aim of the present study was to determine sex differences in narrative skills in healthy adults and to investigate white and gray matter structural correlates of linguistic skills in each group. Twenty-seven male and 30 female (N = 57) right-handed, neurologically intact, monolingual Greek speakers, matched for age and years of education, participated. Narrations of a personal medical event were elicited. Linguistic elements of speech rate (words per minute), MLUs, frequency of nouns and verbs were calculated for each speech sample, by two independent raters. Structural 3D T1 images were segmented and parcellated using FreeSurfer and whole-brain between-sex differences in cortical thickness, cortical volume and surface area, were obtained. Between-group differences in white matter diffusion tensor scalars were examined via Tract-Based Spatial-Statistics and whole-brain tractography and automated tract delineation using Automated Fiber Quantification. Speech rate and noun frequency were significantly lower for men, while verb frequency was significantly higher for women, but no differences were identified for MLU. Regarding cortical measures, males demonstrated increased volume, surface area and cortical thickness in several bilateral regions, while no voxel-wise or tractography-based between-group differences in white matter metrics were observed. Regarding the relationship between sex and speech variables, hierarchical regression analyses showed that the superior/middle frontal cluster in surface area may serve as a significant predictor of speech rate variance, but only in females. We discuss several possible interpretations of how sex-related speech abilities could be represented differently in men and women in gray matter structures within the broad language network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Angelopoulou
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erin L. Meier
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Dimitrios Kasselimis
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Yue Pan
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dimitrios Tsolakopoulos
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - George Velonakis
- 2nd Department of Radiology, General University Hospital “Attikon”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratios Karavasilis
- 2nd Department of Radiology, General University Hospital “Attikon”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos L. Kelekis
- 2nd Department of Radiology, General University Hospital “Attikon”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dionysios Goutsos
- Department of Linguistics, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Constantin Potagas
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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Li MY, Braze D, Kukona A, Johns CL, Tabor W, Van Dyke JA, Mencl WE, Shankweiler DP, Pugh KR, Magnuson JS. Individual differences in subphonemic sensitivity and phonological skills. JOURNAL OF MEMORY AND LANGUAGE 2019; 107:195-215. [PMID: 31431796 PMCID: PMC6701851 DOI: 10.1016/j.jml.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have established a link between phonological abilities (indexed by phonological awareness and phonological memory tasks) and typical and atypical reading development. Individuals who perform poorly on phonological assessments have been mostly assumed to have underspecified (or "fuzzy") phonological representations, with typical phonemic categories, but with greater category overlap due to imprecise encoding. An alternative posits that poor readers have overspecified phonological representations, with speech sounds perceived allophonically (phonetically distinct variants of a single phonemic category). On both accounts, mismatch between phonological categories and orthography leads to reading difficulty. Here, we consider the implications of these accounts for online speech processing. We used eye tracking and an individual differences approach to assess sensitivity to subphonemic detail in a community sample of young adults with a wide range of reading-related skills. Subphonemic sensitivity inversely correlated with meta-phonological task performance, consistent with overspecification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Y.C. Li
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of
Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA
- Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1272, USA
- Brain Imaging Research Center, University of Connecticut,
Storrs, CT 06269-1271, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
| | - David Braze
- Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1272, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
| | - Anuenue Kukona
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
- School of Applied Social Sciences, De Montfort University,
The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK
| | | | - Whitney Tabor
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of
Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA
- Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1272, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
| | - Julie A. Van Dyke
- Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1272, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
| | - W. Einar Mencl
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
- Department of Linguistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT
06520, USA
| | - Donald P. Shankweiler
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of
Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
| | - Kenneth R. Pugh
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of
Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA
- Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1272, USA
- Brain Imaging Research Center, University of Connecticut,
Storrs, CT 06269-1271, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
- Department of Linguistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT
06520, USA
| | - James S. Magnuson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of
Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA
- Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1272, USA
- Brain Imaging Research Center, University of Connecticut,
Storrs, CT 06269-1271, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06510,
USA
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