1
|
Mondal P. A Critical Perspective on the (Neuro)biological Foundations of Language and Linguistic Cognition. Integr Psychol Behav Sci 2022:10.1007/s12124-022-09741-0. [PMID: 36562960 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-022-09741-0] [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: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The biological foundations of language reflect assumptions about the way language and biology relate to one another, and with the rise of biological studies of language, we appear to have come closer to a deep understanding of linguistic cognition-the part of cognition constituted by language. This article argues that relations of neurobiological and genetic instantiation between linguistic cognition and the underlying biological substrate are ultimately irrelevant to understanding the higher-level structure and form of language. Linguistic patterns and those that make up the character of cognition constituted by language do not simply arise from the biological substrate because higher-level structures typically assume forms based on constraints that only emerge once these new levels are constructed. The goal is not to show how the mapping problem between linguistic cognition and neurobiology can be solved. Rather, the goal is to show the mapping problem ceases to exist once a different understanding of language-(neuro)biology relations is embraced. With this goal, this article first uncovers a number of logical and conceptual fallacies in strategies deployed in understanding language-(neuro)biology relations. After having shown these flaws, the article offers an alternative view of language-biology relations that shows how biological constraints shape language (nature and form), making it what it is.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Mondal
- Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, Telangana, 502284, India.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Schevenels K, Gerrits R, Lemmens R, De Smedt B, Zink I, Vandermosten M. Early white matter connectivity and plasticity in post stroke aphasia recovery. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103271. [PMID: 36510409 PMCID: PMC9723316 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103271] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A disruption of white matter connectivity is negatively associated with language (recovery) in patients with aphasia after stroke, and behavioral gains have been shown to coincide with white matter neuroplasticity. However, most brain-behavior studies have been carried out in the chronic phase after stroke, with limited generalizability to earlier phases. Furthermore, few studies have investigated neuroplasticity patterns during spontaneous recovery (i.e., not related to a specific treatment) in the first months after stroke, hindering the investigation of potential early compensatory mechanisms. Finally, the majority of previous research has focused on damaged left hemisphere pathways, while neglecting the potential protective value of their right hemisphere counterparts for language recovery. To address these outstanding issues, we present a longitudinal study of thirty-two patients with aphasia (21 males and 11 females, M = 69.47 years, SD = 10.60 years) who were followed up for a period of 1 year with test moments in the acute (1-2 weeks), subacute (3-6 months) and chronic phase (9-12 months) after stroke. Constrained Spherical Deconvolution-based tractography was performed in the acute and subacute phase to measure Fiber Bundle Capacity (FBC), a quantitative connectivity measure that is valid in crossing fiber regions, in the bilateral dorsal arcuate fasciculus (AF) and the bilateral ventral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). First, concurrent analyses revealed positive associations between the left AF and phonology, and between the bilateral IFOF and semantics in the acute - but not subacute - phase, supporting the dual-stream language model. Second, neuroplasticity analyses revealed a decrease in connection density of the bilateral AF - but not the IFOF - from the acute to the subacute phase, possibly reflecting post stroke white matter degeneration in areas adjacent to the lesion. Third, predictive analyses revealed no contribution of acute FBC measures to the prediction of later language outcomes over and above the initial language scores, suggesting no added value ofthe diffusion measures for languageprediction. Our study provides new insights on (changes in) connectivity of damaged and undamaged language pathways in patients with aphasia in the first months after stroke, as well as if/how such measures are related to language outcomes at different stages of recovery. Individual results are discussed in the light of current frameworks of language processing and aphasia recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Klara Schevenels
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Robin Gerrits
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Robin Lemmens
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Research Group Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 7003, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 602, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32 box 3765, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Inge Zink
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Corresponding author at: Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Park K, Moon S. Informative and semantic language features of people with dementia displayed during reminiscence therapy. Psychogeriatrics 2022; 22:843-850. [PMID: 36075583 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Communication is essential for people with dementia (PWD) to independently perform activities of daily living. While cognitive training could improve communication abilities in PWD, there is limited evidence of the effect of reminiscence therapy (RT) on communication. Therefore, this study examines this effect, focusing on language features. METHOD This study used data from randomised controlled trials applying RT to women with dementia registered in a day-care center. RT using digital material or storytelling was conducted with PWD for 4 weeks. Outcome measures included general characteristics and communicative ability, such as the number of correct information units (CIUs, a measure of informativeness in discourse), the Holden Communication Scale (HCS) score, and verbal engagement. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance and the paired t-test were performed to confirm the effect of RT on communicative ability. RESULTS There was a significant change over time in the ratio of CIUs (F = 4.35, P = 0.016). In the first 2 weeks of the intervention, there were significant differences in the ratio of CIUs (t = -3.00, P = 0.005), total HCS score (t = 2.28, P = 0.028), and conversation score (HCS subdomain) (t = 2.44, P = 0.019) between two measurement time points (T0, T1), while the number of syllables did not significantly change (t = -1.60, P = 0.117). CONCLUSIONS Informative/semantic linguistic ability was significantly increased in PWD, while the amount of discourse did not change after RT. This result may be helpful to improve effective communication with PWD and train healthcare staff working with PWD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyongok Park
- Department of Nursing, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
| | - SeolHwa Moon
- Research Institute of Nursing Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Schevenels K, Michiels L, Lemmens R, De Smedt B, Zink I, Vandermosten M. The role of the hippocampus in statistical learning and language recovery in persons with post stroke aphasia. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103243. [PMID: 36306718 PMCID: PMC9668653 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Although several studies have aimed for accurate predictions of language recovery in post stroke aphasia, individual language outcomes remain hard to predict. Large-scale prediction models are built using data from patients mainly in the chronic phase after stroke, although it is clinically more relevant to consider data from the acute phase. Previous research has mainly focused on deficits, i.e., behavioral deficits or specific brain damage, rather than compensatory mechanisms, i.e., intact cognitive skills or undamaged brain regions. One such unexplored brain region that might support language (re)learning in aphasia is the hippocampus, a region that has commonly been associated with an individual's learning potential, including statistical learning. This refers to a set of mechanisms upon which we rely heavily in daily life to learn a range of regularities across cognitive domains. Against this background, thirty-three patients with aphasia (22 males and 11 females, M = 69.76 years, SD = 10.57 years) were followed for 1 year in the acute (1-2 weeks), subacute (3-6 months) and chronic phase (9-12 months) post stroke. We evaluated the unique predictive value of early structural hippocampal measures for short-term and long-term language outcomes (measured by the ANELT). In addition, we investigated whether statistical learning abilities were intact in patients with aphasia using three different tasks: an auditory-linguistic and visual task based on the computation of transitional probabilities and a visuomotor serial reaction time task. Finally, we examined the association of individuals' statistical learning potential with acute measures of hippocampal gray and white matter. Using Bayesian statistics, we found moderate evidence for the contribution of left hippocampal gray matter in the acute phase to the prediction of long-term language outcomes, over and above information on the lesion and the initial language deficit (measured by the ScreeLing). Non-linguistic statistical learning in patients with aphasia, measured in the subacute phase, was intact at the group level compared to 23 healthy older controls (8 males and 15 females, M = 74.09 years, SD = 6.76 years). Visuomotor statistical learning correlated with acute hippocampal gray and white matter. These findings reveal that particularly left hippocampal gray matter in the acute phase is a potential marker of language recovery after stroke, possibly through its statistical learning ability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Klara Schevenels
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Laura Michiels
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Research Group Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 7003, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 602, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Robin Lemmens
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Research Group Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 box 7003, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 602, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Bert De Smedt
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 32 box 3765, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Inge Zink
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Maaike Vandermosten
- Research Group Experimental Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 2 (O&N2), Herestraat 49 box 721, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Onderwijs en Navorsing 5 (O&N 5), Herestraat 49 box 1020, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Alantie S, Tyrkkö J, Makkonen T, Renvall K. Is Old Age Just a Number in Language Skills? Language Performance and Its Relation to Age, Education, Gender, Cognitive Screening, and Dentition in Very Old Finnish Speakers. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:274-291. [PMID: 34929110 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study reports on how very old (VO) Finnish people without dementia perform in the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and two verbal fluency tasks and which demographic factors predict the performance. METHOD The study included fifty 80- to 100-year-old community-dwelling Finnish speakers with no dementing illnesses or speech-language disabilities, who completed the WAB and two verbal fluency tasks. Multifactorial statistical analyses with recursive partitioning were carried out to determine the significant predictors out of five predictor variables (age, gender, education, dentition, and Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]) for four response variables (WAB Aphasia Quotient [AQ], Language Quotient [LQ], semantic, and phonemic word fluencies). RESULTS Overall, individual variation was notable in VO speakers. All predictor variables were statistically significantly associated with one or more of the language skills. Age was the most significant predictor; the critical age of 85-86 years was associated with a decline in WAB-AQ and semantic fluency. Poor dentition and the MMSE score both predicted a decline in WAB-LQ and phonemic fluency. A high level of education was positively associated with the skills of the best-performing individuals in WAB-AQ, WAB-LQ, and semantic fluency. CONCLUSIONS VO age is a significant factor contributing to language performance. However, a younger age, a good cognitive performance, intact teeth, and a higher educational level also seem to have a preservative power as regards language skills. Gender differences should be interpreted with caution. The results of this study provide culture- and language-specific normative data, which aids in differentiating typical aging from the signs of acute or degenerative neuropathology to ensure appropriate medical and therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Alantie
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland
- Speech-Language Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland
| | - Jukka Tyrkkö
- Department of Languages, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
| | - Tanja Makkonen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland
- Speech-Language Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland
| | - Kati Renvall
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Faroqi-Shah Y, Gehman M. The Role of Processing Speed and Cognitive Control on Word Retrieval in Aging and Aphasia. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2021; 64:949-964. [PMID: 33621116 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Purpose When speakers retrieve words, they do so extremely quickly and accurately-both speed and accuracy of word retrieval are compromised in persons with aphasia (PWA). This study examined the contribution of two domain-general mechanisms: processing speed and cognitive control on word retrieval in PWA. Method Three groups of participants, neurologically healthy young and older adults and PWA (n = 15 in each group), performed processing speed, cognitive control, lexical decision, and word retrieval tasks on a computer. The relationship between word retrieval speed and other tasks was examined for each group. Results Both aging and aphasia resulted in slower processing speed but did not affect cognitive control. Word retrieval response time delays in PWA were eliminated when processing speed was accounted for. Word retrieval speed was predicted by individual differences in cognitive control in young and older adults and additionally by processing speed in older adults. In PWA, word retrieval speed was predicted by severity of language deficit and cognitive control. Conclusions This study shows that processing speed is compromised in aphasia and could account for their slowed response times. Individual differences in cognitive control predicted word retrieval speed in healthy adults and PWA. These findings highlight the need to include nonlinguistic cognitive mechanisms in future models of word retrieval in healthy adults and word retrieval deficits in aphasia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasmeen Faroqi-Shah
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Vonk JMJ, Higby E, Nikolaev A, Cahana-Amitay D, Spiro A, Albert ML, Obler LK. Demographic Effects on Longitudinal Semantic Processing, Working Memory, and Cognitive Speed. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 75:1850-1862. [PMID: 32609841 PMCID: PMC7759739 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To better understand and compare effects of aging and education across domains of language and cognition, we investigated whether (a) these domains show different associations with age and education, (b) these domains show similar patterns of age-related change over time, and (c) education moderates the rate of decline in these domains. METHOD We analyzed data from 306 older adults aged 55-85 at baseline of whom 116 returned for follow-up 4-8 years later. An exploratory factor analysis identified domains of language and cognition across a range of tasks. A confirmatory factor analysis analyzed cross-sectional associations of age and education with these domains. Subsequently, mixed linear models analyzed longitudinal change as a function of age and moderation by education. RESULTS We identified 2 language domains, that is, semantic control and semantic memory efficiency, and 2 cognitive domains, that is, working memory and cognitive speed. Older age negatively affected all domains except semantic memory efficiency, and higher education positively affected all domains except cognitive speed at baseline. In language domains, a steeper age-related decline was observed after age 73-74 compared to younger ages, while cognition declined linearly with age. Greater educational attainment did not protect the rate of decline over time in any domain. DISCUSSION Separate domains show varying effects of age and education at baseline, language versus cognitive domains show dissimilar patterns of age-related change over time, and education does not moderate the rate of decline in these domains. These findings broaden our understanding of age effects on cognitive and language abilities by placing observed age differences in context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jet M J Vonk
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eve Higby
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, California State University, East Bay, Hayward
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside
| | - Alexandre Nikolaev
- Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland
- 6School of Languages and Cultures, University of Sheffield, Massachusetts
| | - Dalia Cahana-Amitay
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts
| | - Avron Spiro
- Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, Massachusetts
| | - Martin L Albert
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts
- Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Massachusetts
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rose N, Whitworth A, Smart S, Oliver E, Cartwright J. "I remember when … ": The impact of reminiscence therapy on discourse production in older adults with cognitive impairment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2020; 22:359-371. [PMID: 32316779 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2020.1747542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: Positive outcomes following reminiscence therapy have been reported for older adults with mild cognitive impairment and dementia in cognition and quality of life and, in a small number of studies, communication. Despite the close relationship between cognition and language, the impact on communication has received limited attention. This study aimed to investigate whether the spoken discourse of older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia could be improved within the genre of nostalgic recounts following group reminiscence therapy, and whether change generalised to everyday discourse.Method: Four females (mean: 87 years, SD: 7.3) who lived in a residential aged care facility and were diagnosed with mild (n = 2) or major (n = 2) neurocognitive impairment were recruited to attend a group reminiscence programme delivered in eight one-hour treatment sessions over four weeks. Multiple baseline samples of discourse were obtained in the week prior to intervention to monitor stability. Macrostructure, rate, informativeness and efficiency of discourse production were measured to identify change within nostalgic recounts and monitor evidence of generalised change in everyday discourse genres. Cognitive performance and quality of life were also monitored.Result: While variability was evident, significant increases in macrostructure and richness of nostalgic recounts were found for two participants, with significant generalisation to everyday discourse. Both participants had diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment. No significant improvements were seen in cognition or quality of life with all participants.Conclusion: This study provides promising evidence for the spoken recall of memories having the potential to improve the communication of people with neurocognitive disorders, with some indication that people with milder impairment may be more amenable to this form of intervention. Nostalgic recounts may provide an explicit context in which speech-language pathologists can facilitate the planning of spoken production in people with cognitive impairment, and influence speaking in everyday contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Rose
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Anne Whitworth
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Sharon Smart
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Oliver
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Jade Cartwright
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Higby E, Cahana-Amitay D, Vogel-Eyny A, Spiro A, Albert ML, Obler LK. The Role of Executive Functions in Object- and Action-Naming among Older Adults. Exp Aging Res 2019; 45:306-330. [PMID: 31216948 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2019.1627492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Background/Study Context: Lexical retrieval abilities and executive function skills decline with age. The extent to which these processes might be interdependent remains unknown. The aim of the current study was to examine whether individual differences in three executive functions (shifting, fluency, and inhibition) predicted naming performance in older adults. Methods: The sample included 264 adults aged 55-84. Six measures of executive functions were combined to make three executive function composites scores. Lexical retrieval performance was measured by accuracy and response time on two tasks: object naming and action naming. We conducted a series of multiple regressions to test whether executive function performance predicts naming abilities in older adults. Results: We found that different executive functions predicted naming speed and accuracy. Shifting predicted naming accuracy for both object and action naming while fluency predicted response times on both tests as well as object naming accuracy, after controlling for education, gender, age, working memory span, and speed of processing in all regressions. Interestingly, inhibition did not contribute to naming accuracy or response times on either task. Conclusion: The findings support the notion that preservation of some executive functions contributes to successful naming in older adults and that different executive functions are associated with naming speed and accuracy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eve Higby
- a Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences , California State University , East Bay, Hayward , CA , USA.,b Department of Psychology , University of California , Riverside , CA , USA
| | - Dalia Cahana-Amitay
- c Department of Neurology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA.,d Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System , Boston , MA
| | - Amy Vogel-Eyny
- e Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences , The Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , NY
| | - Avron Spiro
- d Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System , Boston , MA.,f Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health , Boston University , Boston , MA.,g Department of Psychiatry , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA
| | - Martin L Albert
- c Department of Neurology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA.,d Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System , Boston , MA
| | - Loraine K Obler
- c Department of Neurology , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA.,d Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System , Boston , MA.,e Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences , The Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , NY
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Jones SE, Idris A, Bullen JA, Miller JB, Banks SJ. Relationship between cortical thickness and fluency in the memory disorders clinic population. Neuropsychologia 2019; 129:294-301. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
11
|
Martin CO, Pontbriand-Drolet S, Daoust V, Yamga E, Amiri M, Hübner LC, Ska B. Narrative Discourse in Young and Older Adults: Behavioral and NIRS Analyses. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:69. [PMID: 29615892 PMCID: PMC5864853 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Discourse comprehension is at the core of communication capabilities, making it an important component of elderly populations' quality of life. The aim of this study is to evaluate changes in discourse comprehension and the underlying brain activity. Thirty-six participants read short stories and answered related probes in three conditions: micropropositions, macropropositions and situation models. Using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), the variation in oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) concentrations was assessed throughout the task. The results revealed that the older adults performed with equivalent accuracy to the young ones at the macroproposition level of discourse comprehension, but were less accurate at the microproposition and situation model levels. Similar to what is described in the compensation-related utilization of neural circuits hypothesis (CRUNCH) model, older participants tended to have greater activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while reading in all conditions. Although it did not enable them to perform similarly to younger participants in all conditions, this over-activation could be interpreted as a compensation mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles-Olivier Martin
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Stéphanie Pontbriand-Drolet
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Valérie Daoust
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Eric Yamga
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mahnoush Amiri
- Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Génie Biomédical, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lilian C Hübner
- Departamento de Linguistica, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Bernadette Ska
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Borges AFT, Giraud AL, Mansvelder HD, Linkenkaer-Hansen K. Scale-Free Amplitude Modulation of Neuronal Oscillations Tracks Comprehension of Accelerated Speech. J Neurosci 2018; 38:710-722. [PMID: 29217685 PMCID: PMC6596185 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1515-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Speech comprehension is preserved up to a threefold acceleration, but deteriorates rapidly at higher speeds. Current models posit that perceptual resilience to accelerated speech is limited by the brain's ability to parse speech into syllabic units using δ/θ oscillations. Here, we investigated whether the involvement of neuronal oscillations in processing accelerated speech also relates to their scale-free amplitude modulation as indexed by the strength of long-range temporal correlations (LRTC). We recorded MEG while 24 human subjects (12 females) listened to radio news uttered at different comprehensible rates, at a mostly unintelligible rate and at this same speed interleaved with silence gaps. δ, θ, and low-γ oscillations followed the nonlinear variation of comprehension, with LRTC rising only at the highest speed. In contrast, increasing the rate was associated with a monotonic increase in LRTC in high-γ activity. When intelligibility was restored with the insertion of silence gaps, LRTC in the δ, θ, and low-γ oscillations resumed the low levels observed for intelligible speech. Remarkably, the lower the individual subject scaling exponents of δ/θ oscillations, the greater the comprehension of the fastest speech rate. Moreover, the strength of LRTC of the speech envelope decreased at the maximal rate, suggesting an inverse relationship with the LRTC of brain dynamics when comprehension halts. Our findings show that scale-free amplitude modulation of cortical oscillations and speech signals are tightly coupled to speech uptake capacity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT One may read this statement in 20-30 s, but reading it in less than five leaves us clueless. Our minds limit how much information we grasp in an instant. Understanding the neural constraints on our capacity for sensory uptake is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Here, MEG was used to investigate neuronal activity while subjects listened to radio news played faster and faster until becoming unintelligible. We found that speech comprehension is related to the scale-free dynamics of δ and θ bands, whereas this property in high-γ fluctuations mirrors speech rate. We propose that successful speech processing imposes constraints on the self-organization of synchronous cell assemblies and their scale-free dynamics adjusts to the temporal properties of spoken language.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Filipa Teixeira Borges
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and
| | - Anne-Lise Giraud
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Biotech Campus, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and
| | - Klaus Linkenkaer-Hansen
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands,
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Qiao J, Wang Z, Zhao G, Huo Y, Herder CL, Sikora CO, Peterson BS. Functional neural circuits that underlie developmental stuttering. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179255. [PMID: 28759567 PMCID: PMC5536300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify differences in functional and effective brain connectivity between persons who stutter (PWS) and typically developing (TD) fluent speakers, and to assess whether those differences can serve as biomarkers to distinguish PWS from TD controls. We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data in 44 PWS and 50 TD controls. We then used Independent Component Analysis (ICA) together with Hierarchical Partner Matching (HPM) to identify networks of robust, functionally connected brain regions that were highly reproducible across participants, and we assessed whether connectivity differed significantly across diagnostic groups. We then used Granger Causality (GC) to study the causal interactions (effective connectivity) between the regions that ICA and HPM identified. Finally, we used a kernel support vector machine to assess how well these measures of functional connectivity and granger causality discriminate PWS from TD controls. Functional connectivity was stronger in PWS compared with TD controls in the supplementary motor area (SMA) and primary motor cortices, but weaker in inferior frontal cortex (IFG, Broca’s area), caudate, putamen, and thalamus. Additionally, causal influences were significantly weaker in PWS from the IFG to SMA, and from the basal ganglia to IFG through the thalamus, compared to TD controls. ICA and GC indices together yielded an accuracy of 92.7% in classifying PWS from TD controls. Our findings suggest the presence of dysfunctional circuits that support speech planning and timing cues for the initiation and execution of motor sequences in PWS. Our high accuracy of classification further suggests that these aberrant brain features may serve as robust biomarkers for PWS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Qiao
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Technology, Institute of Data Science and Technology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Zhishun Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail: (ZW); (GZ)
| | - Guihu Zhao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- * E-mail: (ZW); (GZ)
| | - Yuankai Huo
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Carl L. Herder
- American Institute for Stuttering, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Chamonix O. Sikora
- American Institute for Stuttering, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Bradley S. Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Marinelli CV, Spaccavento S, Craca A, Marangolo P, Angelelli P. Different Cognitive Profiles of Patients with Severe Aphasia. Behav Neurol 2017; 2017:3875954. [PMID: 28659661 PMCID: PMC5467392 DOI: 10.1155/2017/3875954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction frequently occurs in aphasic patients and primarily compromises linguistic skills. However, patients suffering from severe aphasia show heterogeneous performance in basic cognition. Our aim was to characterize the cognitive profiles of patients with severe aphasia and to determine whether they also differ as to residual linguistic abilities. We examined 189 patients with severe aphasia with standard language tests and with the CoBaGA (Cognitive Test Battery for Global Aphasia), a battery of nonverbal tests that assesses a wide range of cognitive domains such as attention, executive functions, intelligence, memory, visual-auditory recognition, and visual-spatial abilities. Twenty patients were also followed longitudinally in order to assess their improvement in cognitive skills after speech therapy. Three different subgroups of patients with different types and severity of cognitive impairment were evidenced. Subgroups differed as to residual linguistic skills, in particular comprehension and reading-writing abilities. Attention, reasoning, and executive functions improved after language rehabilitation. This study highlights the importance of an extensive evaluation of cognitive functions in patients with severe aphasia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Valeria Marinelli
- Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Department of History Society and Human Studies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
- IRCCS Foundation Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Spaccavento
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Department of Humanities Studies, ICS Maugeri SPA SB, IRCCS Institute of Cassano Murge, Bari, Italy
| | - Angela Craca
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Department of Humanities Studies, ICS Maugeri SPA SB, IRCCS Institute of Cassano Murge, Bari, Italy
| | - Paola Marangolo
- IRCCS Foundation Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Humanities Studies, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Paola Angelelli
- Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Department of History Society and Human Studies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Vallila-Rohter S, Kiran S. An Examination of Strategy Implementation During Abstract Nonlinguistic Category Learning in Aphasia. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2015; 58:1195-1209. [PMID: 25908438 PMCID: PMC4540635 DOI: 10.1044/2015_jslhr-l-14-0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Our purpose was to study strategy use during nonlinguistic category learning in aphasia. METHOD Twelve control participants without aphasia and 53 participants with aphasia (PWA) completed a computerized feedback-based category learning task consisting of training and testing phases. Accuracy rates of categorization in testing phases were calculated. To evaluate strategy use, strategy analyses were conducted over training and testing phases. Participant data were compared with model data that simulated complex multi-cue, single feature, and random pattern strategies. Learning success and strategy use were evaluated within the context of standardized cognitive-linguistic assessments. RESULTS Categorization accuracy was higher among control participants than among PWA. The majority of control participants implemented suboptimal or optimal multi-cue and single-feature strategies by testing phases of the experiment. In contrast, a large subgroup of PWA implemented random patterns, or no strategy, during both training and testing phases of the experiment. CONCLUSIONS Person-to-person variability arises not only in category learning ability but also in the strategies implemented to complete category learning tasks. PWA less frequently developed effective strategies during category learning tasks than control participants. Certain PWA may have impairments of strategy development or feedback processing not captured by language and currently probed cognitive abilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Swathi Kiran
- Aphasia Research Laboratory, Boston University, MA
| |
Collapse
|