1
|
Pecukonis M, Gerson J, Gustafson-Alm H, Wood M, Yücel M, Boas D, Tager-Flusberg H. The Neural Bases of Language Processing During Social and Non-Social Contexts: A fNIRS Study of Autistic and Neurotypical Preschool-Aged Children. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4450882. [PMID: 38883761 PMCID: PMC11177967 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4450882/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Background: Little is known about how the brains of autistic children process language during real-world "social contexts," despite the fact that challenges with language, communication, and social interaction are core features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methods: We investigated the neural bases of language processing during social and non-social contexts in a sample of N =20 autistic and N =20 neurotypical (NT) preschool-aged children, 3 to 6 years old. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure children's brain response to "live language" spoken by a live experimenter during an in-person social context (i.e., book reading), and "recorded language" played via an audio recording during a non-social context (i.e., screen time). We examined within-group and between-group differences in the strength and localization of brain response to live language and recorded language, as well as correlations between children's brain response and language skills measured by the Preschool Language Scales. Results: In the NT group, brain response to live language was greater than brain response to recorded language in the right temporal parietal junction (TPJ). In the ASD group, the strength of brain response did not differ between conditions. The ASD group showed greater brain response to recorded language than the NT group in the right inferior and middle frontal gyrus (IMFG). Across groups, children's language skills were negatively associated with brain response to recorded language in the right IMFG, suggesting that processing recorded language required more cognitive effort for children with lower language skills. Children's language skills were also positively associated with the difference in brain response between conditions in the right TPJ, demonstrating that children who showed a greater difference in brain response to live language versus recorded language had higher language skills. Limitations: Findings should be considered preliminary until they are replicated in a larger sample. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the brains of NT children, but not autistic children, process language differently during social and non-social contexts. Individual differences in how the brain processes language during social and non-social contexts may help to explain why language skills are so variable across children with and without autism.
Collapse
|
2
|
Bahar N, Cler GJ, Krishnan S, Asaridou SS, Smith HJ, Willis HE, Healy MP, Watkins KE. Differences in Cortical Surface Area in Developmental Language Disorder. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:288-314. [PMID: 38832358 PMCID: PMC11093399 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Approximately 7% of children have developmental language disorder (DLD), a neurodevelopmental condition associated with persistent language learning difficulties without a known cause. Our understanding of the neurobiological basis of DLD is limited. Here, we used FreeSurfer to investigate cortical surface area and thickness in a large cohort of 156 children and adolescents aged 10-16 years with a range of language abilities, including 54 with DLD, 28 with a history of speech-language difficulties who did not meet criteria for DLD, and 74 age-matched controls with typical language development (TD). We also examined cortical asymmetries in DLD using an automated surface-based technique. Relative to the TD group, those with DLD showed smaller surface area bilaterally in the inferior frontal gyrus extending to the anterior insula, in the posterior temporal and ventral occipito-temporal cortex, and in portions of the anterior cingulate and superior frontal cortex. Analysis of the whole cohort using a language proficiency factor revealed that language ability correlated positively with surface area in similar regions. There were no differences in cortical thickness, nor in asymmetry of these cortical metrics between TD and DLD. This study highlights the importance of distinguishing between surface area and cortical thickness in investigating the brain basis of neurodevelopmental disorders and suggests the development of cortical surface area to be of importance to DLD. Future longitudinal studies are required to understand the developmental trajectory of these cortical differences in DLD and how they relate to language maturation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nilgoun Bahar
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gabriel J. Cler
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Saloni Krishnan
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Surrey, UK
| | - Salomi S. Asaridou
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Harriet J. Smith
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hanna E. Willis
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Máiréad P. Healy
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kate E. Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ullman MT, Clark GM, Pullman MY, Lovelett JT, Pierpont EI, Jiang X, Turkeltaub PE. The neuroanatomy of developmental language disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:962-975. [PMID: 38491094 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01843-6] [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: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with adverse impacts that continue into adulthood. However, its neural bases remain unclear. Here we address this gap by systematically identifying and quantitatively synthesizing neuroanatomical studies of DLD using co-localization likelihood estimation, a recently developed neuroanatomical meta-analytic technique. Analyses of structural brain data (22 peer-reviewed papers, 577 participants) revealed highly consistent anomalies only in the basal ganglia (100% of participant groups in which this structure was examined, weighted by group sample sizes; 99.8% permutation-based likelihood the anomaly clustering was not due to chance). These anomalies were localized specifically to the anterior neostriatum (again 100% weighted proportion and 99.8% likelihood). As expected given the task dependence of activation, functional neuroimaging data (11 peer-reviewed papers, 414 participants) yielded less consistency, though anomalies again occurred primarily in the basal ganglia (79.0% and 95.1%). Multiple sensitivity analyses indicated that the patterns were robust. The meta-analyses elucidate the neuroanatomical signature of DLD, and implicate the basal ganglia in particular. The findings support the procedural circuit deficit hypothesis of DLD, have basic research and translational implications for the disorder, and advance our understanding of the neuroanatomy of language.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Ullman
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA.
| | - Gillian M Clark
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mariel Y Pullman
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
- Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jarrett T Lovelett
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth I Pierpont
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Xiong Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Peter E Turkeltaub
- Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
- Research Division, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network, Washington DC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abbott N, Love T. Bridging the Divide: Brain and Behavior in Developmental Language Disorder. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1606. [PMID: 38002565 PMCID: PMC10670267 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13111606] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a heterogenous neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a child's ability to comprehend and/or produce spoken and/or written language, yet it cannot be attributed to hearing loss or overt neurological damage. It is widely believed that some combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors influences brain and language development in this population, but it has been difficult to bridge theoretical accounts of DLD with neuroimaging findings, due to heterogeneity in language impairment profiles across individuals and inconsistent neuroimaging findings. Therefore, the purpose of this overview is two-fold: (1) to summarize the neuroimaging literature (while drawing on findings from other language-impaired populations, where appropriate); and (2) to briefly review the theoretical accounts of language impairment patterns in DLD, with the goal of bridging the disparate findings. As will be demonstrated with this overview, the current state of the field suggests that children with DLD have atypical brain volume, laterality, and activation/connectivity patterns in key language regions that likely contribute to language difficulties. However, the precise nature of these differences and the underlying neural mechanisms contributing to them remain an open area of investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noelle Abbott
- School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA;
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Tracy Love
- School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA;
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Asaridou SS, Cler GJ, Wiedemann A, Krishnan S, Smith HJ, Willis HE, Healy MP, Watkins KE. Microstructural Properties of the Cerebellar Peduncles in Children with Developmental Language Disorder. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.13.548858. [PMID: 37503009 PMCID: PMC10370025 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.13.548858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) struggle to learn their native language for no apparent reason. While research on the neurobiological underpinnings of the disorder has focused on the role of cortico-striatal systems, little is known about the role of the cerebellum in DLD. Cortico-cerebellar circuits might be involved in the disorder as they contribute to complex sensorimotor skill learning, including the acquisition of spoken language. Here, we used diffusion-weighted imaging data from 77 typically developing and 54 children with DLD and performed probabilistic tractography to identify the cerebellum's white matter tracts: the inferior, middle, and superior cerebellar peduncles. Children with DLD showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the inferior cerebellar peduncles (ICP), fiber tracts that carry motor and sensory input via the inferior olive to the cerebellum. Lower FA in DLD was driven by lower axial diffusivity. Probing this further with more sophisticated modeling of diffusion data, we found higher orientation dispersion but no difference in neurite density in the ICP of DLD. Reduced FA is therefore unlikely to be reflecting microstructural differences in myelination in this tract, rather the organization of axons in these pathways is disrupted. ICP microstructure was not associated with language or motor coordination performance in our sample. We also found no differences in the middle and superior peduncles, the main pathways connecting the cerebellum with the cortex. To conclude, it is not cortico-cerebellar but atypical olivocerebellar white matter connections that characterize DLD and suggest the involvement of the olivocerebellar system in speech acquisition and development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Salomi S. Asaridou
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gabriel J. Cler
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Anna Wiedemann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Saloni Krishnan
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Surrey, UK
| | - Harriet J. Smith
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hanna E. Willis
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Máiréad P. Healy
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kate E. Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bowers LM, Ramsdell HL. Rethinking Literacy Intervention: Addressing a Practice Gap With Best Practices From Multisensory Structured Language Approaches. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2023:1-16. [PMID: 37276454 DOI: 10.1044/2023_lshss-22-00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Dyslexia is increasingly being defined, assessed, diagnosed, and treated in the educational system. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to elucidate ways in which speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can rethink how to implement literacy interventions to incorporate best practices from multisensory structured language (MSL) approaches and how they can be influential participants in the conversations of how to define and implement services for students who have written language disorders, including dyslexia, in the school setting. METHOD This clinical focus article provides an operational definition of dyslexia, discusses the various roles and responsibilities of SLPs with respect to dyslexia, and describes the well-established evidence-based practices of MSL approaches as a means of rethinking literacy intervention. RESULTS Using a case study scenario based on an individual diagnosed with dyslexia, this clinical focus article presents similarities and differences between traditional speech-language pathology intervention approaches and MSL approaches to literacy intervention. CONCLUSIONS MSL strategies may be considered in literacy intervention as a means to optimize the academic gains of children with dyslexia in a school setting. Furthermore, SLPs should be considered integral participants in discussions of policies and practices related to the diagnosis and treatment of literacy disorders, including dyslexia. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23228483.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Bowers
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hancock AS, Warren CM, Barrett TS, Bolton DAE, Gillam RB. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy measures of neural activity in children with and without developmental language disorder during a working memory task. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2895. [PMID: 36706040 PMCID: PMC9927862 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2895] [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: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) exhibit cognitive deficits that interfere with their ability to learn language. Little is known about the functional neuroanatomical differences between children developing typically (TD) and children with DLD. METHODS Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we recorded oxygenated hemoglobin (O2 hb) concentration values associated with neural activity in children with and without DLD during an auditory N-back task that included 0-back, 1-back, and 2-back conditions. Analyses focused on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Multilevel models were constructed with accuracy, response time, and O2 hb as outcome measures, with 0-back outcomes as fixed effects to control for sustained attention. RESULTS Children with DLD were significantly less accurate than their TD peers at both the 1-back and 2-back tasks, and they demonstrated slower response times during 2-back. In addition, children in the TD group demonstrated significantly greater sensitivity to increased task difficulty, showing increased O2 hb to the IPL during 1-back and to the DLPFC during the 2-back, whereas the DLD group did not. A secondary analysis revealed that higher O2 hb in the DLPFC predicted better task accuracy across groups. CONCLUSION When task difficulty increased, children with DLD failed to recruit the DLPFC for monitoring information and the IPL for processing information. Reduced memory capacity and reduced engagement likely contribute to the language learning difficulties of children with DLD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tyson S Barrett
- Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - David A E Bolton
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Ronald B Gillam
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ladányi E, Novakovic M, Boorom OA, Aaron AS, Scartozzi AC, Gustavson DE, Nitin R, Bamikole PO, Vaughan C, Fromboluti EK, Schuele CM, Camarata SM, McAuley JD, Gordon RL. Using Motor Tempi to Understand Rhythm and Grammatical Skills in Developmental Language Disorder and Typical Language Development. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 4:1-28. [PMID: 36875176 PMCID: PMC9979588 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) show relative weaknesses on rhythm tasks beyond their characteristic linguistic impairments. The current study compares preferred tempo and the width of an entrainment region for 5- to 7-year-old typically developing (TD) children and children with DLD and considers the associations with rhythm aptitude and expressive grammar skills in the two populations. Preferred tempo was measured with a spontaneous motor tempo task (tapping tempo at a comfortable speed), and the width (range) of an entrainment region was measured by the difference between the upper (slow) and lower (fast) limits of tapping a rhythm normalized by an individual's spontaneous motor tempo. Data from N = 16 children with DLD and N = 114 TD children showed that whereas entrainment-region width did not differ across the two groups, slowest motor tempo, the determinant of the upper (slow) limit of the entrainment region, was at a faster tempo in children with DLD vs. TD. In other words, the DLD group could not pace their slow tapping as slowly as the TD group. Entrainment-region width was positively associated with rhythm aptitude and receptive grammar even after taking into account potential confounding factors, whereas expressive grammar did not show an association with any of the tapping measures. Preferred tempo was not associated with any study variables after including covariates in the analyses. These results motivate future neuroscientific studies of low-frequency neural oscillatory mechanisms as the potential neural correlates of entrainment-region width and their associations with musical rhythm and spoken language processing in children with typical and atypical language development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Ladányi
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Michaela Novakovic
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Olivia A. Boorom
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| | - Allison S. Aaron
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - Alyssa C. Scartozzi
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Daniel E. Gustavson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Rachana Nitin
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Peter O. Bamikole
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
| | - Chloe Vaughan
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | - C. Melanie Schuele
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Stephen M. Camarata
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - J. Devin McAuley
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Reyna L. Gordon
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Divjak D, Milin P, Medimorec S, Borowski M. Behavioral Signatures of Memory Resources for Language: Looking beyond the Lexicon/Grammar Divide. Cogn Sci 2022; 46:e13206. [PMID: 36353955 PMCID: PMC9787600 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Although there is a broad consensus that both the procedural and declarative memory systems play a crucial role in language learning, use, and knowledge, the mapping between linguistic types and memory structures remains underspecified: by default, a dual-route mapping of language systems to memory systems is assumed, with declarative memory handling idiosyncratic lexical knowledge and procedural memory handling rule-governed knowledge of grammar. We experimentally contrast the processing of morphology (case and aspect), syntax (subordination), and lexical semantics (collocations) in a healthy L1 population of Polish, a language rich in form distinctions. We study the processing of these four types under two conditions: a single task condition in which the grammaticality of stimuli was judged and a concurrent task condition in which grammaticality judgments were combined with a digit span task. Dividing attention impedes access to declarative memory while leaving procedural memory unaffected and hence constitutes a test that dissociates which types of linguistic information each long-term memory construct subserves. Our findings confirm the existence of a distinction between lexicon and grammar as a generative, dual-route model would predict, but the distinction is graded, as usage-based models assume: the hypothesized grammar-lexicon opposition appears as a continuum on which grammatical phenomena can be placed as being more or less "ruly" or "idiosyncratic." However, usage-based models, too, need adjusting as not all types of linguistic knowledge are proceduralized to the same extent. This move away from a simple dichotomy fundamentally changes how we think about memory for language, and hence how we design and interpret behavioral and neuroimaging studies that probe into the nature of language cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dagmar Divjak
- Department of Modern LanguagesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom,Department of English Language & LinguisticsUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Petar Milin
- Department of Modern LanguagesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Srdan Medimorec
- Department of Modern LanguagesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom,Department of Psychology, Centre for Applied Psychological ScienceTeesside UniversityMiddlesbroughUnited Kingdom
| | - Maciej Borowski
- Department of Modern LanguagesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Krishnan S, Cler GJ, Smith HJ, Willis HE, Asaridou SS, Healy MP, Papp D, Watkins KE. Quantitative MRI reveals differences in striatal myelin in children with DLD. eLife 2022; 11:e74242. [PMID: 36164824 PMCID: PMC9514847 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by receptive or expressive language difficulties or both. While theoretical frameworks and empirical studies support the idea that there may be neural correlates of DLD in frontostriatal loops, findings are inconsistent across studies. Here, we use a novel semiquantitative imaging protocol - multi-parameter mapping (MPM) - to investigate microstructural neural differences in children with DLD. The MPM protocol allows us to reproducibly map specific indices of tissue microstructure. In 56 typically developing children and 33 children with DLD, we derived maps of (1) longitudinal relaxation rate R1 (1/T1), (2) transverse relaxation rate R2* (1/T2*), and (3) Magnetization Transfer saturation (MTsat). R1 and MTsat predominantly index myelin, while R2* is sensitive to iron content. Children with DLD showed reductions in MTsat values in the caudate nucleus bilaterally, as well as in the left ventral sensorimotor cortex and Heschl's gyrus. They also had globally lower R1 values. No group differences were noted in R2* maps. Differences in MTsat and R1 were coincident in the caudate nucleus bilaterally. These findings support our hypothesis of corticostriatal abnormalities in DLD and indicate abnormal levels of myelin in the dorsal striatum in children with DLD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saloni Krishnan
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham HillLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Gabriel J Cler
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Harriet J Smith
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Hanna E Willis
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe HospitalOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Salomi S Asaridou
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Máiréad P Healy
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Daniel Papp
- NeuroPoly Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, Polytechnique MontrealMontrealCanada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Kate E Watkins
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sack L, Dollaghan C, Goffman L. Contributions of early motor deficits in predicting language outcomes among preschoolers with developmental language disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2022; 24:362-374. [PMID: 34793281 PMCID: PMC9881565 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2021.1998629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: We assessed the extent to which language, speech, and fine/gross motor skills in preschoolers with developmental language disorder (DLD; also referred to as specific language impairment) predicted language outcome two years later.Method: Participants with DLD (n = 15) and typical development (TD; n = 14) completed language, speech, and fine/gross motor assessments annually, beginning as 4- to 5-year-olds (Year 1 timepoint) and continuing through 6 to 7 years of age (Year 3 timepoint). We performed Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analyses to examine the relative contributions of Year 1 language, speech, and motor skills to Year 3 language outcome in each group.Result: Among children with DLD, Year 1 fine/gross motor scores positively correlated with Year 3 language scores, uniquely explaining 40% of the variance in language outcomes. Neither Year 1 language, speech-sound, nor speech-motor scores predicted language outcome in this group. Among children with TD, only Year 1 language predicted language outcome.Conclusion: This small longitudinal study reveals that, among preschoolers with DLD, certain early fine/gross motor deficits predict persistent language impairment. Future research that includes larger sample sizes and motor tasks that incorporate complex sequencing will enhance the understanding of the relationship between language, speech, and motor skills; specifically, whether certain motor deficits simply co-occur with language deficits or whether they are tied to DLD through shared impairments in sequential learning mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leah Sack
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Christine Dollaghan
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lisa Goffman
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Donolato E, Cardillo R, Mammarella IC, Melby-Lervåg M. Research Review: Language and specific learning disorders in children and their co-occurrence with internalizing and externalizing problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:507-518. [PMID: 34747025 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some studies suggest that children with language and learning disorders (LLDs) show more internalizing and externalizing problems than their peers. However, the available evidence remains inconsistent, especially regarding the conditions under which these psychological problems occur. METHODS We performed a meta-analysis of studies comparing children with LLDs and controls on internalizing (53 independent samples, 135 effect sizes) and externalizing problems (37 independent samples, 61 effect sizes) separately. RESULTS Children with LLDs showed higher internalizing (Hedges' g = 0.36) and externalizing problems (Hedges' g = 0.42) than controls did. The group standardized difference in internalizing problems was moderated by the primary disorder, with children with language disorders showing more internalizing problems than those with reading disorders. The severity of the primary disorder, IQ, and age did not moderate Hedge's g between children with LLDs and controls in internalizing and externalizing outcomes. The same pattern was found for gender as a moderator of Hedge's g in internalizing problems, while findings for externalizing problems were inconclusive. The results were consistent when methodological variables were assessed, also for informant, sample size, and geographical area. Clinical samples with LLDs reported higher internalizing problems respect to those with difficulties, but findings on externalizing outcomes were limited. Similarly, results on the presence of additional symptoms in learning and language, self-concept, and socioeconomic status were inconclusive, as few studies reported this information. Results were robust when publication bias, publication year, and study quality were assessed. CONCLUSIONS There is evidence that children with LLDs report higher internalizing and externalizing problems than controls do. Children with language disorders seemed more vulnerable to report more internalizing problems, and clinical samples reported higher problems than those with difficulties. For clinical practice, assessment and interventions should target socioemotional skills to support the psychological well-being of children with LLDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Donolato
- Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Irene C Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Asano R, Boeckx C, Seifert U. Hierarchical control as a shared neurocognitive mechanism for language and music. Cognition 2021; 216:104847. [PMID: 34311153 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Although comparative research has made substantial progress in clarifying the relationship between language and music as neurocognitive systems from both a theoretical and empirical perspective, there is still no consensus about which mechanisms, if any, are shared and how they bring about different neurocognitive systems. In this paper, we tackle these two questions by focusing on hierarchical control as a neurocognitive mechanism underlying syntax in language and music. We put forward the Coordinated Hierarchical Control (CHC) hypothesis: linguistic and musical syntax rely on hierarchical control, but engage this shared mechanism differently depending on the current control demand. While linguistic syntax preferably engages the abstract rule-based control circuit, musical syntax rather employs the coordination of the abstract rule-based and the more concrete motor-based control circuits. We provide evidence for our hypothesis by reviewing neuroimaging as well as neuropsychological studies on linguistic and musical syntax. The CHC hypothesis makes a set of novel testable predictions to guide future work on the relationship between language and music.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rie Asano
- Systematic Musicology, Institute of Musicology, University of Cologne, Germany.
| | - Cedric Boeckx
- Section of General Linguistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; University of Barcelona Institute for Complex Systems (UBICS), Spain; Catalan Institute for Advanced Studies and Research (ICREA), Spain
| | - Uwe Seifert
- Systematic Musicology, Institute of Musicology, University of Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lum JAG, Clark GM. Implicit manual and oculomotor sequence learning in developmental language disorder. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13156. [PMID: 34240500 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Procedural memory functioning in developmental language disorder (DLD) has largely been investigated by examining implicit sequence learning by the manual motor system. This study examined whether poor sequence learning in DLD is present in the oculomotor domain. Twenty children with DLD and 20 age-matched typically developing (TD) children were presented with a serial reaction time (SRT) task. On the task, a visual stimulus repeatedly appears in different positions on a computer display which prompts a manual response. The children were unaware that on the first three blocks and final block of trials, the visual stimulus followed a sequence. On the fourth block, the stimulus appeared in random positions. Manual reaction times (RT) and saccadic amplitudes were recorded, which assessed sequence learning in the manual and oculomotor domains, respectively. Manual RT were sensitive to sequence learning for the TD group, but not the DLD group. For the TD group, manual RT increased when the random block was presented. This was not the case for the DLD group. In the oculomotor domain, sequence learning was present in both groups. Specifically, sequence learning was found to modulate saccadic amplitudes resulting in both DLD and TD children being able to anticipate the location of the visual stimulus. Overall, the study indicates that not all aspects of the procedural memory system are equally impaired in DLD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jarrad A G Lum
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gillian M Clark
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Vukovic N, Hansen B, Lund TE, Jespersen S, Shtyrov Y. Rapid microstructural plasticity in the cortical semantic network following a short language learning session. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001290. [PMID: 34125828 PMCID: PMC8202930 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the clear importance of language in our life, our vital ability to quickly and effectively learn new words and meanings is neurobiologically poorly understood. Conventional knowledge maintains that language learning—especially in adulthood—is slow and laborious. Furthermore, its structural basis remains unclear. Even though behavioural manifestations of learning are evident near instantly, previous neuroimaging work across a range of semantic categories has largely studied neural changes associated with months or years of practice. Here, we address rapid neuroanatomical plasticity accompanying new lexicon acquisition, specifically focussing on the learning of action-related language, which has been linked to the brain’s motor systems. Our results show that it is possible to measure and to externally modulate (using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of motor cortex) cortical microanatomic reorganisation after mere minutes of new word learning. Learning-induced microstructural changes, as measured by diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and machine learning-based analysis, were evident in prefrontal, temporal, and parietal neocortical sites, likely reflecting integrative lexico-semantic processing and formation of new memory circuits immediately during the learning tasks. These results suggest a structural basis for the rapid neocortical word encoding mechanism and reveal the causally interactive relationship of modal and associative brain regions in supporting learning and word acquisition. This combined neuroimaging and brain stimulation study reveals rapid and distributed microstructural plasticity after a single immersive language learning session, demonstrating the causal relevance of the motor cortex in encoding the meaning of novel action words.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Vukovic
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brian Hansen
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Sune Jespersen
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Yury Shtyrov
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Cognition and Decision making, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
The Neurological Basis of Developmental Dyslexia and Related Disorders: A Reappraisal of the Temporal Hypothesis, Twenty Years on. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060708. [PMID: 34071786 PMCID: PMC8229928 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In a now-classic article published a couple of decades ago (Brain, 2000; 123: 2373-2399), I proposed an "extended temporal processing deficit hypothesis of dyslexia", suggesting that a deficit in temporal processing could explain not only language-related peculiarities usually noticed in dyslexic children, but also a wider range of symptoms related to impaired processing of time in general. In the present review paper, I will revisit this "historical" hypothesis both in the light of a new clinical perspective, including the central yet poorly explained notion of comorbidity, and also taking a new look at the most recent experimental work, mainly focusing on brain imaging data. First, consistent with daily clinical practice, I propose to distinguish three groups of children who fail to learn to read, of fairly equal occurrence, who share the same initial presentation (difficulty in mastering the rules of grapheme-phoneme correspondence) but with differing associated signs and/or comorbid conditions (language disorders in the first group, attentional deficits in the second one, and motor coordination problems in the last one), thus suggesting, at least in part, potentially different triggering mechanisms. It is then suggested, in the light of brain imaging information available to date, that the three main clinical presentations/associations of cognitive impairments that compromise reading skills acquisition correspond to three distinct patterns of miswiring or "disconnectivity" in specific brain networks which have in common their involvement in the process of learning and their heavy reliance on temporal features of information processing. With reference to the classic temporal processing deficit of dyslexia and to recent evidence of an inability of the dyslexic brain to achieve adequate coupling of oscillatory brain activity to the temporal features of external events, a general model is proposed according to which a common mechanism of temporal uncoupling between various disconnected-and/or mis-wired-processors may account for distinct forms of specific learning disorders, with reading impairment being a more or less constant feature. Finally, the potential therapeutic implications of such a view are considered, with special emphasis on methods seeking to enhance cross-modal connectivity between separate brain systems, including those using rhythmic and musical training in dyslexic patients.
Collapse
|
17
|
Krishnan S, Asaridou SS, Cler GJ, Smith HJ, Willis HE, Healy MP, Thompson PA, Bishop DVM, Watkins KE. Functional organisation for verb generation in children with developmental language disorder. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117599. [PMID: 33285329 PMCID: PMC7836232 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is characterised by difficulties in learning one's native language for no apparent reason. These language difficulties occur in 7% of children and are known to limit future academic and social achievement. Our understanding of the brain abnormalities associated with DLD is limited. Here, we used a simple four-minute verb generation task (children saw a picture of an object and were instructed to say an action that goes with that object) to test children between the ages of 10-15 years (DLD N = 50, typically developing N = 67). We also tested 26 children with poor language ability who did not meet our criteria for DLD. Contrary to our registered predictions, we found that children with DLD did not have (i) reduced activity in language relevant regions such as the left inferior frontal cortex; (ii) dysfunctional striatal activity during overt production; or (iii) a reduction in left-lateralised activity in frontal cortex. Indeed, performance of this simple language task evoked activity in children with DLD in the same regions and to a similar level as in typically developing children. Consistent with previous reports, we found sub-threshold group differences in the left inferior frontal gyrus and caudate nuclei, but only when analysis was limited to a subsample of the DLD group (N = 14) who had the poorest performance on the task. Additionally, we used a two-factor model to capture variation in all children studied (N = 143) on a range of neuropsychological tests and found that these language and verbal memory factors correlated with activity in different brain regions. Our findings indicate a lack of support for some neurological models of atypical language learning, such as the procedural deficit hypothesis or the atypical lateralization hypothesis, at least when using simple language tasks that children can perform. These results also emphasise the importance of controlling for and monitoring task performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saloni Krishnan
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK; Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Hill, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK.
| | - Salomi S Asaridou
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Gabriel J Cler
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Harriet J Smith
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK; MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Hannah E Willis
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK; Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Máiréad P Healy
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Paul A Thompson
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Dorothy V M Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Kate E Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Düring DN, Dittrich F, Rocha MD, Tachibana RO, Mori C, Okanoya K, Boehringer R, Ehret B, Grewe BF, Gerber S, Ma S, Rauch M, Paterna JC, Kasper R, Gahr M, Hahnloser RHR. Fast Retrograde Access to Projection Neuron Circuits Underlying Vocal Learning in Songbirds. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108364. [PMID: 33176132 PMCID: PMC8236207 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the structure and function of neural circuits underlying speech and language is a vital step toward better treatments for diseases of these systems. Songbirds, among the few animal orders that share with humans the ability to learn vocalizations from a conspecific, have provided many insights into the neural mechanisms of vocal development. However, research into vocal learning circuits has been hindered by a lack of tools for rapid genetic targeting of specific neuron populations to meet the quick pace of developmental learning. Here, we present a viral tool that enables fast and efficient retrograde access to projection neuron populations. In zebra finches, Bengalese finches, canaries, and mice, we demonstrate fast retrograde labeling of cortical or dopaminergic neurons. We further demonstrate the suitability of our construct for detailed morphological analysis, for in vivo imaging of calcium activity, and for multi-color brainbow labeling. Düring et al. describe a fast and efficient viral vector to dissect structure and function of neural circuits underlying learned vocalizations in songbirds. The AAV variant provides retrograde access to projection neuron circuits, including dopaminergic pathways in songbirds and additionally in mice, and allows for retrograde calcium imaging and multispectral brainbow labeling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Düring
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Falk Dittrich
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Mariana D Rocha
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | - Chihiro Mori
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Roman Boehringer
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Ehret
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin F Grewe
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Gerber
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shouwen Ma
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Melanie Rauch
- Viral Vector Facility, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Robert Kasper
- Imaging Facility at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Manfred Gahr
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Richard H R Hahnloser
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Butler LK, Kiran S, Tager-Flusberg H. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in the Study of Speech and Language Impairment Across the Life Span: A Systematic Review. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2020; 29:1674-1701. [PMID: 32640168 PMCID: PMC7893520 DOI: 10.1044/2020_ajslp-19-00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Functional brain imaging is playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders, yet many populations and settings are incompatible with functional magnetic resonance imaging and other commonly used techniques. We conducted a systematic review of neuroimaging studies using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) with individuals with speech or language impairment across the life span. We aimed to answer the following question: To what extent has fNIRS been used to investigate the neural correlates of speech-language impairment? Method This systematic review was preregistered with PROSPERO, the international prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42019136464). We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol for preferred reporting items for systematic reviews. The database searches were conducted between February and March of 2019 with the following search terms: (a) fNIRS or functional near-infrared spectroscopy or NIRS or near-infrared spectroscopy, (b) speech or language, and (c) disorder or impairment or delay. Results We found 34 fNIRS studies that involved individuals with speech or language impairment across nine categories: (a) autism spectrum disorders; (b) developmental speech and language disorders; (c) cochlear implantation and deafness; (d) dementia, dementia of the Alzheimer's type, and mild cognitive impairment; (e) locked-in syndrome; (f) neurologic speech disorders/dysarthria; (g) stroke/aphasia; (h) stuttering; and (i) traumatic brain injury. Conclusions Though it is not without inherent challenges, fNIRS may have advantages over other neuroimaging techniques in the areas of speech and language impairment. fNIRS has clinical applications that may lead to improved early and differential diagnosis, increase our understanding of response to treatment, improve neuroprosthetic functioning, and advance neurofeedback.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay K. Butler
- Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, MA
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, MA
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Astle DE, Fletcher-Watson S. Beyond the Core-Deficit Hypothesis in Developmental Disorders. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 29:431-437. [PMID: 33071483 PMCID: PMC7539596 DOI: 10.1177/0963721420925518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Developmental disorders and childhood learning difficulties encompass complex constellations of relative strengths and weaknesses across multiple aspects of learning, cognition, and behavior. Historically, debate in developmental psychology has been focused largely on the existence and nature of core deficits—the shared mechanistic origin from which all observed profiles within a diagnostic category emerge. The pitfalls of this theoretical approach have been articulated multiple times, but reductionist, core-deficit accounts remain remarkably prevalent. They persist because developmental science still follows the methodological template that accompanies core-deficit theories—highly selective samples, case-control designs, and voxel-wise neuroimaging methods. Fully moving beyond “core-deficit” thinking will require more than identifying its theoretical flaws. It will require a wholesale rethink about the way we design, collect, and analyze developmental data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duncan E Astle
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lee JC, Nopoulos PC, Tomblin JB. Procedural and declarative memory brain systems in developmental language disorder (DLD). BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 205:104789. [PMID: 32240854 PMCID: PMC7161705 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to examine microstructural differences in white matter relevant to procedural and declarative memory between adolescents/young adults with and without Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The findings showed atypical age-related changes in white matter structures in the corticostriatal system, in the corticocerebellar system, and in the medial temporal region in individuals with DLD. Results highlight the importance of considering the age factor in research on DLD. Future studies are needed to examine the developmental relationship between long-term memory and individual differences in language development and learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna C Lee
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
| | - Peggy C Nopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa, The Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
| | - J Bruce Tomblin
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Thomas MS. Developmental Disorders: Few Specific Disorders and No Specific Brain Regions. Curr Biol 2020; 30:R304-R306. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
23
|
Transdiagnostic Brain Mapping in Developmental Disorders. Curr Biol 2020; 30:1245-1257.e4. [PMID: 32109389 PMCID: PMC7139199 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Childhood learning difficulties and developmental disorders are common, but progress toward understanding their underlying brain mechanisms has been slow. Structural neuroimaging, cognitive, and learning data were collected from 479 children (299 boys, ranging in age from 62 to 223 months), 337 of whom had been referred to the study on the basis of learning-related cognitive problems. Machine learning identified different cognitive profiles within the sample, and hold-out cross-validation showed that these profiles were significantly associated with children's learning ability. The same machine learning approach was applied to cortical morphology data to identify different brain profiles. Hold-out cross-validation demonstrated that these were significantly associated with children's cognitive profiles. Crucially, these mappings were not one-to-one. The same neural profile could be associated with different cognitive impairments across different children. One possibility is that the organization of some children's brains is less susceptible to local deficits. This was tested by using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to construct whole-brain white-matter connectomes. A simulated attack on each child's connectome revealed that some brain networks were strongly organized around highly connected hubs. Children with these networks had only selective cognitive impairments or no cognitive impairments at all. By contrast, the same attacks had a significantly different impact on some children's networks, because their brain efficiency was less critically dependent on hubs. These children had the most widespread and severe cognitive impairments. On this basis, we propose a new framework in which the nature and mechanisms of brain-to-cognition relationships are moderated by the organizational context of the overall network.
Collapse
|
24
|
McGregor KK, Goffman L, Van Horne AO, Hogan TP, Finestack LH. Developmental Language Disorder: Applications for Advocacy, Research, and Clinical Service. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1044/2019_persp-19-00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe CATALISE group (Bishop, Snowling, Thompson, Greenhalgh, & CATALISE Consortium, 2016; Bishop, Snowling, Thompson, Greenhalgh, & CATALISE-2 Consortium, 2017) recommended that the termdevelopmental language disorder(DLD) be used to refer to neurodevelopmental language deficit. In this tutorial, we explain the appropriate application of the term and present advantages in adhering to the CATALISE recommendations.ConclusionBoth specific language impairment and DLD refer to a neurodevelopmental condition that impairs spoken language, is long-standing and, is not associated with any known causal condition. The applications of the termsspecific language impairmentandDLDdiffer in breadth and the extent to which identification depends upon functional impact. Use of the termDLDwould link advocacy efforts in the United States to those in other English-speaking countries. The criteria for identifying DLD presented in the CATALISE consensus offer opportunities for scientific progress while aligning well with practice in U.S. public schools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karla K. McGregor
- Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE
| | - Lisa Goffman
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas at Dallas
| | | | - Tiffany P. Hogan
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA
| | - Lizbeth H. Finestack
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Pigdon L, Willmott C, Reilly S, Conti-Ramsden G, Liegeois F, Connelly A, Morgan AT. The neural basis of nonword repetition in children with developmental speech or language disorder: An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia 2020; 138:107312. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
26
|
Verly M, Gerrits R, Sleurs C, Lagae L, Sunaert S, Zink I, Rommel N. The mis-wired language network in children with developmental language disorder: insights from DTI tractography. Brain Imaging Behav 2020; 13:973-984. [PMID: 29934818 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9903-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to detect the neural substrate underlying the language impairment in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography. Deterministic DTI tractography was performed in a group of right-handed children with DLD (N = 17; mean age 10;07 ± 2;01 years) and a typically developing control group matched for age, gender and handedness (N = 22; mean age 11;00 ± 1;11 years) to bilaterally identify the superior longitudinal fascicle, arcuate fascicle, anterior lateral segment and posterior lateral segment (also called dorsal language network) and the middle and inferior longitudinal fascicle, extreme capsule fiber system and uncinate fascicle (also called ventral language network). Language skills were assessed using an extensive, standardized test battery. Differences in language performance, white matter organization and structural lateralization of the language network were statistically analyzed. Children with DLD showed a higher overall volume and higher ADC values for the left-hemispheric language related WM tracts. In addition, in children with DLD, the majority (88%; 7/8) of the studied language related WM tracts did not show a significant left or right lateralization pattern. These structural alterations might underlie the language impairment in children with DLD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein Verly
- Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, bus 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Robin Gerrits
- Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, bus 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Lieven Lagae
- Department of Pediatrics, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stefan Sunaert
- Department of Radiology, Translational MRI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Radiology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Inge Zink
- Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, bus 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Rommel
- Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, bus 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ullman MT, Earle FS, Walenski M, Janacsek K. The Neurocognition of Developmental Disorders of Language. Annu Rev Psychol 2020; 71:389-417. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Developmental disorders of language include developmental language disorder, dyslexia, and motor-speech disorders such as articulation disorder and stuttering. These disorders have generally been explained by accounts that focus on their behavioral rather than neural characteristics; their processing rather than learning impairments; and each disorder separately rather than together, despite their commonalities and comorbidities. Here we update and review a unifying neurocognitive account—the Procedural circuit Deficit Hypothesis (PDH). The PDH posits that abnormalities of brain structures underlying procedural memory (learning and memory that rely on the basal ganglia and associated circuitry) can explain numerous brain and behavioral characteristics across learning and processing, in multiple disorders, including both commonalities and differences. We describe procedural memory, examine its role in various aspects of language, and then present the PDH and relevant evidence across language-related disorders. The PDH has substantial explanatory power, and both basic research and translational implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Ullman
- Brain and Language Lab, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - F. Sayako Earle
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19713, USA
| | - Matthew Walenski
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE), H-1071 Budapest, Hungary
- Brain, Memory, and Language Lab; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Wang J, Rice ML, Booth JR. Syntactic and Semantic Specialization and Integration in 5- to 6-Year-Old Children during Auditory Sentence Processing. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:36-49. [PMID: 31596168 PMCID: PMC8905464 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have found specialized syntactic and semantic processes in the adult brain during language comprehension. Young children have sophisticated semantic and syntactic aspects of language, yet many previous fMRI studies failed to detect this specialization, possibly due to experimental design and analytical methods. In this current study, 5- to 6-year-old children completed a syntactic task and a semantic task to dissociate these two processes. Multivoxel pattern analysis was used to examine the correlation of patterns within a task (between runs) or across tasks. We found that the left middle temporal gyrus showed more similar patterns within the semantic task compared with across tasks, whereas there was no difference in the correlation within the syntactic task compared with across tasks, suggesting its specialization in semantic processing. Moreover, the left superior temporal gyrus showed more similar patterns within both the semantic task and the syntactic task as compared with across tasks, suggesting its role in integration of semantic and syntactic information. In contrast to the temporal lobe, we did not find specialization or integration effects in either the opercular or triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus. Overall, our study showed that 5- to 6-year-old children have already developed specialization and integration in the temporal lobe, but not in the frontal lobe, consistent with developmental neurocognitive models of language comprehension in typically developing young children.
Collapse
|
29
|
Pigdon L, Willmott C, Reilly S, Conti-Ramsden G, Gaser C, Connelly A, Morgan AT. Grey matter volume in developmental speech and language disorder. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:3387-3398. [PMID: 31732792 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01978-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Developmental language disorder (DLD) and developmental speech disorder (DSD) are common, yet their etiologies are not well understood. Atypical volume of the inferior and posterior language regions and striatum have been reported in DLD; however, variability in both methodology and study findings limits interpretations. Imaging research within DSD, on the other hand, is scarce. The present study compared grey matter volume in children with DLD, DSD, and typically developing speech and language. Compared to typically developing controls, children with DLD had larger volume in the right cerebellum, possibly associated with the procedural learning deficits that have been proposed in DLD. Children with DSD showed larger volume in the left inferior occipital lobe compared to controls, which may indicate a compensatory role of the visual processing regions due to sub-optimal auditory-perceptual processes. Overall, these findings suggest that different neural systems may be involved in the specific deficits related to DLD and DSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Pigdon
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Catherine Willmott
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Sheena Reilly
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, G40 Level 8.86, Mount Gravatt, QLD, 4222, Australia
| | - Gina Conti-Ramsden
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Christian Gaser
- Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Alan Connelly
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 245 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Angela T Morgan
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. .,University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. .,Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Landi N, Perdue M. Neuroimaging genetics studies of specific reading disability and developmental language disorder: A review. LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS COMPASS 2019; 13:e12349. [PMID: 31844423 PMCID: PMC6913889 DOI: 10.1111/lnc3.12349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Developmental disorders of spoken and written language are heterogeneous in nature with impairments observed across various linguistic, cognitive, and sensorimotor domains. These disorders are also associated with characteristic patterns of atypical neural structure and function that are observable early in development, often before formal schooling begins. Established patterns of heritability point toward genetic contributions, and molecular genetics approaches have identified genes that play a role in these disorders. Still, identified genes account for only a limited portion of phenotypic variance in complex developmental disorders, described as the problem of "missing heritability." The characterization of intermediate phenotypes at the neural level may fill gaps in our understanding of heritability patterns in complex disorders, and the emerging field of neuroimaging genetics offers a promising approach to accomplish this goal. The neuroimaging genetics approach is gaining prevalence in language- and reading-related research as it is well-suited to incorporate behavior, genetics, and neurobiology into coherent etiological models of complex developmental disorders. Here, we review research applying the neuroimaging genetics approach to the study of specific reading disability (SRD) and developmental language disorder (DLD), much of which links genes with known neurodevelopmental function to functional and structural abnormalities in the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Landi
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States; Haskins Laboratories, United States
| | - Meaghan Perdue
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States; Haskins Laboratories, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Krishnan S, Watkins KE. A challenge for the procedural deficit hypothesis: How should we measure sequential learning in childhood? Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12815. [PMID: 30773757 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kate E Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Astle DE, Bathelt J, Holmes J. Remapping the cognitive and neural profiles of children who struggle at school. Dev Sci 2018; 22:e12747. [PMID: 30171790 PMCID: PMC6808180 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of learning difficulties largely comes from children with specific diagnoses or individuals selected from community/clinical samples according to strict inclusion criteria. Applying strict exclusionary criteria overemphasizes within group homogeneity and between group differences, and fails to capture comorbidity. Here, we identify cognitive profiles in a large heterogeneous sample of struggling learners, using unsupervised machine learning in the form of an artificial neural network. Children were referred to the Centre for Attention Learning and Memory (CALM) by health and education professionals, irrespective of diagnosis or comorbidity, for problems in attention, memory, language, or poor school progress (n = 530). Children completed a battery of cognitive and learning assessments, underwent a structural MRI scan, and their parents completed behavior questionnaires. Within the network we could identify four groups of children: (a) children with broad cognitive difficulties, and severe reading, spelling and maths problems; (b) children with age-typical cognitive abilities and learning profiles; (c) children with working memory problems; and (d) children with phonological difficulties. Despite their contrasting cognitive profiles, the learning profiles for the latter two groups did not differ: both were around 1 SD below age-expected levels on all learning measures. Importantly a child’s cognitive profile was not predicted by diagnosis or referral reason. We also constructed whole-brain structural connectomes for children from these four groupings (n = 184), alongside an additional group of typically developing children (n = 36), and identified distinct patterns of brain organization for each group. This study represents a novel move toward identifying data-driven neurocognitive dimensions underlying learning-related difficulties in a representative sample of poor learners.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duncan E Astle
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joe Bathelt
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Joni Holmes
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Kurth F, Luders E, Pigdon L, Conti-Ramsden G, Reilly S, Morgan AT. Altered gray matter volumes in language-associated regions in children with developmental language disorder and speech sound disorder. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:814-824. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Kurth
- School of Psychology; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Eileen Luders
- School of Psychology; University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
| | - Lauren Pigdon
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences; Monash University; Melbourne Australia
| | - Gina Conti-Ramsden
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
- The University of Manchester; Manchester United Kingdom
| | - Sheena Reilly
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University; Southport Queensland Australia
| | - Angela T. Morgan
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
- University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Morgan AT, Su M, Reilly S, Conti-Ramsden G, Connelly A, Liégeois FJ. A Brain Marker for Developmental Speech Disorders. J Pediatr 2018; 198:234-239.e1. [PMID: 29705112 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.02.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize the organization of speech- and language-related white matter tracts in children with developmental speech and/or language disorders. STUDY DESIGN We collected magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging data from 41 children, ages 9-11 years, with developmental speech and/or language disorders, and compared them with 45 typically developing controls with the same age range. We used probabilistic tractography of diffusion-weighted imaging to map language (3 segments of arcuate fasciculus, extreme capsule system) and speech motor (corticobulbar) tracts bilaterally. The corticospinal and callosal tracts were used as control regions. We compared the mean fractional anisotropy and diffusivity values between atypical and control groups, covarying for nonverbal IQ. We then examined differences between atypical subgroups: developmental speech disorder (DSD), developmental language disorder, and co-occurring developmental speech and language disorder. RESULTS Fractional anisotropy in the left corticobulbar tract was lower in the DSD than in the control group. Radial and mean diffusivity were higher in the DSD than the developmental language disorder, co-occurring developmental speech and language disorder, or control groups. There were no group differences for any metrics in the language or control tracts. CONCLUSIONS Atypical development of the left corticobulbar tract may be a neural marker for DSD. This finding is in line with reports of speech disorder after left corticobulbar damage in children and adults with brain injury. By contrast, we found no association between diffusion metrics in language-related tracts in developmental language disorder, and changes for language disorders are likely more complex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela T Morgan
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Merina Su
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Sheena Reilly
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | | | - Alan Connelly
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
"Trying to Get a Grip": Language Competence and Self-Reported Satisfaction With Social Relationships Three Decades Post-Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2018; 31:E30-40. [PMID: 26360001 DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE (1) To investigate outcomes in language competence and self-reported satisfaction with social relationships in long-term survivors of childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI); and (2) to establish whether language competence contributes to self-reported satisfaction with social relationships decades after sustaining childhood TBI. PARTICIPANTS Twelve females and 8 males aged 30 to 55 (mean = 39.80, standard deviation = 7.54) years who sustained a TBI during childhood and were on average 31 years postinjury (standard deviation = 9.69). An additional 20 participants matched for age, sex, handedness, years of education, and socioeconomic status constituted a control group. MAIN MEASURES Test of Language Competence-Expanded Edition and the Quality of Life in Brain Injury questionnaire. RESULTS Individuals with a history of childhood TBI performed significantly poorer than their non-injured peers on 2 (Ambiguous Sentences and Oral Expression: Recreating Sentences) out of the 4 Test of Language Competence-Expanded Edition subtests used and on the Quality of Life in Brain Injury subscale assessing satisfaction with social relationships. In the TBI group, scores obtained on the Ambiguous Sentences subtest were found to be a significant predictor of satisfaction with social relationships, explaining 25% of the variance observed. CONCLUSIONS The implication of high-level language skills to self-reported satisfaction with social relationships many decades post-childhood TBI suggests that ongoing monitoring of emerging language skills and support throughout the school years and into adulthood may be warranted if adult survivors of childhood TBI are to experience satisfying social relationships.
Collapse
|
36
|
Moseley RL, Pulvermüller F. What can autism teach us about the role of sensorimotor systems in higher cognition? New clues from studies on language, action semantics, and abstract emotional concept processing. Cortex 2018; 100:149-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
|
37
|
Archila-Suerte P, Woods EA, Chiarello C, Hernandez AE. Neuroanatomical profiles of bilingual children. Dev Sci 2018; 21:e12654. [PMID: 29480569 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The goal of the present study was to examine differences in cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and subcortical volume between bilingual children who are highly proficient in two languages (i.e., English and Spanish) and bilingual children who are mainly proficient in one of the languages (i.e., Spanish). All children (N = 49) learned Spanish as a native language (L1) at home and English as a second language (L2) at school. Proficiency of both languages was assessed using the standardized Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery. Five-minute high-resolution anatomical scans were acquired with a 3-Tesla scanner. The degree of discrepancy between L1 and L2 proficiency was used to classify the children into two groups: children with balanced proficiency and children with unbalanced proficiency. The groups were comparable on language history, parental education, and other variables except English proficiency. Values of cortical thickness and surface area of the transverse STG, IFG-pars opercularis, and MFG, as well as subcortical volume of the caudate and putamen, were extracted from FreeSurfer. Results showed that children with balanced bilingualism had thinner cortices of the left STG, left IFG, left MFG and a larger bilateral putamen, whereas unbalanced bilinguals showed thicker cortices of the same regions and a smaller putamen. Additionally, unbalanced bilinguals with stronger foreign accents in the L2 showed reduced surface areas of the MFG and STS bilaterally. The results suggest that balanced/unbalanced bilingualism is reflected in different neuroanatomical characteristics that arise from biological and/or environmental factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth A Woods
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Christine Chiarello
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Wilson AC, Bishop DVM. Resounding failure to replicate links between developmental language disorder and cerebral lateralisation. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4217. [PMID: 29333343 PMCID: PMC5764032 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It has been suggested that failure to establish cerebral lateralisation may be related to developmental language disorder (DLD). There has been weak support for any link with handedness, but more consistent reports of associations with functional brain lateralisation for language. The consistency of lateralisation across different functions may also be important. We aimed to replicate previous findings of an association between DLD and reduced laterality on a quantitative measure of hand preference (reaching across the midline) and on language laterality assessed using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD). Methods From a sample of twin children aged from 6;0 to 11;11 years, we identified 107 cases of DLD and 156 typically-developing comparison cases for whom we had useable data from fTCD yielding a laterality index (LI) for language function during an animation description task. Handedness data were also available for these children. Results Indices of handedness and language laterality for this twin sample were similar to those previously reported for single-born children. There were no differences between the DLD and TD groups on measures of handedness or language lateralisation, or on a categorical measure of consistency of left hemisphere dominance. Contrary to prediction, there was a greater incidence of right lateralisation for language in the TD group (19.90%) than the DLD group (9.30%), confirming that atypical laterality is not inconsistent with typical language development. We also failed to replicate associations between language laterality and language test scores. Discussion and Conclusions Given the large sample studied here and the range of measures, we suggest that previous reports of atypical manual or language lateralisation in DLD may have been false positives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Wilson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Dorothy V M Bishop
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Luders E, Kurth F, Pigdon L, Conti-Ramsden G, Reilly S, Morgan AT. Atypical Callosal Morphology in Children with Speech Sound Disorder. Neuroscience 2017; 367:211-218. [PMID: 29102664 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Speech sound disorder (SSD) is common, yet its neurobiology is poorly understood. Recent studies indicate atypical structural and functional anomalies either in one hemisphere or both hemispheres, which might be accompanied by alterations in inter-hemispheric connectivity. Indeed, abnormalities of the corpus callosum - the main fiber tract connecting the two hemispheres - have been linked to speech and language deficits in associated disorders, such as stuttering, dyslexia, aphasia, etc. However, there is a dearth of studies examining the corpus callosum in SSD. Here, we investigated whether a sample of 18 children with SSD differed in callosal morphology from 18 typically developing children carefully matched for age. Significantly reduced dimensions of the corpus callosum, particularly in the callosal anterior third, were observed in children with SSD. These findings indicating pronounced callosal aberrations in SSD make an important contribution to an understudied field of research and may suggest that SSD is accompanied by atypical lateralization of speech and language function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Luders
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Florian Kurth
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Lauren Pigdon
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gina Conti-Ramsden
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; The University of Manchester and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC), Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sheena Reilly
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Menzies Health Institute at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Angela T Morgan
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Subcortical Brain and Behavior Phenotypes Differentiate Infants With Autism Versus Language Delay. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:664-672. [PMID: 29560900 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are themselves at increased risk for ASD and other developmental concerns. It is unclear if infants who display developmental concerns, but are unaffected by ASD, share similar or dissimilar behavioral and brain phenotypes to infants with ASD. Most individuals with ASD exhibit heterogeneous difficulties with language, and their receptive-expressive language profiles are often atypical. Yet, little is known about the neurobiology that contributes to these language difficulties. METHODS In this study, we used behavioral assessments and structural magnetic resonance imaging to investigate early brain structures and associations with later language skills. High-risk infants who were later diagnosed with ASD (n = 86) were compared with high-risk infants who showed signs of early language delay (n = 41) as well as with high- and low-risk infants who did not have ASD or language delay (n = 255 and 143, respectively). RESULTS Results indicated that diminished language skills were evident at 12 months in infants with ASD and infants with early language delay. At 24 months of age, only the infants with ASD displayed atypical receptive-expressive language profiles. Associations between 12-month subcortical volumes and 24-month language skills were moderated by group status, indicating disordinal brain-behavior associations among infants with ASD and infants with language delay. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that there are different brain mechanisms influencing language development in infants with ASD and infants with language delay, and that the two groups likely experience unique sets of genetic and environmental risk factors.
Collapse
|
41
|
Shriberg LD, Strand EA, Fourakis M, Jakielski KJ, Hall SD, Karlsson HB, Mabie HL, McSweeny JL, Tilkens CM, Wilson DL. A Diagnostic Marker to Discriminate Childhood Apraxia of Speech From Speech Delay: I. Development and Description of the Pause Marker. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:S1096-S1117. [PMID: 28384779 PMCID: PMC5548086 DOI: 10.1044/2016_jslhr-s-15-0296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The goal of this article (PM I) is to describe the rationale for and development of the Pause Marker (PM), a single-sign diagnostic marker proposed to discriminate early or persistent childhood apraxia of speech from speech delay. Method The authors describe and prioritize 7 criteria with which to evaluate the research and clinical utility of a diagnostic marker for childhood apraxia of speech, including evaluation of the present proposal. An overview is given of the Speech Disorders Classification System, including extensions completed in the same approximately 3-year period in which the PM was developed. Results The finalized Speech Disorders Classification System includes a nosology and cross-classification procedures for childhood and persistent speech disorders and motor speech disorders (Shriberg, Strand, & Mabie, 2017). A PM is developed that provides procedural and scoring information, and citations to papers and technical reports that include audio exemplars of the PM and reference data used to standardize PM scores are provided. Conclusions The PM described here is an acoustic-aided perceptual sign that quantifies one aspect of speech precision in the linguistic domain of phrasing. This diagnostic marker can be used to discriminate early or persistent childhood apraxia of speech from speech delay.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kathy J. Jakielski
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Brain basis of childhood speech and language disorders: are we closer to clinically meaningful MRI markers? Curr Opin Pediatr 2016; 28:725-730. [PMID: 27662370 DOI: 10.1097/mop.0000000000000420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Developmental speech and language disorders are common, seen in one in 20 preschool children, in the absence of frank neurological deficits or intellectual impairment. They are a key reason parents seek help from paediatricians. Complex neurogenetic and environmental contributions underpin the disorders, yet few specific causes are known. With the advent of quantitative brain imaging, a growing number of studies have investigated neural contributions. Here, we discuss current MRI approaches and recent findings (January 2014-June 2016) in the field. RECENT FINDINGS Five relevant studies were identified (n = 3 - speech disorder and n = 2 - language disorder). Significant variability in MRI approaches and heterogeneity of participant phenotypes was seen. Children with speech disorder had structural and functional anomalies in the left supramarginal gyrus and functional anomalies in the posterior cerebellum bilaterally - regions critical for sensory-motor integration or feedback. Children with language disorder showed increased mean and radial diffusivity of the left arcuate fasciculus, although a widespread cortical and subcortical network of regions was implicated. SUMMARY Limited evidence exists for specific regional brain anomalies in this population. MRI prognostic markers of speech and language ability are not currently available at an individual level. Further work is required to disentangle neurobiological contributions to speech and language disorders for affected children.
Collapse
|
43
|
Obeid R, Brooks PJ, Powers KL, Gillespie-Lynch K, Lum JAG. Statistical Learning in Specific Language Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1245. [PMID: 27602006 PMCID: PMC4993848 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairments in statistical learning might be a common deficit among individuals with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using meta-analysis, we examined statistical learning in SLI (14 studies, 15 comparisons) and ASD (13 studies, 20 comparisons) to evaluate this hypothesis. Effect sizes were examined as a function of diagnosis across multiple statistical learning tasks (Serial Reaction Time, Contextual Cueing, Artificial Grammar Learning, Speech Stream, Observational Learning, and Probabilistic Classification). Individuals with SLI showed deficits in statistical learning relative to age-matched controls. In contrast, statistical learning was intact in individuals with ASD relative to controls. Effect sizes did not vary as a function of task modality or participant age. Our findings inform debates about overlapping social-communicative difficulties in children with SLI and ASD by suggesting distinct underlying mechanisms. In line with the procedural deficit hypothesis (Ullman and Pierpont, 2005), impaired statistical learning may account for phonological and syntactic difficulties associated with SLI. In contrast, impaired statistical learning fails to account for the social-pragmatic difficulties associated with ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rita Obeid
- Department of Psychology, The College of Staten Island and The Graduate Center, City University of New York New York, NY, USA
| | - Patricia J Brooks
- Department of Psychology, The College of Staten Island and The Graduate Center, City University of New York New York, NY, USA
| | - Kasey L Powers
- Department of Psychology, The College of Staten Island and The Graduate Center, City University of New York New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristen Gillespie-Lynch
- Department of Psychology, The College of Staten Island and The Graduate Center, City University of New York New York, NY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Abstract
ASD research is at an important crossroads. The ASD diagnosis is important for assigning a child to early behavioral intervention and explaining a child’s condition. But ASD research has not provided a diagnosis-specific medical treatment, or a consistent early predictor, or a unified life course. If the ASD diagnosis also lacks biological and construct validity, a shift away from studying ASD-defined samples would be warranted. Consequently, this paper reviews recent findings for the neurobiological validity of ASD, the construct validity of ASD diagnostic criteria, and the construct validity of ASD spectrum features. The findings reviewed indicate that the ASD diagnosis lacks biological and construct validity. The paper concludes with proposals for research going forward.
Collapse
|
45
|
Neurobiological Basis of Language Learning Difficulties. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:701-714. [PMID: 27422443 PMCID: PMC4993149 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Revised: 06/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we highlight why there is a need to examine subcortical learning systems in children with language impairment and dyslexia, rather than focusing solely on cortical areas relevant for language. First, behavioural studies find that children with these neurodevelopmental disorders perform less well than peers on procedural learning tasks that depend on corticostriatal learning circuits. Second, fMRI studies in neurotypical adults implicate corticostriatal and hippocampal systems in language learning. Finally, structural and functional abnormalities are seen in the striatum in children with language disorders. Studying corticostriatal networks in developmental language disorders could offer us insights into their neurobiological basis and elucidate possible modes of compensation for intervention. Individuals with SLI and dyslexia have impaired or immature learning mechanisms; this hampers their extraction of structure in complex learning environments. These learning difficulties are not general or confined to language. Problems are specific to tasks that involve implicitly learning sequential structure or complex cue–outcome relationships. Such learning is thought to depend upon corticostriatal circuits. In language learning studies, the striatum is recruited when adults extract sequential information from auditory-verbal sequences and as they learn complex motor routines relevant for speech. Neuroimaging studies indicate striatal abnormalities in individuals with language disorders. There is a need to probe the integrity of neural learning systems in developmental language disorders using tasks relevant for language learning which place specific demands on the striatum/MTL.
Collapse
|
46
|
Reichenbach K, Bastian L, Rohrbach S, Gross M, Sarrar L. Cognitive functions in preschool children with specific language impairment. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2016; 86:22-6. [PMID: 27260574 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2016.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A growing body of research has focused on executive functions in children with specific language impairment (SLI). However, results show limited convergence, particularly in preschool age. The current neuropsychological study compared performance of cognitive functions focused on executive components and working memory in preschool children with SLI to typically developing controls. METHOD Performance on the measures cognitive flexibility, inhibition, processing speed and phonological short-term memory was assessed. The monolingual, Caucasian study sample consisted of 30 children with SLI (Mage = 63.3 months, SD = 4.3 months) and 30 healthy controls (Mage = 62.2 months, SD = 3.7 months). Groups were matched for age and nonverbal IQ. Socioeconomic status of the participating families was included. RESULTS Children with SLI had significantly poorer abilities of phonological short-term memory than matched controls. A tendency of poorer abilities in the SLI group was found for inhibition and processing speed. CONCLUSIONS We confirmed phonological short-term memory to be a reliable marker of SLI in preschoolers. Our results do not give definite support for impaired executive function in SLI, possibly owing to limited sensitivity of test instruments in this age group. We argue for a standardization of executive function tests for research use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Reichenbach
- Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
| | - Laura Bastian
- Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Saskia Rohrbach
- Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Manfred Gross
- Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Lea Sarrar
- Department of Audiology and Phoniatrics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Ryan NP, Catroppa C, Godfrey C, Noble-Haeusslein LJ, Shultz SR, O'Brien TJ, Anderson V, Semple BD. Social dysfunction after pediatric traumatic brain injury: A translational perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 64:196-214. [PMID: 26949224 PMCID: PMC5627971 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Social dysfunction is common after traumatic brain injury (TBI), contributing to reduced quality of life for survivors. Factors which influence the development or persistence of social deficits after injury remain poorly understood, particularly in the context of ongoing brain maturation during childhood and adolescence. Aberrant social interactions have recently been modeled in adult and juvenile rodents after experimental TBI, providing an opportunity to gain new insights into the underlying neurobiology of these behaviors. Here, we review our current understanding of social dysfunction in both humans and rodent models of TBI, with a focus on brain injuries acquired during early development. Modulators of social outcomes are discussed, including injury-related and environmental risk and resilience factors. Disruption of social brain network connectivity and aberrant neuroendocrine function are identified as potential mechanisms of social impairments after pediatric TBI. Throughout, we highlight the overlap and disparities between outcome measures and findings from clinical and experimental approaches, and explore the translational potential of future research to prevent or ameliorate social dysfunction after childhood TBI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Ryan
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Cathy Catroppa
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Psychology, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Celia Godfrey
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Linda J Noble-Haeusslein
- Departments of Neurological Surgery and Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Sandy R Shultz
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Terence J O'Brien
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Vicki Anderson
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Psychology, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Bridgette D Semple
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bisconti S, Shulkin M, Hu X, Basura GJ, Kileny PR, Kovelman I. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Brain Imaging Investigation of Phonological Awareness and Passage Comprehension Abilities in Adult Recipients of Cochlear Implants. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2016; 59:239-53. [PMID: 26535956 DOI: 10.1044/2015_jslhr-l-14-0278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to examine how the brains of individuals with cochlear implants (CIs) respond to spoken language tasks that underlie successful language acquisition and processing. METHOD During functional near-infrared spectroscopy imaging, CI recipients with hearing impairment (n = 10, mean age: 52.7 ± 17.3 years) and controls with normal hearing (n = 10, mean age: 50.6 ± 17.2 years) completed auditory tasks-phonological awareness and passage comprehension-commonly used to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders of language and literacy. RESULTS The 2 groups had similar reaction time and performance on experimental tasks, although participants with CIs had lower accuracy than controls. Overall, both CI recipients and controls exhibited similar patterns of brain activation during the tasks. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that CI recipients show an overall neurotypical pattern of activation during auditory language tasks on which individuals with neurodevelopmental language learning impairments (e.g., dyslexia) tend to show atypical brain activation. These findings suggest that advancements in functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging with CI recipients may help shed new light on how varying types of difficulties in language processing affect brain organization for language.
Collapse
|
49
|
Vissers C, Koolen S, Hermans D, Scheper A, Knoors H. Executive functioning in preschoolers with specific language impairment. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1574. [PMID: 26539136 PMCID: PMC4611093 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is still largely beyond our understanding. In this review, a neuropsychological perspective on language impairments in SLI is taken, focusing specifically on executive functioning (EF) in preschoolers (age range: 2.6-6.1 years) with SLI. Based on the studies described in this review, it can be concluded that similar to school-aged children with SLI, preschoolers with SLI show difficulties in working memory, inhibition and shifting, as revealed by both performance based measures and behavioral ratings. It seems plausible that a complex, reciprocal relationship exists between language and EF throughout development. Future research is needed to examine if, and if yes how, language and EF interact in SLI. Broad neuropsychological assessment in which both language and EF are taken into account may contribute to early detection of SLI. This in turn can lead to early and tailored treatment of children with (suspected) SLI aimed not only at stimulating language development but also at strengthening EF.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Constance Vissers
- Kentalis Academy, Royal Dutch KentalisSint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud UniversityNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Sophieke Koolen
- Kentalis Academy, Royal Dutch KentalisSint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands
- Vincent van Gogh for PsychiatryVenray, Netherlands
| | - Daan Hermans
- Kentalis Academy, Royal Dutch KentalisSint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud UniversityNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Annette Scheper
- Kentalis Academy, Royal Dutch KentalisSint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud UniversityNijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Harry Knoors
- Kentalis Academy, Royal Dutch KentalisSint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud UniversityNijmegen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Processing Sentences with Literal versus Figurative Use of Verbs: An ERP Study with Children with Language Impairments, Nonverbal Impairments, and Typical Development. Behav Neurol 2015; 2015:475271. [PMID: 26246693 PMCID: PMC4515291 DOI: 10.1155/2015/475271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Forty native Italian children (age 6-15) performed a sentence plausibility judgment task. ERP recordings were available for 12 children with specific language impairment (SLI), 11 children with nonverbal learning disabilities (NVLD), and 13 control children. Participants listened to verb-object combinations and judged them as acceptable or unacceptable. Stimuli belonged to four conditions, where concreteness and congruency were manipulated. All groups made more errors responding to abstract and to congruent sentences. Moreover, SLI participants performed worse than NVLD participants with abstract sentences. ERPs were analyzed in the time window 300-500 ms. SLI children show atypical, reversed effects of concreteness and congruence as compared to control and NVLD children, respectively. The results suggest that linguistic impairments disrupt abstract language processing more than visual-motor impairments. Moreover, ROI and SPM analyses of ERPs point to a predominant involvement of the left rather than the right hemisphere in the comprehension of figurative expressions.
Collapse
|