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Zhang J, Li H, Qu J, Liu X, Feng X, Fu X, Mei L. Language proficiency is associated with neural representational dimensionality of semantic concepts. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2024; 258:105485. [PMID: 39388908 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2024.105485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 09/28/2024] [Accepted: 10/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies suggest that semantic concepts are characterized by high-dimensional neural representations and that language proficiency affects semantic processing. However, it is not clear whether language proficiency modulates the dimensional representations of semantic concepts at the neural level. To address this question, the present study adopted principal component analysis (PCA) and representational similarity analysis (RSA) to examine the differences in representational dimensionalities (RDs) and in semantic representations between words in highly proficient (Chinese) and less proficient (English) language. PCA results revealed that language proficiency increased the dimensions of lexical representations in the left inferior frontal gyrus, temporal pole, inferior temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, angular gyrus, and fusiform gyrus. RSA results further showed that these regions represented semantic information and that higher semantic representations were observed in highly proficient language relative to less proficient language. These results suggest that language proficiency is associated with the neural representational dimensionality of semantic concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxian Zhang
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510631, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Huiling Li
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510631, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Jing Qu
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510631, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510631, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaoxue Feng
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510631, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xin Fu
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510631, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Leilei Mei
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510631, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
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Chang YN, Chang TJ, Lin WF, Kuo CE, Shi YT, Lee HW. Modelling individual differences in reading using an optimised MikeNet simulator: the impact of reading instruction. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1356483. [PMID: 38974479 PMCID: PMC11224532 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1356483] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Reading is vital for acquiring knowledge and studies have demonstrated that phonology-focused interventions generally yield greater improvements than meaning-focused interventions in English among children with reading disabilities. However, the effectiveness of reading instruction can vary among individuals. Among the various factors that impact reading skills like reading exposure and oral language skills, reading instruction is critical in facilitating children's development into skilled readers; it can significantly influence reading strategies, and contribute to individual differences in reading. To investigate this assumption, we developed a computational model of reading with an optimised MikeNet simulator. In keeping with educational practices, the model underwent training with three different instructional methods: phonology-focused training, meaning-focused training, and phonology-meaning balanced training. We used semantic reliance (SR), a measure of the relative reliance on print-to-sound and print-to-meaning mappings under the different training conditions in the model, as an indicator of individual differences in reading. The simulation results demonstrated a direct link between SR levels and the type of reading instruction. Additionally, the SR scores were able to predict model performance in reading-aloud tasks: higher SR scores were correlated with increased phonological errors and reduced phonological activation. These findings are consistent with data from both behavioral and neuroimaging studies and offer insights into the impact of instructional methods on reading behaviors, while revealing individual differences in reading and the importance of integrating OP and OS instruction approaches for beginning readers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ning Chang
- Miin Wu School of Computing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Jung Chang
- Department of Computer Science, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Fen Lin
- Miin Wu School of Computing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ching-En Kuo
- Miin Wu School of Computing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Shi
- Miin Wu School of Computing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Wei Lee
- Miin Wu School of Computing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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Junker FB, Schlaffke L, Lange J, Schmidt-Wilcke T. The angular gyrus serves as an interface between the non-lexical reading network and the semantic system: evidence from dynamic causal modeling. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:561-575. [PMID: 36905417 PMCID: PMC10978681 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02624-z] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding encoded language, such as written words, requires multiple cognitive processes that act in a parallel and interactive fashion. These processes and their interactions, however, are not fully understood. Various conceptual and methodical approaches including computational modeling and neuroimaging have been applied to better understand the neural underpinnings of these complex processes in the human brain. In this study, we tested different predictions of cortical interactions that derived from computational models for reading using dynamic causal modeling. Morse code was used as a model for non-lexical decoding followed by a lexical-decision during a functional magnetic resonance examination. Our results suggest that individual letters are first converted into phonemes within the left supramarginal gyrus, followed by a phoneme assembly to reconstruct word phonology, involving the left inferior frontal cortex. To allow the identification and comprehension of known words, the inferior frontal cortex then interacts with the semantic system via the left angular gyrus. As such, the left angular gyrus is likely to host phonological and semantic representations and serves as a bidirectional interface between the networks involved in language perception and word comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick Benjamin Junker
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Lara Schlaffke
- Department for Neurology, Professional Association Berufsgenossenschaft-University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle de La Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Joachim Lange
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Neurological Center Mainkofen, Mainkofen A 3, 94469, Deggendorf, Germany
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Dong J, Yue Q, Li A, Gu L, Su X, Chen Q, Mei L. Individuals' preference on reading pathways influences the involvement of neural pathways in phonological learning. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1067561. [PMID: 36591053 PMCID: PMC9794771 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1067561] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Existing behavioral and neuroimaging studies revealed inter-individual variability in the selection of the two phonological routes in word reading. However, it is not clear how individuals' preferred reading pathways/strategies modulate the involvement of a certain brain region for phonological learning in a new language, and consequently affect their behavioral performance on phonological access. Methods To address this question, the present study recruited a group of native Chinese speakers to learn two sets of artificial language characters, respectively, in addressed-phonology training (i.e., whole-word mapping) and assembled-phonology training conditions (i.e., grapheme-to-phoneme mapping). Results Behavioral results showed that the more lexical pathways participants preferred, the better they performed on newly-acquired addressed characters relative to assembled characters. More importantly, neuroimaging results showed that participants who preferred lexical pathway in phonological access show less involvement of brain regions for addressed phonology (e.g., the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex and right pars triangularis) in the processing of newly-acquired addressed characters. Conclusion These results indicated that phonological access via the preferred pathway required less neural resources to achieve better behavioral performance. These above results provide direct neuroimaging evidence for the influence of reading pathway preference on phonological learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Dong
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingxin Yue
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aqian Li
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lala Gu
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinqi Su
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Leilei Mei
- Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Leilei Mei,
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Xia Z, Yang T, Cui X, Hoeft F, Liu H, Zhang X, Liu X, Shu H. Atypical Relationships Between Neurofunctional Features of Print-Sound Integration and Reading Abilities in Chinese Children With Dyslexia. Front Psychol 2022; 12:748644. [PMID: 35145448 PMCID: PMC8822058 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.748644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Conquering print-sound mappings (e.g., grapheme-phoneme correspondence rules) is vital for developing fluent reading skills. In neuroimaging research, this ability can be indexed by activation differences between audiovisual congruent against incongruent conditions in brain areas such as the left superior temporal cortex. In line with it, individuals with dyslexia have difficulty in tasks requiring print-sound processing, accompanied by a reduced neural integration. However, existing evidence is almost restricted to alphabetic languages. Whether and how multisensory processing of print and sound is impaired in Chinese dyslexia remains underexplored. In this study, we applied a passive audiovisual integration paradigm with functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the possible dysfunctions in processing character-sound (opaque; semantics can be automatically accessed) and pinyin-sound associations (transparent; no particular meaning can be confirmed) in Chinese dyslexic children. Unexpectedly, the dyslexic group did not show reduced neural integration compared with typically developing readers in either character or pinyin experiment. However, the results revealed atypical correlations between neural integration and different reading abilities in dyslexia. Specifically, while the neural integration in the left inferior frontal cortex in processing character-sound pairs correlated with silent reading comprehension in both children with and without dyslexia, it was associated with morphological awareness (semantic-related) in controls but with rapid naming (phonological-related) in dyslexics. This result indicates Chinese dyslexic children may not use the same grapho-semantic processing strategy as their typical peers do. As for pinyin-sound processing, while a stronger neural integration in the direction of "congruent > incongruent" in the left occipito-temporal cortex and bilateral superior temporal cortices was associated with better oral reading fluency in the control group, an opposite pattern was found in dyslexia. This finding may reflect dyslexia's dysfunctional recruitment of the regions in grapho-phonological processing, which further impedes character learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Fumiko Hoeft
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Imaging Research Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hong Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Imaging Research Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Xianglin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangping Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Ekert JO, Lorca-Puls DL, Gajardo-Vidal A, Crinion JT, Hope TMH, Green DW, Price CJ. A functional dissociation of the left frontal regions that contribute to single word production tasks. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118734. [PMID: 34793955 PMCID: PMC8752962 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Controversy surrounds the interpretation of higher activation for pseudoword compared to word reading in the left precentral gyrus and pars opercularis. Specifically, does activation in these regions reflect: (1) the demands on sublexical assembly of articulatory codes, or (2) retrieval effort because the combinations of articulatory codes are unfamiliar? Using fMRI, in 84 neurologically intact participants, we addressed this issue by comparing reading and repetition of words (W) and pseudowords (P) to naming objects (O) from pictures or sounds. As objects do not provide sublexical articulatory cues, we hypothesis that retrieval effort will be greater for object naming than word repetition/reading (which benefits from both lexical and sublexical cues); while the demands on sublexical assembly will be higher for pseudoword production than object naming. We found that activation was: (i) highest for pseudoword reading [P>O&W in the visual modality] in the anterior part of the ventral precentral gyrus bordering the precentral sulcus (vPCg/vPCs), consistent with the sublexical assembly of articulatory codes; but (ii) as high for object naming as pseudoword production [P&O>W] in dorsal precentral gyrus (dPCg) and the left inferior frontal junction (IFJ), consistent with retrieval demands and cognitive control. In addition, we dissociate the response properties of vPCg/vPCs, dPCg and IFJ from other left frontal lobe regions that are activated during single word speech production. Specifically, in both auditory and visual modalities: a central part of vPCg (head and face area) was more activated for verbal than nonverbal stimuli [P&W>O]; and the pars orbitalis and inferior frontal sulcus were most activated during object naming [O>W&P]. Our findings help to resolve a previous discrepancy in the literature, dissociate three functionally distinct parts of the precentral gyrus, and refine our knowledge of the functional anatomy of speech production in the left frontal lobe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna O Ekert
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom.
| | - Diego L Lorca-Puls
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom; Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
| | - Andrea Gajardo-Vidal
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom; Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad del Desarrollo, Concepcion, Chile
| | - Jennifer T Crinion
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas M H Hope
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - David W Green
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cathy J Price
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
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Qu J, Hu L, Liu X, Dong J, Yang R, Mei L. The contributions of the left hippocampus and bilateral inferior parietal lobule to form-meaning associative learning. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13834. [PMID: 33949705 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Existing studies have identified crucial roles for the hippocampus and a distributed set of cortical regions (e.g., the inferior parietal cortex) in learning novel words. Nevertheless, researchers have not clearly determined how the hippocampus and cortical regions dynamically interact during novel word learning, especially during form-meaning associative learning. As a method to address this question, we used an online learning paradigm and representational similarity analysis to explore the contributions of the hippocampus and neocortex to form-meaning associative learning. Twenty-nine native Chinese college students were recruited to learn 30 form-meaning pairs, which were repeated 7 times during fMRI scan. Form-meaning associative learning elicited activations in a wide neural network including regions required for word processing (i.e., the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and the occipitotemporal cortex), regions required for encoding (i.e., the bilateral parahippocampus and hippocampus), and regions required for cognitive control (i.e., the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). More importantly, our study revealed the differential roles of the left hippocampus and bilateral inferior parietal lobule (IPL) in form-meaning associative learning. Specifically, higher pattern similarity in the bilateral IPL in the early learning phase (repetitions 1 to 3) was related to better learning performance, while higher pattern similarity in the left hippocampus in the late learning phase (repetitions 5 to 7) was associated with better learning performance. These findings indicate that the hippocampus and cortical regions (e.g., the IPL) contribute to form-meaning learning in different stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Qu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liyuan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Dong
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Leilei Mei
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Xu W, Kolozsvari OB, Oostenveld R, Hämäläinen JA. Rapid changes in brain activity during learning of grapheme-phoneme associations in adults. Neuroimage 2020; 220:117058. [PMID: 32561476 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning to associate written letters with speech sounds is crucial for the initial phase of acquiring reading skills. However, little is known about the cortical reorganization for supporting letter-speech sound learning, particularly the brain dynamics during the learning of grapheme-phoneme associations. In the present study, we trained 30 Finnish participants (mean age: 24.33 years, SD: 3.50 years) to associate novel foreign letters with familiar Finnish speech sounds on two consecutive days (first day ~ 50 min; second day ~ 25 min), while neural activity was measured using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Two sets of audiovisual stimuli were used for the training in which the grapheme-phoneme association in one set (Learnable) could be learned based on the different learning cues provided, but not in the other set (Control). The learning progress was tracked at a trial-by-trial basis and used to segment different learning stages for the MEG source analysis. The learning-related changes were examined by comparing the brain responses to Learnable and Control uni/multi-sensory stimuli, as well as the brain responses to learning cues at different learning stages over the two days. We found dynamic changes in brain responses related to multi-sensory processing when grapheme-phoneme associations were learned. Further, changes were observed in the brain responses to the novel letters during the learning process. We also found that some of these learning effects were observed only after memory consolidation the following day. Overall, the learning process modulated the activity in a large network of brain regions, including the superior temporal cortex and the dorsal (parietal) pathway. Most interestingly, middle- and inferior-temporal regions were engaged during multi-sensory memory encoding after the cross-modal relationship was extracted from the learning cues. Our findings highlight the brain dynamics and plasticity related to the learning of letter-speech sound associations and provide a more refined model of grapheme-phoneme learning in reading acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyong Xu
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland; Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | - Orsolya Beatrix Kolozsvari
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland; Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | - Robert Oostenveld
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; NatMEG, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jarmo Arvid Hämäläinen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland; Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
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9
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L1 Reading Experience Influences L2 Lexical Learning: Spanish Learning in Chinese Speakers and English Speakers. Neuroscience 2019; 416:255-267. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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10
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Li H, Booth JR, Bélanger NN, Feng X, Tian M, Xie W, Zhang M, Gao Y, Ang C, Yang X, Liu L, Meng X, Ding G. Structural correlates of literacy difficulties in the second language: Evidence from Mandarin-speaking children learning English. Neuroimage 2018; 179:288-297. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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11
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Younger JW, Booth JR. Parietotemporal Stimulation Affects Acquisition of Novel Grapheme-Phoneme Mappings in Adult Readers. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:109. [PMID: 29628882 PMCID: PMC5876236 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging work from developmental and reading intervention research has suggested a cause of reading failure may be lack of engagement of parietotemporal cortex during initial acquisition of grapheme-phoneme (letter-sound) mappings. Parietotemporal activation increases following grapheme-phoneme learning and successful reading intervention. Further, stimulation of parietotemporal cortex improves reading skill in lower ability adults. However, it is unclear whether these improvements following stimulation are due to enhanced grapheme-phoneme mapping abilities. To test this hypothesis, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to manipulate parietotemporal function in adult readers as they learned a novel artificial orthography with new grapheme-phoneme mappings. Participants received real or sham stimulation to the left inferior parietal lobe (L IPL) for 20 min before training. They received explicit training over the course of 3 days on 10 novel words each day. Learning of the artificial orthography was assessed at a pre-training baseline session, the end of each of the three training sessions, an immediate post-training session and a delayed post-training session about 4 weeks after training. Stimulation interacted with baseline reading skill to affect learning of trained words and transfer to untrained words. Lower skill readers showed better acquisition, whereas higher skill readers showed worse acquisition, when training was paired with real stimulation, as compared to readers who received sham stimulation. However, readers of all skill levels showed better maintenance of trained material following parietotemporal stimulation, indicating a differential effect of stimulation on initial learning and consolidation. Overall, these results indicate that parietotemporal stimulation can enhance learning of new grapheme-phoneme relationships in readers with lower reading skill. Yet, while parietotemporal function is critical to new learning, its role in continued reading improvement likely changes as readers progress in skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica W Younger
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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12
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Xue H, Zhao L, Wang Y, Dong Q, Chen C, Xue G. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation over the left temporoparietal cortex facilitates assembled phonology. Trends Neurosci Educ 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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13
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Kim N, Kim J, Kang CK, Park CA, Lim MR, Kim YB, Bak BG. Human Brain Mapping of Visual Script Familiarity between Phonological and Logographic Language: 3 T Functional MRI Study. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:5732642. [PMID: 28758118 PMCID: PMC5516734 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5732642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurolinguistic circuitry for two different scripts of language, such as phonological scripts (PhonoS) versus logographic scripts (LogoS) (e.g., English versus Chinese, resp.), recruits segregated neural pathways according to orthographic regularity (OrthoR). The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of VSF for cortical representation according to different OrthoR to represent Hangul versus Hanja as PhonoS versus LogoS, respectively. A total of 24 right-handed, native Korean undergraduate students with the first language of PhonoS and the second language of LogoS were divided into high- or low-competent groups for L2 of LogoS. The implicit word reading task was performed using Hanja and Hangul scripts during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquisition. Fluctuations of fMRI BOLD signal demonstrated that the LogoS was associated with the ventral pathway, whereas PhonoS was associated with the dorsal pathway. By interaction analysis, compared with high-competent group, low-competent group showed significantly greater activation for Hanja than for Hangul reading in the right superior parietal lobule area and the left supplementary motor area, which might be due to neural efficiency such as attention and cognition rather than core neurolinguistic neural demand like OrthoR processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nambeom Kim
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongho Kim
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chang-Ki Kang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Radiological Science, College of Health Science, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan-A Park
- Bioimaging Research Team, Division of Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Ra Lim
- Department of General Education, Ajou University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Bo Kim
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Gee Bak
- Department of Education, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
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14
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Taylor JSH, Davis MH, Rastle K. Comparing and validating methods of reading instruction using behavioural and neural findings in an artificial orthography. J Exp Psychol Gen 2017; 146:826-858. [PMID: 28425742 PMCID: PMC5458780 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is strong scientific consensus that emphasizing print-to-sound relationships is critical when learning to read alphabetic languages. Nevertheless, reading instruction varies across English-speaking countries, from intensive phonic training to multicuing environments that teach sound- and meaning-based strategies. We sought to understand the behavioral and neural consequences of these differences in relative emphasis. We taught 24 English-speaking adults to read 2 sets of 24 novel words (e.g., /buv/, /sig/), written in 2 different unfamiliar orthographies. Following pretraining on oral vocabulary, participants learned to read the novel words over 8 days. Training in 1 language was biased toward print-to-sound mappings while training in the other language was biased toward print-to-meaning mappings. Results showed striking benefits of print–sound training on reading aloud, generalization, and comprehension of single words. Univariate analyses of fMRI data collected at the end of training showed that print–meaning relative to print–sound relative training increased neural effort in dorsal pathway regions involved in reading aloud. Conversely, activity in ventral pathway brain regions involved in reading comprehension was no different following print–meaning versus print–sound training. Multivariate analyses validated our artificial language approach, showing high similarity between the spatial distribution of fMRI activity during artificial and English word reading. Our results suggest that early literacy education should focus on the systematicities present in print-to-sound relationships in alphabetic languages, rather than teaching meaning-based strategies, in order to enhance both reading aloud and comprehension of written words.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S H Taylor
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
| | | | - Kathleen Rastle
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
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15
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Cao F, Sussman BL, Rios V, Yan X, Wang Z, Spray GJ, Mack RM. Different mechanisms in learning different second languages: Evidence from English speakers learning Chinese and Spanish. Neuroimage 2017; 148:284-295. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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16
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Markiewicz CJ, Bohland JW. Mapping the cortical representation of speech sounds in a syllable repetition task. Neuroimage 2016; 141:174-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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17
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Younger JW, Randazzo Wagner M, Booth JR. Weighing the Cost and Benefit of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Different Reading Subskills. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:262. [PMID: 27375421 PMCID: PMC4894873 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adults struggling with low reading skills are underserved by limited available treatments. While brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has the potential to improve a variety of cognitive functions, little work has been done examining its potential to treat reading disabilities. Research on the effects of tDCS on reading abilities has been somewhat inconsistent perhaps in part due to discrepancies between studies in the nature of the tasks. In the current study, we examined the effect of tDCS to the left inferior parietal lobe (L IPL) on two reading tasks in low-to-average readers. We compared performance on a sight word efficiency (SWE) task and a rhyme judgment task before and after either stimulation to the L IPL, right superior parietal lobe (R SPL), or sham stimulation. Readers who received stimulation to the L IPL showed greater improvements on the SWE task, but less improvement on the rhyme judgment task compared to the R SPL and sham groups. This study demonstrates for the first time both a positive and negative effect of stimulation under the same stimulation parameters within the same participants. The results highlight the need to consider multiple tasks when assessing the potential of using tDCS as a treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica W Younger
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX, USA
| | - Melissa Randazzo Wagner
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Teachers College, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL, USA; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX, USA
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18
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Takashima A, Hulzink I, Wagensveld B, Verhoeven L. Emergence of representations through repeated training on pronouncing novel letter combinations leads to efficient reading. Neuropsychologia 2016; 89:14-30. [PMID: 27192222 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Printed text can be decoded by utilizing different processing routes depending on the familiarity of the script. A predominant use of word-level decoding strategies can be expected in the case of a familiar script, and an almost exclusive use of letter-level decoding strategies for unfamiliar scripts. Behavioural studies have revealed that frequently occurring words are read more efficiently, suggesting that these words are read in a more holistic way at the word-level, than infrequent and unfamiliar words. To test whether repeated exposure to specific letter combinations leads to holistic reading, we monitored both behavioural and neural responses during novel script decoding and examined changes related to repeated exposure. We trained a group of Dutch university students to decode pseudowords written in an unfamiliar script, i.e., Korean Hangul characters. We compared behavioural and neural responses to pronouncing trained versus untrained two-character pseudowords (equivalent to two-syllable pseudowords). We tested once shortly after the initial training and again after a four days' delay that included another training session. We found that trained pseudowords were pronounced faster and more accurately than novel combinations of radicals (equivalent to letters). Imaging data revealed that pronunciation of trained pseudowords engaged the posterior temporo-parietal region, and engagement of this network was predictive of reading efficiency a month later. The results imply that repeated exposure to specific combinations of graphemes can lead to emergence of holistic representations that result in efficient reading. Furthermore, inter-individual differences revealed that good learners retained efficiency more than bad learners one month later.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Takashima
- Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Iris Hulzink
- Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Wagensveld
- Studio Lakmoes, Statenlaan 8, De Kleine Campus, BG lokaal 0.2, 6828 WE Arnhem, The Netherlands
| | - Ludo Verhoeven
- Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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19
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Protopapas A, Orfanidou E, Taylor J, Karavasilis E, Kapnoula EC, Panagiotaropoulou G, Velonakis G, Poulou LS, Smyrnis N, Kelekis D. Evaluating cognitive models of visual word recognition using fMRI: Effects of lexical and sublexical variables. Neuroimage 2016; 128:328-341. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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20
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Twomey T, Waters D, Price CJ, Kherif F, Woll B, MacSweeney M. Identification of the regions involved in phonological assembly using a novel paradigm. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 150:45-53. [PMID: 26335996 PMCID: PMC4669302 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Here we adopt a novel strategy to investigate phonological assembly. Participants performed a visual lexical decision task in English in which the letters in words and letterstrings were delivered either sequentially (promoting phonological assembly) or simultaneously (not promoting phonological assembly). A region of interest analysis confirmed that regions previously associated with phonological assembly, in studies contrasting different word types (e.g. words versus pseudowords), were also identified using our novel task that controls for a number of confounding variables. Specifically, the left pars opercularis, the superior part of the ventral precentral gyrus and the supramarginal gyrus were all recruited more during sequential delivery than simultaneous delivery, even when various psycholinguistic characteristics of the stimuli were controlled. This suggests that sequential delivery of orthographic stimuli is a useful tool to explore how readers, with various levels of proficiency, use sublexical phonological processing during visual word recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Twomey
- ESRC Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Dafydd Waters
- ESRC Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, UK
| | - Cathy J Price
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Ferath Kherif
- LREN, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bencie Woll
- ESRC Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, UK
| | - Mairéad MacSweeney
- ESRC Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK.
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21
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Laszlo S, Sacchi E. Individual differences in involvement of the visual object recognition system during visual word recognition. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2015; 145-146:42-52. [PMID: 25957504 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with dyslexia often evince reduced activation during reading in left hemisphere (LH) language regions. This can be observed along with increased activation in the right hemisphere (RH), especially in areas associated with object recognition - a pattern referred to as RH compensation. The mechanisms of RH compensation are relatively unclear. We hypothesize that RH compensation occurs when the RH object recognition system is called upon to supplement an underperforming LH visual word form recognition system. We tested this by collecting ERPs while participants with a range of reading abilities viewed words, objects, and word/object ambiguous items (e.g., "SMILE" shaped like a smile). Less experienced readers differentiate words, objects, and ambiguous items less strongly, especially over the RH. We suggest that this lack of differentiation may have negative consequences for dyslexic individuals demonstrating RH compensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Laszlo
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, United States; Program in Linguistics, Binghamton University, United States.
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22
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Mei L, Xue G, Lu ZL, He Q, Wei M, Zhang M, Dong Q, Chen C. Native language experience shapes neural basis of addressed and assembled phonologies. Neuroimage 2015; 114:38-48. [PMID: 25858447 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.03.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Revised: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested differential engagement of addressed and assembled phonologies in reading Chinese and alphabetic languages (e.g., English) and the modulatory role of native language in learning to read a second language. However, it is not clear whether native language experience shapes the neural mechanisms of addressed and assembled phonologies. To address this question, we trained native Chinese and native English speakers to read the same artificial language (based on Korean Hangul) either through addressed (i.e., whole-word mapping) or assembled (i.e., grapheme-to-phoneme mapping) phonology. We found that, for both native Chinese and native English speakers, addressed phonology relied on the regions in the ventral pathway, whereas assembled phonology depended on the regions in the dorsal pathway. More importantly, we found that the neural mechanisms of addressed and assembled phonologies were shaped by native language experience. Specifically, one key region for addressed phonology (i.e., the left middle temporal gyrus) showed greater activation for addressed phonology in native Chinese speakers, while one key region for assembled phonology (i.e., the left supramarginal gyrus) showed more activation for assembled phonology in native English speakers. These results provide direct neuroimaging evidence for the effect of native language experience on the neural mechanisms of phonological access in a new language and support the assimilation-accommodation hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Mei
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Gui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhong-Lin Lu
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging and Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Qinghua He
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Miao Wei
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mingxia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
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23
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Mei L, Xue G, Lu ZL, Chen C, Zhang M, He Q, Wei M, Dong Q. Learning to read words in a new language shapes the neural organization of the prior languages. Neuropsychologia 2014; 65:156-68. [PMID: 25447375 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 10/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Learning a new language entails interactions with one׳s prior language(s). Much research has shown how native language affects the cognitive and neural mechanisms of a new language, but little is known about whether and how learning a new language shapes the neural mechanisms of prior language(s). In two experiments in the current study, we used an artificial language training paradigm in combination with an fMRI to examine (1) the effects of different linguistic components (phonology and semantics) of a new language on the neural process of prior languages (i.e., native and second languages), and (2) whether such effects were modulated by the proficiency level in the new language. Results of Experiment 1 showed that when the training in a new language involved semantics (as opposed to only visual forms and phonology), neural activity during word reading in the native language (Chinese) was reduced in several reading-related regions, including the left pars opercularis, pars triangularis, bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and inferior occipital gyrus. Results of Experiment 2 replicated the results of Experiment 1 and further found that semantic training also affected neural activity during word reading in the subjects׳ second language (English). Furthermore, we found that the effects of the new language were modulated by the subjects׳ proficiency level in the new language. These results provide critical imaging evidence for the influence of learning to read words in a new language on word reading in native and second languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Mei
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Gui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhong-Lin Lu
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Mingxia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Qinghua He
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Miao Wei
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
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MEI L, XUE G, LU ZL, HE Q, ZHANG M, XUE F, CHEN C, DONG Q. Orthographic transparency modulates the functional asymmetry in the fusiform cortex: an artificial language training study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 125:165-172. [PMID: 22434043 PMCID: PMC3381927 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2011] [Revised: 12/29/2011] [Accepted: 01/29/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The laterality difference in the occipitotemporal region between Chinese (bilaterality) and alphabetic languages (left laterality) has been attributed to their difference in visual appearance. However, these languages also differ in orthographic transparency. To disentangle the effect of orthographic transparency from visual appearance, we trained subjects to read the same artificial script either as an alphabetic (i.e., transparent orthography) or a logographic (i.e., nontransparent orthography) language. Consistent with our previous results, both types of phonological training enhanced activations in the left fusiform gyrus. More interestingly, the laterality in the fusiform gyrus (especially the posterior region) was modulated by the orthographic transparency of the artificial script (more left-lateralized activation after alphabetic training than after logographic training). These results provide an alternative account (i.e., orthographic transparency) for the laterality difference between Chinese and alphabetic languages, and may have important implications for the role of the fusiform in reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei MEI
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Gui XUE
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Zhong-Lin LU
- Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging and Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Qinghua HE
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Mingxia ZHANG
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Feng XUE
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Chuansheng CHEN
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Qi DONG
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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