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Killanin AD, Ward TW, Embury CM, Calhoun VD, Wang YP, Stephen JM, Picci G, Heinrichs-Graham E, Wilson TW. Better with age: Developmental changes in oscillatory activity during verbal working memory encoding and maintenance. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101354. [PMID: 38330526 PMCID: PMC10864839 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous investigations have characterized the oscillatory dynamics serving working memory in adults, but few have probed its relationship with chronological age in developing youth. We recorded magnetoencephalography during a modified Sternberg verbal working memory task in 82 youth participants aged 6-14 years old. Significant oscillatory responses were identified and imaged using a beamforming approach and the resulting whole-brain maps were probed for developmental effects during the encoding and maintenance phases. Our results indicated robust oscillatory responses in the theta (4-7 Hz) and alpha (8-14 Hz) range, with older participants exhibiting stronger alpha oscillations in left-hemispheric language regions. Older participants also had greater occipital theta power during encoding. Interestingly, there were sex-by-age interaction effects in cerebellar cortices during encoding and in the right superior temporal region during maintenance. These results extend the existing literature on working memory development by showing strong associations between age and oscillatory dynamics across a distributed network. To our knowledge, these findings are the first to link chronological age to alpha and theta oscillatory responses serving working memory encoding and maintenance, both across and between male and female youth; they reveal robust developmental effects in crucial brain regions serving higher order functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham D Killanin
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Thomas W Ward
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Christine M Embury
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yu-Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | - Giorgia Picci
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Heinrichs-Graham E, Walker EA, Lee WH, Benavente AA, McCreery RW. Somatosensory gating is related to behavioral and verbal outcomes in children with mild-to-severe hearing loss. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5228-5237. [PMID: 36310092 PMCID: PMC10151872 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac412] [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: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory gating is a process by which the brain filters out redundant information to preserve neural resources for behaviorally relevant stimuli. Although studies have shown alterations in auditory and visual processing in children who are hard-of-hearing (CHH) relative to children with normal hearing (CNH), it is unclear whether these alterations extend to the somatosensory domain, and how aberrations in sensory processing affect sensory gating. In this study, CHH and CNH were presented with a paired-pulse median nerve stimulation during magnetoencephalography. Stimulus-related gamma neural activity was imaged and virtual time series from peak somatosensory responses were extracted. We found significant effects of both stimulus and group, as well as a significant group-by-stimulus interaction. CHH showed a larger response to stimulation overall, as well as greater differences in gamma power from the first to the second stimulus. However, when looking at the ratio rather than the absolute difference in power, CHH showed comparable gating to CNH. In addition, smaller gating ratios were correlated with better classroom behavior and verbal ability in CHH, but not CNH. Taken together, these data underscore the importance of considering how CHH experience their multisensory environment when interpreting outcomes and designing interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham
- Cognitive and Sensory Imaging Laboratory, Institute for Human Neuroscience, Department of Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH), 14090 Mother Teresa Ln., Omaha, NE 68010, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Walker
- Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, 250 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
| | - Wai Hon Lee
- Cognitive and Sensory Imaging Laboratory, Institute for Human Neuroscience, Department of Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH), 14090 Mother Teresa Ln., Omaha, NE 68010, United States
| | - Amanda A Benavente
- Cognitive and Sensory Imaging Laboratory, Institute for Human Neuroscience, Department of Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH), 14090 Mother Teresa Ln., Omaha, NE 68010, United States
| | - Ryan W McCreery
- Audibility, Perception, and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Research, BTNRH, 555 N. 30th St., Omaha, NE 68131, United States
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Inguscio BMS, Cartocci G, Sciaraffa N, Nicastri M, Giallini I, Greco A, Babiloni F, Mancini P. Gamma-Band Modulation in Parietal Area as the Electroencephalographic Signature for Performance in Auditory-Verbal Working Memory: An Exploratory Pilot Study in Hearing and Unilateral Cochlear Implant Children. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1291. [PMID: 36291225 PMCID: PMC9599211 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This pilot study investigates the neurophysiological patterns of visual and auditory verbal working memory (VWM) in unilateral cochlear implant users (UCIs). We compared the task-related electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectral density of 7- to 13-year-old UCIs (n = 7) with a hearing control group (HC, n = 10) during the execution of a three-level n-back task with auditory and visual verbal (letters) stimuli. Performances improved as memory load decreased regardless of sensory modality (SM) and group factors. Theta EEG activation over the frontal area was proportionally influenced by task level; the left hemisphere (LH) showed greater activation in the gamma band, suggesting lateralization of VWM function regardless of SM. However, HCs showed stronger activation patterns in the LH than UCIs regardless of SM and in the parietal area (PA) during the most challenging audio condition. Linear regressions for gamma activation in the PA suggest the presence of a pattern-supporting auditory VWM only in HCs. Our findings seem to recognize gamma activation in the PA as the signature of effective auditory VWM. These results, although preliminary, highlight this EEG pattern as a possible cause of the variability found in VWM outcomes in deaf children, opening up new possibilities for interdisciplinary research and rehabilitation intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Maria Serena Inguscio
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 31, 00161 Rome, Italy
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo, 9, 00192 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 30, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Cartocci
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo, 9, 00192 Rome, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Maria Nicastri
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 31, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Giallini
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 31, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Greco
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 31, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Babiloni
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo, 9, 00192 Rome, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Department of Computer Science, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Xiasha Higher Education Zone, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Patrizia Mancini
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 31, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Farquharson K, Oleson J, McCreery RW, Walker EA. Auditory Experience, Speech Sound Production Growth, and Early Literacy in Children Who Are Hard of Hearing. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2022; 31:2092-2107. [PMID: 36037481 PMCID: PMC9907434 DOI: 10.1044/2022_ajslp-21-00400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Children who are hard of hearing (CHH) are at risk for literacy difficulties. Speech sound production is related to literacy skills in typically hearing children. Speech sound production abilities can also be markedly weak in CHH due to inconsistent access to the speech signal. We longitudinally examined relations between auditory experience, speech sound production abilities, and literacy (i.e., nonword reading and spelling in second grade) in CHH. METHOD Participants included 166 CHH. All participants used hearing aids (HAs). Auditory experience is a weighted measure of the number of hours of daily HA use and the amount of audibility with and without their HAs. Children's speech sound production was tested 2-3 times between the ages of 3 and 9 years. At age 5 years and again in second grade, children were tested on a battery of language and literacy measures. RESULTS Auditory experience was significantly correlated with speech sound production abilities, but age at HA fitting was not. Speech sound production abilities at age 5 years did not predict nonword reading in second grade but did predict spelling skills in second grade. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the importance of auditory experience and speech sound production for later literacy abilities. Specifically, we found that speech sound production abilities and print knowledge at age 5 years are related to second grade spelling outcomes. Interestingly, we found that morphological knowledge at age 5 years was more predictive of decoding in second grade than was speech sound production. Although there are multiple factors that contribute to literacy success, our results underscore the unique contributions of speech sound production abilities in CHH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Farquharson
- School of Communication Science and Disorders, Florida State University, Tallahassee
| | - Jacob Oleson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City
| | - Ryan W. McCreery
- Audibility, Perception, and Cognition Laboratory, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE
| | - Elizabeth A. Walker
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City
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Heinrichs-Graham E, Walker EA, Taylor BK, Menting SC, Eastman JA, Frenzel MR, McCreery RW. Auditory experience modulates frontoparietal theta activity serving fluid intelligence. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac093. [PMID: 35480224 PMCID: PMC9039508 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Children who are hard of hearing are at risk for developmental language and academic delays compared with children with normal hearing. Some work suggests that high-order cognitive function, including fluid intelligence, may relate to language and academic outcomes in children with hearing loss, but findings in these studies have been mixed and to date, there have been no studies of the whole-brain neural dynamics serving fluid intelligence in the context of hearing loss. To this end, this study sought to identify the impact of hearing loss and subsequent hearing aid use on the neural dynamics serving abstract reasoning in children who are hard of hearing relative to children with normal hearing using magnetoencephalography. We found significant elevations in occipital and parietal theta activity during early stimulus evaluation in children who are hard of hearing relative to normal-hearing peers. In addition, we found that greater hearing aid use was significantly related to reduced activity throughout the fronto-parietal network. Notably, there were no differences in alpha dynamics between groups during later-stage processing nor did alpha activity correlate with hearing aid use. These cross-sectional data suggest that differences in auditory experience lead to widespread alterations in the neural dynamics serving initial stimulus processing in fluid intelligence in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH), Omaha, NE, USA
- College of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
- Center for Magnetoencephalography (MEG), University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Walker
- Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Brittany K. Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH), Omaha, NE, USA
- College of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
- Center for Magnetoencephalography (MEG), University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Sophia C. Menting
- Center for Magnetoencephalography (MEG), University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Jacob A. Eastman
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH), Omaha, NE, USA
- Center for Magnetoencephalography (MEG), University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Michaela R. Frenzel
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital (BTNRH), Omaha, NE, USA
- Center for Magnetoencephalography (MEG), University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Ryan W. McCreery
- Audibility, Perception, and Cognition Laboratory, BTNRH, Omaha, NE, USA
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