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Ronderos J, Zuk J, Hernandez AE, Vaughn KA. Large-scale investigation of white matter structural differences in bilingual and monolingual children: An adolescent brain cognitive development data study. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26608. [PMID: 38339899 PMCID: PMC10836175 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26608] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Emerging research has provided valuable insights into the structural characteristics of the bilingual brain from studies of bilingual adults; however, there is a dearth of evidence examining brain structural alterations in childhood associated with the bilingual experience. This study examined the associations between bilingualism and white matter organization in bilingual children compared to monolingual peers leveraging the large-scale data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Then, 446 bilingual children (ages 9-10) were identified from the participants in the ABCD data and rigorously matched to a group of 446 monolingual peers. Multiple regression models for selected language and cognitive control white matter pathways were used to compare white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) values between bilinguals and monolinguals, controlling for demographic and environmental factors as covariates in the models. Results revealed significantly lower FA values in bilinguals compared to monolinguals across established dorsal and ventral language network pathways bilaterally (i.e., the superior longitudinal fasciculus and inferior frontal-occipital fasciculus) and right-hemispheric pathways in areas related to cognitive control and short-term memory (i.e., cingulum and parahippocampal cingulum). In contrast to the enhanced FA values observed in adult bilinguals relative to monolinguals, our findings of lower FA in bilingual children relative to monolinguals may suggest a protracted development of white matter pathways associated with language and cognitive control resulting from dual language learning in childhood. Further, these findings underscore the need for large-scale longitudinal investigation of white matter development in bilingual children to understand neuroplasticity associated with the bilingual experience during this period of heightened language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Ronderos
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing SciencesBoston UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jennifer Zuk
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing SciencesBoston UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Kelly A. Vaughn
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Texas Health Sciences Center at HoustonHoustonTexasUSA
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Cantor-Cutiva LC, Bottalico P, Webster J, Nudelman C, Hunter E. The Effect of Bilingualism on Production and Perception of Vocal Fry. J Voice 2023; 37:970.e1-970.e10. [PMID: 34301440 PMCID: PMC8770720 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2021.06.002] [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: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
AIMS (1) Determine the difference in vocal fry phonation in English and Spanish productions among bilingual young adults, (2) Characterize the effect of spoken language and native language on vocal fry production among English-Spanish bilingual speakers, (3) Identify the effect of first and second language knowledge of the listener in the voice perceptual assessment, and (4) Define the effect of the environment of the assessment (in situ vs. online), in the voice perceptual assessment. METHOD Exploratory cross-sectional study of 34 bilingual (Spanish-English) speakers and six inexperienced listeners. Participating speakers produced two speech samples (one in English and one in Spanish). Six inexperienced monolingual and bilingual listeners performed the voice perceptual assessment of vocal fry, General grade of hoarseness, and Roughness using a 4-point rating scale. RESULTS Bilingual speakers used vocal fry more often when they were speaking in English (around 3%) compared with their production in Spanish (around 2%). Bilingual native English speakers used vocal fry more often during their productions in both languages compared with bilingual native Spanish speakers. Bilingual listeners had the highest agreement when identifying vocal fry in both languages. CONCLUSIONS Differences in production of vocal fry between native speakers of American English and native speakers of Spanish may be evidence of transferring of vocal behavior (such as vocal fry) from one language to the second one. In addition, being a bilingual listener may have an important effect on the perceptual identification of voice quality in English and Spanish, as well as vocal fry in English.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Eric Hunter
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia
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3
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Peitz K, Stumme J, Jockwitz C, Bittner N, Caspers S, Heim S. The influence of bilingualism on gray matter volume in the course of aging: a longitudinal study. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1193283. [PMID: 37547741 PMCID: PMC10400456 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1193283] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bilingualism is associated with higher gray matter volume (GMV) as a form of brain reserve in brain regions such as the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). A recent cross-sectional study reported the age-related GMV decline in the left IFG and IPL to be steeper for bilinguals than for monolinguals. The present study aimed at supporting this finding for the first time with longitudinal data. Methods In the current study, 200 participants aged 19 to 79 years (87 monolinguals, 113 sequential bilinguals, mostly native German speakers with variable second language background) were included. Trajectories of GMV decline in the bilateral IFG and IPL were analyzed in mono- and bilinguals over two time points (mean time interval: 3.6 years). For four regions of interest (left/right IFG and left/right IPL), mixed Analyses of Covariance were conducted to assess (i) GMV changes over time, (ii) GMV differences for language groups (monolinguals/bilinguals), and (iii) the interaction between time point and language group. Corresponding analyses were conducted for the two factors of GMV, surface area (SA) and cortical thickness (CT). Results There was higher GMV in bilinguals compared to monolinguals in the IPL, but not IFG. While the left and right IFG and the right IPL displayed a similar GMV change in mono- and bilinguals, GMV decline within the left IPL was significantly steeper in bilinguals. There was greater SA in bilinguals in the bilateral IPL and a steeper CT decline in bilinguals within in the left IPL. Conclusion The cross-sectional observations of a steeper GMV decline in bilinguals could be confirmed for the left IPL. Additionally, the higher GMV in bilinguals in the bilateral IPL may indicate that bilingualism contributes to brain reserve especially in posterior brain regions. SA appeared to contribute to bilinguals' higher GMV in the bilateral IPL, while CT seemed to account for the steeper structural decline in bilinguals in the left IPL. The present findings demonstrate the importance of time as an additional factor when assessing the neuroprotective effects of bilingualism on structural features of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Peitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Johanna Stumme
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christiane Jockwitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nora Bittner
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stefan Heim
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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4
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Differences between Monolinguals and Bilinguals in Phonetic and Phonological Learning and the Connection with Auditory Sensory Memory. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13030488. [PMID: 36979298 PMCID: PMC10046011 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13030488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilingualism has been linked with improved function regarding certain aspects of linguistic processing, e.g., novel word acquisition and learning unfamiliar sound patterns. Two non mutually-exclusive approaches might explain these results. One is related to executive function, speculating that more effective learning is achieved through actively choosing relevant information while inhibiting potentially interfering information. While still controversial, executive function enhancements attributed to bilingual experience have been reported for decades. The other approach, understudied to date, emphasizes the role of sensory mechanisms, specifically auditory sensory memory. Bilinguals outperformed monolinguals in tasks involving auditory processing and episodic memory recall, but the questions whether (1) bilinguals’ auditory sensory memory skills are also enhanced, and (2) phonetic skill and auditory sensory memory are correlated, remain open, however. Our study is innovative in investigating phonetic learning skills and auditory sensory memory in the same speakers from two groups: monolinguals and early bilinguals. The participants were trained and tested on an artificial accent of English and their auditory sensory memory was assessed based on a digit span task. The results demonstrated that, compared to monolinguals, bilinguals exhibit enhanced auditory sensory memory and phonetic and phonological learning skill, and a correlation exists between them.
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Tien M, Albonico A, Barton JJS. Faces, English words and Chinese characters: a study of dual-task interference in mono-and bilingual speakers. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:1131-1144. [PMID: 36856801 PMCID: PMC9975443 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06580-2] [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: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
The many-to-many hypothesis suggests that face and visual-word processing tasks share neural resources in the brain, even though they show opposing hemispheric asymmetries in neuroimaging and neuropsychologic studies. Recently it has been suggested that both stimulus and task effects need to be incorporated into the hypothesis. A recent study found dual-task interference between face and text functions that lateralized to the same hemisphere, but not when they lateralized to different hemispheres. However, it is not clear whether a lack of interference between word and face recognition would occur for other languages, particularly those with a morpho-syllabic script, like Chinese, for which there is some evidence of greater right hemispheric involvement. Here, we used the same technique to probe for dual-task interference between English text, Chinese characters and face recognition. We tested 20 subjects monolingual for English and 20 subjects bilingual for Chinese and English. We replicated the prior result for English text and showed similar results for Chinese text with no evidence of interference with faces. We also did not find interference between Chinese and English text. The results support a view in which reading English words, reading Chinese characters and face identification have minimal sharing of neural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Tien
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2550 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3N9 Canada
| | - Andrea Albonico
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2550 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3N9 Canada
| | - Jason J. S. Barton
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Human Vision and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2550 Willow Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3N9 Canada
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Pascual JSG, Khu KJO, Starreveld YP. Cortical mapping in multilinguals undergoing awake brain surgery for brain tumors: Illustrative cases and systematic review. Neuropsychologia 2023; 179:108450. [PMID: 36529263 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Awake brain mapping in multilingual patients with brain tumors presents unique challenges to the neurosurgeon. Knowledge of potential eloquent sites is vital to preserve language function. METHODS We present two cases of pars opercularis glioma and perform a systematic review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS Our review yielded 7 studies, with a total of 25 multilingual brain tumor patients who underwent awake brain mapping. The age ranged from 25 to 62 years. Majority were female (56.5%). Most (52%) were trilingual, while 20% were quadrilingual and 28% were pentalingual. All tumors were left-sided, mostly in the frontal lobe. These were predominantly gliomas. Extent of resection was gross total in 61%. The brain mapping findings were heterogeneous. Some authors reported a greater number of cortical sites for the first language compared to others. Others found that the first and second languages shared cortical sites whereas the third and subsequent languages were located in distant sites. The peri-Sylvian area was also found to be involved in language that was learned at an earlier age. Subsequent languages thus involved more distant sites. A larger number of cortical areas were also activated for languages that were learned later in life. In terms of language disturbance and recovery, there were mixed results. CONCLUSION Cortical mapping in multilingual brain tumor patients showed heterogeneity in terms of the location and number of language areas in the face of pathology. These findings may influence neurosurgical and oncological management of tumors in the speech area but emphasize the need to tailor surgical approaches and intraoperative testing to the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Silvestre G Pascual
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines.
| | - Kathleen Joy O Khu
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines.
| | - Yves P Starreveld
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Carthery-Goulart MT, Privitera AJ, Weekes BS. Does Language Distance Modulate the Contribution of Bilingualism to Cognitive Reserve in Seniors? A Systematic Review. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen 2023; 38:15333175231167223. [PMID: 37186676 PMCID: PMC10623985 DOI: 10.1177/15333175231167223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
We report a systematic review and exploratory meta-regression investigating the hypothesis that the effects of bilingualism on cognitive reserve are modulated by the distance between the pair of languages a bilingual uses. An inclusive multiple database search was performed in order to identify all relevant published research conducted in bilingual seniors. A combination of qualitative and quantitative synthesis methods were used in order to investigate our research questions. Results suggest that healthy bilingual seniors speaking more distant language pairs show improved monitoring performance on cognitive tasks. Evidence regarding a modulatory influence of language distance (LD) on the age of dementia diagnosis was inconclusive due to the small number of published studies meeting our inclusion criteria. We recommend more detailed reporting of individual differences in bilingual experience to assess the impact of LD and other variables on typical cognitive aging and the development of dementia. Linguistic differences in samples should also be considered as a constraint on bilingual advantages in future studies. Preregistration: PROSPERO CRD42021238705; OSF DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/VPRBU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Teresa Carthery-Goulart
- Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Center for Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Das Clínicas, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Adam John Privitera
- Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Centre for Research and Development in Learning, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Brendan Stuart Weekes
- Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIA, Australia
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8
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Quartarone C, Navarrete E, Budisavljević S, Peressotti F. Exploring the ventral white matter language network in bimodal and unimodal bilinguals. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 235:105187. [PMID: 36244164 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging tractography to investigate the effect of language modality on the anatomy of the ventral white matter language network by comparing unimodal (Italian/English) and bimodal bilinguals (Italian/Italian Sign Language). We extracted the diffusion tractography measures of the Inferior Longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), Uncinate fasciculus (UF) and Inferior Fronto-Occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and we correlated them with the degree of bilingualism and the individual performance in fluency tasks. For both groups of bilinguals, the microstructural properties of the right ILF were correlated with individual level of proficiency in L2, confirming the involvement of this tract in bilingualism. In addition, we found that the degree of left lateralization of the ILF predicted the performance in semantic fluency in L1. The microstructural properties of the right UF correlated with performance in phonological fluency in L1, only for bimodal bilinguals. Overall, the pattern shows both similarities and differences between the two groups of bilinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Quartarone
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione - University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35137 Padova, Italy
| | - Eduardo Navarrete
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione - University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35137 Padova, Italy
| | - Sanja Budisavljević
- School of Medicine, St. Andrews University, College Gate, St Andrews KY16, 9AJ, UK
| | - Francesca Peressotti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione - University of Padua, Via Venezia, 8, 35137 Padova, Italy.
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Wang C, Flemming K, Cortiana G, Putkinen V, Lammert J, Rafat Y, Tao S, Joanisse MF. Chinese-English bilinguals are more sensitive to environmental sound perception than Spanish-English bilinguals through top-down cognitive mechanism. Biol Psychol 2022; 175:108449. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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10
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Brignoni‐Pérez E, Jamal NI, Eden GF. Functional neuroanatomy of English word reading in early bilingual and monolingual adults. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4310-4325. [PMID: 35607841 PMCID: PMC9435003 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Skilled reading is important in daily life. While the understanding of the neurofunctional organization of this uniquely human skill has advanced significantly, it does not take into consideration the common bilingual experiences around the world. To examine the role of early bilingualism on the neural substrates supporting English word processing, we compared brain activity, as well as functional connectivity, in Spanish-English early bilingual adults (N = 25) and English monolingual adults (N = 33) during single-word processing. Activation analysis revealed no significant differences between the two groups. A seed-to-voxel analysis using eight a priori selected seed-regions (placed in regions known to be involved in reading) revealed relatively stronger functional connectivity in bilinguals between two sets of regions: left superior temporal gyrus seed positively with left lingual gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus seed negatively with left anterior cingulate cortex. Together these results suggest that an early Spanish-English bilingual experience does not modulate local brain activity for English word reading. It does, however, have some influence on the functional intercommunication between brain regions during reading, specifically in two regions associated with reading, which are functionally connected to those inside and outside of the reading network. We conclude that brain regions involved in processing English words are not that different in Spanish-English early bilingual adults relative to monolingual adult users of English.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Brignoni‐Pérez
- Center for the Study of Learning, Department of PediatricsGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
- Interdisciplinary Program in NeuroscienceGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Nasheed I. Jamal
- Center for the Study of Learning, Department of PediatricsGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Guinevere F. Eden
- Center for the Study of Learning, Department of PediatricsGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
- Interdisciplinary Program in NeuroscienceGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
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11
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Stasenko A, Schadler A, Kaestner E, Reyes A, Díaz-Santos M, Połczyńska M, McDonald CR. Can bilingualism increase neuroplasticity of language networks in epilepsy? Epilepsy Res 2022; 182:106893. [PMID: 35278806 PMCID: PMC9050932 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2022.106893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with left temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) have a higher rate of atypical (i.e., bilateral or right hemisphere) language lateralization compared to healthy controls. In addition, bilinguals have been observed to have a less left-lateralized pattern of language representation. We examined the combined influence of bilingual language experience and side of seizure focus on language lateralization profiles in TLE to determine whether bilingualism promotes re-organization of language networks. Seventy-two monolingual speakers of English (21 left TLE; LTLE, 22 right TLE; RTLE, 29 age-matched healthy controls; HC) and 24 English-dominant bilinguals (6 LTLE, 7 RTLE, 11 HC) completed a lexical-semantic functional MRI task and standardized measures of language in English. Language lateralization was determined using laterality indices based on activations in left vs right homologous perisylvian regions-of-interest (ROIs). In a fronto-temporal ROI, LTLE showed the expected pattern of weaker left language lateralization relative to HC, and monolinguals showed a trend of weaker left language lateralization relative to bilinguals. Importantly, these effects were qualified by a significant group by language status interaction, revealing that bilinguals with LTLE had greater rightward language lateralization relative to monolingual LTLE, with a large effect size particularly in the lateral temporal region. Rightward language lateralization was associated with better language scores in bilingual LTLE. These preliminary findings suggest a combined effect of bilingual language experience and a left hemisphere neurologic insult, which may together increase the likelihood of language re-organization to the right hemisphere. Our data underscore the need to consider bilingualism as an important factor contributing to language laterality in patients with TLE. Bilingualism may be neuroprotective pre-surgically and may mitigate post-surgical language decline following left anterior temporal lobectomy, which will be important to test in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Stasenko
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Adam Schadler
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Erik Kaestner
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Anny Reyes
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Mirella Díaz-Santos
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Monika Połczyńska
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carrie R McDonald
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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12
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Martín-Fernández J, Gabarrós A, Fernandez-Coello A. Intraoperative Brain Mapping in Multilingual Patients: What Do We Know and Where Are We Going? Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050560. [PMID: 35624947 PMCID: PMC9139515 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we evaluate the knowledge gained so far about the neural bases of multilingual language processing obtained mainly through imaging and electrical stimulation mapping (ESM). We attempt to answer some key questions about multilingualism in the light of recent literature evidence, such as the degree of anatomical–functional integration of two or more languages in a multilingual brain, how the age of L2-acquisition affects language organization in the human brain, or how the brain controls more than one language. Finally, we highlight the future trends in multilingual language mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Martín-Fernández
- Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (HUNSC), Neurosurgery Section, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Andreu Gabarrós
- Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge (HUB), Neurosurgery Section, Campus Bellvitge, University of Barcelona—IDIBELL, 08097 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain;
| | - Alejandro Fernandez-Coello
- Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge (HUB), Neurosurgery Section, Campus Bellvitge, University of Barcelona—IDIBELL, 08097 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain;
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence:
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13
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Bsharat-Maalouf D, Karawani H. Bilinguals' speech perception in noise: Perceptual and neural associations. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264282. [PMID: 35196339 PMCID: PMC8865662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The current study characterized subcortical speech sound processing among monolinguals and bilinguals in quiet and challenging listening conditions and examined the relation between subcortical neural processing and perceptual performance. A total of 59 normal-hearing adults, ages 19–35 years, participated in the study: 29 native Hebrew-speaking monolinguals and 30 Arabic-Hebrew-speaking bilinguals. Auditory brainstem responses to speech sounds were collected in a quiet condition and with background noise. The perception of words and sentences in quiet and background noise conditions was also examined to assess perceptual performance and to evaluate the perceptual-physiological relationship. Perceptual performance was tested among bilinguals in both languages (first language (L1-Arabic) and second language (L2-Hebrew)). The outcomes were similar between monolingual and bilingual groups in quiet. Noise, as expected, resulted in deterioration in perceptual and neural responses, which was reflected in lower accuracy in perceptual tasks compared to quiet, and in more prolonged latencies and diminished neural responses. However, a mixed picture was observed among bilinguals in perceptual and physiological outcomes in noise. In the perceptual measures, bilinguals were significantly less accurate than their monolingual counterparts. However, in neural responses, bilinguals demonstrated earlier peak latencies compared to monolinguals. Our results also showed that perceptual performance in noise was related to subcortical resilience to the disruption caused by background noise. Specifically, in noise, increased brainstem resistance (i.e., fewer changes in the fundamental frequency (F0) representations or fewer shifts in the neural timing) was related to better speech perception among bilinguals. Better perception in L1 in noise was correlated with fewer changes in F0 representations, and more accurate perception in L2 was related to minor shifts in auditory neural timing. This study delves into the importance of using neural brainstem responses to speech sounds to differentiate individuals with different language histories and to explain inter-subject variability in bilinguals’ perceptual abilities in daily life situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Bsharat-Maalouf
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hanin Karawani
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- * E-mail:
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14
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Voits T, Robson H, Rothman J, Pliatsikas C. The effects of bilingualism on hippocampal volume in ageing bilinguals. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:979-994. [PMID: 34985602 PMCID: PMC8930894 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02436-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Long-term management of more than one language has been argued to contribute to changes in brain and cognition. This has been particularly well documented in older age, where bilingualism has been linked to protective effects against neurocognitive decline. Since memory difficulties are key aspects of this decline, herein we examine potential effects of bilingualism on the hippocampus, a brain structure related to memory that is particularly vulnerable to cognitive ageing. Hippocampal volume has been shown to increase as a result of second language learning and use in younger adults. However, it is unknown if this is maintained throughout the lifespan. We examine hippocampal volume and episodic memory performance in a participant sample consisting of healthy older individuals with a wide range of experiences in exposure and using a second language. Results reveal greater hippocampal volume calibrated to degree of quantified dual language use. Our results mirror those of immersive active bilingualism in younger populations, suggesting that long-term active bilingualism leads to neuroprotective effects in the hippocampus. We discuss this in the context of literature proposing bilingualism-induced brain reserve in the older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toms Voits
- Department of Language and Culture, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, 9019, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Holly Robson
- Department of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Chandler House, 2 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PF, UK
| | - Jason Rothman
- Department of Language and Culture, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, 9019, Tromsø, Norway.,Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición, Universidad Nebrija, Calle de Sta. Cruz de Marcenado, 27, 28015, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christos Pliatsikas
- Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición, Universidad Nebrija, Calle de Sta. Cruz de Marcenado, 27, 28015, Madrid, Spain.,School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Harry Pitt Building, Earley Gate, Whiteknights Road, Reading, RG6 6AL, UK
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15
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Veríssimo J, Verhaeghen P, Goldman N, Weinstein M, Ullman MT. Evidence that ageing yields improvements as well as declines across attention and executive functions. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:97-110. [PMID: 34413509 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01169-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Many but not all cognitive abilities decline during ageing. Some even improve due to lifelong experience. The critical capacities of attention and executive functions have been widely posited to decline. However, these capacities are composed of multiple components, so multifaceted ageing outcomes might be expected. Indeed, prior findings suggest that whereas certain attention/executive functions clearly decline, others do not, with hints that some might even improve. We tested ageing effects on the alerting, orienting and executive (inhibitory) networks posited by Posner and Petersen's influential theory of attention, in a cross-sectional study of a large sample (N = 702) of participants aged 58-98. Linear and nonlinear analyses revealed that whereas the efficiency of the alerting network decreased with age, orienting and executive inhibitory efficiency increased, at least until the mid-to-late 70s. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the patterns were robust. The results suggest variability in age-related changes across attention/executive functions, with some declining while others improve.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Veríssimo
- Center of Linguistics, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. .,Department of Linguistics, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Paul Verhaeghen
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Noreen Goldman
- Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Maxine Weinstein
- Center for Population and Health, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael T Ullman
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
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16
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Cai L, Xu X, Fan X, Ma J, Fan M, Wang Q, Wu Y, Pan N, Yin Z, Li X. Differences in Brain Functional Networks of Executive Function Between Cantonese-Mandarin Bilinguals and Mandarin Monolinguals. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:748919. [PMID: 34867242 PMCID: PMC8638783 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.748919] [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: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
It remains controversial whether long-term logographic-logographic bilingual experience shapes the special brain functional subnetworks underlying different components of executive function (EF). To address this question, this study explored the differences in the functional connections underlying EF between the Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals and Mandarin monolinguals. 31 Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals and 31 Mandarin monolinguals were scanned in a 3-T magnetic resonance scanner at rest. 4 kinds of behavioral tasks of EF were tested. Network-based statistics (NBS) was performed to compare the connectomes of fronto-parietal (FP) and cingulo-opercular (CO) network between groups. The results showed that the bilinguals had stronger connectivity than monolinguals in a subnetwork located in the CO network rather than the FP network. The identified differential subnetwork referred to as the CO subnetwork contained 9 nodes and 10 edges, in which the center node was the left mid-insula with a degree centrality of 5. The functional connectivity of the CO subnetwork was significantly negatively correlated with interference effect in bilinguals. The results suggested that long-term Cantonese-Mandarin bilingual experience was associated with stronger functional connectivity underlying inhibitory control in the CO subnetwork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Cai
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Xu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Fan
- Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingwen Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Miao Fan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingxiong Wang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yujia Wu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ning Pan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhixin Yin
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiuhong Li
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Predicting multilingual effects on executive function and individual connectomes in children: An ABCD study. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2110811118. [PMID: 34845019 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110811118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While there is a substantial amount of work studying multilingualism's effect on cognitive functions, little is known about how the multilingual experience modulates the brain as a whole. In this study, we analyzed data of over 1,000 children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to examine whether monolinguals and multilinguals differ in executive function, functional brain connectivity, and brain-behavior associations. We observed significantly better performance from multilingual children than monolinguals in working-memory tasks. In one finding, we were able to classify multilinguals from monolinguals using only their whole-brain functional connectome at rest and during an emotional n-back task. Compared to monolinguals, the multilingual group had different functional connectivity mainly in the occipital lobe and subcortical areas during the emotional n-back task and in the occipital lobe and prefrontal cortex at rest. In contrast, we did not find any differences in behavioral performance and functional connectivity when performing a stop-signal task. As a second finding, we investigated the degree to which behavior is reflected in the brain by implementing a connectome-based behavior prediction approach. The multilingual group showed a significant correlation between observed and connectome-predicted individual working-memory performance scores, while the monolingual group did not show any correlations. Overall, our observations suggest that multilingualism enhances executive function and reliably modulates the corresponding brain functional connectome, distinguishing multilinguals from monolinguals even at the developmental stage.
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18
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Gallo F, Ramanujan K, Shtyrov Y, Myachykov A. Attriters and Bilinguals: What's in a Name? Front Psychol 2021; 12:558228. [PMID: 34335344 PMCID: PMC8319465 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.558228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of language as a universal tool for communication and interaction is the backbone of human society. General sociocultural milieu and specific contextual factors can strongly influence various aspects of linguistic experience, including language acquisition and use and the respective internal neurolinguistic processes. This is particularly relevant in the case of bilingualism, which encompasses a diverse set of linguistic experiences, greatly influenced by societal, cultural, educational, and personal factors. In this perspective piece, we focus on a specific type of linguistic experience: non-pathological first-language (L1) attrition—a phenomenon that is strongly tied to immersion in non-L1 environments. We present our view on what may be the essence of L1 attrition and suggest ways of examining it as a type of bilingual experience, in particular with relation to its neurocognitive bases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Gallo
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Moscow, Russia.,Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Keerthi Ramanujan
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yury Shtyrov
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Moscow, Russia.,Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andriy Myachykov
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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19
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Reddy Mukku SS, Keshavaprasad YB, Rangarajan SK, Girimaji AS, Mohammed M, Mangalore S, Sivakumar PT. Multilingualism and semantic dementia - A case report. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 54:102267. [PMID: 32659657 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Language is a vital component of cognition essential for communication. Proficiency in more than one language has become a norm for many in the current era of globalisation. In neurogenerative conditions decline in language ability leads to early dependency. Studies have reported higher cognitive reserve in multilingual compared to monolinguals. Determining preserved language skills in a patient presenting with cognitive concerns helps in understanding the cognitive reserve, early signs of dementia, the extent of impairment due to language deficits and planning for cognitive stimulation. In this article, we have described an elderly woman with multilinguistic abilities who presented with semantic dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Shanker Reddy Mukku
- Geriatric Clinic & Services, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India.
| | - Yamini Belur Keshavaprasad
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India.
| | - Subashini K Rangarajan
- Geriatric Clinic & Services, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India.
| | - Akhila S Girimaji
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India.
| | - Marwah Mohammed
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India.
| | - Sandhya Mangalore
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India.
| | - P T Sivakumar
- Geriatric Clinic & Services, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India.
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20
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Crusio WE. Behavioral and Brain Functions at 15. Behav Brain Funct 2020; 16:8. [PMID: 33097086 PMCID: PMC7585170 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-020-00170-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wim E Crusio
- University of Bordeaux and CNRS, Pessac, France.
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21
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Giroud N, Baum SR, Gilbert AC, Phillips NA, Gracco V. Earlier age of second language learning induces more robust speech encoding in the auditory brainstem in adults, independent of amount of language exposure during early childhood. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 207:104815. [PMID: 32535187 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Learning a second language (L2) at a young age is a driving factor of functional neuroplasticity in the auditory brainstem. To date, it remains unclear whether these effects remain stable until adulthood and to what degree the amount of exposure to the L2 in early childhood might affect their outcome. We compared three groups of adult English-French bilinguals in their ability to categorize English vowels in relation to their frequency following responses (FFR) evoked by the same vowels. At the time of testing, cognitive abilities as well as fluency in both languages were matched between the (1) simultaneous bilinguals (SIM, N = 18); (2) sequential bilinguals with L1-English (N = 14); and (3) sequential bilinguals with L1-French (N = 11). Our results show that the L1-English group show sharper category boundaries in identification of the vowels compared to the L1-French group. Furthermore, the same pattern was reflected in the FFRs (i.e., larger FFR responses in L1-English > SIM > L1-French), while again only the difference between the L1-English and the L1-French group was statistically significant; nonetheless, there was a trend towards larger FFR in SIM compared to L1-French. Our data extends previous literature showing that exposure to a language during the first years of life induces functional neuroplasticity in the auditory brainstem that remains stable until at least young adulthood. Furthermore, the findings suggest that amount of exposure (i.e., 100% vs. 50%) to that language does not differentially shape the robustness of the perceptual abilities or the auditory brainstem encoding of phonetic categories of the language. Statement of significance: Previous studies have indicated that early age of L2 acquisition induces functional neuroplasticity in the auditory brainstem during processing of the L2. This study compared three groups of adult bilinguals who differed in their age of L2 acquisition as well as the amount of exposure to the L2 during early childhood. We demonstrate for the first time that the neuroplastic effect in the brainstem remains stable until young adulthood and that the amount of L2 exposure does not influence behavioral or brainstem plasticity. Our study provides novel insights into low-level auditory plasticity as a function of varying bilingual experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Giroud
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH), Concordia University, Montréal, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
| | - Shari R Baum
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Annie C Gilbert
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
| | - Natalie A Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH), Concordia University, Montréal, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Canada; Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Canada.
| | - Vincent Gracco
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), McGill University, Montréal, Canada; School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montréal, Canada; Haskins Laboratories, Yale University, New Haven, United States
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22
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The effect of bilingualism on brain development from early childhood to young adulthood. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:2131-2152. [PMID: 32691216 PMCID: PMC7473972 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bilingualism affects the structure of the brain in adults, as evidenced by experience-dependent grey and white matter changes in brain structures implicated in language learning, processing, and control. However, limited evidence exists on how bilingualism may influence brain development. We examined the developmental patterns of both grey and white matter structures in a cross-sectional study of a large sample (n = 711 for grey matter, n = 637 for white matter) of bilingual and monolingual participants, aged 3–21 years. Metrics of grey matter (thickness, volume, and surface area) and white matter (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) were examined across 41 cortical and subcortical brain structures and 20 tracts, respectively. We used generalized additive modelling to analyze whether, how, and where the developmental trajectories of bilinguals and monolinguals might differ. Bilingual and monolingual participants manifested distinct developmental trajectories in both grey and white matter structures. As compared to monolinguals, bilinguals showed: (a) more grey matter (less developmental loss) starting during late childhood and adolescence, mainly in frontal and parietal regions (particularly in the inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis, superior frontal cortex, inferior and superior parietal cortex, and precuneus); and (b) higher white matter integrity (greater developmental increase) starting during mid-late adolescence, specifically in striatal–inferior frontal fibers. The data suggest that there may be a developmental basis to the well-documented structural differences in the brain between bilingual and monolingual adults.
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23
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Vaquero L, Rousseau PN, Vozian D, Klein D, Penhune V. What you learn & when you learn it: Impact of early bilingual & music experience on the structural characteristics of auditory-motor pathways. Neuroimage 2020; 213:116689. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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24
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Byers-Heinlein K, Esposito AG, Winsler A, Marian V, Castro DC, Luk G. The Case for Measuring and Reporting Bilingualism in Developmental Research. COLLABRA. PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 5:37. [PMID: 32133435 PMCID: PMC7056406 DOI: 10.1525/collabra.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Many children around the world grow up bilingual, learning and using two or more languages in everyday life. Currently, however, children's language backgrounds are not always reported in developmental studies. There is mounting evidence that bilingualism interacts with a wide array of processes including language, cognitive, perceptual, brain, and social development, as well as educational outcomes. As such, bilingualism may be a hidden moderator that obscures developmental patterns, and limits the replicability of developmental research and the efficacy of psychological and educational interventions. Here, we argue that bilingualism and language experience in general should be routinely documented in all studies of infant and child development regardless of the research questions pursued, and provide suggestions for measuring and reporting children's language exposure, proficiency, and use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam Winsler
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, US
| | - Viorica Marian
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, US
| | | | - Gigi Luk
- Department of Education and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, CA
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