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Allal-Sumoto TK, Şahin D, Mizuhara H. Neural activity related to productive vocabulary knowledge effects during second language comprehension. Neurosci Res 2024; 203:8-17. [PMID: 38242177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Second language learners and educators often believe that improving one's listening ability hinges on acquiring an extensive vocabulary and engaging in thorough listening practice. Our previous study suggested that listening comprehension is also impacted by the ability to produce vocabulary. Nevertheless, it remained uncertain whether quick comprehension could be attributed to a simple acceleration of processing or to changes in neural activity. To identify neural activity changes during sentence listening comprehension according to different levels of lexical knowledge (productive, only comprehensive, uncomprehensive), we measured participants' electrical activity in the brain via electroencephalography (EEG) and conducted a time-frequency-based EEG power analysis. Additionally, we employed a decoding model to verify the predictability of vocabulary knowledge levels based on neural activity. The decoding results showed that EEG activity could discriminate between listening to sentences containing phrases that include productive knowledge and ones without. The positive impact of productive vocabulary knowledge on sentence comprehension, driven by distinctive neural processing during sentence comprehension, was unequivocally evident. Our study emphasizes the importance of productive vocabulary knowledge acquisition to enhance the process of second language listening comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Duygu Şahin
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Mizuhara
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
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2
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Benítez-Burraco A, Ivanova O. Language in healthy and pathological ageing: Methodological milestones and challenges. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2024; 59:4-12. [PMID: 38149881 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.13003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics and Theory of Literature (Linguistics), Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Olga Ivanova
- Spanish Language Department, Faculty of Philology, University of Salamanca/Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), Salamanca, Spain
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3
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van der Burght CL, Friederici AD, Maran M, Papitto G, Pyatigorskaya E, Schroën JAM, Trettenbrein PC, Zaccarella E. Cleaning up the Brickyard: How Theory and Methodology Shape Experiments in Cognitive Neuroscience of Language. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:2067-2088. [PMID: 37713672 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
The capacity for language is a defining property of our species, yet despite decades of research, evidence on its neural basis is still mixed and a generalized consensus is difficult to achieve. We suggest that this is partly caused by researchers defining "language" in different ways, with focus on a wide range of phenomena, properties, and levels of investigation. Accordingly, there is very little agreement among cognitive neuroscientists of language on the operationalization of fundamental concepts to be investigated in neuroscientific experiments. Here, we review chains of derivation in the cognitive neuroscience of language, focusing on how the hypothesis under consideration is defined by a combination of theoretical and methodological assumptions. We first attempt to disentangle the complex relationship between linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience in the field. Next, we focus on how conclusions that can be drawn from any experiment are inherently constrained by auxiliary assumptions, both theoretical and methodological, on which the validity of conclusions drawn rests. These issues are discussed in the context of classical experimental manipulations as well as study designs that employ novel approaches such as naturalistic stimuli and computational modeling. We conclude by proposing that a highly interdisciplinary field such as the cognitive neuroscience of language requires researchers to form explicit statements concerning the theoretical definitions, methodological choices, and other constraining factors involved in their work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Angela D Friederici
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matteo Maran
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Giorgio Papitto
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elena Pyatigorskaya
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Joëlle A M Schroën
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Patrick C Trettenbrein
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication, Leipzig, Germany
- University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Emiliano Zaccarella
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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4
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Mai G, Wang WSY. Distinct roles of delta- and theta-band neural tracking for sharpening and predictive coding of multi-level speech features during spoken language processing. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6149-6172. [PMID: 37818940 PMCID: PMC10619373 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain tracks and encodes multi-level speech features during spoken language processing. It is evident that this speech tracking is dominant at low frequencies (<8 Hz) including delta and theta bands. Recent research has demonstrated distinctions between delta- and theta-band tracking but has not elucidated how they differentially encode speech across linguistic levels. Here, we hypothesised that delta-band tracking encodes prediction errors (enhanced processing of unexpected features) while theta-band tracking encodes neural sharpening (enhanced processing of expected features) when people perceive speech with different linguistic contents. EEG responses were recorded when normal-hearing participants attended to continuous auditory stimuli that contained different phonological/morphological and semantic contents: (1) real-words, (2) pseudo-words and (3) time-reversed speech. We employed multivariate temporal response functions to measure EEG reconstruction accuracies in response to acoustic (spectrogram), phonetic and phonemic features with the partialling procedure that singles out unique contributions of individual features. We found higher delta-band accuracies for pseudo-words than real-words and time-reversed speech, especially during encoding of phonetic features. Notably, individual time-lag analyses showed that significantly higher accuracies for pseudo-words than real-words started at early processing stages for phonetic encoding (<100 ms post-feature) and later stages for acoustic and phonemic encoding (>200 and 400 ms post-feature, respectively). Theta-band accuracies, on the other hand, were higher when stimuli had richer linguistic content (real-words > pseudo-words > time-reversed speech). Such effects also started at early stages (<100 ms post-feature) during encoding of all individual features or when all features were combined. We argue these results indicate that delta-band tracking may play a role in predictive coding leading to greater tracking of pseudo-words due to the presence of unexpected/unpredicted semantic information, while theta-band tracking encodes sharpened signals caused by more expected phonological/morphological and semantic contents. Early presence of these effects reflects rapid computations of sharpening and prediction errors. Moreover, by measuring changes in EEG alpha power, we did not find evidence that the observed effects can be solitarily explained by attentional demands or listening efforts. Finally, we used directed information analyses to illustrate feedforward and feedback information transfers between prediction errors and sharpening across linguistic levels, showcasing how our results fit with the hierarchical Predictive Coding framework. Together, we suggest the distinct roles of delta and theta neural tracking for sharpening and predictive coding of multi-level speech features during spoken language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangting Mai
- Hearing Theme, National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, UK
- Academic Unit of Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - William S-Y Wang
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
- Language Engineering Laboratory, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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5
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Murphy E, Forseth KJ, Donos C, Snyder KM, Rollo PS, Tandon N. The spatiotemporal dynamics of semantic integration in the human brain. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6336. [PMID: 37875526 PMCID: PMC10598228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42087-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Language depends critically on the integration of lexical information across multiple words to derive semantic concepts. Limitations of spatiotemporal resolution have previously rendered it difficult to isolate processes involved in semantic integration. We utilized intracranial recordings in epilepsy patients (n = 58) who read written word definitions. Descriptions were either referential or non-referential to a common object. Semantically referential sentences enabled high frequency broadband gamma activation (70-150 Hz) of the inferior frontal sulcus (IFS), medial parietal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial temporal lobe in the left, language-dominant hemisphere. IFS, OFC and posterior middle temporal gyrus activity was modulated by the semantic coherence of non-referential sentences, exposing semantic effects that were independent of task-based referential status. Components of this network, alongside posterior superior temporal sulcus, were engaged for referential sentences that did not clearly reduce the lexical search space by the final word. These results indicate the existence of complementary cortical mosaics for semantic integration in posterior temporal and inferior frontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Kiefer J Forseth
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Donos
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Măgurele, 077125, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Kathryn M Snyder
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Patrick S Rollo
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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6
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McCarty MJ, Murphy E, Scherschligt X, Woolnough O, Morse CW, Snyder K, Mahon BZ, Tandon N. Intraoperative cortical localization of music and language reveals signatures of structural complexity in posterior temporal cortex. iScience 2023; 26:107223. [PMID: 37485361 PMCID: PMC10362292 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107223] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Language and music involve the productive combination of basic units into structures. It remains unclear whether brain regions sensitive to linguistic and musical structure are co-localized. We report an intraoperative awake craniotomy in which a left-hemispheric language-dominant professional musician underwent cortical stimulation mapping (CSM) and electrocorticography of music and language perception and production during repetition tasks. Musical sequences were melodic or amelodic, and differed in algorithmic compressibility (Lempel-Ziv complexity). Auditory recordings of sentences differed in syntactic complexity (single vs. multiple phrasal embeddings). CSM of posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) disrupted music perception and production, along with speech production. pSTG and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) activated for language and music (broadband gamma; 70-150 Hz). pMTG activity was modulated by musical complexity, while pSTG activity was modulated by syntactic complexity. This points to shared resources for music and language comprehension, but distinct neural signatures for the processing of domain-specific structural features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith J. McCarty
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xavier Scherschligt
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oscar Woolnough
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cale W. Morse
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kathryn Snyder
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bradford Z. Mahon
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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7
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Kazanina N, Tavano A. What neural oscillations can and cannot do for syntactic structure building. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:113-128. [PMID: 36460920 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00659-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Understanding what someone says requires relating words in a sentence to one another as instructed by the grammatical rules of a language. In recent years, the neurophysiological basis for this process has become a prominent topic of discussion in cognitive neuroscience. Current proposals about the neural mechanisms of syntactic structure building converge on a key role for neural oscillations in this process, but they differ in terms of the exact function that is assigned to them. In this Perspective, we discuss two proposed functions for neural oscillations - chunking and multiscale information integration - and evaluate their merits and limitations taking into account a fundamentally hierarchical nature of syntactic representations in natural languages. We highlight insights that provide a tangible starting point for a neurocognitive model of syntactic structure building.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Kazanina
- University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
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8
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Weiss AR, Korzeniewska A, Chrabaszcz A, Bush A, Fiez JA, Crone NE, Richardson RM. Lexicality-Modulated Influence of Auditory Cortex on Subthalamic Nucleus During Motor Planning for Speech. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 4:53-80. [PMID: 37229140 PMCID: PMC10205077 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Speech requires successful information transfer within cortical-basal ganglia loop circuits to produce the desired acoustic output. For this reason, up to 90% of Parkinson's disease patients experience impairments of speech articulation. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is highly effective in controlling the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, sometimes alongside speech improvement, but subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS can also lead to decreases in semantic and phonological fluency. This paradox demands better understanding of the interactions between the cortical speech network and the STN, which can be investigated with intracranial EEG recordings collected during DBS implantation surgery. We analyzed the propagation of high-gamma activity between STN, superior temporal gyrus (STG), and ventral sensorimotor cortices during reading aloud via event-related causality, a method that estimates strengths and directionalities of neural activity propagation. We employed a newly developed bivariate smoothing model based on a two-dimensional moving average, which is optimal for reducing random noise while retaining a sharp step response, to ensure precise embedding of statistical significance in the time-frequency space. Sustained and reciprocal neural interactions between STN and ventral sensorimotor cortex were observed. Moreover, high-gamma activity propagated from the STG to the STN prior to speech onset. The strength of this influence was affected by the lexical status of the utterance, with increased activity propagation during word versus pseudoword reading. These unique data suggest a potential role for the STN in the feedforward control of speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R. Weiss
- JHU Cognitive Neurophysiology and BMI Lab, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anna Korzeniewska
- JHU Cognitive Neurophysiology and BMI Lab, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anna Chrabaszcz
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alan Bush
- Brain Modulation Lab, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julie A. Fiez
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nathan E. Crone
- JHU Cognitive Neurophysiology and BMI Lab, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert M. Richardson
- Brain Modulation Lab, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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9
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Syntax through the looking glass: A review on two-word linguistic processing across behavioral, neuroimaging and neurostimulation studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104881. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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10
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Martzoukou M, Nasios G, Kosmidis MH, Papadopoulou D. Aging and the Perception of Affective and Linguistic Prosody. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2022; 51:1001-1021. [PMID: 35441951 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-022-09875-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Investigations of affective prosodic processing have demonstrated a decline with aging. It is unclear, however, whether this decline affects all or specific emotions. Also, little is known about the ability of syntactic resolution ambiguity with the use of prosody in aging. Twenty older (age range = 70-75) and 20 younger adults (age range = 20-25) performed an affective (happiness, neutrality, sadness, surprise, fear, and anger) and a linguistic (subject/object ambiguities) prosody task. Relative to young participants, older participants faced difficulty decoding affective prosody, particularly negative emotions, and syntactic prosody, in particular the subject reading condition. A marginally positive correlation was found between the affective and syntactic prosody tasks in the group of older individuals, but no gender differences in either prosodic task. The findings of the affective prosody task are discussed under the prism of the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, whereas general parsing strategies can account for the preference for the object reading condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Martzoukou
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Grigorios Nasios
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Mary H Kosmidis
- Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Despina Papadopoulou
- Department of Linguistics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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11
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Lo CW, Tung TY, Ke AH, Brennan JR. Hierarchy, Not Lexical Regularity, Modulates Low-Frequency Neural Synchrony During Language Comprehension. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2022; 3:538-555. [PMID: 37215342 PMCID: PMC10158645 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Neural responses appear to synchronize with sentence structure. However, researchers have debated whether this response in the delta band (0.5-3 Hz) really reflects hierarchical information or simply lexical regularities. Computational simulations in which sentences are represented simply as sequences of high-dimensional numeric vectors that encode lexical information seem to give rise to power spectra similar to those observed for sentence synchronization, suggesting that sentence-level cortical tracking findings may reflect sequential lexical or part-of-speech information, and not necessarily hierarchical syntactic information. Using electroencephalography (EEG) data and the frequency-tagging paradigm, we develop a novel experimental condition to tease apart the predictions of the lexical and the hierarchical accounts of the attested low-frequency synchronization. Under a lexical model, synchronization should be observed even when words are reversed within their phrases (e.g., "sheep white grass eat" instead of "white sheep eat grass"), because the same lexical items are preserved at the same regular intervals. Critically, such stimuli are not syntactically well-formed; thus a hierarchical model does not predict synchronization of phrase- and sentence-level structure in the reversed phrase condition. Computational simulations confirm these diverging predictions. EEG data from N = 31 native speakers of Mandarin show robust delta synchronization to syntactically well-formed isochronous speech. Importantly, no such pattern is observed for reversed phrases, consistent with the hierarchical, but not the lexical, accounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wen Lo
- Research Group Language Cycles, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Linguistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tzu-Yun Tung
- Department of Linguistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alan Hezao Ke
- Department of Linguistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Linguistics, Languages and Cultures, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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12
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Romeo RR, Choi B, Gabard-Durnam LJ, Wilkinson CL, Levin AR, Rowe ML, Tager-Flusberg H, Nelson CA. Parental Language Input Predicts Neuroscillatory Patterns Associated with Language Development in Toddlers at Risk of Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:2717-2731. [PMID: 34185234 PMCID: PMC9594983 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05024-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In this study we investigated the impact of parental language input on language development and associated neuroscillatory patterns in toddlers at risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Forty-six mother-toddler dyads at either high (n = 22) or low (n = 24) familial risk of ASD completed a longitudinal, prospective study including free-play, resting electroencephalography, and standardized language assessments. Input quantity/quality at 18 months positively predicted expressive language at 24 months, and relationships were stronger for high-risk toddlers. Moderated mediations revealed that input-language relationships were explained by 24-month frontal and temporal gamma power (30-50 Hz) for high-risk toddlers who would later develop ASD. Results suggest that high-risk toddlers may be cognitively and neurally more sensitive to their language environments, which has implications for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R Romeo
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Boin Choi
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Laurel J Gabard-Durnam
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Carol L Wilkinson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - April R Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Meredith L Rowe
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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13
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Bühning F, Miguel Telega L, Tong Y, Pereira J, Coenen V, Döbrössy M. Electrophysiological and molecular effects of bilateral deep brain stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle in a rodent model of depression. Exp Neurol 2022; 355:114122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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14
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Murphy E, Woolnough O, Rollo PS, Roccaforte ZJ, Segaert K, Hagoort P, Tandon N. Minimal Phrase Composition Revealed by Intracranial Recordings. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3216-3227. [PMID: 35232761 PMCID: PMC8994536 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1575-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to comprehend phrases is an essential integrative property of the brain. Here, we evaluate the neural processes that enable the transition from single-word processing to a minimal compositional scheme. Previous research has reported conflicting timing effects of composition, and disagreement persists with respect to inferior frontal and posterior temporal contributions. To address these issues, 19 patients (10 male, 9 female) implanted with penetrating depth or surface subdural intracranial electrodes, heard auditory recordings of adjective-noun, pseudoword-noun, and adjective-pseudoword phrases and judged whether the phrase matched a picture. Stimulus-dependent alterations in broadband gamma activity, low-frequency power, and phase-locking values across the language-dominant left hemisphere were derived. This revealed a mosaic located on the lower bank of the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), in which closely neighboring cortical sites displayed exclusive sensitivity to either lexicality or phrase structure, but not both. Distinct timings were found for effects of phrase composition (210-300 ms) and pseudoword processing (∼300-700 ms), and these were localized to neighboring electrodes in pSTS. The pars triangularis and temporal pole encoded anticipation of composition in broadband low frequencies, and both regions exhibited greater functional connectivity with pSTS during phrase composition. Our results suggest that the pSTS is a highly specialized region composed of sparsely interwoven heterogeneous constituents that encodes both lower and higher level linguistic features. This hub in pSTS for minimal phrase processing may form the neural basis for the human-specific computational capacity for forming hierarchically organized linguistic structures.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Linguists have claimed that the integration of multiple words into a phrase demands a computational procedure distinct from single-word processing. Here, we provide intracranial recordings from a large patient cohort, with high spatiotemporal resolution, to track the cortical dynamics of phrase composition. Epileptic patients volunteered to participate in a task in which they listened to phrases (red boat), word-pseudoword or pseudoword-word pairs (e.g., red fulg). At the onset of the second word in phrases, greater broadband high gamma activity was found in posterior superior temporal sulcus in electrodes that exclusively indexed phrasal meaning and not lexical meaning. These results provide direct, high-resolution signatures of minimal phrase composition in humans, a potentially species-specific computational capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Oscar Woolnough
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Patrick S Rollo
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Zachary J Roccaforte
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Katrien Segaert
- School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Hagoort
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
- Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas 77030
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15
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Missing links: The functional unification of language and memory (L∪M). Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 133:104489. [PMID: 34929226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The field of neurocognition is currently undergoing a significant change of perspective. Traditional neurocognitive models evolved into an integrative and dynamic vision of cognitive functioning. Dynamic integration assumes an interaction between cognitive domains traditionally considered to be distinct. Language and declarative memory are regarded as separate functions supported by different neural systems. However, they also share anatomical structures (notably, the inferior frontal gyrus, the supplementary motor area, the superior and middle temporal gyrus, and the hippocampal complex) and cognitive processes (such as semantic and working memory) that merge to endorse our quintessential daily lives. We propose a new model, "L∪M" (i.e., Language/union/Memory), that considers these two functions interactively. We fractionated language and declarative memory into three fundamental dimensions or systems ("Receiver-Transmitter", "Controller-Manager" and "Transformer-Associative" Systems), that communicate reciprocally. We formalized their interactions at the brain level with a connectivity-based approach. This new taxonomy overcomes the modular view of cognitive functioning and reconciles functional specialization with plasticity in neurological disorders.
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16
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Muñoz-López L, López-Torrecillas F, Martín I, Sánchez-Barrera MB, López-Torrecillas MDC, Serrano F. Writing Abilities in Compulsive Prisoners. Front Psychol 2021; 12:701941. [PMID: 34408713 PMCID: PMC8365834 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.701941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research has found links between academic failure and criminal offending and suggest that many incarcerated young people have experienced significant behavioral and learning problems in school, which could result in criminal outcomes and poor academic performance. The objective of this study was to analyse writing disorders in impulsive and compulsive prisoners. The sample was composed of 194 male prisoners, of which 81 had been diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder and 113 with Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Male participants were recruited at the Granada Prison Center. They completed the Demographic, Crime, and Institutional Behavior Interview; the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE); The Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R) and Assessment Battery of Writing Processes (PROESC in its Spanish acronym). We found that prisoners with writing disorders generally have difficulties in the skills necessary to write properly due to impulsive and compulsive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Muñoz-López
- Consejería de Igualdad, Política Sociales y Conciliación de la Junta de Andalucía, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Ignacio Martín
- Departamento de Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | | | - Francisca Serrano
- Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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17
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Wang P, Knösche TR, Chen L, Brauer J, Friederici AD, Maess B. Functional brain plasticity during L1 training on complex sentences: Changes in gamma-band oscillatory activity. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:3858-3870. [PMID: 33942956 PMCID: PMC8288093 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The adult human brain remains plastic even after puberty. However, whether first language (L1) training in adults can alter the language network is yet largely unknown. Thus, we conducted a longitudinal training experiment on syntactically complex German sentence comprehension. Sentence complexity was varied by the depth of the center embedded relative clauses (i.e., single or double embedded). Comprehension was tested after each sentence with a question on the thematic role assignment. Thirty adult, native German speakers were recruited for 4 days of training. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were recorded and subjected to spectral power analysis covering the classical frequency bands (i.e., theta, alpha, beta, low gamma, and gamma). Normalized spectral power, time‐locked to the final closure of the relative clause, was subjected to a two‐factor analysis (“sentence complexity” and “training days”). Results showed that for the more complex sentences, the interaction of sentence complexity and training days was observed in Brodmann area 44 (BA 44) as a decrease of gamma power with training. Moreover, in the gamma band (55–95 Hz) functional connectivity between BA 44 and other brain regions such as the inferior frontal sulcus and the inferior parietal cortex were correlated with behavioral performance increase due to training. These results show that even for native speakers, complex L1 sentence training improves language performance and alters neural activities of the left hemispheric language network. Training strengthens the use of the dorsal processing stream with working‐memory‐related brain regions for syntactically complex sentences, thereby demonstrating the brain's functional plasticity for L1 training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesBrain Networks GroupLeipzigGermany
| | - Thomas R. Knösche
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesBrain Networks GroupLeipzigGermany
| | - Luyao Chen
- Beijing Normal UniversityCollege of Chinese Language and CultureBeijing
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesDepartment of NeuropsychologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Jens Brauer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesDepartment of NeuropsychologyLeipzigGermany
- Friedrich Schiller UniversityOffice of the Vice‐President for Young ResearchersJenaGermany
| | - Angela D. Friederici
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesDepartment of NeuropsychologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Burkhard Maess
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesBrain Networks GroupLeipzigGermany
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18
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Matar S, Dirani J, Marantz A, Pylkkänen L. Left posterior temporal cortex is sensitive to syntax within conceptually matched Arabic expressions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7181. [PMID: 33785801 PMCID: PMC8010046 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86474-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During language comprehension, the brain processes not only word meanings, but also the grammatical structure-the "syntax"-that strings words into phrases and sentences. Yet the neural basis of syntax remains contentious, partly due to the elusiveness of experimental designs that vary structure independently of meaning-related variables. Here, we exploit Arabic's grammatical properties, which enable such a design. We collected magnetoencephalography (MEG) data while participants read the same noun-adjective expressions with zero, one, or two contiguously-written definite articles (e.g., 'chair purple'; 'the-chair purple'; 'the-chair the-purple'), representing equivalent concepts, but with different levels of syntactic complexity (respectively, indefinite phrases: 'a purple chair'; sentences: 'The chair is purple.'; definite phrases: 'the purple chair'). We expected regions processing syntax to respond differently to simple versus complex structures. Single-word controls ('chair'/'purple') addressed definiteness-based accounts. In noun-adjective expressions, syntactic complexity only modulated activity in the left posterior temporal lobe (LPTL), ~ 300 ms after each word's onset: indefinite phrases induced more MEG-measured positive activity. The effects disappeared in single-word tokens, ruling out non-syntactic interpretations. In contrast, left anterior temporal lobe (LATL) activation was driven by meaning. Overall, the results support models implicating the LPTL in structure building and the LATL in early stages of conceptual combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhail Matar
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Julien Dirani
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- NYUAD Research Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Alec Marantz
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Linguistics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- NYUAD Research Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Liina Pylkkänen
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Linguistics, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- NYUAD Research Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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19
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Sacks DD, Schwenn PE, McLoughlin LT, Lagopoulos J, Hermens DF. Phase-Amplitude Coupling, Mental Health and Cognition: Implications for Adolescence. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:622313. [PMID: 33841115 PMCID: PMC8032979 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.622313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying biomarkers of developing mental disorder is crucial to improving early identification and treatment-a key strategy for reducing the burden of mental disorders. Cross-frequency coupling between two different frequencies of neural oscillations is one such promising measure, believed to reflect synchronization between local and global networks in the brain. Specifically, in adults phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) has been shown to be involved in a range of cognitive processes, including working and long-term memory, attention, language, and fluid intelligence. Evidence suggests that increased PAC mediates both temporary and lasting improvements in working memory elicited by transcranial direct-current stimulation and reductions in depressive symptoms after transcranial magnetic stimulation. Moreover, research has shown that abnormal patterns of PAC are associated with depression and schizophrenia in adults. PAC is believed to be closely related to cortico-cortico white matter (WM) microstructure, which is well established in the literature as a structural mechanism underlying mental health. Some cognitive findings have been replicated in adolescents and abnormal patterns of PAC have also been linked to ADHD in young people. However, currently most research has focused on cross-sectional adult samples. Whereas initial hypotheses suggested that PAC was a state-based measure due to an early focus on cognitive, task-based research, current evidence suggests that PAC has both state-based and stable components. Future longitudinal research focusing on PAC throughout adolescent development could further our understanding of the relationship between mental health and cognition and facilitate the development of new methods for the identification and treatment of youth mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dashiell D Sacks
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Paul E Schwenn
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Larisa T McLoughlin
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Jim Lagopoulos
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Daniel F Hermens
- Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
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20
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Kershner JR. An Evolutionary Perspective of Dyslexia, Stress, and Brain Network Homeostasis. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:575546. [PMID: 33551772 PMCID: PMC7859477 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.575546] [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: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution fuels interindividual variability in neuroplasticity, reflected in brain anatomy and functional connectivity of the expanding neocortical regions subserving reading ability. Such variability is orchestrated by an evolutionarily conserved, competitive balance between epigenetic, stress-induced, and cognitive-growth gene expression programs. An evolutionary developmental model of dyslexia, suggests that prenatal and childhood subclinical stress becomes a risk factor for dyslexia when physiological adaptations to stress promoting adaptive fitness, may attenuate neuroplasticity in the brain regions recruited for reading. Stress has the potential to blunt the cognitive-growth functions of the predominantly right hemisphere Ventral and Dorsal attention networks, which are primed with high entropic levels of synaptic plasticity, and are critical for acquiring beginning reading skills. The attentional networks, in collaboration with the stress-responsive Default Mode network, modulate the entrainment and processing of the low frequency auditory oscillations (1-8 Hz) and visuospatial orienting linked etiologically to dyslexia. Thus, dyslexia may result from positive, but costly adaptations to stress system dysregulation: protective measures that reset the stress/growth balance of processing to favor the Default Mode network, compromising development of the attentional networks. Such a normal-variability conceptualization of dyslexia is at odds with the frequent assumption that dyslexia results from a neurological abnormality. To put the normal-variability model in the broader perspective of the state of the field, a traditional evolutionary account of dyslexia is presented to stimulate discussion of the scientific merits of the two approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Kershner
- Department of Applied Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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21
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Murphy E. Commentary: A Compositional Neural Architecture for Language. Front Psychol 2020; 11:2101. [PMID: 32982860 PMCID: PMC7492643 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Elliot Murphy
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22
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Coolen T, Wens V, Vander Ghinst M, Mary A, Bourguignon M, Naeije G, Peigneux P, Sadeghi N, Goldman S, De Tiège X. Frequency-Dependent Intrinsic Electrophysiological Functional Architecture of the Human Verbal Language Network. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 14:27. [PMID: 32528258 PMCID: PMC7264165 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2020.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allowed the spatial characterization of the resting-state verbal language network (vLN). While other resting-state networks (RSNs) were matched with their electrophysiological equivalents at rest and could be spectrally defined, such correspondence is lacking for the vLN. This magnetoencephalography (MEG) study aimed at defining the spatio-spectral characteristics of the neuromagnetic intrinsic functional architecture of the vLN. Neuromagnetic activity was recorded at rest in 100 right-handed healthy adults (age range: 18-41 years). Band-limited power envelope correlations were performed within and across frequency bands (θ, α, β, and low γ) from a seed region placed in the left Broca's area, using static orthogonalization as leakage correction. K-means clustering was used to segregate spatio-spectral clusters of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC). Remarkably, unlike other RSNs, within-frequency long-range rsFC from the left Broca's area was not driven by one main carrying frequency but was characterized by a specific spatio-spectral pattern segregated along the ventral (predominantly θ and α) and dorsal (β and low-γ bands) vLN streams. In contrast, spatial patterns of cross-frequency vLN functional integration were spectrally more widespread and involved multiple frequency bands. Moreover, the static intrinsic functional architecture of the neuromagnetic human vLN involved clearly left-hemisphere-dominant vLN interactions as well as cross-network interactions with the executive control network and postero-medial nodes of the DMN. Overall, this study highlighted the involvement of multiple modes of within and cross-frequency power envelope couplings at the basis of long-range electrophysiological vLN functional integration. As such, it lays the foundation for future works aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of language-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Coolen
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Radiology, CUB-Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Wens
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Magnetoencenphalography Unit, Department of Functional Neuroimaging, Service of Nuclear Medicine, CUB-Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marc Vander Ghinst
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alison Mary
- Neuropsychology & Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, ULB-Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Bourguignon
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,BCBL-Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian, Spain.,Laboratoire Cognition Langage et Développement, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gilles Naeije
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- Neuropsychology & Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF), Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, ULB-Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Niloufar Sadeghi
- Department of Radiology, CUB-Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Serge Goldman
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Magnetoencenphalography Unit, Department of Functional Neuroimaging, Service of Nuclear Medicine, CUB-Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xavier De Tiège
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Magnetoencenphalography Unit, Department of Functional Neuroimaging, Service of Nuclear Medicine, CUB-Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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23
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Kershner JR. Dyslexia as an adaptation to cortico-limbic stress system reactivity. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 12:100223. [PMID: 32435671 PMCID: PMC7231974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A new school of thought in evolutionary developmental biology, combined with research in the neurobiology of stress, suggest that early exposure to stressful circumstances may be a cause of dyslexia. A balance between epigenetic, stress-induced and cognitive-growth genetic programs modulates the brain's cellular, regional, and network homeostasis. This balance is essential for adaptability to the normative range of everyday stress. However, even mild chronic stress exposition may overactivate the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis, upsetting the homeostatic balance between these programs, and exposing the brain to harmful levels of stress hormones. A protective strategy to sustained disequilibrium precociously advances maturation at the cost of neuroplasticity, which blunts stress axis reactivity but also compromises learning potential in the prefrontal cortex and networks associated with dyslexia. Stress exceeding an individual's range of resilience: (1) reduces levels of TFEB and BDNF, gene regulatory factors prolonging maturation and neuroplasticity; (2) interferes with the insular cortex, amygdala and hippocampus in coordinating afferent visceral signals with cognitive performance; (3) over-recruits the brain's Default Mode network; and (4) amplifies release from the Locus coeruleus/norepinephrine system which impairs the entrainment of oscillations in the lower phonological frequencies of speech. Evidence supporting a stress-growth imbalance is preliminary, but holds promise for reconceptualizing the neurobiology of dyslexia and reducing its prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Kershner
- University of Toronto, Dept of Applied Psychology University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
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