1
|
Shin J, Noh S, Park J, Sung JE. Syntactic complexity differentially affects auditory sentence comprehension performance for individuals with age-related hearing loss. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1264994. [PMID: 37965654 PMCID: PMC10641445 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1264994] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study examined whether older adults with hearing loss (HL) experience greater difficulties in auditory sentence comprehension compared to those with typical-hearing (TH) when the linguistic burdens of syntactic complexity were systematically manipulated by varying either the sentence type (active vs. passive) or sentence length (3- vs. 4-phrases). Methods A total of 22 individuals with HL and 24 controls participated in the study, completing sentence comprehension test (SCT), standardized memory assessments, and pure-tone audiometry tests. Generalized linear mixed effects models were employed to compare the effects of sentence type and length on SCT accuracy, while Pearson correlation coefficients were conducted to explore the relationships between SCT accuracy and other factors. Additionally, stepwise regression analyses were employed to identify memory-related predictors of sentence comprehension ability. Results Older adults with HL exhibited poorer performance on passive sentences than on active sentences compared to controls, while the sentence length was controlled. Greater difficulties on passive sentences were linked to working memory capacity, emerging as the most significant predictor for the comprehension of passive sentences among participants with HL. Conclusion Our findings contribute to the understanding of the linguistic-cognitive deficits linked to age-related hearing loss by demonstrating its detrimental impact on the processing of passive sentences. Cognitively healthy adults with hearing difficulties may face challenges in comprehending syntactically more complex sentences that require higher computational demands, particularly in working memory allocation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jee Eun Sung
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Choi S, Sung JE, Jo E, Jeong JH. Language treatment effects on communicative abilities and working memory in Korean-speaking agrammatic Broca's aphasia caused by moyamoya disease: Phase II evidence from a case study. Neurocase 2021; 27:297-307. [PMID: 34338151 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2021.1950768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study reports on the language treatment outcomes from sentence- and story-level linguistic facilitation and its generalization effect on communicative abilities, working memory, and sentence processing in the case of an adult with Moyamoya Disease (MMD). After treatment,the patient's overall performance, including the Aphasia Quotient, and sentence processing ability as measured by language testing, were improved. Furthermore, the treatment effects were generalizable to working memory abilities. Our case study conveys clinically meaningful implications since it is the first report on the effects of language treatment on linguistic and cognitive domains for an individual with MMD-induced agrammatic Broca's aphasia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujin Choi
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jee Eun Sung
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eunha Jo
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jee Hyang Jeong
- Department of Neurology, Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sung JE, Choi S, Eom B, Yoo JK, Jeong JH. Syntactic Complexity as a Linguistic Marker to Differentiate Mild Cognitive Impairment From Normal Aging. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:1416-1429. [PMID: 32402217 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose In this study, we sought to identify critical linguistic markers that can differentiate sentence processing of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from the sentence processing of normal-aging populations by manipulating sentences' linguistic complexity. We investigated whether passive sentences, as linguistically complex structures, can serve as linguistic markers that can contribute to diagnoses that distinguish MCI from normal aging. Method In total, 52 participants, including 26 adults with amnestic MCI and 26 cognitively unimpaired adults, participated in the study. All participants were native speakers of Korean. We administered the two subsets of active and passive conditions using a sentence-picture paradigm with semantically reversible sentences to both groups. Results A mixed-effects model using PROC NLMIXED demonstrated that the MCI group exhibited differentially greater difficulty in processing passive than active sentences compared to the normal-aging group. A logistic regression fitted with the PROC LOGISTIC model identified the sum of the passive sentences, with age and education effects as the best models to distinguish individuals with MCI from the normal-aging group. Conclusion Sentence comprehension deficits emerged in the MCI stage when the syntactic complexity was increased. Furthermore, a passive structure was the best predictor for efficiently distinguishing the MCI group from the normal-aging group. These results are clinically and theoretically important, given that linguistic complexity can serve as a critical behavioral marker in the detection of early symptoms associated with linguistic-cognitive decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jee Eun Sung
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sujin Choi
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bora Eom
- Department of Communication Disorders, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Keun Yoo
- Department of Statistics, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jee Hyang Jeong
- Department of Neurology, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hardy SM, Segaert K, Wheeldon L. Healthy Aging and Sentence Production: Disrupted Lexical Access in the Context of Intact Syntactic Planning. Front Psychol 2020; 11:257. [PMID: 32153469 PMCID: PMC7046760 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging does not affect all features of language processing equally. In this study, we investigated the effects of aging on different processes involved in fluent sentence production, a complex task that requires the successful execution and coordination of multiple processes. In Experiment 1, we investigated age-related effects on the speed of syntax selection using a syntactic priming paradigm. Both young and older adults produced target sentences quicker following syntactically related primes compared to unrelated primes, indicating that syntactic facilitation effects are preserved with age. In Experiment 2, we investigated age-related effects in syntactic planning and lexical retrieval using a planning scope paradigm: participants described moving picture displays designed to elicit sentences with either initial coordinate or simple noun phrases and, on half of the trials, the second picture was previewed. Without preview, both age groups were slower to initiate sentences with larger coordinate phrases, suggesting a similar phrasal planning scope. However, age-related differences did emerge relating to the preview manipulation: while young adults displayed speed benefits of preview in both phrase conditions, older adults only displayed speed preview benefits within the initial phrase (coordinate condition). Moreover, preview outside the initial phrase (simple condition) caused older adults to become significantly more error-prone. Thus, while syntactic planning scope appears unaffected by aging, older adults do appear to encounter problems with managing the activation and integration of lexical items into syntactic structures. Taken together, our findings indicate that healthy aging disrupts the lexical, but not the syntactic, processes involved in sentence production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M. Hardy
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Katrien Segaert
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Wheeldon
- Department of Foreign Languages and Translations, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Segkouli S, Paliokas I, Tzovaras D, Lazarou I, Karagiannidis C, Vlachos F, Tsolaki M. A computerized test for the assessment of mild cognitive impairment subtypes in sentence processing. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2017; 25:829-851. [PMID: 28914150 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2017.1377679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
This study examines thesentence processing ability of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes. In addition to standard MCI neuropsychological tests, an experimental approach was applied to assess language. 133 people (93 MCI/40 controls) participated in novel computerized sentence processing tasks. Results presented statistically significant differences between MCI/controls andMCI subtypes (ANOVA):(a) duration F(2,92) = 19.259,p < .001) in sentence construction; (b) correct answers (F(2, 89) = 8.560,p < .001) and duration (F2,89) = 15.525,p < .001)in text comprehension; (c) correct answers (F(2, 92) = 8.975,p < .001) andduration (F(2, 92) = 4.360,p = .016) in metaphoric sentences comprehension; (d) correct answers (F(2, 92) = 12.836,p < .001) andduration (F(2, 92) = 10.974,p < .001) in verb form generation. Subtle changes in MCIsubtypes could affect sentence processing and provide useful information for cognitive decline risk estimation and screening purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Segkouli
- a Information Technologies Institute-ITI , Centre for Research and Technology Hellas-CERTH , Thessaloniki , Greece.,b Department of Special Education , University of Thessaly , Volos , Greece
| | - Ioannis Paliokas
- a Information Technologies Institute-ITI , Centre for Research and Technology Hellas-CERTH , Thessaloniki , Greece
| | - Dimitrios Tzovaras
- a Information Technologies Institute-ITI , Centre for Research and Technology Hellas-CERTH , Thessaloniki , Greece
| | - Ioulietta Lazarou
- a Information Technologies Institute-ITI , Centre for Research and Technology Hellas-CERTH , Thessaloniki , Greece.,c 3rd Department of Neurology, General Hospital "G. Papanikolaou", Medical School , Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece
| | | | - Filippos Vlachos
- b Department of Special Education , University of Thessaly , Volos , Greece
| | - Magda Tsolaki
- c 3rd Department of Neurology, General Hospital "G. Papanikolaou", Medical School , Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece.,d Alzheimer's Day Care Unit "Saint John" , Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders , Thessaloniki , Greece
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Effects of age, working memory, and word order on passive-sentence comprehension: evidence from a verb-final language. Int Psychogeriatr 2017; 29:939-948. [PMID: 28222823 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610217000047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of working-memory (WM) capacity on age-related changes in abilities to comprehend passive sentences when the word order was systematically manipulated. METHODS A total of 134 individuals participated in the study. The sentence-comprehension task consisted of the canonical and non-canonical word-order conditions. A composite measure of WM scores was used as an index of WM capacity. RESULTS Participants exhibited worse performance on sentences with non-canonical word order than canonical word order. The two-way interaction between age and WM was significant, suggesting that WM effects were greater than age effects on the task. CONCLUSIONS WM capacity effects on passive-sentence comprehension increased dramatically as people aged, suggesting that those who have larger WM capacity are less vulnerable to age-related changes in sentence-comprehension abilities. WM capacity may serve as a cognitive reserve associated with sentence-comprehension abilities for elderly adults.
Collapse
|
7
|
Hopiavuori BR, Agbaga MP, Brush RS, Sullivan MT, Sonntag WE, Anderson RE. Regional changes in CNS and retinal glycerophospholipid profiles with age: a molecular blueprint. J Lipid Res 2017; 58:668-680. [PMID: 28202633 PMCID: PMC5392743 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.m070714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We present here a quantitative molecular blueprint of the three major glycerophospholipid (GPL) classes, phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylserine (PS), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), in retina and six regions of the brain in C57Bl6 mice at 2, 10, and 26 months of age. We found an age-related increase in molecular species containing saturated and monoenoic FAs and an overall decrease in the longer-chain PUFA molecular species across brain regions, with loss of DHA-containing molecular species as the most consistent and dramatic finding. Although we found very-long-chain PUFAs (VLC-PUFAs) (C28) in PC in the retina, no detectable levels were found in any brain region at any of the ages examined. All brain regions (except hippocampus and retina) showed a significant increase with age in PE plasmalogens. All three retina GPLs had di-PUFA molecular species (predominantly 44:12), which were most abundant in PS (∼30%). In contrast, low levels of di-PUFA GPL (1-2%) were found in all regions of the brain. This study provides a regional and age-related assessment of the brain's lipidome with a level of detail, inclusion, and quantification that has not heretofore been published.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Blake R Hopiavuori
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104
| | - Martin-Paul Agbaga
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, OK 73104
| | - Richard S Brush
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, OK 73104
| | - Michael T Sullivan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104
| | - William E Sonntag
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104
| | - Robert E Anderson
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, OK 73104.
| |
Collapse
|