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Cui N, Piai V, Zheng XY. Domain-general cognitive control processes in bilingual switching: Evidence from midfrontal theta oscillations. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:4813-4829. [PMID: 39039939 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16466] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Language control in bilingual speakers is thought to be implicated in effectively switching between languages, inhibiting the non-intended language, and continuously monitoring what to say and what has been said. It has been a matter of controversy concerning whether language control operates in a comparable manner to cognitive control processes in non-linguistic domains (domain-general) or if it is exclusive to language processing (domain-specific). As midfrontal theta oscillations have been considered as an index of cognitive control, examining whether a midfrontal theta effect is evident in tasks requiring bilingual control could bring new insights to the ongoing debate. To this end, we reanalysed the EEG data from two previous bilingual production studies where Dutch-English bilinguals named pictures based on colour cues. Specifically, we focused on three fundamental control processes in bilingual production: switching between languages, inhibition of the nontarget language, and monitoring of speech errors. Theta power increase was observed in switch trials compared to repeat trials, with a midfrontal scalp distribution. However, no theta power difference was observed in switch trials following a shorter sequence of same-language trials compared to a longer sequence, suggesting a missing modulation of inhibitory control. Similarly, increased midfrontal theta power was observed when participants failed to switch to the intended language compared to correct responses. Altogether, these findings tentatively support the involvement of domain-general cognitive control mechanisms in bilingual switching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningjing Cui
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Institute of Cognitive Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Vitoria Piai
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Centre for Medical Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Xiaochen Y Zheng
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Huang H, Li R, Qiao X, Li X, Li Z, Chen S, Yao Y, Wang F, Zhang X, Lin K, Zhang J. Attentional control influence habituation through modulation of connectivity patterns within the prefrontal cortex: Insights from stereo-EEG. Neuroimage 2024; 294:120640. [PMID: 38719154 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120640] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Attentional control, guided by top-down processes, enables selective focus on pertinent information, while habituation, influenced by bottom-up factors and prior experiences, shapes cognitive responses by emphasizing stimulus relevance. These two fundamental processes collaborate to regulate cognitive behavior, with the prefrontal cortex and its subregions playing a pivotal role. Nevertheless, the intricate neural mechanisms underlying the interaction between attentional control and habituation are still a subject of ongoing exploration. To our knowledge, there is a dearth of comprehensive studies on the functional connectivity between subsystems within the prefrontal cortex during attentional control processes in both primates and humans. Utilizing stereo-electroencephalogram (SEEG) recordings during the Stroop task, we observed top-down dominance effects and corresponding connectivity patterns among the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) during heightened attentional control. These findings highlighting the involvement of OFC in habituation through top-down attention. Our study unveils unique connectivity profiles, shedding light on the neural interplay between top-down and bottom-up attentional control processes, shaping goal-directed attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Huang
- Brain Cognition and Computing Lab, National Engineering Research Center for E-learning, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Brain Cognition and Intelligent Computing Lab, Department of Artificial Intelligence, School of Informatics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Rui Li
- Brain Cognition and Computing Lab, National Engineering Research Center for E-learning, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaojun Qiao
- Brain Cognition and Computing Lab, National Engineering Research Center for E-learning, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoran Li
- Brain Cognition and Intelligent Computing Lab, Department of Artificial Intelligence, School of Informatics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Ziyue Li
- Brain Cognition and Intelligent Computing Lab, Department of Artificial Intelligence, School of Informatics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Siyi Chen
- Brain Cognition and Intelligent Computing Lab, Department of Artificial Intelligence, School of Informatics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yi Yao
- Epilepsy Center, Xiamen Humanity Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Fengpeng Wang
- Epilepsy Center, Xiamen Humanity Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaobin Zhang
- Epilepsy Center, Xiamen Humanity Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Kaomin Lin
- Epilepsy Center, Xiamen Humanity Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Junsong Zhang
- Brain Cognition and Intelligent Computing Lab, Department of Artificial Intelligence, School of Informatics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
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Amoruso L, García AM, Pusil S, Timofeeva P, Quiñones I, Carreiras M. Decoding bilingualism from resting-state oscillatory network organization. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1534:106-117. [PMID: 38419368 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15113] [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] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Can lifelong bilingualism be robustly decoded from intrinsic brain connectivity? Can we determine, using a spectrally resolved approach, the oscillatory networks that better predict dual-language experience? We recorded resting-state magnetoencephalographic activity in highly proficient Spanish-Basque bilinguals and Spanish monolinguals, calculated functional connectivity at canonical frequency bands, and derived topological network properties using graph analysis. These features were fed into a machine learning classifier to establish how robustly they discriminated between the groups. The model showed excellent classification (AUC: 0.91 ± 0.12) between individuals in each group. The key drivers of classification were network strength in beta (15-30 Hz) and delta (2-4 Hz) rhythms. Further characterization of these networks revealed the involvement of temporal, cingulate, and fronto-parietal hubs likely underpinning the language and default-mode networks (DMNs). Complementary evidence from a correlation analysis showed that the top-ranked features that better discriminated individuals during rest also explained interindividual variability in second language (L2) proficiency within bilinguals, further supporting the robustness of the machine learning model in capturing trait-like markers of bilingualism. Overall, our results show that long-term experience with an L2 can be "brain-read" at a fine-grained level from resting-state oscillatory network organization, highlighting its pervasive impact, particularly within language and DMN networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Amoruso
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), San Sebastian, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Adolfo M García
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sandra Pusil
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Polina Timofeeva
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), San Sebastian, Spain
- Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ileana Quiñones
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), San Sebastian, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Manuel Carreiras
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), San Sebastian, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), San Sebastian, Spain
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Liu D, Schwieter JW, Liu W, Mu L, Liu H. The COMT gene modulates the relationship between bilingual adaptation in executive function and decision-making: an EEG study. Cogn Neurodyn 2023; 17:893-907. [PMID: 37522041 PMCID: PMC10374516 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-022-09867-2] [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: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bilingual adaptive control mechanisms appear to be linked to congenital genetic factors such as dopamine (DA) genes. However, it is unclear as to whether acquired cognitive exercise can vanquish innate influences that allow bilingual executive advantages to be shown in other cognitive areas. In the present study, we examine the relationship between gene-dependent executive control and decision-making by targeting the enzyme catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and employing electroencephalography (EEG). Chinese-English bilinguals (N = 101) participated in a language switching task and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The findings showed that COMT Val158Met polymorphism played a complex role in decision-making and bilingual executive control processing: Bilinguals with Valine (Val) homozygotes had poorer performance in the IGT, while Methionine (Met) carriers had larger switch costs in the language switching task. Second, the cross-task relationships varied among bilinguals with different COMT genotypes: Bilinguals with Met allele genotypes showed larger switch costs and better performance on the IGT. These findings suggest that bilinguals who carry Met allele are equipped with more efficient adaptive mechanisms of executive functions that are generalized to other cognitive domains. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-022-09867-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxue Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029 China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Dalian, 116029 Liaoning Province China
| | - John W. Schwieter
- Language Acquisition, Multilingualism, and Cognition Laboratory / Bilingualism Matters, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Wenxin Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029 China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Dalian, 116029 Liaoning Province China
| | - Li Mu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029 China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Dalian, 116029 Liaoning Province China
| | - Huanhuan Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029 China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Dalian, 116029 Liaoning Province China
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Liu D, Xing Z, Huang J, Schwieter JW, Liu H. Genetic bases of language control in bilinguals: Evidence from an EEG study. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:3624-3643. [PMID: 37051723 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26301] [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: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have debated whether the ability for bilinguals to mentally control their languages is a consequence of their experiences switching between languages or whether it is a specific, yet highly-adaptive, cognitive ability. The current study investigates how variations in the language-related gene FOXP2 and executive function-related genes COMT, BDNF, and Kibra/WWC1 affect bilingual language control during two phases of speech production, namely the language schema phase (i.e., the selection of one language or another) and lexical response phase (i.e., utterance of the target). Chinese-English bilinguals (N = 119) participated in a picture-naming task involving cued language switches. Statistical analyses showed that both genes significantly influenced language control on neural coding and behavioral performance. Specifically, FOXP2 rs1456031 showed a wide-ranging effect on language control, including RTs, F(2, 113) = 4.00, FDR p = .036, and neural coding across three-time phases (N2a: F(2, 113) = 4.96, FDR p = .014; N2b: F(2, 113) = 4.30, FDR p = .028, LPC: F(2, 113) = 2.82, FDR p = .060), while the COMT rs4818 (ts >2.69, FDR ps < .05), BDNF rs6265 (Fs >5.31, FDR ps < .05), and Kibra/WWC1 rs17070145 (ts > -3.29, FDR ps < .05) polymorphisms influenced two-time phases (N2a and N2b). Time-resolved correlation analyses revealed that the relationship between neural coding and cognitive performance is modulated by genetic variations in all four genes. In all, these findings suggest that bilingual language control is shaped by an individual's experience switching between languages and their inherent genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxue Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zehui Xing
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, China
| | - Junjun Huang
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, China
| | - John W Schwieter
- Language Acquisition, Multilingualism, and Cognition Laboratory / Bilingualism Matters @ Laurier, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada
- Department of Linguistics and Languages, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Huanhuan Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, China
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Liu H, Guo Z, Jiang Y, Schwieter JW, Wang F. Neural circuits underlying language control and modality control in bilinguals: An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia 2023; 178:108430. [PMID: 36460081 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108430] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human communication not only involves the need to switch between the modalities of speaking and listening, but for bilinguals, it can also involve switching between languages. It is unknown as to whether modality and language switching share underlying control mechanisms or whether one type of switching affects control processes involved in the other. The present study uses behavioral and fMRI measures to examine neural circuits of control during communicative situations that required Chinese-English bilinguals to switch between modalities and their two languages according to associated color cues. The results showed that for both language and modality control, similar brain regions were recruited during speech production and comprehension. For modality control, the specific control processes partly depended on the corresponding modality. Finally, switching between modalities appears to exert more influence on language control in production compared to comprehension. These findings offer a first detailed characterization of the neural bases involved in control mechanisms in bilingual communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China; Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, China.
| | - Zibin Guo
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China; Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, China
| | - Yishan Jiang
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China; Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, China
| | - John W Schwieter
- Language Acquisition, Cognition, And Multilingualism Laboratory / Bilingualism Matters @ Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada; Department of Linguistics and Languages, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Fenqi Wang
- Department of Linguistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Zhuang B, Liang L, Yang J. When interlocutor's face-language matching alters: An ERP study on face contexts and bilingual language control in mixed-language picture naming. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1134635. [PMID: 37034912 PMCID: PMC10078986 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study used event-related potentials (ERP) to examine Chinese-English bilinguals' reactive and proactive language control as they performed mixed-language picture naming with face cues. All participants named pictures in Chinese (first language, L1) and English (second language, L2) across three sessions: a 25% face-language matched session, a baseline session without face cues, and a 75% face-language matched session. Behavioral analyses for reactive language control showed that the asymmetrical switch cost was larger for L2 than L1 in the 25% session and for L1 than L2 in the 75% session. ERP results revealed more negative N2 and LPC during L1 switching in 25% session but enhanced N2 during L2 switching in 75% session. Similar N2 and LPC effect was found during L1 and L2 switching in the baseline context. For proactive language control, the reversed language dominance and enhanced LPC amplitudes during L2 naming were consistent across the three sessions. Our findings suggest that reactive but not proactive language control is modulated by the ever-changing face contexts, which highlights the highly flexible bilingual control systems subserving nonlinguistic cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binyuan Zhuang
- Bilingual Cognition and Development Lab, Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
- Faculty of English Language and Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Liang
- Bilingual Cognition and Development Lab, Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Yang,
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Amateur singing benefits speech perception in aging under certain conditions of practice: behavioural and neurobiological mechanisms. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:943-962. [PMID: 35013775 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02433-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Limited evidence has shown that practising musical activities in aging, such as choral singing, could lessen age-related speech perception in noise (SPiN) difficulties. However, the robustness and underlying mechanism of action of this phenomenon remain unclear. In this study, we used surface-based morphometry combined with a moderated mediation analytic approach to examine whether singing-related plasticity in auditory and dorsal speech stream regions is associated with better SPiN capabilities. 36 choral singers and 36 non-singers aged 20-87 years underwent cognitive, auditory, and SPiN assessments. Our results provide important new insights into experience-dependent plasticity by revealing that, under certain conditions of practice, amateur choral singing is associated with age-dependent structural plasticity within auditory and dorsal speech regions, which is associated with better SPiN performance in aging. Specifically, the conditions of practice that were associated with benefits on SPiN included frequent weekly practice at home, several hours of weekly group singing practice, singing in multiple languages, and having received formal singing training. These results suggest that amateur choral singing is associated with improved SPiN through a dual mechanism involving auditory processing and auditory-motor integration and may be dose dependent, with more intense singing associated with greater benefit. Our results, thus, reveal that the relationship between singing practice and SPiN is complex, and underscore the importance of considering singing practice behaviours in understanding the effects of musical activities on the brain-behaviour relationship.
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