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Niu Z, Li Z, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Wang R. Perceptions of social class through Chinese speech cues. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 247:104324. [PMID: 38761753 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104324] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Speech is a complex auditory signal that contains multiple layers of linguistic and non-linguistic structure, it contains both linguistic and social class information. Perceivers are exquisitely sensitive to this layered structure and extract not only linguistic properties, but also indexical characteristics that provide information about individual talkers and groups of talkers. Social class information involves inferring the speaker's social class or forming an impression of their social status based on their speech. Previous research on social class perception in speech has primarily focused on English, with relatively little research on Chinese. This study examines social class perception in Chinese speech. Study 1 employed class judgment and evaluation tasks with a subjective social class scale as the main measure to examine whether listeners could infer class information from Chinese speech and how their own class background influenced their perception. The results of Study 1 showed that subjects could accurately discriminate between speakers' social classes, but there may be a response bias that overestimates lower-class speakers as upper-class speakers. Study 2 focused on whether the speech of different classes of speakers actually differed on a number of indicators. It was found that the speech of higher class speakers was perceived to be more standardised, more pleasant to listen to and less accent-intensive. Overall, listeners can perceive class information from Chinese speech; different classes of Chinese speech do contain different levels of indexical information. In Chinese language societies, individuals can also judge their class information through the speech, which is consistent with the relevant research results in English.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengkai Niu
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zilong Li
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunhan Wang
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruiming Wang
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
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2
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Hansen M, Simon KR, He X, Steele N, Thomas ML, Noble KG, Merz EC. Socioeconomic factors, sleep timing and duration, and amygdala resting-state functional connectivity in children. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1373546. [PMID: 38840942 PMCID: PMC11150855 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1373546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Reduced sleep health has been consistently linked with increased negative emotion in children. While sleep characteristics have been associated with neural function in adults and adolescents, much less is known about these associations in children while considering socioeconomic context. In this study, we examined the associations among socioeconomic factors, sleep duration and timing, and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the amygdala in children. Methods Participants were typically-developing 5- to 9-year-olds from socioeconomically diverse families (61% female; N = 94). Parents reported on children's weekday and weekend bedtimes and wake-up times, which were used to compute sleep duration and midpoint. Analyses focused on amygdala-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) connectivity followed by amygdala-whole brain connectivity. Results Lower family income-to-needs ratio and parental education were significantly associated with later weekday and weekend sleep timing and shorter weekday sleep duration. Shorter weekday sleep duration was associated with decreased amygdala-ACC and amygdala-insula connectivity. Later weekend sleep midpoint was associated with decreased amygdala-paracingulate cortex and amygdala-postcentral gyrus connectivity. Socioeconomic factors were indirectly associated with connectivity in these circuits via sleep duration and timing. Discussion These results suggest that socioeconomic disadvantage may interfere with both sleep duration and timing, in turn possibly altering amygdala connectivity in emotion processing and regulation circuits in children. Effective strategies supporting family economic conditions may have benefits for sleep health and brain development in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Hansen
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Katrina R. Simon
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Xiaofu He
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nick Steele
- Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Michael L. Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Kimberly G. Noble
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Emily C. Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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3
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Figueroa M. Language development, linguistic input, and linguistic racism. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2024; 15:e1673. [PMID: 38297101 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1673] [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: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Language development is both remarkable and unremarkable. It is remarkable because children learn the language(s) around them, signed or spoken, without explicit instruction or correction. It is unremarkable because children have done this for thousands of years without worldwide incident or catastrophe. Yet, much research on this organic developmental phenomenon relies on an empirical falsehood: "quality" linguistic input is necessary to facilitate language development. "Quality" is a value judgment, not a structural feature of any human language. I argue selectively legitimizing some linguistic input as "quality" is possible only through mischaracterizing what language is. This falsehood is also linguistic racism because it is based on a deficit perspective of the early linguistic experiences of a subset of children, specifically racialized children. I explore how linguistic racism stalls our collective understanding of language development and promotes an environment of bad science. This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Language Acquisition Psychology > Language Neuroscience > Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Figueroa
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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Xue Z, Ling X, Zhao X, Geng L. Neural Mechanisms of Nonauditory Effects of Noise Exposure on Special Populations. Noise Health 2024; 26:70-81. [PMID: 38904804 DOI: 10.4103/nah.nah_78_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Due to the abnormal structure and function of brain neural networks in special populations, such as children, elderly individuals, and individuals with mental disorders, noise exposure is more likely to have negative psychological and cognitive nonauditory effects on these individuals. There are unique and complex neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. For individuals with mental disorders, there are anomalies such as structural atrophy and decreased functional activation in brain regions involved in emotion and cognitive processing, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Noise exposure can worsen these abnormalities in relevant brain regions, further damaging neural plasticity and disrupting normal connections and the transmission of information between the PFC and other brain areas by causing neurotransmitter imbalances. In the case of children, in a noisy environment, brain regions such as the left inferior frontal gyrus and PFC, which are involved in growth and development, are more susceptible to structural and functional changes, leading to neurodegenerative alterations. Furthermore, noise exposure can interrupt auditory processing neural pathways or impair inhibitory functions, thus hindering children's ability to map sound to meaning in neural processes. For elderly people, age-related shrinkage of brain regions such as the PFC, as well as deficiencies in hormone, neurotransmitter, and nutrient levels, weakens their ability to cope with noise. Currently, it is feasible to propose and apply coping strategies to improve the nonauditory effects of noise exposure on special populations based on the plasticity of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Xue
- School of Chinese Language and Literature, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Xinran Ling
- School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221009, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Language Ability, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221009, China
| | - Xinru Zhao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Agriculture and Engineering University, Zibo, 255314, China
| | - Libo Geng
- School of Linguistic Sciences and Arts, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221009, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Language Ability, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221009, China
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5
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Weiss Y, Sheth KK, Kuhl PK. Parentese in infancy predicts 5-year language complexity and conversational turns. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2024; 51:359-384. [PMID: 36748287 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Parental input is considered a key predictor of language achievement during the first years of life, yet relatively few studies have assessed its effects on longer-term outcomes. We assess the effects of parental quantity of speech, use of parentese (the acoustically exaggerated, clear, and higher-pitched speech), and turn-taking in infancy, on child language at 5 years. Using a longitudinal dataset of daylong LENA recordings collected with the same group of English-speaking infants (N=44) at 6, 10, 14, 18, 24 months and then again at 5 years, we demonstrate that parents' consistent (defined as stable and high) use of parentese in infancy was a potent predictor of lexical diversity, mean length of utterance, and frequency of conversational turn-taking between children and adults at Kindergarten entry. Together, these findings highlight the potential importance of a high-quality language learning environment in infancy for success at the start of formal schooling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yael Weiss
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kaveri K Sheth
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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6
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Ferjan Ramirez N, Hippe DS, Braverman A, Weiss Y, Kuhl PK. A comparison of automatic and manual measures of turn-taking in monolingual and bilingual contexts. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:1936-1952. [PMID: 37145293 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02127-z] [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] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The Language ENvironment Analysis system (LENA) records children's language environment and provides an automatic estimate of adult-child conversational turn count (CTC) by automatically identifying adult and child speech in close temporal proximity. To assess the reliability of this measure, we examine correlation and agreement between LENA's CTC estimates and manual measurement of adult-child turn-taking in two corpora collected in the USA: a bilingual corpus of Spanish-English-speaking families with infants between 4 and 22 months (n = 37), and a corpus of monolingual families with English-speaking 5-year-olds (n = 56). In each corpus for each child, 100 30-second segments were extracted from daylong recordings in two ways, yielding a total of 9300 minutes of manually annotated audio. LENA's CTC estimate for the same segments was obtained through the LENA software. The two measures of CTC had low correlations for the segments from the monolingual 5-year-olds sampled in both ways, and somewhat higher correlations for the bilingual samples. LENA substantially overestimated CTC on average, relative to manual measurement, for three out of four analysis conditions, and limits of agreement were wide in all cases. Segment-level analyses demonstrated that accidental contiguity had the largest individual impact on LENA's average CTC error, affecting 12-17% of analyzed segments. Other factors significantly contributing to CTC error were speech from other children, presence of multiple adults, and presence of electronic media. These results indicate wide discrepancies between LENA's CTC estimates and manual CTCs, and call into question the comparability of LENA's CTC measure across participants, conditions, and developmental time points.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel S Hippe
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Clinical Research Division, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adeline Braverman
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yael Weiss
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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7
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Oesch N. Social Brain Perspectives on the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience of Human Language. Brain Sci 2024; 14:166. [PMID: 38391740 PMCID: PMC10886718 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14020166] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Human language and social cognition are two key disciplines that have traditionally been studied as separate domains. Nonetheless, an emerging view suggests an alternative perspective. Drawing on the theoretical underpinnings of the social brain hypothesis (thesis of the evolution of brain size and intelligence), the social complexity hypothesis (thesis of the evolution of communication), and empirical research from comparative animal behavior, human social behavior, language acquisition in children, social cognitive neuroscience, and the cognitive neuroscience of language, it is argued that social cognition and language are two significantly interconnected capacities of the human species. Here, evidence in support of this view reviews (1) recent developmental studies on language learning in infants and young children, pointing to the important crucial benefits associated with social stimulation for youngsters, including the quality and quantity of incoming linguistic information, dyadic infant/child-to-parent non-verbal and verbal interactions, and other important social cues integral for facilitating language learning and social bonding; (2) studies of the adult human brain, suggesting a high degree of specialization for sociolinguistic information processing, memory retrieval, and comprehension, suggesting that the function of these neural areas may connect social cognition with language and social bonding; (3) developmental deficits in language and social cognition, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), illustrating a unique developmental profile, further linking language, social cognition, and social bonding; and (4) neural biomarkers that may help to identify early developmental disorders of language and social cognition. In effect, the social brain and social complexity hypotheses may jointly help to describe how neurotypical children and adults acquire language, why autistic children and adults exhibit simultaneous deficits in language and social cognition, and why nonhuman primates and other organisms with significant computational capacities cannot learn language. But perhaps most critically, the following article argues that this and related research will allow scientists to generate a holistic profile and deeper understanding of the healthy adult social brain while developing more innovative and effective diagnoses, prognoses, and treatments for maladies and deficits also associated with the social brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Oesch
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
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8
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Taylor EK, Abdurokhmonova G, Romeo RR. Socioeconomic Status and Reading Development: Moving from "Deficit" to "Adaptation" in Neurobiological Models of Experience-Dependent Learning. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:324-333. [PMID: 38148924 PMCID: PMC10750966 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the strongest predictors of student reading outcomes, and these disparities have persisted for decades. Relatedly, two underlying skills that are required for successful reading-oral language and executive function (EF)-are also the two neurocognitive domains most affected by SES. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on how SES influences the neurobiology of language, EF, and their intersection, including the proximal factors that drive these relationships. We then consider the burgeoning evidence that SES systematically moderates certain brain-behavior relationships for language and EF, underscoring the importance of considering context in investigations of the neurobiological underpinnings of reading development. Finally, we discuss how disparities in reading may be conceptualized as neurobiological adaptations to adversity rather than deficit models. We conclude by suggesting that by harnessing children's stress-adapted relative strengths to support reading development, we may address opportunity gaps both ethically and efficaciously.
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9
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Livings MS, Smith-Greenaway E, Margolis R, Verdery AM. Lost support, lost skills: Children's cognitive outcomes following grandparental death. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 2023; 116:102942. [PMID: 37981395 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2023.102942] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examines the implications of grandparental death for cognitive skills in middle childhood. METHOD This study uses data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2479) to estimate ordinary least squares regression models of the associations between grandparental death and subsequent cognitive skills among children in middle childhood. RESULTS Experiencing a grandparental death between ages 5 and 9 is associated with boys' lower reading, verbal, and math scores at age 9, with associations most notable for Black and Hispanic boys; grandparental death before age 5 has minimal influence on boys' cognitive skills at age 9. There is little indication that grandparental death adversely affects girls' cognitive skills. CONCLUSION The numerous and persistent implications of grandparental death for boys' cognitive skills merit greater recognition of grandparental death as a source of family instability, stress, and ultimately inequality in child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Sarah Livings
- Center for Research on Child & Family Wellbeing, School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, 286 Wallace Hall, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.
| | - Emily Smith-Greenaway
- Department of Sociology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, And Sciences, University of Southern California, 851 Downey Way HSH 212, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90089.
| | - Rachel Margolis
- Department of Sociology, University of Western Ontario, Social Science Centre Room 5306, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2.
| | - Ashton M Verdery
- Department of Sociology and Criminology, College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA, USA 16801.
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10
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Rakesh D, Whittle S, Sheridan MA, McLaughlin KA. Childhood socioeconomic status and the pace of structural neurodevelopment: accelerated, delayed, or simply different? Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:833-851. [PMID: 37179140 PMCID: PMC10524122 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with children's brain and behavioral development. Several theories propose that early experiences of adversity or low SES can alter the pace of neurodevelopment during childhood and adolescence. These theories make contrasting predictions about whether adverse experiences and low SES are associated with accelerated or delayed neurodevelopment. We contextualize these predictions within the context of normative development of cortical and subcortical structure and review existing evidence on SES and structural brain development to adjudicate between competing hypotheses. Although none of these theories are fully consistent with observed SES-related differences in brain development, existing evidence suggests that low SES is associated with brain structure trajectories more consistent with a delayed or simply different developmental pattern than an acceleration in neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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11
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Estrada KA, Govindaraj S, Abdi H, Moraglia LE, Wolff JJ, Meera SS, Dager SR, McKinstry RC, Styner MA, Zwaigenbaum L, Piven J, Swanson MR. Language exposure during infancy is negatively associated with white matter microstructure in the arcuate fasciculus. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 61:101240. [PMID: 37060675 PMCID: PMC10130606 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101240] [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: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Decades of research have established that the home language environment, especially quality of caregiver speech, supports language acquisition during infancy. However, the neural mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain under studied. In the current study, we examined associations between the home language environment and structural coherence of white matter tracts in 52 typically developing infants from English speaking homes in a western society. Infants participated in at least one MRI brain scan when they were 3, 6, 12, and/or 24 months old. Home language recordings were collected when infants were 9 and/or 15 months old. General linear regression models indicated that infants who heard the most adult words and participated in the most conversational turns at 9 months of age also had the lowest fractional anisotropy in the left posterior parieto-temporal arcuate fasciculus at 24 months. Similarly, infants who vocalized the most at 9 months also had the lowest fractional anisotropy in the same tract at 6 months of age. This is one of the first studies to report significant associations between caregiver speech collected in the home and white matter structural coherence in the infant brain. The results are in line with prior work showing that protracted white matter development during infancy confers a cognitive advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katiana A Estrada
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Sharnya Govindaraj
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Hervé Abdi
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Luke E Moraglia
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Jason J Wolff
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Shoba Sreenath Meera
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
| | - Stephen R Dager
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Robert C McKinstry
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Joseph Piven
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Meghan R Swanson
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
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12
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Fendinger NJ, Dietze P, Knowles ED. Beyond cognitive deficits: how social class shapes social cognition. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:528-538. [PMID: 37031013 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Lower social class is thought to contribute to poorer executive functioning and working memory. Nevertheless, lower social class individuals consistently outperform their higher-class counterparts on social cognitive tasks that rely on similar underlying cognitive processes (e.g., working memory and executive functioning). Why would lower social class inhibit such processes in one domain, but promote them in another? We argue that features of lower-class communities (e.g., resource scarcity) promote social cognition via cultural processes. We then argue that social cognition involves partially unique task and neural demands that are separate from nonsocial cognition. We conclude that unique task and neural demands, together with the distinctive cognitive proclivities of lower- and higher-class cultures, can explain variable associations between social class and cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pia Dietze
- University of California Irvine, Department of Psychological Science, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Eric D Knowles
- New York University, Department of Psychology, New York, NY 10003, USA
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13
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HART ER, TROLLER-RENFREE SV, SPERBER JF, NOBLE KG. Relations among Socioeconomic Status, Perceived Stress, and the Home Language Environment. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2023:1-18. [PMID: 36916133 PMCID: PMC10500036 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
While socioeconomic disparities in the home language environment have been well established, the mechanisms explaining these disparities are poorly understood. One plausible mechanism is heightened stress. The current study investigated whether maternal perceived stress was 1) associated with measures of the home language environment, and 2) mediated the relation between socioeconomic disparities and the home language environment. Data from three independent studies were analyzed, which together comprised 322 mother-child dyads. Two studies included mothers and their six- to twelve-month-old infants (N = 227). The third included mothers and their five- to nine-year-old children (N = 95). Mothers reported their educational attainment, income, and stress. Language Environment Analysis (LENA) measured the home language environment. As has been previously reported, socioeconomic disparities were observed in adult words and conversational turns. Stress did not mediate these associations, nor was it associated with adult words or conversational turns. Alternate mechanisms for future exploration are discussed.
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14
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Cheng Q, Roth A, Halgren E, Klein D, Chen JK, Mayberry RI. Restricted language access during childhood affects adult brain structure in selective language regions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215423120. [PMID: 36745780 PMCID: PMC9963327 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215423120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the ubiquitous nature of language in the environment of infants, how it affects the anatomical structure of the brain language system over the lifespan is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of early language experience on the adult brain by examining anatomical features of individuals born deaf with typical or restricted language experience in early childhood. Twenty-two deaf adults whose primary language was American Sign Language and were first immersed in it at ages ranging from birth to 14 y participated. The control group was 21 hearing non-signers. We acquired T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and used FreeSurfer [B. Fischl, Neuroimage 62, 774-781(2012)] to reconstruct the brain surface. Using an a priori regions of interest (ROI) approach, we identified 17 language and 19 somatomotor ROIs in each hemisphere from the Human Connectome Project parcellation map [M. F. Glasser et al., Nature 536, 171-178 (2016)]. Restricted language experience in early childhood was associated with negative changes in adjusted grey matter volume and/or cortical thickness in bilateral fronto-temporal regions. No evidence of anatomical differences was observed in any of these regions when deaf signers with infant sign language experience were compared with hearing speakers with infant spoken language experience, showing that the effects of early language experience on the brain language system are supramodal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Cheng
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Austin Roth
- Department of Linguistics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA92093
| | - Eric Halgren
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA92093
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA92093
| | - Denise Klein
- Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, MontrealH3A 2B4Canada
| | - Jen-Kai Chen
- Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, MontrealH3A 2B4Canada
| | - Rachel I. Mayberry
- Department of Linguistics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA92093
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15
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Hansen M, Simon KR, Strack J, He X, Noble KG, Merz EC. Socioeconomic disparities in sleep duration are associated with cortical thickness in children. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2859. [PMID: 36575851 PMCID: PMC9927856 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disrupted sleep has been consistently linked with lower academic achievement and worse mental health in children. Less is understood about sleep as a potential factor underlying socioeconomic differences in brain morphometry in children. The goals of this study were to investigate the associations among socioeconomic factors, sleep duration, and brain morphometry in children, and to examine the roles of the sleep environment and family routines in these associations. METHODS Participants were 5- to 9-year-old children from socioeconomically diverse families (N = 94; 61% female). Parents reported on children's weekday and weekend sleep durations, sleep environment, and family routines. High-resolution, T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired. Analyses focused on cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and amygdala and hippocampal volume. RESULTS Results indicated that lower family income-to-needs ratio and parental education were significantly associated with shorter weekday sleep duration in children. Shorter weekday sleep duration was significantly associated with reduced thickness in the left middle temporal, right postcentral, and right superior frontal cortices and smaller basolateral but not centromedial amygdala volume. Family routines significantly mediated the associations of family income-to-needs ratio and parental education with weekday sleep duration in children. CONCLUSION These results contribute to our understanding of sleep factors as proximal mechanisms through which socioeconomic context may alter neural development during childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Hansen
- Department of PsychologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Katrina R. Simon
- Department of Human DevelopmentTeachers College, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUSA
| | - Jordan Strack
- Department of PsychologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Xiaofu He
- Department of PsychiatryColumbia University Irving Medical CenterNew YorkUSA
| | - Kimberly G. Noble
- Department of Human DevelopmentTeachers College, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUSA
| | - Emily C. Merz
- Department of PsychologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
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16
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Davison KE, Zuk J, Mullin LJ, Ozernov-Palchik O, Norton E, Gabrieli JDE, Yu X, Gaab N. Examining Shared Reading and White Matter Organization in Kindergarten in Relation to Subsequent Language and Reading Abilities: A Longitudinal Investigation. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:259-275. [PMID: 36378907 PMCID: PMC9884137 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Parent-child language interaction in early childhood carries long-term implications for children's language and reading development. Conversational interaction, in particular, has been linked to white matter organization of neural pathways critical for language and reading. However, shared book reading serves an important role for language interaction as it exposes children to sophisticated vocabulary and syntax. Despite this, it remains unclear whether shared reading also relates to white matter characteristics subserving language and reading development. If so, to what extent do these environmentally associated changes in white matter organization relate to subsequent reading outcomes? This longitudinal study examined shared reading and white matter organization in kindergarten in relation to subsequent language and reading outcomes among 77 typically developing children. Findings reveal positive associations between the number of hours children are read to weekly (shared reading time) and the fractional anisotropy of the left arcuate fasciculus, as well as left lateralization of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Furthermore, left lateralization of the SLF in these kindergarteners is associated with subsequent reading abilities in second grade. Mediation analyses reveal that left lateralization of the SLF fully mediates the relationship between shared reading time and second-grade reading abilities. Results are significant when controlling for age and socioeconomic status. This is the first evidence demonstrating how white matter structure, in relation to shared reading in kindergarten, is associated with school-age reading outcomes. Results illuminate shared reading as a key proxy for the home language and literacy environment and further our understanding of how language interaction may support neurocognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University
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17
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Vargas TG, Mittal VA. The Critical Roles of Early Development, Stress, and Environment in the Course of Psychosis. ANNUAL REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 4:423-445. [PMID: 36712999 PMCID: PMC9879333 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121020-032354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Psychotic disorders are highly debilitating with poor prognoses and courses of chronic illness. In recent decades, conceptual models have shaped understanding, informed treatment, and guided research questions. However, these models have classically focused on the adolescent and early adulthood stages immediately preceding onset while conceptualizing early infancy through all of childhood as a unitary premorbid period. In addition, models have paid limited attention to differential effects of types of stress; contextual factors such as local, regional, and country-level characteristics or sociocultural contexts; and the timing of the stressor or environmental risk. This review discusses emerging research suggesting that (a) considering effects specific to neurodevelopmental stages prior to adolescence is highly informative, (b) understanding specific stressors and levels of environmental exposures (i.e., systemic or contextual features) is necessary, and (c) exploring the dynamic interplay between development, levels and types of stressors, and environments can shed new light, informing a specified neurodevelopmental and multifaceted diathesis-stress model.
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Affiliation(s)
- T G Vargas
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - V A Mittal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medical Social Sciences, Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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18
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Turesky TK, Sanfilippo J, Zuk J, Ahtam B, Gagoski B, Lee A, Garrisi K, Dunstan J, Carruthers C, Vanderauwera J, Yu X, Gaab N. Home language and literacy environment and its relationship to socioeconomic status and white matter structure in infancy. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2633-2645. [PMID: 36076111 PMCID: PMC9922094 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02560-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The home language and literacy environment (HLLE) in infancy has been associated with subsequent pre-literacy skill development and HLLE at preschool-age has been shown to correlate with white matter organization in tracts that subserve pre-reading and reading skills. Furthermore, childhood socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked with both HLLE and white matter organization. It is important to understand whether the relationships between environmental factors such as HLLE and SES and white matter organization can be detected as early as infancy, as this period is characterized by rapid brain development that may make white matter pathways particularly susceptible to these early experiences. Here, we hypothesized that HLLE (1) relates to white matter organization in pre-reading and reading-related tracts in infants, and (2) mediates a link between SES and white matter organization. To test these hypotheses, infants (mean age: 8.6 ± 2.3 months, N = 38) underwent diffusion-weighted imaging MRI during natural sleep. Image processing was performed with an infant-specific pipeline and fractional anisotropy (FA) was estimated from the arcuate fasciculus (AF) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) bilaterally using the baby automated fiber quantification method. HLLE was measured with the Reading subscale of the StimQ (StimQ-Reading) and SES was measured with years of maternal education. Self-reported maternal reading ability was also quantified and applied to our statistical models as a proxy for confounding genetic effects. StimQ-Reading positively correlated with FA in left AF and to maternal education, but did not mediate the relationship between them. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of considering HLLE from the start of life and may inform novel prevention and intervention strategies to support developing infants during a period of heightened brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted K Turesky
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Joseph Sanfilippo
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- School of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Banu Ahtam
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Borjan Gagoski
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ally Lee
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn Garrisi
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jade Dunstan
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clarisa Carruthers
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jolijn Vanderauwera
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Xi Yu
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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19
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von Stumm S, O'Reilly J, d'Apice K. Predicting developmental outcomes in middle childhood from early life language and parenting experiences. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 40:487-503. [PMID: 35882963 PMCID: PMC9796835 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12427] [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: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Children's early life experiences of language and parenting are thought to have pervasive, long-term influence on their cognitive and behavioural development. However, studies are scarce that collected naturalistic observations to broadly assess children's early life experiences and test their associations with developmental outcomes in middle childhood. Here, we used digital audio-recorders to collect three full days of naturalistic observations from 107 British families with children (46 boys) aged 2-4 years, of whom 89 participated in a follow-up assessment four years later when the children were 5-8 years old. We found that children's early life experiences of language and parenting were not significantly associated with their later language ability, academic performance and behavioural outcomes. We explore differences in methodology, sample characteristics and the role of developmental periods as possible explanations for the discrepancy in findings between the current and previous studies.
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20
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Pita-Juarez Y, Karagkouni D, Kalavros N, Melms JC, Niezen S, Delorey TM, Essene AL, Brook OR, Pant D, Skelton-Badlani D, Naderi P, Huang P, Pan L, Hether T, Andrews TS, Ziegler CGK, Reeves J, Myloserdnyy A, Chen R, Nam A, Phelan S, Liang Y, Amin AD, Biermann J, Hibshoosh H, Veregge M, Kramer Z, Jacobs C, Yalcin Y, Phillips D, Slyper M, Subramanian A, Ashenberg O, Bloom-Ackermann Z, Tran VM, Gomez J, Sturm A, Zhang S, Fleming SJ, Warren S, Beechem J, Hung D, Babadi M, Padera RF, MacParland SA, Bader GD, Imad N, Solomon IH, Miller E, Riedel S, Porter CBM, Villani AC, Tsai LTY, Hide W, Szabo G, Hecht J, Rozenblatt-Rosen O, Shalek AK, Izar B, Regev A, Popov Y, Jiang ZG, Vlachos IS. A single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomic atlas of the COVID-19 liver reveals topological, functional, and regenerative organ disruption in patients. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022. [PMID: 36324805 DOI: 10.1101/2022.08.06.503037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The molecular underpinnings of organ dysfunction in acute COVID-19 and its potential long-term sequelae are under intense investigation. To shed light on these in the context of liver function, we performed single-nucleus RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic profiling of livers from 17 COVID-19 decedents. We identified hepatocytes positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA with an expression phenotype resembling infected lung epithelial cells. Integrated analysis and comparisons with healthy controls revealed extensive changes in the cellular composition and expression states in COVID-19 liver, reflecting hepatocellular injury, ductular reaction, pathologic vascular expansion, and fibrogenesis. We also observed Kupffer cell proliferation and erythrocyte progenitors for the first time in a human liver single-cell atlas, resembling similar responses in liver injury in mice and in sepsis, respectively. Despite the absence of a clinical acute liver injury phenotype, endothelial cell composition was dramatically impacted in COVID-19, concomitantly with extensive alterations and profibrogenic activation of reactive cholangiocytes and mesenchymal cells. Our atlas provides novel insights into liver physiology and pathology in COVID-19 and forms a foundational resource for its investigation and understanding.
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21
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Duncan RJ, Anderson KL, King YA, Finders JK, Schmitt SA, Purpura DJ. Predictors of preschool language environments and their relations to children's vocabulary. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Duncan
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Kirsten L. Anderson
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Yemimah A. King
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Jennifer K. Finders
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Sara A. Schmitt
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - David J. Purpura
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
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22
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Piot L, Havron N, Cristia A. Socioeconomic status correlates with measures of Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system: a meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2022; 49:1037-1051. [PMID: 34180383 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000921000441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Using a meta-analytic approach, we evaluate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and children's experiences measured with the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system. Our final analysis included 22 independent samples, representing data from 1583 children. A model controlling for LENATM measures, age and publication type revealed an effect size of r z = .186, indicating a small effect of SES on children's language experiences. The type of LENA metric measured emerged as a significant moderator, indicating stronger effects for adult word counts than child vocalization counts. These results provide important evidence for the strength of association between SES and children's everyday language experiences as measured with an unobtrusive recording analyzed automatically in a standardized fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Piot
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et de Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, France
| | - Naomi Havron
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et de Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, France
- University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Alejandrina Cristia
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et de Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, France
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23
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Litwińczuk MC, Trujillo-Barreto N, Muhlert N, Cloutman L, Woollams A. Combination of structural and functional connectivity explains unique variation in specific domains of cognitive function. Neuroimage 2022; 262:119531. [PMID: 35931312 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between structural and functional brain networks has been characterised as complex: the two networks mirror each other and show mutual influence but they also diverge in their organisation. This work explored whether a combination of structural and functional connectivity can improve the fit of regression models of cognitive performance. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was first applied to cognitive data from the Human Connectome Project to identify latent cognitive components: Executive Function, Self-regulation, Language, Encoding and Sequence Processing. A Principal Component Regression approach with embedded Step-Wise Regression (SWR-PCR) was then used to fit regression models of each cognitive domain based on structural (SC), functional (FC) or combined structural-functional (CC) connectivity. Executive Function was best explained by the CC model. Self-regulation was equally well explained by SC and FC. Language was equally well explained by CC and FC models. Encoding and Sequence Processing were best explained by SC. Evaluation of out-of-sample models' skill via cross-validation showed that SC, FC and CC produced generalisable models of Language performance. SC models performed most effectively at predicting Language performance in unseen sample. Executive Function was most effectively predicted by SC models, followed only by CC models. Self-regulation was only effectively predicted by CC models and Sequence Processing was only effectively predicted by FC models. The present study demonstrates that integrating structural and functional connectivity can help explaining cognitive performance, but that the added explanatory value (in sample) may be domain-specific and can come at the expense of reduced generalisation performance (out-of-sample).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nils Muhlert
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Lauren Cloutman
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Anna Woollams
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, UK
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24
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Schneider JM, McIlvain G, Johnson CL. Mechanical Properties of the Developing Brain are Associated with Language Input and Vocabulary Outcome. Dev Neuropsychol 2022; 47:258-272. [PMID: 35938379 PMCID: PMC9397825 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2022.2108425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The quality of language that children hear in their environment is associated with the development of language-related brain regions, in turn promoting vocabulary knowledge. Although informative, it remains unknown how these environmental influences alter the structure of neural tissue and subsequent vocabulary outcomes. The current study uses magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to examine how children's language environments underlie brain tissue mechanical properties, characterized as brain tissue stiffness and damping ratio, and promote vocabulary knowledge. Twenty-five children, ages 5-7, had their audio and video recorded while engaging in a play session with their parents. Children also completed the Picture Vocabulary Task (from NIH Toolbox) and participated in an MRI, where MRE and anatomical images were acquired. Higher quality input was associated with greater stiffness in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus, whereas greater vocabulary knowledge was associated with lower damping ratio in the right inferior frontal gyrus. These findings suggest changes in neural tissue composition are sensitive to malleable aspects of the environment, whereas tissue organization is more strongly associated with vocabulary outcome. Notably, these associations were independent of maternal education, suggesting more proximal measures of a child's environment may be the source of differences in neural tissue structure underlying variability in vocabulary outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M. Schneider
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Grace McIlvain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware; Newark, DE
| | - Curtis L. Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware; Newark, DE
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25
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Merz EC, Strack J, Hurtado H, Vainik U, Thomas M, Evans A, Khundrakpam B. Educational attainment polygenic scores, socioeconomic factors, and cortical structure in children and adolescents. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4886-4900. [PMID: 35894163 PMCID: PMC9582364 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26034] [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: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome‐wide polygenic scores for educational attainment (PGS‐EA) and socioeconomic factors, which are correlated with each other, have been consistently associated with academic achievement and general cognitive ability in children and adolescents. Yet, the independent associations of PGS‐EA and socioeconomic factors with specific underlying factors at the neural and neurocognitive levels are not well understood. The main goals of this study were to examine the unique contributions of PGS‐EA and parental education to cortical structure and neurocognitive skills in children and adolescents, and the associations among PGS‐EA, cortical structure, and neurocognitive skills. Participants were typically developing 3‐ to 21‐year‐olds (53% male; N = 391). High‐resolution, T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired, and cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) were measured. PGS‐EA were computed based on the EA3 genome‐wide association study of educational attainment. Participants completed executive function, vocabulary, and episodic memory tasks. Higher PGS‐EA and parental education were independently and significantly associated with greater total SA and vocabulary. Higher PGS‐EA was significantly associated with greater SA in the left medial orbitofrontal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus, which was associated with higher executive function. Higher parental education was significantly associated with greater SA in the left parahippocampal gyrus after accounting for PGS‐EA and total brain volume. These findings suggest that education‐linked genetics may influence SA in frontal regions, leading to variability in executive function. Associations of parental education with cortical structure in children and adolescents remained significant after controlling for PGS‐EA, a source of genetic confounding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jordan Strack
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Hailee Hurtado
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Uku Vainik
- University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Alan Evans
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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26
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Romeo RR, Uchida L, Christodoulou JA. Socioeconomic status and reading outcomes: Neurobiological and behavioral correlates. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2022; 2022:57-70. [PMID: 35868867 PMCID: PMC9588575 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In this chapter, we examine reading outcomes and socioeconomic status (SES) using a developmental cognitive and educational neuroscience perspective. Our focus is on reading achievement and intervention outcomes for students from lower SES backgrounds who struggle with reading. Socioeconomic disadvantage is a specific type of vulnerability students experience, which is often narrowly defined based on parental income, education level, and/or occupational prestige. However, implications of socioeconomic status extend broadly to a suite of areas relevant for reading outcomes including a student's access to resources, experiences, language exposure, academic outcomes, and psychological correlates. Underlying this constellation of factors are brain systems supporting the processing of oral and written language as well as stress-related factors. We review the implications of SES and reading achievement, and their intersectionality, for the science and practice of reading instruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R. Romeo
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Lili Uchida
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joanna A. Christodoulou
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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27
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Hippe DS, Lindekugel K. Electronic media and social features of language input in bilingually-raised Latinx infants. Infant Behav Dev 2022; 68:101740. [PMID: 35749825 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101740] [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: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The present study examines the language environments of bilingually-raised Latinx infants (n = 37) to characterize the relation between exposure to electronic media and infants' language input, with a specific focus on parentese, a near-universal style of infant-directed speech, distinguished by its higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation. Previous research shows that parentese and parent-infant turn-taking are both associated with advances in children's language learning. Here we test the hypothesis that exposure to electronic media is associated with a reduction in these two social features of language input. Using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) technology, two daylong audio recordings were collected from each family. Exposure to electronic media was measured in three ways: 1) Through LENA's automatic estimate; 2) Through manual annotation of LENA audio recordings; and 3) Through a parental questionnaire. Language of electronic media, parental language input, and child language output were quantified through automatic and manual analyses of LENA recordings. Infants' estimated daily exposure to electronic media varied between the three methods used. There was a significant positive correlation between daily media exposure assessed via the two observational methods, but neither significantly correlated with parental report. Infants experienced electronic media in Spanish and English, and the language of electronic media correlated with the language of paternal and maternal child-directed speech. Linear regression analyses controlling for demographics (infant age, sex, socioeconomic status) demonstrated a negative association between exposure to electronic media and parentese, as well as between exposure to electronic media and turn-taking. Exposure to electronic media was also negatively associated with infants' linguistic vocalizations. The present findings suggest that exposure to electronic media negatively impacts infant vocal activity by reducing parental parentese and parent-infant turn-taking, which are known to positively impact infants' linguistic, socioemotional, and cognitive development. This analysis is an important step forward in understanding Latinx infants' electronic media ecologies and their relation to language input and language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Daniel S Hippe
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Katie Lindekugel
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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28
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Simon KR, Merz EC, He X, Noble KG. Environmental noise, brain structure, and language development in children. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 229:105112. [PMID: 35398600 PMCID: PMC9126644 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
While excessive noise exposure in childhood has been associated with reduced language ability, few studies have examined potential underlying neurobiological mechanisms that may account for noise-related differences in language skills. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that higher everyday noise exposure would be associated with 1) poorer language skills and 2) differences in language-related cortical structure. A socioeconomically diverse sample of children aged 5-9 (N = 94) completed standardized language assessments. High-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired, and surface area and cortical thickness of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and left superior temporal gyrus (STG) were extracted. Language Environmental Analysis (LENA) was used to measure levels of exposure to excessive environmental noise over the course of a typical day (n = 43 with complete LENA, MRI, and behavioral data). Results indicated that children exposed to excessive levels of noise exhibited reduced cortical thickness in the left IFG. These findings add to a growing literature that explores the extent to which home environmental factors, such as environmental noise, are associated with neurobiological development related to language development in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina R Simon
- Department of Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily C Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Xiaofu He
- Department of Psychiatry, The Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kimberly G Noble
- Department of Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Teachers College, Columbia University, Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, USA.
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29
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Romeo RR, Choi B, Gabard-Durnam LJ, Wilkinson CL, Levin AR, Rowe ML, Tager-Flusberg H, Nelson CA. Parental Language Input Predicts Neuroscillatory Patterns Associated with Language Development in Toddlers at Risk of Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:2717-2731. [PMID: 34185234 PMCID: PMC9594983 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05024-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In this study we investigated the impact of parental language input on language development and associated neuroscillatory patterns in toddlers at risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Forty-six mother-toddler dyads at either high (n = 22) or low (n = 24) familial risk of ASD completed a longitudinal, prospective study including free-play, resting electroencephalography, and standardized language assessments. Input quantity/quality at 18 months positively predicted expressive language at 24 months, and relationships were stronger for high-risk toddlers. Moderated mediations revealed that input-language relationships were explained by 24-month frontal and temporal gamma power (30-50 Hz) for high-risk toddlers who would later develop ASD. Results suggest that high-risk toddlers may be cognitively and neurally more sensitive to their language environments, which has implications for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R Romeo
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Boin Choi
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Laurel J Gabard-Durnam
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Carol L Wilkinson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - April R Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Meredith L Rowe
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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30
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VanDam M, Thompson L, Wilson-Fowler E, Campanella S, Wolfenstein K, De Palma P. Conversation Initiation of Mothers, Fathers, and Toddlers in their Natural Home Environment. COMPUT SPEECH LANG 2022; 73:101338. [PMID: 34970021 PMCID: PMC8713565 DOI: 10.1016/j.csl.2021.101338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In a conversational exchange, interlocutors use social cues including conversational turn-taking to communicate. There has been attention in the literature concerning how mothers, fathers, boys, and girls converse with each other, and in particular who initiates a conversation. Better understanding of conversational dynamics may deepen our understanding of social roles, speech and language development, and individual language variability. Here we use large-scale automatic analysis of 186 naturalistic daylong acoustic recordings to examine the conversational dynamics of 26 families with children about 30 months of age to better understand communication roles. Families included 15 with boys and 11 with girls. There was no difference in conversation initiation rate by child sex, but children initiated more conversations than mothers, and mothers initiated more than fathers. Results support developmental theories of the different and variable roles that interlocutors play in a social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark VanDam
- Speech & Hearing Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA
- Hearing Oral Program of Excellence of Spokane, HOPE School, 502 E. 5 Ave., Spokane, WA 99202, USA
| | - Lauren Thompson
- Speech & Hearing Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA
| | - Elizabeth Wilson-Fowler
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, Eastern Washington University, 310 North Riverpoint Blvd, Box B, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA
| | - Sarah Campanella
- Speech & Hearing Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA
| | - Kiley Wolfenstein
- Speech & Hearing Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99202, USA
| | - Paul De Palma
- Computer Science, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone Ave., Spokane, WA, 99258, USA
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31
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Loued-Khenissi L, Trofimova O, Vollenweider P, Marques-Vidal P, Preisig M, Lutti A, Kliegel M, Sandi C, Kherif F, Stringhini S, Draganski B. Signatures of life course socioeconomic conditions in brain anatomy. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:2582-2606. [PMID: 35195323 PMCID: PMC9057097 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) plays a significant role in health and disease. At the same time, early-life conditions affect neural function and structure, suggesting the brain may be a conduit for the biological embedding of SES. Here, we investigate the brain anatomy signatures of SES in a large-scale population cohort aged 45-85 years. We assess both gray matter morphometry and tissue properties indicative of myelin content. Higher life course SES is associated with increased volume in several brain regions, including postcentral and temporal gyri, cuneus, and cerebellum. We observe more widespread volume differences and higher myelin content in the sensorimotor network but lower myelin content in the temporal lobe associated with childhood SES. Crucially, childhood SES differences persisted in adult brains even after controlling for adult SES, highlighting the unique contribution of early-life conditions to brain anatomy, independent of later changes in SES. These findings inform on the biological underpinnings of social inequality, particularly as they pertain to early-life conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Loued-Khenissi
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne.,Theory of Pain Laboratory, University of Geneva, Geneva
| | - Olga Trofimova
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne
| | - Peter Vollenweider
- Department of medicine, Internal medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pedro Marques-Vidal
- Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin Preisig
- Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Lutti
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne
| | - Matthias Kliegel
- Laboratoire du Vieillissement Cognitif, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ferhat Kherif
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- University Centre for General Medicine and Public Health (UNISANTE), Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Unit of Population Epidemiology, Primary Care Division, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bogdan Draganski
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne.,Neurology Department, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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32
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Girard C, Bastelica T, Léone J, Epinat-Duclos J, Longo L, Prado J. Nurturing the Mathematical Brain: Home Numeracy Practices Are Associated With Children's Neural Responses to Arabic Numerals. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:196-211. [PMID: 35108141 DOI: 10.1177/09567976211034498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Disparities in home numeracy environments contribute to variations in children's mathematical skills. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the relation between home numeracy experiences and mathematical learning are unknown. Here, parents of 66 eight-year-olds completed a questionnaire assessing the frequency of home numeracy practices. Neural adaptation to the repetition of Arabic numerals and words was measured in children using functional MRI (n = 50) to assess how sensitive the brain is to the presentation of numerical and nonnumerical information. Disparities in home numeracy practices were related to differences in digit (but not word) processing in a region of the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) that was also related to children's arithmetic fluency. Furthermore, digit-related processing in the IPS influenced the relation between home numeracy practices and arithmetic fluency. Results were consistent with a model hypothesizing that home numeracy practices may affect children's mathematical skills by modulating the IPS response to symbolic numerical information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cléa Girard
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon, France; Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Lyon, France; and Université de Lyon
| | - Thomas Bastelica
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon, France; Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Lyon, France; and Université de Lyon
| | - Jessica Léone
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon, France; Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Lyon, France; and Université de Lyon
| | - Justine Epinat-Duclos
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon, France; Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Lyon, France; and Université de Lyon
| | - Léa Longo
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon, France; Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Lyon, France; and Université de Lyon
| | - Jérôme Prado
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Lyon, France; Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Lyon, France; and Université de Lyon
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33
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Fehlbaum LV, Peters L, Dimanova P, Roell M, Borbás R, Ansari D, Raschle NM. Mother-child similarity in brain morphology: A comparison of structural characteristics of the brain's reading network. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 53:101058. [PMID: 34999505 PMCID: PMC8749220 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substantial evidence acknowledges the complex gene-environment interplay impacting brain development and learning. Intergenerational neuroimaging allows the assessment of familial transfer effects on brain structure, function and behavior by investigating neural similarity in caregiver-child dyads. METHODS Neural similarity in the human reading network was assessed through well-used measures of brain structure (i.e., surface area (SA), gyrification (lG), sulcal morphology, gray matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT)) in 69 mother-child dyads (children's age~11 y). Regions of interest for the reading network included left-hemispheric inferior frontal gyrus, inferior parietal lobe and fusiform gyrus. Mother-child similarity was quantified by correlation coefficients and familial specificity was tested by comparison to random adult-child dyads. Sulcal morphology analyses focused on occipitotemporal sulcus interruptions and similarity was assessed by chi-square goodness of fit. RESULTS Significant structural brain similarity was observed for mother-child dyads in the reading network for lG, SA and GMV (r = 0.349/0.534/0.542, respectively), but not CT. Sulcal morphology associations were non-significant. Structural brain similarity in lG, SA and GMV were specific to mother-child pairs. Furthermore, structural brain similarity for SA and GMV was higher compared to CT. CONCLUSION Intergenerational neuroimaging techniques promise to enhance our knowledge of familial transfer effects on brain development and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn V Fehlbaum
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lien Peters
- Numerical Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Plamina Dimanova
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Margot Roell
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Réka Borbás
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Ansari
- Numerical Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Nora M Raschle
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
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34
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Girard C, Bastelica T, Léone J, Epinat-Duclos J, Longo L, Prado J. Nurturing the reading brain: home literacy practices are associated with children's neural response to printed words through vocabulary skills. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2021; 6:34. [PMID: 34862413 PMCID: PMC8642429 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-021-00112-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies indicate that children are exposed to different literacy experiences at home. Although these disparities have been shown to affect children's literacy skills, it remains unclear whether and how home literacy practices influence brain activity underlying word-level reading. In the present study, we asked parents of French children from various socioeconomic backgrounds (n = 66; 8.46 ± 0.36 years, range 7.52-9.22; 20 girls) to report the frequency of home literacy practices. Neural adaptation to the repetition of printed words was then measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a subset of these children (n = 44; 8.49 ± 0.33 years, range 8.02-9.14; 13 girls), thereby assessing how sensitive was the brain to the repeated presentation of these words. We found that more frequent home literacy practices were associated with enhanced word adaptation in the left posterior inferior frontal sulcus (r = 0.32). We also found that the frequency of home literacy practices was associated with children's vocabulary skill (r = 0.25), which itself influenced the relation between home literacy practices and neural adaptation to words. Finally, none of these effects were observed in a digit adaptation task, highlighting their specificity to word recognition. These findings are consistent with a model positing that home literacy experiences may improve children's vocabulary skill, which in turn may influence the neural mechanisms supporting word-level reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cléa Girard
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, 69500, Bron, France.
| | - Thomas Bastelica
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Jessica Léone
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Justine Epinat-Duclos
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Léa Longo
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Jérôme Prado
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, 69500, Bron, France.
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35
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Noble KG, Hart ER, Sperber JF. Socioeconomic disparities and neuroplasticity: Moving toward adaptation, intersectionality, and inclusion. AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2021; 76:1486-1495. [PMID: 35266751 PMCID: PMC9092317 DOI: 10.1037/amp0000934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) has far-reaching linkages with children's cognitive and socioemotional development, academic achievement, health, and brain structure and function. Rather than focusing on understandings about the neuroscience of socioeconomic inequality that have recently been reviewed elsewhere, the present article reviews several new directions in the field, beginning first with a consideration of the deficit versus adaptation framework. Although scientists largely agree that socioeconomic disparities in brain development are experience-dependent phenomena rooted in neuroplasticity, historically, such differences have been framed as deficits, which may benefit from intervention. However, emerging research suggests that some developmental differences among children experiencing adversity may alternatively be considered context-appropriate adaptations to the individual's environment. We next discuss how socioeconomic circumstances are inextricably intertwined with race, and consider how measurement of racism and discrimination must be part of a full understanding of the neuroscience of socioeconomic inequality. We argue that scientists must consciously recruit racially and socioeconomically diverse samples-and include measures of SES, race, and discrimination in analyses-to promote a more complete understanding of the neuroplasticity specifically, and psychological science more broadly. We discuss the extent to which researcher and editor positionality have contributed to these problems historically, and conclude by considering paths forward. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly G. Noble
- Departments of Biobehavioral Sciences and Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University
| | - Emma R. Hart
- Department of Human Development, Teachers College, Columbia University
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36
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Turesky TK, Shama T, Kakon SH, Haque R, Islam N, Someshwar A, Gagoski B, Petri WA, Nelson CA, Gaab N. Brain morphometry and diminished physical growth in Bangladeshi children growing up in extreme poverty: A longitudinal study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 52:101029. [PMID: 34801857 PMCID: PMC8605388 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Diminished physical growth is a common marker of malnutrition and it affects approximately 200 million children worldwide. Despite its importance and prevalence, it is not clear whether diminished growth relates to brain development and general cognitive ability. Further, diminished growth is more common in areas of extreme poverty, raising the possibility that it may mediate previously shown links between socioeconomic status (SES) and brain structure. To address these gaps, 79 children growing up in an extremely poor, urban area of Bangladesh underwent MRI at age six years. Structural brain images were submitted to Mindboggle software, a Docker-compliant and high-reproducibility tool for tissue segmentation and regional estimations of volume, surface area, cortical thickness, sulcal depth, and mean curvature. Diminished growth predicted brain morphometry and mediated the link between SES and brain morphometry most consistently for subcortical and white matter subcortical volumes. Meanwhile, brain volume in left pallidum and right ventral diencephalon mediated the relationship between diminished growth and full-scale IQ. These findings offer malnutrition as one possible pathway through which SES affects brain development and general cognitive ability in areas of extreme poverty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted K Turesky
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Talat Shama
- The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Rashidul Haque
- The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Nazrul Islam
- National Institute of Neuroscience and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Amala Someshwar
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Borjan Gagoski
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, United States; Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Development Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - William A Petri
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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37
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Shah PE, Hirsh-Pasek K, Kashdan TB, Harrison K, Rosenblum K, Weeks HM, Singh P, Kaciroti N. Daily television exposure, parent conversation during shared television viewing and socioeconomic status: Associations with curiosity at kindergarten. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258572. [PMID: 34710118 PMCID: PMC8553096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To examine the main and interactive effects of the amount of daily television exposure and frequency of parent conversation during shared television viewing on parent ratings of curiosity at kindergarten, and to test for moderation by socioeconomic status (SES). Study design Sample included 5100 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. Hours of daily television exposure and frequency of parent screen-time conversation were assessed from a parent interview at preschool, and the outcome of early childhood curiosity was derived from a child behavior questionnaire at kindergarten. Multivariate linear regression examined the main and interactive effects of television exposure and parent screen-time conversation on kindergarten curiosity and tested for moderation by SES. Results In adjusted models, greater number of hours of daily television viewing at preschool was associated with lower curiosity at kindergarten (B = -0.14, p = .008). More frequent parent conversation during shared screen-time was associated with higher parent-reported curiosity at kindergarten with evidence of moderation by SES. The magnitude of association between frequency of parent conversation during television viewing and curiosity was greater for children from low SES environments, compared to children from high SES environments: (SES ≤ median): B = 0.29, p < .001; (SES > median): B = 0.11, p < .001. Conclusions Higher curiosity at kindergarten was associated with greater frequency of parent conversation during shared television viewing, with a greater magnitude of association in low-SES families. While the study could not include measures of television program content, digital media use and non-screen time conversation, our results suggest the importance of parent conversation to promote early childhood curiosity, especially for children with socioeconomic disadvantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prachi E. Shah
- Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Todd B. Kashdan
- Department of Psychology and Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States of America
| | - Kristen Harrison
- Department of Communication and Media, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Katherine Rosenblum
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Heidi M. Weeks
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Priya Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati Medical School, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Niko Kaciroti
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
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38
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King LS, Querdasi FR, Humphreys KL, Gotlib IH. Dimensions of the language environment in infancy and symptoms of psychopathology in toddlerhood. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13082. [PMID: 33455064 PMCID: PMC8285466 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The quality of the early environment influences the development of psychopathology. Children who are deprived of sufficient environmental enrichment in infancy may be at higher risk for developing symptoms of psychopathology in toddlerhood. In this study, we investigated the prospective association between naturalistic measures of adult language input obtained through passive monitoring of infants' daily environments and emerging psychopathology in toddlerhood. In a sample of 100 mothers and their infants recruited from the community (mean age [range] = 6.73 [5-9] months), we used the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system to measure multiple dimensions of infants' language environments, including both the quantity and consistency of adult speech and conversational turns in infants' daily lives as well as the quantity of infant vocalizations. Subsequently, during toddlerhood (mean age [range] = 18.29 [17-21] months), mothers reported on their children's symptoms of psychopathology. Infants who experienced more consistent adult speech and conversational turns had lower symptoms of psychopathology in toddlerhood, independent of negative emotionality in infancy, maternal depressive symptoms, and laboratory-based measures of maternal sensitivity. These findings have implications for the measurement of environmental factors that may confer risk and resilience to emerging psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy S. King
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - Kathryn L. Humphreys
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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39
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Demir-Lira ÖE, Asaridou SS, Nolte C, Small SL, Goldin-Meadow S. Parent Language Input Prior to School Forecasts Change in Children's Language-Related Cortical Structures During Mid-Adolescence. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:650152. [PMID: 34408634 PMCID: PMC8366586 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.650152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Children differ widely in their early language development, and this variability has important implications for later life outcomes. Parent language input is a strong experiential factor predicting the variability in children's early language skills. However, little is known about the brain or cognitive mechanisms that underlie the relationship. In addressing this gap, we used longitudinal data spanning 15 years to examine the role of early parental language input that children receive during preschool years in the development of brain structures that support language processing during school years. Using naturalistic parent-child interactions, we measured parental language input (amount and complexity) to children between the ages of 18 and 42 months (n = 23). We then assessed longitudinal changes in children's cortical thickness measured at five time points between 9 and 16 years of age. We focused on specific regions of interest (ROIs) that have been shown to play a role in language processing. Our results support the view that, even after accounting for important covariates such as parental intelligence quotient (IQ) and education, the amount and complexity of language input to a young child prior to school forecasts the rate of change in cortical thickness during the 7-year period from 5½ to 12½ years later. Examining the proximal correlates of change in brain and cognitive differences has the potential to inform targets for effective prevention and intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ö Ece Demir-Lira
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.,DeLTA Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Salomi S Asaridou
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Collin Nolte
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Steven L Small
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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Ellwood-Lowe ME, Foushee R, Srinivasan M. What causes the word gap? Financial concerns may systematically suppress child-directed speech. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13151. [PMID: 34240510 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Parents with fewer educational and economic resources (low socioeconomic-status, SES) tend to speak less to their children, with consequences for children's later life outcomes. Despite this well-established and highly popularized link, less research addresses why the SES "word gap" exists. Moreover, while research has assessed individual-level contributors to the word gap-like differences in parenting knowledge-we know little about how structural constraints that vary according to SES might affect caregivers' speech. In two pre-registered studies, we test whether experiencing financial scarcity can suppress caregivers' speech to their children. Study 1 suggests that higher-SES caregivers who are prompted to reflect on scarcity-particularly those who reflect on financial scarcity-speak less to their 3-year-olds in a subsequent play session, relative to a control group. Study 2 suggests that mid- to higher-SES caregivers engage in fewer back-and-forth exchanges with their children at the end of the month-when they are more likely to be experiencing financial hardship-than the rest of the month. These studies provide preliminary evidence that-above and beyond caregivers' individual characteristics-structural constraints may affect how much parents speak to their children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruthe Foushee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Mahesh Srinivasan
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Pierce LJ, Reilly E, Nelson CA. Associations Between Maternal Stress, Early Language Behaviors, and Infant Electroencephalography During the First Year of Life. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2021; 48:737-764. [PMID: 32900397 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000920000501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Associations have been observed between socioeconomic status (SES) and language outcomes from early childhood, but individual variability is high. Exposure to high levels of stress, often associated with low-SES status, might influence how parents and infants interact within the early language environment. Differences in these early language behaviors, and in early neurodevelopment, might underlie SES-based differences in language that emerge later on. Analysis of natural language samples from a predominantly low-/mid-income sample of mother-infant dyads, obtained using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system, found that maternal reports of exposure to stressful life events, and perceived stress, were negatively correlated with child vocalizations and conversational turns when infants were 6 and 12 months of age. Greater numbers of vocalizations and conversational turns were also associated with lower relative theta power and higher relative gamma power in 6- and 12-month baseline EEG - a pattern that might support subsequent language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara J Pierce
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily Reilly
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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42
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Hutton JS, DeWitt T, Hoffman L, Horowitz-Kraus T, Klass P. Development of an Eco-Biodevelopmental Model of Emergent Literacy Before Kindergarten: A Review. JAMA Pediatr 2021; 175:730-741. [PMID: 33720328 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.6709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Literacy has been described as an important social determinant of health. Its components emerge in infancy and are dependent on genetic, medical, and environmental factors. The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates a substantial role for pediatricians in literacy promotion, developmental surveillance, and school readiness to promote cognitive, relational, and brain development. Many children, especially those from minority and underserved households, enter kindergarten unprepared to learn to read and subsequently have difficulty in school. OBSERVATIONS Emergent literacy is a developmental process beginning in infancy. Component skills are supported by brain regions that must be adequately stimulated and integrated to form a functional reading network. Trajectories are associated with genetic, medical, and environmental factors, notably the home literacy environment, which is defined as resources, motivation, and stimulation that encourage the literacy development process. Eco-biodevelopmental models are advocated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and these models offer insights into the neurobiological processes associated with environmental factors and the ways in which these processes may be addressed to improve outcomes. Emergent literacy is well suited for such a model, particularly because the mechanisms underlying component skills are elucidated. In addition to cognitive-behavioral benefits, the association of home literacy environment with the developing brain before kindergarten has recently been described via neuroimaging. Rather than a passive approach, which may subject the child to stress and engender negative attitudes, early literacy screening and interventions that are administered by pediatric practitioners can help identify potential reading difficulties, address risk factors during a period when neural plasticity is high, and improve outcomes. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Neuroimaging and behavioral evidence inform an eco-biodevelopmental model of emergent literacy that is associated with genetic, medical, and home literacy environmental factors before kindergarten, a time of rapid brain development. This framework is consistent with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and provides insights to help identify risk factors and signs of potential reading difficulties, tailor guidance, and provide direction for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Hutton
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.,Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Thomas DeWitt
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.,Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Lauren Hoffman
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.,Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.,Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.,Educational Neuroimaging Center, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Haifa, Israel.,Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Perri Klass
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York
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Romeo RR, Leonard JA, Grotzinger HM, Robinson ST, Takada ME, Mackey AP, Scherer E, Rowe ML, West MR, Gabrieli JDE. Neuroplasticity associated with changes in conversational turn-taking following a family-based intervention. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 49:100967. [PMID: 34052580 PMCID: PMC8175277 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Children's early language environments are associated with linguistic, cognitive, and academic development, as well as concurrent brain structure and function. This study investigated neurodevelopmental mechanisms linking language input to development by measuring neuroplasticity associated with an intervention designed to enhance language environments of families primarily from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Families of 52 4-to-6 year-old children were randomly assigned to a 9-week, interactive, family-based intervention or no-contact control group. Children completed pre- and post-assessments of verbal and nonverbal cognition (n = 52), structural magnetic resonance imaging (n = 45), and home auditory recordings of language exposure (n = 39). Families who completed the intervention exhibited greater increases in adult-child conversational turns, and changes in turn-taking mediated intervention effects on language and executive functioning measures. Collapsing across groups, turn-taking changes were also positively correlated with cortical thickening in left inferior frontal and supramarginal gyri, the latter of which mediated relationships between changes in turn-taking and children's language development. This is the first study of longitudinal neuroplasticity in response to changes in children's language environments, and findings suggest that conversational turns support language development through cortical growth in language and social processing regions. This has implications for early interventions to enhance children's language environments to support neurocognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R Romeo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States.
| | - Julia A Leonard
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
| | - Hannah M Grotzinger
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
| | - Sydney T Robinson
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
| | - Megumi E Takada
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
| | - Allyson P Mackey
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
| | - Ethan Scherer
- Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University, United States
| | - Meredith L Rowe
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, United States
| | - Martin R West
- Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University, United States; Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, United States
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States; Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University, United States; Integrated Learning Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
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44
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Sola AM, Brodie KD, Stephans J, Scarpelli C, Chan DK. Tracking Home Language Production and Environment in Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2021; 166:171-178. [PMID: 34032520 DOI: 10.1177/01945998211013785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To use an automated speech-processing technology to identify patterns in sound environments and language output for deaf or hard-of-hearing infants and toddlers. STUDY DESIGN Observational study based on a convenience sample. SETTING Home observation conducted by tertiary children's hospital. METHODS The system analyzed 115 naturalistic recordings of 28 children <3.5 years old. Hearing ability was stratified into groups by access to sound. Outcomes were compared across hearing groups, and multivariable linear regression was used to test associations. RESULTS There was a significant difference in age-adjusted child vocalizations (P = .042), conversational turns (P = .022), and language development scores (P = .05) between hearing groups but no significant difference in adult words (P = .11). Conversational turns were positively associated with each language development measure, while adult words were not. For each hour of electronic media, there were significant reductions in child vocalizations (β = -0.47; 95% CI, -0.71 to -0.19), conversational turns (β = -0.45; 95% CI, -0.65 to -0.22), and language development (β = -0.37; 95% CI, -0.61 to -0.15). CONCLUSIONS Conversational turn scores differ among hearing groups and are positively associated with language development outcomes. Electronic media is associated with reduced discernible adult speech, child vocalizations, conversational turns, and language development scores. This effect was larger in children who are deaf or hard of hearing as compared with other reports in typically hearing populations. These findings underscore the need to optimize early language environments and limit electronic noise exposure in children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Marija Sola
- School of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kara D Brodie
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jihyun Stephans
- Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Chiara Scarpelli
- Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Dylan K Chan
- Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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45
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Assari S, Boyce S, Bazargan M, Thomas A, Cobb RJ, Hudson D, Curry TJ, Nicholson HL, Cuevas AG, Mistry R, Chavous TM, Caldwell CH, Zimmerman MA. Parental Educational Attainment, the Superior Temporal Cortical Surface Area, and Reading Ability among American Children: A Test of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8050412. [PMID: 34070118 PMCID: PMC8158386 DOI: 10.3390/children8050412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown that parental educational attainment is associated with a larger superior temporal cortical surface area associated with higher reading ability in children. Simultaneously, the marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs) framework suggests that, due to structural racism and social stratification, returns of parental education are smaller for black and other racial/ethnic minority children compared to their white counterparts. PURPOSE This study used a large national sample of 9-10-year-old American children to investigate associations between parental educational attainment, the right and left superior temporal cortical surface area, and reading ability across diverse racial/ethnic groups. METHODS This was a cross-sectional analysis that included 10,817 9-10-year-old children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Parental educational attainment was treated as a five-level categorical variable. Children's right and left superior temporal cortical surface area and reading ability were continuous variables. Race/ethnicity was the moderator. To adjust for the nested nature of the ABCD data, mixed-effects regression models were used to test the associations between parental education, superior temporal cortical surface area, and reading ability overall and by race/ethnicity. RESULTS Overall, high parental educational attainment was associated with greater superior temporal cortical surface area and reading ability in children. In the pooled sample, we found statistically significant interactions between race/ethnicity and parental educational attainment on children's right and left superior temporal cortical surface area, suggesting that high parental educational attainment has a smaller boosting effect on children's superior temporal cortical surface area for black than white children. We also found a significant interaction between race and the left superior temporal surface area on reading ability, indicating weaker associations for Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AIAN/NHPI) than white children. We also found interactions between race and parental educational attainment on reading ability, indicating more potent effects for black children than white children. CONCLUSION While parental educational attainment may improve children's superior temporal cortical surface area, promoting reading ability, this effect may be unequal across racial/ethnic groups. To minimize the racial/ethnic gap in children's brain development and school achievement, we need to address societal barriers that diminish parental educational attainment's marginal returns for middle-class minority families. Social and public policies need to go beyond equal access and address structural and societal barriers that hinder middle-class families of color and their children. Future research should test how racism, social stratification, segregation, and discrimination, which shape the daily lives of non-white individuals, take a toll on children's brains and academic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA; (S.B.); (M.B.)
- Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Shanika Boyce
- Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA; (S.B.); (M.B.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Mohsen Bazargan
- Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA; (S.B.); (M.B.)
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Alvin Thomas
- Human Development and Family Studies Department, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Ryon J. Cobb
- Department of Sociology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Darrell Hudson
- Brown School, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA;
| | - Tommy J. Curry
- Department of Philosophy, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JS, UK;
| | - Harvey L. Nicholson
- Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7330, USA;
| | - Adolfo G. Cuevas
- Psychosocial Determinants of Health (PSDH) Lab, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02155, USA;
- Department of Community Health, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Ritesh Mistry
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA; (R.M.); (C.H.C.); (M.A.Z.)
| | - Tabbye M. Chavous
- School of Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA;
- National Center for Institutional Diversity, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA
| | - Cleopatra H. Caldwell
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA; (R.M.); (C.H.C.); (M.A.Z.)
- Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health (CRECH), University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA
| | - Marc A. Zimmerman
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA; (R.M.); (C.H.C.); (M.A.Z.)
- Prevention Research Center, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA
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Childhood disadvantage, neurocognitive development and neuropsychiatric disorders: Evidence of mechanisms. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2021; 34:306-323. [PMID: 33587493 PMCID: PMC9458466 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged households have excess risks of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric problems. The purpose of this review is to synthesize evidence for mechanisms that may contribute to these excess risks. RECENT FINDINGS The majority of the 60 studies included in our review focused on children's neurocognitive development and behavioural problems. About half conducted mediation analyses of factors in the family and neighbourhood environments, including access to resources (e.g. cognitive inputs within the home environment) and exposure to stressors (e.g. negative parenting practices), as well as neurobiological embedding of childhood disadvantage. In addition, many studies conducted moderation analyses of factors that were hypothesized to interact with (i.e. exacerbate or mitigate) the harmful effects of childhood disadvantage. SUMMARY Many of the factors that contribute to the excess risk of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric problems among children in disadvantaged households are potentially modifiable (e.g. cognitively stimulating materials, parental language input, cultural resources, parental stress and psychopathology, negative parenting, neighbourhood violence). If their causality is ultimately established, they could be targets for the prevention and reduction of disparities. The continued search for mechanisms should not detract from work to reduce and hopefully eliminate children's exposure to disadvantage.
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47
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Liu S, Wei W, Chen Y, Hugo P, Zhao J. Visual-Spatial Ability Predicts Academic Achievement Through Arithmetic and Reading Abilities. Front Psychol 2021; 11:591308. [PMID: 33897506 PMCID: PMC8063904 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate how visual–spatial ability predicted academic achievement through arithmetic and reading abilities. Four hundred and ninety-nine Chinese children aged from 10.1 to 11.2 years were recruited and measured visual–spatial, arithmetic, and reading abilities. Their mathematical and Chinese language academic achievements were collected for two consecutive school years, respectively, during the same year as cognitive tests and 1 year after the cognitive tests. Correlation analysis indicated that visual–spatial, arithmetic, and reading abilities and academic achievements were significantly correlated with each other. The structural equation modelling analyses showed that there were two paths from visual–spatial ability to academic achievement: a major path mediated by arithmetic ability and a minor serial mediation path from visual–spatial ability to arithmetic ability to reading ability, then to academic achievement. Results shed light on the importance of visual–spatial ability in education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saifang Liu
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenjun Wei
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.,Center for Mental Health Development and Research, Xihua University, Chengdu, China
| | - Peyre Hugo
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,INSERM UMRS, Paris Diderot University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Jingjing Zhao
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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48
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How statistical learning interacts with the socioeconomic environment to shape children's language development. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244954. [PMID: 33481800 PMCID: PMC7822340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Language is acquired in part through statistical learning abilities that encode environmental regularities. Language development is also heavily influenced by social environmental factors such as socioeconomic status. However, it is unknown to what extent statistical learning interacts with SES to affect language outcomes. We measured event-related potentials in 26 children aged 8–12 while they performed a visual statistical learning task. Regression analyses indicated that children’s learning performance moderated the relationship between socioeconomic status and both syntactic and vocabulary language comprehension scores. For children demonstrating high learning, socioeconomic status had a weaker effect on language compared to children showing low learning. These results suggest that high statistical learning ability can provide a buffer against the disadvantages associated with being raised in a lower socioeconomic status household.
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49
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King LS, Camacho MC, Montez DF, Humphreys KL, Gotlib IH. Naturalistic Language Input is Associated with Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Infancy. J Neurosci 2021; 41:424-434. [PMID: 33257324 PMCID: PMC7821865 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0779-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The quantity and quality of the language input that infants receive from their caregivers affects their future language abilities; however, it is unclear how variation in this input relates to preverbal brain circuitry. The current study investigated the relation between naturalistic language input and the functional connectivity (FC) of language networks in human infancy using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). We recorded the naturalistic language environments of five- to eight-month-old male and female infants using the Linguistic ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system and measured the quantity and consistency of their exposure to adult words (AWs) and adult-infant conversational turns (CTs). Infants completed an rsfMRI scan during natural sleep, and we examined FC among regions of interest (ROIs) previously implicated in language comprehension, including the auditory cortex, the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG). Consistent with theory of the ontogeny of the cortical language network (Skeide and Friederici, 2016), we identified two subnetworks posited to have distinct developmental trajectories: a posterior temporal network involving connections of the auditory cortex and bilateral STG and a frontotemporal network involving connections of the left IFG. Independent of socioeconomic status (SES), the quantity of CTs was uniquely associated with FC of these networks. Infants who engaged in a larger number of CTs in daily life had lower connectivity in the posterior temporal language network. These results provide evidence for the role of vocal interactions with caregivers, compared with overheard adult speech, in the function of language networks in infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy S King
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
| | - M Catalina Camacho
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - David F Montez
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Kathryn L Humphreys
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
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50
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Hippe DS, Kuhl PK. Comparing Automatic and Manual Measures of Parent-Infant Conversational Turns: A Word of Caution. Child Dev 2021; 92:672-681. [PMID: 33421100 PMCID: PMC8048438 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Language ENvironment Analysis system (LENA) records children’s language environment and provides an automatic estimate of adult–child conversational turn count (CTC). The present study compares LENA’s CTC estimate to manually coded CTC on a sample of 70 English‐speaking infants recorded longitudinally at 6, 10, 14, 18, and 24 months of age. At each age, LENA’s CTC was significantly higher than manually coded CTC (all ps < .001, Cohen’s ds: 0.9–2.05), with the largest discrepancies between the two methods observed at younger ages. The Limits of Agreement Analyses confirm wide disagreements between the two methods, highlighting potential problems with automatic measurement of parent–infant verbal interaction. These findings suggest that future studies should validate LENA’s CTC estimates with manual coding.
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