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Herzberg MP, Nielsen AN, Luby J, Sylvester CM. Measuring neuroplasticity in human development: the potential to inform the type and timing of mental health interventions. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01947-7. [PMID: 39103496 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01947-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity during sensitive periods, the molecular and cellular process of enduring neural change in response to external stimuli during windows of high environmental sensitivity, is crucial for adaptation to expected environments and has implications for psychiatry. Animal research has characterized the developmental sequence and neurobiological mechanisms that govern neuroplasticity, yet gaps in our ability to measure neuroplasticity in humans limit the clinical translation of these principles. Here, we present a roadmap for the development and validation of neuroimaging and electrophysiology measures that index neuroplasticity to begin to address these gaps. We argue that validation of measures to track neuroplasticity in humans will elucidate the etiology of mental illness and inform the type and timing of mental health interventions to optimize effectiveness. We outline criteria for evaluating putative neuroimaging measures of plasticity in humans including links to neurobiological mechanisms shown to govern plasticity in animal models, developmental change that reflects heightened early life plasticity, and prediction of neural and/or behavior change. These criteria are applied to three putative measures of neuroplasticity using electroencephalography (gamma oscillations, aperiodic exponent of power/frequency) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (amplitude of low frequency fluctuations). We discuss the use of these markers in psychiatry, envision future uses for clinical and developmental translation, and suggest steps to address the limitations of the current putative neuroimaging measures of plasticity. With additional work, we expect these markers will significantly impact mental health and be used to characterize mechanisms, devise new interventions, and optimize developmental trajectories to reduce psychopathology risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max P Herzberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Ashley N Nielsen
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Joan Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chad M Sylvester
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Luo J, Xu L, Wang M, Li J, He S, Spencer L, Liu HM, Guo LY. The Contribution of Noun and Verb Lexicon Sizes to Later Grammatical Outcomes in Mandarin-Speaking Children With Cochlear Implants. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:2761-2773. [PMID: 39018252 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-24-00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study evaluated the applicability of the sentence-focused framework to Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CIs) by examining the relative contribution of receptive/expressive noun and verb lexicon sizes to later grammatical complexity. METHOD Participants were 51 Mandarin-speaking children who received cochlear implantation before 30 months of age. At 12 months after CI activation, parents were asked to endorse words that their child could understand only or understand and say using the infant version of the Early Vocabulary Inventory. At 24 months after CI activation, parents were asked to endorse the grammatical structures that their children were able to say using the Grammatical Complexity subtest in the Mandarin Communicative Development Inventory-Taiwan. Children's receptive/expressive noun and verb lexicon sizes and grammatical complexity scores were computed from these parent checklists. RESULTS Correlational analyses showed that children's receptive/expressive noun and verb lexicon sizes at 12 months after CI activation were all highly correlated with their grammatical complexity scores at 24 months after CI activation (ρs = .52-.63, ps < .001). Regression analyses further revealed that verb lexicon sizes at 12 months after CI activation outweighed noun lexicon sizes in accounting for grammatical complexity at 24 months after CI activation. CONCLUSIONS Our findings supported the prediction of the sentence-focused framework. Emphasizing the role of verbs in early intervention has the potential to enhance grammatical outcomes in Mandarin-speaking children with CIs. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26129044.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfen Luo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Auditory Implantation, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Auditory Implantation, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Auditory Implantation, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jinming Li
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Auditory Implantation, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shuman He
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Linda Spencer
- MSSLP Program, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, UT
| | - Huei-Mei Liu
- Department of Special Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Yu Guo
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo, NY
- Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Kathios N, Lopez KL, Gabard-Durnam LJ, Loui P. Music@Home-Retrospective: A new measure to retrospectively assess childhood home musical environments. Behav Res Methods 2024:10.3758/s13428-024-02469-2. [PMID: 39103597 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-024-02469-2] [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] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Early home musical environments can significantly impact sensory, cognitive, and socioemotional development. While longitudinal studies may be resource-intensive, retrospective reports are a relatively quick and inexpensive way to examine associations between early home musical environments and adult outcomes. We present the Music@Home-Retrospective scale, derived partly from the Music@Home-Preschool scale (Politimou et al., 2018), to retrospectively assess the childhood home musical environment. In two studies (total n = 578), we conducted an exploratory factor analysis (Study 1) and confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2) on items, including many adapted from the Music@Home-Preschool scale. This revealed a 20-item solution with five subscales. Items retained for three subscales (Caregiver Beliefs, Caregiver Initiation of Singing, Child Engagement with Music) load identically to three in the Music@Home--Preschool Scale. We also identified two additional dimensions of the childhood home musical environment. The Attitude Toward Childhood Home Musical Environment subscale captures participants' current adult attitudes toward their childhood home musical environment, and the Social Listening Contexts subscale indexes the degree to which participants listened to music at home with others (i.e., friends, siblings, and caregivers). Music@Home-Retrospective scores were related to adult self-reports of musicality, performance on a melodic perception task, and self-reports of well-being, demonstrating utility in measuring the early home music environment as captured through this scale. The Music@Home-Retrospective scale is freely available to enable future investigations exploring how the early home musical environment relates to adult cognition, affect, and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Kathios
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelsie L Lopez
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Psyche Loui
- Department of Music, College of Arts, Media, and Design, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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Ghazanfar AA, Gomez-Marin A. The central role of the individual in the history of brains. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105744. [PMID: 38825259 PMCID: PMC11246226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Every species' brain, body and behavior is shaped by the contingencies of their evolutionary history; these exert pressures that change their developmental trajectories. There is, however, another set of contingencies that shape us and other animals: those that occur during a lifetime. In this perspective piece, we show how these two histories are intertwined by focusing on the individual. We suggest that organisms--their brains and behaviors--are not solely the developmental products of genes and neural circuitry but individual centers of action unfolding in time. To unpack this idea, we first emphasize the importance of variation and the central role of the individual in biology. We then go over "errors in time" that we often make when comparing development across species. Next, we reveal how an individual's development is a process rather than a product by presenting a set of case studies. These show developmental trajectories as emerging in the contexts of the "the actual now" and "the presence of the past". Our consideration reveals that individuals are slippery-they are never static; they are a set of on-going, creative activities. In light of this, it seems that taking individual development seriously is essential if we aspire to make meaningful comparisons of neural circuits and behavior within and across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Alex Gomez-Marin
- Behavior of Organisms Laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH, Alicante 03550, Spain.
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Smalle EHM, Bogaerts L. Sensitive periods in language development: Do children outperform adults on auditory word-form segmentation? Cortex 2024; 179:35-49. [PMID: 39116697 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Children are more successful language learners than adults, yet the nature and cause of this phenomenon are still not well understood. Auditory statistical learning from speech has been a prominent focus of research in the field of language development because it is regarded as a fundamental learning mechanism underlying word segmentation in early language acquisition. However, a handful of studies that investigated developmental trajectories for auditory statistical learning found no clear child advantages. The degree to which the learning task measures explicit rather than implicit mechanisms might obscure a potential advantage for younger learners, as suggested by recent findings. In the present study, we compared children aged 7-12 years and young adults on an adapted version of the task that disentangles explicit and implicit contributions to learning. They were exposed to a continuous stream of speech sounds comprising four repeating trisyllabic pseudowords. Learning of the hidden words was tested (a) online through a target-detection task and (b) offline via a forced-choice word recognition test that included a memory judgement procedure. Both measures revealed comparable learning abilities. However, children's performance on the recognition task showed evidence for both explicit and implicit word knowledge while adults appeared primarily sensitive to explicit memory. Since implicit memory is more stable in time than explicit memory, we suggest that future work should focus more on developmental differences in the nature of the memory that is formed, rather than the strength of learning, when trying to understand child advantages in language acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore H M Smalle
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, the Netherlands.
| | - Louisa Bogaerts
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
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Dong J, Zhu XN, Zeng PM, Cao DD, Yang Y, Hu J, Luo ZG. A hominoid-specific signaling axis regulating the tempo of synaptic maturation. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114548. [PMID: 39052482 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cortical neurons (hCNs) exhibit high dendritic complexity and synaptic density, and the maturation process is greatly protracted. However, the molecular mechanism governing these specific features remains unclear. Here, we report that the hominoid-specific gene TBC1D3 promotes dendritic arborization and protracts the pace of synaptogenesis. Ablation of TBC1D3 in induced hCNs causes reduction of dendritic growth and precocious synaptic maturation. Forced expression of TBC1D3 in the mouse cortex protracts synaptic maturation while increasing dendritic growth. Mechanistically, TBC1D3 functions via interaction with MICAL1, a monooxygenase that mediates oxidation of actin filament. At the early stage of differentiation, the TBC1D3/MICAL1 interaction in the cytosol promotes dendritic growth via F-actin oxidation and enhanced actin dynamics. At late stages, TBC1D3 escorts MICAL1 into the nucleus and downregulates the expression of genes related with synaptic maturation through interaction with the chromatin remodeling factor ATRX. Thus, this study delineates the molecular mechanisms underlying human neuron development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Dong
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiao-Na Zhu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Peng-Ming Zeng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Dong-Dong Cao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yang Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ji Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhen-Ge Luo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
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Fin NSH, Yip A, Teo L, Homman-Ludiye J, Bourne JA. Developmental dynamics of the prefrontal cortical SST and PV interneuron networks: Insights from the monkey highlight human-specific features. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.10.602904. [PMID: 39026896 PMCID: PMC11257587 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.10.602904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a quintessential hub of cognitive functions. Amidst its intricate neural architecture, the interplay of distinct neuronal subtypes, notably parvalbumin (PV) and somatostatin (SST) interneurons (INs), emerge as a cornerstone in sculpting cortical circuitry and governing cognitive processes. While considerable strides have been made in elucidating the developmental trajectory of these neurons in rodent models, our understanding of their postmigration developmental dynamics in primates still needs to be studied. Disruptions to this developmental trajectory can compromise IN function, impairing signal gating and circuit modulation within cortical networks. This study examined the expression patterns of PV and SST, ion transporter KCC2, and ion channel subtypes Kv3.1b, and Nav1.1 - associated with morphophysiological stages of development in the postnatal marmoset monkey in different frontal cortical regions (granular areas 8aD, 8aV, 9, 46; agranular areas 11, 47L). Our results demonstrate that the maturation of PV+ INs extends into adolescence, characterized by discrete epochs associated with specific expression dynamics of ion channel subtypes. Interestingly, we observed a postnatal decrease in SST interneurons, contrasting with studies in rodents. This endeavor broadens our comprehension of primate cortical development and furnishes invaluable insights into the etiology and pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by perturbations in PV and SST IN function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafiseh S Hosseini Fin
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, 15 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton Vic., 3800, Australia
| | - Adrian Yip
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, 15 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton Vic., 3800, Australia
| | - Leon Teo
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, 15 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton Vic., 3800, Australia
| | - Jihane Homman-Ludiye
- Monash MicroImaging, 15 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - James A Bourne
- Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment, Systems Neurodevelopment Laboratory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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Dehaene-Lambertz G. Perceptual Awareness in Human Infants: What is the Evidence? J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1599-1609. [PMID: 38527095 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Perceptual awareness in infants during the first year of life is understudied, despite the philosophical, scientific, and clinical importance of understanding how and when consciousness emerges during human brain development. Although parents are undoubtedly convinced that their infant is conscious, the lack of adequate experimental paradigms to address this question in preverbal infants has been a hindrance to research on this topic. However, recent behavioral and brain imaging studies have shown that infants are engaged in complex learning from an early age and that their brains are more structured than traditionally thought. I will present a rapid overview of these results, which might provide indirect evidence of early perceptual awareness and then describe how a more systematic approach to this question could stand within the framework of global workspace theory, which identifies specific signatures of conscious perception in adults. Relying on these brain signatures as a benchmark for conscious perception, we can deduce that it exists in the second half of the first year, whereas the evidence before the age of 5 months is less solid, mainly because of the paucity of studies. The question of conscious perception before term remains open, with the possibility of short periods of conscious perception, which would facilitate early learning. Advances in brain imaging and growing interest in this subject should enable us to gain a better understanding of this important issue in the years to come.
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Nematova S, Zinszer B, Morlet T, Morini G, Petitto LA, Jasińska KK. Impact of ASL Exposure on Spoken Phonemic Discrimination in Adult CI Users: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:553-588. [PMID: 38939730 PMCID: PMC11210937 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00143] [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: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
We examined the impact of exposure to a signed language (American Sign Language, or ASL) at different ages on the neural systems that support spoken language phonemic discrimination in deaf individuals with cochlear implants (CIs). Deaf CI users (N = 18, age = 18-24 yrs) who were exposed to a signed language at different ages and hearing individuals (N = 18, age = 18-21 yrs) completed a phonemic discrimination task in a spoken native (English) and non-native (Hindi) language while undergoing functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging. Behaviorally, deaf CI users who received a CI early versus later in life showed better English phonemic discrimination, albeit phonemic discrimination was poor relative to hearing individuals. Importantly, the age of exposure to ASL was not related to phonemic discrimination. Neurally, early-life language exposure, irrespective of modality, was associated with greater neural activation of left-hemisphere language areas critically involved in phonological processing during the phonemic discrimination task in deaf CI users. In particular, early exposure to ASL was associated with increased activation in the left hemisphere's classic language regions for native versus non-native language phonemic contrasts for deaf CI users who received a CI later in life. For deaf CI users who received a CI early in life, the age of exposure to ASL was not related to neural activation during phonemic discrimination. Together, the findings suggest that early signed language exposure does not negatively impact spoken language processing in deaf CI users, but may instead potentially offset the negative effects of language deprivation that deaf children without any signed language exposure experience prior to implantation. This empirical evidence aligns with and lends support to recent perspectives regarding the impact of ASL exposure in the context of CI usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakhlo Nematova
- Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Benjamin Zinszer
- Department of Psychology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
| | - Thierry Morlet
- Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Giovanna Morini
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Laura-Ann Petitto
- Brain and Language Center for Neuroimaging, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kaja K. Jasińska
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Collins A, Beswick R, Driscoll C, Kei J, Traves L. Otolaryngology outcomes of infants with conductive hearing loss identified through universal newborn hearing screening. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2024; 181:111970. [PMID: 38733945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2024.111970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Infants and children diagnosed with a conductive hearing loss (CHL) are often referred for otolaryngology assessment. Although this is also a regular occurrence for infants diagnosed with a CHL through Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS), less is known about these infants and their outcomes. Using a cohort of infants diagnosed with CHL through UNHS and referred to otolaryngology, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between specific demographic or clinical characteristics and 1) triage category 2) middle ear diagnosis and intervention and, 3) service-related factors at otolaryngology. METHODS Retrospective analysis through clinical chart review was performed on all infants born between January 2014 and December 2017 who referred on UNHS, diagnosed with a CHL and referred to the Queensland Children's Hospital. Descriptive analysis and Chi squared analysis was conducted on data from 95 records. RESULTS Analysis between all infants referred from UNHS and those who referred, diagnosed with CHL and then referred to otolaryngology suggest that bilateral referrals/medical exclusion, preterm and infants with ≥1 risk factors are more readily associated with referral to otolaryngology for CHL. Nearly all (92.86 %) infants who were referred to otolaryngology had a primary diagnosis of OM and most infants (89.66 %) received grommets as an intervention. The average age of first appointment at otolaryngology was 427 days, the average age of intervention was 579 days and the average occasions of service at otolaryngology was 6.72. CONCLUSION This paper provides a snapshot into the journey and outcomes of infants referred from UNHS, diagnosed with CHL, and referred to otolaryngology. Further investigation in both general and UNHS populations is needed to better understand and apply these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Collins
- Hearing Research Unit for Children, Division of Audiology, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 4072; Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Child and Youth Community Health Service, 10 Chapel Street, Nundah, Queensland, Australia, 4012.
| | - Rachael Beswick
- Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Child and Youth Community Health Service, 10 Chapel Street, Nundah, Queensland, Australia, 4012.
| | - Carlie Driscoll
- Hearing Research Unit for Children, Division of Audiology, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 4072.
| | - Joseph Kei
- Hearing Research Unit for Children, Division of Audiology, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 4072.
| | - Lia Traves
- Queensland Children's Hospital, Audiology Department, 501 Stanley Street, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia
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Werker JF. Phonetic perceptual reorganization across the first year of life: Looking back. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 75:101935. [PMID: 38569416 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
This paper provides a selective overview of some of the research that has followed from the publication of Werker and Tees (1984a) "Cross-language speech perception: Evidence for Perceptual Reorganization During the First Year of Life." Specifically, I briefly present the original finding, our interpretation of its meaning, and some key replications and extensions. I then review some of the work that has followed, including work with different kinds of populations, different kinds of speech sound contrasts, as well as attunement (perceptual reorganization) to additional properties of language beyond phonetic contrasts. Included is the body of work that queries whether perceptual attunement is a critical period phenomenon. Potential learning mechanisms for how experience functions to guide phonetic perceptual development are also presented, as is work on the relation between speech perception and word learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet F Werker
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Canada.
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Peña M, Vásquez-Venegas C, Cortés P, Pittaluga E, Herrera M, Pino EJ, Escobar RG, Dehaene-Lambertz G, Guevara P. A brief tablet-based intervention benefits linguistic and communicative abilities in toddlers and preschoolers. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:38. [PMID: 38816493 PMCID: PMC11139856 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00249-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Young children's linguistic and communicative abilities are foundational for their academic achievement and overall well-being. We present the positive outcomes of a brief tablet-based intervention aimed at teaching toddlers and preschoolers new word-object and letter-sound associations. We conducted two experiments, one involving toddlers ( ~ 24 months old, n = 101) and the other with preschoolers ( ~ 42 months old, n = 152). Using a pre-post equivalent group design, we measured the children's improvements in language and communication skills resulting from the intervention. Our results showed that the intervention benefited toddlers' verbal communication and preschoolers' speech comprehension. Additionally, it encouraged vocalizations in preschoolers and enhanced long-term memory for the associations taught in the study for all participants. In summary, our study demonstrates that the use of a ludic tablet-based intervention for teaching new vocabulary and pre-reading skills can improve young children's linguistic and communicative abilities, which are essential for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Peña
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
- National Center for Artificial Intelligence CENIA FB210017, Basal ANID, Santiago, Chile.
| | | | - Patricia Cortés
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- National Center for Artificial Intelligence CENIA FB210017, Basal ANID, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enrica Pittaluga
- Neonatology Department, Complejo Asistencial Dr. Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mitzy Herrera
- Neonatology Department, Complejo Asistencial Dr. Sótero del Río, Santiago, Chile
| | - Esteban J Pino
- National Center for Artificial Intelligence CENIA FB210017, Basal ANID, Santiago, Chile
- Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Raul G Escobar
- Pediatric Neurology Section, Medical School, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CNRS ERL 9003, INSERM U992, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Pamela Guevara
- National Center for Artificial Intelligence CENIA FB210017, Basal ANID, Santiago, Chile
- Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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Gorina-Careta N, Arenillas-Alcón S, Puertollano M, Mondéjar-Segovia A, Ijjou-Kadiri S, Costa-Faidella J, Gómez-Roig MD, Escera C. Exposure to bilingual or monolingual maternal speech during pregnancy affects the neurophysiological encoding of speech sounds in neonates differently. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1379660. [PMID: 38841122 PMCID: PMC11150635 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1379660] [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: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Exposure to maternal speech during the prenatal period shapes speech perception and linguistic preferences, allowing neonates to recognize stories heard frequently in utero and demonstrating an enhanced preference for their mother's voice and native language. Yet, with a high prevalence of bilingualism worldwide, it remains an open question whether monolingual or bilingual maternal speech during pregnancy influence differently the fetus' neural mechanisms underlying speech sound encoding. Methods In the present study, the frequency-following response (FFR), an auditory evoked potential that reflects the complex spectrotemporal dynamics of speech sounds, was recorded to a two-vowel /oa/ stimulus in a sample of 129 healthy term neonates within 1 to 3 days after birth. Newborns were divided into two groups according to maternal language usage during the last trimester of gestation (monolingual; bilingual). Spectral amplitudes and spectral signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) at the stimulus fundamental (F0) and first formant (F1) frequencies of each vowel were, respectively, taken as measures of pitch and formant structure neural encoding. Results Our results reveal that while spectral amplitudes at F0 did not differ between groups, neonates from bilingual mothers exhibited a lower spectral SNR. Additionally, monolingually exposed neonates exhibited a higher spectral amplitude and SNR at F1 frequencies. Discussion We interpret our results under the consideration that bilingual maternal speech, as compared to monolingual, is characterized by a greater complexity in the speech sound signal, rendering newborns from bilingual mothers more sensitive to a wider range of speech frequencies without generating a particularly strong response at any of them. Our results contribute to an expanding body of research indicating the influence of prenatal experiences on language acquisition and underscore the necessity of including prenatal language exposure in developmental studies on language acquisition, a variable often overlooked yet capable of influencing research outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natàlia Gorina-Careta
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia Arenillas-Alcón
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Puertollano
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandro Mondéjar-Segovia
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Siham Ijjou-Kadiri
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Costa-Faidella
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal – Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab – Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Departament de Psicologia Clinica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Latrèche K, Godel M, Franchini M, Journal F, Kojovic N, Schaer M. Early trajectories and moderators of autistic language profiles: A longitudinal study in preschoolers. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241253015. [PMID: 38770974 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241253015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Language development can greatly vary among autistic children. Children who struggle with language acquisition often face many challenges and experience lower quality of life. However, little is known about the early language trajectories of autistic preschoolers and their moderators. Autistic language can be stratified into three profiles. Language unimpaired experience little to no language difficulties; language impaired show significant difficulties in language; minimally verbal never develop functional language. In this study, we used a longitudinal sample of preschoolers with autism and with typical development (aged 1.5-5.7 years). We replicated the three language profiles through a data-driven approach. We also found that different factors modulated the language outcome within each group. For instance, non-verbal cognition at age 2.4 moderated the participants' attribution to each language profile. Moreover, early intervention moderated verbal outcome in the language impaired profile. In conclusion, we provided a detailed description of how autistic preschoolers acquire language, and what factors might influence their trajectories. Our findings could inspire more personalized intervention for early autistic language difficulties.
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15
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Deroche MLD, Wolfe J, Neumann S, Manning J, Hanna L, Towler W, Wilson C, Bien AG, Miller S, Schafer E, Gemignani J, Alemi R, Muthuraman M, Koirala N, Gracco VL. Cross-modal plasticity in children with cochlear implant: converging evidence from EEG and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae175. [PMID: 38846536 PMCID: PMC11154148 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the first years of life, the brain undergoes substantial organization in response to environmental stimulation. In a silent world, it may promote vision by (i) recruiting resources from the auditory cortex and (ii) making the visual cortex more efficient. It is unclear when such changes occur and how adaptive they are, questions that children with cochlear implants can help address. Here, we examined 7-18 years old children: 50 had cochlear implants, with delayed or age-appropriate language abilities, and 25 had typical hearing and language. High-density electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy were used to evaluate cortical responses to a low-level visual task. Evidence for a 'weaker visual cortex response' and 'less synchronized or less inhibitory activity of auditory association areas' in the implanted children with language delays suggests that cross-modal reorganization can be maladaptive and does not necessarily strengthen the dominant visual sense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael L D Deroche
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4B 1R6
| | - Jace Wolfe
- Hearts for Hearing Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, USA
| | - Sara Neumann
- Hearts for Hearing Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, USA
| | - Jacy Manning
- Hearts for Hearing Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, USA
| | - Lindsay Hanna
- Hearts for Hearing Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, USA
| | - Will Towler
- Hearts for Hearing Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, USA
| | - Caleb Wilson
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Alexander G Bien
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Sharon Miller
- Department of Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76201, USA
| | - Erin Schafer
- Department of Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76201, USA
| | - Jessica Gemignani
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Razieh Alemi
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4B 1R6
| | - Muthuraman Muthuraman
- Section of Neural Engineering with Signal Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
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16
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Damera SR, De Asis-Cruz J, Cook KM, Kapse K, Spoehr E, Murnick J, Basu S, Andescavage N, Limperopoulos C. Regional homogeneity as a marker of sensory cortex dysmaturity in preterm infants. iScience 2024; 27:109662. [PMID: 38665205 PMCID: PMC11043889 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Atypical perinatal sensory experience in preterm infants is thought to increase their risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities by altering the development of the sensory cortices. Here, we used resting-state fMRI data from preterm and term-born infants scanned between 32 and 48 weeks post-menstrual age to assess the effect of early ex-utero exposure on sensory cortex development. Specifically, we utilized a measure of local correlated-ness called regional homogeneity (ReHo). First, we demonstrated that the brain-wide distribution of ReHo mirrors the known gradient of cortical maturation. Next, we showed that preterm birth differentially reduces ReHo across the primary sensory cortices. Finally, exploratory analyses showed that the reduction of ReHo in the primary auditory cortex of preterm infants is related to increased risk of autism at 18 months. In sum, we show that local connectivity within sensory cortices has different developmental trajectories, is differentially affected by preterm birth, and may be associated with later neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanth R. Damera
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Josepheen De Asis-Cruz
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Kevin M. Cook
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Kushal Kapse
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Emma Spoehr
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Jon Murnick
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Sudeepta Basu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Nickie Andescavage
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Catherine Limperopoulos
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA
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17
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Lopez-Espejo MA, Nuñez AC, Saez V, Ruz M, Moscoso OC, Vives A. The Influence of Social and Developmental Factors on the Timing of Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis of Preschool-Aged Children: Evidence from a Specialized Chilean Center. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06376-5. [PMID: 38744740 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06376-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
We investigated the influence of developmental and social factors on the age of autism diagnosis (AoD) in a cohort of toddlers living in Chile. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 509 preschool children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder [M = 40.2 months (SD = 8.6), girls: 32%] in the neurodevelopmental unit of a university clinic in Santiago, Chile (2015-2023). Structural changes in the annual trend of AoD were tested. Generalized linear models (gamma distribution) with and without interaction terms were used for the multivariate analysis, adjusting for gender, residential area, year of diagnosis, developmental variables (language regression, delayed walking, and use of expressive verbal language), and primary caregiver age and education level (CEL). 95% confidence intervals of the unstandardized regression coefficients (B) were calculated using 1000 bootstrap resampling to estimate associations. AoD increased between 2021-2022 and decreased in 2023. Female gender (B = 2.72 [1.21-4.23]), no history of language regression (B = 3.97 [1.66-6.28]), and the presence of expressive verbal language at diagnosis (B = 1.57 [0.05-3.08]) were associated with higher AoD. Children whose caregivers had tertiary education were diagnosed earlier than those with ≤ 12 years of formal education. Although the influence of CEL increased with caregiver age, differences between CEL groups were significant only for caregivers aged ≥ 30 years. Improved education and early screening for clinical features of autism among healthcare professionals and the community, with a focus on young children without highly apparent developmental concerns and those from vulnerable social groups, are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio A Lopez-Espejo
- Section of Neurology, Division of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
- Neurodevelopmental Unit, UC CHRISTUS Clinical Hospital, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Alicia C Nuñez
- Section of Neurology, Division of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Neurodevelopmental Unit, UC CHRISTUS Clinical Hospital, Santiago, Chile
| | - Valentina Saez
- Neurodevelopmental Unit, UC CHRISTUS Clinical Hospital, Santiago, Chile
| | - Melanie Ruz
- Neurodevelopmental Unit, UC CHRISTUS Clinical Hospital, Santiago, Chile
| | - Odalie C Moscoso
- Neurodevelopmental Unit, UC CHRISTUS Clinical Hospital, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandra Vives
- Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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18
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Kou JW, Fan LY, Chen HC, Chen SY, Hu X, Zhang K, Kovelman I, Chou TL. Neural substrates of L2-L1 transfer effects on phonological awareness in young Chinese-English bilingual children. Neuroimage 2024; 291:120592. [PMID: 38548037 PMCID: PMC11032115 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The growing trend of bilingual education between Chinese and English has contributed to a rise in the number of early bilingual children, who were exposed to L2 prior to formal language instruction of L1. The L2-L1 transfer effect in an L1-dominant environment has been well established. However, the threshold of L2 proficiency at which such transfer manifests remains unclear. This study investigated the behavioral and neural processes involved when manipulating phonemes in an auditory phonological task to uncover the transfer effect in young bilingual children. Sixty-two first graders from elementary schools in Taiwan were recruited in this study (29 Chinese monolinguals, 33 Chinese-English bilinguals). The brain activity was measured using fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy). Bilingual children showed right lateralization to process Chinese and left lateralization to process English, which supports more on the accommodation effect within the framework of the assimilation-accommodation hypothesis. Also, compared to monolinguals, bilingual children showed more bilateral frontal activation in Chinese, potentially reflecting a mixed influence from L2-L1 transfer effects and increased cognitive load of bilingual exposure. These results elucidate the developmental adjustments in the neural substrates associated with early bilingual exposure in phonological processing, offering valuable insights into the bilingual learning process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Wei Kou
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Ying Fan
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Chin Chen
- Department of Psychology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Shiou-Yuan Chen
- Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Xiaosu Hu
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kehui Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ioulia Kovelman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tai-Li Chou
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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19
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Turk-Browne NB, Aslin RN. Infant neuroscience: how to measure brain activity in the youngest minds. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:338-354. [PMID: 38570212 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The functional properties of the infant brain are poorly understood. Recent advances in cognitive neuroscience are opening new avenues for measuring brain activity in human infants. These include novel uses of existing technologies such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), the availability of newer technologies including functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and optically pumped magnetometry (OPM), and innovative applications of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in awake infants during cognitive tasks. In this review article we catalog these available non-invasive methods, discuss the challenges and opportunities encountered when applying them to human infants, and highlight the potential they may ultimately hold for advancing our understanding of the youngest minds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas B Turk-Browne
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Richard N Aslin
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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20
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Bosseler AN, Meltzoff AN, Bierer S, Huber E, Mizrahi JC, Larson E, Endevelt-Shapira Y, Taulu S, Kuhl PK. Infants' brain responses to social interaction predict future language growth. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1731-1738.e3. [PMID: 38593800 PMCID: PMC11090161 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
In face-to-face interactions with infants, human adults exhibit a species-specific communicative signal. Adults present a distinctive "social ensemble": they use infant-directed speech (parentese), respond contingently to infants' actions and vocalizations, and react positively through mutual eye-gaze and smiling. Studies suggest that this social ensemble is essential for initial language learning. Our hypothesis is that the social ensemble attracts attentional systems to speech and that sensorimotor systems prepare infants to respond vocally, both of which advance language learning. Using infant magnetoencephalography (MEG), we measure 5-month-old infants' neural responses during live verbal face-to-face (F2F) interaction with an adult (social condition) and during a control (nonsocial condition) in which the adult turns away from the infant to speak to another person. Using a longitudinal design, we tested whether infants' brain responses to these conditions at 5 months of age predicted their language growth at five future time points. Brain areas involved in attention (right hemisphere inferior frontal, right hemisphere superior temporal, and right hemisphere inferior parietal) show significantly higher theta activity in the social versus nonsocial condition. Critical to theory, we found that infants' neural activity in response to F2F interaction in attentional and sensorimotor regions significantly predicted future language development into the third year of life, more than 2 years after the initial measurements. We develop a view of early language acquisition that underscores the centrality of the social ensemble, and we offer new insight into the neurobiological components that link infants' language learning to their early brain functioning during social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis N Bosseler
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Steven Bierer
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Elizabeth Huber
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Julia C Mizrahi
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Eric Larson
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yaara Endevelt-Shapira
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Samu Taulu
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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21
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Johnstone N, Cohen Kadosh K. Excitatory and inhibitory neurochemical markers of anxiety in young females. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101363. [PMID: 38447470 PMCID: PMC10925933 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Between the ages of 10-25 years the maturing brain is sensitive to a multitude of changes, including neurochemical variations in metabolites. Of the different metabolites, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has long been linked neurobiologically to anxiety symptomology, which begins to manifest in adolescence. To prevent persistent anxiety difficulties into adulthood, we need to understand the maturational trajectories of neurochemicals and how these relate to anxiety levels during this sensitive period. We used magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a sample of younger (aged 10-11) and older (aged 18-25) females to estimate GABA and glutamate levels in brain regions linked to emotion regulation processing, as well as a conceptually distinct control region. Within the Bayesian framework, we found that GABA increased and glutamate decreased with age, negative associations between anxiety and glutamate and GABA ratios in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and a positive relationship of GABA with anxiety levels. The results support the neural over-inhibition hypothesis of anxiety based on GABAergic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Johnstone
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
| | - Kathrin Cohen Kadosh
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
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22
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Zhang S, Larsen B, Sydnor VJ, Zeng T, An L, Yan X, Kong R, Kong X, Gur RC, Gur RE, Moore TM, Wolf DH, Holmes AJ, Xie Y, Zhou JH, Fortier MV, Tan AP, Gluckman P, Chong YS, Meaney MJ, Deco G, Satterthwaite TD, Yeo BT. In-vivo whole-cortex marker of excitation-inhibition ratio indexes cortical maturation and cognitive ability in youth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.22.546023. [PMID: 38586012 PMCID: PMC10996460 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.22.546023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
A balanced excitation-inhibition ratio (E/I ratio) is critical for healthy brain function. Normative development of cortex-wide E/I ratio remains unknown. Here we non-invasively estimate a putative marker of whole-cortex E/I ratio by fitting a large-scale biophysically-plausible circuit model to resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data. We first confirm that our model generates realistic brain dynamics in the Human Connectome Project. Next, we show that the estimated E/I ratio marker is sensitive to the GABA-agonist benzodiazepine alprazolam during fMRI. Alprazolam-induced E/I changes are spatially consistent with positron emission tomography measurement of benzodiazepine receptor density. We then investigate the relationship between the E/I ratio marker and neurodevelopment. We find that the E/I ratio marker declines heterogeneously across the cerebral cortex during youth, with the greatest reduction occurring in sensorimotor systems relative to association systems. Importantly, among children with the same chronological age, a lower E/I ratio marker (especially in association cortex) is linked to better cognitive performance. This result is replicated across North American (8.2 to 23.0 years old) and Asian (7.2 to 7.9 years old) cohorts, suggesting that a more mature E/I ratio indexes improved cognition during normative development. Overall, our findings open the door to studying how disrupted E/I trajectories may lead to cognitive dysfunction in psychopathology that emerges during youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoshi Zhang
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Bart Larsen
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Valerie J. Sydnor
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tianchu Zeng
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Lijun An
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Xiaoxuan Yan
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Ru Kong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Xiaolu Kong
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
- ByteDance, Singapore
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tyler M. Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel H. Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Yapei Xie
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Juan Helen Zhou
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
| | - Marielle V Fortier
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Ai Peng Tan
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter Gluckman
- UK Centre for Human Evolution, Adaptation and Disease, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yap Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Department of Technology and Information, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Universitat Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Theodore D. Satterthwaite
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Penn Medicine and CHOP, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - B.T. Thomas Yeo
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition & Centre for Translational MR Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Human Potential Translational Research Programme & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National Univeristy of Singapore, Signapore
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hopstial, Charlestown, MA, USA
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Zhao J, Kobayashi T, Haryu E. Impact of talker variability on language development in two-year-olds. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2024:1-23. [PMID: 38466313 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000924000084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
This research investigated the impact of the number of talkers with whom children engage in daily conversation on their language development. Two surveys were conducted in 2020, targeting two-year-olds growing up in Japanese monolingual families. Caregivers reported the number of talkers in three age groups and children's productive vocabulary via questionnaires. The results demonstrated significant effects of variability in talkers in fifth grade or above in Study 1 (N = 50; male = 23; r = .372) and in adult talkers in Study 2 (N = 175; non-nursery going; male = 76; r = .184) on children's vocabulary development, after controlling for language exposure time and demographic variables. Possible mediating factors are discussed. This research extends previous findings from immigrant bilingual children to monolingual speakers in Japan, suggesting the potential contribution of available talkers other than caregivers in conversational environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhao
- Graduate School of Education, University of Tokyo
| | - Tessei Kobayashi
- Innovative Communication Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories
| | - Etsuko Haryu
- Graduate School of Education, University of Tokyo
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Abstract
This article is an overview of the research and controversy initiated by Cheng's (Cognition, 23(2), 149-178, 1986) article hypothesizing a purely geometric module in spatial representation. Hundreds of experiments later, we know much more about spatial behavior across a very wide array of species, ages, and kinds of conditions, but there is still no consensus model of the phenomena. I argue for an adaptive combination approach that entails several principles: (1) a focus on ecological niches and the spatial information they offer; (2) an approach to development that is experience-expectant: (3) continued plasticity as environmental conditions change; (4) language as one of many cognitive tools that can support spatial behavior.
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25
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Wagley N, Hu X, Satterfield T, Bedore LM, Booth JR, Kovelman I. Neural specificity for semantic and syntactic processing in Spanish-English bilingual children. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 250:105380. [PMID: 38301503 PMCID: PMC10947424 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Brain development for language processing is associated with neural specialization of left perisylvian pathways, but this has not been investigated in young bilinguals. We examined specificity for syntax and semantics in early exposed Spanish-English speaking children (N = 65, ages 7-11) using an auditory sentence judgement task in English, their dominant language of use. During functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the morphosyntax task elicited activation in left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the semantic task elicited activation in left posterior middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Task comparisons revealed specialization in left superior temporal (STG) for morphosyntax and left MTG and angular gyrus for semantics. Although skills in neither language were uniquely related to specialization, skills in both languages were related to engagement of the left MTG for semantics and left IFG for syntax. These results are consistent with models suggesting a positive cross-linguistic interaction in those with higher language proficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelima Wagley
- Arizona State University, Speech and Hearing Science, 976 S Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
| | - Xiaosu Hu
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Teresa Satterfield
- University of Michigan, Romance Languages and Literatures, 812 East Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lisa M Bedore
- Temple University, College of Public Health, 1101 W. Montgomery Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - James R Booth
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology and Human Development, 230 Appleton Pl., Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Ioulia Kovelman
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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26
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Delcenserie A, Genesee F, Champoux F. Exposure to sign language prior and after cochlear implantation increases language and cognitive skills in deaf children. Dev Sci 2024:e13481. [PMID: 38327110 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13481] [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: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that deaf children with CIs exposed to nonnative sign language from hearing parents can attain age-appropriate vocabularies in both sign and spoken language. It remains to be explored whether deaf children with CIs who are exposed to early nonnative sign language, but only up to implantation, also benefit from this input and whether these benefits also extend to memory abilities, which are strongly linked to language development. The present study examined the impact of deaf children's early short-term exposure to nonnative sign input on their spoken language and their phonological memory abilities. Deaf children who had been exposed to nonnative sign input before and after cochlear implantation were compared to deaf children who never had any exposure to sign input as well as to children with typical hearing. The children were between 5;1 and 7;1 years of age at the time of testing and were matched on age, sex, and socioeconomic status. The results suggest that even short-term exposure to nonnative sign input has positive effects on general language and phonological memory abilities as well as on nonverbal working memory-with total length of exposure to sign input being the best predictor of deaf children's performance on these measures. The present data suggest that even access to early short-term nonnative visual language input is beneficial for the language and phonological memory abilities of deaf children with cochlear implants, suggesting also that parents should not be discouraged from learning and exposing their child to sign language. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This is the first study to examine the effects of early short-term exposure to nonnative sign input on French-speaking children with cochlear implants' spoken language and memory abilities. Early short-term nonnative exposure to sign input can have positive consequences for the language and phonological memory abilities of deaf children with CIs. Extended exposure to sign input has some additional and important benefits, allowing children to perform on par with children with typical hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Delcenserie
- Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
- School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - F Champoux
- School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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27
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Marchetta P, Dapper K, Hess M, Calis D, Singer W, Wertz J, Fink S, Hage SR, Alam M, Schwabe K, Lukowski R, Bourien J, Puel JL, Jacob MH, Munk MHJ, Land R, Rüttiger L, Knipper M. Dysfunction of specific auditory fibers impacts cortical oscillations, driving an autism phenotype despite near-normal hearing. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23411. [PMID: 38243766 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301995r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is discussed in the context of altered neural oscillations and imbalanced cortical excitation-inhibition of cortical origin. We studied here whether developmental changes in peripheral auditory processing, while preserving basic hearing function, lead to altered cortical oscillations. Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded from auditory, visual, and prefrontal cortices and the hippocampus of BdnfPax2 KO mice. These mice develop an autism-like behavioral phenotype through deletion of BDNF in Pax2+ interneuron precursors, affecting lower brainstem functions, but not frontal brain regions directly. Evoked LFP responses to behaviorally relevant auditory stimuli were weaker in the auditory cortex of BdnfPax2 KOs, connected to maturation deficits of high-spontaneous rate auditory nerve fibers. This was correlated with enhanced spontaneous and induced LFP power, excitation-inhibition imbalance, and dendritic spine immaturity, mirroring autistic phenotypes. Thus, impairments in peripheral high-spontaneous rate fibers alter spike synchrony and subsequently cortical processing relevant for normal communication and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philine Marchetta
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Konrad Dapper
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Morgan Hess
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dila Calis
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wibke Singer
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jakob Wertz
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Fink
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Steffen R Hage
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mesbah Alam
- Experimental Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schwabe
- Experimental Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Robert Lukowski
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jerome Bourien
- Institute for Neurosciences Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médical, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Luc Puel
- Institute for Neurosciences Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médical, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Michele H Jacob
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthias H J Munk
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Land
- Department of Experimental Otology, Institute of Audioneurotechnology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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28
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Caldwell-Harris CL, MacWhinney B. Expanding the emergentist Account:Reply to open peer commentaries. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 248:105368. [PMID: 38141397 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Emergentism provides a framework for understanding how language learning processes vary across developmental age and linguistic levels, as shaped by core mechanisms and constraints from cognition, entrenchment, input, transfer, social support, motivation, and neurology. As our commentators all agree, this landscape is marked by intense variability arising from the complexity. These mechanisms interact in collaborative and competitive ways during actual moments of language use. To better understand these interactions and their effects, we need much richer longitudinal data regarding both input and output during actual contexts of usage. We believe that modern technology can eventually provide this data (Flege & Bohn, 2021) in ways that will allow us to more fully populate an emergent landscape.
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29
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Sylvester CM, Luby JL, Pine DS. Novel mechanism-based treatments for pediatric anxiety and depressive disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:262-275. [PMID: 37608220 PMCID: PMC10700626 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01709-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Pediatric anxiety and depressive disorders are common, can be highly impairing, and can persist despite the best available treatments. Here, we review research into novel treatments for childhood anxiety and depressive disorders designed to target underlying cognitive, emotional, and neural circuit mechanisms. We highlight three novel treatments lying along a continuum relating to clinical impact of the disorder and the intensity of clinical management required. We review cognitive training, which involves the lowest risk and may be applicable for problems with mild to moderate impact; psychotherapy, which includes a higher level of clinical involvement and may be sufficient for problems with moderate impact; and brain stimulation, which has the highest potential risks and is therefore most appropriate for problems with high impact. For each treatment, we review the specific underlying cognitive, emotional, and brain circuit mechanisms that are being targeted, whether treatments modify those underlying mechanisms, and efficacy in reducing symptoms. We conclude by highlighting future directions, including the importance of work that leverages developmental windows of high brain plasticity to time interventions to the specific epochs in childhood that have the largest and most enduring life-long impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M Sylvester
- Washington University Department of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Washington University Department of Radiology, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Joan L Luby
- Washington University Department of Psychiatry, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daniel S Pine
- National Institute of Mental Health, Emotion and Development Branch, St. Louis, MO, USA
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30
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Sweet SJ, Van Hedger SC, Batterink LJ. Of words and whistles: Statistical learning operates similarly for identical sounds perceived as speech and non-speech. Cognition 2024; 242:105649. [PMID: 37871411 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Statistical learning is an ability that allows individuals to effortlessly extract patterns from the environment, such as sound patterns in speech. Some prior evidence suggests that statistical learning operates more robustly for speech compared to non-speech stimuli, supporting the idea that humans are predisposed to learn language. However, any apparent statistical learning advantage for speech could be driven by signal acoustics, rather than the subjective perception per se of sounds as speech. To resolve this issue, the current study assessed whether there is a statistical learning advantage for ambiguous sounds that are subjectively perceived as speech-like compared to the same sounds perceived as non-speech, thereby controlling for acoustic features. We first induced participants to perceive sine-wave speech (SWS)-a degraded form of speech not immediately perceptible as speech-as either speech or non-speech. After this induction phase, participants were exposed to a continuous stream of repeating trisyllabic nonsense words, composed of SWS syllables, and then completed an explicit familiarity rating task and an implicit target detection task to assess learning. Critically, participants showed robust and equivalent performance on both measures, regardless of their subjective speech perception. In contrast, participants who perceived the SWS syllables as more speech-like showed better detection of individual syllables embedded in speech streams. These results suggest that speech perception facilitates processing of individual sounds, but not the ability to extract patterns across sounds. Our findings suggest that statistical learning is not influenced by the perceived linguistic relevance of sounds, and that it may be conceptualized largely as an automatic, stimulus-driven mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra J Sweet
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Stephen C Van Hedger
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, Huron University College, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Laura J Batterink
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
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31
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Persson Waye K, Löve J, Lercher P, Dzhambov AM, Klatte M, Schreckenberg D, Belke C, Leist L, Ristovska G, Jeram S, Kanninen KM, Selander J, Arat A, Lachmann T, Clark C, Botteldooren D, White K, Julvez J, Foraster M, Kaprio J, Bolte G, Psyllidis A, Gulliver J, Boshuizen H, Bozzon A, Fels J, Hornikx M, van den Hazel P, Weber M, Brambilla M, Braat-Eggen E, Van Kamp I, Vincens N. Adopting a child perspective for exposome research on mental health and cognitive development - Conceptualisation and opportunities. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 239:117279. [PMID: 37778607 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Mental disorders among children and adolescents pose a significant global challenge. The exposome framework covering the totality of internal, social and physical exposures over a lifetime provides opportunities to better understand the causes of and processes related to mental health, and cognitive functioning. The paper presents a conceptual framework on exposome, mental health, and cognitive development in children and adolescents, with potential mediating pathways, providing a possibility for interventions along the life course. The paper underscores the significance of adopting a child perspective to the exposome, acknowledging children's specific vulnerability, including differential exposures, susceptibility of effects and capacity to respond; their susceptibility during development and growth, highlighting neurodevelopmental processes from conception to young adulthood that are highly sensitive to external exposures. Further, critical periods when exposures may have significant effects on a child's development and future health are addressed. The paper stresses that children's behaviour, physiology, activity pattern and place for activities make them differently vulnerable to environmental pollutants, and calls for child-specific assessment methods, currently lacking within today's health frameworks. The importance of understanding the interplay between structure and agency is emphasized, where agency is guided by social structures and practices and vice-versa. An intersectional approach that acknowledges the interplay of social and physical exposures as well as a global and rural perspective on exposome is further pointed out. To advance the exposome field, interdisciplinary efforts that involve multiple scientific disciplines are crucial. By adopting a child perspective and incorporating an exposome approach, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of how exposures impact children's mental health and cognitive development leading to better outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Persson Waye
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Jesper Löve
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Peter Lercher
- Institute of Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Angel M Dzhambov
- Institute of Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria; Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Research Group "Health and Quality of Life in a Green and Sustainable Environment", SRIPD, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Environmental Health Division, Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Maria Klatte
- Cognitive and Developmental Psychology, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Dirk Schreckenberg
- Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research (Zeus GmbH), Hagen, Germany
| | - Christin Belke
- Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research (Zeus GmbH), Hagen, Germany
| | - Larisa Leist
- Cognitive and Developmental Psychology, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Gordana Ristovska
- Institute of Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia
| | - Sonja Jeram
- National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katja M Kanninen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jenny Selander
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Arzu Arat
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Lachmann
- Cognitive and Developmental Psychology, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición (CINC), Universidad Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
| | - Charlotte Clark
- Population Health Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dick Botteldooren
- Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kim White
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands
| | - Jordi Julvez
- Institut D'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience Group (NeuroÈpia), Reus, Spain
| | | | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland and Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gabriele Bolte
- Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Achilleas Psyllidis
- Department of Sustainable Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - John Gulliver
- Population Health Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability & School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Hendriek Boshuizen
- Department for Statistics, Datascience and Mathematical Modelling, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Alessandro Bozzon
- Department of Sustainable Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Janina Fels
- Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maarten Hornikx
- Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Peter van den Hazel
- International Network on Children's Health, Environment and Safety, Ellecom, the Netherlands
| | | | - Marco Brambilla
- Data Science Laboratory, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Irene Van Kamp
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands
| | - Natalia Vincens
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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32
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Sylvestre A, Di Sante M, Julien C, Bouchard C, Mérette C. Developmental trajectories of speech and language in neglected children aged 3 to 5 years: Results of the ELLAN study. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2023; 146:106448. [PMID: 37722293 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neglected children are at high risk for significant difficulties in speech and language development. Because no longitudinal study has been conducted to date, the dynamic description of development during the preschool period is unknown. OBJECTIVES Establish the developmental trajectories of speech sounds, receptive and expressive vocabulary, and morphosyntax among neglected children during the preschool years and compare them with those of non-neglected children. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Participants are 69 neglected children and 99 same age non-neglected peers (37 and 46 males respectively) recruited at 36 months of age. Data were collected at home. METHODS Data were collected at six-month intervals between the ages of 3 and 5.5 years using psychometrically robust tools. Neglected and control groups were compared according to age using repeated measures ANOVAs on all variables. A discrete mixture model for clustering longitudinal data was used for testing the heterogeneity of the language trajectories among neglected children. RESULTS The language development of the neglected children as a whole group is lower than that of the control group for all variables. Two subgroups are identified within the neglected group: one with a developmental trajectory similar to that of the non-neglected children, and another whose trajectory is far below that of the control group. The effect sizes of these differences vary between 1.4 and 3 standard deviations under the mean. CONCLUSIONS A large proportion of neglected children present significant speech and language difficulties from the age of 3, but some of them catch up and develop similarly to non-neglected children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audette Sylvestre
- Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada; Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Québec, Québec, Canada.
| | - Mélissa Di Sante
- Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Catherine Julien
- Centre universitaire de recherche sur les jeunes et les familles (CRUJeF), Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Caroline Bouchard
- Faculté des sciences de l'éducation, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Chantal Mérette
- Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche CERVO, Québec, Québec, Canada
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Gee DG, Cohodes EM. Leveraging the developmental neuroscience of caregiving to promote resilience among youth exposed to adversity. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:2168-2185. [PMID: 37929292 PMCID: PMC10872788 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Early adversity is a major risk factor for the emergence of psychopathology across development. Identifying mechanisms that support resilience, or favorable mental health outcomes despite exposure to adversity, is critical for informing clinical intervention and guiding policy to promote youth mental health. Here we propose that caregivers play a central role in fostering resilience among children exposed to adversity via caregiving influences on children's corticolimbic circuitry and emotional functioning. We first delineate the numerous ways that caregivers support youth emotional learning and regulation and describe how early attachment lays the foundation for optimal caregiver support of youth emotional functioning in a developmental stage-specific manner. Second, we outline neural mechanisms by which caregivers foster resilience-namely, by modulating offspring corticolimbic circuitry to support emotion regulation and buffer stress reactivity. Next, we highlight the importance of developmental timing and sensitive periods in understanding caregiving-related mechanisms of resilience. Finally, we discuss clinical implications of this line of research and how findings can be translated to guide policy that promotes the well-being of youth and families.
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Marzola P, Melzer T, Pavesi E, Gil-Mohapel J, Brocardo PS. Exploring the Role of Neuroplasticity in Development, Aging, and Neurodegeneration. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1610. [PMID: 38137058 PMCID: PMC10741468 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to reorganize and modify its neural connections in response to environmental stimuli, experience, learning, injury, and disease processes. It encompasses a range of mechanisms, including changes in synaptic strength and connectivity, the formation of new synapses, alterations in the structure and function of neurons, and the generation of new neurons. Neuroplasticity plays a crucial role in developing and maintaining brain function, including learning and memory, as well as in recovery from brain injury and adaptation to environmental changes. In this review, we explore the vast potential of neuroplasticity in various aspects of brain function across the lifespan and in the context of disease. Changes in the aging brain and the significance of neuroplasticity in maintaining cognitive function later in life will also be reviewed. Finally, we will discuss common mechanisms associated with age-related neurodegenerative processes (including protein aggregation and accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation) and how these processes can be mitigated, at least partially, by non-invasive and non-pharmacologic lifestyle interventions aimed at promoting and harnessing neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Marzola
- Department of Morphological Sciences and Graduate Neuroscience Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil; (P.M.); (T.M.); (E.P.)
| | - Thayza Melzer
- Department of Morphological Sciences and Graduate Neuroscience Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil; (P.M.); (T.M.); (E.P.)
| | - Eloisa Pavesi
- Department of Morphological Sciences and Graduate Neuroscience Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil; (P.M.); (T.M.); (E.P.)
| | - Joana Gil-Mohapel
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
- Island Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Patricia S. Brocardo
- Department of Morphological Sciences and Graduate Neuroscience Program, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil; (P.M.); (T.M.); (E.P.)
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Abstract
Neurological insults, such as congenital blindness, deafness, amputation, and stroke, often result in surprising and impressive behavioural changes. Cortical reorganisation, which refers to preserved brain tissue taking on a new functional role, is often invoked to account for these behavioural changes. Here, we revisit many of the classical animal and patient cortical remapping studies that spawned this notion of reorganisation. We highlight empirical, methodological, and conceptual problems that call this notion into doubt. We argue that appeal to the idea of reorganisation is attributable in part to the way that cortical maps are empirically derived. Specifically, cortical maps are often defined based on oversimplified assumptions of 'winner-takes-all', which in turn leads to an erroneous interpretation of what it means when these maps appear to change. Conceptually, remapping is interpreted as a circuit receiving novel input and processing it in a way unrelated to its original function. This implies that neurons are either pluripotent enough to change what they are tuned to or that a circuit can change what it computes. Instead of reorganisation, we argue that remapping is more likely to occur due to potentiation of pre-existing architecture that already has the requisite representational and computational capacity pre-injury. This architecture can be facilitated via Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity mechanisms. Crucially, our revised framework proposes that opportunities for functional change are constrained throughout the lifespan by the underlying structural 'blueprint'. At no period, including early in development, does the cortex offer structural opportunities for functional pluripotency. We conclude that reorganisation as a distinct form of cortical plasticity, ubiquitously evoked with words such as 'take-over'' and 'rewiring', does not exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar R Makin
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - John W Krakauer
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- The Santa Fe InstituteSanta FeUnited States
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Chen Y, Cabrera NJ, Reich SM. Mother-child and father-child "serve and return" interactions at 9 months: Associations with children's language skills at 18 and 24 months. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 73:101894. [PMID: 37866287 PMCID: PMC10873112 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Infants learn language through the back-and-forth interactions with their parents where they "serve" by uttering sounds, gesturing, or looking and parents "return" in prompt (i.e., close in time) and meaningful (i.e., semantically relevant to the object of interest) ways. In a sample of 9-month-old infants (n = 148) and their mothers and fathers (n = 296 parents) from ethnically and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds, we examined the associations between "serve and return" (SR) parent-child interactions and children's language skills at 18 and 24 months. We also examined the moderation effects between maternal and paternal SR interactions on language outcomes. SR interactions were transcribed and coded from videotaped parent-child toy play activities during home visits. We report three findings. First, mothers who provided more meaningful responses to their child's serves at 9 months had children with higher expressive language scores at 18 months. Second, fathers' prompt responses (i.e., within 3 s) at 9 months were associated with higher receptive language scores at 18 months, but their meaningful responses were negatively associated with receptive language scores at 24 months. Third, the negative association between fathers' meaningful responses and children's receptive language scores was reduced (compensated) when mothers' meaningful responses were high. Findings show that infants in ethnically and socioeconomically diverse families engage in frequent SR interactions with both mothers and fathers, who make unique contributions to infants' language development. We discuss implications for programs and policies that aim to promote early language development and reduce gaps in school readiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- University of Maryland, 1145 Cole, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Natasha J Cabrera
- University of Maryland, 3304E Benjamin, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Reich
- University of California, Irvin, 3454 Education, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Boerma T, Ter Haar S, Ganga R, Wijnen F, Blom E, Wierenga CJ. What risk factors for Developmental Language Disorder can tell us about the neurobiological mechanisms of language development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105398. [PMID: 37741516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Language is a complex multidimensional cognitive system that is connected to many neurocognitive capacities. The development of language is therefore strongly intertwined with the development of these capacities and their neurobiological substrates. Consequently, language problems, for example those of children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), are explained by a variety of etiological pathways and each of these pathways will be associated with specific risk factors. In this review, we attempt to link previously described factors that may interfere with language development to putative underlying neurobiological mechanisms of language development, hoping to uncover openings for future therapeutical approaches or interventions that can help children to optimally develop their language skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessel Boerma
- Institute for Language Sciences, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sita Ter Haar
- Institute for Language Sciences, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Cognitive Neurobiology and Helmholtz Institute, Department of Psychology, Utrecht University/Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rachida Ganga
- Institute for Language Sciences, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Frank Wijnen
- Institute for Language Sciences, Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elma Blom
- Department of Development and Education of youth in Diverse Societies (DEEDS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Language and Culture, The Arctic University of Norway UiT, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Corette J Wierenga
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Wagner M, Rusiniak M, Higby E, Nourski KV. Sensory processing of native and non-native phonotactic patterns in the alpha and beta frequency bands. Neuropsychologia 2023; 189:108659. [PMID: 37579990 PMCID: PMC10602391 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
The phonotactic patterns of one's native language are established within cortical network processing during development. Sensory processing of native language phonotactic patterns established in memory may be modulated by top-down signals within the alpha and beta frequency bands. To explore sensory processing of phonotactic patterns in the alpha and beta frequency bands, electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded from native Polish and native English-speaking adults as they listened to spoken nonwords within same and different nonword pairs. The nonwords contained three phonological sequence onsets that occur in the Polish and English languages (/pət/, /st/, /sət/) and one onset sequence /pt/, which occurs in Polish but not in English onsets. Source localization modeling was used to transform 64-channel EEGs into brain source-level channels. Spectral power values in the low frequencies (2-29 Hz) were analyzed in response to the first nonword in nonword pairs within the context of counterbalanced listening-task conditions, which were presented on separate testing days. For the with-task listening condition, participants performed a behavioral task to the second nonword in the pairs. For the without-task condition participants were only instructed to listen to the stimuli. Thus, in the with-task condition, the first nonword served as a cue for the second nonword, the target stimulus. The results revealed decreased spectral power in the beta frequency band for the with-task condition compared to the without-task condition in response to native language phonotactic patterns. In contrast, the task-related suppression effects in response to the non-native phonotactic pattern /pt/ for the English listeners extended into the alpha frequency band. These effects were localized to source channels in left auditory cortex, the left anterior temporal cortex and the occipital pole. This exploratory study revealed a pattern of results that, if replicated, suggests that native language speech perception is supported by modulations in the alpha and beta frequency bands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Wagner
- St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, USA.
| | | | - Eve Higby
- California State University, East Bay, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd, Hayward, CA, 94542, USA.
| | - Kirill V Nourski
- The University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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Balthazart J. Steroid-dependent plasticity in the song control system: Perineuronal nets and HVC neurogenesis. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 71:101097. [PMID: 37611808 PMCID: PMC10841294 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The vocal control nucleus HVC in songbirds has emerged as a widespread model system to study adult brain plasticity in response to changes in the hormonal and social environment. I review here studies completed in my laboratory during the last decade that concern two aspects of this plasticity: changes in aggregations of extracellular matrix components surrounding the soma of inhibitory parvalbumin-positive neurons called perineuronal nets (PNN) and the production/incorporation of new neurons. Both features are modulated by the season, age, sex and endocrine status of the birds in correlation with changes in song structure and stability. Causal studies have also investigated the role of PNN and of new neurons in the control of song. Dissolving PNN with chondroitinase sulfate, a specific enzyme applied directly on HVC or depletion of new neurons by focalized X-ray irradiation both affected song structure but the amplitude of changes was limited and deserves further investigations.
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Larsen B, Sydnor VJ, Keller AS, Yeo BTT, Satterthwaite TD. A critical period plasticity framework for the sensorimotor-association axis of cortical neurodevelopment. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:847-862. [PMID: 37643932 PMCID: PMC10530452 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
To understand human brain development it is necessary to describe not only the spatiotemporal patterns of neurodevelopment but also the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie them. Human neuroimaging studies have provided evidence for a hierarchical sensorimotor-to-association (S-A) axis of cortical neurodevelopment. Understanding the biological mechanisms that underlie this program of development using traditional neuroimaging approaches has been challenging. Animal models have been used to identify periods of enhanced experience-dependent plasticity - 'critical periods' - that progress along cortical hierarchies and are governed by a conserved set of neurobiological mechanisms that promote and then restrict plasticity. In this review we hypothesize that the S-A axis of cortical development in humans is partly driven by the cascading maturation of critical period plasticity mechanisms. We then describe how recent advances in in vivo neuroimaging approaches provide a promising path toward testing this hypothesis by linking signals derived from non-invasive imaging to critical period mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Larsen
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Valerie J Sydnor
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arielle S Keller
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition (CSC), and Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research (TMR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; N.1 Institute for Health and Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), National University of Singapore, Singapore; Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Penn Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center (PennLINC), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Zacharopoulos G, Sella F, Emir U, Cohen Kadosh R. Dissecting the chain of information processing and its interplay with neurochemicals and fluid intelligence across development. eLife 2023; 12:e84086. [PMID: 37772958 PMCID: PMC10541179 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has highlighted the role of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in perceptual, cognitive, and motor tasks. However, the exact involvement of these neurochemical mechanisms in the chain of information processing, and across human development, is unclear. In a cross-sectional longitudinal design, we used a computational approach to dissociate cognitive, decision, and visuomotor processing in 293 individuals spanning early childhood to adulthood. We found that glutamate and GABA within the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) explained unique variance in visuomotor processing, with higher glutamate predicting poorer visuomotor processing in younger participants but better visuomotor processing in mature participants, while GABA showed the opposite pattern. These findings, which were neurochemically, neuroanatomically and functionally specific, were replicated ~21 mo later and were generalized in two further different behavioral tasks. Using resting functional MRI, we revealed that the relationship between IPS neurochemicals and visuomotor processing is mediated by functional connectivity in the visuomotor network. We then extended our findings to high-level cognitive behavior by predicting fluid intelligence performance. We present evidence that fluid intelligence performance is explained by IPS GABA and glutamate and is mediated by visuomotor processing. However, this evidence was obtained using an uncorrected alpha and needs to be replicated in future studies. These results provide an integrative biological and psychological mechanistic explanation that links cognitive processes and neurotransmitters across human development and establishes their potential involvement in intelligent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Zacharopoulos
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- School of Psychology, Swansea UniversitySwanseaUnited Kingdom
| | - Francesco Sella
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough UniversityLoughboroughUnited Kingdom
| | - Uzay Emir
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteUnited States
| | - Roi Cohen Kadosh
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- School of Psychology, University of SurreyGuildfordUnited Kingdom
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Baron A, Wagley N, Hu X, Kovelman I. Neural Correlates of Morphosyntactic Processing in Spanish-English Bilingual Children: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:3500-3514. [PMID: 37643425 PMCID: PMC10558145 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-22-00598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to examine the effects of early bilingual exposure on Spanish-English bilingual children's neural organization of English morphosyntactic structures. This study examines how children's age and language experiences are related to morphosyntactic processing at the neural level. METHOD Eighty-one children (ages 6-11 years) completed an auditory sentence judgment task during functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging. The measure tapped into children's processing of early-acquired (present progressive -ing) and later-acquired (past tense -ed and third-person singular -s) English morphosyntactic structures, the primary language of academic instruction. RESULTS We observed effects of syntactic structure and age. Early-acquired morphemic structures elicited activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus, while the later-acquired structures elicited additional activations in the left middle temporal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus (STG). Younger children had a more distributed neural response, whereas older children had a more focal neural response. Finally, there was a trending association between children's English language use and left STG activation for later-acquired structures. CONCLUSION The findings inform theories of language and brain development by highlighting the mechanisms by which age and language experiences influence bilingual children's neural architecture for morphosyntactic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Baron
- Department of Communicative Disorders, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston
| | - Neelima Wagley
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Xiaosu Hu
- Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Sander-Montant A, López Pérez M, Byers-Heinlein K. The more they hear the more they learn? Using data from bilinguals to test models of early lexical development. Cognition 2023; 238:105525. [PMID: 37402336 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Children have an early ability to learn and comprehend words, a skill that develops as they age. A critical question remains regarding what drives this development. Maturation-based theories emphasise cognitive maturity as a driver of comprehension, while accumulator theories emphasise children's accumulation of language experience over time. In this study we used archival looking-while-listening data from 155 children aged 14-48 months with a range of exposure to the target languages (from 10% to 100%) to evaluate the relative contributions of maturation and experience. We compared four statistical models of noun learning: maturation-only, experience-only, additive (maturation plus experience), and accumulator (maturation times experience). The best-fitting model was the additive model in which both maturation (age) and experience were independent contributors to noun comprehension: older children as well as children who had more experience with the target language were more accurate and looked faster to the target in the looking-while-listening task. A 25% change in relative language exposure was equivalent to a 4 month change in age, and age effects were stronger at younger than at older ages. Whereas accumulator models predict that the lexical development of children with less exposure to a language (as is typical in bilinguals) should fall further and further behind children with more exposure to a language (such as monolinguals), our results indicate that bilinguals are buffered against effects of reduced exposure in each language. This study shows that continuous-level measures from individual children's looking-while-listening data, gathered from children with a range of language experience, provide a powerful window into lexical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Sander-Montant
- Concordia Infant Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Concordia University (Canada), 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, PY-033, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - Melanie López Pérez
- Concordia Infant Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Concordia University (Canada), 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, PY-033, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - Krista Byers-Heinlein
- Concordia Infant Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Concordia University (Canada), 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, PY-033, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.
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Tooley UA, Latham A, Kenley JK, Alexopoulos D, Smyser T, Warner BB, Shimony JS, Neil JJ, Luby JL, Barch DM, Rogers CE, Smyser CD. Prenatal environment is associated with the pace of cortical network development over the first three years of life. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.18.552639. [PMID: 37662189 PMCID: PMC10473645 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.18.552639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Environmental influences on brain structure and function during early development have been well-characterized. In pre-registered analyses, we test the theory that socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with differences in trajectories of intrinsic brain network development from birth to three years (n = 261). Prenatal SES is associated with developmental increases in cortical network segregation, with neonates and toddlers from lower-SES backgrounds showing a steeper increase in cortical network segregation with age, consistent with accelerated network development. Associations between SES and cortical network segregation occur at the local scale and conform to a sensorimotor-association hierarchy of cortical organization. SES-associated differences in cortical network segregation are associated with language abilities at two years, such that lower segregation is associated with improved language abilities. These results yield key insight into the timing and directionality of associations between the early environment and trajectories of cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula A. Tooley
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Aidan Latham
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Jeanette K. Kenley
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | | | - Tara Smyser
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Barbara B. Warner
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Joshua S. Shimony
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Jeffrey J. Neil
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Joan L. Luby
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Cynthia E. Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Chris D. Smyser
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
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Hunter S, Flaten E, Petersen C, Gervain J, Werker JF, Trainor LJ, Finlay BB. Babies, bugs and brains: How the early microbiome associates with infant brain and behavior development. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288689. [PMID: 37556397 PMCID: PMC10411758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288689] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence is demonstrating the connection between the microbiota gut-brain axis and neurodevelopment. Microbiota colonization occurs before the maturation of many neural systems and is linked to brain health. Because of this it has been hypothesized that the early microbiome interactions along the gut-brain axis evolved to promote advanced cognitive functions and behaviors. Here, we performed a pilot study with a multidisciplinary approach to test if the microbiota composition of infants is associated with measures of early cognitive development, in particular neural rhythm tracking; language (forward speech) versus non-language (backwards speech) discrimination; and social joint attention. Fecal samples were collected from 56 infants between four and six months of age and sequenced by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Of these, 44 performed the behavioral Point and Gaze test to measure joint attention. Infants were tested on either language discrimination using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS; 25 infants had usable data) or neural rhythm tracking using electroencephalogram (EEG; 15 had usable data). Infants who succeeded at the Point and Gaze test tended to have increased Actinobacteria and reduced Firmicutes at the phylum level; and an increase in Bifidobacterium and Eggerthella along with a reduction in Hungatella and Streptococcus at the genus level. Measurements of neural rhythm tracking associated negatively to the abundance of Bifidobacterium and positively to the abundance of Clostridium and Enterococcus for the bacterial abundances, and associated positively to metabolic pathways that can influence neurodevelopment, including branched chain amino acid biosynthesis and pentose phosphate pathways. No associations were found for the fNIRS language discrimination measurements. Although the tests were underpowered due to the small pilot sample sizes, potential associations were identified between the microbiome and measurements of early cognitive development that are worth exploring further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Hunter
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Erica Flaten
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charisse Petersen
- Department of Pediatrics, BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Judit Gervain
- University of Padua, Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Padua, Italy
- University of Padua, Padova Neuroscience Center, Padua, Italy
- Université Paris Cité & CNRS, Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Paris, France
| | - Janet F. Werker
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Laurel J. Trainor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brett B. Finlay
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Collins A, Beswick R, Driscoll C, Kei J. Conductive hearing loss in newborns: Hearing profile, risk factors, and occasions of service. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2023; 171:111630. [PMID: 37354864 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2023.111630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Infants diagnosed with a conductive hearing loss (CHL) are at increased risk of developmental delays. Using a sample of infants diagnosed with CHL through UNHS, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between specific demographic or clinical characteristics and 1) occasions of service to reach a hearing diagnosis and 2) the profile of CHL. METHODS Retrospective analysis was conducted for all infants with CHL born between 01/01/2007 and 31/12/2018 who had received UNHS. Chi squared analysis was conducted on data from 1208 records. RESULTS Infants with ≥1 risk factor for hearing loss were more likely to attend more than three occasions of service. Infants who were bilateral refer/medical exclusion, Torres Strait Islander, had ≥1 risk factors for hearing loss or were born pre-term had greater proportions of bilateral CHL than unilateral CHL. Mild to moderate was the most frequent degree of CHL, although a unilateral or bilateral CHL did not have an association with the severity of CHL. Compared to other risk factors, infants with a syndrome had greater proportions of bilateral than unilateral CHL. Risk factors of craniofacial abnormality, prolonged ventilation, or syndrome had greater proportions of mild to moderate CHL than moderate or greater. On average, infants were diagnosed with a CHL at 37.29 weeks of age. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the relationship between clinical/demographic characteristics and occasions of service to diagnose CHL in children, including the CHL profile. An understanding of this relationship may help clinicians to better plan, assess and manage infants diagnosed with a CHL through UNHS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Collins
- Hearing Research Unit for Children, Division of Audiology, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia; Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Child and Youth Community Health Service, 10 Chapel Street, Nundah, Queensland, 4012, Australia.
| | - Rachael Beswick
- Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Child and Youth Community Health Service, 10 Chapel Street, Nundah, Queensland, 4012, Australia.
| | - Carlie Driscoll
- Hearing Research Unit for Children, Division of Audiology, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
| | - Joseph Kei
- Hearing Research Unit for Children, Division of Audiology, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
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Boroshok AL, McDermott CL, Fotiadis P, Park AT, Tooley UA, Gataviņš MM, Tisdall MD, Bassett DS, Mackey AP. Individual differences in T1w/T2w ratio development during childhood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 62:101270. [PMID: 37348147 PMCID: PMC10439503 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Myelination is a key developmental process that promotes rapid and efficient information transfer. Myelin also stabilizes existing brain networks and thus may constrain neuroplasticity, defined here as the brain's potential to change in response to experiences rather than the canonical definition as the process of change. Characterizing individual differences in neuroplasticity may shed light on mechanisms by which early experiences shape learning, brain and body development, and response to interventions. The T1-weighted/T2-weighted (T1w/T2w) MRI signal ratio is a proxy measure of cortical microstructure and thus neuroplasticity. Here, in pre-registered analyses, we investigated individual differences in T1w/T2w ratios in children (ages 4-10, n = 157). T1w/T2w ratios were positively associated with age within early-developing sensorimotor and attention regions. We also tested whether socioeconomic status, cognition (crystallized knowledge or fluid reasoning), and biological age (as measured with molar eruption) were related to T1w/T2w signal but found no significant effects. Associations among T1w/T2w ratios, early experiences, and cognition may emerge later in adolescence and may not be strong enough to detect in moderate sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin L Boroshok
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | | | - Panagiotis Fotiadis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anne T Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ursula A Tooley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, USA; Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Mārtiņš M Gataviņš
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M Dylan Tisdall
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dani S Bassett
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Physics & Astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Allyson P Mackey
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Kang H, Zhang W, Jing J, Huang D, Zhang L, Wang J, Han L, Liu Z, Wang Z, Gao A. The gut-brain axis involved in polystyrene nanoplastics-induced neurotoxicity via reprogramming the circadian rhythm-related pathways. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 458:131949. [PMID: 37392641 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
The production of plastic is still increasing globally, which has led to an increasing number of plastic particles in the environment. Nanoplastics (NPs) can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and induce neurotoxicity, but in-depth mechanism and effective protection strategies are lacking. Here, C57BL/6 J mice were treated with 60 μg polystyrene NPs (PS-NPs, 80 nm) by intragastric administration for 42 days to establish NPs exposure model. We found that 80 nm PS-NPs could reach and cause neuronal damage in the hippocampus, and alter the expression of neuroplasticity-related molecules (5-HT, AChE, GABA, BDNF and CREB), and even affect the learning and memory ability of mice. Mechanistically, combined with the results of hippocampus transcriptome, gut microbiota 16 s ribosomal RNA and plasma metabolomics, we found that the gut-brain axis mediated circadian rhythm related pathways were involved in the neurotoxicity of NPs, especially Camk2g, Adcyap1 and Per1 may be the key genes. Both melatonin and probiotic can significantly reduce intestinal injury and restore the expression of circadian rhythm-related genes and neuroplasticity molecules, and the intervention effect of melatonin is more effective. Collectively, the results strongly suggest the gut-brain axis mediated hippocampal circadian rhythm changes involved in the neurotoxicity of PS-NPs. Melatonin or probiotics supplementation may have the application value in the prevention of neurotoxicity of PS-NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiwen Kang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jiaru Jing
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Danyang Huang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jingyu Wang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Lin Han
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Ziyan Liu
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Ziyan Wang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Ai Gao
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
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Shenker JJ, Steele CJ, Zatorre RJ, Penhune VB. Using cortico-cerebellar structural patterns to classify early- and late-trained musicians. Hum Brain Mapp 2023. [PMID: 37326147 PMCID: PMC10365229 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A body of current evidence suggests that there is a sensitive period for musical training: people who begin training before the age of seven show better performance on tests of musical skill, and also show differences in brain structure-especially in motor cortical and cerebellar regions-compared with those who start later. We used support vector machine models-a subtype of supervised machine learning-to investigate distributed patterns of structural differences between early-trained (ET) and late-trained (LT) musicians and to better understand the age boundaries of the sensitive period for early musicianship. After selecting regions of interest from the cerebellum and cortical sensorimotor regions, we applied recursive feature elimination with cross-validation to produce a model which optimally and accurately classified ET and LT musicians. This model identified a combination of 17 regions, including 9 cerebellar and 8 sensorimotor regions, and maintained a high accuracy and sensitivity (true positives, i.e., ET musicians) without sacrificing specificity (true negatives, i.e., LT musicians). Critically, this model-which defined ET musicians as those who began their training before the age of 7-outperformed all other models in which age of start was earlier or later (between ages 5-10). Our model's ability to accurately classify ET and LT musicians provides additional evidence that musical training before age 7 affects cortico-cerebellar structure in adulthood, and is consistent with the hypothesis that connected brain regions interact during development to reciprocally influence brain and behavioral maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Shenker
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- BRAMS: International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christopher J Steele
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robert J Zatorre
- BRAMS: International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Virginia B Penhune
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- BRAMS: International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Caldwell-Harris CL, MacWhinney B. Age effects in second language acquisition: Expanding the emergentist account. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 241:105269. [PMID: 37150139 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
In 2005, Science magazine designated the problem of accounting for difficulties in L2 (second language) learning as one of the 125 outstanding challenges facing scientific research. A maturationally-based sensitive period has long been the favorite explanation for why ultimate foreign language attainment declines with age-of-acquisition. However, no genetic or neurobiological mechanisms for limiting language learning have yet been identified. At the same time, we know that cognitive, social, and motivational factors change in complex ways across the human lifespan. Emergentist theory provides a framework for relating these changes to variation in the success of L2 learning. The great variability in patterns of learning, attainment, and loss across ages, social groups, and linguistic levels provides the core motivation for the emergentist approach. Our synthesis incorporates three groups of factors which change systematically with age: environmental supports, cognitive abilities, and motivation for language learning. This extended emergentist account explains why and when second language succeeds for some children and adults and fails for others.
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