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Dekydtspotter L, Miller AK, Swanson K, Cha JH, Xiong Y, Ahn JH, Gilbert JA, Pope D, Iverson M, Meinert K. Hierarchical neural processing in γ oscillations for syntactic and semantic operations accounts for first- and second-language epistemology. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1372909. [PMID: 39376494 PMCID: PMC11456458 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1372909] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction We discuss event-related power differences (ERPDs) in low- and broadband-γ oscillations as the embedded-clause edge is processed in wh-dependencies such as Which decision regarding/about him/her did Paul say that Lydie rejected without hesitation? in first (L1) and second language (L2) French speakers. Methods The experimental conditions manipulated whether pronouns appeared in modifiers (Mods; regarding him/her) or in noun complements (Comps; about him/her) and whether they matched or mismatched a matrix-clause subject in gender. Results Across L1 and L2 speakers, we found that anaphora-linked ERPDs for Mods vs. Comps in evoked power first arose in low γ and then in broadband γ. Referential elements first seem to be retrieved from working memory by narrowband processes in low γ and then referential identification seems to be computed in broadband-γ output. Interactions between discourse- and syntax-based referential processes for the Mods vs. Comps in these ERPDs furthermore suggest that multidomain γ-band processing enables a range of elementary operations for discourse and semantic interpretation. Discussion We argue that a multidomain mechanism enabling operations conditioned by the syntactic and semantic nature of the elements processed interacts with local brain microcircuits representing features and feature sets that have been established in L1 or L2 acquisition, accounting for a single language epistemology across learning contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Dekydtspotter
- Department of French & Italian, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Department of Second Language Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - A. Kate Miller
- Department of World Languages and Cultures, Indiana University–Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Kyle Swanson
- Oral English Proficiency Program, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Jih-Ho Cha
- Department of Second Language Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Yanyu Xiong
- Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Jae-Hyun Ahn
- Department of Second Language Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Jane A. Gilbert
- Department of French & Italian, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Decker Pope
- Department of French & Italian, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Mike Iverson
- Department of Second Language Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Kent Meinert
- Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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Shen Y, Liu X, Xiang Y, Schwieter JW, Liu H. Co-learning companionship benefits word learning in a new language: Evidence from a dual-brain EEG examination. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae289. [PMID: 39011935 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae289] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Companionship refers to one's being in the presence of another individual. For adults, acquiring a new language is a highly social activity that often involves learning in the context of companionship. However, the effects of companionship on new language learning have gone relatively underexplored, particularly with respect to word learning. Using a within-subject design, the current study employs electroencephalography to examine how two types of companionship (monitored and co-learning) affect word learning (semantic and lexical) in a new language. Dyads of Chinese speakers of English as a second language participated in a pseudo-word-learning task during which they were placed in monitored and co-learning companionship contexts. The results showed that exposure to co-learning companionship affected the early attention stage of word learning. Moreover, in this early stage, evidence of a higher representation similarity between co-learners showed additional support that co-learning companionship influenced attention. Observed increases in delta and theta interbrain synchronization further revealed that co-learning companionship facilitated semantic access. In all, the similar neural representations and interbrain synchronization between co-learners suggest that co-learning companionship offers important benefits for learning words in a new language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujing Shen
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province, Dalian 116029, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Liaoning Province, Dalian 116029, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province, Dalian 116029, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Liaoning Province, Dalian 116029, China
| | - Yingyi Xiang
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province, Dalian 116029, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Liaoning Province, Dalian 116029, China
| | - John W Schwieter
- Language Acquisition, Cognition, and Multilingualism Laboratory/Bilingualism Matters, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- Department of Linguistics and Languages, McMaster University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Huanhuan Liu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province, Dalian 116029, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Liaoning Province, Dalian 116029, China
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Benítez-Barrera CR, Behboudi MH, Maguire MJ. Neural oscillations during predictive sentence processing in young children. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 254:105437. [PMID: 38878494 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
The neural correlates of predictive processing in language, critical for efficient sentence comprehension, is well documented in adults. Specifically, adults exhibit alpha power (9-12 Hz) suppression when processing high versus low predictability sentences. This study explores whether young children exhibit similar neural mechanisms. We analyzed EEG data from 29 children aged 3-5 years listening to sentences of varying predictability. Our results revealed significant neural oscillation differences in the 5-12 Hz range between high and low predictability sentences, similar to adult patterns. Crucially, the degree of these differences correlated with children's language abilities. These findings are the first to demonstrate the neural basis of predictive processing in young children and its association with language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos R Benítez-Barrera
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
| | - Mohammad Hossein Behboudi
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, United States; Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
| | - Mandy J Maguire
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, United States; Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas at Dallas, United States
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Terporten R, Huizeling E, Heidlmayr K, Hagoort P, Kösem A. The Interaction of Context Constraints and Predictive Validity during Sentence Reading. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:225-238. [PMID: 37944125 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Words are not processed in isolation; instead, they are commonly embedded in phrases and sentences. The sentential context influences the perception and processing of a word. However, how this is achieved by brain processes and whether predictive mechanisms underlie this process remain a debated topic. Here, we employed an experimental paradigm in which we orthogonalized sentence context constraints and predictive validity, which was defined as the ratio of congruent to incongruent sentence endings within the experiment. While recording electroencephalography, participants read sentences with three levels of sentential context constraints (high, medium, and low). Participants were also separated into two groups that differed in their ratio of valid congruent to incongruent target words that could be predicted from the sentential context. For both groups, we investigated modulations of alpha power before, and N400 amplitude modulations after target word onset. The results reveal that the N400 amplitude gradually decreased with higher context constraints and cloze probability. In contrast, alpha power was not significantly affected by context constraint. Neither the N400 nor alpha power were significantly affected by changes in predictive validity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eleanor Huizeling
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Peter Hagoort
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Kösem
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience Lyon, France
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Kim J, Kim HW, Kovar J, Lee YS. Neural consequences of binaural beat stimulation on auditory sentence comprehension: an EEG study. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad459. [PMID: 38044462 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing literature has shown that binaural beat (BB)-generated by dichotic presentation of slightly mismatched pure tones-improves cognition. We recently found that BB stimulation of either beta (18 Hz) or gamma (40 Hz) frequencies enhanced auditory sentence comprehension. Here, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to characterize neural oscillations pertaining to the enhanced linguistic operations following BB stimulation. Sixty healthy young adults were randomly assigned to one of three listening groups: 18-Hz BB, 40-Hz BB, or pure-tone baseline, all embedded in music. After listening to the sound for 10 min (stimulation phase), participants underwent an auditory sentence comprehension task involving spoken sentences that contained either an object or subject relative clause (task phase). During the stimulation phase, 18-Hz BB yielded increased EEG power in a beta frequency range, while 40-Hz BB did not. During the task phase, only the 18-Hz BB resulted in significantly higher accuracy and faster response times compared with the baseline, especially on syntactically more complex object-relative sentences. The behavioral improvement by 18-Hz BB was accompanied by attenuated beta power difference between object- and subject-relative sentences. Altogether, our findings demonstrate beta oscillations as a neural correlate of improved syntactic operation following BB stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeahong Kim
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
- Callier Clinical Research Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Hyun-Woong Kim
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
- Callier Clinical Research Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
- Center for BrainHealth, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, United States
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Jessica Kovar
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
- Callier Clinical Research Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
| | - Yune Sang Lee
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
- Callier Clinical Research Center, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
- Center for BrainHealth, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, United States
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
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Huizeling E, Alday PM, Peeters D, Hagoort P. Combining EEG and 3D-eye-tracking to study the prediction of upcoming speech in naturalistic virtual environments: A proof of principle. Neuropsychologia 2023; 191:108730. [PMID: 37939871 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108730] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
EEG and eye-tracking provide complementary information when investigating language comprehension. Evidence that speech processing may be facilitated by speech prediction comes from the observation that a listener's eye gaze moves towards a referent before it is mentioned if the remainder of the spoken sentence is predictable. However, changes to the trajectory of anticipatory fixations could result from a change in prediction or an attention shift. Conversely, N400 amplitudes and concurrent spectral power provide information about the ease of word processing the moment the word is perceived. In a proof-of-principle investigation, we combined EEG and eye-tracking to study linguistic prediction in naturalistic, virtual environments. We observed increased processing, reflected in theta band power, either during verb processing - when the verb was predictive of the noun - or during noun processing - when the verb was not predictive of the noun. Alpha power was higher in response to the predictive verb and unpredictable nouns. We replicated typical effects of noun congruence but not predictability on the N400 in response to the noun. Thus, the rich visual context that accompanied speech in virtual reality influenced language processing compared to previous reports, where the visual context may have facilitated processing of unpredictable nouns. Finally, anticipatory fixations were predictive of spectral power during noun processing and the length of time fixating the target could be predicted by spectral power at verb onset, conditional on the object having been fixated. Overall, we show that combining EEG and eye-tracking provides a promising new method to answer novel research questions about the prediction of upcoming linguistic input, for example, regarding the role of extralinguistic cues in prediction during language comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Huizeling
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | | | - David Peeters
- Department of Communication and Cognition, TiCC, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Hagoort
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Behboudi MH, Castro S, Chalamalasetty P, Maguire MJ. Development of Gamma Oscillation during Sentence Processing in Early Adolescence: Insights into the Maturation of Semantic Processing. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1639. [PMID: 38137087 PMCID: PMC10741943 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121639] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Children's ability to retrieve word meanings and incorporate them into sentences, along with the neural structures that support these skills, continues to evolve throughout adolescence. Theta (4-8 Hz) activity that corresponds to word retrieval in children decreases in power and becomes more localized with age. This bottom-up word retrieval is often paired with changes in gamma (31-70 Hz), which are thought to reflect semantic unification in adults. Here, we studied gamma engagement during sentence processing using EEG time-frequency in children (ages 8-15) to unravel the developmental trajectory of the gamma network during sentence processing. Children heavily rely on semantic integration for sentence comprehension, but as they mature, semantic and syntactic processing units become distinct and localized. We observed a similar developmental shift in gamma oscillation around age 11, with younger groups (8-9 and 10-11) exhibiting broadly distributed gamma activity with higher amplitudes, while older groups (12-13 and 14-15) exhibited smaller and more localized gamma activity, especially over the left central and posterior regions. We interpret these findings as support for the argument that younger children rely more heavily on semantic processes for sentence comprehension than older children. And like adults, semantic processing in children is associated with gamma activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossein Behboudi
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (M.H.B.)
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Stephanie Castro
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA
| | - Prasanth Chalamalasetty
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (M.H.B.)
| | - Mandy J. Maguire
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (M.H.B.)
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
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8
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Kim HW, Happe J, Lee YS. Beta and gamma binaural beats enhance auditory sentence comprehension. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:2218-2227. [PMID: 36854935 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01808-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Binaural beats-an auditory illusion produced when two pure tones of slightly different frequencies are dichotically presented-have been shown to modulate various cognitive and psychological states. Here, we investigated the effects of binaural beat stimulation on auditory sentence processing that required interpretation of syntactic relations (Experiment 1) or an evaluation of syntactic well formedness (Experiment 2) with a large cohort of healthy young adults (N = 200). In both experiments, participants performed a language task after listening to one of four sounds (i.e., between-subject design): theta (7 Hz), beta (18 Hz), and gamma (40 Hz) binaural beats embedded in music, or the music only (baseline). In Experiment 1, 100 participants indicated the gender of a noun linked to a transitive action verb in spoken sentences containing either a subject or object-relative center-embedded clause. We found that both beta and gamma binaural beats yielded better performance, compared to the baseline, especially for syntactically more complex object-relative sentences. To determine if the binaural beat effect can be generalized to another type of syntactic analysis, we conducted Experiment 2 in which another 100 participants indicated whether or not there was a grammatical error in spoken sentences. However, none of the binaural beats yielded better performance for this task indicating that the benefit of beta and gamma binaural beats may be specific to the interpretation of syntactic relations. Together, we demonstrate, for the first time, the positive impact of binaural beats on auditory language comprehension. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Woong Kim
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA
| | - Jenna Happe
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA
| | - Yune Sang Lee
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA.
- Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA.
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA.
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Lewis AG, Schoffelen JM, Bastiaansen M, Schriefers H. Is beta in agreement with the relatives? Using relative clause sentences to investigate MEG beta power dynamics during sentence comprehension. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14332. [PMID: 37203219 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
There remains some debate about whether beta power effects observed during sentence comprehension reflect ongoing syntactic unification operations (beta-syntax hypothesis), or instead reflect maintenance or updating of the sentence-level representation (beta-maintenance hypothesis). In this study, we used magnetoencephalography to investigate beta power neural dynamics while participants read relative clause sentences that were initially ambiguous between a subject- or an object-relative reading. An additional condition included a grammatical violation at the disambiguation point in the relative clause sentences. The beta-maintenance hypothesis predicts a decrease in beta power at the disambiguation point for unexpected (and less preferred) object-relative clause sentences and grammatical violations, as both signal a need to update the sentence-level representation. While the beta-syntax hypothesis also predicts a beta power decrease for grammatical violations due to a disruption of syntactic unification operations, it instead predicts an increase in beta power for the object-relative clause condition because syntactic unification at the point of disambiguation becomes more demanding. We observed decreased beta power for both the agreement violation and object-relative clause conditions in typical left hemisphere language regions, which provides compelling support for the beta-maintenance hypothesis. Mid-frontal theta power effects were also present for grammatical violations and object-relative clause sentences, suggesting that violations and unexpected sentence interpretations are registered as conflicts by the brain's domain-general error detection system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Glen Lewis
- Neurobiology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan-Mathijs Schoffelen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel Bastiaansen
- Academy for Leisure and Events, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Breda, the Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Herbert Schriefers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Pei C, Huang X, Qiu Y, Peng Y, Gao S, Biswal B, Yao D, Liu Q, Li F, Xu P. Frequency-specific directed interactions between whole-brain regions during sentence processing using multimodal stimulus. Neurosci Lett 2023; 812:137409. [PMID: 37487970 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137409] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Neural oscillations subserve a broad range of speech processing and language comprehension functions. Using an electroencephalogram (EEG), we investigated the frequency-specific directed interactions between whole-brain regions while the participants processed Chinese sentences using different modality stimuli (i.e., auditory, visual, and audio-visual). The results indicate that low-frequency responses correspond to the process of information flow aggregation in primary sensory cortices in different modalities. Information flow dominated by high-frequency responses exhibited characteristics of bottom-up flow from left posterior temporal to left frontal regions. The network pattern of top-down information flowing out of the left frontal lobe was presented by the joint dominance of low- and high-frequency rhythms. Overall, our results suggest that the brain may be modality-independent when processing higher-order language information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changfu Pei
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xunan Huang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Sichuan, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yuan Qiu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yueheng Peng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Shan Gao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Sichuan, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Bharat Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Dezhong Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Sichuan, Chengdu 610066, China.
| | - Fali Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
| | - Peng Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
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Schneider JM, Poudel S, Abel AD, Maguire MJ. Age and vocabulary knowledge differentially influence the N400 and theta responses during semantic retrieval. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 61:101251. [PMID: 37141791 PMCID: PMC10311145 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101251] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Using electroencephalography (EEG) to study the neural oscillations supporting language development is increasingly common; however, a clear understanding of the relationship between neural oscillations and traditional Event Related Potentials (ERPs) is needed to disentangle how maturation of language-related neural networks supports semantic processing throughout grade school. Theta and the N400 are both thought to index semantic retrieval but, in adults, are only weakly correlated with one another indicating they may measure somewhat unique aspects of retrieval. Here, we studied the relationship between the N400 amplitude and theta power during semantic retrieval with key indicators of language abilities including age, vocabulary, reading comprehension and phonological memory in 226 children ages 8-15 years. The N400 and theta responses were positively correlated over posterior areas, but negatively correlated over frontal areas. When controlling for the N400 amplitude, the amplitude of the theta response was predicted by age, but not by language measures. On the other hand, when controlling theta amplitude, the amplitude of the N400 was predicted by both vocabulary knowledge and age. These findings indicate that while there is a clear relationship between the N400 and theta responses, they may each index unique aspects of development related to semantic retrieval.
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Champagne-Lavau M, Bolger D, Klein M. Impact of social knowledge about the speaker on irony understanding: Evidence from neural oscillations. Soc Neurosci 2023; 18:28-45. [PMID: 37161361 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2023.2203948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to explore neuronal oscillatory activity during a task of irony understanding. In this task, we manipulated implicit information about the speaker such as occupation stereotypes (i.e., sarcastic versus non-sarcastic). These stereotypes are social knowledge that influence the extent to which the speaker's ironic intent is understood. Time-frequency analyses revealed an early effect of speaker occupation stereotypes, as evidenced by greater synchronization in the upper gamma band (in the 150-250 ms time window) when the speaker had a sarcastic occupation, by a greater desynchronization for ironic context compared to literal context in the alpha1 band and by a greater synchronization in the theta band when the speaker had a non-sarcastic occupation. When the speaker occupation did not constrain the ironic interpretation, the interpretation of the sentence as ironic was revealed as resource-demanding and requiring pragmatic reanalysis, as shown mainly by the synchronization in the theta band and the desynchronization in the alpha1 band (in the 500-800 ms time window). These results support predictions of the constraint satisfaction model suggesting that during irony understanding, extra-linguistic information such as information on the speaker is used as soon as it is available, in the early stage of processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Madelyne Klein
- LPL, CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France
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13
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Lu Y, Jin P, Ding N, Tian X. Delta-band neural tracking primarily reflects rule-based chunking instead of semantic relatedness between words. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:4448-4458. [PMID: 36124831 PMCID: PMC10110438 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac354] [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: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It is debated whether cortical responses matching the time scales of phrases and sentences mediate the mental construction of the syntactic chunks or are simply caused by the semantic properties of words. Here, we investigate to what extent delta-band neural responses to speech can be explained by semantic relatedness between words. To dissociate the contribution of semantic relatedness from sentential structures, participants listened to sentence sequences and paired-word sequences in which semantically related words repeated at 1 Hz. Semantic relatedness in the 2 types of sequences was quantified using a word2vec model that captured the semantic relation between words without considering sentential structure. The word2vec model predicted comparable 1-Hz responses with paired-word sequences and sentence sequences. However, empirical neural activity, recorded using magnetoencephalography, showed a weaker 1-Hz response to paired-word sequences than sentence sequences in a word-level task that did not require sentential processing. Furthermore, when listeners applied a task-related rule to parse paired-word sequences into multi-word chunks, 1-Hz response was stronger than that in word-level task on the same sequences. Our results suggest that cortical activity tracks multi-word chunks constructed by either syntactic rules or task-related rules, whereas the semantic relatedness between words contributes only in a minor way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Lu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Peiqing Jin
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Nai Ding
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Research Center for Applied Mathematics and Machine Intelligence, Research Institute of Basic Theories, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xing Tian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
- Division of Arts and Sciences, New York University Shanghai
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14
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Dekydtspotter L, Miller AK, Iverson M, Xiong Y, Swanson K, Gilbert C. The timing versus resource problem in nonnative sentence processing: Evidence from a time-frequency analysis of anaphora resolution in successive wh-movement in native and nonnative speakers of French. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0275305. [PMID: 36701328 PMCID: PMC9879400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonnative processing has been argued to reflect either reduced processing capacity or delayed timing of structural analysis compared to the extraction of lexical/semantic information. The current study simultaneously investigates timing and resource allocation through a time-frequency analysis of the intrinsic neural activity during syntactic processing in native and English-speaking nonnative speakers of French. It involved structurally constrained anaphora resolution in bi-clausal wh-filler-gap dependencies such as Quelle décision à propos de lui est-ce que Paul a dit que Lydie avait rejetée sans hésitation? 'Which decision about him did Paul say that Lydie rejected without hesitation?'. We tested the hypothesis that nonnative speakers may allocate greater resources than native speakers to the computation of syntactic representations based on the grammatical specifications encoded in lexical entries, though both native and nonnative processing involves the immediate application of structural constraints. This distinct resource allocation is likely to arise in response to higher activation thresholds for nonnative knowledge acquired after the first language grammar has been fully acquired. To examine this bias in nonnative neurocognitive processing, we manipulated the wh-filler to contain either a lexically specified noun complement such as à propos de lui 'about him' or a non-lexcially specified noun phrase modifier such as le concernant 'concerning him'. We focused on processing at the intermediate gap site, that is, the point of information exchange between the matrix and the embedded clauses by adopting a measurement window corresponding to the bridge verb dit 'said' and subordinator que 'that' introducing the embedded clause. Our results showed that structural constraints on anaphora produced event-related spectral perturbations at 13-14Hz early into the presentation of the bridge verb across groups. An interaction of structural constraints on anaphora with group was found at 18-19Hz early into the presentation of the bridge verb. In this interaction, the nonnative-speaker activity at 18-19Hz echoed the concurrent general patterns at 13-14Hz, whereas the native-speaker activity revealed distinct power at 18-19Hz and at 13-14Hz. There was no evidence of delay of structural constraints on intermediate gaps with respect to lexical access to the bridge verb and subordinator. However, nonnative speakers' allocation of power in cell assembly synchronizations of fillers and gaps at the intermediate gap site reflected the grammatical specifications lexically encoded in the fillers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Dekydtspotter
- Department of French & Italian, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- Department of Second Language Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - A. Kate Miller
- Department of World Languages and Cultures, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Mike Iverson
- Department of Second Language Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Yanyu Xiong
- Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Kyle Swanson
- Department of English, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Charlène Gilbert
- Department of French & Italian, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
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15
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Tomić A, Kaan E. Oscillatory brain responses to processing code-switches in the presence of others. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 231:105139. [PMID: 35687945 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Code-switching, i.e. the alternation between languages in a conversation, is a typical, yet socially-constrained practice in bilingual communities. For instance, code-switching is permissible only when other conversation partners are fluent in both languages. Studying code-switching provides insight in the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying language control, and their modulation by linguistic and non-linguistic factors. Using time-frequency representations, we analyzed brain oscillation changes in EEG data recorded in a prior study (Kaan et al., 2020). In this study, Spanish-English bilinguals read sentences with and without switches in the presence of a bilingual or monolingual partner. Consistent with prior studies, code-switches were associated with a power decrease in the lower beta band (15-18 Hz). In addition, code-switches were associated with a power decrease in the upper gamma band (40-50 Hz), but only when a bilingual partner was present, suggesting the semantic/pragmatic processing of code-switches differs depending on who is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Tomić
- University of Florida, Department of Linguistics, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Language and Culture, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Edith Kaan
- University of Florida, Department of Linguistics, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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16
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Coopmans CW, de Hoop H, Hagoort P, Martin AE. Effects of Structure and Meaning on Cortical Tracking of Linguistic Units in Naturalistic Speech. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2022; 3:386-412. [PMID: 37216060 PMCID: PMC10158633 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has established that cortical activity "tracks" the presentation rate of syntactic phrases in continuous speech, even though phrases are abstract units that do not have direct correlates in the acoustic signal. We investigated whether cortical tracking of phrase structures is modulated by the extent to which these structures compositionally determine meaning. To this end, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) of 38 native speakers who listened to naturally spoken Dutch stimuli in different conditions, which parametrically modulated the degree to which syntactic structure and lexical semantics determine sentence meaning. Tracking was quantified through mutual information between the EEG data and either the speech envelopes or abstract annotations of syntax, all of which were filtered in the frequency band corresponding to the presentation rate of phrases (1.1-2.1 Hz). Overall, these mutual information analyses showed stronger tracking of phrases in regular sentences than in stimuli whose lexical-syntactic content is reduced, but no consistent differences in tracking between sentences and stimuli that contain a combination of syntactic structure and lexical content. While there were no effects of compositional meaning on the degree of phrase-structure tracking, analyses of event-related potentials elicited by sentence-final words did reveal meaning-induced differences between conditions. Our findings suggest that cortical tracking of structure in sentences indexes the internal generation of this structure, a process that is modulated by the properties of its input, but not by the compositional interpretation of its output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cas W. Coopmans
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Helen de Hoop
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Hagoort
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea E. Martin
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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17
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Zheng Y, Kirk I, Chen T, O'Hagan M, Waldie KE. Task-Modulated Oscillation Differences in Auditory and Spoken Chinese-English Bilingual Processing: An Electroencephalography Study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:823700. [PMID: 35712178 PMCID: PMC9197074 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.823700] [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: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurophysiological research on the bilingual activity of interpretation or interpreting has been very fruitful in understanding the bilingual brain and has gained increasing popularity recently. Issues like word interpreting and the directionality of interpreting have been attended to by many researchers, mainly with localizing techniques. Brain structures such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex have been repeatedly identified during interpreting. However, little is known about the oscillation and synchronization features of interpreting, especially sentence-level overt interpreting. In this study we implemented a Chinese-English sentence-level overt interpreting experiment with electroencephalography on 43 Chinese-English bilinguals and compared the oscillation and synchronization features of interpreting with those of listening, speaking and shadowing. We found significant time-frequency power differences in the delta-theta (1–7 Hz) and gamma band (above 30 Hz) between motor and silent tasks. Further theta-gamma coupling analysis revealed different synchronization networks in between speaking, shadowing and interpreting, indicating an idea-formulation dependent mechanism. Moreover, interpreting incurred robust right frontotemporal gamma coactivation network compared with speaking and shadowing, which we think may reflect the language conversion process inherent in interpreting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Zheng
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ian Kirk
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tengfei Chen
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Minako O'Hagan
- School of Cultures Languages and Linguistics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Karen E Waldie
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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18
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Feng Y, Quon RJ, Jobst BC, Casey MA. Evoked responses to note onsets and phrase boundaries in Mozart's K448. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9632. [PMID: 35688855 PMCID: PMC9187696 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13710-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the neural correlates of perception of hierarchical structure in music presents a direct window into auditory organization. To examine the hypothesis that high-level and low-level structures—i.e. phrases and notes—elicit different neural responses, we collected intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) data from eight subjects during exposure to Mozart’s K448 and directly compared Event-related potentials (ERPs) due to note onsets and those elicited by phrase boundaries. Cluster-level permutation tests revealed that note-onset-related ERPs and phrase-boundary-related ERPs were significantly different at \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$-150$$\end{document}-150, 200, and 450 ms relative to note onset and phrase markers. We also observed increased activity in frontal brain regions when processing phrase boundaries. We relate these observations to (1) a process which syntactically binds notes together hierarchically to form larger phrases; (2) positive emotions induced by successful prediction of forthcoming phrase boundaries and violations of melodic expectations at phrase boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijing Feng
- Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Robert J Quon
- Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.,Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
| | - Barbara C Jobst
- Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.,Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
| | - Michael A Casey
- Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA. .,Department of Music, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
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19
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Alpha power decreases associated with prediction in written and spoken sentence comprehension. Neuropsychologia 2022; 173:108286. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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20
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Murphy E, Woolnough O, Rollo PS, Roccaforte ZJ, Segaert K, Hagoort P, Tandon N. Minimal Phrase Composition Revealed by Intracranial Recordings. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3216-3227. [PMID: 35232761 PMCID: PMC8994536 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1575-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to comprehend phrases is an essential integrative property of the brain. Here, we evaluate the neural processes that enable the transition from single-word processing to a minimal compositional scheme. Previous research has reported conflicting timing effects of composition, and disagreement persists with respect to inferior frontal and posterior temporal contributions. To address these issues, 19 patients (10 male, 9 female) implanted with penetrating depth or surface subdural intracranial electrodes, heard auditory recordings of adjective-noun, pseudoword-noun, and adjective-pseudoword phrases and judged whether the phrase matched a picture. Stimulus-dependent alterations in broadband gamma activity, low-frequency power, and phase-locking values across the language-dominant left hemisphere were derived. This revealed a mosaic located on the lower bank of the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), in which closely neighboring cortical sites displayed exclusive sensitivity to either lexicality or phrase structure, but not both. Distinct timings were found for effects of phrase composition (210-300 ms) and pseudoword processing (∼300-700 ms), and these were localized to neighboring electrodes in pSTS. The pars triangularis and temporal pole encoded anticipation of composition in broadband low frequencies, and both regions exhibited greater functional connectivity with pSTS during phrase composition. Our results suggest that the pSTS is a highly specialized region composed of sparsely interwoven heterogeneous constituents that encodes both lower and higher level linguistic features. This hub in pSTS for minimal phrase processing may form the neural basis for the human-specific computational capacity for forming hierarchically organized linguistic structures.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Linguists have claimed that the integration of multiple words into a phrase demands a computational procedure distinct from single-word processing. Here, we provide intracranial recordings from a large patient cohort, with high spatiotemporal resolution, to track the cortical dynamics of phrase composition. Epileptic patients volunteered to participate in a task in which they listened to phrases (red boat), word-pseudoword or pseudoword-word pairs (e.g., red fulg). At the onset of the second word in phrases, greater broadband high gamma activity was found in posterior superior temporal sulcus in electrodes that exclusively indexed phrasal meaning and not lexical meaning. These results provide direct, high-resolution signatures of minimal phrase composition in humans, a potentially species-specific computational capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Oscar Woolnough
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Patrick S Rollo
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Zachary J Roccaforte
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Katrien Segaert
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Hagoort
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas 77030
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21
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Coopmans CW, Cohn N. An electrophysiological investigation of co-referential processes in visual narrative comprehension. Neuropsychologia 2022; 172:108253. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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22
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Neural segregation in left inferior frontal gyrus of semantic processes at different levels of syntactic hierarchy. Neuropsychologia 2022; 171:108254. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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23
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Maguire MJ, Schneider JM, Melamed TC, Ralph YK, Poudel S, Raval VM, Mikhail D, Abel AD. Temporal and topographical changes in theta power between middle childhood and adolescence during sentence comprehension. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 53:101056. [PMID: 34979479 PMCID: PMC8728578 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Time frequency analysis of the EEG is increasingly used to study the neural oscillations supporting language comprehension. Although this method holds promise for developmental research, most existing work focuses on adults. Theta power (4–8 Hz) in particular often corresponds to semantic processing of words in isolation and in ongoing text. Here we investigated how the timing and topography of theta engagement to individual words during written sentence processing changes between childhood and adolescence (8–15 years). Results show that topographically, the theta response is broadly distributed in children, occurring over left and right central-posterior and midline frontal areas, and localizes to left central-posterior areas by adolescence. There were two notable developmental shifts. First, in response to each word, early (150–300 msec) theta engagement over frontal areas significantly decreases between 8 and 9 years and 10–11 years. Second, throughout the sentence, theta engagement over the right parietal areas significantly decreases between 10 and 11 years and 12–13 years with younger children’s theta response remaining significantly elevated between words compared to adolescents’. We found no significant differences between 12 and 13 years and 14–15 years. These findings indicate that children’s engagement of the language network during sentence processing continues to change through middle childhood but stabilizes into adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy J Maguire
- University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, 1966 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA.
| | - Julie M Schneider
- Louisiana State University, 217 Thomas Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Tina C Melamed
- University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, 1966 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Yvonne K Ralph
- University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, 1966 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Sonali Poudel
- University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, 1966 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Vyom M Raval
- University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, 1966 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - David Mikhail
- University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, 1966 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Alyson D Abel
- San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
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24
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Markiewicz R, Segaert K, Mazaheri A. How the healthy ageing brain supports semantic binding during language comprehension. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:7899-7917. [PMID: 34779069 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Semantic binding refers to constructing complex meaning based on elementary building blocks. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we investigated the age-related changes in modulations of oscillatory brain activity supporting lexical retrieval and semantic binding. Young and older adult participants were visually presented two-word phrases, which for the first word revealed a lexical retrieval signature (e.g., swift vs. swrfeq) and for the second word revealed a semantic binding signature (e.g., horse in a semantic binding "swift horse" vs. no binding "swrfeq horse" context). The oscillatory brain activity associated with lexical retrieval as well as semantic binding significantly differed between healthy older and young adults. Specifically for lexical retrieval, we found that different age groups exhibited opposite patterns of theta and alpha modulation, which as a combined picture suggest that lexical retrieval is associated with different and delayed signatures in older compared with young adults. For semantic binding, in young adults, we found a signature in the low-beta range centred around the target word onset (i.e., a smaller low-beta increase for binding relative to no binding), whereas in healthy older adults, we found an opposite binding signature about ~500 ms later in the low- and high-beta range (i.e., a smaller low- and high-beta decrease for binding relative to no binding). The novel finding of a different and delayed oscillatory signature for semantic binding in healthy older adults reflects that the integration of word meaning into the semantic context takes longer and relies on different mechanisms in healthy older compared with young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roksana Markiewicz
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Katrien Segaert
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Centre for Developmental Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ali Mazaheri
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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25
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Palaniyappan L. Dissecting the neurobiology of linguistic disorganisation and impoverishment in schizophrenia. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 129:47-60. [PMID: 34507903 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia provides a quintessential disease model of how disturbances in the molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopment lead to disruptions in the emergence of cognition. The central and often persistent feature of this illness is the disorganisation and impoverishment of language and related expressive behaviours. Though clinically more prominent, the periodic perceptual distortions characterised as psychosis are non-specific and often episodic. While several insights into psychosis have been gained based on study of the dopaminergic system, the mechanistic basis of linguistic disorganisation and impoverishment is still elusive. Key findings from cellular to systems-level studies highlight the role of ubiquitous, inhibitory processes in language production. Dysregulation of these processes at critical time periods, in key brain areas, provides a surprisingly parsimonious account of linguistic disorganisation and impoverishment in schizophrenia. This review links the notion of excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance at cortical microcircuits to the expression of language behaviour characteristic of schizophrenia, through the building blocks of neurochemistry, neurophysiology, and neurocognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Palaniyappan
- Department of Psychiatry,University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Robarts Research Institute,University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
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26
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Kapteijns B, Hintz F. Comparing predictors of sentence self-paced reading times: Syntactic complexity versus transitional probability metrics. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254546. [PMID: 34252165 PMCID: PMC8274840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
When estimating the influence of sentence complexity on reading, researchers typically opt for one of two main approaches: Measuring syntactic complexity (SC) or transitional probability (TP). Comparisons of the predictive power of both approaches have yielded mixed results. To address this inconsistency, we conducted a self-paced reading experiment. Participants read sentences of varying syntactic complexity. From two alternatives, we selected the set of SC and TP measures, respectively, that provided the best fit to the self-paced reading data. We then compared the contributions of the SC and TP measures to self-paced reading times when entered into the same model. Our results showed that while both measures explained significant portions of variance in reading times (over and above control variables: word/sentence length, word frequency and word position) when included in independent models, their contributions changed drastically when SC and TP were entered into the same model. Specifically, we only observed significant effects of TP. We conclude that in our experiment the control variables explained the bulk of variance. When comparing the small effects of SC and TP, the effects of TP appear to be more robust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Kapteijns
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Florian Hintz
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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27
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Li Y, Xing H, Zhang L, Shu H, Zhang Y. How Visual Word Decoding and Context-Driven Auditory Semantic Integration Contribute to Reading Comprehension: A Test of Additive vs. Multiplicative Models. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070830. [PMID: 34201695 PMCID: PMC8301993 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Theories of reading comprehension emphasize decoding and listening comprehension as two essential components. The current study aimed to investigate how Chinese character decoding and context-driven auditory semantic integration contribute to reading comprehension in Chinese middle school students. Seventy-five middle school students were tested. Context-driven auditory semantic integration was assessed with speech-in-noise tests in which the fundamental frequency (F0) contours of spoken sentences were either kept natural or acoustically flattened, with the latter requiring a higher degree of contextual information. Statistical modeling with hierarchical regression was conducted to examine the contributions of Chinese character decoding and context-driven auditory semantic integration to reading comprehension. Performance in Chinese character decoding and auditory semantic integration scores with the flattened (but not natural) F0 sentences significantly predicted reading comprehension. Furthermore, the contributions of these two factors to reading comprehension were better fitted with an additive model instead of a multiplicative model. These findings indicate that reading comprehension in middle schoolers is associated with not only character decoding but also the listening ability to make better use of the sentential context for semantic integration in a severely degraded speech-in-noise condition. The results add to our better understanding of the multi-faceted reading comprehension in children. Future research could further address the age-dependent development and maturation of reading skills by examining and controlling other important cognitive variables, and apply neuroimaging techniques such as functional magmatic resonance imaging and electrophysiology to reveal the neural substrates and neural oscillatory patterns for the contribution of auditory semantic integration and the observed additive model to reading comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Li
- Division of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai 519087, China;
| | - Hongbing Xing
- Institute on Education Policy and Evaluation of International Students, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing 100083, China;
| | - Linjun Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Language Resources and College of Advanced Chinese Training, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing 100083, China
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Hua Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (Y.Z.)
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Abstract
This study investigated emoji semantic processing by measuring changes in event-related electroencephalogram (EEG) power. The last segment of experimental sentences was designed as either words or emojis consistent or inconsistent with the sentential context. The results showed that incongruent emojis led to a conspicuous increase of theta power (4–7 Hz), while incongruent words induced a decrease. Furthermore, the theta power increase was observed at midfrontal, occipital and bilateral temporal lobes with emojis. This suggests a higher working memory load for monitoring errors, difficulty of form recognition and concept retrieval in emoji semantic processing. It implies different neuro-cognitive processes involved in the semantic processing of emojis and words.
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29
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Wang P, Knösche TR, Chen L, Brauer J, Friederici AD, Maess B. Functional brain plasticity during L1 training on complex sentences: Changes in gamma-band oscillatory activity. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:3858-3870. [PMID: 33942956 PMCID: PMC8288093 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The adult human brain remains plastic even after puberty. However, whether first language (L1) training in adults can alter the language network is yet largely unknown. Thus, we conducted a longitudinal training experiment on syntactically complex German sentence comprehension. Sentence complexity was varied by the depth of the center embedded relative clauses (i.e., single or double embedded). Comprehension was tested after each sentence with a question on the thematic role assignment. Thirty adult, native German speakers were recruited for 4 days of training. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were recorded and subjected to spectral power analysis covering the classical frequency bands (i.e., theta, alpha, beta, low gamma, and gamma). Normalized spectral power, time‐locked to the final closure of the relative clause, was subjected to a two‐factor analysis (“sentence complexity” and “training days”). Results showed that for the more complex sentences, the interaction of sentence complexity and training days was observed in Brodmann area 44 (BA 44) as a decrease of gamma power with training. Moreover, in the gamma band (55–95 Hz) functional connectivity between BA 44 and other brain regions such as the inferior frontal sulcus and the inferior parietal cortex were correlated with behavioral performance increase due to training. These results show that even for native speakers, complex L1 sentence training improves language performance and alters neural activities of the left hemispheric language network. Training strengthens the use of the dorsal processing stream with working‐memory‐related brain regions for syntactically complex sentences, thereby demonstrating the brain's functional plasticity for L1 training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesBrain Networks GroupLeipzigGermany
| | - Thomas R. Knösche
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesBrain Networks GroupLeipzigGermany
| | - Luyao Chen
- Beijing Normal UniversityCollege of Chinese Language and CultureBeijing
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesDepartment of NeuropsychologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Jens Brauer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesDepartment of NeuropsychologyLeipzigGermany
- Friedrich Schiller UniversityOffice of the Vice‐President for Young ResearchersJenaGermany
| | - Angela D. Friederici
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesDepartment of NeuropsychologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Burkhard Maess
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesBrain Networks GroupLeipzigGermany
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30
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Matar S, Dirani J, Marantz A, Pylkkänen L. Left posterior temporal cortex is sensitive to syntax within conceptually matched Arabic expressions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7181. [PMID: 33785801 PMCID: PMC8010046 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86474-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During language comprehension, the brain processes not only word meanings, but also the grammatical structure-the "syntax"-that strings words into phrases and sentences. Yet the neural basis of syntax remains contentious, partly due to the elusiveness of experimental designs that vary structure independently of meaning-related variables. Here, we exploit Arabic's grammatical properties, which enable such a design. We collected magnetoencephalography (MEG) data while participants read the same noun-adjective expressions with zero, one, or two contiguously-written definite articles (e.g., 'chair purple'; 'the-chair purple'; 'the-chair the-purple'), representing equivalent concepts, but with different levels of syntactic complexity (respectively, indefinite phrases: 'a purple chair'; sentences: 'The chair is purple.'; definite phrases: 'the purple chair'). We expected regions processing syntax to respond differently to simple versus complex structures. Single-word controls ('chair'/'purple') addressed definiteness-based accounts. In noun-adjective expressions, syntactic complexity only modulated activity in the left posterior temporal lobe (LPTL), ~ 300 ms after each word's onset: indefinite phrases induced more MEG-measured positive activity. The effects disappeared in single-word tokens, ruling out non-syntactic interpretations. In contrast, left anterior temporal lobe (LATL) activation was driven by meaning. Overall, the results support models implicating the LPTL in structure building and the LATL in early stages of conceptual combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhail Matar
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Julien Dirani
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- NYUAD Research Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Alec Marantz
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Linguistics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- NYUAD Research Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Liina Pylkkänen
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Linguistics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- NYUAD Research Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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31
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Maquate K, Knoeferle P. Referential vs. Non-referential World-Language Relations: How Do They Modulate Language Comprehension in 4 to 5-Year-Olds, Younger, and Older Adults? Front Psychol 2021; 11:542091. [PMID: 33519572 PMCID: PMC7838495 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.542091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Age has been shown to influence language comprehension, with delays, for instance, in older adults' expectations about upcoming information. We examined to what extent expectations about upcoming event information (who-does-what-to-whom) change across the lifespan (in 4- to 5-year-old children, younger, and older adults) and as a function of different world-language relations. In a visual-world paradigm, participants in all three age groups inspected a speaker whose facial expression was either smiling or sad. Next they inspected two clipart agents (e.g., a smiling cat and a grumpy rat) depicted as acting upon a patient (e.g., a ladybug tickled by the cat and arrested by the rat). Control scenes featured the same three characters without the action depictions. While inspecting the depictions, comprehenders listened to a German sentence [e.g., Den Marienkäfer kitzelt vergnügt der Kater; literally: “The ladybug (object/patient) tickles happily the cat (subject/agent)”]. Referential verb-action relations (i.e., when the actions were present) could, in principle, cue the cat-agent and so could non-referential relations via links from the speaker's smile to “happily” and the cat's smile. We examined variation in participants' visual anticipation of the agent (the cat) before it was mentioned depending on (a) participant age and (b) whether the referentially mediated action depiction or the non-referentially associated speaker smile cued the agent. The action depictions rapidly boosted participants' visual anticipation of the agent, facilitating thematic role assignment in all age groups. By contrast, effects of the non-referentially cued speaker smile emerged in the younger adults only. We outline implications of these findings for processing accounts of the temporally coordinated interplay between listeners' age-dependent language comprehension, their interrogation of the visual context, and visual context influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Maquate
- Psycholinguistics, Department of German Studies and Linguistics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pia Knoeferle
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany
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32
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Mini Pinyin: A modified miniature language for studying language learning and incremental sentence processing. Behav Res Methods 2020; 53:1218-1239. [PMID: 33021699 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-020-01473-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Artificial grammar learning (AGL) paradigms are used extensively to characterise (neuro)cognitive bases of language learning. However, despite their effectiveness in characterising the capacity to learn complex structured sequences, AGL paradigms lack ecological validity and typically do not account for cross-linguistic differences in sentence comprehension. Here, we describe a new modified miniature language paradigm - Mini Pinyin - that mimics natural language as it is based on an existing language (Mandarin Chinese) and includes both structure and meaning. Mini Pinyin contains a number of cross-linguistic elements, including varying word orders and classifier-noun rules. To evaluate the effectiveness of Mini Pinyin, 76 (mean age = 24.9; 26 female) monolingual native English speakers completed a learning phase followed by a sentence acceptability judgement task. Generalised mixed effects modelling revealed that participants attained a moderate degree of accuracy on the judgement task, with performance scores ranging from 25% to 100% accuracy depending on the word order of the sentence. Further, sentences compatible with the canonical English word order were learned more efficiently than non-canonical word orders. We controlled for inter-individual differences in statistical learning ability, which accounted for ~20% of the variance in performance on the sentence judgement task. We provide stimuli and statistical analysis scripts as open-source resources and discuss how future research can utilise this paradigm to study the neurobiological basis of language learning. Mini Pinyin affords a convenient tool for improving the future of language learning research by building on the parameters of traditional AGL or existing miniature language paradigms.
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33
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Blank IA, Fedorenko E. No evidence for differences among language regions in their temporal receptive windows. Neuroimage 2020; 219:116925. [PMID: 32407994 PMCID: PMC9392830 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The "core language network" consists of left frontal and temporal regions that are selectively engaged in linguistic processing. Whereas functional differences among these regions have long been debated, many accounts propose distinctions in terms of representational grain-size-e.g., words vs. phrases/sentences-or processing time-scale, i.e., operating on local linguistic features vs. larger spans of input. Indeed, the topography of language regions appears to overlap with a cortical hierarchy reported by Lerner et al. (2011) wherein mid-posterior temporal regions are sensitive to low-level features of speech, surrounding areas-to word-level information, and inferior frontal areas-to sentence-level information and beyond. However, the correspondence between the language network and this hierarchy of "temporal receptive windows" (TRWs) is difficult to establish because the precise anatomical locations of language regions vary across individuals. To directly test this correspondence, we first identified language regions in each participant with a well-validated task-based localizer, which confers high functional resolution to the study of TRWs (traditionally based on stereotactic coordinates); then, we characterized regional TRWs with the naturalistic story listening paradigm of Lerner et al. (2011), which augments task-based characterizations of the language network by more closely resembling comprehension "in the wild". We find no region-by-TRW interactions across temporal and inferior frontal regions, which are all sensitive to both word-level and sentence-level information. Therefore, the language network as a whole constitutes a unique stage of information integration within a broader cortical hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idan A Blank
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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34
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Youssofzadeh V, Stout J, Ustine C, Gross WL, Conant LL, Humphries CJ, Binder JR, Raghavan M. Mapping language from MEG beta power modulations during auditory and visual naming. Neuroimage 2020; 220:117090. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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35
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Sheng J, Zheng L, Lyu B, Cen Z, Qin L, Tan LH, Huang MX, Ding N, Gao JH. The Cortical Maps of Hierarchical Linguistic Structures during Speech Perception. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:3232-3240. [PMID: 30137249 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The hierarchical nature of language requires human brain to internally parse connected-speech and incrementally construct abstract linguistic structures. Recent research revealed multiple neural processing timescales underlying grammar-based configuration of linguistic hierarchies. However, little is known about where in the whole cerebral cortex such temporally scaled neural processes occur. This study used novel magnetoencephalography source imaging techniques combined with a unique language stimulation paradigm to segregate cortical maps synchronized to 3 levels of linguistic units (i.e., words, phrases, and sentences). Notably, distinct ensembles of cortical loci were identified to feature structures at different levels. The superior temporal gyrus was found to be involved in processing all 3 linguistic levels while distinct ensembles of other brain regions were recruited to encode each linguistic level. Neural activities in the right motor cortex only followed the rhythm of monosyllabic words which have clear acoustic boundaries, whereas the left anterior temporal lobe and the left inferior frontal gyrus were selectively recruited in processing phrases or sentences. Our results ground a multi-timescale hierarchical neural processing of speech in neuroanatomical reality with specific sets of cortices responsible for different levels of linguistic units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Sheng
- Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institution of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zheng
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Bingjiang Lyu
- Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zhehang Cen
- Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institution of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lang Qin
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Linguistics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li Hai Tan
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Ming-Xiong Huang
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.,Radiology, Research, and Psychiatry Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Nai Ding
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jia-Hong Gao
- Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institution of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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36
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Bocharov AV, Savostyanov AN, Tamozhnikov SS, Merkulova EA, Saprigyn AE, Proshina EA, Knyazev GG. Oscillatory dynamics of perception of emotional sentences in healthy subjects with different severity of depressive symptoms. Neurosci Lett 2020; 728:134888. [PMID: 32151710 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of the oscillatory dynamics of brain activity during the perception of negative, positive, and neutral sentences in healthy individuals with differing severity of depressive symptoms at the preclinical stage. The study involved 34 healthy people (22 women). The severity of the symptoms of depression was assessed using Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI II). Using independent component analysis and the function of dipfit in the EEGlab software, the EEG was divided into components and their localizations were calculated. To assess the induced responses, event-related spectral perturbations were calculated. The perception of emotional sentences was accompanied by a more pronounced increase in theta rhythm in the group with lower severity of depressive symptoms. The perception of all types of sentences was accompanied by a decrease in beta rhythm in the group with lower severity of depressive symptoms. The effects were localized to the precuneus. The decrease of oscillatory responses in the theta and beta ranges in individuals with a high severity of depressive symptoms suggests a reduction of attention to the emotional content and meaning of the sentences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey V Bocharov
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; Humanitarian Institute, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia.
| | - Alexander N Savostyanov
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; Humanitarian Institute, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Sergey S Tamozhnikov
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia
| | - Ekaterina A Merkulova
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; Humanitarian Institute, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Alexander E Saprigyn
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia
| | - Ekaterina A Proshina
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia
| | - Gennady G Knyazev
- Laboratory of Differential Psychophysiology, Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medicine, Novosibirsk 630117, Russia
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37
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Baroni F, Morillon B, Trébuchon A, Liégeois-Chauvel C, Olasagasti I, Giraud AL. Converging intracortical signatures of two separated processing timescales in human early auditory cortex. Neuroimage 2020; 218:116882. [PMID: 32439539 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural oscillations in auditory cortex are argued to support parsing and representing speech constituents at their corresponding temporal scales. Yet, how incoming sensory information interacts with ongoing spontaneous brain activity, what features of the neuronal microcircuitry underlie spontaneous and stimulus-evoked spectral fingerprints, and what these fingerprints entail for stimulus encoding, remain largely open questions. We used a combination of human invasive electrophysiology, computational modeling and decoding techniques to assess the information encoding properties of brain activity and to relate them to a plausible underlying neuronal microarchitecture. We analyzed intracortical auditory EEG activity from 10 patients while they were listening to short sentences. Pre-stimulus neural activity in early auditory cortical regions often exhibited power spectra with a shoulder in the delta range and a small bump in the beta range. Speech decreased power in the beta range, and increased power in the delta-theta and gamma ranges. Using multivariate machine learning techniques, we assessed the spectral profile of information content for two aspects of speech processing: detection and discrimination. We obtained better phase than power information decoding, and a bimodal spectral profile of information content with better decoding at low (delta-theta) and high (gamma) frequencies than at intermediate (beta) frequencies. These experimental data were reproduced by a simple rate model made of two subnetworks with different timescales, each composed of coupled excitatory and inhibitory units, and connected via a negative feedback loop. Modeling and experimental results were similar in terms of pre-stimulus spectral profile (except for the iEEG beta bump), spectral modulations with speech, and spectral profile of information content. Altogether, we provide converging evidence from both univariate spectral analysis and decoding approaches for a dual timescale processing infrastructure in human auditory cortex, and show that it is consistent with the dynamics of a simple rate model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano Baroni
- Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Benjamin Morillon
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurosciences des Systémes (INS), Marseille, France
| | - Agnès Trébuchon
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurosciences des Systémes (INS), Marseille, France; Clinical Neurophysiology and Epileptology Department, Timone Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Catherine Liégeois-Chauvel
- Aix Marseille Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Neurosciences des Systémes (INS), Marseille, France; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Itsaso Olasagasti
- Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Lise Giraud
- Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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38
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Panda EJ, Emami Z, Valiante TA, Pang EW. EEG phase synchronization during semantic unification relates to individual differences in children's vocabulary skill. Dev Sci 2020; 24:e12984. [PMID: 32384181 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
As we listen to speech, our ability to understand what was said requires us to retrieve and bind together individual word meanings into a coherent discourse representation. This so-called semantic unification is a fundamental cognitive skill, and its development relies on the integration of neural activity throughout widely distributed functional brain networks. In this proof-of-concept study, we examine, for the first time, how these functional brain networks develop in children. Twenty-six children (ages 4-17) listened to well-formed sentences and sentences containing a semantic violation, while EEG was recorded. Children with stronger vocabulary showed N400 effects that were more concentrated to centroparietal electrodes and greater EEG phase synchrony (phase lag index; PLI) between right centroparietal and bilateral frontocentral electrodes in the delta frequency band (1-3 Hz) 1.27-1.53 s after listening to well-formed sentences compared to sentences containing a semantic violation. These effects related specifically to individual differences in receptive vocabulary, perhaps pointing to greater recruitment of functional brain networks important for top-down semantic unification with development. Less skilled children showed greater delta phase synchrony for violation sentences 3.41-3.64 s after critical word onset. This later effect was partly driven by individual differences in nonverbal reasoning, perhaps pointing to non-verbal compensatory processing to extract meaning from speech in children with less developed vocabulary. We suggest that functional brain network communication, as measured by momentary changes in the phase synchrony of EEG oscillations, develops throughout the school years to support language comprehension in different ways depending on children's verbal and nonverbal skill levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin J Panda
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Epilespy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Zahra Emami
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Taufik A Valiante
- Epilespy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network and Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Epilespy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
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39
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Coopmans CW, Nieuwland MS. Dissociating activation and integration of discourse referents: Evidence from ERPs and oscillations. Cortex 2020; 126:83-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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40
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Rubinsten O, Korem N, Levin N, Furman T. Frequency-based Dissociation of Symbolic and Nonsymbolic Numerical Processing during Numerical Comparison. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:762-782. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that during numerical calculation, symbolic and nonsymbolic processing are functionally distinct operations. Nevertheless, both roughly recruit the same brain areas (spatially overlapping networks in the parietal cortex) and happen at the same time (roughly 250 msec poststimulus onset). We tested the hypothesis that symbolic and nonsymbolic processing are segregated by means of functionally relevant networks in different frequency ranges: high gamma (above 50 Hz) for symbolic processing and lower beta (12–17 Hz) for nonsymbolic processing. EEG signals were quantified as participants compared either symbolic numbers or nonsymbolic quantities. Larger EEG gamma-band power was observed for more difficult symbolic comparisons (ratio of 0.8 between the two numbers) than for easier comparisons (ratio of 0.2) over frontocentral regions. Similarly, beta-band power was larger for more difficult nonsymbolic comparisons than for easier ones over parietal areas. These results confirm the existence of a functional dissociation in EEG oscillatory dynamics during numerical processing that is compatible with the notion of distinct linguistic processing of symbolic numbers and approximation of nonsymbolic numerical information.
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41
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Droit-Volet S, Monceau S, Dambrun M, Martinelli N. Embodied time and the out-of-body experience of the self. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8565. [PMID: 32206446 PMCID: PMC7075359 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Using an out-of-body paradigm, the present study provided further empirical evidence for the theory of embodied time by suggesting that the body-self plays a key role in time judgments. Looking through virtual reality glasses, the participants saw the arm of a mannequin instead of their own arm. They had to judge the duration of the interval between two (perceived) touches applied to the mannequin's body after a series of strokes had been viewed being made to the mannequin and tactile strokes had been administered to the participants themselves. These strokes were administered either synchronously or asynchronously. During the interval, a pleasant (touch with a soft paintbrush) or an unpleasant stimulation (touch with a pointed knife) was applied to the mannequin. The results showed that the participants felt the perceived tactile stimulations in their own bodies more strongly after the synchronous than the asynchronous stroking condition, a finding which is consistent with the out-of-body illusion. In addition, the interval duration was judged longer in the synchronous than in the asynchronous condition. This time distortion increased the greater the individual out-of-body experience was. Our results therefore highlight the importance of the awareness of the body-self in the processing of time, i.e., the significance of embodied time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Droit-Volet
- Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, CNRS, UMR 6024, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Sophie Monceau
- Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, CNRS, UMR 6024, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Michaël Dambrun
- Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, CNRS, UMR 6024, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Natalia Martinelli
- Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, CNRS, UMR 6024, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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42
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The Relation between Alpha/Beta Oscillations and the Encoding of Sentence induced Contextual Information. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20255. [PMID: 31882830 PMCID: PMC6934725 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56600-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-stimulus alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (16-20 Hz) oscillations have been frequently linked to the prediction of upcoming sensory input. Do these frequency bands serve as a neural marker of linguistic prediction as well? We hypothesized that if pre-stimulus alpha and beta oscillations index language predictions, their power should monotonically relate to the degree of predictability of incoming words based on past context. We expected that the more predictable the last word of a sentence, the stronger the alpha and beta power modulation. To test this, we measured neural responses with magnetoencephalography of healthy individuals during exposure to a set of linguistically matched sentences featuring three levels of sentence context constraint (high, medium and low constraint). We observed fluctuations in alpha and beta power before last word onset, and modulations in M400 amplitude after last word onset. The M400 amplitude was monotonically related to the degree of context constraint, with a high constraining context resulting in the strongest amplitude decrease. In contrast, pre-stimulus alpha and beta power decreased more strongly for intermediate constraints, followed by high and low constraints. Therefore, unlike the M400, pre-stimulus alpha and beta dynamics were not indexing the degree of word predictability from sentence context.
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43
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Prystauka Y, Lewis AG. THE POWER OF NEURAL OSCILLATIONS TO INFORM SENTENCE COMPREHENSION: A LINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE. LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS COMPASS 2019; 13:e12347. [PMID: 33042211 PMCID: PMC7546279 DOI: 10.1111/lnc3.12347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The field of psycholinguistics is currently experiencing an explosion of interest in the analysis of neural oscillations - rhythmic brain activity synchronized at different temporal and spatial levels. Given that language comprehension relies on a myriad of processes, which are carried out in parallel in distributed brain networks, there is hope that this methodology might bring the field closer to understanding some of the more basic (spatially and temporally distributed, yet at the same time often overlapping) neural computations that support language function. In this review we discuss existing proposals linking oscillatory dynamics in different frequency bands to basic neural computations, and review relevant theories suggesting associations between band-specific oscillations and higher-level cognitive processes. More or less consistent patterns of oscillatory activity related to certain types of linguistic processing can already be derived from the evidence that has accumulated over the past few decades. The centerpiece of the current review is a synthesis of such patterns grouped by linguistic phenomenon. We restrict our review to evidence linking measures of oscillatory power to the comprehension of sentences, as well as linguistically (and/or pragmatically) more complex structures. For each grouping, we provide a brief summary and a table of associated oscillatory signatures that a psycholinguist might expect to find when employing a particular linguistic task. Summarizing across different paradigms, we conclude that a handful of basic neural oscillatory mechanisms are likely recruited in different ways and at different times for carrying out a variety of linguistic computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanina Prystauka
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut
- Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Ashley Glen Lewis
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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44
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Frequency-specific brain dynamics related to prediction during language comprehension. Neuroimage 2019; 198:283-295. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.04.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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45
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Beese C, Vassileiou B, Friederici AD, Meyer L. Age Differences in Encoding-Related Alpha Power Reflect Sentence Comprehension Difficulties. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:183. [PMID: 31379561 PMCID: PMC6654000 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
When sentence processing taxes verbal working memory, comprehension difficulties arise. This is specifically the case when processing resources decline with advancing adult age. Such decline likely affects the encoding of sentences into working memory, which constitutes the basis for successful comprehension. To assess age differences in encoding-related electrophysiological activity, we recorded the electroencephalogram from three age groups (24, 43, and 65 years). Using an auditory sentence comprehension task, age differences in encoding-related oscillatory power were examined with respect to the accuracy of the given response. That is, the difference in oscillatory power between correctly and incorrectly encoded sentences, yielding subsequent memory effects (SME), was compared across age groups. Across age groups, we observed an age-related SME inversion in the alpha band from a power decrease in younger adults to a power increase in older adults. We suggest that this SME inversion underlies age-related comprehension difficulties. With alpha being commonly linked to inhibitory processes, this shift may reflect a change in the cortical inhibition-disinhibition balance. A cortical disinhibition may imply enriched sentence encoding in younger adults. In contrast, resource limitations in older adults may necessitate an increase in cortical inhibition during sentence encoding to avoid an information overload. Overall, our findings tentatively suggest that age-related comprehension difficulties are associated with alterations to the electrophysiological dynamics subserving general higher cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Beese
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Benedict Vassileiou
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Angela D. Friederici
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lars Meyer
- Research Group Language Cycles, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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46
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Schneider JM, Maguire MJ. Developmental differences in the neural correlates supporting semantics and syntax during sentence processing. Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12782. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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47
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Rommers J, Federmeier KD. Lingering expectations: A pseudo-repetition effect for words previously expected but not presented. Neuroimage 2018; 183:263-272. [PMID: 30107258 PMCID: PMC6457249 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Prediction can help support rapid language processing. However, it is unclear whether prediction has downstream consequences, beyond processing in the moment. In particular, when a prediction is disconfirmed, does it linger, or is it suppressed? This study manipulated whether words were actually seen or were only expected, and probed their fate in memory by presenting the words (again) a few sentences later. If disconfirmed predictions linger, subsequent processing of the previously expected (but never presented) word should be similar to actual word repetition. At initial presentation, electrophysiological signatures of prediction disconfirmation demonstrated that participants had formed expectations. Further downstream, relative to unseen words, repeated words elicited a strong N400 decrease, an enhanced late positive complex (LPC), and late alpha band power decreases. Critically, like repeated words, words previously expected but not presented also attenuated the N400. This "pseudo-repetition effect" suggests that disconfirmed predictions can linger at some stages of processing, and demonstrates that prediction has downstream consequences beyond rapid on-line processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost Rommers
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Kara D Federmeier
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA; Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
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48
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White EJ, Nayman C, Dunkley BT, Keller AE, Valiante TA, Pang EW. Addressing the Language Binding Problem With Dynamic Functional Connectivity During Meaningful Spoken Language Comprehension. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1960. [PMID: 30369900 PMCID: PMC6194231 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During speech, how does the brain integrate information processed on different timescales and in separate brain areas so we can understand what is said? This is the language binding problem. Dynamic functional connectivity (brief periods of synchronization in the phase of EEG oscillations) may provide some answers. Here we investigate time and frequency characteristics of oscillatory power and phase synchrony (dynamic functional connectivity) during speech comprehension. Twenty adults listened to meaningful English sentences and non-sensical “Jabberwocky” sentences in which pseudo-words replaced all content words, while EEG was recorded. Results showed greater oscillatory power and global connectivity strength (mean phase lag index) in the gamma frequency range (30–80 Hz) for English compared to Jabberwocky. Increased power and connectivity relative to baseline was also seen in the theta frequency range (4–7 Hz), but was similar for English and Jabberwocky. High-frequency gamma oscillations may reflect a mechanism by which the brain transfers and integrates linguistic information so we can extract meaning and understand what is said. Slower frequency theta oscillations may support domain-general processing of the rhythmic features of speech. Our findings suggest that constructing a meaningful representation of speech involves dynamic interactions among distributed brain regions that communicate through frequency-specific functional networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin J White
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Epilespy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Candace Nayman
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anne E Keller
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Epilespy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Taufik A Valiante
- Epilespy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network and Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Epilespy Research Program of the Ontario Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
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49
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Ma X, Ding N, Tao Y, Yang YF. Differences in Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying the Processing of Center-Embedded and Non–embedded Musical Structures. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:425. [PMID: 30405379 PMCID: PMC6206303 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In music, chords are organized into hierarchical structures based on recursive or embedded syntax. How the brain extracts recursive grammar is a central question in musical cognition and other cognitive neuroscience, but the precise mechanism remains unclear. By analyzing event related potentials (ERPs) and neural oscillatory activity, the present study investigated neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the processing of center-embedded structure in music by examining the differences in center-embedded and non-embedded structure processing and evaluating how these differences are affected by musical proficiency. Based on Western musical proficiency, the subjects were divided into two groups, non-experts and experts. The results revealed that for non-experts, the processing of center-embedded structure elicited greater early right-anterior negativity (ERAN) and N5 components as well as, reduced alpha and gamma activities than did the non-embedded structure. For experts, no significant difference in the ERP response was observed between the processing of non-embedded and center-embedded structures; however, the processing of center-embedded structure elicited increased beta activity compared to non-embedded structure. These findings indicate that listeners different in proficiency would rely on different cognitive neural mechanisms in music processing with the syntactic complexity increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xie Ma
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Educational Science and Management, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Educational Informatization for Nationalities, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
| | - Nai Ding
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yun Tao
- College of Educational Science and Management, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Educational Informatization for Nationalities, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
| | - Yu Fang Yang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Fang Yang
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50
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He Y, Nagels A, Schlesewsky M, Straube B. The Role of Gamma Oscillations During Integration of Metaphoric Gestures and Abstract Speech. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1348. [PMID: 30104995 PMCID: PMC6077537 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metaphoric (MP) co-speech gestures are commonly used during daily communication. They communicate about abstract information by referring to gestures that are clearly concrete (e.g., raising a hand for “the level of the football game is high”). To understand MP co-speech gestures, a multisensory integration at semantic level is necessary between abstract speech and concrete gestures. While semantic gesture-speech integration has been extensively investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging, evidence from electroencephalography (EEG) is rare. In the current study, we set out an EEG experiment, investigating the processing of MP vs. iconic (IC) co-speech gestures in different contexts, to reveal the oscillatory signature of MP gesture integration. German participants (n = 20) viewed video clips with an actor performing both types of gestures, accompanied by either comprehensible German or incomprehensible Russian (R) speech, or speaking German sentences without any gestures. Time-frequency analysis of the EEG data showed that, when gestures were accompanied by comprehensible German speech, MP gestures elicited decreased gamma band power (50–70 Hz) between 500 and 700 ms in the parietal electrodes when compared to IC gestures, and the source of this effect was localized to the right middle temporal gyrus. This difference is likely to reflect integration processes, as it was reduced in the R language and no-gesture conditions. Our findings provide the first empirical evidence suggesting the functional relationship between gamma band oscillations and higher-level semantic processes in a multisensory setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei He
- Translational Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Marburg Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Arne Nagels
- Department of General Linguistics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Schlesewsky
- School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Translational Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Marburg Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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