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Paillereau N, Chládková K. Infants' reliance on rhythm to distinguish languages: A critical review. INFANCY 2024; 29:842-876. [PMID: 39215603 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12613] [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] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
This article reviews empirical methods and findings on early language discrimination, questioning rhythm-class based hypotheses on language discrimination in infancy, as well as the assumption that early language discrimination is driven primarily (or solely) by temporal prosodic cues. The present work argues that within-rhythm class discrimination which - according to the rhythmic hypothesis - is not applicable very early in life, has not been sufficiently tested with infants under 4 months of age, that familiarity with a language is not a prerequisite for its discrimination from another rhythmically similar language, and that the temporal rhythm properties may not universally be the primary cues to language discrimination. Although rhythm taxonomy is now by many understood as outdated, some developmental literature still draws on the assumption that rhythm classification determines infants' language discrimination; other studies consider rhythm along a continuous scale and only a few account for cues to language discrimination other than temporal ones. It is proposed that studies on early language discrimination systematically test the contribution of other than temporal rhythm cues, similarly to recent work on multidimensional psychoacoustic salience in the acquisition of segmental categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Paillereau
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Chládková
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic
- Institute of Czech Language and Theory of Communication, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Praha, Czech Republic
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2
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Piatti A, Van der Paelt S, Warreyn P, Roeyers H. Neural correlates of response to joint attention in 2-to-5-year-olds in relation to ASD and social-communicative abilities: An fNIRS and behavioral study. Autism Res 2024; 17:1106-1125. [PMID: 38780020 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3149] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with life-long challenges with social cognition, and one of its earliest and most common manifestations is atypical joint attention, which is a pivotal skill in social-cognitive and linguistic development. Early interventions for ASD children often focus on training initiation of joint attention (IJA) and response to joint attention bids (RJA), which are important for social communication and cognition. Here, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy and behavioral measures to test typically developing (TD, n = 17) and ASD children (n = 18), to address the relationship between the neural correlates of RJA and social-communicative behavior. Group-level differences were present for RJA-specific activation over right temporal sites, where TD children showed higher levels of activation during RJA than ASD children, whereas the two groups did not differ in the control condition. Correlations between neural activation and behavioral traits suggest that, in ASD children, neural activation during RJA is related to the frequency of RJA behavior when the former is measured over left temporal sites, and to social affect symptoms when considered for right temporal sites. Possible implications of the evidenced correlations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Piatti
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sara Van der Paelt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Petra Warreyn
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Herbert Roeyers
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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3
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Zhou X, Wang L, Hong X, Wong PCM. Infant-directed speech facilitates word learning through attentional mechanisms: An fNIRS study of toddlers. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13424. [PMID: 37322865 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The speech register that adults especially caregivers use when interacting with infants and toddlers, that is, infant-directed speech (IDS) or baby talk, has been reported to facilitate language development throughout the early years. However, the neural mechanisms as well as why IDS results in such a developmental faciliatory effect remain to be investigated. The current study uses functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to evaluate two alternative hypotheses of such a facilitative effect, that IDS serves to enhance linguistic contrastiveness or to attract the child's attention. Behavioral and fNIRS data were acquired from twenty-seven Cantonese-learning toddlers 15-20 months of age when their parents spoke to them in either an IDS or adult-directed speech (ADS) register in a naturalistic task in which the child learned four disyllabic pseudowords. fNIRS results showed significantly greater neural responses to IDS than ADS register in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-dlPFC), but opposite response patterns in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). The differences in fNIRS responses to IDS and to ADS in the L-dlPFC and the left parietal cortex (L-PC) showed significantly positive correlations with the differences in the behavioral word-learning performance of toddlers. The same fNIRS measures in the L-dlPFC and right PC (R-PC) of toddlers were significantly correlated with pitch range differences of parents between the two speech conditions. Together, our results suggest that the dynamic prosody in IDS increased toddlers' attention through greater involvement of the left frontoparietal network that facilitated word learning, compared to ADS. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This study for the first time examined the neural mechanisms of how infant-directed speech (IDS) facilitates word learning in toddlers. Using fNIRS, we identified the cortical regions that were directly involved in IDS processing. Our results suggest that IDS facilitates word learning by engaging a right-lateralized prosody processing and top-down attentional mechanisms in the left frontoparietal networks. The language network including the inferior frontal gyrus and temporal cortex was not directly involved in IDS processing to support word learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhou
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Luchang Wang
- Department of Applied Linguistics, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xuancu Hong
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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4
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Dopierała AAW, López Pérez D, Mercure E, Pluta A, Malinowska-Korczak A, Evans S, Wolak T, Tomalski P. Watching talking faces: The development of cortical representation of visual syllables in infancy. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 244:105304. [PMID: 37481794 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105304] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
From birth, we perceive speech by hearing and seeing people talk. In adults cortical representations of visual speech are processed in the putative temporal visual speech area (TVSA), but it remains unknown how these representations develop. We measured infants' cortical responses to silent visual syllables and non-communicative mouth movements using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Our results indicate that cortical specialisation for visual speech may emerge during infancy. The putative TVSA was active to both visual syllables and gurning around 5 months of age, and more active to gurning than to visual syllables around 10 months of age. Multivariate pattern analysis classification of distinct cortical responses to visual speech and gurning was successful at 10, but not at 5 months of age. These findings imply that cortical representations of visual speech change between 5 and 10 months of age, showing that the putative TVSA is initially broadly tuned and becomes selective with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra A W Dopierała
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - David López Pérez
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| | | | - Agnieszka Pluta
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Centre, Warsaw, Poland.
| | | | - Samuel Evans
- University of Westminister, London, UK; Kings College London, London, UK.
| | - Tomasz Wolak
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Centre, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Przemysław Tomalski
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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5
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Dopierała AAW, Pérez DL, Mercure E, Pluta A, Malinowska-Korczak A, Evans S, Wolak T, Tomalski P. The Development of Cortical Responses to the Integration of Audiovisual Speech in Infancy. Brain Topogr 2023:10.1007/s10548-023-00959-8. [PMID: 37171657 PMCID: PMC10176292 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-023-00959-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
In adults, the integration of audiovisual speech elicits specific higher (super-additive) or lower (sub-additive) cortical responses when compared to the responses to unisensory stimuli. Although there is evidence that the fronto-temporal network is active during perception of audiovisual speech in infancy, the development of fronto-temporal responses to audiovisual integration remains unknown. In the current study, 5-month-olds and 10-month-olds watched bimodal (audiovisual) and alternating unimodal (auditory + visual) syllables. In this context we use alternating unimodal to denote alternating auditory and visual syllables that are perceived as separate syllables by adults. Using fNIRS we measured responses over large cortical areas including the inferior frontal and superior temporal regions. We identified channels showing different responses to bimodal than alternating unimodal condition and used multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to decode patterns of cortical responses to bimodal (audiovisual) and alternating unimodal (auditory + visual) speech. Results showed that in both age groups integration elicits cortical responses consistent with both super- and sub-additive responses in the fronto-temporal cortex. The univariate analyses revealed that between 5 and 10 months spatial distribution of these responses becomes increasingly focal. MVPA correctly classified responses at 5 months, with key input from channels located in the inferior frontal and superior temporal channels of the right hemisphere. However, MVPA classification was not successful at 10 months, suggesting a potential cortical re-organisation of audiovisual speech perception at this age. These results show the complex and non-gradual development of the cortical responses to integration of congruent audiovisual speech in infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra A W Dopierała
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | | | | | - Agnieszka Pluta
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- University of Westminister, London, UK
| | | | - Samuel Evans
- Kings College London, London, UK
- University of Westminister, London, UK
| | - Tomasz Wolak
- Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Bioimaging Research Center, World Hearing Centre, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Przemysław Tomalski
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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6
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Zhou X, Burg E, Kan A, Litovsky RY. Investigating effortful speech perception using fNIRS and pupillometry measures. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 3:100052. [PMID: 36518346 PMCID: PMC9743070 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study examined the neural mechanisms for mental effort and its correlation to speech perception using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in listeners with normal hearing (NH). Data were collected while participants listened and responded to unprocessed and degraded sentences, where words were presented in grammatically correct or shuffled order. Effortful listening and task difficulty due to stimulus manipulations was confirmed using a subjective questionnaire and a well-established objective measure of mental effort - pupillometry. fNIRS measures focused on cortical responses in two a priori regions of interest, the left auditory cortex (AC) and lateral frontal cortex (LFC), which are closely related to auditory speech perception and listening effort, respectively. We examined the relations between the two objective measures and behavioral measures of speech perception (task performance) and task difficulty. Results demonstrated that changes in pupil dilation were positively correlated with the self-reported task difficulty levels and negatively correlated with the task performance scores. A significant and negative correlation between the two behavioral measures was also found. That is, as perceived task demands increased and task performance scores decreased, pupils dilated more. fNIRS measures (cerebral oxygenation) in the left AC and LFC were both negatively correlated with the self-reported task difficulty levels and positively correlated with task performance scores. These results suggest that pupillometry measures can indicate task demands and listening effort; whereas, fNIRS measures using a similar paradigm seem to reflect speech processing, but not effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhou
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
| | - Emily Burg
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
| | - Alan Kan
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ruth Y Litovsky
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA
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7
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Giordano V, Alexopoulos J, Spagna A, Benavides-Varela S, Peganc K, Kothgassner OD, Klebermass-Schrehof K, Olischar M, Berger A, Bartha-Doering L. Accent discrimination abilities during the first days of life: An fNIRS study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 223:105039. [PMID: 34678622 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Humans are biologically endowed with the faculty of language. However, the way neonates can crack this complex communicative code is yet not totally understood. While phonetic discrimination has been widely investigated in neonates, less is known about the role of supra-segments patterns in the recognition of native language. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate accent discrimination abilities in newborns in a sentential prosody paradigm. We used near-infared spectroscopy to investigate accent discrimination in 21 full-term born infants within the first days of life. Sentential prosody was used to investigate: (a) native accent, (b) foreign accent, and (c) flattened accent. Neonates revealed a significantly smaller hemodynamic response to native accent compared to flattened accent and foreign accent, respectively. Cluster-based permutation analysis revealed two clusters with a significant difference between the two conditions native accent and foreign accent. The first cluster covered the middle and superior frontal, middle and superior temporal, central, and parietal areas within the left hemisphere. The second cluster, located in the right hemisphere, covered inferior, middle, and superior frontal, central, middle and superior temporal areas. We therefore conclude that neonates can differentiate prosodic features like accents within the same language a few days after birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vito Giordano
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Johanna Alexopoulos
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alfredo Spagna
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, NY 10027, USA
| | - Silvia Benavides-Varela
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization & Department of Neurscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Katja Peganc
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department for Cognitive Science, University of Ljubliana, Faculty of Education, Ljubliana, Slovenia
| | - Oswald D Kothgassner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katrin Klebermass-Schrehof
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Olischar
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Berger
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Quam C, Creel SC. Impacts of acoustic-phonetic variability on perceptual development for spoken language: A review. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2021; 12:e1558. [PMID: 33660418 PMCID: PMC9836025 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This article reviews research on when acoustic-phonetic variability facilitates, inhibits, or does not impact perceptual development for spoken language, to illuminate mechanisms by which variability aids learning of language sound patterns. We first summarize structures and sources of variability. We next present proposed mechanisms to account for how and why variability impacts learning. Finally, we review effects of variability in the domains of speech-sound category and pattern learning; word-form recognition and word learning; and accent processing. Variability can be helpful, harmful, or neutral depending on the learner's age and learning objective. Irrelevant variability can facilitate children's learning, particularly for early learning of words and phonotactic rules. For speech-sound change detection and word-form recognition, children seem either unaffected or impaired by irrelevant variability. At the same time, inclusion of variability in training can aid generalization. Variability between accents may slow learning-but with the longer-term benefits of improved comprehension of multiple accents. By highlighting accent as a form of acoustic-phonetic variability and considering impacts of dialect prestige on children's learning, we hope to contribute to a better understanding of how exposure to multiple accents impacts language development and may have implications for literacy development. This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Language Acquisition Psychology > Language Psychology > Perception and Psychophysics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Quam
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Portland State University, USA
| | - Sarah C. Creel
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, USA
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9
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Quantifying the role of rhythm in infants' language discrimination abilities: A meta-analysis. Cognition 2021; 213:104757. [PMID: 34045072 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
More than 30 years have passed since Mehler et al. (1988) proposed that newborns can discriminate between languages that belong to different rhythm classes: stress-, syllable- or mora-timed. Thereupon they developed the hypothesis that infants are sensitive to differences in vowel and consonant interval durations as acoustic correlates of rhythm classes. It remains unknown exactly which durational computations infants use when perceiving speech for the purposes of distinguishing languages. Here, a meta-analysis of studies on infants' language discrimination skills over the first year of life was conducted, aiming to quantify how language discrimination skills change with age and are modulated by rhythm classes or durational metrics. A systematic literature search identified 42 studies that tested infants' (birth to 12 months) discrimination or preference of two language varieties, by presenting infants with auditory or audio-visual continuous speech. Quantitative data synthesis was conducted using multivariate random effects meta-analytic models with the factors rhythm class difference, age, stimulus manipulation, method, and metrics operationalising proportions of and variability in vowel and consonant interval durations, to explore which factors best account for language discrimination or preference. Results revealed that smaller differences in vowel interval variability (△V) and larger differences in successive consonantal interval variability (rPVI-C) were associated with more successful language discrimination, and better accounted for discrimination results than the factor rhythm class. There were no effects of age for discrimination but results on preference studies were affected by age: the older infants get, the more they prefer non-native languages that are rhythmically similar to their native language, but not non-native languages that are rhythmically distinct. These findings can inform theories on language discrimination that have previously focussed on rhythm class, by providing a novel way to operationalise rhythm in language in the extent to which it accounts for infants' language discrimination abilities.
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10
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Cristia A. Language input and outcome variation as a test of theory plausibility: The case of early phonological acquisition. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2020.100914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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11
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Imuta K, Spence JL. Developments in the Social Meaning Underlying Accent‐ and Dialect‐Based Social Preferences. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kana Imuta
- University of Queensland Brisbane Australia
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12
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Uchida-Ota M, Arimitsu T, Tsuzuki D, Dan I, Ikeda K, Takahashi T, Minagawa Y. Maternal speech shapes the cerebral frontotemporal network in neonates: A hemodynamic functional connectivity study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 39:100701. [PMID: 31513977 PMCID: PMC6969365 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Language development and the capacity for communication in infants are predominantly supported by their mothers, beginning when infants are still in utero. Although a mother's speech should thus have a significant impact on her neonate's brain, neurocognitive evidence for this hypothesis remains elusive. The present study examined 37 neonates using near-infrared spectroscopy and observed the interactions between multiple cortical regions while neonates heard speech spoken by their mothers or by strangers. We analyzed the functional connectivity between regions whose response-activation patterns differed between the two types of speakers. We found that when hearing their mothers' speech, functional connectivity was enhanced in both the neonatal left and right frontotemporal networks. On the left it was enhanced between the inferior/middle frontal gyrus and the temporal cortex, while on the right it was enhanced between the frontal pole and temporal cortex. In particular, the frontal pole was more strongly connected to the left supramarginal area when hearing speech from mothers. These enhanced frontotemporal networks connect areas that are associated with language (left) and voice processing (right) at later stages of development. We suggest that these roles are initially fostered by maternal speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Uchida-Ota
- Center for Advanced Research on Logic and Sensibility, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan; Center for Research in International Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Arimitsu
- Department of Pediatrics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tsuzuki
- Department of Language Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ippeita Dan
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazushige Ikeda
- Department of Pediatrics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takao Takahashi
- Department of Pediatrics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuyo Minagawa
- Center for Advanced Research on Logic and Sensibility, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan.
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13
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Fishell AK, Burns-Yocum TM, Bergonzi KM, Eggebrecht AT, Culver JP. Mapping brain function during naturalistic viewing using high-density diffuse optical tomography. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11115. [PMID: 31366956 PMCID: PMC6668456 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45555-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Naturalistic stimuli, such as movies, more closely recapitulate "real life" sensory processing and behavioral demands relative to paradigms that rely on highly distilled and repetitive stimulus presentations. The rich complexity inherent in naturalistic stimuli demands an imaging system capable of measuring spatially distributed brain responses, and analysis tools optimized for unmixing responses to concurrently presented features. In this work, the combination of passive movie viewing with high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) is developed as a platform for naturalistic brain mapping. We imaged healthy young adults during free viewing of a feature film using HD-DOT and observed reproducible, synchronized cortical responses across a majority of the field-of-view, most prominently in hierarchical cortical areas related to visual and auditory processing, both within and between individuals. In order to more precisely interpret broad patterns of cortical synchronization, we extracted visual and auditory features from the movie stimulus and mapped the cortical responses to the features. The results demonstrate the sensitivity of HD-DOT to evoked responses during naturalistic viewing, and that feature-based decomposition strategies enable functional mapping of naturalistic stimulus processing, including human-generated speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K Fishell
- Washington University School of Medicine, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, St. Louis, USA
- Washington University School of Medicine, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, USA
| | - Tracy M Burns-Yocum
- Indiana University, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Bloomington, USA
| | - Karla M Bergonzi
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Philadelphia, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Physics, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Adam T Eggebrecht
- Washington University School of Medicine, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, USA
| | - Joseph P Culver
- Washington University School of Medicine, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, USA.
- Washington University, Department of Physics, St. Louis, USA.
- Washington University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, St. Louis, USA.
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14
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Pathways to cognitive design. Behav Processes 2019; 161:73-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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15
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Creel SC. Accent detection and social cognition: evidence of protracted learning. Dev Sci 2017; 21. [PMID: 28675671 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
How and when do children become aware that speakers have different accents? While adults readily make a variety of subtle social inferences based on speakers' accents, findings from children are more mixed: while one line of research suggests that even infants may be acutely sensitive to accent unfamiliarity, other studies suggest that 5-year-olds have difficulty identifying accents as different from their own. In an attempt to resolve this paradox, the current study assesses American children's sensitivity to American vs. Dutch accents in two situations. First, in an eye-tracked sentence processing paradigm where children have previously shown sensitivity to a salient social distinction (gender) from voice cues, 3-5-year-old children showed no sensitivity to accent differences. Second, in a social decision-making task where accent sensitivity has been found in 5-year-olds, an age gradient appeared, suggesting that familiar accent preferences emerge slowly between 3 and 7 years. Counter to claims that accent is an early, salient signal of social group, results are more consistent with a protracted learning hypothesis that children need extended exposure to native-language sound patterns in order to detect that an accent deviates from their own. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQAgy3IFYXA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Creel
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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16
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Tsuji S, Fikkert P, Minagawa Y, Dupoux E, Filippin L, Versteegh M, Hagoort P, Cristia A. The more, the better? Behavioral and neural correlates of frequent and infrequent vowel exposure. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:603-612. [PMID: 28561883 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A central assumption in the perceptual attunement literature holds that exposure to a speech sound contrast leads to improvement in native speech sound processing. However, whether the amount of exposure matters for this process has not been put to a direct test. We elucidated indicators of frequency-dependent perceptual attunement by comparing 5-8-month-old Dutch infants' discrimination of tokens containing a highly frequent [hɪt-he:t] and a highly infrequent [hʏt-hø:t] native vowel contrast as well as a non-native [hɛt-haet] vowel contrast in a behavioral visual habituation paradigm (Experiment 1). Infants discriminated both native contrasts similarly well, but did not discriminate the non-native contrast. We sought further evidence for subtle differences in the processing of the two native contrasts using near-infrared spectroscopy and a within-participant design (Experiment 2). The neuroimaging data did not provide additional evidence that responses to native contrasts are modulated by frequency of exposure. These results suggest that even large differences in exposure to a native contrast may not directly translate to behavioral and neural indicators of perceptual attunement, raising the possibility that frequency of exposure does not influence improvements in discriminating native contrasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Tsuji
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,International Max Planck Research School for Language Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Paula Fikkert
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Emmanuel Dupoux
- LSCP, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Luca Filippin
- LSCP, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Maarten Versteegh
- LSCP, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Peter Hagoort
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandrina Cristia
- LSCP, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL Research University, Paris, France.,Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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17
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Benavides-Varela S, Gervain J. Learning word order at birth: A NIRS study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 25:198-208. [PMID: 28351534 PMCID: PMC6987835 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In language, the relative order of words in sentences carries important grammatical functions. However, the developmental origins and the neural correlates of the ability to track word order are to date poorly understood. The current study therefore investigates the origins of infants’ ability to learn about the sequential order of words, using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with newborn infants. We have conducted two experiments: one in which a word order change was implemented in 4-word sequences recorded with a list intonation (as if each word was a separate item in a list; list prosody condition, Experiment 1) and one in which the same 4-word sequences were recorded with a well-formed utterance-level prosodic contour (utterance prosody condition, Experiment 2). We found that newborns could detect the violation of the word order in the list prosody condition, but not in the utterance prosody condition. These results suggest that while newborns are already sensitive to word order in linguistic sequences, prosody appears to be a stronger cue than word order for the identification of linguistic units at birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Benavides-Varela
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Italy; San Camillo Hospital IRCCS, Venice, Italy
| | - Judit Gervain
- Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, CNRS, Paris, France.
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18
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The role of left inferior frontal cortex during audiovisual speech perception in infants. Neuroimage 2016; 133:14-20. [PMID: 26946090 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.02.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the first year of life, infants' speech perception attunes to their native language. While the behavioral changes associated with native language attunement are fairly well mapped, the underlying mechanisms and neural processes are still only poorly understood. Using fNIRS and eye tracking, the current study investigated 6-month-old infants' processing of audiovisual speech that contained matching or mismatching auditory and visual speech cues. Our results revealed that infants' speech-sensitive brain responses in inferior frontal brain regions were lateralized to the left hemisphere. Critically, our results further revealed that speech-sensitive left inferior frontal regions showed enhanced responses to matching when compared to mismatching audiovisual speech, and that infants with a preference to look at the speaker's mouth showed an enhanced left inferior frontal response to speech compared to infants with a preference to look at the speaker's eyes. These results suggest that left inferior frontal regions play a crucial role in associating information from different modalities during native language attunement, fostering the formation of multimodal phonological categories.
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19
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Plasticity in early language acquisition: the effects of prenatal and early childhood experience. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2015; 35:13-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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20
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Hu XS, Arredondo MM, Gomba M, Confer N, DaSilva AF, Johnson TD, Shalinsky M, Kovelman I. Comparison of motion correction techniques applied to functional near-infrared spectroscopy data from children. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2015; 20:126003. [PMID: 26662300 PMCID: PMC9900395 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.20.12.126003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Motion artifacts are the most significant sources of noise in the context of pediatric brain imaging designs and data analyses, especially in applications of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), in which it can completely affect the quality of the data acquired. Different methods have been developed to correct motion artifacts in fNIRS data, but the relative effectiveness of these methods for data from child and infant subjects (which is often found to be significantly noisier than adult data) remains largely unexplored. The issue is further complicated by the heterogeneity of fNIRS data artifacts. We compared the efficacy of the six most prevalent motion artifact correction techniques with fNIRS data acquired from children participating in a language acquisition task, including wavelet, spline interpolation, principal component analysis, moving average (MA), correlation-based signal improvement, and combination of wavelet and MA. The evaluation of five predefined metrics suggests that the MA and wavelet methods yield the best outcomes. These findings elucidate the varied nature of fNIRS data artifacts and the efficacy of artifact correction methods with pediatric populations, as well as help inform both the theory and practice of optical brain imaging analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Su Hu
- University of Michigan, Center for Human Growth and Development, 300 North Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
| | - Maria M. Arredondo
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Megan Gomba
- University of Michigan, Center for Human Growth and Development, 300 North Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
| | - Nicole Confer
- University of Michigan, Center for Human Growth and Development, 300 North Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
| | - Alexandre F. DaSilva
- University of Michigan, Center for Human Growth and Development, 300 North Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
- University of Michigan, Biologic & Materials Sciences Department, School of Dentistry, Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort Lab, 1011 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Timothy D. Johnson
- University of Michigan, Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Mark Shalinsky
- University of Michigan, Center for Human Growth and Development, 300 North Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
| | - Ioulia Kovelman
- University of Michigan, Center for Human Growth and Development, 300 North Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
- Address all correspondence to: Ioulia Kovelman, E-mail:
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21
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Cristia A, Minagawa-Kawai Y, Egorova N, Gervain J, Filippin L, Cabrol D, Dupoux E. Neural correlates of infant accent discrimination: an fNIRS study. Dev Sci 2014; 17:628-35. [PMID: 24628942 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the neural correlates of infant discrimination of very similar linguistic varieties (Quebecois and Parisian French) using functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy. In line with previous behavioral and electrophysiological data, there was no evidence that 3-month-olds discriminated the two regional accents, whereas 5-month-olds did, with the locus of discrimination in left anterior perisylvian regions. These neuroimaging results suggest that a developing language network relying crucially on left perisylvian cortices sustains infants' discrimination of similar linguistic varieties within this early period of infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandrina Cristia
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales - Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France; Neurobiology of Language, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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